TAKEN BY HIM

CHAPTER 16

Gem ran behind some bushes as a group of guards ran briskly past her hiding place. Their blue and red colors nearly blinded her but also kept her from getting captured by making them easily seen from a far distance. She held her breath, eyes tightly shut to clear her head. After a short while she opened them again and noted that they were gone.

She crept out of the bushes, looking left and right before  moving forward, occasionally dodging behind some trees as more and more guards began to patrol the area. The further she went the less guards she saw and Gem assumed that they would not believe that she could run so far ahead of them.

After walking for a few more hours with the sun high above the sky, she was parched and hoping for a stream when she stopped short as she recognized someone. He was not facing her but she could point out his back and curly dark hair and hope surged within her.

"Enoch," she happily cried out before running to hug him, successfully catching him off guard as they both tumbled onto the dirty floor, with her being on top.

"What are you doing here princess?" He said uncomfortably as the few men around paused what they were doing to watch the new girl, two guys snickered, probably thinking she was his girlfriend.

"I need help, please help me," she whispered, looking down at him with hope, he pushed her gently off him and stood up, dusting himself off he held her arm and dragged her up and towards a small red hut.

"I am honored that you would request something from me, what do you want princess?" His voice was filled with curiousity.

"I need to escape, I have committed treason, I-I p-please help me," she managed to get out before sitting heavily on the ground, her elbows resting on her knees as she cried her heart out.

Enoch was dumbfounded for a few moments before he crouched low and watched her cry, he had no idea what to do so he just gently pat her shoulder while she sobbed loudly, occasionally blowing her nose on his shirt sleeve.

Apparently running under the sun while hiding from the guards was too much and it only took a little more to tip her over the edge.

After a while when he could hear himself think clearly he asked. "What do you mean by you have committed treason my lady?"

Gems eyes widened, she did not mean to say treason, stress and fatigue had her blurting the first thing that came to mind, "I mean, please let me stay here," she begged and his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

"What? Y-you can not!"

"Why!?" She cried out, he was the only one she could count on now, she had been walking under the sun for hours now and not one face she had seen was familiar, either that or everyone else had adapted to this new way of life, even going as far as imbibing their culture.

"Only married couples can stay together or betrothed."

"Then what if-"

"What if what princess Gemariah?" He addressed her by her name for the first time and dread filled her stomach, "you can not stay here, and I do not know how to escape from this terrain," he stated firmly.

"I am the one they are looking for Enoch, I stabbed someone," she said without looking at his face, for some reason she didn't want Enoch to judge her or hate her, she wanted him to like her-correction, she needed him to like her.

"What!?" He asked, his eyes grew into two round bowls and Gem could feel him shake. He began pacing around the small hut, effectively taking a lot of the space as he loomed over her.

"I stabbed the prince," she repeated and he jerked.

"You are joking!?" Enoch exclaimed in shock, his eyes bulging out even more if that were possible.