7: TASTE OF FREEDOM

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...7...

TASTE OF FREEDOM💥

The meeting ended exactly five days later, lasting a week and two days with her all set for her sixth grand escape plan which she meant to carry out that day. The bimonthly meeting usually ended with a lunch banquet to entertain the royalties. The lunch banquet was that day. She had chosen that day because everyone would be too busy wining and dining to smell any kind of rat. She ate everything that was served that morning for breakfast happily. The emperor watched her with a satisfied look. He was glad that she was gradually settling in. She was talkative that morning, chatting with him, prompting him to speak with questions and comments after another. Although it was a little bit tiring, he liked the new lively her. It simply meant that she was already adjusting to life in his manor, the Linamine palace.

The lunch banquet began about thirty minutes before noon in the hosting hall. Invitations had been sent out formally to the seven royal leaders despite the announcement at the last day of the meeting. Everyone could or could not attend -it was as they wished. It was not a compulsory event. It was just a sort of closure. But, no one liked to miss out on such. The emperor had also sent her an invitation with a parcel that contained a pretty ankle length emerald gown -the exact colour of her eyes. He had proceeded to instruct Hyeera to make her pretty. The maid had done her makeup for the event, doing nothing much. It was just something light. She had applied some kohl to her eyes to highlight green eyes. A light dab of pink lip rouge and cheek rouge followed to accentuate her rich glowing bronze skin. The green long sleeved gown had a round neck. It fit till her waist, flaring out into an A-line. Her oxblood hair was washed and styled then made into a heavy chignon, very heavy for her hair was past bra length, making her look simple but sumptuous. He had received her at the top of the stairs from Hyeera.

'You look good enough to eat right now,' he said to her in a low voice when she was afore him. She smiled and blushed at the hidden meaning behind his comment. He also looked same, devastatingly handsome, tempting like sin.

'You do not look bad either,' she managed to say despite the tongue tying effect that he was having on her. He then turned and gave Hyeera an appreciative glance.

'Thank you; you have done such a good job. She looks breath taking and drop dead gorgeous Hyeera,' he admitted. Hyeera smiled proudly at the appraisal.

'You flatter me too much my lord,' she answered modestly despite her proud smile. He smiled but didn't bother to reply her. He took the lady's hand, leading her down the flight of stairs and to the banquet.

The banquet was going well enough and the guests were kept entertained with lunch and dancers, drummers, sword dancers, jokers and lastly singers. They sang quite beautifully in soothing high pitched voice.

Halfway through the event, she prefaced to feign sickness, the first part of her escape plan. It worked wonderfully well.

'My lady, are you alright?' Xiera asked her when she noticed that her lady hadn't been talking much or dining at all. She sat slumped in her chair. It made her look weak.

'I don't know,' she said with a wince, hoping she was convincing enough. 'I think I have a headache. I just need to lie down for a while I suppose.'

'Oh, I'm sorry for not taking note of your discomfort more quickly. You shall have to forfeit the banquet and retire for the day. Please wait for me for a while My Lady. I'll soon escort you to your bedroom,' her escort said. 'I shall have to inform the emperor first.' She left to hunt him. She was back in a jiffy with him.

'Mine, are you alright? Shall I send for the physician?' he asked her sounding genuinely worried. She suddenly felt guilty for putting him in knots.

'It's just a headache. I only need to sleep a little and I'll be totally fine. It maybe because I was up all night reading novels,' she said to pacify him. He believed her.

'There will be no more midnight reading for you for a while,' he told her. 'Do not complain. It is final. I'll take you to your bedroom.' Then, he lifted her into his arms without warning. The contact toasted her cheeks, especially her arms around his neck, feeling his smooth chocolate skin. He carried her all the way to her bedroom, deserting the party and tucked her into bed himself. 'Now rest,' he said to her. She nodded and closed her eyes. He waited for a while by her side but she didn't fall asleep. She felt him kiss her forehead before he left. She also heard him tell Xiera as he was closing the bedroom door that she was not to be disturbed. She was to let her sleep until she roused of her own accord.

She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for so long after he had closed the bedroom door and departed. She got out of bed when she was sure that the coast was clear. Then, she began part two of her escape plan. She had already prepared her disguise material. She was going to disguise as one of the aqua warriors who had the same height, similar shape and skin colour as her. Her name was Umber. She was the aqua message bearer which meant that she could leave the castle at anytime. All this information she had stylishly wringed out of Fairy. She only had to deal with her hair. She would put it in plaits after she had her night bath. Hyeera would do so for her.

Dusk came quickly. The emperor came to her even before the party was over. He had dinner with her in her bedroom, watching her like a hawk, making sure she ate very well. She acted the sickler quite well for he seemed very worried. He didn't even leave when she had her bath. He stood at the entrance of the bathroom, watching her bath, letting Hyeera assist her in bathing for the first time since she had known him. He watched her keenly while she dressed and embarrassment swallowed her whole. His gaze wasn't immodest, just sharp and alert incase anything happened to her. She bore it all with a thick skin because she was the one who had brought it upon herself. He took her from Hyeera the moment she was done and carried her himself to her bed. Hyeera quickly excused herself and left, leaving them both in the bedroom.

'Shall I send for the physician?' he asked her again. She shook her head at him, enjoying the softness of her pillow. She would miss it and the calming comfort it gave.

'I'll be perfectly alright in the morning,' she assured him. He stared at her, contemplating between believing her or not. Then, he sighed and chose to take her words for it.

'Alright,' he murmured stroking her hair. 'Go to sleep,' he coaxed her. She nodded and tried to pretend to do so. He kissed her forehead a while later and rose to leave.

'Beast,' she called opening her eyes. He turned back to her.

'Yes mine,' he answered her. 'Are you alright? Do you want something?' he asked her with worried eyes.

'Goodnight,' she said to him. He stared at her intensely. A warm feeling travelled through her at his direct gaze. She saw his eyes turn silver before he closed it. When he opened them again, they were normal, black. She stared at him, puzzled. What was she even thinking? She wasn't making any sense? How on earth could his eyes turn silver? It was either her mind was playing unbelievable tricks on her or better still it was a convincing trick of the light?

'Goodnight Mine,' he replied her. She nodded and closed her eyes. He left her bedroom a moment after. She lay in bed for almost an hour, waiting patiently for the right time to spring into action. She had a hunch that her captor might return to check on her and he did. He stood at her bedside, caressing her hair. She could feel him gazing at her despite her closed eyes. He left after watching her for a while, satisfied that she was alright. She sat up to catch her breath, after about twenty minutes of feigning sleep.

'Good riddance,' she hissed internally and sprang into action. She drew the white gown that she was going to put on from under her bed. She had hidden it there because no one would find it there, especially Hyeera. It was one of the kitchen maids that she had become friends with, Hayeesha that had helped her to make it. She had told the unsuspecting girl that she wanted to use it to surprise the emperor and so it had to remain secret. The young naïf had swallowed her lie, line, hook and sinker. But, it was true though. Her escape would be a surprise to him.

She slipped into the white gown and wore thigh high white socks. She made her hair into two neat French plaits and finished with pins that she used to hold the ends into each other. She scaled the window at about two hours to midnight. It was surprisingly an easy feat for her and there were no guards stationed there. That she had noticed when she had been scouting the house making plans. She would leave his manor through the flower garden. She headed stealthily for the flower garden, avoiding every guard she came across. She stopped at a spot before the flower garden. She scanned the area, the lawn for a moment and finally pulled out a spear that Fairy had hidden there for her. She had told Fairy to get her any weapon and to put it there if she did. The lady had not failed her. She hadn't even asked her what she wanted the weapon for. She blessed the two that had helped her so far in her heart and strapped the spear behind her with the gear Fairy had left there.

She went through the flower garden upending at the fountain. She walked quickly, carefully until she was out of his terrain, his living quarters. She looked back at his manor, the house she was leaving behind...and the man. Her heart tightened in protest. It tried to draw her back, urging her not to leave. She ignored the unwanted feeling. She needed to go back, to wherever she came from even when she couldn't remember it. But, her primary motive was to totally leave the beast. She knew that he must have done something to her head to cause her to forget everything. She only had very few vague memories, almost useless except one. She remembered fire raging and she standing in it, frightened, apprehensive. She tried to run. She knew not what she was running from, but she knew that it was him, the beast. She needed to find out, everything. Therefore, she increased her resolve, turned an walked away from his manor. She walked in the shadows until she reached the stone pathway. She threw a smoke sedative in the direction of the immobile guards. She stood and waited for it to begin to take effect. It did so after a while, the six duty guards dropping to the floor, going straight to sleep.

She headed for the stables. The place was quiet, deserted and she wondered if only the animals ruled there until she nearly ran into a sleeping guard. She saw two more ahead. She managed to still sneak out curry from the stables and headed back to the stone pathway. The guards were still sleeping. She took one last long look at the imperial manor before she mounted the horse and left. She urged the horse into a trot, down the small bridge and into the dark of the night. She rose slowly, into a canter and then a soft gallop in an attempt to be quick. She soon arrived at the first gate. She slowed into a trot and came to a halt afore it. There were guards there.

'Please identify yourself Miss,' the head guard requested.

'I am Umber of the Aqua Territory,' she told him. He nodded at the others. They let her through easily. She rode past the first gate to the second gate. Three times, she had to identify herself to various patrol guards before she reached the second gate. The security was tighter here than at the first gate. She recognized the head guard at the gate. She had seen him here at her last escape. He heart began to pound with anxiety. She hoped that he would not recognize her. Well, she scaled the second gate without any qualms as she had prayed and went on to the third gate with a very fast gallop. She arrived there in no time.

'And where is an Aqua warrior headed to so late at night?' one of the guards on duty asked her when she arrived. She smiled at him, anxious, nervous as hell.

'Quickly tell us who you are warrior,' another guard added.

'Where are you headed, to your terrain?' another asked her.

'I am Umber of the Aqua territory, messenger of the Aqua Queen. I have been ordered to dispatch an important message.'

'Oh it's confidential message,' the first guard who had spoken said.

'I'm sorry but it is,' she replied.

'Let her through!' he ordered and she realized then that he was the head guard.

'Thank you,' she said.

'Farewell!' another bid her.

'Bring back some seaweed soup from your territory another requested.' The Aquarians were very famous for their relaxing seaweed soup. She smiled as she rode away, seeing for the first time since she had been making an escape the garrison after the third gate, intrigued. She had never gotten to this point before. She was elated at having come this far. She was now self assured of completing her escape mission without qualms. Happiness -at her achievement- moistened her eyes. She rode through the garrison in a bit of awe. It was huge, housing tens of thousands of warriors. Well, it was impressive because this was only the palace garrison. The Linamine Empire still had other garrisons. She maneuvered through the camps of the warriors who minded their business, not bothering her at all. She got to the fourth and final gate after almost an hour of trotting through. The fourth gate was huge and pretty. It should be so for it was the entrance into the Linamine palace, but she was still dazzled by its intricate beauty even in the darkness.

'Where art thou departed to oh Aquarian?' the head guard asked her. There were about thirty guards up and doing around the gate. More of the guards sat in group of two's around the small gate houses.

'I bear a message to take to the Aqua territory, mandated by the Queen,' she told him.

'Is it not too late to ride alone, without a convoy?' he inquired with raised brows. She snorted as if offended, surprised that she was calm both internally and externally.

'Do you sir perchance doubt my fighting capabilities?' she asked him with an upturned nose. 'You owe me a duel and I shall have it when I return,' she said to him. He chuckled at her words, impressed.

'A duel it is warrior?' he asked her.

'I am Umber,' she said to him.

'Well, I wish you a safe trip to and fro,' he said to her. 'Let her through!' he ordered the guards stationed at it. The gates were opened then at his words, and lots of different feelings -those she could name and those she could not name- crawled all over her. 'Ride on Miss Umber,' he told her with a broad smile.

'Thank you,' she said with an outpouring of gratitude. Joy, hot and white, roaring and blinding possessed her, illuminating her soul, all of her, invading her quintessential essence as she left the Linamine Empire with a slow canter. So this was it, the taste of freedom? She smiled, and then laughed softly as soon as she rode out of earshot. She had finally done it. She rode for half an hour before she stopped the horse and scouted the area with her eyes. It was only a bit dark. She could clearly see due to the waning gibbous. She had no other source of light except the moon which was up and high, shining brightly. If not for it, she would have not seen the stone path split into three, one was up ahead and two was to the left and the right respectively.

She could not decide upon which of the paths she should follow for she was unfamiliar with the terrain. She should have at least brought a map, a very detailed one at that. She cursed herself for her folly. She hadn't even asked questions before hand. She blamed her foolishness for her present confusion. She didn't want to fall into disaster. She thought for a moment. She will take the right side. It was inauspicious to take the straight path for danger always awaited ahead and the left side was naturally a last option. She stirred her horse gently towards the right path. She would take that one, the right to the light. After all, she did not really care where she upended as far as it was away from the Linamine castle, away from that beast, she would be satisfied. She only cared about having liberty, freedom and that she was presently. She was currently free, as free as a bird!

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...OmaPhinaPhire🔥