Leaving home

Beyond the boulder, the passage ended. They had stepped into a thin forest. Aria could hear the sound of water which meant that there was a river nearby. She looked around and thought, "We must be a long way from the castle, I can't see it at all."

Aria turned towards her mother and asked, "Mom, where are we?"

Natalia knelt down and said, "Aria, you might have to go away for some time. Actually,....."

But Aria cut her off, "Mom, you are helping me escape right? I guess grandpa must have decided to have me executed. Actually no. The meeting should be going on, but it's no surprise that they will execute me."

Tears filled Natalia's eyes. She hugged Aria and said, "You really are too smart for your own good."

Aria hugged her mother back and said, "Stating the obvious, my dear, but I'll take it."

Natalia let out a smile through her her tears. Aria wiped her mother's tears and said, "Don't cry mom. This is not a goodbye, it's just a see you soon. I will come back, I promise...Now, what's the plan."

Natalia motioned to the man who handed her a bag. It was a little heavy and Aria managed to haul it over her shoulder with difficulty. Natalia said, "There's food in the bag. You can drink water from the river. If you go down that way, you should soon be able to see a boat. Climb onto it and let it flow with the flow of the river. The current is not too strong and the boat's sturdy."

Aria: "I understand, mom. But where I am supposed to go? Won't the whole kingdom be after me when they realise I'm missing?"

Natalia: "That's the main problem. The plan is a little... Actually, a lot risky. I want you to escape into the into the dark forest. I'm sorry, my angel, but this was all I could think off."

Aria shook her head, "Mom, that's actually the only plan through which I might have some chance of surviving. But, what about you? Won't you get in trouble?"

Natalia looked at her daughter's worried face. Even at this moment, when she could not be sure of her own life, she was thinking about others. She said, "I have a plan. I can't tell you as we don't have much time, but it depends on the people believing that you really are a demon."

Aria gave a bitter smile, "Shouldn't be much of a problem then."

Natalia hugged her one more time and then said, "Promise me something, Aria. Don't ever lose your kind heart, no matter how cruel the world is." Aria nodded.

Natalia took a lock of Aria's golden hair in her hand and continued, "And let your hair grow. Don't cut them."

Aria let out a laugh as she kissed her mother on the cheek and then kissed her stomach. She said, "Take care of my little brother, mom. I will see how stong he is when I come back." Saying this Aria ran towards the direction her mother had said, with all her might, carrying the heavy bag of food.

When Aria had disappeared from view, Natalia turned around. She said, "Victor, let's go."

Victor followed her and said, "Madam, do you think she will be all right?"

Natalia: "Having doubt about my daughter being alive is better than knowing that she isn't."

Natalia and Victor then went into the passage and Victor closed the entrance with the boulder.