The Prince and the Slave: Book Three

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

William didn't waste any time, quickly grabbing Abey's hand and dragging her again through the backstreets of the town that lay just beyond the Palace walls.

"We did it!" William laughed, turning his run into a skip, a huge grin on his face, "We actually did it!" He pulled Abey into his arms and lifted her up, spinning her round as he continued to laugh joyously.

"Wait, wait!" Abey said breathlessly as she was returned to the ground. "William, what are we doing?" She couldn't help but laugh at the Prince's delirious happiness.

"Isn't it obvious?" He said, holding her waist, his eyes alive and sparkling. "We're running away. I'm running away with you!" He grinned and kissed her passionately before she could react. Abey stood in shock at first, before realising any attempt to stop him or change his mind would be fruitless. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, hearing him give a small laugh in delight as she did so.

After several minutes, William reluctantly pulled away, leading them through the backstreets until they could see the blurred outlines of the countryside through the darkness. After scouring the Palace and the gardens, the search was bound to spread to the local town.

It must have been nearing midnight when the pair finally stopped running, finding an old abandoned shed on the edge of a rundown farm, far enough away from the town for them to feel confident they wouldn't be found until morning.

William secured the door behind them as Abey threw their two bags into the corner, before walking over to her and continuing the kiss they had began earlier. They weren't sure how much time passed until they were both stood, breathless, their foreheads resting against each other as they laughed in relief, ecstatic at what they had just achieved.

"I think, time to sleep" Abey said, rubbing the top of William's arms, then pulling the rolled up blankets out of her bag, arranging them among the old and broken crates littering the floor of the shed.

William watched her for a moment, taking her in, before helping her; both of them finally settling down, their arms wrapped around each other, still wearing their thick coats and covered in blankets.

"Can I ask, how did you know? How to get out?" Abey asked in the darkness. It had just occurred to her that William had found it all too easy to find a route out of the Palace.

"What do you mean?" He replied, kissing the top of her head as she snuggled closer to him.

"The door. The gate."

"The door that led to the gardens?" He felt Abey nod. "Well, there's quite a few of them, all around the Palace. It's called the King's Escape. They're for if we ever find ourselves attacked or under siege, hidden ways to sneak the Royal Family out. I didn't know there was one in that room, just a lucky break" He smiled to himself, it really was lucky. Someone obviously wanted him and Abey to be together, even if his parents didn't. "As for the gate," he continued, "that's the gate I used to use when I would sneak out, back when I was younger. I haven't used it in years but I knew exactly where it would be."

He felt Abey give a small chuckle, and smiled as he looked down at her, just making out her face in the darkness, her eyes closed and her expression contented.

"Goodnight, Mast-" She began to mumble, cutting herself off with a frown. "Goodnight, William" She mumbled instead, this time with a smile.

"Goodnight, Abey" William kissed the top of her head again, before closing his eyes himself and drifting off to sleep.

He woke up what felt like five minutes later, cold and stiff on the floor. Only the feeling of warm light hitting his eyelids told him it must be morning.