Princess Aria

Chapter Four

Chapter Four:

"Roan."

He hums, his eyes still closed and seated next to me against the wall.

"I am hungry and uncomfortable." I state and his eyes snap open.

"Right," He stands up, dusting off his pants, "Stay here. I'll be right back."

He leaves through the same door Archer left through.

After a few seconds I stand up, smiling to myself.

He should know not to give orders to a princess.

I reach for the door handle and open the door silently, peeking around the door.

The hallway is empty and quiet.

I have no idea where or what this place is, but hopefully I can find my way out.

I am still wearing my sleeping gown, which is now very dirty from the stone floor.

Mother will have my head when she sees this mess.

Thinking of her makes me wonder if they had noticed I am gone and started looking for me. Maybe she thinks I had only run away.

I start down the hallway and turn the corner, only to freeze when I hear voices.

"She said she was hungry." Roan defends, "I can't let her starve."

"No, but you can't leave her alone either. She is very smart, smarter than you." Archer speaks up and I quickly look around me.

The hallway on the other side has more places to hide, so I turn around and do a little jog on my toes in that direction.

I quickly jump into an open space, so that the walls cover me like a tiny box. I can feel my heart racing and my knees shaking with the adrenaline.

I hear the footsteps, and I realise that if they are going to back to that room I have about three minutes to run before they catch me again.

So, I look around the wall, and there is no one.

I make a run for it, keeping on my toes as my bare feet won't make a sound on the stone floor. My heart is running along with me.

I turn another corner and look around while running.

Still no sign of any life, which is good.

I see a door on the end of the hallway and pray that it leads to someway outside. I need to get home. These men are crazy, and I have no idea what they will do to me.

I reach the door and grab the round handle, pulling on the door only for it to make a creaking noise as I open it.

I curse it silently and I run out, only to come face to face with a shocked Roan.

Dammit.

"How – wha – why?" He looks over my shoulder and back at me. "Where are you going?" He finally asks and I feel the frustration building up.

"I want to go home, Roan." I beg and he shakes his head.

"No, you can't. We need to get your father's reaction, need some way of convincing him to owe up to his mistake and not be a king anymore."

"Don't you get it?" I ask him, feeling the tears building up. "He won't come looking for me. As much as I want it, he won't." Roan frowns. "My mother will convince him that I had only ran away and will come back eventually. He will not put a search up party like you want, he won't come find me, nothing."

"My mother is more dominant than him." I admit softly.

"Well, we need to try." Archer's voice speaks up from behind me and I face him.

"Then try!" I throw my arms in the air. "Go on, try as hard as you want. Keep me here for years. You'll see." I glare at him. "My father is innocent. Someone else killed your father, and I can and will prove it."

"Then we will keep you here until you can prove it."

Instead of the anger I had, I feel shocked.

They do not get it.

"Fine." I look down in defeat and allow Roan to take my arm, leading me back to the cold stone room.

"Wait." Archer speaks up, "She can have a better room." His blue eyes meet mine, "She is a princess after all."