Chapter 3
"To Celestiville, to live an ordinary life," I said.
Lola didn't hesitate. She dropped to her knees right away.
"Yes!" she said. "My life and death belong to you, my lady!"
I helped her up.
"Alright, go get your things ready. We'll leave tomorrow," I said.
"Shouldn't we wait for the people His Majesty arranged?" Lola asked, worry flickering in her eyes.
"If we wait for them, who knows how long we'll be stuck here?" I spoke with a calm indifference.
Xavier claimed he'd send an escort, but all he really wanted was to lock me away somewhere else.
No way I'd let him get away with that.
I walked over to the window and pushed it open.
In the distance, the palace turrets were strung with fairy lights.
They looked celebratory, but the brightness was almost blinding.
I could just imagine how Xavier must be feeling right now—on top of the world.
He finally got to marry his beloved, the one he had always dreamed of.
And now he could finally get rid of me, the "political shackle" he'd always seen me as.
He must be over the moon.
That worked for me.
The happier he was, the more at peace I would be when I walked away.
I turned away, refusing to look at the decoration.
"Bring out that white dress," I told Lola. "We'll wear it tomorrow."
Surrounded by all the festive crimson, all I wanted was to dress in something plain and pure.
This would be my final farewell to the royalcourt.
Early the next morning, before dawn, Lola and I had already changed into our clothes.
We wore plain garments, and the only thing in my hair was that peachwood hairpin.
We quietly slipped out the back door of the Sapphire Hall, making sure we weren't seen by anyone.
Most people in the palace had been sent off to handle the wedding preparations.
The rest were just hanging around and chatting.
No one noticed the two of us, master and servant.
We slipped out without a hitch.
All along our path, both inside and outside the palace walls, fancy decorations dominated every corner.
Crimson ribbons draped from the gates; fairy lights hung from the eaves, and celebratory banners plastered the walls.
The whole place was soaked in an atmosphere of celebration.
But none of that happiness belonged to me.
Just like that, step by step, we reached the palace gates.
The towering gates stood in the dawn, silent and unmoving, like a giant beast watching over everything.
When I first entered, I rode in the Queen's carriage, with a whole entourage escorting me in grand style.
But now, as I walked out, I was just an ordinary woman, with only my faithful maid by my side.
The difference was huge, but honestly, all I felt was relief.
The guards at the gate probably had instructions from their superiors.
When they saw us, they didn't try to stop us.
One of them shot me a look full of mixed emotions, then simply waved us through.
I didn't look back.
I stepped out through the palace gates.
Outside, Regalville was alive with noise and the warmth of ordinary life.
I took a deep breath.
The air was filled with the aroma of steamed bread and the smell of fresh earth.
This was what freedom smelled like.
Lola followed close behind me, looking both nervous and excited.
"Miss, where are we going now?" she asked.
She'd already started calling me "Miss."
"To the southern carriage house," I replied.
I'd planned everything out ahead of time.
We hired just a regular carriage, nothing fancy.
Taking advantage of the quiet morning and the empty streets, we made sure to leave Regalville before the city gates closed.
The carriage jostled along the official road, the wheels bumping over uneven ground.
I pulled aside the curtain and looked back one last time.
The majestic royalcourt grew smaller and blurrier, fading away into the morning mist.
Goodbye, Xavier.
Farewell, to the wild and reckless years I had left behind.
The carriage made its way south.
After about half an hour on the road, suddenly, a commotion broke out up ahead.
I lowered the curtain and asked the driver, "What's going on up ahead?"
The driver pulled the reins, bringing the horses to a halt.
He answered respectfully, "Looks like the new Queen's procession is heading back to the palace. They've blocked the road."
Lola's face suddenly turned pale.
"Miss, what do we do?" Her voice trembled.
She was afraid we'd be discovered.
"No worries," I said, trying to reassure her. "Let's just move the carriage to the side and wait for them to go by."
With the way we're dressed, we blend right in with the refugees.
No one would even spare us a second glance.
The carriage pulled over to the side of the road, next to a patch of woods.
Before long, the grand procession came into view.
At the front were the royalguards, riding tall horses.
Behind them came the palace maids and court stewards, all dressed in their finest robes.
They surrounded the Queen's ceremonial carriage, so lavish it was almost blinding.
The wind lifted a corner of the Queen's ceremonial carriage curtain.
I caught a glimpse inside.
There was Allyson, sitting gracefully within.
She wore a stunning crimson phoenix robe and a phoenix crown, her face radiant with joy.
She was breathtakingly beautiful—almost unreal.
Beside her sat Xavier, dressed in matching crimson wedding robes.
Xavier leaned in close, speaking softly and tenderly to Allyson.