The King's Only True Love

chapter 6: Escape

Mathew Fumbled with the basket in his hand "I know which is why I brought fresh fruits, some sweets, and more water" He said.

Acacia sighed not knowing what to do anymore.

"That is so thoughtful of you Mathew," Marian said as she collected it from him, she spoke with her eyes to her daughter to show appreciation.

"Thank you for bringing the things for us, Matthew, that is so thoughtful and kind of you"

" You don't have to thank me," he said with a warm smile on his face as he looked at her tenderly.

Acacia averted her eyes away and fumbled with her hand.

Marian had walked away from there to give both of them space to talk.

Acacia and Matthew spoke about many things and he yet again didn't fail to remained her that he is still waiting for her answer which she has given to him many times and that she wasn't ready for a relationship.

He had asked to give them a helping hand on the farm but they had refused since he had his to go to.

On their way home from the farm, Marian had yet again asked her to consider Matthew, but she told her mother that there was no love in her heart for him.

As they approached their house they were shocked to see horses and a carriage with some royal knights and guards at the front.

"What are royal guards doing here?" Marian asked in alarm. She was shocked and was trying to think of what would make royal knights and guards come to their house.

The basket containing food items that Acacia is carrying fell off her hand. Marian looked at her daughter, including the knights whose attention had been drawn to them as a result of the basket that fell on the ground.

Acacia's hand kept on shaking and her forehead sweating. If the royal knights are here then they certainly came for her, she knew the king would not overlook her disobedience. she shifted back in freight, ready to run.

But her mother held her hand and urged her not to "Let's know what they are here for first" Marian held her daughter's hand more firmly for her not to be afraid.

Acacia looked at her mother with remorse, only if her mother knew the real reason why she was afraid. Hand in hand they both walked towards the house.

Marian bowed her head in greeting to the knights and pinched her daughter who was lost in thought to bow her head and greet. Acacia immediately bowed her head to the Knight.

To bear the title "Knight '' is a big deal, it's one of the high-ranking positions given to a warrior who has earned it.

"Are you the ones living in this house?" The knight asked

Acacia's heartbeat increased, she looked at her mother who nodded to the question asked.

The knight motioned for his subordinate to bring the royal scroll. Both mother and daughter turned to look at each other in shock.

"A decree from the king" the knight announced.

Marian immediately knelt and dragged her daughter to kneel too. They both knelt with heads bowed like the king was in their presence. Their hearts beat rapidly in their chest as they anticipated what was written on it.

The knight opened the scroll as he read the king's words aloud.

I KING EMERALD STAFFORD THE 1ST HAS DECREE THAT LADY ACACIA CHEPERA IS TO GET MARRIED TO ME AND BE THE QUEEN of ELVANOR, AS SHE HAS FOUND FAVOR IN MY EYES.

Acacia's whole body was shaken at this point, it felt like the earth should open and swallow her. her whole body shivered like it was winter. Now it all made sense to her why the king had let her go that day, he isn't planning to sentence her to death but rather he is planning to sentence her into a life of torture, abuse, pain, agony, sorrow, and death afterward because she might end up killing herself from all the torment she will receive.

Marian looked at her daughter with so much pain in her heart, this isn't the kind of life she wants for her daughter, ending up marrying a king as wicked as he is, is worse than death. Marian bared so many questions in her heart as she looked at her daughter.

The knights bowed their heads in respect to Acacia who is to be the next queen. When a king gives a decree it must be obeyed and done as stated. anyone that disobeys, death follows. Everyone knew this including Acacia and her mother, so how was she going to get out of this?

Acacia and her mother gathered the last strength they have, as they got up from the floor.

"You have to come with us milady, you are to stay in the castle from now on," the leader said.

"Tears ran down Acacia's eyes, so this was how her life was going to turn out.

" If that is the case, let me go inside and prepare my daughter for her departure to the castle" Marian said with a smile. Acacia looked at her mother with wide eyes, was her mother really going to give her to the king?

" Okay, but be fast about it, the king cannot be kept waiting" the knight said

Marian dragged her daughter inside the house, she kept on dragging her daughter by the hand till they were inside her room.

She let go of her daughter's hand as she went ahead to search through her things for her safe box.

" Mother, I need to tell you something, " Acacia said with a shaken voice

" You have a lot to explain, but you can tell me after we have left this place to somewhere save" Marian said as she brought out the money she had been saving and placed it inside a sack bag.

"Are we running away?" Acacia asked with wide eyes

Marian placed the sack bag around her shoulder and turned to face her daughter. "Yes, we are running away because there is no way I will allow the king marry you".

" There are many knights outside waiting for us to come out mother. We won't be able to run far and they will catch us, when they do death will follow because it was a decree from the king" she said as tears gushed out of her eyes,

" So marrying the king is an option?"

"No no no," Acacia said shaking her head

"I don't want to marry him, but am just scared for our lives"

Marian approached her daughter, she cleaned the tears in her eyes and held her shoulders " We are going to leave this place to somewhere far away, where the king can't find us".

"I'm sorry mother, this is all my fought," she said in tears

"It's not your fight that the king decided to choose you as his future wife".

Acacia shook her head "No it is mother".

"What do you mean," Marian asked as she looked at her daughter who looked remorseful.

Acacia sniffed as she gathered the courage to speak "That day the king had come to Crystal" she started "And I had disobeyed you by leaving the house to the farm" she said and paused

"Go on," her mother said

"I…..I had seen the king on my way back from the farm, he had seen me but had let me go alive. I didn't know this was his plan" she said in tears "I'm sorry for not telling you the truth mother".

The look on her mother's face shows how angry she is right now.

"If you had told me the truth that day, we would have run away from this land that very day. So we wouldn't have had to kneel and listen to the king's decree" Marian said with hurt in her voice.

" I'm sorry mother, I didn't want you to be worried"

" Now I'm very worried and terrified for your life and mine"

" I was so afraid, if I had known I wouldn't have left the house that day. Then things wouldn't have gotten to this" Acacia said in tears.

Marian hugged her daughter and parted her on the back "What has happened has happened, we don't have any time left. Go to your room and get your savings so we can leave before they come in here and take you".

Acacia nodded and went into her room to get her savings. She returned to her room and saw her mother pacing around in anxiety.

" I have got it, mother"

"Then let's go" Marian whispered silently

She opened the window and jumped out from it and helped her daughter to jump down from it too. She closed the window properly from outside, held her daughters' hand and ran away from the backyard.

The knights outside have been waiting for them to come out but they have been taken took long to do so. Unknown to them both mother and daughter have ran away, soon they got inpatient.

"They are taken too long, let's go in and check what is taken them too long," A knight said and the leader nodded

"Let's go in"

They went in and didn't find them anywhere in the house. "They are gone!! Find them now or we are all going to die!!" The leader shouted in anguish.

The Guards and Knights immediately shared their self into groups to search for them.

"This is bad, what are we going to do?" A Knight asked the leader who was lost in thought.

"They might not have gone far yet," he said, trying to assure himself.

"We are all going to die if we don't find them"

"Yes, which is why both of us need to move now. They must have ran through the backyard, so let's follow there to look for them.

"Okay"

"No need of getting the mother, our focus is on the girl," he said and the other knight nodded.

They both followed the backyard to look for them.