Laila hurried to the window and slung her satchel around her shoulders as she peered down into the muddy yard. Each moment was agony as she watched the gate, waiting for the torch to be extinguished. Thoughts of doubt began racing through her head, and she struggled to combat them with images of Lord Hamilton. Was she really about to run away? Was she really going to leave the castle and her family behind? If she married, she would have to leave anyways, she reasoned. At least this way, she would not be bound to the most monstrous lord in the Kingdom. That was good enough for her.
After what seemed like an eternity, the torch went dark.
“Time to go,” she whispered, clutching the satchel tight, so it did not bounce upon her hip, and she opened her door and vanished into the castle’s dark corridors.
She rushed down the narrow steps, winding down through the single tower until she reached the entrance to the yard. As Jacob had promised, the guards were not there and taking a deep breath, she flung up her hood and rushed across to the stables.
Her horse was waiting, saddled and ready. She walked up to him and touched his snout, saying, “Are you ready, boy?” The horse gave a snort. It was time.
She mounted the horse and gave his neck a pat. Thunder boomed out above the castle, and she knew that heavier rain was not far behind. She had to move. This was it, the moment she could never go back from. The horse was ready. He pawed the earth, bowed his head, and gave a mighty snort. Was she? She had to be.
“Ha!” she spurred him onward into the yard. Rain started to beat against her riding cloak, and she turned him toward the gatehouse. The guards were not there. The lights were out. This was her chance, and she seized it. “Ha!” She rode out through the gate and disappeared into the oncoming storm.
