Everything that happened last night was running through my mind as if I dreamed it all. The same questions popping into my mind that I kept having every night since that night. “Did that really happen?” “Where is he now?” “What is going to happen next?” I sat in my throne chair brushing my long blonde hair not realizing how rough I was being until I looked down and saw a chunk in my hairbrush. I began to pace my room wondering when my parents would come talk to me; they couldn’t possibly give me the silent treatment forever. I heard footsteps outside of my bedroom, it was as if my thoughts were spoken out loud. I sat casually back in my chair and heard the faint knocks as Rudy, the butler, entered my room. He was an older man; around the age my grandfather would be if he was still alive. I missed him every day, he was the only person my mother would listen to and yet was afraid of. Rudy looked at me than the floor. The light bounced off of his bald scalp and his dark brown eyes, that gave him the look of kindness. 

“Excuse me, Ma’am” he said. 

 “I’ve told you multiple times Rudy, not to call me Ma’am. I am not my mother.” I replied snarky. 

I knew I was taking my anger out on the first person I saw. It wasn’t fair because Rudy was always so nice to me, especially when I was grounded, which felt like all the time now.  “The King and Queen would like to speak to you now.” He said in a low voice. 

I rolled my eyes and replied, “it’s about time.” 

I walked down the long hallway, leading to the marble staircase, staring at the pictures of my ancestors feeling as if their eyes were watching me as I passed. Their eyes filled with the same shameful look I have received from the rest of my family. I approached the throne room and could hear my mother’s voice from behind the door, 

“you need to put a stop to this Arthur, she is behaving this way because of how lenient you have always been with her,”

 I heard my father clear his throat to retaliate. I leaned in closer to hear what he was going to say when the floor made a loud creak beneath me. 

“Alexandra you may enter” my father’s voice echoed through the door,

 I took a deep gulp and walked through the doors. There stood my father, tall with dark hair and the eyes to match. He looks like a scary guy at first sight, but if you knew him like me you knew he was a softy especially for his little girl, but not with my mother around.  Next to him was my mother, opposite features of him, ones that matched mine. Long blonde hair, dark ocean blue eyes, intensely staring at me. We sat in silence for a moment before my mother cleared her throat and signaled at my father. His eyes met mine, than the floor. 

“Alexandra, the stunt you two pulled last night was unacceptable.” My father said sternly.

 My mother gave a “humph” in agreeance. Before he could start again, she jumped in with what she had to say, “this is no way a princess should act, we taught you to behave better…” the words just seemed to fade away as I thought about what happened the night before. My family was a having a celebration dinner for having agreed upon my marrying of some prince I did not know. The whole family was there, celebrating, laughing. No one seemed to notice me in the corner thinking to myself, no one cared to ask me how I felt. As my mother went to give the final toast, a loud crash came through the window. There stood the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, but was banned from even seeing, Joshua. He had shoulder length brown hair that blew perfectly behind him, with big green eyes. Beside from his villager clothes he was everything I wanted, but my family just saw a villager. He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me to another room locking it behind him. It was shamed upon for royalty to be with another person unless born from royalty. My father began banging on the door demanding it to be opened. Joshua grabbed my hand and stuck something in it, and whispered before jumping out the window behind him, “see you soon, my love.” I shoved whatever was in my hand into my pocket, just as my father had the guards force open the doors. 

My mother looked at me with anger I had never seen before. “Room. Now.” 

She said in a surprisingly calm voice. I ran to my room and locked myself in and took the note out from my pocket.

 “are you listening to me Alexandra” my mother’s voice broke my thoughts, bringing me back to reality.

I looked at her and replied “yes.” She looked over me completely before saying, “you are to be wed tomorrow night, and I never want to hear or see this villager again, he is banished.” I looked at her with disbelief in my eyes, “mother you didn’t. This is his home, his family is here...” before I could finish, she cut me off, “what’s done is done, back to your room now.” I looked at my dad with a last resort of hope, but as always, he looked away, and I turned towards my room. As I entered my room, I heard the door lock behind me, and quickly went to grab the note I had stored in an old ripped stuffed animal. It read, 

“My dear love, Alexandra. This is no world for two people who just want to be together. Join me and we can run away together. Leave as soon as you can tomorrow night, and follow the directions on the back of this note. There you will find the sailboat we always dreamed about, be ready for your freedom. Much love, Joshua,” 

I smiled and folded it tightly, putting into my dress robes. The back of the note said to bring nothing so I would not be spotted. As I waited for the time to leave, I began reminiscing on when I first met Joshua. I remember seeing him in first grade. He was the new kid at our school.  He wasn’t dressed like the rest of us, he was in what looked like hammy down clothes from generations ago. No one liked him because he came from nobodies, a factory worker dad and no mother. She passed away during birth. We instantly became friends, and I invited him over. Shortly after he arrived to my house, my mother kicked him out and forbid me to see him. In her words, “my daughter will not be around a villager.” We remained friends secretly. Our relationship began romantically 4 years ago, we told no one but ourselves. It was our secret. We thought. Little did I know my mother had recently hired someone to follow me six months ago whenever I left the castle. When she found out about Joshua and I, she banned the relationship immediately. But, that made us want to be together even more. She knew that, which is why she sped up my planned wedding, thinking that would stop us. We brought our relationship back to extreme secrecy and I think she even believed it was over until he crashed the party last night…” Dong” the clock struck 9 P.M., it was time to leave. Knowing my parents would be sound asleep by then. I opened my bedroom window and climbed out onto the roof that I used to watch the stars on when I was younger. For a second, I felt sadness leaving behind my family, but remembered why I was doing it, and climbed down the big tree against my roof. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I ran. My heart was pounding against my chest, I thought. I couldn't tell with the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks. I kept running through the tall green grass which were starting to turn brown, no doubt from the cold weather sneaking up on us. The trees barely had any leaves left on them. I could hear the crunching of the fallen leaves under my toes. My toes, I had been in such a hurry after reading that note I forgot my shoes. Shoes didn't matter. All that mattered was making it there before anyone realized I had even left, which by now I am sure they have. "Just keep running," I kept telling myself, "you are almost there." The sweat was dripping down my face onto my chest. Wait, this isn't sweat. I looked up into the sky which was once clear blue but was now covered in gray clouds. It was raining and it was raining hard. My toes felt different, they felt soft. I looked down and I was standing in golden wet sand; I was almost there. I stopped and took out the note again, my eyes scanning the words that stood out, "leave as soon as you can," "runaway together," "freedom." I turned the note around looking for the directions, as if they would've disappeared. "As soon as you hit the sand turn right, and run." I did as it said. After what felt like a mile, I saw it. The sailboat I had heard of but never really imagined to be real; It felt too good to be true. It was more beautiful than he had described. I wasn't sure if it was the thought of the freedom the boat held or the waves crashing onto the side of the boat reflecting in the silver paint right beneath the words, "free at last." It was as if the sailboat was daring me to board it. I looked around for him but, he was nowhere in sight. I pulled the note out again, at the bottom it read, "I will be waiting for you beside the boat." I checked again but he was not there. My heart started to pound again; The thunder was getting loud as if it was yelling at me. There were many thoughts coming to my mind until, I heard the soft voice from behind me say, "are you ready to be free."