"Your majesty, we must be on our way now " Sebastian's eyes moved to the bed.
Anabel was still asleep, he didn't want to wake her but also didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.
"If we don't leave now, the plan won't go as planned " added the captain.
He sighed, getting up quietly, walking to the bed, and softly gazing at her.
...
The sound of his voice and warm breath brushed over her ear.
"Hold onto this until we meet again" he whispered.
Anabel opened her eyes but no one was there, had it been a dream.
She yawned sitting up, something moved on her left hand. It was a ring with a red jewel, too big for her ring finger, it slid off when she released her fingers.
She remembered seeing Sebastian wearing it; why was it with her now? Then the memory from last night returned, he was leaving today.
Jumping out of bed, she rushed outside the tent, Most of the camp was empty, with only her tent still standing.
The two guards at the entrance called to her.
"My lady .." she turned with tears in her eyes.
"Where is he...where is his majesty ?".
"His majesty had to leave he apologised for leaving without saying goodbye, " one of them said.
"But I ...I wanted to thankhp him again..." her tears fell, and Anabel wondered why she was crying
They had been tighter for a few days, and nothing much had happened between them. But it was in those few days that she had genuinely smiled.
Her eyes noticed the sparkling ring, holding it tightly in her hand.
"Is that what you meant " she remembered the words from her dream...." until we meet again, Sebastian".
....
"You thought you could run off forever " Anabel heard her father yell.
"Am sorry father "
"You're nothing without me, so you better behave and be a good daughter ", he muttered.
"I returned, but I still won't marry him ", she let out.
"Don't be dumb dear daughter. This is helping me, you and our people " he smirked.
She glared back at him, she knew it was only for him and his wife. Those trade routes weren't even that important. They just wanted to get rid of her now that she was of eligible age to marry.
"Father I hope you can let me go and live my life the way I want it, you own it to me after all that you and the queen have put me through "
Stepping down from his throne he walked to where she was.
"Say that again" he sneered.
She gulped, looking him up in his face, "I said you owe it to me to ..." Before she could finish, he slapped her hard across the face.
She dropped tears forming her eyes as her right cheek started to sting.
"I don't owe you anything, raising you was enough. It's you who owes me, so get your act together and be ready to go show me your worth," he yelled.
"But father ...please ...I "
"Get her out of my sight and make sure this time she doesn't even see a hit of sunlight until her wedding day ", he ordered.
Anabel was dragged away not given a chance to fight back.
She was locked up in the prison cell with the other prisoners. Barely fed, just enough to keep her alive.
It was hard to know how much time had gone by since no window or sound was heard.
It was always dark and cold in the cells.
"Are you sure your a princess ?" one of the prisoners finally asked her one day.
"No, I am not ", she denied.
"But those guards always call you that, and your clothes are made of good material,", the other said.
Clothes, she remembered they had been given to her by Sebastian.
When she woke up to find the two maids, they had got her some clothes, but she had secretly worn his shirt underneath it.
He had never asked for it back and she had never intended to return it.
Quietly she pulled out her necklace; it was holding the ring he had given her. It was warm and the colour reminded her of roses, the ones he always smelt.
If she knew she would turn out like this she would have spent more days with him or even secretly followed him back to his kingdom.
"I miss him " she muttered.
Days went by, and Anabel stopped eating or sleeping. She is just saying, frozen, holding onto the ring and lost in her thoughts.
"Guards, we think something is wrong with the princess", one of her cellmates yelled out.
The guard peeped through their cell, "nothing seems to be wrong "
"Well, she hasn't touched her food or slept, she just keeps staring into darkness ", they added.
"Check on her " the head of the guards instructed the other.
Opening her cell, he moved to where she was, "Princess, you can't die yet, especially when your wedding is today ", he muttered.
Wedding?!...so it was today. But she didn't want to get married. Anabel blinked, waking up from her trace before the guard could notice, she pushed away with all her strength and rushed towards the entrance.
Shocked by the sudden act the guards froze as she ran out.
"Chase after her " he yelled.
She could hear the loud, aggressive footsteps behind her, but she didn't care she wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
"How come there are no guards up here ?" She murmured running towards the hall.
But then stopped when she heard screams and traces of blood, that was when she saw them ..the dead bodies up ahead.
Blood was splattered everywhere, and most of the guards were dead.
"Father!" she muttered running to the throne room.
Everyone was running, bumping into each other, trying to seek refuge from whoever was attacking them.
The throne room was empty grabbing one of the maids, she yelled, asking where her parents and family were.
"Princess, you need to run. Go far away. The kingdom has been attacked by the Emperor " she cried.
"Huh!...Emperor? But why would the Emperor attack us "she frowned. Having been thrown out of the palace at a young age she had little to no knowledge about him.
"The king ..where is he?" She asked the maid again.
"The king has been taken by the Emperor's men outside the palace " she cried.
"Anabel" she turned to see her step mother the queen ,with her stepsister beside her.
There clothes where stained in blood with dishevelled faced and hair.
"Mother ,sister are you okay ?" she rushed to them.
But the Queen pushed her away, "this is all your fault" she accused.
"Huh...I don't know anything about this mother ".
"Then why was the Emperor angry enough to start a war against us " cried her sister.
"But...".
"Stop don't say another word ,you have always been a bad storm hovering over us and now you finally did it " the queen yelled.
Anabel fell silent ,why had she been worried over such people.
"The Emperor asked for the hand of marriage of the princess of the kingdom and we agreed. Who wouldnt want to be in laws with the Emperor . But then he announced war the moment he saw your sister's face saying we had tried to cheat him with a fake princess " she explained.
"Fake princess , but Tricia is a princess " he let out.
"He didn't believe us and demanded we give him the first princes of this kingdom or there would be war " she said.
"I am the first princess mother ,did you forget " Anabel muttered.
"No I didn't but why would I let you take such a good chance from my daughter so I refused to present you and the next thing we know ,we are at war with the Emperor ".
"He said your name " her sister muttered.
"What ?"they both turned to her.
Tricia gulped ,"I hid it from you mother but when I met the Emperor he rejected me instantly and said I wasnt Anabel " she said.
Anabel frowned and turned running off.