•Y/N: Your Name

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Your POV:

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"You're positive this will work?" I ask anxiously as the butler walked around me with a pair of scissors to style my hair in a different way. We are currently hiding in the male dormitories, hurriedly putting together this disguise to fool the people inside and outside of the palace. It would only take one person to rat us out to the King, then the whole operation would be blown to smithereens.

"If no one looks hard enough, it should do us just fine. Servants of my standing go out on errands all the time, so hopefully, no one will suspect once they see the uniforms." He places the scissors down once he's done before opening the trunk at the foot of his bed. "You can use my spare suit." He hands me the pale blue outfit as I stand before turning around to give me some privacy. With no where else to change, I had no other choice. I was quick, though. The window of escape was closing with every second we waste. Once I was mostly covered in the clothes, I gave him the go ahead to clean up the hairs from the floor as well as my dress. "We'll take the way to the incinerators to dispose of these. It's in the quickest servant passage out of here, thank god. My nerves may eat me alive."

"Let's hurry, then," I say while finishing the tie around my neck. We make haste, walking together with bags of trash to take to the incinerator without looking suspicious. I wanted to run but knew it would be wiser to keep the pace. We passed many servants on our way to the chute and past but none spared even a second glance. That didn't stop my heart from racing in my chest. Eventually, we successfully make it to the side gates outside. Now all that stood between me and freedom were the guards standing tall in armor outside of it. I feel I might faint when they stop us.

"Where are you off to?" One asks in a gruff voice.

"His m- majesty r- requested that s- steak was to be made for dinner tonight. The l- last cow was fed to Weston, so we have to go to the butchers to get some and put an order for more steers," my guide answers through squeaky stammers. I could feel the burn radiating from the guards' heated glares as they stared at us in suspicion.

'Please, buy it,' I pray, thinking of the worst that would come should they not believe us.

"Fix that damn stutter of yours, Dallas. You know his majesty hates people who stutter," the other guard reminds sternly, yet kindly. I thought I'd fall over then and there.

'Funny, he seems to love it when I do it.' They let us pass without further question or comment, to our relief, and so, we continue our pace into town.

"We did it," Dallas says in disbelief with a big smile on his face. "We're actually doing this."

"We have to keep moving. All Hell will break loose the moment the King finds me missing." I didn't mean to bring him down, but we couldn't be fooled into thinking we were free just yet. We won't be remotely safe until we're out of this cursed country. I pick up speed, but continue walking discreetly, and he does the same.

"R- Right." His smile falls.

"We have to at least make it to the next kingdom over."

"That's a long journey."

"Well, you have enough money for a horse; however, we'll have to get food and other supplies as well. We don't have enough for both." Calculating on the spot like this was stressful. I wish I could've been better prepared, but one must make do with what one has. Dallas hums in thought before coming up with an idea.

"Wait, I think I know someone who can help us. Right this way, miss." He takes charge, walking ahead of me to where we need to go. I keep my head low around the townsfolk as we weave through the morning rush, keeping Dallas in my sights at all times. I'd rather we not get separated yet, though later on, we might need to part ways to be safe, depending on how well our escape from the country goes. We soon find ourselves in an open marketplace and scan through the vendors before ending up at one of the booths. The servant calls out a name in a low, hushed voice at the empty counter.

"Marcy. Marcy, where are you?" I jump back when a girl with blue eyes and long, brown hair pops out of nowhere from behind the stand where there were some barrels. She gasps, her whole face lighting up as she raced towards the man at my side.

"Dallas!" She squeezes him tightly and sways him side to side, making him laugh. I can't help smiling as well from their familiarity, though I don't personally know them. "Oh, it's been so long."

"Not that long," He laughs and receives a light slap on the shoulder from the woman before she finally takes notice of me.

"Oh, who's this?" She smiles welcomingly at me, and so, I wave awkwardly at her.

"Right. Marcy, can we speak in private?" Quirking a brow at the man's serious tone, she nods and motions us to follow her into the back room of a nearby pub. No one spoke until we were alone behind closed doors.

"So, what's the news, brother? This was certainly a surprise visit."

'Ah, so they're related.' Made sense. They do look similar, hair color and all, except the woman looked a bit younger.

"We don't have a lot of time to explain, but we have to leave the country immediately. We fear there may be a bounty over our heads, not yet, but certainly soon. Well, hers will at the very least." Marcy looks me over again with observant eyes, and it took a few moments before things finally clicked. She gasps loudly, covering her mouth, before shouting at her brother.

"You kidnapped the king's bride?!" We both hush her, a finger to our lips, and she slaps a hand over her mouth again.

"Actually," I start, "I asked him to do this. The King, he... I want nothing to do with him. I never have. Please, I need to get out of here and quickly. We can't stay in one place for too long or else it's over for all of us. I apologize for roping you into this too, but we only have one shot, and we need to make it count."

"We? You're going too, Dallas?" She looks to her brother with sad eyes as she brought her arms back to her sides. The butler frowns and lowers his head in a nod.

"I'm afraid I have little choice. The king will kill me once he finds out I was the one who snuck her out." He faces me, and I give him apologetic eyes. I don't mean to uproot him from his home and family, but it was too late to turn back now. "She needed help. She saved me from almost getting killed by him. I couldn't leave her suffering in that place after she did that for me." Frustrated, Marcy groans and runs both hands through her thick locks of hair.

"You always get into so much trouble, you know that?"

"Please, Marcy," he begs.

"All right, all right, but only because I don't want my only sibling killed. What a mess you lot have made. Let's see... Father wanted me to make a shipment to the kingdom of Lollingdale. We can go there, but it's a three day drive by carriage."

"It's all we've got. I should be okay with my disguise for now, but we cannot stop moving."

"What about the short cut through the Rivara Forest?" Dallas suggests.

"Are you crazy?! That's where the bandits go!"

"But, it will get us there a day earlier. We cannot be captured if we want our lives." She lets out a sigh in defeat.

"I can be ready in about thirty minutes. Dallas, bring her to the cart out back. You two can hide under the tarp until everything is loaded." Relieved, I take her hands in mine, eyes laced with tears, surprising her.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Yeah, yeah, go on, you two. You best be going. If this is as dangerous as you say it is, we need to head out as soon as possible. I'll try to be quick." She nudges her head towards the door, and we each give her a nod before Dallas takes my hand and leads me to a simple, wooden carriage. The brown horses were not attached yet, standing at the stables and eating out of their hanging food bags, but a beige tarp was laid out over the merchandise in the cart where we will hide. The man lifts the cover before assisting me into the wagon and crawling in beside me. We shuffle to the back of it once we were covered before settling. Being so close to him now, I can hear his panicked breathing. Feeling guilty, I decide to help calm him down.

"So, what exactly is it that your sister is shipping?" I ask, my voice hardly a whisper. It didn't matter if we spoke quietly or not at this point. No one else was around the cart when we entered, but it was a precaution. He turns his head to me, fear evident on his face, but he relaxed slightly at my question.

"Alcohol. Our father owns a brewery. He makes the best beer you've ever tasted." He breaths out a laugh, clearly proud of his father's work. I smile at him.

"What brought you to service the king, then?" Normally, children picked up the trade of their parents, but perhaps he had other aspersions?

"I- I just figured we could use the extra money. The job paid well, but a few days in... The money isn't even worth the trouble. Your life is put on the line every single day. It wasn't at all how I imagined." He tears up, hands trembling again. I grab one in attempts at comfort? and he flinched before gripping it firmly. "And you?" I laugh bitterly.

"You must have been new not to know. My parents and I lived on a farm. We couldn't pay our debts, so we were brought in." I sniffle and cover my mouth when an image of my parents heads on spears appears in my head. I hold his hand just as tight now.

"R- Really? He didn't try to kill you?"

"No. I offered him a deal. I work for him until our debts are paid off, and he lets us go." A few tears slide down my cheeks as I roll onto my back. "But, he lied. He killed them and proposed to me on the same day, the same moment." I wipe the trails of water away, but they kept flowing down my cheeks. "He's insane and possessive. He doesn't even want anyone to look at me. I was only supposed to be a servant, but he wants more. How can I be with a man who kills everything in his path, who isn't even kind to the one he claims to love?"

"That's horrible. I'm... I'm so sorry. I understand perfectly now. If my sister had been in that position..." He holds back a sob. "I suppose that's why I wanted to help you. When I saw you scared like that, I knew there had to be a reason for it. You wouldn't risk something so great unless it was necessary. I thought, what would I do if Marcy ever ran up to me, asking something like that out of the blue? I would help her no matter the cost, no matter the reason."

"But, that is your sister. I am nothing but a stranger to you."

"True, but why should my sister be the only one helped in a situation like that? I don't like the idea of leaving someone to suffer if I could've been there to stop it, even if I, myself, am scared, and boy, am I scared." His hand shook a little more, so I caressed it with my thumb.

"You aren't alone. I'm near petrified." I close my eyes and sigh. "What's worse is I keep making the same, stupid mistake." My eyes snap open in realization as my gut twisted.

'Oh no. I'm doing it again, aren't I?'

"Why? What did you do?" I wish I didn't say anything now, but I suppose he deserves to know.

"I have a tendency of dragging others into my problem. I was friends with one of the King's assassins, and his head was stabbed through with a spear, same as my parents. I told a butler to give his majesty's lion a treat, thinking it'd be harmless. Turns out the butler was the treat. One of my childhood friends attempted to rescue me only to end up mutilated and thrown into my room. He killed a whole room of people simply because they saw me when I was indecent when he was the one who made it that way. Oh, god. I'm so sorry. I'm doing it again. You could die, and it's going to be all my fault." I close my eyes and cry my heart out. He shouldn't have helped me. I shouldn't have asked. Another death may be on my hands soon enough if this plan does not work. It has to. It has to. I feel as though this will be my last chance before I end up forever ensnared in the hunters trap, permanently on display at his majesty's side as his queen. I'm all but chained to his hand. I cannot go through with such a life. If I am caught, he will ensure I never leave his side. Any privacy I've had before would be no more, he might pull through on all his threats and doom me to a life of misery. I'm shocked to be brought into a warm embrace.

"H- Hey, everything is going to be okay. He can't do a thing in another country without them knowing about it. We can ask for protection or something. I'm sure they'll be able to make arrangements for us. Everything will be fine." He gives me a shaky smile as he wipes away my tears, trying to make things hopeful. "A- And, so what if I die? I'm no one special. A lot of people don't even notice I'm there, so I doubt they'll notice I'm gone. Even his majesty might forget my face."

"That's such an awful thing to say." I wrap my arms around him, feeling happy to share an embrace with someone who isn't a complete lunatic.

"No one deserves to die a death from his hand."

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King Noah's POV:
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I stand before my fiancée's door, exhausted. It was one thing after the other today, so I was unable to see her as soon as I would've liked. I had even forgotten to send lunch to her door with my time so occupied. I desire her to sleep in my room tonight, to save me from my nightmares that have seemed to have gotten worse. I want her to touch me with the same care that she used to.

I'm sure she wouldn't decline. Though she would glare and silently fume, she was hardly disobedient anymore. She has been so well behaved ever since I gave her that false threat. The guilt still eats at me, however, and it's begun showing in my dreams. Wretched dreams that I wish would just get out of my head. I don't want such sick thoughts to plague me. They might rule me if I'm not careful.

I have been better composed, lately, I believe. I had even stopped myself from killing for Y/N's sake, but perhaps it was because all I could concentrate on was her head nestling against my back. I feel warm just thinking about it. I take off my key and unlock the door before allowing Weston inside first. It has been some time since I let her see him, but I knew she was much more comfortable with the lion around, which I must admit, makes me jealous, but he's nothing but an animal. An animal that I am also quite attached to. I could never harm him, the same way I'd never kill the farm girl. She was far too precious to me to kill. I'm sure she will appreciate the gesture.

"I hope you didn't miss me too much," I say while shutting the door behind me. Silence greeted me, but not the usual silence. The room felt... empty. I gaze around. Not a soul in sight, but the bathroom door was sealed shut. Perhaps she was in there bathing or crying again? I would wait, but something felt off about this, and I'd rather ease my mind then let it run rampant with worry. I knock lightly to interrupt her. "Darling, I'm coming in on three." I hear no response.

'It's just like before. Relax. Nothing is wrong.'

"One." Nothing. My heart picks up its pace for an unknown reason.

"Two." What was I feeling so nervous for? She's behind this door, isn't she?

"Three." I wait not a second longer, forcing the door open and barging inside, but to my horror, no one was there. My eyes grew wide and my heart dropped. I spun my heel and ran out of the room, catching the guards that were stationed at her door by surprise.

"Where is she?! Did she not come back here this morning?" They weren't even able to answer me because I cut them off. My mind went racing as I looked about the hall in a panicked state. "Y/N! Y/N, my darling, come out!"

'Where is she?! The tea room! She must still be there. That's the only explanation!' Tears begin to well in my eyes as I ran in search of her. She had to be there. She couldn't have left the castle; she couldn't possibly! I would've been alerted right away by the guards outside. She had to be here somewhere! I was tailed by Weston and concerned servants but none of them registered in my brain. She's missing. My fiancée is missing! No one else in this world matters! I slam open the door to the tea room, but see it's just as empty as her chambers. I pant to catch my breath, completely distraught, as I slap my palms onto the clothed table.

'Come on, Noah, think! Where could she be!? The dormitories? The garden? Where? Where? Where?'

"Y- Your majesty, is everything all right? You seem pale." Asks a servant from behind me. I grit my teeth and snarl.

"No. No, nothing is all right," I hiss, removing my sword with one swift motion before spinning around to slice it across her throat out of anger. I had sensed her getting close to me, within arm's reach. Examining her now, I recognize her as one of my handmaidens. A shame. It's hard to find good ones. The others look on in terror and take some steps back as I point my sword at a guard.

"Put everyone on high alert! No one is to eat or sleep until my fiancée is found! No one leaves this castle or country without me knowing about it!"

"Your majesty—" I cut off whatever noise was about to leave that damn mouth of his by slamming his body against the wall, blade to his neck.

"I've already lost my mother. I'm not going to lose the love of my life either. So, either you worms get out there and ransack every room in this castle and tear down every house in this kingdom until you find her, or I'll do it my self and feed you and your family to my lion!" I toss the man aside, and he scurries away to do my bidding, while I turn to the rest.

"Put up posters. I want her alive." All of them nod before rushing after the guard and shutting the door behind them. Now alone I lash out, screaming out in anger as I destroy the table, the furniture, the wallpaper and whatever else I could get my hands on. I smashed the windows with my fists and toppled the shelves that held one-of-a-kind decorative pieces of china. None of it mattered.

'Where is she? Where is she?!' My eyes were on fire, burning through tears as I wrecked everything in my path, my only witness being the lion that was locked in here with me.

'I need her. I need her right now! Where could she be?!' Worn out, I sink to the floor in the corner of the