Hello Readers
please if there are any errors in this story please do inform me and advice me on what to do.
Alina walked carefully on her toes, looking around to check in case some one was coming.
Earlier on, after her father had met her, a note slipped telling her when to go to the secret passage way leading outside. So she had waited till it was time for her to go.
She had known the passageway since she was little, she do go there then when she wanted to be left alone. Since no one knew there except her father, she barely gets disturbed and enjoyed her time alone.
Alina walked through the hallway, holding a small satchel where she kept what she needed for the journey, heading towards a tapestry hung at the far corner of the hall way, as she walked she made sure no one had seen her.
When she got closer to the tapestry, she stopped squinted her eyes looking for something , when she finally saw what she was looking for.
A tiny knob.
She paused, looked around before turning the knob. As she turned the knob, the tapestry made a sight creak.
"Shit"
Alina's heart skipped a bit as she was scared of getting caught, she paused for a moment to listen for any sound. Having hearing nothing she looked around again and then walked in.
The secret passageway led her through a dark corridor, which she had to walk in before getting to another. She walked on in the dark carefully , since her eyes had adjusted to the dark it wasn't so difficult for her, when she got to the end of the passageway. She used her hand to feel for the door's handle, it took a long time before she found it.
She twisted it, the door flung open and a gust of wind rushed in ventilating the stuffy corridor, Alina inhaled the fresh breeze with relief
She walked outside and got into a Bush nearby, she stood under the tree the letter her had told her to stand at, she soon became tired and sat down on the floor head rested on the tree's bark.
She sat thinking of what had happened before, how she had cried her eyes out because of the decision her father had made and how she had thought her life was going to the end within the castle but now things had changed so fast, few hours before now she was a princess and was supposed to get married later that day but few hours from now she would be a commoner or maybe a runaway.
She had no idea what the next step would be after she's left alone to fine her way.
" God please direct me" She had prayed silently closing her eyes
"Aaaaah" She screamed.
As she opened her eyes she had seen a figure standing above her in the dark and had been frightened , her heart beat had gotten faster.
" If you keep screaming like that, you're gonna have us get caught" the figure said, she recognized the voice and smiled.
" You shouldn't scream like that next time, if you don't people to come looking for you"
"Father"
" Come here Alina" King Colan said gesturing with his hands for Alina to get closer
Alina stood up slowly, dusting her clothes and then walked towards where her father stood, hands spread wide in an embrace, seeing his hands spread she ran towards him and hugged him
She knew she wasn't going to see him anytime or maybe forever. She hugged him tightly as this might be the last time that they will see or their last moment that they might spend together being so close.
She had a new feeling of love for her father, the type she hadn't felt before. She knew she was going to miss her old man.
"I will miss you father" She said, still hugging him tightly not wanting to let go.
" I will miss you my lovely daughter " He replied.
" You should get going Alina okay, I don't want you to get caught when the sun has risen"
"Later today there will be servants coming to your room very early to prepare you for the wedding, I am pretty sure they will be alarmed when they find out You're not there and I want you to have gotten to the nearest village by that time" he explained
" Okay" she replied , tears streaming down her faced. She picked up her satchel from the ground , dusted it and hung it around her shoulder.
As she turned to go she felt a tight grip on her hand and looked up to see her father, looking at her. The moon was shining so it wasn't so dark as she could see his face, she saw a tear drop down his eyes.
" I believe in you Alina, I know you are brave, smart and disciplined . I trust you are going to survive"
" I may be not be with you, but I want you to know that I am very close to you and would never leave you"
" I love you Alina and I am really proud of you, I have always been. I am sorry for making silly mistakes in the past"
"So this is it dad"
" Yeah this is the part where we finally separate for a better future….don't ever forget my "
"I won't dad, you will always be here" she said placing her hand on her chest
She walked towards her father and hugged him but this time it didn't take long as she released herself.
"This is it father" Alina said walking backwards still facing her father.
Her father turned to leave and she watched him walked towards the direction she had came from. She stood under tree, allowing the years to flow freely . After some time of crying and thinking of what to do next.
She realized that the crack of dawn would soon begin to set in, she cleaned her teary face with the back of her hand .
She knew crying wouldn't do anything good to her but instead it would make her feel weaker, she summoned up courage. Although she had no idea where to go next, she sure do have an idea that is more better than standing under a tree close to the castle crying.
She knew she had to run.
Since she was trying to escape, she wouldn't want to be caught under a tree close to the castle . If there was anything she had to do it was to run.
She had to run before the sun starts rising and the servants reports her absence to the queen. She ran swiftly than her legs could carry acting on her only idea which was to keep running.