"Have I been caught?" He said, his voice snapping me out of my trance.
On impulse, I immediately stand to my feet, instantly regretting it as I stumble against a rock and fall face flat on the ground. My embarrassment multiplied tenfold as I heard his hearty laughter from behind me, such a breathy light sound that held more amusement than mockery.
"Are you okay my lady?" He asks, and my heart picks up as the soft rustling of the bushes
along with gentle footsteps tells me he was a few feet away from me.
There was no better time for the world to end than now.
"My lady?" He says again, obviously confused by my lack of response.
I couldn't say anything back to him, not without having a taste of grass and dirt because I was too ashamed to raise my head. It was bad enough that he caught me gawking at him in his sleep, and now I must probably look like a perverted weirdo to him.
What a first impression!
I was never the religious type, I didn't have time for church, and neither did I believe that God exists. But now, I found myself desperately praying to that God, begging for another miracle.
Please…God…
"My lady?"
Save me from this awkward situation!
"Violetta!!"
It was Samantha's voice, and a few seconds passed before I caught a whiff of her floral perfume, hearing her shocked gasp as she hurries over to me.
"What happened? Why are you on the ground?" She asks evident worry laced in her tone as she helps me up. Finally, I was able to raise my head, and my lips slightly parted in surprise when I didn't see the gentleman anywhere near the garden.
Strange.
° ° °
Time flew by fast, and before I knew it a month had already passed. Nothing new had happened during that time and I hadn't crossed paths with that man again.
Unfortunately so.
After my encounter with him, I had curiously asked Martha if the Aurora accepted male visitors, and…
"It's utterly forbidden." She told me, taking it upon herself to explain the history and story behind this rule.
"Some time back, during the early years of the institution, an incident occurred. Unlike now, male instructors and servants were working in the Aurora. It's rumored that a bride candidate had fallen in love with her instructor and the both of them had eloped together. The bride's betrothed was enraged by this and it caused a huge controversy between the high nobles and the management of the Aurora, and because of this, the Queen had to intervene. After much deliberation, they decided to sack all male workers and appoint only females. In addition to this, they also banned any communication between a bride candidate and her betrothed during the program; the consequence for breaking this rule was a heavy fine issued to the bride's family." She ended the story on that note, but not without casting Samantha a warning glare.
"I understand the male worker's situation, but why ban contact between engaged couples?" I queried, unconsciously drawn by the glamour of the tale.
"Yes, why?!" Samantha added impulsively, but Martha only shrugged her shoulders and said…
"They believed that distance makes the heart grow fonder."
The hell?
"That's it?" I blurted out, the simplicity of the reason was all too cliche for my liking.
"It's a stupid reason isn't it Violetta?" Samantha commented, but she received a disciplinary jab to her side from Martha. "Ouch!" She exclaimed, glaring at her older sister.
"Rules are rules." Martha simply stated and that was the end of that conversation.
After hearing this, the appearance of that man became even more confusing, I couldn't tell Samantha or Martha about it because if anyone else got to know about it, it would cause nothing but trouble for me.
That aside, I didn't have much time left, I had only two months left in the Aurora, and I've still yet to find out anything about the family I'm to marry into.
The other bride candidates were given information about their betrothed or they already knew before hand. But for me, I had yet to hear anything about my supposed future husband, the thought alone sickens me.
The Milliana sisters left earlier than expected, as they were getting married into a foreign family. And I only realized their absence after they left.
Damn…I was going to miss them.
° ° °
I've made up my mind.
Peeping through my bedroom door, I let out a relieved sigh when I didn't see anyone in the halls. It was past midnight, the perfect time to execute my plan.
I was going to run away.
I had decided this a while back, but it was not so easy to escape the Aurora, the security was tight; with female guards situated in strategic areas. Luckily for me, they were stationed in places that could serve as a meeting place for lovers. I was really grateful for that silly rule they made for this, I guess they didn't think anyone would want to runaway.
Maybe nobles aren't as smart as they pose to be.
Thanks to my often strolls with the sisters I had mapped out the layout of the Aurora and there were so many loopholes, I couldn't be luckier.
I didn't have any belongings to take with me, every dress I wore was provided to me by the Aurora, making it easier for me to move.
Closing my door, I turn the lock and switch off the lights; the only illumination being the soft rays of the moonlight seeping through the curtains of my window. The window, my escape route. My room was on the first floor of the building, so I didn't have to worry about shattering my bones if I jumped.
Determined, I opened my closet and brought out the most practical dress I could find; It was a short cream flower dress with was just perfect, easy to run in. After getting dressed I tie my red hair into a low ponytail tail, my amulet glistening in the moonlight as I prepared to jump out the window.
"It's now or never," I mutter under my breath, leaping out the window with a thrill of excitement pumping through my veins.
I land in the bush of lilies, feeling the muscles in my legs contract the moment they hit the ground, the bush softened my fall.
Wasting no time, I make my way to the closest loophole. It was a storage room situated in the backyard of the building. If I sneak behind the building and climb over the fence, I'll be undetected.
Ignoring my throbbing feet, I ran quickly and stealthily, my eyes evaluating the area for any nearby guards. There were none and I let out a sigh of relief when I caught sight of the storage room up ahead.
But…
"Lord Pollard…you shouldn't be here.."
I freeze in my tracks as hushed whispers replace the songs of crickets, immediately taking cover behind a tree nearby.
"I know Claudia, but I've missed you…."
"You know you can't be here, if we're caught our families will disown us."
It was a man and a woman, lovers maybe, because why else would they be sneaking around late at night.
"We won't get caught, they can't find us in a place like this."
I guess I wasn't the only one who noticed the loopholes.
"But.."
"Come on Claudia, aren't you happy to see me?"
"I am. It's just that…"
"Isn't it exciting, the thrill of getting caught gets me going, and seeing you makes it so much better."
"Oh, Pollard."
I want to barf.
I wait patiently, hearing soft moans as they both hurry into the storage room. It was an unexpected turn of events but I had no time to use another path, all I had to do was climb the fence.
I make sure not to make any noise as I reach for the railings, trying my best to ignore the noise coming from the storage room as I hoist myself up.
This was it.
Or so I thought.
"Poland!"
The high-pitched shriek of the woman startles me and I lose my balance, cursing under my breath as I fall to the ground with a hard thud. I tried to stand but my left leg had scraped the fence in my fall, it was too painful to ignore and this stupid couple seemed to have caught the attention of the guards.
The couple flees, leaving me with no option but to crawl as I try my best not to get caught, if I could just find a place to hide. The guards were closing in and it looked like luck wasn't on my side anymore.
I couldn't ask for another miracle, I don't think God was so kind.
It was over.
"What do we have here?"
My ears perked as a new voice entered the scene, and I narrowed my eyes at the person before me, but it was too dark to tell.
A guard?
No. Their silhouette was more masculine, and their voice… was oddly…familiar.
"A runaway bride."