The Alpha's Prisoner

A New Day

Sarah

I awoke, eyes puffy and remnants of sticky tears plastered messy hair to my face. I wished it was all a bad dream but as I stood to look out the window the remnants of his engagement dinner still splattered the lawn. It was so strange to feel so intensely towards a man I had only just met but the idea of him with another broke me down inside.

A knock from the door slipped into my thoughts. Perhaps it was Tyson. Maybe now he could explain to me what he didn’t have a chance to last night. I tried to fix my hair and straighten out the tight clothes from yesterday that I still adorned.

“You can come in”

My voice was weak and crackled from my night of harsh tears. The deadbolt clicked open and the door soon swung forward to reveal the old maid. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

She shuffled in heaving a heavy trolley clad with beautiful smelling foods. My stomach began to rumble with hunger, but my mind was not in the mood to eat. I thanked her as she made her way back out.

I kept an eye on the deadbolt of the door, mapping out its position from my side. As the door clicked behind her I quickly grabbed a belt from the mangled clothes still sprawled on my bed and thrust it into the gap where the deadbolt would sit. I listened carefully as the lock clicked having turned from the other side, but without the thud of the deadbolt settling in place.

I listened closely as the faint footsteps of the old maid began down the hall. I held the belt steady as I slowly opened the door, flicking the deadbolt back before closing it once again. I had a quick shower before ruffling through the fine clothes the queen had previously presented me. Most were too elegant to wear out, but a loose-fitting dress shirt and tight bejewelled pants caught my attention.

As soon as I was dressed, I slipped out of the room and headed down the hall. I couldn’t stand waiting in that room any longer. I kept in the shadows as I made my way to the large entranceway. I didn’t feel like interacting with anyone today.

“Sarah!”

A cheery female voice called out to me. I looked down the large marble stairs to see the Queen making her way towards me. I bowed my head as she arrived.

“Your Majesty”

She frowned at my acknowledgment and waved a dismissive hand at my words. Linking her arm through mine she began to walk me back down the large marble staircase.

“I was just coming to get you. I heard what Tyson had done, and I was, to say the least, appalled. So, I thought you’d appreciate some fresh air and join me for breakfast in the garden.”

“That’s very kind of you”

It was a nice gesture, but the garden was the last place I wanted to be. Not after having watched Tyson’s engagement dinner last night, not after having kissed him mere hours before that.

She led me down the cobblestone path. As we came to the open flowered area my eyes instantly went to the small grove hidden down the back where Tyson and I had sat. Thankfully Queen Mary led me away from there and into a small pergola down the side of the castle.

The small table was covered in steaming bread and aromatic meats. The Queen smiled and gestured for me to sit. Maybe this was a good thing, I could do with the distraction at present while Tyson was off doing whatever it was he was doing. Whoever he was doing it with. No. Stop that. What was wrong with me? I haven’t even known him for long, I shouldn’t be reacting like this. He’s a Prince, who am I to have a say. I’m just repaying my debt.

“I am sorry my husband hasn’t come out to introduce himself, he has just been a bit busy with work recently”

“No worries at all, like I mentioned before I’m just here to repay my debt. You’ve all been way too kind to me”

The Queen's lips tightened at my words. Did I say something wrong? She did the same the last time I brought up Tyson and my arrangement.

“Eat up, I’ve been meaning to get to know you more since our last meeting. So, tell me a bit about your family?”

I began to talk about my family and my life with The Queen. Our conversations remained quite casual as we exchanged stories of our different lives. I would pick at some of the food on the table when I noticed The Queen’s concerned stare at my empty plate, but most of our morning was laid in comfortable small talk. When she would bring up stories of Tyson’s past, I would laugh politely but quickly change the topic. His name brought up too many uncomfortable thoughts in my mind.

A maid approached the queen and whispered something to her that made her majesty frown disapprovingly.

“I’m so sorry my dear, I have been called away. Please stay and enjoy the rest of the breakfast”

She smiled at me as she walked off, gliding with such elegance over the rough cobblestones. She really was so graceful, so beautiful. She was everything you would expect from royalty. Despite her petite stature, she radiated power and authority. I would not want to be on her bad side. I sighed inwardly as I realised, I had none of those qualities. What was I thinking that a Prince would want anything to do with me?

Unable to stand the garden any longer I made why back to the ivy arches that led to the large glass doors. I began to hunt the castle for the old maid that I had met earlier, I needed some strong tape if I was going to prevent being locked in the room again. It was an old trick I had learnt during more desperate times when I needed access to old food storages. It worked just the same as my trick with the belt but was much less visible.

The Castle began spanning into winding corridors and spiral stairs and soon I was lost. All the doors looked the same, all the corridors were so similar. I didn’t even know what floor I was on. I had raced up and down so many flights of stairs trying to get my bearings, it was impossible to tell where I had stopped. I realised the entranceway was only the centre of the vast castle. It spanned far above and below ground and was much longer than I had originally realised.

Voices.

Finally; I can ask someone for a way out of this labyrinth. I began to follow the sounds, pacing downstairs and through long winding corridors. There were a lot of voices, many more than I had first realised. Bright sunlight soon caught my eye and I sighed as I headed towards it.

I stopped. I recognised one of the voices. That same voice had announced Tyson’s engagement last night. I crept up to the familiar large opening of the large marble room. Standing in the centre was Tyson and his fiancé. My stomach flipped at the sight of them standing there, hand in hand. They were surrounded by the King and Queen, and Tyson’s father-in-law-to-be. I listened carefully as the man continued to speak.

“You two looked like you had a wonderful breakfast out. I am disappointed to say I must take Isabella away now to make preparations for the wedding. I will be able to bring her back later so you two can catch up some more.”

So that’s where Tyson had been all morning. My eyes began to sting as I held back the strange emotions that began rising from his words. The wedding. Tyson was to be married. What did I expect? That is what comes after an engagement isn’t it?

I continued to watch as The Prince and his fiancé parted. I breathed a sigh of relief, but my relief was too early. I watched as his fiancé turned back towards him, pulling him down towards her. His lips towards hers. My heart sank as they touched. A second feeling like an eternity, as emptiness filled where the raging fire of emotions had been just before. I gasped out loud. I couldn’t help it. All five faces lifted towards me at the top of the stairs as I froze, unable to move.

“Who is…”

“She’s no one. Just the help”

Tyson’s words stung me deeply. They were so quick, but they cut me as nothing had ever done before. I sunk back deeper into the shadows as I watched them turn from me and head out the large door. Only the Queen looked back, her sweet face was full of kindness and pity. Once the door had shut behind them, I made my way back to the room I had stayed. Had I really expected The Prince to have the same feelings towards a villager?

I quietly closed the door behind me as I turned to survey the room. I needed to leave. Now. I can’t stand being in this place any longer. I found my old village clothes at the foot of the bed. The maid must have cleaned them. I slipped out of the fancy attire. Comfort flushed over me as I adorned the familiar tattered clothing. I quickly scrawled a note for The Queen, to thank her for her hospitality and to Tyson; to promise another way to pay for the damages and for nursing me back to health. I folded it with shaky hands as I left it on the bedside table.

I quickly made my way down the hall and raced down the marble stairs. I didn’t know the way back home, but I didn’t care. I sprinted through the garden, trying to outrun the memories that began to plague my mind and slipped through the back fence. I didn’t stop running until I reached the forest. I began to follow my old trail from the other night. I cursed at myself as I realised, I had left my father’s knives behind. I couldn’t go back now. Tyson’s words pounded through my head as I walked. I was no one. To know that he thought it too. It was too much to bear.

I hadn’t even noticed as the shadows had begun to surround me.

A large arm grabbed me from behind and held a cloth to my face as I began to struggle. My vision began to dot. My legs lost their fight as my lungs filled with the toxic gases pressed against my face. A large crooked grin stepped from the shadows, beaming at my limp helplessness.

Derek. He had found me.