The Last Princess

Chapter 34

There was an instant flurry of movement and noise.

Meadow shrieked. Aiden dropped all his daggers, picked them up and shoved them in his belts, the blades scratching against each other. "Grove, you and Meadow come with me. Elvina, you go with Aiden. Go!"

Grove scooped Meadow up in her arms, and ran out the door with Birch. Birch just stuck his head in one last time to shout at Aiden, "Meet us at the other camp! The one we discussed!" Aiden nodded and ran inside. Birch nodded at me once, and ran with Grove and Meadow out the door.

I stood there immobile.

Aiden had rushed back out, holding a large pack and something long wrapped in cloth. "What are you doing?" he said, looking at me. "Come on!" He grabbed my wrist and pulled me to near the fireplace. He pulled at a stone, and bricks sank in revealing a pathway, a bit high for me.

He grabbed my waist and lifted me in. He crawled in himself, with me backing away, and pressed another brick. The wall closed, leaving us in a long dirt pathway, in complete darkness.

I found my voice.

"What's going on?"

"Shh! We need to be quiet. Don't make a sound." he said. I obeyed and sat there, leaning my head against the wall and closing my eyes. Soon, a heard loud noises, yelling, and the occasional scream.

I felt sick to my stomach. She'd come for me. I'd endangered all these innocent people. I heard the noises getting louder- someone was in the house. I heard a man's voice yelling. I couldn't make out the words, but he was saying something about searching the house.

Aiden grabbed my hand again. "We have to go. Follow me."

He turned and I could hear him crawling down the path away from his house. It was too small for us to walk in, so I crawled after him.

The noises soon faded, softer, softer, then silence. Aiden kept crawling ahead of me, seemingly knowing where he was going. In half an hour I risked a conversation, because the silence was oppressive. "Where are we going?"

He didn't look back. "Somewhere safe." "Where?" I pressed. "Another rebel camp. But be prepared, Princess, because it's five days by foot from here."

He said it like an insult.

"What makes you think I won't do it?"

He was silent.

"Aiden, what makes you think I can't do it!"

"Come on. We have to get out." he said, ignoring me. It was getting lighter. Minutes later, we abruptly came to a hole above. I hadn't realized we'd been underground. He turned to me, ready to help me up, but I glared. "I can do it."

Who was he to judge me like that? I was going to prove I was strong too, even if I hadn't grown up a rebel like he had.

I jumped and hung my arms over the hole.

With sheer determination (and through my arms screaming in pain) I hauled myself out of the hole and onto solid ground. It was that different to scaling down the window when I'd tried to escape with Juniper.

The sun was shining through a thin canopy above, and the Forest extended for miles in all directions. Trees were all I could see.

Aiden pulled himself out behind me and started walking in a direction which, as far as I could see, was no different than all the other ways.

But I wasn't done with him. "Aiden, you have to answer me. Why do you think I can't walk for five days?"

He didn't answer and kept on walking.

I crossed my arms.

He stopped when he realized I wasn't following him, but didn't turn around.

"Aiden, tell me!"

He spun around, eyes flaming. "Because you're- a Princess!"