Elena and Anna had spent days meticulously preparing every detail of their plan.
Every moment spent in the palace had become a trial. Elena had to endure meals in the company of her mother and Adrian, feign indifference to the prince's lingering gazes, and mask her revulsion when his fingers brushed against hers with imposed familiarity. She had to play the role of the submissive, obedient princess when, inside, she burned with rage.
She stood by the window of her chamber, watching the palace gardens stretch out under the soft morning light. This was the last time she would see this landscape as a princess.
The sky, a deep shade of blue, seemed strangely peaceful, indifferent to the turmoil inside her. The air was gentle, carrying the fragrance of blooming roses, and in the distance, she could hear the rustling of leaves in the breeze. Everything was calm, frozen in time, as if the world was unaware that she was about to disappear.
She should have felt relieved.
This was what she wanted, what she had so carefully planned. For days, she and Anna had worked in secret, preparing every detail with desperate precision. Everything was in place.
The jewelry, hidden inside an old doll, her only fortune once she was outside. The simple, modest clothing, concealed within the secret passage, ready to be worn so she could become just another stranger.
The provisions, stashed where she would retrieve them just before leaving the palace, her only hope of surviving the first few days.
The horse, waiting for her just a few meters from the tunnel's exit, her first step toward a free life.
Everything was ready. And yet…
Fear was there. It crept slowly into her mind, insidious, a venomous whisper telling her that she might not succeed.
What if she was caught? What if one of their plans failed? What if, before she even set foot outside the palace, the guards found her and dragged her back within these walls?
She imagined Adrian, his smug smile as he saw her in chains. She imagined her mother, seated on her throne, impassive, judging her with a cold stare, reminding her that she had never had another choice.
No!
She took a deep breath, forcing these visions from her mind. She couldn't fail. She must not fail.
She knew what awaited her if she stayed. Adrian, with his greedy hands, his hungry gaze, his insatiable smile. Adrian, who left her no escape.
Adrian, who would eventually possess her entirely if she did not leave tonight.
And her mother… Her mother, who had already abandoned her with her silence. Her heart clenched, but she did not cry. She had no more tears left to shed.
They had been left on the floor of this room the night Adrian had come and struck her. They had been left in Anna's gaze when she told her the Queen refused to call off the marriage. They had no place here anymore.
Tonight, she would not cry.
She would act. She turned her gaze toward her desk, where a simple sheet of paper and a black ink quill lay. A thought crossed her mind.
Should she leave a note? A farewell, a final message? To whom? Her mother? She laughed bitterly to herself. What for? The Queen had made her decision. She would not change her mind. If Elena escaped, she would be a traitor in her eyes. She would no longer be her daughter. Perhaps she never had been.
Her expression darkened. No, she would leave nothing behind. No trace. No clue about the direction she would take. She would simply vanish. Like a ghost. As if she had never existed.
She clenched her fists, trying to anchor that thought within her. She would not look back. She took a deep breath, feeling her heart race, her entire body absorbing the reality of her choice.
This palace was no longer her home.
Her chamber, once a sanctuary, had become a prison. Every piece of furniture, every embroidery, every precious object… none of it mattered anymore.
She would take nothing of what she had known. She would no longer have maids to style her hair in the morning. She would no longer wear silk gowns or diamond-studded crowns. She would no longer sleep in sheets embroidered with gold.
She would abandon her name. She would lose everything. But at the end of the road… At the end of this night… She would gain her freedom.
She closed her eyes, imprinting this thought deep inside her. Then, slowly, she turned away from the window.
Tonight, she would leave. And she would never return. Until then, she had to keep pretending.
And so, she joined her mother and the old prince in the royal dining hall. As usual, they discussed superficial topics. The Queen remained as cold as ever toward her daughter, unaware that this dinner would be the last meal they would ever share, that this was the last time she would see her child.
The princess wished, more than anything, that she had a loving mother.
That she would not have to flee, to leave the comforts of the castle for a life filled with uncertainty. That she could embrace her, just once, and tell her that she loved her despite how she had treated her.
Inside, she was waging a battle, holding back tears that threatened to betray her. She refused to let them fall, not when she was so close to her goal. She forced herself to remain calm and pretend to follow their conversation.
When dinner ended, the prince retired to his chambers, leaving Elena alone with the Queen.
Elena seized the opportunity to speak.
—Elena: "Mother…"
—Queen Isabella: "Elena, this marriage will take place whether you want it or not. Do not waste your time trying to convince me otherwise." she interrupted, then left the room.
The princess rose, her heart heavy with sorrow. She knew what she had to do now.
And there was no turning back.
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The
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Kiss
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The night stretched on in a suffocating silence, where every second seemed to stretch endlessly.
Elena and Anna sat in a corner of the chamber, listening, mentally counting the minutes, waiting for the moment when the palace would finally sink into sleep.
They waited for the last sounds to fade, for the servants to retreat to their quarters, for the guards, weary from their repetitive patrols, to let their vigilance wane.
The hours passed slowly, and yet Elena felt her heart pounding violently in her chest, making her dizzy. She was trapped between the burning excitement of freedom within reach and the icy terror of the unknown that awaited her at the end of this path.
One by one, the chandeliers' lights extinguished in the palace corridors. The footsteps became rarer, more distant.
Shadows stretched, swallowing the stone walls, plunging the world into darkness that, for once, did not frighten her.
And finally, the moment arrived.
The palace was asleep. She exchanged a look with Anna.
This was it. The moment to leave this chamber, to escape these walls that had imprisoned her all her life. The moment to break free from the poisoned grip of the court, to flee far from this gilded cage, far from the chains Adrian and her mother wanted to lock around her.
She stood slowly, trying to still the trembling of her hands. She took a deep breath, seeking newfound strength in Anna's gaze.
—Elena: "We have to go."
The maid nodded without a word, and together, they slipped out of the chamber.
The entire palace seemed to hold its breath. The silence was so thick that Elena could hear the rapid pounding of her own heart in her temples. Every step they took felt louder than a thunderclap, every creak of the floor beneath their feet a threat, a warning.
They moved slowly, hugging the darkened walls, slipping between columns, avoiding the drowsy guards at their posts. They had to be invisible. One misstep, one noise too loud, and everything would collapse.
Their destination was the secret passage. The tunnel that would lead Elena to freedom. Her legs felt weak, but she pressed on. She had no right to falter now.
They descended through deserted corridors, venturing into the forgotten parts of the palace, the places no one visited anymore, where shadows ruled as absolute masters.
Anna kept glancing over her shoulder, checking that they weren't being followed.
Elena focused on the adrenaline coursing through her veins, on the strength she had left. She had never been this close to her goal.
At last, they reached the abandoned wing. There, before them, stood the frayed tapestry concealing the hidden door.
Anna cast one last look around before lifting the fabric and unlatching the door. A soft creak tore through the silence. Elena's stomach twisted.
She listened intently, straining to catch any reaction, any sound of footsteps that might mean they had been heard. But there was only silence.
The door slowly swung open, revealing the stone staircase descending into darkness. A chill swept over her skin.
This was it. Her breath was short. Her fingers clenched around the worn fabric of her servant's dress.
She stepped forward. Then she stopped abruptly. A thought, sharp and unbearable, slashed through her mind like a blade.
She turned to Anna, her gaze filled with a new kind of dread.
—Elena: "Come with me."
Anna, who had been about to close the door behind them, looked up sharply, her expression shifting between surprise and confusion.
—Anna: "What?"
—Elena: "Come with me. If they find out you helped me, they'll punish you. You can't stay here." she repeated, her voice trembling, filled with an urgency she could no longer contain.
Anna opened her mouth, but no sound came out at first. She closed it again, her features hardening slightly. Then, she shook her head slowly.
—Anna: "No."
A shiver of panic ran down Elena's spine.
She grabbed her maid's hand, squeezing it tightly, as if she could convince her through sheer touch.
—Elena: "Anna, please..."
But Anna placed a gentle hand on her arm, and when Elena looked up at her, she saw the faintest trace of a sad smile.
—Anna: "If I leave, they'll realize something is wrong immediately. I have to stay, princess."
Elena shook her head, refusing to accept this.
—Elena: "They'll hurt you."
The maid briefly averted her gaze.
—Anna: "Maybe." she whispered.
She shrugged, feigning a confidence Elena knew was false.
—Anna: "But if I stay, I can buy you time. I can make them think you're still here. I can delay the search."
Terror washed over Elena. She was going to lose her.
Anna was sacrificing herself for her. She would stay behind, alone, to face Adrian and the Queen's fury.
—Elena: "You don't have to do this." she murmured, her voice breaking.
Anna held her gaze for a long moment. And for the first time, Elena saw tears shining in her eyes.
—Anna: "Yes, I do."
She took a deep breath.
—Anna: "Because you are the only friend I've ever had. Because you deserve to live."
The words struck Elena's heart with unbearable force. She wanted to fight, to argue, to force her to come. But she knew it was useless. Anna had made her choice. And the only thing Elena could do was honor it by succeeding in her escape.
She grabbed Anna and pulled her into a tight embrace.
—Elena: "Thank you. Thank you for everything. You're my only real family. I'm so sorry to leave you behind." she whispered, her voice shaking.
The maid returned the hug firmly, then stepped back with a sad smile.
—Anna: "Go before I change my mind."
Elena nodded, her tears burning behind her eyes, but refusing to fall.
Without another word, she turned and disappeared into the darkness of the secret passage.
The door closed softly behind her.
And the princess vanished into the night.