Duchess of Hope

Take Flight Little Bird

~~~~~Sebastian~~~~~

                The night before the wedding, Sebastian waited until the Lord and Lady of the mansion retired to bed before cautiously making his way to Rebecca’s chambers. He used every route he could think of that the servants rarely used, and when he heard someone, he would hide quickly. The goal was to get her out of the mansion before anyone noticed. He had been planning for weeks, and after their successful day out, his hopes were high. Silently, he opened the door to her room and closed it, locking it before turning to face her. He had to make sure they made it out as quiet as possible.

                Rebecca was sitting on her bed, dagger in her hand. Sebastian froze as he watched her turn to face him before he quickly grabbed the dagger from her and placed it back in the box. She will go so far to get out of this farce that she would have been dead by morning had he not come. That realization made his heart pound violently in his chest. As she reached for the dagger again, he grabbed her wrist, careful with the force he used behind it. She was still frail, and he did not want to hurt her in his attempt to protect her.

“Sebastian…” she exclaimed in shock from her bed. “What are you…?!”

“Shhh… get dressed,” Sebastian replied, walking over to the window, where he checked for anyone in the garden. “I’m getting you out of this wedding.”

“What?!” Rebecca exclaimed before slapping her hands over her mouth and stood from her bed. “But… how?!”

“Just trust me…” He turned his back as she changed her clothes. “Grab anything you want to keep and that veil I bought you last week.”

                He, himself, had already packed light, only carrying the dowry he stole from the Bennett’s, a dagger, citizen clothes, and his family seal. It had taken time, but he gathered just these few items, saving the dowry for today since that would be the first thing they noticed tomorrow. It was his hope they would no longer be in the Palace Town. When the rustling of her clothing stopped, he turned to face her to find her nodding at him, clutching the decorative box to her chest. He would never understand why she wanted to bring that along, but perhaps she still felt attached to her parents, despite the pain they caused her over the past few months.

“You’re lucky you came when you did. I was just about to use my dagger…” she hesitatingly confided before looking out the second-story window. “I know… please don’t be mad…”

                He simply jumped out the window and looked up at her. Nodding, she followed and landed safely in his arms. So far, so good, he thought, looking around the garden. Taking her hand after he set her on her feet, he led the way through the silent garden to the gate that led out to the streets of the town. Sebastian had already well-oiled the gate earlier this evening when the servants were changing shifts, so he knew it would quietly open for him. Once they were in the streets, he pulled her into an alley as some Royal Guard passed by.

“Why are you doing this?” She whispered as they followed the same route from last week. “I thought you did not want to be involved…”

“I do not recall ever saying that,” Sebastian said, turning to meet her gaze. “But I could not tell you of my plans for fear you would accidentally give it away. I do not want you to continue being sad. That is the only future for you if you marry him tomorrow.”

                It was a simple thing, really. Rebecca did not feel as though she could trust and love Aaron because of his constant comparisons. Months ago, when they had met the Prince, Sebastian had told him not to compare the two women, that it would only make the both of them uncomfortable… but it was clear the man had not heeded his advice. No longer could he stand the idea of leaving her care to the Prince. Clearing his throat, he continued to lead Rebecca away from the only home she had ever known, with the hope in his heart that she would not grow to hate him for his forwardness.

~~~~~Rebecca~~~~~~

                If she had known, she probably would have given it away. Following silently after Sebastian, the tension that Rebecca slowly faded with every step. Her knight had come in a form she had not expected. Suddenly, a memory flared to life, making Rebecca smile. The first day she had met Sebastian, ten years ago. He swore he would always be her knight and protect her. This was a part of that promise. If he could completely get her out of this marriage, she would follow him to the ends of the earth. Even if it means disappointing her parents and the prince. If they cannot make it out, she can always end her life when they get captured. That is why she brought her dagger.

                Gripping his hand tighter, she followed him to the outskirts of the town where a carriage was waiting. The man sitting next to the cart shot them a smile. She kept her head down, just in case. If she could avoid causing Sebastian more trouble, she would. He gripped her hand tight as well as he walked up to the man. Under cover of darkness, she could barely make out their figures, but could still feel the warmth of Sebastian, who continued holding her hand. If he let go, she worried she would return to the manor, even though a sad death was all that waited for her there. Their voices were so quiet she could barely hear the exchange.

“The horse and cart are yers.” The accent was unfamiliar, but his voice was friendly. “Did anyone see ya comin’?”

“No. We were careful.” Sebastian replied, passing over some coin that Rebecca could not see the amount of. “Any advice for staying outside of anyone’s notice?”

“None.” was the brief reply. “I won’t tell no one. Get going and stay safe.”

                With no hesitance, she took his hand and climbed into the cart, using care to make sure her robes would not get torn. When they got far enough away, she figured she would sell them and buy much simpler clothing so that they looked less conspicuous. Perhaps she should also cut her hair since it would be recognizable as well. It would also remind her of the years she spent growing it out at her mother’s request. Clutching the decorative box as the horse led away from her home, she looked one last time at the town where she knew her home was located. ‘Farewell, Mother… Father… I’m sorry.’

~~~~~Aaron~~~~~~

                Waking bright and early on the day of his wedding, Aaron dressed in his casual robes and went down for breakfast. A radiant smile lit his features until the moment he stepped into the Great Hall. Rebecca’s parents were bowing on the floor before his parents, begging forgiveness. When everyone realized he was there, they turned to him, faces grim. The day would not be going as they planned, he thought, his eyes bouncing between his family and the Bennetts’. Sighing as he approached, her parents started apologizing again. His stomach twisted the closer he got until he stood right in front of their kneeled forms.

“We made ready for our day, but when we went to wake Rebecca, she was gone.” Her mother said, keeping her head low. “We asked the servants in our home if she was already getting ready, but they had not seen her all morning.”

“She locked her door sometime last night, and we discovered it when we went to her room. It’s quite possible she ran away in the night.” Her father continued bowing to Aaron. “Another thing of note… Sebastian disappeared as well. He may have taken her because the dowry Your Highnesses gave us was stolen.”

                Clenching his jaw, he closed his eyes. The Bennett son was an unknown. Aaron truthfully knew little of him, except that he was a talented individual. His contributions to the Kingdom had a far-reaching effect. If he kidn*pped Rebecca… if that was the case… rescue efforts would need to be started. The air grew tense as Aaron found a seat, what appetite he had faded in an instant. He lifted a hand to his head, hoping to stave off the headache he could feel developing behind his eyes. How could something like this happen on the day of his wedding? For now, it would need to be postponed, possibly indefinitely.

“So,” Landon started drawing everyone’s gaze. “You believe your son may have kidn*pped her? Why?”

“That churl of a boy is NOT our son.” The mother denied vehemently. “He was the son of a family friend. The Johannsen’s that were killed ten years ago.”

“And… to be honest…” The father hesitated for a bit before nervously running his fingertips through his hair. “Rebecca may have gone along willingly.”

                What? Aaron’s eyes widened as he looked at her parents, disbelief flitting over his features. Had they lied to him about her willingness to marry? His face screwed up in anger before he masked it again, trying, but failing, to understand. If Rebecca went along willingly, then was there any purpose to chasing her down? Aaron glanced at Evangeline where she sat next to his brother, her expression unreadable. No, it was necessary, something he had to do if he ever planned to get over his childish crush on his brother’s Chosen. He faced forward again, waiting for the explanation he knew was coming.

“No…” Her voice was weak. “We promised… what if…”

“It’s best we give them all the details, Mary. Prince Aaron at least deserves that.” He met the Prince’s gaze before bowing again. “Rebecca had tried to tell us several times that she did not wish to marry. That she wanted to stay home with us and Sebastian longer.”

“So, you two just kept pushing until she lost her voice in the matter.” It had been a long time since Aaron had heard Evangeline’s voice, as cold as it was at that moment. “I tried several times to reach out to her, but because of your insistence, she felt as though she could not trust me, either. Prince Aaron, I may speak out of turn, here, but if Rebecca truly does not love you, is that any different from what Xavier did to me?”

                He felt frozen by her words. Aaron had thought to love Rebecca and hoped to work things out after they married. He had assumed, perhaps foolishly, that she should be grateful for the opportunity to wed him without taking her feelings on the matter seriously. Evangeline was right… however, he could still fix things. Looking at his father and mother, he bowed his head. The only option he could think of was going out himself to locate his missing bride. Hopefully, his parents would see fit to allow him to do so. He kept his head down even as he spoke.

“Princess Eva is right. I should have planned better on this matter, and for that, I apologize.” He said before meeting their gazes. “I want to make things right with her. With your permission, may I hire someone to help me locate her? I want to go myself and correct this mistake.”

“Are you sure?” His parents shared a look before sighing. “Fine. Aaron, you’re far too serious for your age.”