I couldn't sleep well at all. Instead, I laid staring at the high, dusty ceilings of the windmill as I heard loud screams echo from beyond the fields. I can only imagine what pain and devastation waited for me there. I wondered as I listened to Love's quiet snores and those horrible shrieks, whether I had been taking the situation too lightly. I kept making so many declarations to Love, ones that now that I have time to ponder on it, I don't know if I can live up to them.
I lifted my arms and suspended my hands above my face. With these hands, could I save Aolenoa? Could I rebuild it?
When I lived back on earth, since I don't know which world I am on, I never really believed in the concept of God. If God was real, why was there so much suffering? If God was kind and merciful, why did He let all pain continue? Corrupt people were in power and justice was being played by criminals. That was what I thought. I mean, I myself had been 'betrayed' by God. So maybe, I was just being biased. I jumped from one faith to another, desperate to find a beam I can worship and put my hopes in and yet, every single one of them disappointed me. At that point, I knew the problem either lied in me or that there was no god. So I gave up on the whole belief. Life then was terrible for me. It was horrid, I got hives just thinking about it.
As I recalled the memories, I didn't realise I had been chewing too hard on my inner cheek. The metallic taste in my mouth took me by surprise.
A soft chuckle filled the windmill. It's funny how I wasn't keen on the idea of God and yet, He had blessed me.
"A new chance at life." I breathed out.
My hands slowly dropped and covered my face.
A thin smile formed on my lips. Maybe God was real. In the mangas I'd read, this would be my 'redemption arc', one gifted to me by the Almighty Himself. Maybe I was one of those women reincarnated into a noble woman, whose life was terrible but would finally love and happiness in their new world.
My hands cupped my cheeks and I rolled around on the small blanket. I can't wait! There's so many things I want to do, like throw away money purchasing this and that, or put a noble in their place when they show me disrespect, or walk away from a ball I'm attending to the balcony where I'll share a small talk with the male lead.
And then we'd fall in lo-
"Eek!" I exclaimed.
The very idea just made me giddy. I curled up into a ball. In the midst of my excitement, I failed to hear them.
"Ak- wa- Love!" Love rose up, her hair in a mess and slobber trailing down from the side of her face.
"What?" She asked before I shushed her.
Love wondered why her mistress woke her in the middle of the night to shush her. She had only heard rustling- her blood ran ice cold. When she quieted down, she heard the soft marching breaking the silent wheat stems. Her closed eyes flew open with worry.
"We have to leave now, do you know how we can sneak to the mine?" I whispered.
Love nodded, her eyebrows pursed upwards and her face turning blanched with fear. I grabbed Love's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, smiling at her as if to tell her that it'll be fine.
"Judging from the marching and the light, I'd say they're roughly 200 metres from us. That leaves us with about 40 seconds to grab what we can and leave. You lead the way." I demanded.
"Do you have anything I can change in?" Love looked up from the floor and at me, nodding vehemently.
I snuffed out the oil lamp and packed everything back where it belonged all whilst changing into Love's father's farming clothes. It wasn't the best, but I'd rather run in these than in that dress.
However, I didn't throw the dress away, who knows when I can use it again? I opened the door and motioned Love to throw the bag she was carrying to me. She hesitated but I shot her a glare. No offence to Love but she doesn't look like she can run let alone carry a heavy bag. I jumped down from the windmill door down to the floor, missing the stairs. Love had a questioning look but she jumped down anyway.
"The stairs creak." I briefly explained.
By now, the marching and lights were coming closer. I pulled Love into the wheat bushes and started running. I was ready to just bolt out of there but Love stopped running.
"Love, what's going on? We have to-" I stopped whispering.
Love's eyes were glued onto the soldiers. I could only watch as they approached the windmill.
About a dozen foot soldiers carrying torches walk to the windmill before a beast emerges from the field. I didn't know what it was but I was mesmerised, that was my first ever encounter with a 'magical being' it looked a lot like a gecko but saggy and it's size… It was humongous. That's not the most peculiar thing about it though, it was teal and glowing. A gray haired man was riding it and he quickly slid off the beast after it emerged from the fields. Love quietly gasped. He was beautiful, frankly. His hair glistened with the moonlight, I would've been enthralled by his looks if not for his cream attire that was stained with blood. He wore an armor above that, one protecting his shoulders and a chainmail that flowed down from the armor around his neck down his abdomen. He wasn't even wearing any armor for his legs and for his top his armour was very little. I sneered, what a show off.
One of the soldiers kicked down the windmill doors, almost causing me to yelp.. I took a peek at Love and she had a horrified look on her face. I wonder what was going on with her. Who was this man? Why was she so focused on him?
The soldier loudly announced that the windmill was empty. The beautiful person had a cold look on his face before instructing the soldier to burn the place down. He got on his beast and turned around back to where he came from. My breath hitched when I locked eyes with that animal but weirdly enough, it did nothing. It watched me and left. Its eyes though- I didn't know why but watching its eyes made me sad.
I loudly exhaled when I couldn't hear the soldiers footsteps anymore. I wanted to chastise Love for almost jeopardising our escape.
"Love, why didn't you run?"
"That was Prince Aldrin Burke." She muttered.
"Who is that? Why are you so shocked?" Love fell to her knees, catching me by surprise.
"Love-"
"He was the kind prince of Burke. He- He was the one who promised us help! How- why is he here? How could he?!" Oh, the plot thickens.
"Love, get a hold of yourself! We can't break down here, not now!" I quietly yelled at her before pulling Love up to her feet.
'Fssh, fssh.'
I didn't know whether the soldiers retreating was a ruse or real but I wasn't trying to find that out.
I grabbed Love by her arm and pulled her along with me. Not once did I turn to look back.
I didn't know how long I'd have been walking but we made it through the fields and to the south (I think, I was told I am directionally challenged.).
After hours of walking, I finally broke the silence.
"Love what was that? Why'd you stop?"
She had a silent look but she bit her lip and answered.
"That was the second Crown Prince, Aldrin Burke. He was the one to promise us victory from the war. I knew him… Not personally of course." She chuckled. Her eyebrows haven't relaxed from their position.
"He came a lot to the First Prince's balls. I talked to him too, he was polite and didn't look down at me. I thought he was different." She whined.
"But I was wrong. He was riding a magical beast and he was covered in blood." She inhaled sharply before continuing.
Magical beast, is that what they're called?
"With all due respect, My Queen, I detested the idea you suggested. That we were betrayed by Burke, but there's no mistaking it now." She declared.
"Why are you so sure?" I asked, genuinely curious at her new found belief.
"Magical beasts can neither be discovered nor heeds no man, unless he enslaves them. If the Second Crown Prince can do that, that means that he is evil beyond any means. Only evil can triumph over a magical beast." Wow, the more you know.
Magical beast, evil; It's a lot to take in. It pained me to look at Love when she had such a betrayed look on her. He must've meant a lot to her. With the way she talked about him, he must've been a symbol of hope for them. Couldn't be me though, if a handsome prince comes promising me victory I'd call him out on his bullshit.
But if I were Love, I'd be disappointed to0 say the least. He was beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful. Who could've known such a beauty would be so wicked? You truly can never judge a book by its cover, I guess.
"It's here." Love said as she bent down and cleared dirt and fallen leaves off the ground. There, a rusty, old iron door laid barren, as if untouched for a thousand years.
"What then?" Love looked up at me.
"After we go through the mine, where would we go?" I asked, my arms tightly crossed in front of me.
"It would lead us to the countryside of Burke, we can walk from there to the Capital of Burke. Maybe we'd meet up with some of our people there." Love explained. I realised she had long dropped the honorifics, only using them to address me. I was kind of sick of them, anyways.
My nails dug deep into my elbow. I hated small spaces. Not hate, anxious. I have severe anxiety. There's no way I can last in there, in the dark- I'd break. I bit my lower lip.
"This is the only way?"
"That I know of, Your Majesty." Love answered.
I grit my teeth.
"Then what are we waiting for?"