It didn't take long for the rest of the members in the house to find out about Eve's situation. If the man were a normal king, they would have envied her, but he wasn't. It was like leaving the gates of hell only to fall right into the middle of the hell her family had prepared.
Eve stayed with the chef, who kept assuring her that everything would be okay, even though she herself knew it wouldn't. When she had said yesterday that she would like to know the man honored to have her, she didn't mean a despicable king who would have her by his side. The man didn't deserve her.
"Mrs Coope, I'm going to run away, it would be better than living with an axe on my neck," she would be singing her death if she gets married to the king.
"You can't Eve, if you are caught-"
"I won't be caught," she said confidently.
Five days her mother said, and a carriage would be sent to take her to Howvale. She would leave the night before her departure. Her parents would have suspected her to leave so she was going to stay and prove them wrong until the last day. She would sneak out at night and travel far from them.
Mrs Coope said nothing, knowing she wouldn't be able to convince the girl otherwise. Eve left the woman's side to continue her work. She was still a servant, even though her marriage had already been arranged.
As they say, time seems to travel faster when you're nervous. Eve stared out of her small window at the bright sun in the sky. Three days had passed quickly like a wind, and it was now the last day before she would leave.
She had arranged the few things she would need in a small bag. She had a total of ten heart coins and fifteen silver coins saved in a porch. That would sustain her during her little escapade.
Eve was lost in her escape plan that she missed the arrival of a carriage. It was a magnificent black and gold, small and lady-like carriage. Passerbys gawked at the eight-horses-drawn carriage that didn't belong to anyone in their Kingdom.
A man dressed in a knight armor got down from the coachman's seat, he made his way to the mansion where the butler was already waiting for him at the door.
"I'm here on the order of my King to see your Master," the man had a flag of Howvale printed on his armor suit.
The butler gave a curt nod and took the man to the parlor room where the family were having a drink.
"Master Marphus," the butler called the man's attention.
Marphus turned towards the door and a frown form on his forehead seeing the knight from Howvale.
He walked towards the man who had a full mask on his face, with only his dark red eyes left uncovered.
The knight pulled a letter from his armor and handed to him who unfolded it to read.
"What do you think Mother?" Grace whispered to her mother, only her words didn't go unheard by the Knight.
"Do you think the King isn't interested in Eve anymore and decided to call it off," She nudged her mother, she would be more than glad if it was so.
The knight shifted his eyes to look at her, his gaze sharply focused on her as he said, "My King would like his bride-to-be to come with me to Howvale as he seemed impatient to see her," his voice was grave that send shivers down their spine.
Impatient to see her? It was like a slap to Grace's face.
"He would like her to arrive sooner."
"Grace, get one of your old clothes for Eve and ask her to get ready," though it was whispered, it didn't miss the Knight's ears. He raised an eyebrow behind his mask, thinking to himself.
Eve was still sitting beside the window when her door was swung open revealing an angry looking Grace.
"Put this on and come to the front door, the knight is waiting for you," she threw an olive green gown to the floor.
"Knight? What Knight?" She asked, but her question fell on an empty space as her sister had stormed away.
She picked up the gown with a frown on her face wondering, why a Knight was waiting for her. The gown was made of silk with stone works on the chest. She put on the gown, which was smaller than her size, as she had a larger bosom than Grace and wider hips.
She loosened the bun in her hair, using her fingers to comb through the ends. She hid the bag she had prepared for her night escape and left her room.
She went to the front door, where her family stood with a knight who turned to her direction.
"You would be leaving with for Howvale today, the King sent his Knight and a carriage to pick you up," her father said in a calm voice.
Eve's heart sink down her chest and she looked horrified, "Today? The King must have forgotten -"
"Are you implying that my King made a mistake?" The Knight interrupted her.
Eve went quiet, dread filling her heart, she had failed. Her only chance of free life was slipping through her fingers.
"My King is truly honored to have you as his bride, Milady, he is impatient to welcome you in his castle," he tried to sweet-talk her even though he knew such tactics won't work on her.
Eve looked at her father who kept a nonchalant face and her mother staring at her with hatred and disgust like her sister.
"If you will, Milady, the party should have started. We need to leave," the Knight curtsied a bow.
Eve swallowed, clenching her hands on the sides of the gown as she made her way outside the house with the Knight. Her eyes fell on the carriage which did nothing to succumb the fear in her. The other members of the house were dumbstruck, gawking at the the magnificence of the Royal carriage.
"Do remember to write us letters Eve," her mother said forcibly, she was pretending to care which made Eve scoff. The door was held open for her by the Knight and she turned to look at her mother.
"You didn't care for me while I stayed here and you won't care as I am no longer here. It would be better saving the parchment and ink than writing letters to you, Lady Madonna," and she stepped into the carriage.
A smirk grew on the Knight's lips behind his mask, he closed the door of the carriage and bowed at her family who wouldn't dare react to her words.
The woman would be the perfect fun and game for the King, he hopped on the coachman's seat and took the rein of the horses and whip it to start moving.
"Let's see how long she would survive in your hands brother," the smirk on his lips grew as the carriage started to move away really fast.