The Exploits of a Runaway Princess

CHAPTER THREE

PRINCESS STELLA: CHAPTER THREE

"What the h***?! Watch where your goin' woman!" my 'attacker' huffed, picking himself up, "Wait, are you the princess?!"

"Naw dip Sherlock," I snapped, "No 'sorry'? No 'are you alright’?"

"Geez! I'm sorry, okay?" he said offering me his hand. I looked at it hesitantly and shook my head, lying back in the grass. “Anyway, how was I supposed to know the little princess brat was supposed to come running outside with her $500 dollar heels? By the way, I am so not paying for those shoes.”

“Excuse me?” I gasped sitting up.

“You honestly think I could afford those shoes? I can barely support my family! I am not going to make a habit of pay-“ he rambled.

“No before that,” I interrupted, “About me being a brat?”

“Oh! Um, well you do kind of get everything you want and all…” he trailed off, embarrassed.

“You couldn’t be more wrong,” I said sadly, lying back down.

“Huh?” he asked confusedly. And that is how I found myself spilling my story to this stranger; beginning with how my mother has controlled my whole life, every step of the way, since the accident, and ending in my mother’s insane idea. No, I didn’t leave out Daniel.

“And so yeah, that is how I got here,” I finished.

“Well, are you just going to go back in there an accept it?” he asked after a moment of silence.

“No, no I am not,” I said, finally realizing my true reason for running from the ball, “I am running away from here.”

"Well then, I can help you there," he replied, "and by the way, the name's Jake."

"Oh I'm Stella. Just Stella, no princess necessary," I replied, looking up for the first time.

Wow!

"Stella? You still with me?"

"What? Oh! Well I need to go before the ball is over. It will be a pain in the bum trying to run away with all of those people," I replied, blushing and nervously glancing at the clock.

"You're right. I'll get the horses ready and you can sneak up to your room to get clothes and other things that girls need. I'll get food and water. We'll probably want to be ready when the gates open so that we can blend in with the crowd and not be recognized as easily," Jake replied thoughtfully.

"What?! No! You don't want to go with me, you hate me!"

"Hon, you wouldn't get a mile without me. I'm a necessity to your success," he replied smugly, offering me a hand.

I took his hand this time, picked up my heels, and made my way to the doors, aware of Jake’s gaze on me. I tiptoed past the sleeping guards, slunk past the ball room, and up the stairs to room. I jumped a foot when I found Lucy making up my bed neatly. She quickly rushed up to me and bomb-barded me with questions, and so, of course, I told her everything.

After convincing Lucy it was all for the best, she helped me undress and scrub my makeup off, only leaving the gems that curled under my eyes as a ‘reminder of her’. We took out my hair and let it hang down my back in its natural loose curls. I packed a bag with three of my most casual dresses, two pairs of leggings, 5 fitted shirts, my ivory brush, moisturizer, a small tin of altered mint leaves (about 500) that cleaned your teeth if you suck on it for a minute, and a box full of jewelry to sale in an emergency. I slipped on a pair of grey leggings, a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, a black hooded coat, and my lace up leather boots. As an afterthought I put on my turtle necklace and a silver ring my parents had given me for my 16th birthday.