Chapter 15: The escape

Janice galloped as fast as she could on the mare she had seized from the stable.

She was glad the black stallion, Dillon, which she had seen Jules ride often, hadn't knocked her down as it was in the same place.

But it had wanted to create an alarm, which made her jet off as soon as she got there.

Also, she had glimpsed the castle guards pointing torches to where she was. And she believed they saw her.

That damned horse! It was just like the master Janice mulled.

Her stomach cramped, and her hands gripping the rein of the mare seemed like it would fall off at any time.

Janice felt like stopping, at least to fill her lungs with air. But she knew the guards following her trail would catch up with her in no time if she did.

"I should have taken the car." She groaned.

She figured it was a bad idea and would have got caught if she had gone in Maggie's car.

Before her take-off, she had been anxious about getting married to Jules. Heck, she had even imagined what would happen in the bedroom that was cleaned up for their honeymoon until she developed sudden cold feet.

The air in the forest turned chilly, and Janice shuddered. She wrapped the red robe around herself with one hand, whilst the other one was on the horse's rein.

Her head lifted to glimpse at the crescent moon in the sky, and she wondered what time it was.

She didn't get the chance to check, given that she left the bed shortly after Jules slept, following their lovemaking.

Extended branches scratched her skin, leaving droplets of water in their wake. Her hair flapped around her face wildly, and she sighed, shaking it off.

She could hear hoofs beating on the soft soil a distance from where she was. Janice thought of what would happen to her when they caught up with her.

She doubted it would please the queen if she learnt of her jetting off at the last minute. Also, she didn't know what Jules would do to her, but she knew he would not dote on her for trying to humiliate him.

Slowly, Janice climbed down from the mare and tied it to a tree.

It neighed softly, and she patted the head. "I'm sorry I can't take you along with me." She murmured and let the horse nuzzle her hand before she stepped away.

Her heart raced, and she panted as she scurried into the dark forest. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she would arrive at a location soon.

Janice's ears perked up at the sound of whistles around her. The hoofs of the horses beat on the ground of the forest as they drew near where she was.

Her breath hitched, and she hid behind a gigantic tree. She knew she would get captured if she ran.

"Where can she be? Janice!"

Maggie, Janice thought as the other woman yelled her name.

"If I get hold of her, I swear by god she wouldn't be able to sit for a week," Jules swore.

Janice trembled at the threat that poured out of his words. She didn't know if he meant it or not because she didn't see Jules being the kind of man that made women feel inferior.

"Why would she want to run away in the first place? Did you do anything to her?" Maggie inquired.

Janice could hear the accusation in her voice, and she pictured the frown that often appeared on her face when she was furious.

"I haven't seen her doing these nasty things since I met her. She has always been on her best behaviour." Maggie said, eyeing Jules. "I believe you did something to her!"

Jules glared at her. "Why would you think I did something to her?"

"This isn't the first time she would try to escape. But I'm glad she is successful this time." He asserted with a sarcasm laced in his voice. And he thought of several ways to punish her.

Jules doubted if he had done anything, as Maggie had accused. She was overly cheerful yesterday when he arrived. Even the gift he had given her, she had accepted, not showing any plan of running.

He wondered what he was going to tell the guest that was to be present at the wedding in the morning.

Perhaps they would come up with some sickness until he found her.

Jules groaned, and he tugged at his hair in frustration.

"She isn't dead, you know?" He eyed Maggie as she sobbed.

"Come on, we'll continue the search in the morning," He said, gripping her hand.

Maggie shrugged his hands off and walked to the horse she had ridden, climbed on it, and galloped away.

"Women!" Jules grunted, glaring at nothing in particular. He untied the mare and took it to the castle along with him.

The next morning, the royal family announced to their guest that they had adjourned the ceremony as the bride came down with an abrupt illness.

The guests had sent sympathy messages to her.

"That woman," The Queen said as she entered her chamber. "She isn't fit to be a queen."

"She is just having cold feet, mother." Jules asserted.

"No Queen consort before and during my time had cold feet before. This is the first time I heard of such."

"It's common," Jules said, walking to the window.

He veered the curtains and opened the windows to let air and light stream in.

"It's her first time, and I believe she is trying to process everything that is going on," Jules said.

She snorted. "I can see that she has bewitched you. That's why you are defending her."

Jules chuckled, "No, mother. Janice comes from a different world where the women wear their hearts on their sleeves, and it's normal to have a rethink for them."

The queen rolled her eyes. "I don't care where she is from. Find that wench, or else you are having a bastard as a son."

"I will," Jules groaned, before stepping out of the room.

He knew he was going to find her. Likewise, whipped her and still made her his wife.

But the problem was where he would begin the search from.