Escape

Maria walked with purpose to her room in hopes that Alexandria would be there to let her borrow her clothes.

She was leaving her home and her people tomorrow, so she had less than twenty-four hours to find the closure she needed before she started on her next chapter as a wife and as Queen to a country she did not know.

Obviously she would come back to Greece, but by then, things would be different.

As Queen, she would never be able to escape to the market and break free from the clutches of her guards; multiple people would have jobs where their sole purpose would be to have the location of her at all times.

So when she made it back to her room and found that her maid was not present, she opened her dresser to find the most plain coat that would conceal her heritage and status.

She found a dark brown one that Alexandria must have left behind by accident, and without a second thought about it, she threw it on over her dress and pulled it tight as she ran out the door; she didn't bother to change her dress, shoes, or put on a wig like she usually did.

Because she was in such a hurry and had such a grave look on her face, none of the servants she passed dared to stop her or get in her way, so she was able to walk out of the front doors even though multiple people saw her go.

They were not used to seeing her in such a state, so none of them seemed sure on what they should do, for which Maria was thankful.

Even if one of them did decide to send a guard after her, no one apart from Alexandria and Jason knew that she would leave the palace on a regular basis, so if she kept moving quickly, she could make it to the market before they would be able to find her.

She probably had an hour or two, at most, to say her silent goodbyes.

Unfortunately since she was in such a hurry, she forgot to grab her coin purse, so she would have no way to purchase anything to take with her to France to remind her of home and her wonderful people.

She made it to the market and aimlessly walked around, making sure to view and appreciate every stall and the wonderful creations in them.

She took in the sight of every townsperson-- what they were wearing, how they moved, how they interacted with each other, what they bought, and she noticed that the numb feeling she had had all throughout breakfast was starting to be replaced by a gloomy warmth.

She would miss this.

Maria had no idea how much time had passed, but she still needed more, so she walked just outside of the hectic market into a small park with stone benches.

The smell of roses filled the air, and she looked up to admire the Parthenon that stood out in the distance atop a hill.

Greek architecture was unmatched, and even though it was one of the oldest buildings of the ancient world, it still held its beauty nearly 1200 years later.

She was sure that nothing in France could compare.

"I thought I might find you somewhere out here," a familiar voice boomed from her right.

Maria turned to look over her shoulder, and found Julien walking towards her.

He was in the clothes he had on the first time they met in the market, and he looked just as dashing as the first time she had seen him.

Julien took a seat next to her and looked across the plains to take in the breathtaking view that Athens had to offer.

Still looking forward with a calm countenance, he asked, "No blonde wig today?"

Maria let out a soft and short laugh before she sighed and returned her focus to the Parthenon.

"It won't be so bad, you know, being married to my brother," Julien started softly. Maria turned her head to face him as he continued, "He's a pain in the ass most of the time, but he is a good man. He will treat you with dignity and make sure that you are taken care of in any way possible. And if for some reason he doesn't, I will see to it". He turned to meet her eyes, "You will never be alone because you will always have me".

Maria felt her chest tighten and her throat close up at his words, and she had to swallow the emotions down.

She was so afraid of being alone, so him saying that made her body hurt with a gratitude and relief so strong that she felt like she would cry again.

If she tried to speak, she knew she would have to choke back a sob, so she remained silent and showed her thanks by grabbing his hand that was resting on the bench between them, and she gave it a squeeze.

He gave her an understanding nod before he turned his attention back to the view in front of them.

"We should get back. The maids saw you leave and were whispering in the halls, so I'm sure everyone will be out on a hunt for you soon if they aren't already."

With that, Maria stood up, pulled Julien up with her, and together they started to walk back to the palace.