The Bastard Princess

7.

Btw, do have a look at the family tree in the previous chapter :D

~

-HER-

The sound of Sylvius' hooves and his occasional neighs echoed throughout the dark forest as I rode through them the whole night. I looked nowhere but forward. The night was cold and I wasn't wearing anything to protect myself from it. The only source of warmth was Sylvius beneath me, who was tired for running for hours but I didn't have any time to stop. I had to be in Alexandria before the sun was up.

It was located in the desert and I had to navigate that before it became too hot. It was sometime in the early hours of the morning when the trees started to thin out and the soil turned into sand slowly. The vegetation started to disappear slowly before we were in a sea of sand.

"Keep going," I told Sylvius who seemed to be very tired. A new horizon waited for us in the front while we left an old one behind us. I knew that my destination was somewhere farther from there. I felt Sylvius giving out slowly. At one point, he stopped and collapsed on the sand with me still on his back.

I got up and saw him heaving heavily, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. His eyes had rolled back while his breaths deepened and stretched. I waited patiently as his life drained out of his body, leaving it still.

He was dead. I clenched and unclenched my fists as I stared at his lifeless body. It was me and death, alone in the desert. I saw my deeds reflected back in his lifeless eyes as the sun slowly climbed the sky. I was face to face with me. I was face to face with death.

I licked my lips when the thirst finally started to make its presence known to me. I had only one option to quench it and the opportunity was in front of me, lying lifeless on the sand. I took a deep breath. I chose the sharpest dagger and went down on my knees.

"Thank you for your service, Sylvius,"

~

I was careful enough to steal a fresh set of clothes as soon as I was in the city. I didn't want to be spotted in my blood-stained clothes. My flaming red hair was a giveaway of my identity itself. Though I knew that people have smelled me in the desert air even before I had stepped in the city.

I had overheard a couple of merchants talking about encountering a mutilated body of a white horse on one of their trade routes. I knew well enough that they were taking about Sylvius. Now, I had to wait until the evening to get to the royal part of the city but before that, I found myself tracing my steps back to a certain part of the city where the warriors lived.

I knew that he must not be home at this time but still, thinking about seeing him made my heart flutter in my chest. It had been years since I had seen him. Now, I wonder if he still remembered me. There's no way he must have forgotten me. I spent so much time with him and did my best to buy a place in his heart. I did everything he could have asked for and complied with him. I met his every need. I always put him first. I poured out my heart for him. I wonder if he still remembers me for everything I did for him.

I even planned to get married to him but due to my failed stunt to overthrow my sister's rule, I was exiled. I didn't hear from him then. He didn't even come to see me for the last time when I was leaving for Rome. I wondered how he was doing now and if I could still find a way back into his life.

When his house came into view, I felt my feelings for him stirring alive I still wanted him. I wanted us. Back then he didn't seem very enthusiastic to pursue me. Maybe because I was merely a girl then and I wasn't very experienced and groomed for him but would he consider me now?

Slowly, the memories started to replay in my head as I got nearer to his house...

It was the new year and a big celebration was going on in the courthouse. Everyone was there. All the royals, ministers, people from the elite class, top warriors and some guests from the neighboring kingdoms. I was keeping Osaze, my half brother company. Though, he seemed too busy and distracted to talk to me. His attention was fixed on a certain girl from the elite class. I rolled my eyes and decided to look around as well.