Alliar

"Let go of me!" I screamed and kicked as I was thrown into a carriage. "No!" I held my hands out and tried to object but the force of a foot in my back forced me forward into the carriage, making me fall onto the small wooden floor. The thick dust rose into my lungs as I gasped. "Please!" I hissed with pain as I pulled myself up, and looked out at the window.

I got one last look at the crumbling walls and green pastures of the convent before the carriage jolted forward and I fell once again, this time, my head hitting the wooden seat with enough force to send me into a daze.

The small cheap wooden carriage spun a little in my vision and my stomach began to flip, threatening to spill the contents of my already empty stomach all over the rooting wooden floor.

I placed my hands on either side of my head, trying to stop the spinning as I looked around for another plan. There had to be some way out of this, some way of prolonging my life and procuring a way out of this blasted situation and back to my family.

The head sister at the convent had come outside as I watched Jacqueline being dragged away. Her stone face complexion free of emotion as she carelessly watched one of the girls she rose up and trained being dragged to her death. She had placed her hand on my shoulder and simply turned me away, telling me 'I was no longer welcome at the Convent'. Her reasoning - I hadn't been there for no more than two hours before I had caused more trouble than I was worth.

Leaving me there on the floor with the dust and my tears she turned her back on my poor helpless soul and let the smirking Reaper King rip me to shreds. I tried to run, I really did, but no matter how quickly I put one foot in front of another - he caught me.

It looks as if I was once again facing my death at the hands of that man.

I finally pulled myself back up in to a siting position on the chair in the carriage an evaluated myself. Hissing as the pain of my recent blow to the head and kick in the back was causing me.

Checking over my skin briefly I could see, the bruises of firm touches colouring me blue, many bruises from the nights before were already beginning to turn to a faded purple but now I had new ones ready to take their place.

The cart jolted again sending my figure into the air making me hit my head on the hard roof of the carriage.

I cursed in the most unladylike of ways and held my head like precious cargo. Another jolt and the carriage rocked violently to the side.

"What the hell is going on out there?" I pulled myself closer to the window and peered out at the scenery. Trees, twigs, fallen branches - all were making the ride as rough as possible as the carriage was being drawn into the forest.

I smiled. For the first time since I left home, I actually smiled with true meaning. "Idiots." We were in the forest; all I had to do was jump out and run during the next hard jolt over a thick branch. The driver - whom I suspected was Jonathan - would be too distracted the movement to look back and watch me.

Glancing down I went to open the door to the carriage when I stopped at a gruelling realisation. The handle had been sworn off.

I made a displeased sound with the click of my tongue and narrowed my eyes at the handle as if willing it to return. Maybe they weren't as idiotic as I gave them credit for - a true shame if you asked me.

But, when there is no door for a princess to walk through, one must come up with other alternatives. I nodded to myself in reassurance as I lifted my gaze to the only other way out of the carriage: the small window.

There were many things to consider when jumping from a window. First thing many people think of was the height in which they were to fall and how they were to land on the rough terrain below. I however was asking a much more crucial question - would my butt fit through it?

It wasn't exactly a large butt - I think? Maybe a little more round with a little more cushioning to soften my fall than most girls possessed. But, quiet possibly too round and cushiony for this window in particular.

Maybe if I angle my hips? I tilted my head at the window to see if the new angle may bring some more light on the issue. That was much more probable.

Taking a deep breath I then exhaled and held my breath hoping the lack of oxygen in my body may make it easier to slide my figure through. Pulling my arms and head through the window I braced for another big jolt as I put my feet on the chair.

I placed my hands on the outer walls of the carriage and continued to pull myself through the carriage before I hit another obstacle - of the butt variety. I was right. Much too big for a window.

Twisting my hips until I was at a strange and hard to keep angle I started pulling myself threw again - not caring much for the dismount. I was almost there when my butt once again stopped me - curse this blasted ass!

The horse pulling the carriage began to slow and my heart began to race. This was not the time to be slowing up you stupid horse! I'm still hanging out the window like a sack of potatoes!

I sucked in all of my oxygen and excess body parts and tried one last time to push myself out of the carriage. The pinching of my skin being caught by the wood lining the window was no doubt leaving me with interesting grazes and scraps and maybe even a splinter - and most certainly not in the places you want them.

My body began to fall forward with the last jolt of the carriage creating enough movement to dispose my body out of the carriage and spiralling towards to forest floor.

I pulled myself up, quickly not wanting to waste anytime. Ignoring the pain rushing through my body, I quickly broke out into a run. I didn't know where I was, which way I was going but only that I wanted far away from what ever fate that carriage was taking me too.

My hair ran wild in the wind, covering my eyes as I tried to peek over my shoulder and look for the carriage to see if it was following me - but there was nothing. Not a single horse or man in sight...

I broke through a dense lining of trees only to come face to face with muscles and sight of black glistening hair.

"Shit!" I cursed as I tried to stop running but I only slipped and fell. The black horse reared up at the sudden surprise of my approach. It's hooves kicked the air sending fear jolting through me as I realised, I was lying on the floor - right under it.

Princess Alliar, daughter of a great King, an heir to two royal bloodlines, fell to her untimely death by horse. Who would have guessed?

I flinched and braced myself for the impact of the bone crushing hooves as they prepared to land on me. The horses weight came back down to the ground, the majority of its hooves missing my screaming and fearful figure curling in on myself on the ground - All but one which decided to hit the side of my high thigh and tear at some very vulnerable flesh.

I cried out as the pain shot through me.

The hard pressure of the hoof that pressed into me was worse than the hundred times I was slapped on the arms by sister Clairea. My leg felt almost as if it was burning but I knew that was it reddening and possibly the layer of skin that was now missing. My muscle seemed to scream 'stupidity' at me for even putting her in this position - and honestly, I couldn't blame her, this bloody well hurt.

"What the hell do you think you're doing running out of the trees like that?!" The horse's owner scolded me in a familiar tone as he quickly tended to his horse not even bothering to check if I was still alive below them. "Easy girl. Ignore the stupid bitch."

Stupid Bitch? My pride reared her ugly head from the hole she had been hiding in. I swear if I wasn't in that much pain right now I would tie you to a tree and whip you with your own horse's whip.

Scrunching my nose, I pulled myself up a little more and looked up. The large black beast moved its head up and down towards me while the horse's owner stood with their back turned to me. Dark hair cut short, a fresh blue shirt with a shoulder pad and some light armour down his left arm.

The patterns etched in the shoulder looked somewhat familiar at this angle.

The man turned around and my heart stopped beating at the sight of the black eyes.

Just my luck.

He clearly wasn't the one driving the carriage.

Jonathan creased his brow curiously as he looked down at me - finally seeing me for the first time. He glanced around us, his eyes carefully studying the forest floor and snapped twigs for signs of the carriage that I was carried off in.

I turned my head to see the dense foliage once again offering me a chance, tempting me to run and try my luck out in the dark woods.

I flinched my leg in an attempt to move but the pain once again made me hiss.

"You're still trying to run? Even with a broken a leg?" He looked down at me with a lack of emotion.

"It's not broken." I defended my leg. "And I wasn't going to run, I was just looking around."

"Your poor ability to lie is seriously beginning to annoy me." He rolled his eyes as he bent down and lifted the shredded hem of the white dress, pulling it up over the wound so he could look at it. "You're right, just missed the bone by the look of it, you still probably can't run on it - though it may be entertaining to watch you try." He smirked.

"You're sick and deranged - " Jonathan quickly grabbed my chin and pressed my mouth shut.

"I have had enough of you." He spoke, his threatening words were spoken so cold and deep that with each word to roll off his tongue I immediately wished I could just lay down and pretend to be dead.

He forcefully pushed me back into the dirt as he stood up and returned to his horse. I pulled myself back up onto my knees and watched him closely - my eyes fighting off tears.

"How did you get out of that carriage?" He asked me without looking at me.

"I jumped." I decided to keep my mouth mostly shut for the time being. He was a hard man to read. All my life, my mother made it her mission to teach me how to pick up on the unsaid words of people - she called it a useful skill for a royal.

I had considered myself quiet good at it, with my attempts with my brother and regular guards - but now, now I wasn't so sure.

The only emotion Jonathan gave away was anger and rage. Occasionally, I saw a glint of curiosity or surprise but they were gone too quickly for me to be sure. Now, however, I didn't even see a glint of any other emotion, just pure rage and annoyance.

He turned to me, his eyes narrowed into neat little slits as he glared at me. "How?" He repeated. "The wood was bolted together from the outside, you are far to weak to break the floor and all of the door handles were cut off."

"I jumped through the window."

His brow creased even more now. His eyes roamed up and down my crumpled figure as he attempted to picture me climbing out of the window. He opened his mouth to say something before freezing again, probably considering another thought. "How the hell did you fit through the damn window?"

"Well, let's see," I took a deep breath. "I put my arms through it, then the rest of my body just kind follow - " He quickly threw a dagger in my direction. The sharpness of the blade whistled through the air, just missing my ear before it landed in the dirt behind me.

"Final warning about that sharp tongue Little Miss." He stormed towards me with annoyance and determination in his eyes.

"No please!" I started to beg as I tried to pick myself and run. He reached down and grabbed my hands, holding them both in one of his and moving them above my head while the rest of his body moved quickly to pin me down.

He placed his dagger against my lips. The cold bite of the steal pierced my bottom lip as he taunted me with the knife. "I don't make empty threats."

"I never thought you did." I whispered against the steal. "I'm sorry."

He forced even more pressure on my, his body weight - all though strong and heavy - didn't hurt or crush me. He knees was carefully placed not to hit my injured thigh and his slight hesitation with the dagger came as a surprise.

I had watched this man kill without even a inch of remorse or sadness. I listened to him lecture me about hesitation and how costly the quick pause can be, but here he was; hesitating.

I watched him closely. Perhaps he wasn't as keen on killing me as I first thought. Perhaps the reason I was still alive wasn't because I had myself useful or because Demetri had said a few words in my defence. Perhaps it was because he hadn't broken me yet - I was the challenge he had yet to over come so he kept me around until he couldn't anymore.

... But then I remembered the Convent. He was going to give me my freedom, and my life. Until I had heard something I shouldn't have. Something he obviously didn't want to become public knowledge.

"Where was that carriage going?" The question left my lips before I could catch them. The light whisper slowly dawning on Jonathan who still hovered above me - his body and dagger still pressed against me.

"To someone who enjoys teaching little girls who talk to much to shut up." He didn't even flinch; his expression remained the same sturdy stare. "You would have proven a real challenge."

He tilted his head as if he was looking for something, or quiet possibly as I had regarded the window, attempting to see at another angle.

Maybe it was time to take a different approach? Just like when in I was in the tent, I needed to think. Be smart about this and think before I let my pride bet me to an action. Instead of fighting him, I gave what I wanted and in turn I gained what I wanted - my clothes and out of that blasted tent.

What do I know? I know that Jonathan has a quick temper and is obviously hiding something. He doesn't want me to know what I know and has already tracked down and tied up a 'lose end' only seconds before me.

I also knew that I was now that same lose-end.

I know he was going to kill me but didn't, instead he was going to let me live because I had earned it or because Demetri refused to let me die - either way I knew making myself useful and keeping Demetri's trust was going to be a big part of what I was going to do.

But, more importantly, I needed Jonathan's trust.

If I gained his trust, I may have a better chance at getting back home. But how does one earn the trust of a man who seems hell bent on killing me or cutting out my tongue - prematurely.

Softening my features I let whatever innocence I still possessed and stared into his dark eyes. They were beautiful in truth. The dark pupil reflecting what he saw back to me with the just as dark, colourless ring around his eyes. "I won't say anything." I whispered, slowly running my tongue over my lower lip in attempt to get his mind off cutting out the vulnerable flesh and also to get some moisture back into my mouth.

"My lips are yours. Sealed, only to open for you." I left my lips parted, keeping the intense stare and placing my hand, gently on top of his that was still clenched around the dagger.

I wasn't manipulating him. I wasn't seducing him. I was simply a girl trying to stay alive, and it was clear, my inability to keep my tongue hostage during a conversation was clearly getting me into more trouble.

He didn't even seem to blink as his eyes narrowed ever so slightly at me. I didn't dare attempt to push the matter any more for fear of setting him off.

"I'll give you another chance. I may have some uses for you later on." He nodded and removed his dagger from my lips. "But, if you make one more wrong step, you will freely walk and hold your head on the chopping block."

I swallowed hard. The sudden realisation of my last ever chance to get this right was starting to dawn on me but I couldn't let my fear win. I would have to let some of my pride back in but also make sure I remained afraid enough to keep my pride from winning over.

"Of course, My King." I decided formalities maybe a good start, as calling him asshole may not be so favourable.

Sliding his dagger back into his belt, he grabbed my hands and lifted them above his head until they rested on his neck, then, sliding his arms under my body he lifted me up and over to the horse.

          ▪▪▪

Alliar seems to have dodged another near death situation. But, how long can she last with no more warnings left?

I am considering bringing in another POV to follow another plot that is currently happening to help when they collide. I am not too sure so I need your advice!

also...

NEWS!!! Hello everyone. For all of you lovely readers who have twitter, a friend of mine has started a twitter account called Dream_Expanders where she is going to be promoting different wattpad stories and authors. Now I don't know much about twitter so if you can't find her or want to help out with the promotion then please send her a pm 

Please vote and comment.

-Dream_big96