A/N: You and Isa are 22, this takes place after the movie.
Hope you enjoy this book!
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"Run away with me mi vida. Please, let's start a new life away from here." You whisper as a strong gust of wind passes, letting your hair fly as you look into your beloved's eyes. "We can't stay here any longer. Let's elope...we'll be happy."
Living here was a mere nightmare ever since refugees had escaped. There was never a time of peace and quiet, never time for enjoyment. Every man in each family only knew how to fight, every woman only to serve those above their own household.
"Run to where y/n? There is no escape from this village, no escape from our fathers. They would merely spend the rest of their lives hunting for our heads." Elena whispers harshly, trying to keep her voice down.
It was already risky enough that you were here at the dead of night, disobeying the curfew whilst guards and soldiers searched the area for any who dared disobey the laws established by Elena's father.
You were already lucky enough that both of you had come from prestigious families, never to be looked down upon. But that didn't mean you could escape the punishment waiting if you were ever to be caught.
Your father was a proud man, he would never let you live if he had learned you've tarnished the family name. Everyone hailed your familia as heroes who successfully overthrew this place.
But you couldn't feel anything except shame for driving people out of their homes, for the bloodshed and pain that your familia had caused.
You merely wanted a simple life, a life where you could marry the woman in front of you and just think about what you were going to cook for dinner. And the only solution to get that was to leave your current lives behind.
You grab her hands as you pull her closer, the last shred of hope shining in your eyes as you pleaded with her. "Elena you know about those who successfully escaped in the past. We-"
She shakes her head firmly as she looked at you. You could already see that she was too afraid, that she was willing to live the life her father had set out for her. And a part of you wanted to deny it, that she was gonna take your word to a happier life and escape with you. "I'm sorry I'm not as strong as you. We can't do this anymore. There's no future for us..."
Quiet forced laughter resounds as you retain your eyes on her. You didn't want to let her go, you'd rather have found it as some sick joke when she turns away from you in shame. You didn't regret a single minute spent with her, nor did you mind hiding your relationship if it meant you could be with her.
But you were to be married the next day, forcing you to make some kind of decision before it could become official. Despite having this conversation with her several times, not once had she even considered it.
Slowly letting go of her hands, you turn away and start running into the forest. Not daring to look back at her even as you heard her whisper, "Te amo." Letting her words fly along with the wind that blew by you.
Even if you stayed, you wouldn't be able to be with her anyway. There was no way out except leaving, and right now you wished you didn't have to stop yourself from screaming in pain.
You start hearing several footsteps behind you as you try to run as quietly as possible. There was never any mercy for those who attempted to escape, they would always ready their guns to shoot if needed. That's how it always was.
Every day new reports came up in the village about people trying to escape, most of them immediately slaughtered. But they didn't mind, most of them would always prefer to die trying than not at all, letting their spirits rot in that horrid place.
You strangle a shout as you trip on a vine that was hidden beneath the tall grass. The thud of your body against the dirt catching the attention of the men around you. Adrenaline starts to flow through your veins as you get up, pumping your legs as fast as you could while using the trees to cover your body.
"Over there! Hurry!" One of the soldiers commands. The men only increasing in number as you weave through the woods. You certainly came prepared, wearing the protective gear you usually used in training to have some kind of protection despite the weight that was slowing you down.
Being the only child and daughter of a soldier meant you had to pick it up for the family name, to continue the legacy. You nearly passed as a man, undeniably pleasing your father with your skill.
But that didn't stop people from forcing their gender roles on you for being a woman. Serving men and bearing a child... that's what the people wanted for you to focus on.
Your soon-to-be husband was the captain of the soldiers, you were just as sure that he was one of the very men chasing after you as of this moment.
As you duck behind a tree, you listen to one of the few soldiers gaining on you. Splitting their forces up was certainly ridiculous of them, but you weren't about to complain since that gave you the upper hand.
Readying to initiate combat and assault one of them, you get into position. Hearing the leaves get crushed as they step forward, you take it as your signal to steal one of their guns.
Grabbing it easily, you whack one soldier on the face with the back of the gun, knocking him out with the impact while dodging as the other tries to grab you.
You were praised as the best in hand-to-hand combat of all the soldiers, making use of being nimble and light on your feet. The only problem right now was that they were armed.
You land an uppercut on one of the men before pulling him into a chokehold, using his body as a shield from any gunshots.
Just long enough to make him pass out, you let go and point the gun you stole at the last soldier, hearing others coming towards you in the distance. "You don't have to leave." He whispers, putting his gun down as he gets closer to you slowly.
You could instantly recognize his voice. Your best friend... who was also your fiancé. He had truly loved you as you grew up together, the son your father had always wanted. You could never bring yourself to tell him you were in love with his sister.
But you weren't aware that he knew, yet he still wished to marry you even if he couldn't have your heart. He wouldn't let any other man take you away.
"Lo siento." You whisper as you take the opportunity to continue running, holding onto the gun if you ever needed to defend yourself. You weren't a killer, but if it came to it, you wouldn't let yourself die to save another.
He couldn't bring himself to shoot you even if it meant losing his position in the ranks. He refused to cause pain upon the one who he loved most, letting you go as rain started to pour down. "Take care on your journey."
"Valiente! What do you think you're doing?! Since when have you gotten so weak?!" You hear the screams of your father talking to your fiancé, echoing through the woods and sending shivers as you feel his anger miles away. The sound of gunshots resound as he fires at the darkness.
Before you knew it, a bullet pierces your leg, sending you tumbling down a steep slope. One they never dared attempt to go down on. Your skin starts to burn as you try to stop yourself from falling, rocks scraping and cutting your skin as you fall. The wet dirt only pushed you to fall further down, making it inevitable to resist from how slippery it had become.
You cover your head, hoping you could at least protect it from any injuries that could kill you or cause severe trauma. You knew it would be difficult to escape, but this drained all the energy out of you despite needing to get further away.
Your eyes blurring when you open it after coming to a stop at the bottom of the slope, you try to scan your surroundings. You whimper in pain as you struggle to get up, using the damaged gun as a crutch to support you.
The end was in sight, hills surrounding an enclave. It was still miles away but it only motivated you to keep moving. It would all be worth it. You'll look back on this day and say, "You did it."
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A/N: Sooo, there were no scenes of Isa for this chapter since I used it as an introduction to who you are in the Encanto~ She'll be in the next chapter though!
Hope y'all still liked it though. Thank you for reading! :))
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