Novel Square
36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
I woke up in my cell, I felt like today was going to be different. I couldn’t explain why, but I just had a feeling that something was going to happen. I sat on my bed and looked at the walls of my cell, feeling like I was stuck in a never-ending nightmare.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching my cell. I looked up and saw Prince Edward standing at the entrance, looking tired and more worried than when he came here before.
“Alice, please listen to me, we need to talk,” he said, his voice filled with urgency.
“What do you want, Prince Edward?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm and neutral.
“I’ve talked to the King. He’s willing to spare your life if you just say that you were drunk at the party and had no idea what you were saying,” he said, his eyes pleading with me.
“I will not betray my kingdom,” I replied, anger rising in my voice. “I won’t make a false confession just to save my own life.”
“Please, Alice. This is the only way,” Edward said his voice breaking. “I don’t want to see you die.”
“You don’t understand,” I replied, tears streaming down my face. “My parents were murdered, and their name was tarnished by the King. I won’t give up my quest for justice for them and my kingdom.”
“But it’s not just about your quest for justice,” Edward said, desperation in his voice. “It’s about your life. Don’t you understand? I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”
I saw the sadness in his eyes, but I couldn’t give in. I couldn’t betray the memory of my parents and the kingdom they once ruled.
“I’m sorry, Edward,” I said, my voice shaking. “But I can’t do it. You need to leave now.”
Edward looked at me for a long moment, tears in his eyes. Then, with a heavy heart, he turned and left my cell, leaving me alone with my thoughts and my determination.
I was sitting in my cell, feeling hopeless and helpless when suddenly, I heard footsteps coming towards me. I looked up to see Meredith walking towards me, accompanied by two unfamiliar faces.
“Alice, I’ve come up with a plan,” Meredith whispered as she approached me. “I’ve spoken to these two men, and they’ve agreed to help us escape.”
I was taken aback. Escape? How was that even possible? I had been in this dungeon for what felt like an eternity, and the idea of freedom seemed like a distant dream.
“Here, take this,” Meredith said, handing me a key. “The guards will be on a short shift tonight, and that’s when you’ll have your chance to escape. Meet us in my chambers, and we’ll take it from there.”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
I took the key, feeling a flicker of hope in my chest. Was this happening? Was I finally going to be able to escape this place and clear my name?
“Thank you, Meredith,” I whispered, overwhelmed by the kindness and bravery of this woman. “I won’t forget this.”
Meredith smiled at me and nodded, then turned to leave. As she walked away, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for this glimmer of hope. Today felt different; today, I had a chance to escape and change my fate.
I knew that I had to act fast if I wanted to escape the dungeon and clear my parents’ names. I had heard that the guards changed shifts at midnight and I decided to use this opportunity to my advantage. My heart was pounding as I waited in my cell, counting down the minutes until it was time to make my move.
When the time finally came, I took a deep breath and slowly pushed open my cell door, trying to be as quiet as possible. I was met with a long, dark hallway, and I could hear the sound of snoring guards in the distance. I tiptoed down the hallway, my heart in my throat.
I was almost caught a few times as I mistakenly made noise, but I managed to hide in the shadows and avoid detection.
Eventually, I found myself in front of a door that I recognized as belonging to Meredith.
She opened the door and pulled me inside. “Now it’s time for the full course of how I’ll help you,” she said. “But we have to be careful. The guards are watching us, and we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”
We huddled together in the dimly lit room, as she explained her plan. Meredith told me that she had heard rumors of a secret passage that led out of the dungeon, but she didn’t know exactly where it was. She suggested that we try to find it by searching the walls for hidden levers or buttons.
We spent hours searching the walls, pushing and pulling at every nook and cranny, but we couldn’t find the passage. I was starting to get discouraged, but Meredith refused to give up.
“We’ll find it,” she said. “We just have to keep looking.”
Just as I was about to lose all hope, I heard a faint clicking sound coming from the far wall. I ran over to it, my heart racing, and pushed at a small stone that seemed to be out of place. To my surprise, a section of the wall slid open, revealing a dark, narrow staircase leading upwards.
I turned to Meredith, my eyes shining. “This is it!” I whispered. “We’ve found it!”
We made our way up the staircase, our footsteps echoing in the silent darkness. I was filled with a sense of hope and excitement, knowing that we were one step closer to freedom.
After what felt like hours, we finally emerged into a small, hidden room. Meredith pushed aside a pile of old crates and opened a door that led out into the night. We stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air and feeling the cool night breeze on our faces.
We made our way through the dark, deserted streets, trying to put as much distance between ourselves and the dungeon as possible. We were finally free!
But our journey was far from over. We still had to find a way to clear my parents’ name and reclaim my rightful place as the heir to the Lost Kingdom. It wouldn’t be easy, but with Meredith by my side, I knew that we could do it.