Warrior Hearts

Goodbye

The second I shut the door behind me, the strongest, most debilitating urge to scream overcomes me. I want to - no, I need to - yell at someone, anyone, to shut up for long enough so that I can think.

Being jostled back and forth with such great haste is robbing me of the simple right to collect my thoughts for even a moment. How in the world am I supposed to make sense of anything that is going on around me - interpret any words that are being spoken - if I'm unable to decipher the information that is being fed to me?

For the second time in my life, I feel utterly helpless, and I've been reduced to this state yet again because of Manik. What plan? What way? What am I not listening to him about? Manik and I haven't so much as spoken to each other decently in days. However, the last conversation - argument - that we did have was about our child.

"Lord," I whisper, my fingers resting against my lips. Manik wants me to have an abortion, and I refuse to pay heed to his inhumane sentiments. He is planning to kill your child tonight. Sebastian's words hurl themselves into my mind once again.

"Hurry up, Your Grace." Sebastian's urgent voice floats in through the chamber doors. "Please," he hisses in desperation.

"C-Coming," I call back, my feet carrying me towards my wardrobe. I won't let history repeat itself. Over the chaos of my own thoughts, I can hear Sebastian's voice thrumming through my ears, almost as if he were whispering these very words to me at this exact moment.

My fingers wrap themselves around the metal handles, yanking the wardrobe doors open with such force that they slam into the walls on either side of the furniture piece. My fumbling fingers yank out a leather satchel that I often take with me to war; a trustworthy friend who carries all my personalised items of necessity.

You will not meet the same fate as my sister. With a harsh strength that is borne out of unfiltered rage - an emotion that I'm unsure is directed at who, or what exactly - I unbuckle the bag and stare into its darkened pit.

I will do for you what I could not for her. Still staring into the black abyss, I reach into my wardrobe and pull out three stacked square boxes that are wrapped in velvet. Slipping the strap of the leather satchel onto my shoulder, I unlatch the upper most box and empty its contents into the bag. I repeat this motion with the other two, and then reach into my wardrobe for more such boxes.

By the time I'm through with emptying every last box's contents into my satchel, the inside of the bag doesn't resemble an abyss anymore. On the contrary, it's gleaming with an assortment of the most expensive jewellery and jewels known to man. I'm unsure of how Sebastian plans on helping me escape, or where I'm headed towards after tonight. However, regardless of the circumstances, this is all I'll ever need to survive beyond these palace walls.

Turning on my heels, I make my way towards the chamber doors. But instead of carrying me forwards, my feet bring me to a halt and turn back in the direction of the wardrobe. I'm unsure of why I'm delaying my escape any further, and that, too, for something that I should burn; something of no great consequence, whatsoever.

However, I still find myself opening the doors of my wardrobe once again and sifting through the bundles of material that lie on its top most shelf. Even though the inside of my wardrobe is shrouded in darkness, I'm instinctively aware the second my fingers land on the piece of cloth that I'm looking for. Grabbing it, I unbuckle my satchel and shove the material into the bag.

"Your Grace," Sebastian calls from outside.

"I'm here," I say, pulling open my chamber door and stepping out into the hallway. Even though I have performed no activity of consequence, my voice comes out in a breathless gasp.

"Let's go," Sebastian says, glancing towards the satchel that is hanging at my side. Nodding, I allow him to guide me through the palace walls that I once called, 'Home.' It's quite ironic how tonight a guest - such as, Sebastian - seems to be more of a permanent resident here than me. In fact, I am nothing but a guest here for a few more minutes.

As I follow Sebastian through the darkened hallways, the most I can focus on is putting one foot in front of the other; my mind devoid of all other thoughts. I don't concentrate on the path that Sebastian and I take through the palace corridors, or how we manage to sneak ourselves out without a single soul - not even a guard - catching sight of us. However, when a cold gust of wind hits me in the face, I realise that Sebastian and I have somehow wound up outside.

"H-How did we..." I trail off, my incomplete question hanging in the air between us as I glance around me. The palace wall lies behind me, a tunnel that reaches the height of my waist lying open in it. "Did we come through here?" I ask Sebastian, pointing towards the darkened tunnel.

"Yes, of course, Your Grace." He replies, his words followed by the sounds of hooves. Turning around, I find Sebastian atop a horse, the reins of another ride fisted in his right hand. "Hop on, Your Grace," he says, nodding towards the spare horse. Without a word, I oblige and make myself comfortable atop the black steed.

"Why are there two?" I ask, the both of us turning our rides away from the palace walls.

"Your Grace, your safety is of the utmost importance to me. I cannot allow you to make the journey to the village alone." Sebastian explains, urging his horse into a gallop. Before I follow suit, I glance over my shoulder towards the palace behind me. A twinge pinches through the centre of my heart at the sight of the looming structure. For some reason, my gut instinct tells me that tonight might just be the last time I'll be witnessing this palace for myself.

"Goodbye," I whisper, digging my heels into the sides of my steed. "Goodbye, Manik," I add as I'm carried away from everything I call my own; my home.