Chapter 4 The Escape

• Lira’s POV
• Back at the palace, the tension was rising, thick and suffocating in the air. I could feel it in every breath, every beat of my heart. There was something wrong,something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but it was too heavy to ignore.
• “Where’s Kara? Where’s the baby?” I demanded, my voice tight with fear as I rushed down the corridor. My eyes darted from side to side, searching for answers, my heartbeat pounding louder than my footsteps.
• Then, from a distance, I heard Kara’s voice.
• “What’s happening?” she called out as she hurried down the hall, clutching Hilda tightly in her arms. Her voice trembled, and I could hear the strain in it, a combination of confusion and concern.
• I was about to answer when a sound shattered the silence. Footsteps, heavy, purposeful, and growing louder by the second. My heart skipped a beat.
• “They’re coming,” I muttered loudly, my voice heavy with dread. My mind raced, piecing together the truth. “*The guards are on their way. Zara must have alerted them. They’ll come for the baby. They’ll come for him now. You have to run now!”
• I didn’t wait to see if Kara could hear me. I turned and ran in the opposite direction, hoping against hope that she could get away in time.
• Kara’s POV
• My body was screaming in exhaustion, but I couldn’t stop. The cold air stung my skin, biting at me like a relentless enemy, but I pushed through it. I had to keep moving.
• My legs trembled beneath me, each step heavier than the last. The weight of Hilda in my arms, my son, kept me going even though my body felt like it was betraying me. He stirred slightly in my arms, and I tightened my grip, pulling him closer. I wouldn’t let him go. Not now. Not ever.
• I had no strength left. Every step felt like an eternity. My muscles burned, my vision blurred. I should have been resting, recovering, but there was no time for that. The palace guards were coming. I could hear their footsteps echoing through the night, each step closing the distance between us.
• I had to run. But my body, so weak from childbirth, was slowing me down. I could barely lift my feet as I stumbled through the thick mud. The weight of the world felt like it was pressing down on me, and I could feel my legs giving out with every step.
• Please, please, I begged silently, praying for a burst of energy. But nothing came. My steps became slower, heavier, until I collapsed to the ground, my knees buckling beneath me.
• Hilda stayed asleep in my arms, his tiny body warm against my chest. It was almost surreal, the calmness of his slumber in the middle of this storm. But I knew it wouldn’t last. They would find us.
• I wiped the mud from my eyes, squinting into the darkness, trying to gauge how much time I had left. The pounding footsteps of the guards grew louder, closer, their voices now clear as they shouted orders to each other. They were coming.
• There was no escaping this.
• My heart pounded in my chest as I held Hilda tighter, praying for him to remain asleep, to stay safe. But then, the baby stirred.
• I froze.
• I could feel the panic rising within me, my breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t let him wake, not now. Not with the guards closing in. But it was too late. The footsteps were too close. The voices were too loud.
• It was over. They would find us.
• I lay there, my hands cradling Hilda, my son, as though he were the last thing holding me to this world. My body shook from the exertion, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t risk it.
• Please, don’t let them find me, I thought, pressing my face into the wet ground, trying to still my breathing. The soldiers were too close now. I could hear their voices clearly as they searched.
• “Where is she? Where’s the queen?” One of the guards barked, his voice cold, determined.
• My pulse quickened. They were right there, so close I could feel their footsteps reverberating in the mud beneath me. I held my breath, praying for just a few more seconds of safety.
• The sound of their boots passed by, but I couldn’t relax yet. I waited, still as stone. The footsteps grew softer, fading away into the distance.
• They’re gone... I muttered to myself, my voice hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
• I slowly lifted myself from the ground, every muscle in my body protesting, trembling with weakness. My arms still clutched Hilda tightly to my chest, feeling his tiny body, still asleep, warm against my cold skin.
• I took a moment to steady myself, the weight of exhaustion bearing down on me. I had to keep moving, though. I couldn’t stay here. Not with them still searching.
• The building beside the palace came into view, and I stumbled toward it, my legs threatening to give out under me with every step. The familiar silhouette of safety was within reach, just a little further.
• Inside the building, I collapsed against the doorframe, gasping for breath. My clothes clung to my skin, heavy with mud, and my hair was a tangled mess, but none of it mattered now. I couldn’t think of anything except getting inside, out of the cold, out of danger.
• “What the hell are you doing here?” A low, gruff voice broke through the haze of panic in my mind.
• I looked up, startled. Standing there, leaning against the wall with arms crossed, was a man I didn’t recognize. He was tall, with sharp features and dark eyes that seemed to pierce through me, searching, assessing.
• He frowned as his eyes flickered over me, then widened slightly in recognition. “You... you’re the 5th queen of the castle, aren’t you?”
• I nodded but didn’t say anything at first. I couldn’t find my voice. I could barely breathe.
• “I need help,” I finally whispered, my voice shaky. “I need to hide. They’re after me. They want my son.”
• The man stepped closer, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “What are you doing here?” He repeated, clearly agitated. “The guards are all around. They’ll find you!”
• I didn’t have time to explain. The urgency in his voice made the panic in my chest flare again. “I… I had to escape,” I stammered, stepping inside as I scanned the room. “They’re after my son. I can’t stay here. I need to leave. Please, help me.”
• The man studied me for a long moment, and then, to my surprise, his expression softened just a fraction. His features didn’t change much, but something about the shift in his eyes told me he was starting to understand.
• “Get inside, quick,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “They’ll be back soon. You’ll be dead if they catch you out here.”
• I didn’t hesitate. I stepped further inside, the door closing behind me with a muffled thud. I didn’t know who this man was...