Page 19 of The Marked Princess

Well, here goes nothing.

She hadn't made it more than two steps outside the door when she felt a hand grab her waist from behind, pulling her back against a hard chest. With a startled scream, she lifted her dagger, prepared to thrust it backwards into her attacker, but the sound of a familiar voice in her ear had her hand falling limp by her side, relief coursing through her as she leaned back into the strong arms that were wrapping around her protectively.

“It's all right, Your Highness, it's me. It's just me.”

A sob tore at her throat, and she twisted around in his arms, hands clutching at the front of his shirt.

“He killed him, Alex. That bastard killed my father.” She raised her head, her red-rimmed eyes brimming with despair. “What do we do now?”

Chapter Eleven

Alex looked down at Josselyn, and his heart squeezed painfully as he took in her vulnerable frame. She'd always been an indomitable pillar of strength and courage, and now here she was, her spirit breaking to pieces before his eyes. He allowed himself to fold his arms around her, tucking her under his chin as he breathed a sigh of relief that she was at least physically unharmed, from what he could see. A crack of thunder brought him back, and he forced himself to let go, scanning the grounds around them as he did.

“The Antoski have taken control of the castle gate, as well as the main gate into the capital. If the prince has reinforcements on the way, they'll be able to stroll right in.”

Josselyn nodded. “Leaving through the front is a no, then.” Her gaze swung toward the back of the castle. “Mother,” she whispered, her voice filling with excited energy as she turned to look at him. “The mausoleum – there's a hidden tunnel in the mausoleum that leads all the way out to the northern forest!”

“Lead the way, Your Highness, but stay close.”

They darted across the grounds, almost invisible in the dark and rain. They had almost made it to the mausoleum, when the back entrance to the castle was thrown open, and an Antoski soldier came running out, looking around frantically. He caught sight of them and shouted, brandishing his sword as he ran toward them.

“I'm guessing they know you're not in your room,” Alex murmured, drawing his own sword before charging the approaching soldier. Just before he reached him, he slid onto his knees in the rain-slick grass, ducking beneath the Anotski's sword and slicing his own blade across the man's shins. He was on his feet before the man hit the ground, pivoting around and driving his sword between the man's shoulder blades.

He pulled his blade out and ran back to the mausoleum. “Get inside, now!” Josselyn responded wordlessly, her eyes wide and wild around the edges.

The inside of the mausoleum was dark, with only the faintest bit of light coming through the small windows. Josselyn slowly made her way over to a stone tomb in the back and grabbed the edge of the coffin's lid. “Help me move this.”

Together they pushed the heavy cover to the side. He looked to Josselyn for further instruction, but she was already climbing up into the open tomb. She lowered herself down through a small hole cut into the bottom of the tomb, only pausing long enough to whisper, “Down here.”

Alex swung himself into the cramped tomb after her and heaved the cover back into place over his head, which effectively covered their tracks but also cut off the little bit of light they'd had. Now there was nothing but pitch black as he made his way down the ladder into the tunnel below.

He could hear Josselyn breathing and and knew she was standing nearby, but he couldn't make out her figure. There was a creaking sound, like rusty hinges being used for the first time in a long while, followed by a clattering noise and Josselyn swearing softly. And then, there was light.

Josselyn stood up from where she'd been crouched down in front of an old chest. In her hand she held a lit torch. She grinned.

“Thank goodness I still remembered where that chest was. It's been at least ten years since father brought me down here.”

Her grin faded at the reminder of her father, and she quickly stooped to look back in the chest. She pulled out another torch, which she lit off of hers and handed to Alex before starting off down tunnel. They walked on in silence for some time, each lost in their own thoughts.

“So where exactly does this tunnel take us?

“The other end comes out in the northern forest, about a quarter mile outside the city wall.”

“We should figure out what we're going to do once we get out.”

“I'd like to head south toward Devon and try to meet up with General Weston. That, however, could prove to be a bit tricky, seeing as we're on foot. If Prince Stefan is bringing in an army from Antos, it'll probably be approaching the castle from the southwest. I wouldn't want to run into them by accident.”

“We could head east, keep to the fringes of the forest for cover,” Alex suggested. “Follow the Eastern Road until we reach a village. See if we can secure some mounts.”

Josselyn nodded. “East it is,” she said, as they came to the end of the tunnel. Alex extinguished his torch, placing it in a wooden chest next to the ladder leading up to the surface.

“Best not to come out all lit up.”

He started up the ladder first, pushing open a wooden door at the top. The opening was in the middle of a large stump, who's sides were a good two feet higher than the center. Leaves and dirt rained down on his head as he pushed his way out.

He peered over the edge of the stump before pulling himself out completely.

“Well, at least the rain has stopped,” he whispered, shaking the dirt out of his hair. Drawing his sword out of its scabbard, he kept a wary eye on the dark forest around him, as Josselyn made her way up.