The One That Got Away

BREAKING PROMISES

So, there she was. Alone in an unknown world, heartbroken again. Layla was going down the path from the castle to the city, the pitch dark surrounding her, the absolute quiet deafening. A small bag was hanging from her shoulder, containing a few clothes and some money Livia had given her.

Livia. She did question her decision to show trust to that woman again while she was helping her, giving her directions on how to move around unnoticed, how to reach the city, and where to find the witch, yes, the witch that would help her return to her world. But besides the ring that bejeweled her finger, the woman had in her possession a paper, a formal agreement signed by hers and Xander's parents, that their children would marry once reaching the proper age.

Layla, suspicious, asked why they were still unwed since that proper age had long come and gone. Her question was met with honesty on Livia's part. She did admit that Xander had been infatuated, as she put it, by Lila, one of the queen's handmaidens, and that after the girl's death, she gave him whatever time he needed to mourn her. She did admit that their engagement had been a very long one, but she loved him deeply and was willing to wait.

Layla then thought of her parents. To whom she was their only child. How devastated must they be! How lost and confused, wondering what has become of their daughter. What a torment they must be going through! Could she condemn them in a state of eternal suffering? A misery without end, a question without an answer?

But what really forced her decision, was the commander's father. A pompous, stiff individual, who made her wonder how a person such as him, raised a man like Xander. He joined them in Livia's apartment and did more than just confirm her claims. He warned a flabbergasted Layla, pointing a small, hairy finger at her, that his son's involvement with her, would lead to his ruin. He would lose his title. His heritage. Become society's outcast, the buffoon of the kingdom.

She decided to do the right thing for everybody since Livia had provided her with a way back. For everybody, except herself. Because nothing and nowhere felt right without Alex. No place was home without him. Home is where the heart is, and she had given her heart to him forever. She knew that now.

Livia had managed miraculously to send the guards away. She attributed it to her noble state, and though Layla highly doubted it, she couldn't insist, since the rules and customs of this world were unknown to her. She led her out of the keep through a secret passage, its entrance hidden behind a tapestry hanging on the wall inside her bedroom. To Layla's surprise, she admitted that the whole keep had a labyrinth of secret passages resting quietly behind its walls.

They roamed through the gardens for a while until reaching a hidden opening in the outer fortifications. To Layla's question if the king and the commander knew of such security breaches and that there was literally a way in and out of the keep without anyone noticing, Livia assured her that they were left like that on purpose. Sometimes, the royals and the nobles needed to slip in and out without being seen.

Finally, before they parted, she gave her some money to get by, and tenderly put one of her own blonde wigs on Layla's head so that she would slip by unrecognizable.

It was almost dawn when Layla reached the first houses at the foothill of the cliff. Livia had warned her that she couldn't stop if she didn't want to be caught by the king's men, who would most certainly organize a search party for her. "You don't want them to find you," she said. "Your escape will only prove to the king you are guilty. Not even Xander can save you then."

She had to get out of the city, and she had to do it fast. The wig would help to get past the gates' guards. Livia had assured her that it would be easy, since their attention was focused on the people entering the city rather than the ones exiting. She just had to wait for the traffic of people and vehicles to begin and not be the first one out, alone and in the crack of dawn. Once outside Anetha's walls, she told her to look north. There laid a vast, densely wooded forest. Layla remembered catching a glimpse of it, the night she first arrived, but the city lights had won her over.

The witch lived inside that forest. The trickiest part would be to find her. Layla had to follow the instructions carefully and precisely.

"The forest is a dangerous place," Livia said, "full of magical creatures. You do exactly as I say, otherwise, you could be lost in there forever." That sounded quite disturbing but Layla had no choice. "The witch's hut is deep inside the woods and even if you find it, you won't be able to see it unless you follow my instructions."

Not so long ago, Layla would have laughed on hearing such words. But after everything she had experienced, she adopted a broader perspective.

"Some creatures," Livia continued, "will try to stop you from meeting with Annabelle." That was the witch's name. "Fairies, talking animals, yes, talking animals!" she exclaimed on seeing Layla widen her eyes. "Don't pay attention to anything they say, it will be nothing but lies. Then, in order to find her cabin, you need to follow her mark. The snake is her mark."

Layla widened her eyes with horror again.

"Don't look at me like that, it is not my fault that is her mark!" Livia complained.

"The snake is curved on the roots of trees. Each time you see it on a tree, you will proceed a hundred steps towards the north and west alternately and in that order. The first mark is on an olive tree, near a bush of vivid red roses, as you enter the forest. You can't miss it, it is the only one.

"After you have done this a hundred times, you will reach a clearing, deep inside the forest. It will look empty but isn't. You will speak the words I have written for you here" -she handed Layla a piece of paper- "and the cabin will be revealed to you. You will knock three times, then two, then three again and say you were sent from me."

She placed a gold coin on Layla's palm. "You will state your wish and pay her with this for her services."

Layla stared at the coin on her palm. The face of the wolf carved on its surface gazed at her with accusing eyes. "You are breaking your promise," he whispered. "You are breaking your promise to him."

By now, she was roaming the streets of the town and was reaching the gates fast. Layla slowed her pace, looking for a quiet corner, where she could stand for a while until people started circulating in and out of the city. She spotted a humble bench under a huge tree and sat. A bittersweet feeling arose inside her heart, as she remembered sitting on a similar bench the day Margaret found her. The question returned again. Had she done the right thing? Should she have trusted Livia and just leave?

She sighed. No matter how many arguments she could think for or against her decision, one prevailed them all. She couldn't destroy the life of the man she loved. She wouldn't. Even if it meant, going against his will. Even if it meant, disappearing without a goodbye. Breaking her promise. Breaking her heart. Breaking his heart.

Even if it condemned her, to a life without him.