The Substitute Prince

Chapter 1

“Princess Russiana,” she called me again but I didn’t move to my bed.

My blanket was still wrapped around my body, I am facing to the window and pretending to be still asleep. I wanted to tell them that I need to be alone but they might catch me that I’m just pretending. I’m praying in my head that they leaving me alone now while my eyes were still close.

“I think she’s still sleeping,” one of my maids whispered to her co-worker.

‘Yes, I’m still sleeping and believe on it.’ That’s on my mind right now. If I don’t need to do this I will not do pretending like this but I need to.

“We need to wake her up,” they whispered again to each other.

“Let’s go, let’s come back here later,” one of them said.

“Okay.”

I wanted to jump and scream in joy when I heard their footsteps and the sound of a door closed again. I sat down to my bed and looked the closed door. I already awake earlier, I fixed myself also and dress. I just a simple blue cream below the knee length dress and wearing pairs of white shoes. I put my brown coat to hide my dress and looked again one last time to the mirror to fix my curly black hair. When I’m sure everything is fine. I took my shoulder bag and wear it.

I opened the door carefully and look when some guarding my room but no one. I nodded and carefully went out to my room. I walked to other side of the hall, my eyes widened when I saw the approaching guards to my direction and I moved fast to my side to hide myself.

They passed by and I took a deep breathe. “That’s almost,” I whispered to myself.

I almost ran the hall and walking to the back of the palace when I came out. I walked to the grassy garden and I didn’t see any royal guards or royal maids walking to this silent place. I put my hand to the rock wall on my side and grope to feel where the secret passageway is so I come out from this palace. I kneel down, until I feel something push when I hold it and my eyes widened when I pushed it completely.

I finally cleared the broken stone block and look at the hole I could use to escape. I slowly crawled there until I was finally gone out. I moved fast and I returned the obstruction stone.

Who really taught me this?

The answer is, my father, Dmitri, the prince and the youngest brother of King Egon of Avalon. I remembered last night that we talked that I wanted to go from the outside palace and explore the town. I wanted to see everything. I wanted to see the festival and how everyone in the town celebrate it. My father taught me everything and he told me his secret when he’s young like me, he always snicked out from the palace and this is the passageway he did tell me last night but he said I’m not to do things like what he did because it’s dangerous to myself and especially I’m only 17.

I promised to him that I will not do things like he did but I broke the promised. He can’t do anything about this and I wanted to be free.

I face the surrounding, tall trees, the grassy hills and the smell of the cold breeze of the forest are so alive.

This is the feeling I wanted to feel long time ago. You feel like free like a wind. I ran to the grassy fields passing by to the birds singing and the butterfly flying different flowers and jumping to another. I stopped running when I saw the pathway and the people riding to the old wagon that can use transportation going to the town.

They almost going but I screamed to stop them, “wait for me!” Waving my hand and they looked at me and stop for a while the wagon. I was breathing air and my heart beat skipped so fast. One of the old man help me to ride to the wagon when he offered his hands and I thanked him for that.

I sat down near at the door, from my left is the old woman carrying an old bag full of vegetables that will deliver to the town, I think. All of them are wearing not so fashionable and fancy dress like me. My father said people of Avalon are helpful and alive.

It took half hour when we arrived at the line transportation center or terminal of the old wagon. My heart inside in my chest fluttered again with excitement and joy when I heard and see the town full of people. The town is very different to the palace and the town is alive from noisy surroundings compare to silent world of the palace.

Some kids play on the busy streets, some girls with my age sell vegetables, different products and some are begging for small prize for the products they want.

I approached the old lady selling candies from the other side of the street.

“Can I buy, how much?”

“I bronze of coin, young lady.”

I give her the coin and she gave me a plastic pouched of candies.

“Thank you.”

She smiled back.

I want to taste the different food around this town and judge what are the delicious or they are most delicious than the food from the palace. I heard the loud noise from the other side of the streets. That’s why I look too when the children and others coming to that sounds.

Theirs barriers prevented us from passing the way of dancers, performers on the way to the accompaniment of noisy drums and trumpet. Some are group of girls performing belly dance, some are acrobatics on the top of elephants, some are performing magic, eating fire and some are flexing their bodies.

I put one piece candy to my mouth and I taste the most sour with a little sweet candies in my life. I am enjoying not until I saw the two guards from the other side of the street are looking at me as if I was familiar to them. I looked at my surroundings when suddenly I saw uncounted royal guards looking at the town as if they’re looking for something.

I looked again to the two guards who are passing to the street. I moved backward and I almost step the foot of someone. I heard that someone was scolding me and scream because of what I did but I couldn’t notice them anymore. When I escaped to the crowd I run and I feel the nervousness. I don’t want to go back early to the palace, that’s what I know but how did they know fast that I’m gone to the palace.

I didn’t notice everyone around me when I hit someone and we fell to the ground because of me.

I heard them ‘ohhhh’ when we fell.

I fell from him with awkward position because I’m on top of him. I didn’t look at him or help him to stand when I stood up. “I’m sorry,” and I run again.