The Prince's Escape

Chapter 13 || I'm A Woman

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Damn that stupid prince for thinking he can stop me! If he truly thought I would listen to him, he has learned nothing in the last few days.  I'm not someone to just stay behind. I fight!

The sun dipped behind the mountains creating that beautiful array of colors against the night's sky. It doesn't take long for the colors to fade into a black stary blanket. I allow Delc to take it easy, losing the reigns and simply guiding. As we near the woods, I hear loud snoring, and really! Anyone could find them with those sounds! Shaking my head in disbelief, I track the men down by the noise, and soon, I see them. Three slumped figures and horses tied to the trees surrounding them. By their sizes alone it's easy to make out who is who. Luca's figure stands, as he spotted me? I lean closer to the tree, but after he stretches, he nudges Conrad, who was the snoring culprit. I contemplate making my presence known now, but then I see the way Luca slumps deep into the ground, and I feel my own eyes fading, so decide tonight we all rest. Tomorrow, I will take whatever hell I'm sure to receive. "We'll rest here, boy," I coo in a whisper to Delc. Tying his reigns to the nearest branch, I slump on Delc's mane and slowly fall asleep on Delc's back. 

I wake to the disgruntled na's of Delc, as he tugs on the branch. "Settle, Delc. Easy," I chant, once he's finally calm. I take in my surroundings. Damn! Luca and the men are probably long gone. I climb off Delc to inspect where I last saw them sleeping, and discover nothing. Heading back to the path, I race Delc forward in an attempt to catch up to them. They could be long gone. 

"Feck, you heard them leave, didn't you boy?" I smile at Delc. 

Before I could push him farther though, I hear laughter just up ahead and slow my ride, easing to a near stop. 

I move into the trees, and to get ahead of them, the path takes me up a rather large hill, and then, an easy decline, but the trees end, so I stop short. Peering out into the clearing, I see it. A small army of men. If Luca comes down here, those three men coming down that hill, they will raise the alarm.

I race backward toward the men, chasing Prince Luca down before he can go over the hill. "Luca! Stop!" I shout, he turns to see me, a look of annoyance crossing his hard face. 

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay put. You have violated a direct order from your prince," He states with firm authority, but I dismiss it with a shake of my head. 

"Just listen," I try getting closer to him. "There's an-"

"Ember," He voice is low and deadly. I've never seen such anger in him. What is the matter with him? "Go back, now." Even his own men seemed at a loss by his actions. Before anything more could be said, Luca turned on Frea towards the path I spoke against. Feck! Despite his words, I pushed Delc to get in the way between Luca and the army. "Ember," Luca began upon seeing me for the second time. 

"I am not a child. You will not order me around, but you will shut your mouth for a moment and listen. There is an army down there and if you go down, you will be killed or taken or whatever it is they plan to do with you." Luca remained silent then, and it was, Conrad, who spoke up.

"If she's right-"

"I am." I quickly interjected.

"Then, you can't go. We don't know what they intended to do with you, and as you said we need the evidence, not your death," Conrad reasoned with Luca, who is being an immature donkey. I should have just let him go, as soon as I thought that an uneasy feeling washed over me, but I let it go. 

The men continue to talk amongst themselves, while I start thinking about what we could do instead, and then it dawns on me. "I'm a woman," I announce, hoping they would catch my thought, but instead I just got blank faces and Luca's giving me stupid smirk.