The Prince's Choice ✔

Chapter Thirteen • Find Her

-Jade-

Jade walked for a while but then started running. Her fingers pinched at the sides of her hood so it wouldn't fall down.

The street was filled with merchants and people buying their goods. They were all busy with their own lives and no one cared who Jade was or why she was running and she loved it.

No one cares who I am... she thought and felt freer than ever. She ran for a while and couldn't help but to smile under her hood. She lifted the front layer of her dress so that she could run faster and her hood fell off her head.

Every step she took brought her more happiness than anything she could remember from the last months. She had not felt like this since Marie's wedding. The wind in her face made her smile even wider.

Jade eventually got to an intersection. To her right she could see that the street led down to housing areas and it looked dirty.

The buildings were at least two stories high and they were poorly constructed. Here and there Jade could spot wooden planks that were missing, especially on the roofs. It was probably where the poorer people in the city lived, and it would also probably mean trouble if she went there. She didn't have any coins on her but her clothes were still made out of fine fabric and so was her cloak. If there were thieves there, they would go after her directly.

If they realize that I don't have anything of value they will probably do worse things to me than just rob me... She thought and turned her gaze to her left.

The road to her left seemed to be a parallel street to the main street that led back to the castle, or at least to the other side of the river. It didn't look like she would find a way out of the city if she went that way.

This left her with one option: straight ahead. Jade lifted her gaze and if she continued forward she would walk into a market place. She could see the little stands and shops with all kinds of goods.

"It has to be that way..." she mumbled and took the first step into the intersection.

From nowhere a cart pulled by two horses appeared to the left of her. Jade jumped back to where she had stood, before she nearly got run over.

"See where you're going, god damn it!" The man driving the cart yelled at her. "You fool!"

Jade exhaled in shock as she watched the man throw his fist at her in anger as he drove past her. A bit shaken Jade looked both ways before crossing the street this time and then walked.

A couple of minutes later Jade was in the midst of screaming merchants and their haggling customers. In the corner of her eye, Jade could see two guards patrolling. They walked in a slow pace and kept a watchful eye over the crowd.

Probably keeping a lookout for pickpockets... Jade thought. Even though they weren't looking for her, she pulled her hood over her head just in case. She made sure it covered her face properly and then went deeper into the market. It had to end somewhere and lead her to a gate of some sort that led out of the city.

As Jade searched for a way out she couldn't help but to feel homesick. A life in the city wasn't for her. She didn't like the commotion from all of the people and their angry voices. It seemed to her that no one was happy here; the merchants argued with their customers; a man was in a heated argument with, whom Jade assumed was, his wife about her wanting something that he didn't think she needed.

Back home people were calm and happy, most of the time. In her village the people talked to each other in a civil tone, unless someone tried to get good look at someone's daughter. Then there would be a ruckus. But still... Home was her haven.