The Unknown

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Mae, what would be the best thing to ever happen to you?" Lukas's small voice shocks me. He hasn't spoken in awhile in our dark closet, which is strange. He's usually the one to do all the talking and I would just listen. But something is different tonight, something happened and he won't tell me.

"My parents to come back and get me."  I hug my knees a little tighter to my chest.

"I mean, something that could actually happen." He scoots a little closer to me, the cold has driven us together so now we sit shoulder to shoulder. I have to think about the question he asks. It isn't something I am really given time to think about, but the answer comes quick.

"I want to grow up and I want to be a princess." I said it mainly as a joke. We had this ongoing joke that one day we would grow up to be a prince and princess of far off lands. Most nights, our small closet was our castle and we would give out orders to all the people of our land. We would make fun holidays such as; eat all the corn you want day; or, take a nap every thirty minutes day; or, when we are feeling really silly, lick all the dirt you want day! I laugh at my joke, but Lukas takes me seriously.

"Is that really what you would want to happen?" I can tell he's looking at me through the dark. His voice is aimed directly at me.

"Well, I guess. Not a princess like you would think. I guess what I mean is, I want to feel like one. But doesn't everybody?"

"Well, I don't want to feel like a princess." He mumbles. I laugh at his comment,

"No, I mean. I want to feel like someone important. I want to grow up to be someone who was able to do something big! Like King Arthur or Hercules!"

"Hercules?"

"Well, maybe not Hercules, but someone like him. Someone who has a story to tell."

I wake up to the dark closet. I can tell that the sun hasn't fully risen but my legs are telling me that it's time to get going. I open the closet door and find Victoria asleep in her bed. She mumbles softly to herself, probably dreaming about her and Stephen's escape later tonight.
Tonight.
The ball is to happen tonight.
I can't take the closet anymore. I have to walk, I have to move about.
I slowly make my way over to Victoria's door and pry it open. Everyone is still asleep in their rooms making it safe for me to wander around. I close the door behind me and listen for any footsteps, but instead of footsteps I hear voices. They carry quietly down the hallway hardly noticeable at all. I make my way towards them and halt when I recognize the sounds.

"What do you mean she's not here? She has to be!" Lukas sounds angry, I can hear it in he way his voice hitches at the word she. He's talking about me.

"I'm sorry your highness, but she left yesterday to head into town. Victoria sent her to gather a few things and she hasn't returned." Frank sounds scared at the way Lukas was acting. He probably didn't understand his interest in me. Lukas needs to be more careful.

"Go tell Stephen to ready my horse. I'm going after her." He starts to walk towards me but Frank stops him short.

"I don't understand your highness."

"No, no you wouldn't." And he continues to walk towards me. I slip into the nearest room I can find and close the door behind me. I lean against the wall to catch my breath but am stopped short. The door flies open almost crushing me behind it. When it slams shut it takes all I have to not scream. Lukas stands in the middle of the room, his hands running through his long hair. I look around the room and realize that the room I stepped into was his. My heart stops as does my breathing. He hasn't noticed me yet, but he will soon if I don't get out of here. I start to inch my way towards the door and make good progress. He wanders around his room, grabbing various objects from drawers and trunks, not once looking over at me. He seems so lost in his thoughts, so distressed. His movements are quick and hurried, he seems almost scared. I reach my hand out and grab the handle of the door slowly turning it. My heart pounds with each second that scrapes by.
I feel the door give way slightly and I pull a little too hard, my nerves getting the better of me. A loud creak fills the air and Lukas stands up looking straight at me. We stare at each other for a moment,

"Mae?" His voice seems lost.

And that's when I run. I force the door open and I take off down the hallway. I don't need light to see which way I am going, but Lukas obviously does. His heavy footsteps are clumsy in the darkness. He yells my name down the corridors unafraid of waking the fellow guests. I reach Victoria's room and pull the door open. I leap inside and close the door right as I hear Lukas round the corner. His footsteps seem to falter right in front of Victoria's room, but then he proceeds down the hallway chasing nothing but air. I lean against the door frame catching my breath.

"What do you think you are doing?" Victoria's room makes me yelp. I slam my hand over my mouth. "Did Lukas see you?" I nod my head. She sits up in bed and reaches over to light a lamp.

"Did he see you come in here?" I shake my head no and she lets her hand drop. "You need to be careful Mae. Go back to bed." She collapses on her bed and her soft mumbles come back quickly.

I make my way to the closet and close the door behind me. I sit down and lean against the door, my hand still covering my mouth. I sit that way for the rest of the night, unable to get the way he said my name out of my mind.