castle runaway. ˡᵉᵉ ᵈᵒⁿᵍʰʸᵘᶜᵏ

THIRTEEN

Monique's POV

I still spend my time reading books (no surprise) and Rosella also gave me her book that can let me sleep well. She handed it to me one afternoon and I read it in the balcony. The next thing I knew, I fell asleep on the chair and it was six o'clock when I woke up.

I read that book every night so I can sleep comfortably. Every morning, I find my eye bags slowly disappearing. I knew that I was having a good sleep.

Day by day, a plan was forming inside my head. It's nothing awesome or cool. Just jump down the balcony and run away, but it wouldn't be easy because I learned from my past experience.

I don't have Mark to draw me my plan so I just wrote it down. In case Plan A backfires, I made Plan B and Plan C. The next week, Rosella would enter my bed room with guards to check if I was really there.. and have no plans on escaping.

I was making the official decision for Plan A - writing it down, of course - when I heard knock on the door. I closed my notebook, placed it between my legs while my skirt covered it, took the book that was my props and pretended to read it.

"Come in." I said and boredly looked at the book (it makes them believe I really have no plans to escape). The door opened and I glanced at the two guards inside my room, Rosella in front of them.

"Are you done?" I asked. They nodded their heads and left my bed room. When the door closed, Rosella rushed towards me while I took the notebook between my legs. I opened it again and started writing again.

"So, I have to monitor the guards' schedules, too. When they will have breakfast, lunch, dinner or breaks," I turned to Rosella whose mouth was open. "Do you think I also have to look over the weather?"

She shook her head. "This month and the next would be pure sunny so there won't be any rain, just winds." She said and sat beside me. I nodded and wrote down a note about monitoring the guards.

"If they monitor me, I'll monitor them, too. Oh, and I have to check where they are placed in each corner in the castle." Rosella nodded along in agreement.

I looked at her. "Ro, can you do me a favor?" She smiled. "Anything for you, princess." I pointed at what I have written about the latter. "Since I can't go out of my bed room, can you check the guarded parts of the castle? Also, bring me a map. I'm sure there's one in the town library."

"No need to borrow there, princess," She said and immediately stood up. She fiddled on my shelves and pulled out a book entitled 'The Crescent Kingdom'. She placed the book in front of me and flipped to a page where the map of Crescent is present.

"You can use this map as your guide in the town," She flipped to another page, showing the map of the castle and many parts of it. "And this as to draw on what corners are guarded."

My jaw dropped. "I didn't know I had a book like this." Rosella giggled. "Well, at least this exists and we won't have a harder time to get two maps. Checking every corner is like suicide." She said.

"I'm sorry if I have to drag you into this mess, Rosella." She patted my hand. "It's okay, princess. You told me so, and I shall do it. Let's just hope I won't get caught or be suspicious." We laughed.

"Oh, also, pull up an act when I leave, alright? If you don't appear panicky, they'll punish you and I don't want that to happen to you." She nodded. "You monitor and plan your escape, I check the castle and plan my act."

"Deal," I said and shook hands with her. "You're the only person that understands me and I can't believe I consider you as my friend." Her eyes widened and her cheeks tinted with pink. "You are also more than a princess to me. You're also a friend, princess."

I sighed. "Come on, sitting around won't work. Report to me anytime. You're well aware of the castle, right? Oh, and some guards roam around. Tell me what time they mostly have their breaks."

I tore a page from my paper and wrote down the things she has to do. I gave it to her and said, "Don't let the guards see that. Not anyone, just you." She nodded and slipped the paper in her pocket. "Understood, princess."

I smiled slyly. "Let's get to work, shall we?"

•••

The next weeks, days, I stayed in the balcony looking at the guards walking around the castle, hand on their swords stuck on their hips. The guards change every five hours and of course, I took note of it.

I was having my lunch when I realized I have to stay up for some nights to know when would they fall asleep in their knight chambers behind the castle.

The guard below my balcony was honestly annoying because he sometimes see me and starts waving, whistling and sing a song (which would possibly summon a storm or a hurricane).

Their morning and afternoon routine doesn't matter anymore because my escape would be in the middle of the night. The afternoon passed by and I have to keep on watch to the guards.

When one of them gets sleepy, someone would replace them. That's my cue. When they exchange. The change takes two minutes before another one replaces the retired guard.

I assumed that happens to all of them but I still have to wait for Rosella's point of view. She visited me everyday (with guards tailing her and I have to put a book over my notebook so they won't see it) and pointed at the corners in the castle map where places are guarded.

I told her that a guard would replace someone in two minutes and she told me the same thing. She once wondered the halls at night and noticed a guard in the west wing changed by another one. The changing happens in two minutes.

"But how about the guard assigned in the gates? It would be risky." I said and scribbled on my notebook. "Don't sweat it, Princess. That guard is a sleepy head. He used to stay up all night watching when it was his first days, but he got tired and lazy.. and old."

"Are you sure it's not impossible to pass through the gates?" She nodded. "Promise," She gulped nervously. "But would the plan be possible?" She squeaked.

I smiled softly. "There's nothing impossible for a person with a dream."

•••