The King's Artist

Ch 34: Unawareness

The plan was pretty simple in Adelaide's opinion.

With the cover of night, Kayden would sneak her out of the castle, and take her to a neighboring town that would serve as a temporary hideaway. To help with their getaway, Henry would be providing a distraction by gathering the majority of the guards inside for a drinking contest. In the following days, Henry would eventually lead a small group of men to retrieve "Arthur's sister" and bring her back to the castle. Meanwhile, Jasper would be informing people that Arthur did not wish to see his sister or be pestered about her; that it was solely because of Henry's persistence that she was even coming to stay with them.

Nodding her head in confirmation to the plan, Adelaide gripped the singular transport bag she carried tightly in her hands. The sack was packed with clothes to change into, as well as some food. For now, though, Adelaide still adorned her usual riding pants and had tossed on a heavy, dark cloak that helped her to blend into the dark.

Kayden had arrived at her room shortly after sunset, silently taking her down the servant's passageway. Despite being on the other end of the castle, Adelaide could hear traces of laughter from the dining hall, where the party was held. Men shouted and hollered, and loud music flooded the halls. Adelaide could practically picture the men downing drinks left and right, and calling for refills even before the liquid was entirely drained from their cups.

Curiously, Adelaide glanced at Kayden to see if he was showing signs of envy at missing the party, but he wore his typical cool expression as he scanned around the corner. Indicating that the way was clear, Kayden touched the back of Adelaide's elbow and gave her a gentle tug to follow her. With quiet, well-trained steps, Adelaide and Kayden moved throughout the remaining hallways quickly and effortlessly, avoiding any hint of sound.

Adelaide had rationalized it would be best to be unseen as they left the castle, not wanting to raise unnecessary questions in regards to their late-night disappearance; Adelaide wasn't in the mood to make up another story. She had made up enough excuses and lied far too much for her liking already.

With the gates to the exit in sight, Kayden and Adelaide crouched low in the shadows behind a few barrels and waited for Henry to arrive to pull the guards away for a second. Adelaide, already shivering as her pants quickly became soaked from the snow, began wondering how long she and Kayden would have to hide. She didn't' have to wait long, however. As if Adelaide had verbally called his name, Henry appeared from the opposite side of the courtyard carrying a few glasses with him. He greeted the front gate guards loudly and handed them pair each a glass, instructing them to indulge for just a moment. They didn't put up much of a resistance as they followed after Henry. Again, with a tap on her elbow, Adelaide was moving after Kayden, their footsteps light but crunchy in the snow. Luckily, it was snowing pretty heavily tonight, and before long, their footprints were covered behind them.

Ducking through the entrance door adjacent to the gate, Kayden and Adelaide immediately started towards the stables. Adelaide pulled her cloak tighter around her body, her breath rising in front of her as she breathed. The stables were warmer than outside at least, and Adelaide and Kayden were given a moment of warm relief. They remained silent, though, as they skillfully saddled one of the transport horses. The transport horses were commonly used to deliverer messages, so they were always in and out of the stables. Moreover, if on the rare occasion someone did find it strange that one of the horses was gone and inquired about it, Jasper or Henry would easily cover up the disappearance by saying they needed to send an urgent message to the Duke or something else along those lines.

With the horse all set for the short journey, Kayden hoisted himself up onto its back first. He offered a hand to Adelaide, but she was already swinging herself up, using his elbow as leverage. She cozied herself into the spot behind him and grabbed the tops of his shoulders for stabilization. Kayden sighed a little, for he had been fantasizing about a much more romantic horseback ride. None the less, Kayden shook his head, kicked the horse into a trot, and they were swiftly greeted by the harsh cold that pelted against their faces.