Chapter 8

Audrey's POV

I was ready to head back to the cave where I saw the man…wolf chained to the walls. There was something that tugged at my heart, and I knew that I wouldn’t know peace unless I saves the…creature. Creature I was going to go with the word creature because although it looked like a man, it was no way a man. I took a deep breath and strode up the hills eager to find the cave again. It seemed that the closer I got to the path way the more weary I became. As if something was trying to stop me from completing my mission. I had yawned like 3 times in less than three minutes and I was definitely woozy. There was the lure of an enchanting voice, telling me to turn back, that chaos awaited me, and I was about to agree with the voice and head back.

But my eyes caught sight of the familiar cave, where I saw the creature and I was invigorated almost immediately. I had this unexplained renewed strength and I was eager to complete this journey. I switched between running and walking as I reached the cave and stopped. It was pitch black but I could hear growls coming from the cave. I peered inside and I saw a pair of red eyes looked at me and I yelped and fell down. But the eyes didn’t disappear or move forward. It just stayed there and I felt more stupid than embarrassed because it was well an eye sore for a princess to you know…

Dusting myself up, I rose to my feet and held the wall for support. Luckily there was little spores of ray in the cave so it wasn’t as dark and musky as I imagined it to be. I edged closer and made my way towards the pair of red eyes, I could still hear the growls but it didn’t seem to make me scared. It was more like I knew what I had to do and this was my destiny.

“Hey, easy boy. I am not going to hurt you. I want to be your friend and help you. That is all.” I said trying to calm myself rather than him down. After all I was the defenseless one here, walking into what likely seemed to be a trap. I edged closer and closer and soon I saw him for what he really was.

“Oh my….So beautiful.” I said out loud before I could bit my lips. What was I thinking? But the man in front of me looked more confused than surprised. Of course it is not everyday that a lady walks up to you embarrass herself before her, and then compliments you without shame.

Uh, hi…what happened?” I said trying to touch the metal chains which felt weird for a while before loosening, I stepped back because that wasn’t supposed to happen. He must have seen the fear in my face because he lashed out at me, claws everywhere. I felt some pains as I stumbled on the floor trying to create distance between the monster and me. I was bleeding and hurt in pains I couldn’t even mention and he was just snarling at me.

I dragged myself to the outskirts of the cave, more concerned with saving my life than helping the guy chained to the wall, maybe he was truly a monster and deserved to be kept here so that he wouldn’t hurt anybody else.

I turned to look at him and I saw him yanking at his chains with so much force, it was actually getting more loose. I didn’t need a seer to tell me what else I had to do. I ran for my life, stumbling and yet I kept on running. I didn’t dare look back but I heard his howls, revenge howls, that is what it sounded like, more like in the lines of this isn’t over and

I will kill you as soon as this chains are loose. I didn’t even stop to know if that was what he was saying, all I knew I had to do was give this monster some space so that he wouldn’t head up and catch up to me.

I was really stupid this tme around, first I had left the palace with an imaginary friend who just disapppeared as soon as I got to the forest and now I had attempted to free a captured monster in the hopes of being it’s friend. That thing didn’t look like it needed friends. My mother was right, I had a lot of help to get if I was going to be anything other than a half baked princess. I clutched tightly to my wounds which was stained with blood and turned my very white dress into a tainted rag with red wine.I didn’t think about it, all I wanted to do now was head home and beg my parents for forgiveness, I just hoped they hadn’t noticed my disappearance or they loved me well enough to look for me.

I was still running and I was getting exhausted by the minute, which was when I slipped up and I stumbled down the hill, hitting my head at some point before rolling to a stop. Before I drifted into unconsciousness, I could hear horns blaring loudly from a distance and my ghost friend smiling at me before the world went black.

Hours later….or more like minutes I felt myself being placed upon a comfy bed and it was swinging slowly, and I could hear chatters coming from around me. I opened my eyes but my eyes were directly on the sun so I shut it again, and waited for some minutes before attempting it again. This time around, I was able to see, although not that well and found out that I was actually in the kingdom. The guards were carrying me on a wooden shack. I was headed back to my palace. There was no pity in the eyes of the villagers, more like confusion and apathy.

I was pretty sure what was going on in their minds? Who is this one and why is she in a shack? Is she trying to get self pity from us? Was she hurt? Is this a new sitting procedure, but they all kept quiet and just stood aside as the guards carried me. I should have remembered that I was the outcast, the wannabe nobody wanted and I had no respect here. I just closed my eyes because it was easier and I would not see anyone glancing at me with hateful stares.

If I pretended that I was still asleep, they would go away. So for the next ten minutes, my eyes remained short as other parts of my body tingled with sensation. My arms were no longer hurting like before and the guards must have stopped the bleeding because she had some bandages wrapped around her wounds. But her head still stung like a hammer after banging her head hard on that rock. It was a miracle, she was not suffering from brain injury.

Before I could contemplate further, I heard the trumpets being blown, before the gates creaked open. Leading to the castle, my prison.That was when I decided to open my eyes and make a movement to sit up straight but the guards had slowly dropped the shack done and had rushed to my aid as usual.

“My princess, are you awake? Do you feel unconscious?’ They asked as ii held my head tight and stumbled a bit before shaking my head.

“No I am fine. I am perfectly fine. All I have to do now is go inside. Does my parents knows that….well?” I asked turning to face them and they nodded their head.

“Typical of them as usual. Always forst to know of my wrong doings and last to know of my righteous deeds.’

“Queen was pretty upset, we had to send a convoy to tell them we had seen you when we were still in the forest. It was a miracle truly, Finding you knocked out, bleeding. We checked your pulse and got to work immediately. Those wounds, it came from a wild boar, didn’t it?” One of the guards said frowning his face as I took a cloak and wrapped around my body.

“Yes, indeed. I said agreeing with him. I didn’t even want to tell him what had done that because up till now, I wasn’t sure what attacked me and last thing I need now was 24 hours surveillance. The 12 hours were bad enough.

“I will head in now to see my parents. Do not say a word of my accidents to anyone else. Keep it between us okay?” I said to who was obviously the leader as he nodded his head and saluted and just like that, the rest of the guards saluted too and walked away while I took a deep breath and walked right in.