The Escape

A day had passed and Aria had still not seen Leon or stepped outside her room. She felt as if she were a slave inside her own home. The council would be determining her fate within a day and she feared for the worst. She wondered if the council would sentence her to death by burning. The thought of it sent shivers down her spine.

As she lay there waiting for a miracle to happen, Aria could not help but feel sorry for her mother. She remembered that night clearly when her mother was woken up at night. She was sleeping by her mother's side while her mother read her a book when a knock disrupted them.

"Come in please," the queen called and two knights accompanied by Lord Blackwood entered.

"It is time your majesty." The queen inhaled deeply and looked at her daughter. "Be strong my daughter. I will always be there for you." A tear dropped down the queen's face as she kissed Little Aria,s cheek. She muttered a goodbye to her and left the room.

Hours passed forming days and years and still no sign of her mother. Whenever she asked her father about her mother's whereabouts, he would avoid the topic or tell her that she was somewhere safe from the world.

Now as Aria looked at herself, she only wondered if her mother would have really helped her would she have been alive. Tears rolled down as she imagined what might have happened to her would also happen to her. But for what reason? Just because she was born having magic powers? Why was the world so unfair to her?

Just as she was lost in her thoughts, the door to her room swung open revealing someone least expected. "Leon. Where were you all this time."

"I don't have the time to explain but we need to leave now if you want to live." Aria was a bit confused by the sudden turn of events but eventually picked up and followed Leon outside. The guards had fallen down and she knew it was Leon's doing.

"What did you do to them?" Aria asked curiosity filled within her.

"I just let them take a break from their daily duties. Everyone deserves a break." Aria chuckled at his reply. He was really funny sometimes. The two hurried through the hallways avoiding being seen by the palace guards. There were two guards by the palace gates and they needed to get out through it."Stay here. I,ll be right back."

Leon walked through the opening to catch the attention of the knights."Hey," a knight called, "halt at once." Instead, Leon continued walking as if he did not hear what was said.

"Are you deaf? I said stop." When Leon did not comply, the knights drew their swords ready to attack him. He chuckled amused and drew his sword too. Within a flash, the two knights were down while he Leon stood there holding his sword. His hair was still in position as if he had done nothing.

Aria was watching everything that happened at the place where Leon had previously left her. She knew that something had changed in Leon. The way he flashed that devilish smile as if he was the devil,s reincarnate summed it all and she knew she had to be careful. She rose from her hiding spot all the while looking at Leon's right hand. Yes. She was right. The burn marks were gone and his skin looked perfectly fine.

"What are you looking at princess?" Aria looked away while nodding in denial. He seemed somehow cold from the usual Leon she was used to. She took a quick glance again at his hand to confirm that she was not actually hallucinating. Leon raised a brow this time amused by the princess behavior.

"I am looking at nothing. Nothing important." Leon led the way outside the palace and they were soon by the capital. It was already dark and only a few people could be spotted in the vicinity. Aria was glad that it was dark otherwise she could be easily noticed by the look of her attire. She was wearing a golden royal robe and golden shoes that matched her dress.

After walking for a long distance, Leon came to a halt at a house located on the outskirts of the capital. It somehow looked decent as if it belonged to a knight. Did he bring her to his house? Aria's eyes widened with realization. Leon knocked softly at the door and a middle-aged woman probably in her late fifties opened the door. She seemed to know Leon and judging from their looks, they seemed to be a brother and sister or a cousin.

The woman whose name was Lylla ushered us in and brought some food for us. She was kind to Aria and treated her with respect. Did she know that she was a princess? How would she fail to know keeping in mind that the plan was initiated by Leon.

Leon finished his food and started undressing his armor. Aria paused for a while to take a closer look at his arm. It seemed completely healed as if it had not got burnt in the first place. Leon paused when he noticed that she was staring at his arm. Aria averted her gaze and looked everywhere else but at his arm.

"Your arm. I can see it got healed." She said after some time. Leon nodded at her before he went to fetch a blanket for her. When he came back, Aria decided to ask the question that she dreaded most.

"I see that your arm healed really fast, sir Leon?"She eyed him raising a brow. Leon seemed to avoid the topic and made himself busy clearing the table. When he came back, he urged her to sleep instead.

"Sleep for now princess. We will talk tomorrow." He blew out the candles and wished Aria a good night. Aria sighed heavily as she thought about what her father would do if he found her missing. It would only be a matter of time before news of her missing became publicized. Knights would pour everywhere in the capital and beyong looking for her. The council would treat this like an act of treason and would have her executed at any available opportunity. She wondered what was Lord Blackwood's standing on her case. But judging from her past experiences with him,she gave up the hope that he would stand with her.

Throwing the blanket over herself,Aria slept on the makeshift bed prepared by Leon and whispered a good night at herself. Tomorrow would be a very important day in her life. She would determine her fate on whether to stay as an Avonese or to campaign against the law of magic, which would automatically turn her into a rebel.