Crack of Dawn

Her stay in the cave last night was brief, only arranging the two weapons and badge neatly on the small desk inside, before diving back into the water and returning to the garden.

Of course, she would have liked to spend more time in the cave, no matter if it was reading the books inside for the 100th time or letting her emotions loose on the many different instruments, but she couldn't stay. There was no telling when someone would enter the courtyard and come looking for her again, if she were nowhere to be found then, it would spell great trouble for her.

Even going to the cave when she did had been a huge risk, but it was one she was willing to take, both to hide her belongings and to return to her favorite place after a decade of absence.

So instead of staying in the much more comfortable cave that even had a small couch inside, Lei Mingxing huddled together in a corner of her mother's room and waited for the cold breeze squeezing through the countless holes in the estate to dry her wet hair and body while she tried to force herself to sleep.

And like always, she woke up at the crack of dawn, alone, only greeted by the spiders and other insects crawling around.

She casually brushed off the earwig that had made its way onto her arm before she stood up and gathered her still-damp hair into a bun the same way she had done the last few days, she then let her arms drop down limply.

Lei Mingxing stood still, unmoving, unblinking, only staring at the ground beneath her, her face expressionless.

Seconds passed and soon it was a full minute where she only stared.

Tears began to well up in her eyes.

She can't.

All throughout the night she had lay awake, unable to sleep no matter how much she tried. These endlessly long hours, until the light of day finally trickled through the slit of the door, had been the worst torture Lei Mingxing had ever experienced. It was like she had returned to her past, confined in a dark, empty room with no chance of ever getting out, only waiting for her next torturer to appear. Forever, until the day she died.

No matter if it was in the palace or that unknown place, it had always been the same.

But she wasn't the same anymore, she had changed, tasted the mellow sweetness of freedom and companionship.

Lei Mingxing glanced up at the faded portrait of her mother.

Her mother's face was almost impossible to discern in the still dark room, but Lei Mingxing knew that it was there, the ever-unchanging warm smile that had always acted as encouragement for Lei Mingxing, to allow her to continue bearing all the abuse.

Now...

Lei Mingxing had to avert her eyes.

Her steps were determined and quick as she left the room and closed the door behind her tightly, the hand that had pulled the door shut, gripping the handle to the point that her knuckles turned white, her forehead leaned against the wooden doorframe, before abruptly letting go and walking away as if fleeing.

Her pace was fast but her steps were precise, evading all the old and new holes on her way to the estate's entrance. She then quickly squeezed through the door and stepped outside. Immediately, she noticed the guards standing at the gate. They leaned lazily against the stone wall, with their arms crossed and their heads bowed, their glaives clamped under their elbow.

Moving even more deliberately and silently, Lei Mingxing snuck down the stairs, but instead of following the path leading to the gate, she turned left, passing through the grass along with the rising summer breeze until she reached the stone wall surrounding the entire courtyard. Although the sleeping guards were only about 10 or so meters away from her, at least she could see them and knew they were asleep, so after scrutinizing the wall in front of her for a moment, Lei Mingxing took a few steps back before running towards it and jumping up.

Her hands easily reached the top of the shingles on the wall and she held onto it tightly, even if their edges dug deeply into her stomach and scraped painfully along her skin while she struggled to maintain her grip. Kicking her feet off the wall, Lei Mingxing generated just the boost she needed to pull up one of her legs and press it against the sharp edge for a better hold. Thanks to that, she was ultimately able to drag the remainder of her body up.

On top of the wall, Lei Mingxing arduously suppressed the gasps wanting to escape her lips, forcing herself to take slow, quiet breaths. She didn't wait long for her stamina to recover however, raising her head slightly, she looked down the other side while surveying the surroundings for any active guards or servants.

Not seeing any, Lei Mingxing got up from her lying position and crawled forward, turning around, she held onto the the shingles once more before swiftly slipping down her legs. Hanging on the wall, Lei Mingxing moved her neck and face back so she wouldn't accidentally hit the edge with her cheek.

A final, deep breath later, she let go.

The fall was only about half a meter deep, but Lei Mingxing still felt nervous, pressing her mouth and eyes shut.

Her feet lightly hit the hard stone path and she instinctively sunk into a squat to break the fall. Snapping open her eyes, Lei Mingxing looked around in wonder at how smooth and quiet the landing had been, like a cat on the move.

But that wasn't important at the moment, so Lei Mingxing only shot a brief glance to her right, seeing that there was no sign of movement from the guards at the gate, she quickly got up and started running towards the bountiful bushes lining the stone pathways of the palace before diving inside.

Laying almost flat on the ground, the only area that was somewhat barren, she began to crawl forward, following the direction of the pathway while listening intently for any steps indicating servants or other people coming her way, careful not to brush against the foliage above her too much.

Small Theater:

Lei Mingxing: Princesses shouldn't climb walls or crawl along the floor? Princesses should have some dignity?

Lei Mingxing: Sure, but tell me, does a 'Princess' Dignity' help me escape?

Her family and staff in the palace: ...