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That could have been a promise or a threat depending on how she wanted to receive it. Forcing herself to nod she swallowed back emotion that she couldn’t afford to feel.
When the door shut behind Sophie, Wren was left with her traitorous thoughts. She should have told Sophie about Richard. She should have trusted her to help her. Maybe Sophie didn’t know that there was a way for her to go home and she would have helped if she had only explained. There was also the possibility that Sophie would have told the prince and he would have stopped her. Richard had said that his brother would stop her and that her going home would negatively impact him, but she still didn’t understand.
Her thoughts blissfully ended as a soft, almost inaudible knock on the door filled the space. Not wasting time, Wren slipped on her shoes she had kept next to the bed and hurried to the door. Creaking it open just an inch she peered into the hall. A grinning prince winked at her.
Opening the door the rest of the way, Wren smiled nervously.
He leaned forward to whisper. “Chin up, little princess, you are going home.”
A thrill went through her at the promise. “Where I won’t be a princess. I never thought I’d be happy about that.”
A deep chuckle met her. “Being royalty has its perks. You could stay and find out, but then you would have to stay married to my brother.”
“I think I’ll take my chances as a commoner again,” Wren said dryly.
His laugh was more boisterous this time and Wren searched the halls, making sure they weren’t seen.
“It’s a shame. I think I would have liked having a sister. Alas, fate is a cruel mistress. Off we go.” He kicked his heels as if it were a signal of some sort and turned down the hallway.
Her breath caught as she belatedly realized she was meant to follow him. He waved a hand without looking behind him, and Wren forced her feet to remember how to walk. She quickly gained pace, and as she came up next to him, she saw that he was just as tall as his brother.
Everything else about them aside from that was dissimilar. Richard wore his short brown hair cropped close to his head. Where his brother was lean, the younger prince boasted thick muscles without even trying. He was charmingly handsome and easy going. Everything his brother was not. The only other similarity they shared was their shared blue eyes, but where Prince Malaki’s were bright, Richard’s were a murky blue.
The hallways were blissfully free of onlookers and from Prince Richard’s confident stride, Wren was confident that this was not a coincidence. As they reached the main entrance to the castle, the large wooden doors that seemed to run the entire length of the castle were wide open, letting a cool evening breeze run through her. It smelled of fresh green grass and the promise of home. She eyed the two guards warily, but the tension burdening her shoulders released as Richard slung an arm over one of their shoulders and said something conspiratorially, making the guard laugh.
It made her wonder what it must be like to go through life with such ease and command. She imagined the young prince never knew of any burdens or heartache. At least that was the way he carried himself. It occurred to Wren that she would have liked to get to know and understand this prince.
“I offered to take the princess for an evening stroll, but you know how that goes. You promise one thing and live to regret it.” Both guards found the prince monstrously funny. “Anyway, Wren, you go ahead, and I’ll be along shortly.”
“Are you sure, Your Highness? We were told she was not to leave the castle?” one guard with a thick mustache asked cautiously.
Prince Richard merely placed a large hand on the guard’s shoulder and laughed. “Of course, I’m sure. After all, the princess is safer with me that anyone else, right?”
It was clear that that was not a stance either guard was willing to take and as they stepped to the side, hope rose in her. Richard gave her a slight nod and as she passed him she placed her hand in his loose hanging one and squeezed gently. He deserved more of a thank you than that, but with watching eyes it was all she could offer.
As she met his eyes, they seemed to soften, his lips pulled into a thin line before he seemed to find himself as the jolly prince once more. The brief interaction left her feeling confused, but if the man was reconsidering her rescue, then she could not afford to waste more time.
She released his hand and followed the narrow stone path, the lake just below the hill the path dominated. Her veins were alight with life as her family’s faces flashed before her. Georgie was probably confused and hurt by her disappearance and her arms ached to hold him and reassure him that she had never meant to leave him. That he was the best thing in her life.
Her aunt was probably exhausted from trying to run the house and try to figure out what had happened to her. Her uncle likely had let the farm get behind in searching for her and it would take them days to get it back to rights, but for the first time in her life she didn’t dread the work. She would gladly toil under the hot sun if it meant being where she belonged.
The lake below seemed to hum with an unnatural presence and it was no wonder considering what it was. Some sort of portal between her world and this one. It was strange that tonight, the lake seemed uneasy as if something were not quite right about it. Wren considered the night she was brought here and remembered how the lake had seemed to call to her, everything in her driving her towards it. This was not that call. In fact, her stomach rolled with nausea the closer she got to its shore. She looked behind her and realized she was far enough down the hill that she could no longer see the guards and Richard.
Burying the growing feeling of dread and attributing it to the last time she had been here, she pushed forward. She was going home. The smell of evergreen and fall air crested over her and she breathed in deeply, steadying herself. The lake came into perfect view as she stepped off the stone path. It was peaceful in a way that she could have spent hours contemplating life on its shoreline, admiring the perfect reflection of greenery in its waters.
A strange buzzing filled her ears and a sensation of wrongness had her body locking up. She told herself it was just the memory of this place. That she should take the last three steps into the shallow waters. Three steps was all that remained between her and home. Her skin crawled with unease and dread. Ignoring it, she took another step. Georgie. Home. A slight discomfort was worth the promise that lay before her.
Nausea had her raising a hand to her mouth, but she swallowed it back taking another step. One more. One more step and she would be home. Would it be like last time? Would she feel as if she were drowning? The memory had her grasping at her throat. Now was the time to be brave. She could question everything later, but only cowards stood at the threshold of freedom and wavered.
She lifted her foot to take the last step when something pummeled into her, pulling her back, away from her salvation. She screamed; it was raw and it was full of the panic that had been building in her since she left the castle. Her body fell and landed on something warm and firm. Heavy breathing finally gave her the realization that she had been pulled away by a person. She twisted her head, straining to see who had come between her and home, but she was saved the trouble.
“What were you thinking?” The crown prince’s words were breathless, but nonetheless filled with malice.
Panic seized Wren’s body. She tried to free herself from him, but he had his arms locked around her middle, holding her against him.
“Let me go!” she shouted.
“No,” he ground out, his breath hot on her neck. “If I let you go you are going to go straight into that lake and that is a fate you do not want.”
