The Princess Switch

Where Am I?

Chapter 29:

I rode for several hours longer until I stopped near a small but clear, flowing brook.  Like all of the other animals around here, I decided that this would be a great place to set up camp.  If any animals dared to show their faces, then I could definitely use some game, as I hadn’t eaten since I finished Francis’ food.  

Now that I was thoroughly, completely, and utterly lost, I decided that I might as well spend the night.  In the morning, I would have to figure out a way to somehow get on track again.  I untied the saddlebag from around the horse’s middle and let it fall to the ground.  Exhausted, my body fell just as hard, and I tried to settle myself comfortably on the grass with my head resting on the saddlebag.  The grass had long since died, and fall would soon be turning into winter.  Hopefully by winter I would be able to find Jean, thwart his evil plans, and somehow return home.  

Home seemed further away than any foreign country had ever seemed to be when I lived in the palace.  As I currently had no clue where I was, it seemed even further away.  I would never return home at all, for all I knew.  Then Derrick would never get to meet my parents, never get to ask for my hand in marriage from my daddy, or even just have a simple dinner with them and get to know them.  I felt my eyes tearing up at the thought that I would never get to do those things again, either.  

I cried myself to sleep that night.  When I woke up in the morning, I felt even more exhausted that I had that night.  Every muscle in my body seemed to be screaming out their desire for more sleep, and so, just that once, I gave in.  Who knew where my destination would be once I woke up.  

Once my eyes finally opened again, I noticed that the sun had nearly set.  I guessed that I would be working under the cover of night, so I tried to get as much of a head start on the sun as I could.  Now that I knew which way was east by the sun, I knew approximately which direction I was going in.  If I was lucky, I would reach a town in a few hours.  

My horse seemed to be faced with the same pain as I was, and its whole body seemed to shake as I climbed the beast.  Hitting my legs again the horse’s sides, I urged it to go faster, but I also noticed how skinny it had grown to be.  Even though it had been able to feast on the grass, It had not received anything of substance such as an apple or carrot for a long time.  If I ever arrived at an inn, I would have to make sure that they fed him/her.  I really had no idea of the gender of the horse, and it was not one of the pressing matters for me currently.  

The trees overhead formed a barrier for the sun during the day, but by night they caused any moonlight trying to peek through to fail.  I was in almost complete darkness, and I was glad that I had stumbled across a worn path.  By now, my horse was thoroughly exhausted although we had been traveling for less than two hours.  

I stopped beside the road, not wanting to go on any further.  This time I didn’t bother to make myself comfortable, just tying the reigns to a nearby tree before sinking to the ground.  

When I woke up, I heard voices all around me.  Once I dared to open my eyes, I noticed several faces staring down at me.  Instantly two of the faces stood out.  They were my... Parents?!  I hadn’t seen them in nearly a year, and then it was because I was about to leave.  The pain they must have felt when I was kidnapped must have been unbearable.  Especially since I was their only child; I couldn’t imagine.  

“Who are you?” my mother asked.  How could she not know who her only child is?  Part of that must be that I was covered in dirt and probably had tons of scratches on my face.  As well as the fact that I was in boy’s clothing... That was probably it.  

“Don’t you recognize me?  It’s me, your daughter Adriana!  I was kidnapped a while ago.  Does that ring any kind of a bell?” I stated sarcastically.  I was just a little afraid that they didn’t remember me. But it hadn’t been that long, right?

Her face immediately hardened.  “Pick her up, guards,” she said, her face not showing any emotion at all.  “Adriana.  Did you really think that you could run away and have us welcome you back with open arms?  Now look where you are!  Sitting on the side of a road, no friends, with a horse, probably stolen, as your only companion.  Now do you want to come home?  You’re lucky that we love you, or we would just make you go on your own and fend for yourself.”

I was ‘escorted’ to my feet by the unkind guards, and I stumbled a little when they abruptly placed me on my feet.  “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!  I never ran away...I was kidnapped!  Seriously, do you think that I would want to run away?’’ I asked, almost tearing up at the thought of the only people I had truly trusted not believing in me.  I began trying to break myself free: if I wasn’t trusted by people that I loved, I didn’t want to rub salt in the would by sticking around.  The two men held me tight; I couldn’t even budge.  

“You, young lady, are coming home with us.  Your behavior up to this point has been inexcusable, and look at those clothes!  You, the heir to our throne, are wearing pants!  This is just plain unheard of!  This will be explained at home, but until then I expect obedient silence,” my father finally broke his silence and stated furiously.  

“No, no, no, no!  You can’t take me home yet!  I have to go rescue Derrick!  He needs me, mom, dad!  If I don’t rescue him, Jean’ll kill him for sure!”  I screamed frantically.  I was the only one that could rescue him, and if my parents insisted on taking me home, my love would be killed!

This, somehow, made my parents laugh.  How sick is that?  “Oh, honey.  Jean would never do something like that!  I’m sure you’ve got the wrong man.  And just who is this man Derrick.  Some ruffian that you’ve involved yourself with?  I think you must have just been in the us for too long, sweetheart!  Let’s get you inside the carriage and then we’ll calm you down a bit.  Okay?”  My mom’s sickeningly sweet tone rung through my ears.  

“No!  You don’t understand!  I love him!’’ I broke down, beginning to sob.  Instead of complying like I had been hoping my parents would, my dad simply nodded to the two guards that were holding me, and they picked me up.  Even though I struggled, I had no chance against the two large men that were constricting me.  Once I had been set down in the carriage, I had no hope of getting out.  My parents joined me, and the door was shut and barricaded.  Apparently I was in a ‘fragile state of mind’ and not to be allowed to escape.  

I watched helplessly through the window as the carriage’s wheels began to roll in the opposite direction of my heart.  I knew that it was hopeless to resist them anymore, so instead I just sunk deep into the cushioned chair and sobbed.  

My parents showed no emotion; that was when I knew that I had been living a lie.  Somehow I doubted that they had missed me at all, and that just broke my heart.  

A/N: Hi everybody!  I've been doing reeeeeally sloooooooow updates due to the stupid nuisance that is homework, but I'm really going to try to do better.  Thank you for the 25,000 READS!  That just made me start jumping up and down so happily.  

P.S. If you like fan fictions, please follow my second account, @nobodycompares1d !  :D It would mean a whole lot!  

~HANNAH :)