Chapter 21

Several days passed. The stress was building on him weighing him down. He did not know what to do. He wasn't even paying any attention to any of the adults who spoke about what was right or wrong when ruling the Kingdom. He asked many of his subjects and teachers what they thought about the peasants turned to slaves and the wars his uncle made. No one said anything negative. They all believed his doing was the right way. He was unsure if it was because that's what they truly thought or they were afraid with their lives if they opposed against the King's way of ruling the Kingdom. He needed to get out of this castle, it was suffocating him. And here he didn't know what was right and what was wrong. He had to get out. Danzel skipped one of those lessons. He knew sooner or later that once they hear of his disappearance, the guards would be after him. Everyone knew of the one and only way to get out of the castle walls and that was by going through the huge gate that was guarded.

What they did not know was he knew another way out. He was ecstatic when he found the entrance. While strolling to the court yard he just happened to see a large hole that was hidden by a huge bush. If you weren't paying attention, then you could miss the little part of the hole that showed itself off. Trying to stay out of sight once he was in the court yard, he made his way over to the huge bush that held his escape. He pulled the plant away from the wall to make room so he could crawl in. The plant did not move to his will, so he had to force his way in. The Prince had to get onto all fours to squeeze into the tight spot. He did not care that his clothes would soon have dirt on them, he just wanted out. He squeezed himself through the tight hole almost thinking that he was not going to make it. He reached out for something on the other side to grab. He was lucky that there were strong roots sticking out of the ground on the other side. He grabbed a hold of them and pulled with all his strength. He was able to pull himself out of the hole but was hit in the face with the bush that hid the other side.

The Prince made his way through the bush and soon was able to stand up on his feet. He patted himself off. He turned to look at the huge wall that the castle stood behind. He had to make his way through the Noble's territory. He didn't want to be seen by anyone from there. He hid in the shadows as he watched the Nobles continue their daily routine. Some were shopping at the markets, some were making conversation on the side of the walkway.

They can live a happy life because they have money, but what about those who don't have the money. How do they live? Danzel thought. He was curious to what their lives looked like. Walking to the Noble's village, he was wary that someone would find him. He had to cover himself. Danzel was in luck. He found someone's hooded jacket that they had laid on the back of the chair. With caution, Danzel walked over to the chair and swiped the jacket without anyone noticing. He put the jacket on making sure the hood hid his face and made his way through the gate that separated the Noble's and the peasants. The village was nowhere near as joyful as the Noble's area that he just left. It was not over run by people swarming the markets door having conversations on the side of the road. He walked through the deserted village. There were a few people that he had seen inside some of the homes. He peeked into the windows to get a closer look, and realize the place he was looking out was not a home, but a workshop. Several men, women, and children were in the shops and they were sewing clothes and shoes.

"Damn it slaves!" Danzel heard a guard yell out. The sound of the whip hitting flesh caught the boys' attention. "Do you call this proper sewing? Redo it!" The man yelled as he threw the half sewn shoe at the young woman. She obeyed the man as she removed the stitches and began again. The teenager couldn't watch this anymore. He pushed himself away from the window. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. This was what his uncle believed was right? Danzel began his journey again when he noticed some guards heading his way. Freaking out, he ran to the closest shed he found. He slammed the door shut and caught his breath. He waited for the guards to come, but they never did. He took in his surroundings. It was a mess. There were crates stacked higher than him. With the stress on his body he felt weak. He needed to lay down for a bit. He found a spot that looked cozy enough. Danzel took off the jacket he had stolen from one of the Noble's and bunched it up into a ball. The teenager used it for a pillow and laid down. He planned for a short nap, but instead he fell into a deep slumber.