She couldn’t stay in the palace tonight. She simply couldn’t. She was tired of her heart being tugged like a fish on a hook each time the prince crossed her path. She changed out of her dress, leaving it in a puddle on the floor, and slipped on something more reasonable. Then she disappeared into the basement.
For some reason, she longed for the den. She hardly knew any of them, but already, they felt like family to her in comparison to this cold and empty place. She moved in a haste, down to the secret tunnel, feeling her way through the dark until she found the strand of pale light that marked the exit.
Then she shoved her way out and ran as fast as her legs would take her.