Light of the Unexpected Adventure

Chapter 21 Escape

Gabriella's POV

The fear is hitting my body tenfold. I don't know what is going to happen to me and I am terrified to find out. I watch as we get further away from my friends, as I internally hope that they take my advice to move on from this, because I really want them to have a good life even if I am not there to see it or be part of it. I can't let go of the fact that I saw the sadness and sympathy in their eyes with their mouths still being held when we passed them. From that action I can determine that the King's men don't have a drop of empathy in their hearts, not giving my friends a chance to respond just to say goodbye at least. But I guess that will be fine, as long as they let them go.

"They are going to let them go right?" I ask but there is no response from the guard holding me, besides a groan. "Right?" I ask again as he huffs out. "Yes, they should be fine. You heard our orders, and it had nothing to do with your friends." he snaps back at me, easing some of my mind. Knowing that my friends won't be bothered with this anymore is relieving. Unless he is lying to me, which I hope that is not the case, since he has seemed like a nice guy for the little bit I talked with him. But with his arms still tightly wrapped around me, while taking me away to my death, I can determine that is debatable at the moment.

The little bit of hope that I have for my friends is ringing within my head, just wishing that they can move past from this betraying trauma. I know they feel bad for what is happening to me and even tried to help me. But there is nothing they can do about it now without hurting themselves, which is the last thing I want. But those thoughts won't stop me because I do know that if I get out on my own, without any help in the slightest, then they won't be hurt whatsoever. So I decide to keep my head up and to not stop kicking and fighting his tight grip as he holds me up, making sure I can't reach the floor as he takes me through the entirety of the hut.

He doesn't stop, even when I almost kick Mother Ann, then Mother Lisa in the sides. Their shocked gasps while dodging my erratic limbs make me smile internally but doesn't stop his tremor hold on me as I hoped it would. I look up locking eyes with Mother Ann with a satisfied smug look on my face, igniting a glare that I always expected. Her glares fuel the flames of the fire deep within me, making me wish I had made contact with her on our way through. I twist in his hold, trying to use my arms to help while my legs don't stop moving. He takes me through the waves of people in this small place, then out of the hut I have always lived in, while the faces of many look saddened or disgusted with this sight.

I look back to see that the two men that were holding my friends are now walking past us. I strain myself to look back, I can see that my two friends are crying and shaking their heads as they watch me go. They keep walking towards me, but I want them to stop before this gets bad for them. I shake my head, trying to silently ask them to stop. I know they are mad and want to help me, but if they do, they will be punished with me and I can't have that. Merida steps forward with Victoria right behind her, but Mother Ann is the one to stop them this time. She probably loves seeing them taking me away, but doesn't want to lose anymore help.

I watch Merida try to push past as I keep shaking my head. "Stop fighting for me, please stop.. I love you both and thank you, but I will figure this out for myself." I say to them as they still shake their heads, but it looks like they are not fighting as much, which is what was best for all of us. I try to adjust or even loosen his grip on me to help, but with every move I make his grip tightens more and more. The guard is holding me incredibly tight as I continue to fight as much as I can while losing breath with every move I make.

"Calm down, before you get hurt." he tells me in an all-too-calm voice, as I shake my head. "I will not.. I am not here to make things easy on your behalf." I snap back as I look to my side, just to see the tree we always go through to get to the other side of the wall. I know that this is my chance to get away. I kick and kick many times straight out, until I feel my toes connect with the wall of the hut we are trying to pass. I kick it hard enough just to feel him stumble only slightly until I am able to turn enough so both of my feet connect with a hut we are passing again, but this time I use all my pent-up anger behind the kick with both of my legs.

It shoved us back with all the force I can muster up in my legs, causing the both of us to tip over. We instantly hit the ground as we roll over it just for a moment. His hands touch over my waist, trying to re-grip me as he groans out from the uncomfortable pain of falling down in the hard armor. I act fast and quickly push his hands off of me, not giving him the chance to re-grip me. Luckily this moment was long enough for him to let me go, it was only a second, but just enough for me to get up. But it wasn't enough time for him to do the same. It is hard for him to try to get up in his piles of armor he has on him. So I take this opportunity to quickly hop to my feet, grabbing my dress to lift, just so I can run towards the tree.

I grip the tree branches without hesitation, using them to help me climb up while I quickly look back to see the guard, the one that has been involved way too much in my life the past couple of days, is right on my heels. He is below me, reaching for my foot as he instantly grips then holds my ankle in his hand. "Stop this, please come down.. You have trapped yourself up there and the other guards will notice that we are not directly behind them, which will get them to come looking for us, right away. Do you not understand that? The more you fight this, the harder the punishment will be on you and that's not what you want," he states as I shake my head.

"You don't know what I want, so don't claim those words. Besides, I have not trapped myself. But just know that I will not allow myself to be murdered just for my friend to be Queen. I won't be a sacrifice if I can help it. I was the one betrayed, not her." I declare as he steps closer. "I understand what you are saying, I do.. Let me help you," he says as I shake my head. "You cannot help me in this.. You only want to help yourself.. So goodbye.. Good luck with him." I say as I rip my ankle out of his hand, then slip through the tree and to the other side. My dress rips as I hop to the ground, but I care not. I only wish to live to see tomorrow.

I can hear men yelling on the other side of the wall. I assume that my absence is already noticed. I adjust my satchel and prepare for the long run I know will be ahead of me. I start to jog before I can hear metal scratching and loud grunting coming from the tree. I look back at the loud sounds, just hearing them getting louder by the second, showing that the guard after me is trying to make his way through the tree, the same way I just did. "Guard get her back! I do not wish to see your face without her in hand. If you come back empty-handed, then you will be the one I kill in her stead." The King yells this very clearly as I see silver coming through the tree branches and leaves, before he drops to the ground.

Groaning out in pain is all that I can see as he holds his stomach and rolling for a moment. I feel bad for him, as I have stopped and watched him in so much pain, wondering if I should go back and make sure he is ok. I shake my head, getting back to reality, since I know why he got hurt, from chasing me so he can bring me back to be tortured or killed. So I decide to take this open opportunity to turn and run through the grass as I hear the clinking on his armor behind me. I try to run as fast as I can, but that is easier said than done when in a tunic dress that has many layers.

Leoric's POV

Being flattened on the ground right now is not what I expected to happen, especially that quickly. The ground hit me as hard as I expected the brick wall I was climbing over would. So, I try to get to my knees as quickly as I can, which is pretty slow if we're being honest. It's incredibly hard with this uncomfortably heavy armor on, not to mention all the pain accompanying the movements I have to make just to get to my feet. I groan out instinctively as I try to stand up, but that is much harder than expected. When I fell the armor smashed straight into my waist, so the pain right there is almost unbearable, but I'm still getting up, just slower than usual.

The pain that is shooting through me leads me to think that the metal itself might be embedded under my skin, but I know that is not the case, it just feels like it is. I keep pushing myself until I am able to get to my feet, knowing exactly what I need to do, I need to run after her, especially after that demand from the King. How else am I supposed to get into the castle and closer to him without her in my clutches? I really don't know. So, whether we like this or not, it needs to happen, and I know that I can slightly run in this armor, but I have to get into a type of rhythm before that is even bearable, which is easier said than done, but not impossible.

I look up, to see if I can figure out where she has run to and probably hidden. At least that's what I would imagine in this instance. But without a moment to spare, my attention is grabbed by the sight before me. I am shocked that I am not the only one here right now. She has stopped her getaway, which would be in her best interest, and is staring over at me, looking as if she wants to help me. This particular look of concern is taking over all of her features. This is showing her obvious internal battle about what to do and portraying how much she doesn't want anyone to get hurt and how much she wants to help others. Which is endearing. She wants to help, even the man trying to take her back to her demise.

Her beautiful eyes consider helping me as I watch her mouth bob open as a fish does, but I can see that this reaction is intertwined with shock and wonder. Her long darkened hair drapes down, framing her angelic face, making her eyes pop out more, taking the light of the retreating sun within them as they shine even brighter. I watch her mouth close before biting her bottom lip as she looks behind her, then back to me. Her fixated eyes show how much her mind is running as her hands squeeze the strap of her satchel, as if she is adjusting it, but I would assume that this is some sort of nervous habit as she thinks about what her next steps should be.