Page 48 of A True King

Someone once told me that you always have options, even under the direst of circumstances. They may not be options you like or want, but you still have options. My options here are limited. I can stay and try not to die. Considering his power and that the building is filled with his staff, makes it unlikely I can survive another night here. I could try to scale the cliff. I glance over at it. There’s no way I’m strong enough to attempt to climb it. I could try crossing the river. I can hear the rushing water from here inside the gardens. It might be my only option. Drowning. I choose to drown if I must die, I think to myself.

“Goodbye, Grandfather. I’d say it was nice to meet you, but I think we both know that would be a lie,” I state as I walk into the orchard to our left and disappear amongst the overgrown apple trees.

He doesn’t say another word to me as I leave. I don’t hear him stand or yell for help. That only makes me wary of what is out here, or who is out here.

I glance back and can only make out the towers at the top of the manor house. I wish I knew where my phone was, but it’s of no use now.

It’s then that a hear the burst of a bullet being fired. I don’t wait around to find out who fired it. I take off running.

I run for what seems like ages. The property is a large one. I suppose Hans and Lara chose it for its isolation, but right now, I wish it was much smaller and closer to a village. A branch catches my sleeve and I fight with the tree to release me. I tug hard and the branch goes sailing away and then back at me. I don’t duck in time and feel the whip of a twig against my cheek. I touch my face. My fingers pull away, revealing blood. Shit. I keep running, I don’t have time to worry about a scratch.

I can hear the river up ahead. The sound of rushing water grows stronger with every step I take. After a few more minutes of running, I come to the bank. The storm has filled the river, the water nearly cresting over the banks. It rushes past me and over boulders cutting its way along the landscape. I can’t tell how deep it is, but there’s no way I can stay upright with that volume of water rushing against me. The bridge. There is a single bridge over it to the property. I could try crossing it. Shaking my head, I decide it’s not worth the risk. Guards are likely posted there, and I’ll increase my chances of getting caught. I follow the river for a long while, away from the estate and inland. I don’t get nearly as far as I thought I would. The far side of the cliffs start to come into view, and I realize the river is fed by the waterfall cascading down the side of them. I sit on the edge of the river on an old fallen tree trunk. Seconds turn into minutes as I try to come up with a better escape plan.

Then I see something out of the corner of my eye. At first, I think I’m hallucinating. But it grows nearer. A man on a horse with a fishing rod and satchel. He’s on the opposite bank of the river. I rub my eyes, trying to make sure I’m not going mad.

The man stops and tips his hat at me. “You OK?” he asks.

I shake my head. “Do you have a phone on you?” I yell across the waterway.

He nods and gets off his horse. Nervously, I glance around making sure we are alone. Can I trust him? Do I have a choice?

“Can you call a number for me?” I yell.

He nods and holds up his phone, waiting for my instructions. I give him Christian’s number first, but no one answers. Then, I have him call Anna.

He nods at me. “What shall I say?” he asks.

I contemplate it for a long moment. “Tell her she’s in terrible danger. I’m at Lara’s estate. My grandfather is here, and everything is compromised. Trust no one but her family. And get out of the palace, now!” I scream.

He gives my message to her. “She says stay put. She’s sending help.”

Nodding, I feel the tears sting my eyes as I try to blink them away. Utter relief building within me. There’s a chance, a real chance.

He hangs up and looks at me and then at the river. “Did you try crossing the bridge?”

I shake my head. “I…am in danger here. It’s not safe.”

He looks confused because no one is around us. “I could try to cross with Muffins,” he suggests, motioning to his horse.

“I don’t know how deep it is,” I explain, pointing to the rushing water below us.

“It’s not typically deep, but the water current is strong today,” he answers. I’m surprised when he lays down his fishing rod and satchel and mounts his horse. He grabs some rope from the side of his saddle and ties it to his horse’s neck. His horse begins to step into the raging river, one cautious move at a time. When it’s about halfway, he ties the loose end of the rope to a rock on the bank and throws it to me. I catch it and tie it around my waist. Slowly, I step into the water. It’s difficult to move but I manage to get about ten feet out from the bank, but then the depth drops, and I can’t move. I’m stuck, paralyzed with fear.

“Just a few more feet,” he encourages.

“It’s too deep!” I yell.

“You can do it!”

I look back to where I came from and then at the man. It’s my choice to make and it might be the only choice I get to make. I can either die trying or accept my fate and die at the hands of my grandfather. I close my eyes and step into the deeper water.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Christian

“Pete?” I ask in confusion as I step inside and search for the light. With a flip of the switch, I find it and I see Pete sitting in a chair at the small table in the kitchen.

“What are you doing here? Where’s Mia? Where’s the staff?” My questions rattle out of my mouth one after the other, a stream of consciousness emitting into the confines of the small space.

---