THE ESCAPE







Chapter 1

I walked quickly down the path, up the stairwell, and into the throne room.
“Mother, Father” I curtsied and as I raised my eyes and looked at my father, I groaned inwardly because he looked so tired and so weak next to my mother who looked majestic and she was shining like an angel from heaven above. She had a look of sheer beauty. Even through her looks were breathtaking you could see the pain inflicted on her face from all the sorrow laid on her because of my father’s illness although I was never told what was wrong with him... Little did I know that my reasoning that she looked as if she were in pain was wrong, I just assumed that she was worried that my fathers illness would kill him.

My name is Sophia Maria Motolo Denaria, the year is 1958. I am sixteen year old I have long brown hair and I am to be wed to the wonderful Prince Joseph. I have a super natural power of being able to see things in the future that are going to happen. But I can only know if somebody thinks about it. My Mother and Father are King and Queen Danaria of a small country known as Kimmor. Now where was I...? Oh yes the throne room!

“Father, Prince Joseph, Queen Felicity, and King Rupert will be here momentarily, shall I go get my best dress on, tell cook to put out the platters, and welcome the guests? Or shall Mother and I go get dressed and tell the page to do the rest?” I questioned. “Go tell the page what to do and why don’t you two lovely ladies go dress in fancy cloths? Is that alright Sophie?” Said Father. “Yes, Daddy.” I curtsied and held out my hand for my Mother. She gave me a tentative smile.

We walked up to her bedchamber. She and I giggled when we saw a guard sleeping while loudly snoring at his post. She gently poked him on the shoulder because his spear was blocking the doorway. He opened his eyes and he looked up in fear at my mother. “Sorry Your Majesty.” He blushed deeply. And after a second realized that he was blocking the way. It’s alright” e said again jumping up. He bowed. “Sorry, Queen Olivia,” “Princess”
He said bowing low. “its okay” My mother’s musical voice called again as she whisked me into the room with our ladies in waiting following close behind. We searched her wardrobe for something suitable to wear for when Prince Joseph was here. As we were going to change my father bustled in looking upset and excited. “Ladies, you are dismissed! “ My father barked at the ladies in waiting. When they exited he bellowed “Quickly everybody follow Sophie! Open up the secret passage Sophie!” I did not bother to ask questions as Prince Joseph and his family came in. I tapped on the wall to open the secret passage and it opened. My father ushered us in. Once we were all safely down the passage and under the palace I asked. “Okay, what is going on!!?” Taking Joseph’s hand in mine. “Well, as I went to welcome the guest one of my men came in saying that a huge army of huge malicious men were advancing towards the kingdom, also this has happened to other kingdoms. They are called the Durmons. I was never sick, just worried. Now we have peasant cloths and we will be traveling as three couples. Sophia and Joseph, Felicity and Rupert, and Olivia and I.” Dad said. Joseph and I exchanged secret smiles because we were already a couple and not yet married. “Here are rings; put them on you two will be married as soon as possible”

Queen Felicity placed them in Joseph’s hand. He raised my hand and slipped it on my finger, kissed my hand and gave me his ring. I placed the ring on his finger and kissed his cheek. Then we all had to change into peasant cloths and try to flee the area. I held onto Joseph’s hand for fear of being separated. Luckily my guard dog, Boomer who was smart, ferocious, and had a tender spot of love for me and any one I would classify as “good” was with us.
He stayed close by me and it was not so unusual to have a dog as a guard so we were blending in fine. Since my parents found it prudent to experience everyday life, for a day in every week I was to spend it with the people of the kingdom. I was just as much a commoner as every other citizen.

We snuck through town as many people were running from the Durmons. Luckily Boomer stayed quiet. I had to sooth him several times as his ears were flat on his head and his hackles were raised. And a growl was resonating deep in his throat. As we walked quickly out of town I noticed three horses unattended but with saddles on. I pointed them out. My father thought it would be okay to take them and as I pondered where to keep Boomer I saw that the saddlebag was big enough for him to fit in. I had Joseph help me get him in there. He whined for a minute until I got on the horse and stroked him. Then I realized something and hoped off the horse and raced into a deserted general store. I grabbed apples, dried meat, cheese, water, and five loaves of bread. I saw baskets and thought it would be a good thing to have. Then I raced out stuffed the food into the other saddle bag that had blankets in it. Joseph pulled me onto the horse, he was already on I, then he spurred the horse and it started to gallop off with me holding Joseph’s torso and him holding the reigns. The wind was whipping in our faces on that frigid December day. I wrapped my thick wool shawl around my shoulders then I took two more blankets out of the saddlebag that Boomer did not occupy. I wrapped one around Joseph’s shoulders. Then I put another over Boomer.

Joseph grabbed one of my hands and squeezed it appreciatively. I looked sadly back at the landscape rushing by and I knew that I might never see this place again. I sighed miserably.

After we had been riding as much as the horses could take in one day we found a nice stable that was empty with plenty of hay for the horses to eat and for us to make beds. Then I started to spread out all the blankets and made three separate places to sleep. Then we ate some bread, meat and cheese. After we ate I lay down next to Joseph and he kissed me on the forehead.
“Goodnight,” He whispered and laid his arm across my stomach. “Good night”
I whispered back snuggling up to him to keep warm. It took a long time for me to fall asleep. I studied the ceiling of the barn. I could see streaks and blobs of rotting wood where water had leaked in. Then I heard a soft landing on the roof. It was snowing. Millions of thoughts raced through my head. Finally I finally drifted off into a restless slumber. I dreamed that the Durmons had caught us and they were keeping us hostage in a small dark cave. Then a man came into the cave through the small opening that only let a feeble ray of could never become pleasant. It was tanned and cracked from the sunlight. His face was dirty and unshaven. You could see diminutive beady eyes squinting maliciously from under his bushy eyebrows. He had come in dragging Joseph and I by the arm his cracked scaly hand pushing us up to a wall. Another Durmon had a knife up against my mother’s throat. I saw little droplets of blood cascading down her pale neck. A Durmon had Boomer suspended on a rope over what looked like a boiling kettle of water an open wound on Boomer’s paw. Felicity was having her arm twisted behind her back and a gun held to her head. The weirdest thing was that my father wasn’t even there. Just as my mother’s head was going to be sliced off I woke up. I was covered in unladylike sweat. Joseph was rubbing my back soothingly. I kept seeing the same scene in my brain, more vivid each time. I looked over at my mother who was also awake. Her head was gone and blood was pulsating and dripping down her white nightgown. I shrieked and passed out.