Chapter 67 Headstart
VICTORIA'S POV
Victoria huffed as she urged the horse. She'd been riding for almost two hours. The journey to Crestwood was three hours.
She'd not been caught. It was either that, or Harlan had realised that she was his daughter after all and could not kill her.
Victoria hoped it was the latter. She'd barely moved for more than an inch when she heard the sounds of hooves.
She stopped, hiding behind a tree trunk. Because she was riding on the highway, and they were on the other side, she could see and hear them confidently.
“She shouldn't have gone that far. She's here. That's where the map puts her.” A man who appeared to be their leader spoke.
“Find her.” He commanded.
Victoria craned her neck. They were 6. She sighed. She'd had wishful thinking. Harlan had sent 6 of his best men over her.
“Let's spread out. Three of us here and the other three on the other side.”
The other side was definitely the highway.
“And the others?” One of the men asked.
Victoria widened her eyes in surprise. “There were other men?”
“They're taking the other path. She mustn't escape from our sight.”
The men nodded in agreement.
Victoria jumped off the horse quietly. She rubbed her hands over the horse. “Listen to me, Lisa ” she muttered as though he could hear her.
“You have to go.”
Rather than neigh, Lisa bowed silently as if she could understand the danger they were in.
Victoria sighed. Her mother had done her a favour by giving her her favourite horse. She patted it silently.
“I'll see you on the other side,” she muttered as she patted it, before turning back.
As if they had an understanding, Lisa waited till she had gone a great distance before running.
“A horse,” one of the men who had been assigned to the highway, screamed going after the horse.
Victoria sighed as she looked around, looking for the best place to hide. There were trees, but it was better to surrender herself to them than to climb a tree. They would discover her in a minute and shoot her down.
As she ran, she wondered what Harlan's orders had been. Shoot to kill? Or take her alive?
Running feet sounded behind her and Victoria sighed, hiding behind a tree. She'd just sighted a cave not far from where she was. Now, all she needed to do was get into the cave and find safety.
“There's a cave ahead. Check there.” The voice she'd identified as their leader sounded.
Isabella groaned silently. Rather than continuing to the cave, she lay down on the grass, wishing to be invincible.
“Nothing there.” Someone screamed from the cave.
Victoria sighed in relief. Now, all she needed to do was wait till they left, before walking to the cave to get some rest.
“I think we've been misled.” Another voice spoke from the crowd.
“What?” Their leader spoke, frustrated at the futility of their search.
“What if the horse was a decoy?” He asked. “She is working for His Majesty the King. I don't think the king would leave her alone. We've spent some time here, giving her more chance to escape.”
The leader hesitated. “You're not entirely wrong. But the horse we found was from our stables. It had our marks.”
“Please,” Victoria groaned. “Just take it,” she muttered.
The men fell silent, waiting for the leader's commands.
“Then we have to make adequate arrangements.” He said in resignation.
“Lord Harlan will obviously expect us to return with something. We didn't see any.”
“And the horse?” Someone said from the group.
“A decoy. We shift the blame to the other party.” He said resolutely.
Just as they began moving, something crawled on Victoria'lapps, making her move. The leaves rustled and they stopped.
“We are not alone.” The leader screamed, as they dispersed, searching for the source of the sound.
Victoria shut her eyes afraid. She was at the brink of death after almost surviving it.
“Seen anything?”
“No sir!”
As they searched, she crawled slowly to the other side. They knew the direction the noise had come from. She just had to change her position before they found her.
“It's probably an animal.” The voice she'd come to associate with the leader spoke again.
The men nodded. “So we stick to our original plan?”
“Yes, we do.”
The leaves rustled as they went out, their eyes still actively searching around for her.
Victoria remained in her position for what she felt was eternity before standing up slowly.
The men had almost discovered her. She looked around, unable to recognise her environment for a bit.
She had to walk. Even though they had agreed to say they had not seen her, or was only a matter of time before the men returned. Or worse, Damien's men.
Those men were bloodsucking demons who would not hesitate to kill her just to please Damien.
She'd barely taken some steps when she felt movement a few feet from her.
It came into view, and there it stood. The horse she'd left. She'd come back to find her.
“Oh Lisa,” Victoria giggled, crying softly as she ran to meet the horse. “I can't believe you came back for me.”
She merely snorted as she nudged Victoria.
Victoria sniffed, smiling softly as she reached for a bag, bringing out a carrot. “Here's a treat for you my baby.”
She caressed Lisa's hair as she ate the carrot. “We need to leave. They'll soon be back for me.”
She motioned, climbing on the horse as she continued her journey. “How did you find me, Lisa?”
As she mumbled, she increased her speed, the rear of Crestwood coming into view.
The horse neighed as Victoria jumped down, coming face to face with Isabella and Lucien.
“Your Highness,” she curtseyed at Lucien and nodded at Isabella.
“Update?” Isabella asked anxiously.
“Let's get her inside first,” Lucien responded instead, calming Isabella down.
Isabella hesitated, nodding slowly. “Alright.”
Victoria hid her smile as she walked behind the couple. How come she had never seen this side of Isabella?
“Update now?” Isabella asked again, the moment the door closed.
“What do you think?” Her lips curved into a smile as she walked into the bathroom. “I'd have to get it out of where it is.” She motioned to her undergarment.
As calm and collected as Lucien was, his face flushed red, hearing Victoria speak suggestively.
Isabella sighed. “You'd better not play hardball with me.”
She leaned into Lucien who massaged her palms softly. “I know you're anxious, but give it a rest She only got here.”
Isabella rolled her eyes. “You promised not to interfere, I have only 24 hours left.”
Lucien nodded. “You're right. I promised not to interfere.” He gave her a small smile.
“This is it,” Victoria stepped out, interrupting their quiet conversation. “Just so you know, I risked my life getting you this. Harlan knows I work for you now.”
“And Damien?” Isabella stretched her hand, taking the papers.
“Does too. Had his men trail me back.”
Isabella nodded, her eyes scanning the many papers. “This is a lot of paperwork. It'll take ages before we finish sorting them.” She complained to Lucien.
“Uhm,” Victoria raised her hand a bit, interrupting her. “I understand my work here is done and you're not asking for my advice, but if I may, you don't need to go through them.”
“Why?” Isabella rolled her eyes.
“Cause it's not up to you,” Victoria said simply, shrugging. She was also annoyed that Isabella needed her to spell that out.
“Can you just go straight to the point?” Frustration laced Isabella’s voice.
“Maybe when you ask nicely.” Victoria retorted. “I didn't almost get caught and killed by the men in the forest to get here and have you treat me like the enemy.”’
She looked away, folding her arms, her chest heaving.
The tension in the air was thick enough for a knife to go through it.
Isabella sighed. “You're right. I'm sorry, I shouldn't take out my frustration on you.”
Lucien's lips curved into a small smile as he watched Isabella struggle to apologise.
“No you shouldn't,” Victoria grunted, rolling her eyes.
“I just apologised. Don't push it.” Isabella said through gritted teeth. “Now, do you mind telling us what to look out for, or do we have to appease you first?”
Victoria shrugged. “I would love that.” She said with a smile. “These documents leave a trail. Paper trail of money that Damien has used in buying your blood.”
“Ahh, same old technique.” Isabella nodded. “Couldn't care to be more creative this time around.”
“That's not all,” Victoria said with a very sombre expression.
“What else?”
Victoria sighed as she sifted through the paper. “Take a look at this,” she handed what she had been looking for to Isabella.
“Do you mind explaining?” Isabella said, her brows raised in confusion as she handed the paper to Lucien who stood up immediately.
“Damien's replicated your blood in a lab.”