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Chapter 2

Four days had rolled by and the carriage transporting the princess had long left the country's territory and were greatly nearing their final destination, much to Elena's distaste.

She had spent the last few days in complete silence, reading the romantic books she stole from her half sisters chambers, as a parting gift on their behalf.

"Once you get used to it, being married becomes a lovely thing princess." Harriet spoke up, finally breaking the silence between them.

"Is it anything like what I read in the books?" Elena retorted and swiftly closed the pages of the book, genuinely showing interest in the subject of discussion.

"What do the books say about marriage?" Harriet implored, wanting to know why the princess always had her nose buried in a book, giggling in-between pages.

"At first it's unrefined, but as time slowly passes the two people fall in love, and share a passionate night, in the winter." Her ears reddened and her cheeks flushed pink at the idea of rubbing bodies with a stranger. "After which, their souls are intertwined as they would share a destiny and live happily together with the children they bear." She concluded with a gleam in her eyes.

Harriet clenched her eyes and bit hard on her lower lip, determined not to laugh at the princess's childish misconception about marriage.

"You're mocking me, aren't you?" Elena folded her arms across her shoulder and narrowed her gaze at Harriet, whose shoulders were jerking up and down in an uncontrolled fashion.

"Forgive me." She said, stifling a giggle, the princess had always been awfully honest about her thoughts, and could be easily manipulated.

"If you're so knowledgeable, then tell me of your own idea of marriage. If it's anything like what my mother and stepfather have, then I dislike it." Elena professed with no remorse.

Harriet took the reluctant princess's fair hand and caged it in both of her palms, the cheerful look on her face dampened, as her eyes turned serious.

"Where you're headed to, is going to be a den of lions, with eyes everywhere and ears plastered on the walls. Everyone and anyone will find fault in you, your only ally shall be your husband. Trust him and no one else in your new home if you wish to survive."


Elena could hardly get any sleep that night, Harriet's words kept her up, pondering over the outcome of her new life. She noticed that Harriet failed to include herself when discussing her married life.

"Overthinking won't be of any use now." She confessed, as she took out a small notebook from her belongings and dipped her quilt feather in ink.

Pretty soon, her hands set out to work, writing something on the piece of paper, a heavy expression on her face. She glanced at Harriet, who was fast asleep and let out a prolonged sigh.

Barely had she written up to half of the page, when a burning arrow head from afar shot right into the carriage in front of hers. The carriage went ablaze, scorching the men, tasked with the duty of keeping her safe throughout the journey.

Another arrow was shot at the horse pulled wagons behind her, carrying all the food and water for their journey. The rider, along with the horses were caught in the flames in seconds and burned miserably to the ground.

"Harriet!" Cried Elena, as she lunged towards her sleeping handmaid with the intention of waking her up.

A loud banging noise from the door of her carriage was heard, someone was rudely asking to be let in. Elena froze in fear, as the men she assumed to be bandits circled around her carriage.

The stench of smoke and burning wood pulled the handmaid out of her blissful slumber, into a dreadful nightmare.

"What is going on?" Harriet asked as she rose to her feet, noticing the smoke from outside all around them. She seized the Princess by the shoulders and jerked her around, panic painted in her eyes.

"What happened?!" She demanded, too afraid to hear the sound of someone banging the carriage door.

Elena tried to speak, but the words would not come out her mouth, her porcelain skin was irked by the smoke around her, not to mention she could barely breathe properly.

Seeing as the princess was unresponsive, Harriet pushed her aside, not caring where she landed and made for her belongings. The older woman swiped the gold rings on the table that belonged to the princess and padded them into her gloves!

The princess hit her head against the carriage walls but gladly did not sustain any life threatening wounds, but ended up twisting her ankle.

cough

"Harriet, my ankle!." She whimpered, struggling to help herself stand on her own two feet.

The woman seized from pilfering the princess's valuables and fixed her attention on the coughing young girl, crying for help.

She stretched forth her hand towards her, Elena smiled in relief and reached out to take the woman's hand. But received a horrible shock, as Harriet ignored her hand and instead, stole the jade hair pin that held her hair together.

Her hair fell from it's regal ponytail and scattered across her face, sticking to her sweat filled neck and face.

"Ha...Harriet?" The princess beckoned, squinting her eyes at the woman towering over her, with greed filled eyes.

The banging on the door had ceased a while back, as the secret guards who were protecting her from a distance, engaged the supposed bandits in a fight.

"Oh, don't give me that look Elena." The once cheerful woman sharply said, her once peachy voice took a heavy decline and sounded far more brass and brazen.

"I won't die in a place like this, all because of bloody politics and a spoiled naive brat." Harriet informed her, picking up her black coat from the floor.

Still ridden with shock, the princess swallowed her saliva and managed to ask.

"When have I ever been bad to you?" The heartbroken princess demanded, drowning in her own pool of tears.

Harriet scoffed at her, then reached into her gloves and pulled out a silver ring, with a blue crystal.

"Take it, if you somehow manage to survive, sell the ring and start over. As for me, I'm not going to die trying to help you escape." And on that note, she tossed the ring at Elena, nearly hitting her eye.

"Please, don't go." Begged the young girl, as she forcefully got on her feet and latched unto Harriet. "I promise to behave, just don't leave..."

Slap

Harriet raised her hand and slapped Elena hard across the cheek, sending her crashing down to the floor, further twisting her ankle.

Harriet swiftly yanked the carriage door handle and made an attempt to sprint out of the carriage, ignoring Elena's cries.

Sadly, the moment she opened the door, an arrow was shot straight into the center of her forehead, which caused her entire body to fall backwards and land at Elena's feet. All the jewels padded in her gloves scattered across the wooden flooring, swimming in her pool of blood.

A man dressed in all black, darted into the carriage and immediately pulled the frightened princess by the elbow.

"Harriet! Harriet wake up!" She screamed, struggling vehemently against her rough abductor.

Pretty soon another man arrived at the scene and started stuffing all of her belongings into a bag, without any care whatsoever.

Elena was forcefully dragged away from the scene, once she was some feet far from the carriage, an arrowhead was shot at it. And in moments, the entire carriage was caught up in flames, and within minutes reduced to rubble and ash.

Elena covered her mouth with her palms, as her eyes landed on the number of her country's men all heaped into one big pile ready to be torched.

Fortunately, she wasn't privileged to watch them turn into dust, the man who had her in his tight grip pulled out a handkerchief from his pants and pressed it unto her nose.

Elena suddenly felt light headed and before she knew what was going on, she lost the strength in her legs and fell to the hard dirt.

During her last moments of consciousness, the last thing she saw were a pair of feet standing in front of her, blocking her view of the fires.


"If we continue at this pace, we should arrive by morning tomorrow, we'll take the mountain route and kill any bandits in our path."

Elena heard in her semi consciousness state, she could feel a large cloth draped across her body, blocking the sunlight from hitting her skin.

All around her, was the odor of dried animal flesh and beer, which made her conclude she was hidden in their food wagon. Which perfectly explained why she could feel every turn they made and everytime the wheels rode over stones on a bumpy road.

"Reeves is just within our reach."

Elena stiffened at the mention of the kingdom Reeves, the country at the outpost, the country spearheading the cold war.

Said to house a vicious demon King, who shows no mercy to any of his enemies.

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