She is searching for a way. A way to run from her family's betrayal. No, not family. Her family wouldn't marry her off without her consent. As she looked down the garden from her balcony; her head pounded in tension, she was sitting on the horns of her dilemma; to run or not to. A bride absent at her own wedding!
Gianna's mind was made up, she was never marrying that man, she hardly knew him! Gianna descended the stairs in a rush heading for the stable. Mounting her steed she left their mansion through the back gate.
She rode right into the woods . The path ahead was blurry as it was already night time. Hell, she should have carried a torch at least. A cold gust of wind blew and a shiver ran down her spine as her blood ran cold. Apart from her being cold the ominous calls of the owls only added to her anxiety and discomfort.
What had she done? Running away from the very place she called home for the nineteen years of her life! Her father was probably worried and was looking for her in the Brightwood neighborhood. She alighted from her horse and sat down under a tree. Her body shook with a chilling realization, she was all alone in the woods.
But her father had betrayed her, and she wasn't about to forgive him, not now, not ever. But where would she go now? She buried her face in her palms to escape her harsh reality; for a moment at least. Now she missed her mother like never before; not that she had ever seen her but she just longed for her embrace, especially now with the harshest wave of storm tormenting her.
Her mother would never allow her daughter to marry someone she hardly knows, would she?
But that's a question that would remain unanswered till she meets her mother; if that would ever happen as it now only remained in the world of wishful thinking, far away from her world of eternal gloom.
Standing up, Gianna dusted her off-shoulder dress off the dirt as her stomach growled loudly. When was the last time she had eaten? She couldn't remember. Now she was exhausted, yet she had to keep on running lest her family caught up with her .
Gianna had hardly enough time when she heard the rustling of leaves. All her anxieties came tumbling back sending a brusque bolt of shock right through her. Her bottle green eyes darkened with worry. She yanked her reins and headed for the opposite direction. She could hear a galloping horse approaching.
"Faster Mario!"
Gianna urged her horse forward as ominous thoughts squirmed at the back of her mind. What was the stranger after? Mario was fast, very fast; but the stranger's horse seemed to be faster; much faster as soon it overtook them and blocked their way.
Mario came to a sudden halt nearly knocking Gianna off the saddle.
" Where were you running off to Gianna, father is worried.''
This voice; it sounded so familiar, Gianna looked up and her suspicions were confirmed as the stranger took off his hat.
"Denzel?"
It was her annoying half-brother brother.
"I am not going home with you. Just leave me alone."
"Neither do I want to go back home in your company. You know you bring everyone so much joy when you leave the house, but still I had to come look for you."
Gianna was confused, they always fought for one reason or another, and now Denzel came this far looking for her. Something wasn't right. Walking up to him,
"But why come looking for me?"
"My my, I overestimated your wit big sister. I thought you would figure out that father sent me to look for you since he knew you won't talk to him even if he came." He explained with a hint of a smirk.
The woods had always been her favorite place to spend time alone whenever she couldn't take Alvilda's oppression. Gianna was about to yank at reins and leave the place before a strong arm gripped her wrist as if reading her thoughts.
"Let go of my hand Denzel." She said in a threatening voice.
"Where are you going now?" He asked, there was a hint of concern in his cold blue eyes.
Gianna wanted to laugh. He was just insulting her the other minute and now he was acting worried.
"If you really must know, I am granting you what you have been wishing for a lifetime . I am leaving home for good ."
" Tsk. You've said that at least a thousand times already."
"But this time I am dead serious about it. I have to. I'll rather be lunch to hyenas than marrying that man."
"Hey hey, don't think too hard about it. You're so stupid it might sprain your brain!"
"You're proof it's possible to leave without a brain." She snapped. They stared at each other in a brief moment before laughing heartily.
" That's a point I cannot dispute." He answered helping her down from the horse.
They lit a small fire and shared the late lunch Denzel had brought. Afterwards an ominous moment of silence prevailed. Gianna rested her head on her brother's chest and a tear rolled down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away.She would never see her father nor her brother after getting married. It was considered a disgrace for a wife to go to her parents' home.
Even though the two were always fighting, trying to outdo each other in everything and pulling savage pranks on each other during their younger years; they always had each other's backs.
After long moments of crying, Gianna felt placid and composed, but the lingering marriage still troubled her. She needed to find her mother;fast. Her father called her heartless, Alvilda termed her a stupid mother, but to Gianna, she was the only hope for better days .
Amidst the chaos in her life , Gianna tried to remain calm as a tranquil lake. Her husband to be may take her as a wife, but he would never touch her, she wouldn't allow it. Turning to her brother;
"Thank you for coming to find me Denzel."
"Now, now, let's not get formal."
"But am not going home."
With that, she stood up,mounted her steed and rode off.
She could hear Denzel's calls after her, but she couldn't afford to to look back , lest she changed her mind.
Suddenly , Gianna could hear voices in the trees. The fact that the voices were masculine sent a chill down her spine. Mario snorted loudly. Gianna was about to urge her horse run in the opposite direction; even though that would take them back to her brother when silhouettes started materializing from behind the trees. It wasn't long before Gianna realized she was surrounded. What was she thinking leaving her brother?
There were four of them. All of them armored. Gianna got hold of her a bow ,ready to fire.
"Don't attempt to move any closer or you lose an eye!"
She threatened. She could hear the fear in her own voice.
"Just take a quick look around you wench. There's no way you can fight us all, especially in that fancy dress."
One of them spoke studying her face before his ludic gaze traveled down her bosom and lingered there and Gianna regretted wearing the dress.
A well groomed man joined the men in armor. Gianna could tell he was of noble descent from his robe.
"And what's a beauty like you doing here alone , at this ungodly hour of the night?"
He asked his face void of emotion.
"Don't you dare move a step forward unless you have death wish!"
Gianna warned as the nobleman approached her.
"It would be an honor to lose my life to such a beautiful lady, but not before bedding her!" He blurted and his guards burst out into laughing.
Gianna fired an arrow only for it to be split into two pieces by the man's sword.
"You have a good shot."
He remarked but he didn't seem the least impressed.
Gianna alighted from her horse and hitched him on a nearby tree. Despite being outnumbered, she was standing her ground.
She was about to fire once more when the dark-eyed nobleman sliced her bow into half with a single swing of his sword.
Her only weapon for self defense had just been destroyed before her very eyes. She kept taking a step back until she was trapped between a tree and the man.
Her knees began to judder as he kept moving towards her. What was he trying to do?
He stopped only when his face was a few inches away from hers.A scream jumbled up her throat but she couldn't let it out.Her voice was frozen in her throat.
"Don't you attempt to do something stupid to the lady as you near your end!"
That voice; it was Denzel's!He sliced one of the armored men's throat and stabbed another in the stomach with his daggers. Gianna, taking advantage of the situation slapped the man before her across the face but he didn't move an inch.
But that only lasted a moment. The other two armored men got hold of Denzel and cuffed his hands.
Gianna's spirits sank. Denzel was pushed down on his knees. Their gazes locked and Gianna could see the apologetic face her brother wore. But it wasn't his fault they were in danger, it was hers and now even Denzel would suffer thr consequences for her mistakes.
The dark-eyed man leaned close to Gianna's face igniting a spark of fear in her.
She had the sudden urge to run; but where to?