I should just run away.
It was all I could think to do. After the horrible news I’d heard from my brother at noon, running away felt like my only option.
Fortunately, I was in a remote village within my family’s own territory, with little to no surveillance. Nothing like the veritable fortress of an estate where I’d been made to live in the capital. If I’d tried to escape from there, several servants would’ve stood between me and freedom.
But from here, I could flee!
I packed the bare essentials and a generous amount of money. Even I, a sheltered young noblewoman, was not so foolish as to think I could make my escape while penniless. Money was of the essence, no doubt. This situation, incidentally, happened to be the reason I even had money in the first place: I kept a hidden stash, ready to run away the first chance I got.
Okay. I’m ready, I psyched myself up.
I could live as a peasant. In fact, maybe it suited me better. I could become a fisherwoman. Yes.
My preparations taken care of, I placed a hand on the window. If I left through the front door, someone might spot me. A window was the ideal escape path for a runaway. That was common sense.
I opened the window, took my luggage, and jumped out. From the second floor, mind you, so my ankle complained a bit, but no problem, no problem!
Off I go!
“No you don’t.”
As I tried to run, someone stepped on the hem of my dress, making my legs tangle around it and sending me tumbling to the ground, face first. The impact made me see stars.
“If you run, I’ll be the one stuck with those princess lessons!”
I looked up, and there stood Brie, the culprit of my fall, her foot still planted firmly on my dress. From this angle, she seemed to breast even more boobily...
“I thought you sympathized with me earlier today!” I protested.
“I certainly did, but not to the point I would let you run away,” she said.
“Wow! And here I thought we might’ve bonded the teeniest tiniest bit!”
“That’s not what this is about and you know it!”
I tried to pull my hem free of her foot, but it didn’t budge at all. What leg strength!
“They told me that if you go back, I’ll be free of these princess lessons. I won’t let you escape!”
Oh. So the reason she came with my brother was to make sure I couldn’t escape.
“Just look the other way!” I suggested.
“And why would I do that?!”
“You’d be queen in my stead! Wouldn’t that be great?”
“I already said I’m over it!”
She was a tough one. In many ways, actually, since I couldn’t even pull my legs free no matter how hard I tried. What amazing strength! Was she secretly jacked?!
While all of that was going on, someone else joined us.
“Leticia, would you stop making a racket in the middle of the night?”
“Brother! Do something about Brie!”
“How many times must I tell you it’s Brianna?!”
Brie, who always kindly corrected me whenever I called her Brie, showed no intention of letting go of me at my brother’s arrival.
I see. So they’re accomplices in this!
I racked and racked my tiny brain cells. There had to be something I could do! Anything! Uncomfortably aware of the cold beads of sweat slowly dripping down my forehead, I tried to come up with a plan. I came up empty, however. My brother was approaching me now, and I knew that if he caught me, it was over.
Out of options, I went with the one stupid thing I could come up with. In a final act of desperation, I yelled, “If you let me go, I’ll give you my brother’s hand in marriage!”
Brie stared down at me, her foot loosening slightly.
“What was that?”
Yes! A light at the end of the tunnel!
“He’s the heir to a duchy, twenty-two years old, brilliant, athletic, tall, and quite handsome! It would be no exaggeration to claim your future would be guaranteed! I mean, yes, his personality could use a little work, but if you can look past that, he’s a great catch! What do you say?!”
“Deal!”
Brie removed her foot, and immediately turned around to slowly approach my brother. I stood, wiping the sweat from my brow.
“Thank you!” I exclaimed. “I won’t forget you two! Brother, have a wonderful love life!”
“H-Hey!” my brother protested. “Leticia!”
“To freedom!” I yelled, bolting away.
My brother’s protests echoed loudly behind me, but I didn’t care. Brie, if you want to get hitched, a shotgun wedding is the best way to go about it! I wish you luck!
I ran, my steps light and nimble, reveling in the fact I’d be able to live free of burdens and responsibilities. I was so happy I could cry! Somehow I managed not to, and I kept running.
That is, until an arm reached out from behind me and wrapped around my waist. My momentum sent me very nearly doubling over.
Had my brother caught up with me?
Moving my hand away from my mouth—I had very nearly retched from the impact—I looked behind me...and there he stood. My still fiancé, whom I hadn’t managed to break away from after all.
“Lettie.”
✦ ✦ ✦
His handsome face in the dark was...kind of creepy, actually, I thought.
Lord Clarke leaned in to speak close to my ear. “White is the color for a wedding dress, of course, but what color would you like to wear for the reception?”
Was this the time to talk about that?!
✦ ✦ ✦
“Let me goooooo!” I screamed, resisting with all my might.
It didn’t help at all. Lord Clarke continued to carry me over his shoulder, unimpeded.
In the end, he brought me back to my modest estate, smiled at the astonished servants, and ordered them to prepare for the move.
I’d just moved here two days ago! And now I had to move again? Come on!
That wasn’t fair! At all! Also, my poor servants! I did raise such protests, but they fell on deaf ears, and preparations for the move proceeded apace.
“You told me I could have some freedom!” I complained.
“And you did have some freedom, no?” Lord Clarke retorted.
There was a huge difference between his definition of “some” and mine!
“Put me down!”
“So you can run away?”
“Then at least carry me some other way!”
“So you can resist better?”
Yes! But still!
We’d been going back and forth like this for some time, and still I remained in this position.
“Well then,” Lord Clarke said to me, having finished issuing orders. “Let us depart.” With that, he began to carry me to the front door.
Where is he taking me?!
The servants opened the door for us, and there stood my brother, disheveled, along with Brie. I’d never seen him in such a state. What had she done to him?
Looking quite worn out, my brother said to Lord Clarke, “The carriage is here, Your Highness. I will handle the rest.”
No! Don’t handle the rest! Don’t handle anything at all!
I struggled one final time, flailing my arms and legs, to no avail whatsoever. If I’d known this would happen, I’d have worked out more!
“L-Lily should come too—”
“No,” my brother cut in, summarily dismissing my desperate request. “You’ve known one another for too long. I don’t want her to fall for your pleas out of sympathy. Absolutely not.”
“Y-You monster!”
“Say what you will.”
Holding me down, my brother put me in the carriage. Lord Clarke climbed in shortly after, and, without delay, locked the door.
I tried to pry it open, but of course, it didn’t budge. From the window, I could see my brother laughing. Brie looked exhausted and haggard. When she met my eye, she quietly shook her head. Really, what had happened?
Spotting Lily outside, I waved frantically at her. She waved back.
No! I’m waving because I want you to help me, Lily!
She seemed to be saying something as she waved. I squinted, trying to read her lips.
Wait, “Be happy”?! No! What am I, a blushing bride you’re sending off?! Don’t say that!
But my thoughts didn’t reach her, and the carriage departed.