The Nymiren's bride

CHAPTER 5

The sun had barely risen when Elara heard a soft knock on the door. It was too early for the maids to start knocking. She groggily dragged herself out of bed. She creaked the door open, and on the other side of the door, Evans stood there with his hands behind his back.

"It's too early for anyone to be up, go back to bed," she whined.

" I know, but I have something to give you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Come back later, you're interrupting my precious sleep," she groaned, turning to shut the door.

"Hmm, then I guess you won't be interested in going to the Festival."

That made her pause. "What festival? No one talked about a festival."

" It's just outside the city. There'll be lots of food and games... things you've never tried before."

She squinted at him. "And how do you expect us to get there?"

" Easy, we sneak out of the castle and get back before anyone even notices we're gone. I'll tell you about it later. For now," he brought his hand forward and held out a dress.

Wear this."

"A dress?"

" I'll explain later when you're fully awake."

He turned and walked off, leaving her puzzled. Elara, who was still sleepy, flopped back into bed and drifted back to sleep.

Later, Evans returned.

" Are you fully awake, or do you still need time to sleep some more?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes." Ha Ha Ha, I'm fully awake."

" Good, you can listen now... Wear the dress I gave you and meet me in the garden in 10 minutes," he said.

" Why, Evans, don't you do anything crazy? Have you forgotten how your father used to punish you when you snuck out?"

" I remember, but I want to show you something and make your remaining week memorable just as you told me to."

" But sneaking out of the castle wasn't what I had in mind, Evans... what if we get caught?"

" We won't trust me, aren't you a little bit curious about what you will see and what you'll eat and how much fun you'll have?"

She hesitated." Yes...But I'm worried that Father will find out."

" Has your big brother ever let you down?"

" No, but he's been away for 6 years, only sending letters of his journey."

" That's why I want to take you to see the outside world beyond the castle walls...trust me, Elara, if I could, I would have taken you along with me on those journeys.

She sighed, then smiled. " Fine, I'll put on the dress."

" Good girl," he grinned, "remember 10 minutes."

As he, Elara, looked at the dress lying on the chair. It was simple, modest. It was ordinary compared to her royal gowns. She put the dress on and turned to look at herself in the mirror. She had tied her hair in a bun. She didn't look like a princess, but a girl with no title, and that made her happy.

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She waited in the garden. Evans was running late. Did he back out? She wondered, just as she was about to turn back, she saw him walking over. He was also dressed.

" I thought you weren't coming."

"Why would you think that?"

"You're late."

" Sorry about that, I had to take care of something."

She glared at him.

"Follow me."

They snuck past the guards with ease, passing through the servants' quarters. Eventually, they reached a crack in the wall wide enough for a person to pass through.

"How long has this been here?" she asked.

"For a while now, come on."

The moment Elara stepped out, she felt a flutter in her chest. This was the first time she had left the castle without a guard, and it felt liberating. The air was fresh, and it didn't feel as if she was suffocating.

" How do you feel?" Evans asked, watching her closely.

She smiled. "Happy and free." Then she paused. "So, how do we get to the festival?"

" follow me"

They followed a narrow forest trail until they reached two horses tied beneath a tree.

" Still remember how to ride?" he asked, untying them.

"Of course."

"Then let's go."

They mounted their horses and took off. They rode for what felt like hours until they reached the edge of a small town far from the kingdom. Laugher filled the air, and the sound of drums played somewhere up ahead. Elara could see people moving between stalls, children running barefoot and giggling. They tied their horses to a post near the entrance and walked in. Everything was fascinating to her. She kept moving from stall to stall, looking at the jewelry, clothes and everything the festival had to offer. The music was fast and cheerful, and people danced without a care in the world.

Elara's face lit up. " It's beautiful."

Evans handed her meat on a stick. "Try this."

She took a bite and her eyes sparkled. " It's delicious."

Evans smiled. They walked side by side through the stalls. Elara tugged him toward a booth with a tossing game. She made Evans play, and he won her the tiny fox doll. She dragged him to every game there. A small group of people pulled her into a dancing circle. She laughed awkwardly at first, but after a while she started dancing, her hair came loose and her laughter mixed with music.

Evans stood and watched her dance with a smile on his face. When she finally came back, her cheeks were red from the cold air, and dancing. " You're a terrible dancer" he teased.

Back at the castle, everyone was frantically looking for the princess, but she was nowhere to be found. The maid didn't have the guts to tell the king that the princess was not in her from.