Reunion

Inside the room, I collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion overtaking me. Annie sat down across from me, her face still hard, but her eyes showing a hint of softness.

"Why?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Why did you save me?"

She sighed, looking away. "You don't need to know anything."

I nodded, not asking further. "Thank you, Annie."

She scoffed, but there was no malice in it. "Don't thank me yet. We still have a long way to go."

The innkeeper brought us some food, and I ate in silence, grateful for the warmth and sustenance. The reality of our situation weighed heavily on me. We were fugitives now, with no clear plan for what to do next.

Chapter Thirteen

I wasn't sure how I managed to sleep that night, but somehow, sleep found me. When I awoke, Annie was already up and alert, urging us to continue our hiding. We didn't speak much; a cloud of unspoken tension hung between us. I had countless questions I wanted to ask her, but she seemed to hold all the answers and had no intention of sharing them. I wondered where she was taking me, but she insisted we were heading to a safe place.

Eventually, we arrived at a secluded spot. "This place is perfect for hiding," she declared. Though we weren't exactly out of the kingdom, we were distant enough to feel somewhat secure. My mind buzzed with questions, but I knew she wouldn't answer, so I simply nodded. She assured me we would be safe for now and mentioned someone would be coming soon. Curiosity gnawed at me, but I held my tongue, only nodding again. Annie's frustration at my silence was palpable, confusing me further. Didn't she want me to stay quiet?

Days passed, and I slowly adapted to our new surroundings. Life wasn't easy; the area was desolate, and we had to walk miles for provisions. Annie always went alone, returning in the evenings with food. I felt immense gratitude and offered to accompany her, but she refused. On the eighth day, she told me she would bring someone back and that I should remain calm. I nodded as she left.

Hours turned into evening, and she hadn't returned. Anxiety crept in. Then, I heard footsteps outside and rushed out to see Joel standing beside her. My heart skipped a beat. Had she betrayed me? Annie told me, "I already told you to remain calm. Joel is not the enemy."

I shouted, "He's not the enemy? He conspired with the prince to frame me! I almost died! Now I'm in hiding!"

Annie replied, "But he also helped save you. He had to follow the prince's orders, but he found a way to rescue you."

Joel spoke up, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't disobey him."

My heart tightened. So the prince, Jesse, really did want me dead. He toyed with me and decided it was time for me to die. My heart ached, but I asked Joel, "Why would I trust you now?"

"Because I saved your sister's life," he answered.

Shocked, I demanded, "What do you mean you saved my sister?"

He glanced at Annie, then said, "I'll leave you two to talk," and walked inside.

I stood there, speechless, waiting for Annie to explain. She just pulled her clothes off, startling me. She pointed to a scar on her left breast. "Remember when you accidentally poured hot water on me, and our parents scolded you for days?" She moved her hand to her left side. "And when we ran out of the palace without permission, and I got bitten by a spider? You cried for a week, blaming yourself."

She continued, "When you left me with Tamara, she almost killed me. But Joel saved me and got me into the archery school. I knew you were my sister from the start. But when were you going to recognize me? Why didn't you try looking for me?"

Her words cut deep. "I hated you. No, I still hate you. Did you work so hard at that school so you could be with the prince? Did you forget our parents and the revenge we were supposed to take?"

I collapsed to the floor. "Sister, no, no!" I rushed to help her dress, but she pushed me away.

"Did you forget about our parents? That was our parents murderer's son you were with!" She was furious. "I asked if you loved him in the prison, and you couldn't even answer. You disgust me, but I still can't watch you die. I planned never to reveal myself to you until after I avenged our parents. But Joel said we needed you for our plans. That's the only reason I told you."

I screamed, "Sister, no! I hate myself too, I swear. You don't understand. I love you, I've always loved you. I joined that school for revenge too. I admit I fell for him, but he made me believe his father wasn't responsible for our parents' deaths. He promised to find you for me. That's the only reason why."

Annie cut me off. "Enough. I don't care." She put her clothes back on. "I don't care about your excuses."

The weight of her words crushed me. My heart shattered, knowing my sister's hatred was justified. I didn't find her, I'm so useless.

I ran to her and hugged her tightly. "Sister, please forgive me. I know I wasted too much time, I failed to recognize you, but I'm sorry."