The inn's room was simple, not luxurious, but comfortable enough for a small village on the outskirts. Some parts of the old and rough wooden walls paint are already peeled over, giving a shabby impression.
'At least the bed is clean…'
The dim light from a small candle on the table provided a dim illumination, highlighting the bed that was only covered with thin linen. There were no fancy ornaments or excessive decorations—just a simple mirror mounted on the wall, a small shelf in the corner of the room, and a small window with thick, worn-looking curtains.
Claire stood in front of the mirror, slowly removing the robe that covered her body, revealing her white hair that glistened under the reflection of the candlelight.
She looked at her own reflection, and as usual, a sense of discomfort rose in her mind.
'Why does my hair have to be the most eye-catching color?' Claire thought, her hand touching her soft hair.
In the kingdom, no one had hair as white as this. The white color of her hair was a distinctive feature that made her easily recognizable. Claire's hair was almost never seen on people, except for those who were old and their hair had faded to gray.
'If it weren't for this hair, I wouldn't be afraid to walk outside. This white color is very easy to be found by the knights later. I don't want to be caught.'
Claire bit her lower lip anxiously.
She walked towards the bed, sitting down tiredly with her back leaning against the cold wall behind her.
Her gaze blankly stared at the old wooden floor full of scratches. Her mind wandered, thinking about everything that had happened to her.
'Why did all this happen to me?' her mind was in turmoil.
The image of when she was almost executed by the Crown Prince continued to haunt her mind, overshadowing the fear that had never gone away since then.
All her life, Claire had only lived in the Duke's residence. How did she suddenly become a fugitive?
'Am I still dreaming?'
Claire raised her hand, patting her own cheek lightly, hoping the pain would wake her up from this nightmare.
But the pain was real.
"It hurts..." Claire winced, rubbing her reddened cheek.
She took a deep breath.
"This is reality, Claire. You can feel the pain, so stop hoping this is all just a bad dream," she said softly to herself.
She remembered the strange whisper she had heard when the day of her execution was about to happen.
[Shhh … my queen, you are not alone.]
The voice made Claire shiver. It felt so real, but she was sure it was just a hallucination, an effect of the deep fear she felt at that time.
'I must be hallucinating.'
Claire shook her head, trying to push the thought out of her mind.
Suddenly, a loud noise from outside distracted her. Claire frowned, confused.
'What's going on out there?'
Slowly, she stood up from the bed, curiosity driving her to find out what was happening. Carefully, she walked towards the small window in her room on the second floor.
Peeking through the gap in the curtain, Claire saw two knights questioning the innkeeper down below.
One of them was wearing full armor, while the other was wearing a robe with the emblem of the Etrill kingdom that was so familiar to Claire.
Her heart was beating fast.
'They're here… Are they looking for me?' she thought in panic.
The fear that she had been trying to suppress all this time overflowed inside her. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hold her breath so as not to make the slightest sound. She can feel her heart dropped.
'I have to hide!'
Quickly, Claire stepped back from the window and leaned against the wall. Her breathing became heavier, and her body trembled. Her mind was in chaos, various bad scenarios kept flashing through her head.
'What if they know I'm here? What if Ethan hasn't returned? What should I do?'
She peeked one more time out the window before closing it, and was shocked when she saw one of the knights turn his head up, looking directly at Claire's window.
Claire's body immediately stiffened.
'They saw me?' she thought in panic. Quickly, she closed the window, carefully drawing the thick curtains.
'They didn't really see me, did they?'
Anxiety gripped her heart. Claire ran to a small wooden cabinet in the corner of the room, crouching under it, trying to make herself as small as possible.
Her heart was beating faster than before, like an endless drum. She begged silently for the knights not to come upstairs to check on her.
'I have to stay calm. Ethan will be back soon, and we will get out of here. I can't get caught now. Not after all of this,' She thought, trying to calm herself down even though the fear was getting the better of her.
The seconds passed so slowly, as if time had stopped. Claire pressed her body tighter.
The sounds from outside were still audible, but faint. Every movement, every sound from below made her more tense.
'Ethan….'
Claire could only hope that all the commotion outside would soon pass, and that they still had time to escape before it was too late.
–ooOoo–