Corion avoided me the whole day, locked me out of the room and avoided me completely during dinner. I tried to meet his eyes but he wouldn't, just complimented Mirabel on what a good cook she was. Seemed whatever emotional moment I thought we had was now just an illusion. Mirabel could definitely sense something going on, she gave us all leveling looks hoping one of us would speak up but for some reason, Giselle was quiet. Even Grace who was always usually chatty during dinner time became quiet.
The tension was so palpable in the air, it was a suffocating weight on all of us. I glared at Corion from where he was sitting at the other end of the table but he seemed more interested in stuffing his face with pheasant meat. I was one minute away from throwing my wooden spoon at his stubborn head just to get his attention.
As soon as he was done, he cleaned up his plates and took it to the kitchen. Without sparing me a glance, he turned to bid us goodnight, well only Mirabel. Turns out my sisters were also caught in our crossfire and it pleased me a little, because they were the cause of it. They had been the one who ignited the whole mess in the first place.
Feeling anger towards my sister and myself, I decided to eat the rest of my dinner and go and sleep the evening off. Perhaps, when morning comes we would be able to resolve everything. That's if I didn't wake up to find him gone the next morning.
That thought plagued me the entire night as I tossed and turned in my bed. Sleep eventually claimed me, though it was far from restful. But just as the fog of exhaustion began to lift, it was instantly shattered. I felt myself being jolted awake.
"Aneesa, Aneesa, wake up!"
"Wake up!"
For the love of all that's sacred, what's it going to take for a girl to get a decent sleep around here? I asked myself as I opened my eyes only to meet Grace and Giselle staring at me. I instantly became alert at that.
"What? Is Corion having another nightmare?" I asked warily.
Instead of answering, something struck me, drawing my attention to it. It was a bag that was stuffed to the brim with some clothes. Glancing back up, I finally noticed that Grace and Giselle were dressed in tunic and trousers, each of them carrying a bag. I also noticed my mother also was also dressed the same way, her expression resolute.
"What's going on?" I asked feeling more confused than ever.
"We are leaving." Giselle suddenly announced.
"What?" I asked her but Giselle was already stepping out of the room.
Grace reached down to pull me up and I allowed her to, "Come one we don't have enough time."
"We will explain on the way, now come on let's go!" Mirabel said helping me to shoulder my bag while I grabbed my boots.
We stepped outside and I gazed around, trying to find a certain blonde haired and green eyed prince. There was no sign of him in sight, did that mean he left? I asked myself as I turned to look back at my family who were now sprinting towards the woods which was strangely unusual.
"Wait a minute!" I called running after them, "Can someone at least explain to me what the hells is going on?"
Grace pulled me by my arm as she ran, "You need to run now Aneesa, before he wakes up."
"Before who wakes up?"
A groan came from my right, "Can you just for once do as you are told? What part of we will explain later do you not understand?" Giselle hissed at me.
I turned to look at her, ready to fire off a sharp reply because she was acting more bitchy than usual these past few days but Mirabel softly shook her head at me silencing my words before they could come out. Swallowing my frustration, I quickened my pace, darting through the woods. As I did so, my eyes darted towards my mother from time to time, ensuring she was keeping up with us because of her health but she seemed to be doing quite fine.
There was still this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that something was wrong. Questions swirled in my mind like a storm, but one stood out.
Where was Corion? Had he left just like I predicted? If he did then that did that mean I was truly free? But if that was the case then why on earth are we running, leaving our home behind?
The question lingered when a flash of fire caught my eyes. Frowning, I turned around and I saw a group of people carrying torches and some pitch forks, they were also heading towards the direction of our house.
Confusion churned in my chest and I turned to Giselle for answers but she was now heading towards a riverbank where there was a boat waiting in the shadows. Without hesitation, she threw her bag inside and climbed in. Mirabel and Grace did the same thing and all I could do was just watch.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get in!" Giselle ordered.
I stared at my family, they were acting unusually strange and I could feel something in the pit of my stomach, cold and heavy as though it already knew the answers my mind failed to grasp.
"Someone tell me what the hell is going on right now or I am not getting in!" I stated firmly.
Giselle groaned rolling her eyes, "Knew I should have drugged her too." She mumbled but I still heard it.
I turned to stare at her in disbelief, "Drug?" I asked my gaze turning to look at Grace who looked a little too guilty, same with Mirabel, "What's happening?" I asked starting to recognize what that pit in my stomach was, dread!
"What's happening is we are rescuing you from that monster!" Giselle suddenly said whirling around to look at me, "You want to know what's happening? What's happening is we are finally getting justice for what the hell that monster that terrorizes our land. The increased tax, the brutal punishments, the families he has torn apart! Did he think him sending us some money every each new moon was going to change what he did to us?"
My head was spinning at this point as I struggled to come to terms with what Giselle was saying. "What did you just say?"
"I am not going to apologize for what I did." Giselle replied as she glared at me, "I did it to save you and I am not going to…"
"Oh for fuck's sake Giselle, I do not mean that!" I hissed out in frustration, "What do you mean sending money?"
"Out of all the things I said, that was the only thing you focused on?" Giselle asked me, the frustration evident in her tone.
"Ever since you were taken, the prince always sends someone to give us money for our maintenance in the house." Grace spoke up, still wearing that guilty expression on her face, "And when he found out about mother's sickness, he sent the royal healer to look after her and nurse her back to health." She confessed.
Oh gods! "Oh gods!" I echoed my thoughts.
"But the money still doesn't change anything." My mother spoke this time around, "There was no way I could live my life not knowing what fate you were subjected to living over there. I promised your father I was going to take care of you and I…I just couldn't live with myself knowing you weren't with us but with that monster!"
Except he isn't a monster! He never was, you have him all wrong! I wanted to yell at them but instead of shouting, I clenched my jaw then threw my bag inside the boat with more force than necessary.
Without looking at them, I moved to untie the rope securing the boat to the bank. My hands trembled as I worked, feeling a swirl of emotions churn in my chest. Confusion, anger and fear! Fear for what my family had done.
Holding back my ties, I succeeded in losing the boat. I then pushed the boat to the river. Mirabel could sense something was wrong instantly. "Why are you not getting on the boat?"
"I can't." I replied.
"Why not?" Grace asked.
Smiling wryly at her, I replied. "I have to go back."
Giselle snorted at me in response. "I knew it!" She hissed standing up, "I knew it the whole time there is something going on between them!"
"Can you just shut up Giselle?" I yelled at her unable to hold it back anymore, "I have to go because I have to fix your mistake? You do not have any idea of what you just did, do you? Did you think for one second Corion had no idea what you were thinking? He can fucking hear your thoughts for fuck's sake!"
"Language Nessa!" My mother chastised but there was a slight tremble to her tone.
Huffing out a frustrated sigh, I raked a hand through my hair. "He knows everything Giselle and if he kept quiet about it, that means he's planning something and it won't end well for any of us. So I have to go back and fix your mistake!"
"No, no, there's no way he will know." Giselle mumbled but she had already gone pale.
Drawing a deep shuddering breath, I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to my mother's forehead. "Stay safe, I will come find you whenever I can but until then make sure you stay hidden, okay?"
"But Aneesa…"
"You have to promise me mother!" I cut her off, my voice trembling despite my best effort to sound firm. "Promise me you will stay hidden!"
Mirabel's tear streaked face crumbled as she nodded. "I promise." She whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of my own heart.
Satisfied with that answer, I drew my mother close and hugged her one last time. I then eased away from her, schooling my expression so neither of them would sense how afraid I was. Giving Giselle one last look, I smiled wryly at her.
"You take care of the both of them." I ordered her while she stared at me with something akin to regret in her blue eyes.
Without waiting for her response, I turned on my heels, my resolve hardening with every step. The acrid scent of smoke filled the air, its dark plumes curling overhead and marking my path. I didn't look back. There wasn't time for doubt.