Stupid fool.
“Prepare Claren’s horse for me,” I bark at the guards, my voice straining. It doesn’t matter what I planned to do to her tonight. If she’s made it into the forest she’s already dead.
20
DAHLIA
Wind whips through my hair, my skirt billowing like a cloud. Gripping Velvet’s reins, I throw my head back, laughing over the sound of his powerful gallop. I’ve never felt so free. Pumpkin yips excitedly in my lap.
“We’re doing it, Pumpkin,” I squeal at her. “We’re actually getting out of here!”
The wall of gnarled trees grows closer, marking the edge of the castle grounds. I’m so close, and this time I’m not stopping. I squeeze my eyes shut as we dive through the trees.
When I open them, my cheer echoes through the dark forest.
“That was so easy!” I laugh. “Stars, I should’ve done this months ago.” Low branches scrape my arms and face, but I don’t care. With the light of the demon castle now only a dim glow through the trees, I’m free to do anything. Go anywhere. Be anyone!
No more Princess Dahlia. I could change my name, travel across kingdoms, join a pirate crew and sail far beyond the realm. The possibilities are endless!
After ten minutes of galloping, Velvet slows to a walk, his breath heavy.
“Are you tired, boy?” I stroke his raven flank. Perhaps we’ll save travelling across the realm for another day.
The horse huffs, but doesn’t stop. Moonlight spills through the treetops, lighting up the path ahead of us.
It’s not as dark anymore. The once-black sky is fading into an early morning blue as the moon sinks behind the trees. It’ll be dawn soon, and the thought of that makes me yawn.
Checking over my shoulder, I try to spot any sign of the demon castle through the forest. But I see nothing. Not even a turret pokes over the treetops.
There’s more life here, too. In the demon court, nothing but strange dark plants and gnarled trees seemed to grow. Here, the trees are bursting with green leaves, and even at night I can hear the faint scratching sounds of animals lurking in the bushes.
Something about that makes me shudder.
“Perhaps we should stop and rest for a bit?” I say to Velvet, pulling on the reins.
He ignores me. When I tug on his reins again, he huffs and twists his head to shoot me a beady glare.
“Hey, I’m the one riding you.” I squeeze my thighs, trying everything to get him to stop.
The silly beast just keeps walking.
“Damn you. You’re just as stubborn as Tauren.”
The horse snorts, shaking his head.
A few feet to my left, I can make out the shimmering waters of a small river. The water looks much cleaner than the pond I threw myself in this morning. Its damp smell still clings to my hair and clothes.
“If you don’t stop, I’m going to jump off anyway.” I yank on Velvet’s reins. “We should stop for a drink, and I want to wash my hair.” I bet even the smelliest pirate ship would turn me away in my current state. I’m surprised Tauren swallowed his pride enough to marry me.
Velvet lets out a frustrated whine but still refuses to stop. Even Pumpkin whimpers nervously in my lap.
“What is wrong with you two?” Scooping up Pumpkin, I slip out of the saddle, ignoring Velvet’s impatient huffs. He stops walking, thankfully, but judging by his twitching ears, he’s not happy about it.
After placing Pumpkin down, I kick through the leafy shrubs to drink from the river. The clear water feels divine against my tongue, and when I strip off my gown and soak it below the surface, it works wonders on the fabric. Within seconds, my dress returns to a gorgeous snowdrop white.
Once I’m satisfied with the gown, I hang it over a branch to dry and get to work on myself. It doesn’t take long for my hair to return to silky black strands and for the mud to slide off my skin.
Hugging my knees to my chest, I tip my head back, sighing at the stars as they fade out into the dawn sky above me. I think I could get used to this life…
