Chapter One
'I cannot believe it.'
I thought as I crept through the hallways carefully as not to be seen by the castle guards. My cloak, as dark as night, draped over me, embracing the floors as I tiptoed through the candlelit hallways.
I cannot believe he tried to give me away - my own father. We were never close; hell we barely even spoke until last evening where he announced at the family dinner table that I would be married to King Roland.
Most girls would be elated at the thought of just being near him. He was handsome and charming, but that was about it until you saw the devil lurking behind him.
All his previous wives "went missing" after six months into the marriage. I heard rumors that the king would get rid of them after he was bored and moved onto the next. Despite these accusations, women would still line around the castle walls to be the next wife.
His last marriage only lasted two months.
Queen Elaine, she only lasted two months. Rumor is she was pregnant and he decided to end the marriage early.
Apparently he's looking for his sixth wife, which will not be me.
I sit there listening for footsteps. I hear them going further and further away from me.
I lean against the wall remembering what father said during the evening meal.
"FINALLY! You might have some use after all!" My father excitedly yelled coming into the dining hall. His eyes were on me as he walked to the table where the stewardess quickly ran to him to pull out his chair for him.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, glaring at him as he sat down.
"Darling me and Julian have been waiting for you, tell me what has you so excited." Says my stepmother Seraphena.
Once again she had ignored me, not like I cared much anyways it had always been like this.
"Alyssa you are to be married!" My father boomed, smiling ear to ear.
"What!" I yelled out incredulously.
Usually I wouldn't speak to my father, there was no reason to speak to him.
"You heard me girl! You are to be married! I had been writing to King Roland, and as you all know he has been looking for a new wife, and we were also trying to tie together our two kingdoms." He slams his hands on the table causing me to jolt.
"Well what better way then MARRIAGE!" He exclaims happily. " Julian can rule and you would bring our lands together and most importantly I would be rid of you!" He says pushing himself backwards and standing up dramatically.
" I thought..I would be the next ruler as the eldest," I say plainly causing Seraphena to burst out laughing.
"Girl I don't know how much of a dimwit you must be to think that." Says Julian who was smirking at me from the far end of the table.
My father was marrying me off so he could get rid of me, Seraphena was of course elated at the thought of me going to another kingdom to never be seen or heard from again, and Julian despite never doing anything to him, despised me.
"Why must it be me father!" I yelled ignoring Julian.
"Don't call me that," My father said as his smile quickly dropped from his face.
"But that's what you are."
He walked around the table bounding for me angrily, he previous happiness and excitement completely gone. I turned to him as he stood before me. He grabbed my arm and forcefully pulled me up and away from the table.
He dragged me all the way into the hallway, my arm was quickly turning red. He stopped directly outside of the stairwell and let me go throwing me into the wall.
"I will not let you ruin the best thing that has happened to me since you have been born! You have already taken enough from me, well no more!" He spat in my face.
After heaving in anger, he turned away from me and proceeded to walk back to the dining room.
I allowed myself to slide onto the cold stone floor.
That's my family.
They want me gone so be it, but it won't be done through marriage damn them to hell on that.
I am pulled out of my thoughts as I see a light flashing down the hallway toward me. I quickly run until I hear a "Stop" from one of the castle guards.
My cloak drifts in the breeze no longer on the floor as I take off down the stairs all the way to the kitchen. Now I hear multiple footsteps chasing after me.
I quickly close the kitchen door and lock it behind me, I push a giant barrel of apples in front of it for good measure giving me time.
Grabbing a chair from the corner, I drag it to a window which was situated high above the counter top. I put my bag with my few belongings on the counter then step up onto it myself. I quickly reach into the cabinets and grab whatever foods I can.
I hear as the guards attempt to break down the door, and I hear the wood begin to give under the pressure.
I open the window, and throw my bag outside first so it wouldn't cause me any friction. Then I jumped, and force my body through the window. I make it just as the guards break through the door.
I quickly pick my bag up from off the grass and run. I can hear as more guards chase me.
I'm full on sprinting.
My chest aches as I run.
Soon I spot it the place most feared.
The dark forest.
Lottie, my nanny, would tell me about how brave men would go there and face there death. Nobody knew what would happen, but men would go in and never come out.
The first reached for thousands of miles and as far as I know, all of it was untouched.
I looked back to see I had some distance from the guards. Turning forward I pushed my body to move faster.
As I made it to the castle wall, I quickly began to climb. I was nearly over the wall when a guard pulled my cloak causing it to choke me.
One hand held a death grip on the stone wall while one hand reached up and unclipped the pin on my cloak causing my blonde hair to drift in the breeze, and for the guard to fall flat on the grass.
I flipped my body over the stone wall, going to the dreaded other side.
It was the dark forest or a forced marriage.
I landed on the hard dry dirt quick hurt my foot a little but it didn't stop me. I quickly move my way into the dark forest as I hear the guards calling out to me. I travel deeper and deeper.
The trees getting closer and closer to me, making me claustrophobic. Unlike the trees in the castle garden, vines trailed up the dark oak trees. There were no flowers, no wild life. If anything it was quiet. Extremely quiet. I walked forward until the already dim moonlight could no longer shine sue to the heavy foliage.
I leaned against a tree tired.
I had to have been walking for hours at the least.
I looked up to notice how overly close the branches were and got an idea.
Before my body could no longer take, I swung my bookbag over my shoulder and began to climb the tree.
The thick bark cut my hands as I climbed causing me to wince in pain a few times.
I finally made it to the middle of the tree where I sat on the branch and leaned back onto the trunk. The branches were thick and sturdy so I didn't worry about falling when my eyes started to droop closed.
