Getting Away

The old filthy carriage halted to a stop at a nearby town Inn. Slowly, the coachman hopped off  and guided the horse along with his friend who sat at the front seat of the carriage to a nearby stable.

"I'm gonna check up on the kid. You go check up on the other carriage for tomorrow." The coachman's companion said, swinging the keys around his index finger as he carefreely whistled.

"Will do. Make sure he doesn't run or else the Lord is going to kill us both. I'll buy us some food too, Gerald." The coachman said, walking away as he took off his cap and breathed in the fresh night air.  "Bring him into the inn. And we'll take a break here."

Changing carriages was just a precaution in case someone was following them. If someone was trailing them from the estate, they would have been shaken off by now. They took the most confusing and complicated turns to get out of the Whitlock's land.

They also had to change to a more official carriage in order to pass the lands from here on now. It was for safety purposes too, the path from here was full of money thirsty bandits. They would need a more sturdy carriage to survive.

Gerald unlocked the door with haste and slammed it open, Sketchy about why the boy was so silent. He opened it to find the most gorgeous locks of hair he had ever seen. It worked as a source of light in the interior of the dark dim carriage.

The boy's eye was a beautiful shade of yellow, it looked like gold melting in the sun. It was bewildering to see such stunning features.

"You fine in there, kiddo?" Gerald asked, coming off nicer than he intended to. But it wouldn't hurt to act nice, after all it was going to be a long trip. The boy didn't seem like such a pain to drag along. Seeing how obedient he was in the carriage.

Kai looked at the large shadow looming over him and saw a burly figure looking at him with a shocked expression. He wasn't sure how to respond in this situation, he nodded slightly. He didn't bother to struggle, the chains held him down. He knew it would be a fruitless endeavour.

He wanted to cry, but he held it in. He knew what his fate was already. He could see his future flashing in his mind. And it wasn't a pleasant one. The only thing that was keeping him sane and alive, was the opportunity to meet his father again.

Would father search for him? Could..he have a chance at meeting father again? Kai wondered while he stared blankly at the flustered Gerald. 

Gerald reached out his hand and grabbed the boy's hand that was chained together. He pulled the boy out and bent inside the carriage, pulling out a white thick blanket. He placed it over Kai's body. And carried him in his arms to the inside of the inn.

The blanket was to cover any features of Kai, just in case people were watching and somehow remembered his face as Kai Whitlock. Or the husband of Victoria goes insane and pastes missing posters. This would prevent them from being exposed.

All the instructions were given clearly by Victoria. All sorts of details were written. It was clear she was thorough with this scheme and has no plan to let it backfire. A determined villainess indeed.

Once Kai was carried in, the owner of the inn recognised the man and let him in immediately. The inn had been emptied and cleared out, just for them. Money wasn't a problem, getting caught was the problem.

Gerald opened a room door and placed the child on the bed. He paused and looked at Kai. Wondering what he should do now. He figured it would be best for him to have a meal before he goes to sleep. What about the boy though? 

He was meant to leave the boy here alone? What if he breaks out of the window and escapes? Even if it was just for a moment, he couldn't risk it. The room was also made to accommodate 3 people. 3 single beds. A large table.

Gerald waited for Hans to come into the room with food. Meanwhile, he positioned himself beside the door and sat down. Feeling bored, he did what he always does.

"If I read your information script correctly. You just turned 6 a few minutes ago precisely." Gerald said, pulling out his antique watch and looking at the time.

Kai stayed silent. He was well aware. His birthday didn't matter to him. It was never celebrated extravagantly anyway. It was always full of pressure and watchful prying eyes.

"Kai Whitlock, announced dead today. 'Officially' and will be known to the public in 2 days' time."

Kai turnt his head and felt like he had been slapped right across his face. What? They planned to fake his death? How come he didn't put that into consideration? Does that mean..father won't bother looking for him now?

Suddenly, his train of thoughts crumbled when the door slammed open. There stood a tall frightening looking man with a beard and overgrown eyebrows. His eyes squinted and looked at Kai with anticipation. In his hands, he held two pieces of sandwiches that were a footlong each.

"You're back, Hans?" Gerald said, surprised at the sudden arrival. His friend did look a bit worn out, from a close distance, he could see sweat oozing from his forehead.

Hans nodded and passed his friend the sandwich while closing the door behind him. He took the other sandwich and unwrapped it, sitting down and scoffing it down like a wild animal.

Gerald took one bite of his meal and realised that Hans was eating the other sandwich. "You didn't buy any for the kid?" He asked, confused. The Lord did give them a budget to spend on the kid.

"He should be fine for a day or two. If we feed him now he'll be more energetic, and possibly escape. We can't let that happen, and besides, extra budget for us if we don't feed him. It's not like he'll die." Hans replied with a sauce smeared grin.

"Still..it's Lord Bellaire we're working under. What if he gets angry?" Gerald asked, trying to reason with Hans.

"He won't. He doesn't even properly treat his other objects that well, what makes you think he'll care if this one is fed properly? He just wants them to be clean at most when they arrive." Hans replied as if he was stating the most obvious fact in the world.

After they finished eating, they decided to sleep before heading out tomorrow. Hans decided to uncuff the boy on one hand and cuffed it to the rails of the headboard. If it continuously makes metal clanking sounds, it'll wake them up immediately. 

They went to sleep in peace, knowing the boy they were watching over won't be able to escape.

Kai slowly turned to his side to look at the window. He could feel his stomach growling and his heart aching. He couldn't even kill himself, how could he? He was scared out of his mind. It was too much for a 6 year old boy to process.

That night, he stared at the bright gleaming moon slowly melting into the background. It always seemed like it was chasing after him, but now it looked like it was fading away from him as fast as it could.