The Runaway

Chapter 1

Tonight, all my questions about humans will be answered.

I dip the white feather with gold crested edges in the little container of ink for the last time as the note for my parents is almost done. After that I stick it on my mirror and admire my room for the last time this lovely, late spring night.

It is so tempting to lay on my bed. It's full of fluffy pillows and blankets. The blanket calls me to bring it with but oh, the poor thing would get dirty. I go over to the sliding crystal door with a pastel beige frame. Each red tinted piece of glass is edged with gold grout, even the green parts. It makes roses.

I grab the handle and pull the door open. The soft night air quickly floods in, ruffling my hair and dress. It smells of flowers and pastries. The handle on the outside of the door is cooler. Once it's closed, I scope to make sure no guards are nearby. They switch shifts at the high point of noon, which is now.

Without lingering around any longer I climb over the marble railing and hold onto the pillar for dear life while sliding down it. Once on the ground there's still the hill in the way, farther down. Where all the guards are. Kian said he will distract them for as long as he can. There's music playing in the distance, string lights light up the area below.

The plan is to go behind the palace, in the dark where no one should be. It's steep back there. Food sounds appetizing right now. The plan can wait, if I get caught then it was a simple late-night stroll.

After climbing down the side of the hill and walking against the fence walls I get near town. Everyone is always happy and cheerful here. I follow the scent of pastries for a while, it gets stronger and stronger till I'm in front of the little family-owned shop. Everything in the kingdom is family owned.

A sweet looking lady walks over, cleaning a cup with a rag.

"Good evening, what can I do for you?"

Everything smells marvelous. If I had space to take everything with me, I'd buy it all.

"Can I get a strawberry sandwich?"

"Of course, dear, is that all?"

"Yes."

She puts the cup on the counter and turns around, disappearing behind a door for a minute. She comes back with a bag in her hand and a smile on her sweet face.

She holds out the bag. "Here ya- oh my! Her highness, I'm so sorry! I didn't notice."

Poor woman is going to have a heart attack. I hand her some gold and take the bag.

"It's alright, don't worry, love. Have a good night."

The sweet lady loosens up a bit, the smile returning on her face.

"Of course. You have a good night too, ma'am."

We wave as I walk away. Now to leave and find the city of humans on the map. I walked back the way I came, headed to behind the palace. Humans are so interesting. There's tales of them fighting each other, making weird little gadgets like vacuums. What in all of the land is a vacuum? There are myths of them all living together in buildings with ones they don't know. Such strange creatures.

Ma and pa would never tell me anything about them, neither did anyone else. They went as far as removing books about humans in our library. Though, I still found some throughout the palace or in the kingdom.

Once at the back of the hill, the giant, gray, stone wall is looming over me. It is Brobdingnagian. After tucking the dress within itself enough to move, I climb to the top. Now getting down.

How shall I do this? Oh, it is quite easy. I hold on to the ledge and hand from it before letting go and landing on the ground. I straighten my dress back out and dust it off.

I'm outside the kingdom, for the first time in my life. This is exciting. I better get back before sunrise.

After taking the rolled-out map from the top of my corset there's a tinging in my arm.

Oh, how nice, an arrow. 

A/N: how are y'all?