I realized soon that my problem wasn’t the act of escaping my marriage. There were many other options than running away, but it seemed the most likely to succeed. My main problem would be getting through the woods, which weren’t exactly hospitable to horses wearing the royal insignia. I should have taken all evidence of my name off, but I was in a rush, adrenaline overwhelming my other senses.

I did not want to marry Lord Jon. He was an absolute pig, just like most men my age. Most like anyone in the country, actually.

However, as I rode through the looming maples in this dreary winter season, I couldn’t help but think that surrendering my life to a stupid, cruel, lord would be better than being killed by cannibals or held ransom by thieves.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. I hadn’t been thinking straight since my father had told me the news, and pondering it while in the Olve could be disastrous. I had to stay on my guard.

Suddenly my horse reared. I was hugging Dappled Fire’s mane close enough that I didn’t fall off, but the jolt shocked me out of my stupor. When the mare settled down enough, I peered over her head to see a large branch blocking the roadway. I sighed and jumped off her, looking around carefully. I noticed no one, and started my chore.

The branch was heavier than normal, and when I noticed the spikes sticking it into the ground I knew it was already too late.

There were seventeen of them. An unlucky number in my kingdom. They had made an oval around me. Fear gripped me and I froze. One of the men stepped towards me and I stumbled backwards. I turned to run and saw a tree right in front of my face. I prepared for impact and squeezed my eyes shut, but I tripped and my head hit roots and dirt instead of a trunk.

I lay still for a moment, in slight shock, before sitting up slowly and looking at my surroundings. The maples had been replaced by giant pine trees. The one behind me was glowing, and through it voices seemed to be crying out in shock. As the glow faded, so did the exclamations.

I felt something trickle over my mouth. A quick swipe of my hand revealed blood, probably from where my nose banged against a pine root. I left my hand up there, trying to block the abnormal amounts of blood coming out of my head. I felt dizzy: either from blood loss, seeing the blood, or hitting my head; I wasn’t sure.

I backed up against the now not glowing pine tree and tried to take in my surroundings. That was harder than normal, as my head was swimming and my peripheral vision was tinged black. The feeling of blood running down my arm was very distracting. I tried to focus, but all I could think was about how impossible this whole situation was, and thinking about it just made me even more dizzy.

My arm was growing tired and since the blood would come out of my nose whatever I tried I let my hand drop. I would ruin my white blouse that I had borrowed from Lady Rowen, but I didn’t think she would mind. Besides, I wasn’t planning on going back anytime soon and, even if I was, I don’t think I could. I didn’t know where I was or how I got there.

The best course of action was to wait. If I died, I died. My mind was too muddled to care. If I was rescued, which was unlikely, I would reward those who helped me to the best of my ability. It was all I could do at this point. My only hope was that if I died, I would die in peace.

However, my mind stayed slightly open, even if I did just want it to shut down. The torrent of blood slowly fell into a trickle. The forest seemed to get brighter. I assumed it was turning from night to morning.

I forced myself to get up. Staying here would just prolong my suffering. My head was throbbing, my throat was parched, and my shirt was now hard and flaky with dried blood. I felt dirty, and I was.

I swayed a little as I stood and I braced myself against the spiny bristles of the tree next to me. The one that had sent me to this place. I had to hope the locals were kind and put me out of my misery instead of letting me, a princess, go on in this shameful state.

I started walking. I made it a few steps before falling flat on my face again. This was definitely the most humiliating experience of my life.

I staggered to my feet again, taking slower steps this time and reaching my hands out for balance. I made it longer this time, but I was still within sight of my tree portal when I was suddenly lifted, weightless, off of the ground.

A hunter’s trap. Meant for animals, but it had caught me. My luck was spiralling further downhill. My right ankle was throbbing and it burned where the rope had forcefully pulled me upwards. The blood from my nose was only a drip, now, but still enough was getting into my eyes for it to be next to impossible to see from my left. The rest of my limbs hung in the air for a moment before flailing wildly in my attempt to get down.

“For goodness sake! Why does life hate me so much??” I questioned loudly as my movements did nothing but turn me in a dizzying circle. My eyes welled up with tears, which made it harder to see and was awkward to feel as I was obviously upside down.

“Got yourself in a bit of trouble, did ya now?” A male voice asked. My voice caught in my throat. Suddenly, I did not want to die. I flailed around to try and see the man behind me, but to no avail.

“Please don’t kill me!” I cried out in alarm, knowing full well it would be easy to stab me through right here and now.

The man chuckled. “Jeez, girl. I’m not a murderer. Just a simple commoner trying to find food for my village. You aren’t food.”

“Well, if you aren’t going to kill me, can you get me down, please?”

There was a loud snapping noise. I didn’t even have a moment to realize what was happening before my face, once again, made out with the dirt. I groaned softly and the man chuckled again. When I got up and turned towards him, however, his cocky grin turned into a concerned expression.

“Oh, Holy Fire! I’m so sorry. If I had known you were hurt I wouldn’t have dropped you on your face like that.”

“Nice to know the first local I meet only cares for injured strangers.” I wanted to be angry, but just like one of those girls in the royal romance novels I read as a child, my heart melted at the sight of his wide, green eyes, sun tanned skin, and dark chocolate hair.

I muttered something under my breath so quietly that I didn’t even know what I said. Either a curse, a thanks, or a compliment that would have made my mother slap me in shame.

He grinned, which made my heart thump in fear. Did he hear me? I didn’t even know what I said. I blushed, thinking of all the embarrassing things I had been caught saying in the courtroom. My mouth often ran away with words I didn’t even know I knew. What was it that I had said, and how could he have heard me?

“Hear, let me take you back to my village so we can get you cleaned up. I’m sure my sister, Chloe, and Zaniyah would be ecstatic to help you.”

“Ecstatic.” I said slowly, wobbily rising to my feet. “You have an extensive vocabulary for a… you know what, nevermind.” Calling him a peasant may not have been in my best interest.

He chuckled, but did not comment on my statement. He walked over to me, “Well, up you go,” he grinned slyly and suddenly I was in his arms bridal style. My face flushed even more and his eyes seemed to be oddly blurred. I grew lightheaded once more and I groaned.

I saw the man’s face grow worried for a second. He shifted my weight and put his hand to my forehead. “You are really hot… I need to get you to Zaniyah quickly.” I tried to ignore the other definition of the word ‘hot’.

As we started walking, I asked a question that started to press so much on my mind it made my head pound. “What is your name?” It was simple.

Also simple, his reply. “Kato. My name is Kato.”