One year ago.
"Your highness, please wake up. You must get some food into your system." I feel a hand upon my shoulder. My eyes shoot wide open and I scurry in fright until I feel my back hit a wall.
The sleep quickly wears off, and I realize I'm in the carriage and not in my nightmare, engulfed by the flames.
"I'm sorry, I thought I was back there," I stammered out, my voice creaking from dehydration.
"No need to apologize, your highness. Please take this, it will help you feel better," the coachman nods understandingly. He hands me a small wicker basket, the smell of bread wafting through the white cloth that covers it. I open it up, my mouth salivating at the sight of food accompanied by a small flask of, what I assume, is water.
"Thank you," I tilt my head at the coachman.
"Wait!" I yell before he closes the door. "How much longer until we get to the Kingdom of Therasis?"
"About another thirty hours, your highness. We have about two hundred miles left to go."
Before he leaves, I ask again. "How long have we been traveling? You must be tired."
"We've been traveling for about twelve hours so far, your highness. Please do not fret, I will be fine," he smiles softly at my concern.
"Well...if you insist. But please allow me to ride up front with you, in case you do start to feel tired," I adamantly insist.
I see him about to refuse, though I quickly cut him off before he can deny my request. "It's awfully lonely back there, and I could use some fresh air."
At my persistence, the coachman sighs and beckons me to the front. Before going to the front, I quickly secure the large bag underneath the seat and shut the carriage door. Setting myself down alongside the wicker basket, I absentmindedly nibble on the stale bread, breathing in the fresh air.
The forest always felt like home to me. When your home was surrounded by nothing but, it became hard to detest. As an only child, sheltered for the majority of my life, my usual pastime was exploring amongst the trees, resting along the riverbank, and playing with the bunnies that would hop on their merry way. Now, I wish I hadn't taken that life for granted.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" I turn and look at the coachman curiously. After all, he risked his life to smuggle me out of my kingdom, so he must be someone my parents trusts.
"I am Theodore, your highness. I was once a coachman for your mother and father back then, though I retired after a severe back injury. By that time, you weren't born yet, but I did sometimes visit when you were a mere baby," he reminisces.
"Thank you, Theodore. For everything you've done for my parents and I." My eyes began to sting slightly as I felt wetness percolate upon my waterline at the memory of my parents.
"Of course, your highness. It was an honor serving your family in this lifetime and it was an honor when your mother called for me, asking to carry out one last favor. I used to take them to the Kingdom of Therasis all the time. This is nothing but a mere gesture to repay for the kindness your family has shown me throughout my life," his voice was gentle.
I smile at him. The thought of my mother making sure I would be okay, even when she knew her demise was imminent, brought a stabbing pain to my chest.
"And please, call me (y/n). I am not used to such formalities," I lament. I've never been too keen on people addressing me so highly, even if it was my title. It just felt wrong, since we are all human.
"If that is what makes you comfortable," Theodore states, slightly uncomfortable at the thought of addressing the princess so casually.
We fell into a comfortable silence, the clops of the horses lulling me into a peaceful trance.
After another half day had passed, we made a stop to let the horses rest. "Theodore, please rest a little, you've been up for nearly twenty-four hours straight."
"It is much too dangerous for me to rest, Princess (y/n). What if something happens?" He brushes me off.
"Nothing will happen, it is dead of night and we are in the middle of nowhere. Please rest for a little bit," I urge him, pushing him by his back into the carriage.
"At least for a little bit, while the horses drink and eat." I persist. As we both enter the carriage, Theodore sits himself down, the tiredness on his face evident. He leans against the wall, and his eyes shut almost immediately. Closing the door, I quietly pulled the bag out from underneath the seat, unzipping it to see what contents remained in it.
Inside, resting at the very top laid a small, black metal box. Unlatching the clasp, a note was addressed to the king of Therasis, along with a bag of gold coins. Hesitating, I knew it wasn't addressed towards me, though it piqued my interest and I couldn't help but read the contents of the letter.
Dear King Therasis:
I hope that all finds you well. Unfortunately, the day has come. The day that my kingdom has been the target of war. Tensions were rising with the Kingdom of Auden, since they wanted our forests to expand their vastly growing empire. Though we have tried to make amends and come to a compromise, we fell short in being able to atone to their greed. There was not much more we had to offer before they took it all from us.
With such an abrupt declaration of war, we will be unable to form a military force that could rival theirs. I fear that I am living my remaining days as of now. My death is inevitable and approaching rapidly, which is why I've decided to write this letter in the event that my life is near its final moments.
If you are reading this, I am most likely gone by now.
I would like to thank you for all of the compassion and warmth you have shown my wife and I through our years of sovereignty.
I know this is much to ask for, but as one last act of compassion, I beg you to please take in our only daughter. We are fine if she is stripped of her title as royalty, though we beg of you to put a roof over her head.
She does not know of the reason for her home being stripped away from her, and we've always kept her out of kingdom affairs in order to ensure she lives a stress-free life. We cannot bear to see her taken advantage of due to her naivety in navigating a new, harsh life.
My wife and I once again thank you for everything you have done. You are our last hope.
King (F/N)
Folding back up the paper, I put a hand to my mouth to muffle the sounds of my cries. My father, oh how selfless you were, to ensure that I didn't know the horrid truth of the cruelty of our world. Shoving the letter back into the box, I stumble out of the carriage.
Shutting the door quietly so as to not disturb Theodore, I struggle to regain my breath, my vision blurring with tears. The dam within my heart, filled with water of anguish, finally bursts and I hold my head in my hands and sob loudly.
———
A/N: Wow guys, I managed to completely skip over a chapter. No wonder it made zero sense when I reread it. I'm definitely getting used to this again. 🤦🏻♀️
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Destructive Enchantment
Romance[𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐱 𝐟!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫] The plan was simple. Don't make a fool of yourself, and don't draw any unnecessary attention to yourself. So, how did I manage to do both in front of the Emperor? (artwork is not mine, all credits...
