The Runaway Princess

Chapter 21

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”  Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

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Chapter Twenty – One

Joaquín did not react in the way that Elena had expected. She had expected him to shout at her, scold her for disobeying her father’s orders yet again.

But Joaquín did not scream and shout at her, instead he turned on his heel and promptly left her bedchamber. Elena felt utterly defeated. There was no hope now. Joaquín was either going to her father or to Carlos. Either way her disobedience would be known soon. She shuddered at the thought of being lashed again. She would surely die if that pain was inflicted upon her once more. Elena would pray for death if her father sent her back to the dungeons to receive that punishment.

Elena then realised that David’s life was now in jeopardy. She had told her brother that he was in Spain, but he did not know where. “David,” she whispered as she knelt down on the ground before the bed, “I must get you out! Joaquín will be alerting the guards and there will be a hunt for you. I have to hide you!”

David crawled out from underneath the bed and stood up before Elena, helping her to her feet. “Then let us go,” he urged. “If it is dangerous then we must go. I have enough gold to bribe our way past any obstacle. We shall board the first ship to England and you will be safe. You will have my name and you will be safe.”

Elena wished it could be that simple. “My father will not make the same mistake twice. There are Spanish guards at every harbour. It would be impossible for me to board a ship without being discovered.”

“Did you not hear me?” asked David. “I have gold. I will bribe the guards!” he exclaimed.

“David, if I disappear then my father will know that someone failed. There will be executions! I could not have that on my conscience,” she said firmly. “I have to hide you,” she decided. “Put on the helmet and I will hide you. I will come and find you when it is safe and I will have you escorted to a ship.”

“And you will be married,” realised David.

Elena nodded. “Yes, and I will be married.” Elena knew that Joaquín was right. She would, indeed, be safe in Portugal. She needed to accept that being safe in a marriage was just as important in having love in a marriage.

Marisol helped Elena to smuggled David out of the palace. Whenever they encountered anyone, David pretended as though he was escorting the princess and her maid. When they came to exit that Marisol and Elena had escaped through, Marisol promised that she would hide David somewhere in Madrid. It was best that Elena did not know where he was.

Before they parted, they kissed again. Elena could not help but feel with certainty that it would be the last time that they saw each other.

Elena spent the rest of her day wandering around her mother’s rose garden. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the warmth felt good on her skin, a feeling her skin had not experienced in a while.

Elena sat down on one of the many stone benches around the garden and inhaled the lovely perfume of the roses. She picked one of the flowers off of the bush and she began to peel away the petals.

Elena’s head snapped up when she heard footsteps approaching. She stood up on her toes and peered over the top of the rose bushes to see who was coming towards her. Her heart stopped when she saw Carlos and Joaquín walking side by side.