Escaped and Rescued

Chapter One

Present Day

The sound of feet slapping gravel and quickly lifting off the ground echoed around the courtyard. Kazimiera pumped her arms and reached her legs farther, in hope to make it in time. Her sword thumped against her left thigh, but she ignored it. She hastily darted left through an opening in the maze, after all the years spent in this stuffy place, she had it all completely memorized. She dashed left again, feeling an individual coming up behind her. One more right, and Kamila arrived at the center of the maze.

Kazimiera spun around, meeting the gaze of just the person she was expecting. It was hard to see her face through her white fencing mask but she could make out that smirk through the material.

"What are you waiting for?" Kazimiera teased. And the dance began.

The other individual did the first blow, they heaved the sword above their head and brought it flying down, but Kazimiera blocked it easily. Stopping the blade with her own sword with it horizontal against the other. But it didn't stop there, they both blocked each others blows easily, all while moving very quickly. Their feet scampered across the dirt, dragging dust into the air. Simultaneously their bodies maneuvered around the other blade before it could touch them.

As they moved Kazimiera directed them toward a bench that was near the wall of the giant bush maze, the other individual knew what she was going to do but let her have a try at it. Kazimiera stepped onto the bench and in one quick movement jumped into the air, twirling upside down and reached the tip of her sword toward her rival. The other person didn't even flinch until they quickly jabbed Kazimiera in the chest which threw her off balance so she stumbled and plopped right on her bottom. "Bah!" Kazimiera yelped.

"You never learn." the other one giggled, taking off the mask and revealing her golden hair flowing down her back and stuck to her sweaty forehead. She sucked in the fresh air through her bright pink lips and closed her eyes, relief washed over her freckle covered face.

She reached a hand to help Kazimiera but she slapped it away. She slowly got up groaning in pain from her hurt buttock. She kept her hand held firmly against her lower hip and hobbled around to face her friend.

"Why can't I ever get that right?" Kazimiera huffed. She lifted off her mask which revealed her pent up black curly hair, which laid awkwardly down her back. Kazimiera's tan skin met the sun again and her freckled nose scrunched, something she does when she's thinking.

"I don't know why you need to learn it, I can't even do it." Elvira breathed the words out so effortlessly. "We need to go back anyway, it's lunchtime and King Cassian and Queen Bozena are going to get mad if you're not there on time, Kazzie."

"Ugh, I hate eating with them, they always get mad at me for no reason. I wish they'd yell at my brother for a change." Kazimiera wined, slumping her shoulders and dragging her feet through the gravel. Lexi meanwhile walked tall with her head high.

She wasn't trying to be rude, she was basically trained since birth to walk like that. She was orphaned when she was a baby, so she was sent to a very prestigious boarding school that was very cruel to her. They did teach her a lot though. Everything she learned she taught to Kazimiera, but she didn't whip her whenever she got an answer wrong.

"I really don't want to talk to them today." Kazimiera decided. Elvira's brows furrowed when hearing this.

"But don't worry. You can go somewhere else where my parents see you so you don't get in trouble." Kazimiera quipped when seeing Elvira's stressed appearance.

"Thank you," Elvira breathed. She was a little scared of King Cassian.

Kazimiera and Elvira finally exited the maze and made it to the front steps of the golden and ivory castle, they went their separate ways. Kazimiera jogged up the enormous golden stairs where her footsteps echoed around the castle walls. She walked down long hallways with paintings of all of the kings that ruled her country of Shovonya before her father. All of them bearing monotone faces with ugly moustaches. At the end of the hallway was a tall wooden door with gold embellishments. That was Kazimiera's room. She pressed open the door and let out loud squeaks that sounded like children screaming out their final breaths. King Cassian had refused to get a new one because he wanted to catch the young princess if she ever tried to escape in the night. Of course, Kazimiera was smarter than to use her door, she did have her tricks.