The Tale of a Princess and Her Journey to Love

Chapter Eighteen

Aurora groggily awoke to whimpers and cries. She tried to make sense of the situation as she felt the floor moving, rocking back and forth. Slowly her eyes cracked open revealing a dingy room, and she felt people around her, whispering and sniffling. Groaning creaks filled the air and the cold bite of metal was pressed again Aurora's cheek. Her head was thumping and she felt quite drowsy, but she forced her eyes open and attempted to sit up, surprised when many hands pressed against her back in an effort to help.

"Are you ok miss?" A brave voice asked her, and Aurora turned her head as her brain struggled to catch up with her eyes and process where she was.

"Erm yes... yes I think so." She murmured causing her to cough as her throat felt dry and scratchy.

Aurora was horrified to realise she was in a large black-bar cage with six other girls, and when she surveyed the rest of the dark and dirty room she noticed many more entrapments.

"Oh my..." She gasped, struggling not to panic as she realised she had been kidnapped... again.

She struggled to hold her tears back as she remembered Theo crumpling to the floor in front of her whilst she was dragged off by Korian's men, including Dusty who had betrayed her. She noticed that all of the girls in the cage with her were crying apart from two.

"Who are you?" A redhead with a fire in her chestnut eyes asked.

"My name is... Aurora. What about you?" She asked as she repositioned herself into a more comfortable position, purposefully leaving out the fact she was a Princess.

"I am Vera, and this here is Camille." The fiery redhead explained, pointing to a pretty sandy-blonde haired girl who had a grim expression upon her face.

"Hello... Are you the Princess Aurora?" Camille asked, gesturing towards Aurora's extravagant (yet unfortunately dirtied) frock.

"Yes... yes I am." Ro reluctantly revealed, not wanting to lie to the girls.

They were all in the same position now.

"Oh my, hello your highness." Camille gasped as she hurriedly stood and dropped into a curtsy, capturing the attention of all the other blubbering girls.

"Oh please, there is really no need for that!" Aurora exclaimed with a blush.

The girls in the other cages gasped and leant against the bars trying to get a proper look at her.

"You do realise your father is the one that kidnapped us all, right?" Vera snapped as she glowered at Ro with her arms crossed intimidatingly over her chest.

"I assure you this was not my father's doing. He is a good man!" Aurora promised. "Wait... Oh my, you are all the taken! Everyone has been searching for you tirelessly, even the King's personal men!" Aurora suddenly realised.

"I find that hard to believe considering we were all taken by Royal Guards." Vera points out, and the other girls who were still in shock about meeting their youngest Princess murmured in agreement.

"I swear to you that this was not my father's doing. Prince Korian of Aubriemia has infiltrated the Royal Guard with his own soldiers, and he was the one who ordered me to be kidnapped, so he must have instructed for all of you to be taken as well!" Aurora exclaimed, desperate to clear her father's name.

"I told you I heard that man speaking Aubriemian!" One of the other girls in the cage with a blotchy, tear-streaked face exclaimed. "And hello Princess Aurora. I am Haisley... It is an honour to meet you."

"It is wonderful to meet you too." Aurora replied kindly, causing Haisley to squeal excitedly with her friend next to her.

"I believe the Princess is telling the truth Ver. Why would the King kidnap his own daughter after he just got her back?" Camille pointed out.