The soldiers continued to search the forest. They had been doing so for hours, but without success. The crown princess was still missing. Nobody knew why she had run away from home. They only knew they had to bring her back. Otherwise they would all be executed.
One of the soldiers had been a close friend to her. He had known her for over ten years, since her sixth birthday. He knew why she had run away. But he didn't say anything.
"Over here!", one of his comrades called, and they quickly gathered at the spot.
The ground made a squishy, wet sound. It was covered in not yet dried blood. In the middle of the blood laid girl. She had been brutally murdered; large chunks of her missing, cut out and torn off. Her throat was slit to a maddening, red smile and the face had been burned unrecocnisably.
"Oh Boy. We are in trouble", one of the soldiers said.
"Is it really M'Lady?", asked another. The Captain bowed down and pulled away her dress, only far enough to see the tatoo on her shoulder - three crossed arrows beneath a sun.
"Yeah, that's her alright", he said and rose. "Wrap her up. We must report immediately." He turned around and went. The soldiers oblieged and covered her in their cloaks. Then they slowly lifted her up.
"Hey, Gal. Are you crying?", one at the feet asked.
"Let him be", said another. "He was the princess's personal guard for ten years. 'Course he's crying." Gal really cried. But not of sadness. He was happy. Happy for the princess to escape her misery. He remembered to long hours of the nights in the Tower, her sobbing and mourning. She had planned this the whole time.
They left the forest. The soldiers talked quietly about the dead princess. Nobody noticed the small, hooded figure crooched beneath the roots of the oaks. Nobody knew they would not live past the day. Nobody expected to have the wrong person wrapped in their clothes.
Gal knew. And he saw the princess under the roots. He told her: "I will return." But he did not know he could not keep his promise.