Chapter 2 The Naked man in the pool

DANIKA’S POV

And this being the third bridal selection Lord Lucien had organised this year gave me more reason not to marry him.

The last brides were slaughtered because they gave birth to females.

A total of seven women!!!

I shook my head, refusing to entertain the thought any longer.

There was one person who could help me. My aunt.

She was a baker in the next town, a few hours away from ours. Unlike my father, she had never believed that being born into nobility meant sacrificing every other dream.

When I was younger, she'd secretly taught me a few dance steps whenever she visited.

My father had nearly disowned her when he discovered she'd encouraged my interest in dancing.

Since then, she had rarely been allowed to visit.

Fortunately, we'd found other ways to communicate.

I had sent her a letter explaining everything, and she'd promised to help me.

She'd even included a map showing me how to reach her bakery without passing through the main town gate, where my father's guards might recognise me.

I reached into my backpack and brought out the folded letter she'd sent in return.

I read her comforting words twice before folding the letter and putting it away.

My eyes stung.

I changed out of my expensive gown and put on a simple dress. Then I removed the gold jewellery from my neck and wrists, placing everything carefully inside my wardrobe.

For a moment, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

The girl staring back at me looked terrified.

Her eyes were swollen from crying, her cheeks were still red, and her hands trembled as she adjusted the straps of her backpack.

I swallowed.

“You can do this, Danika.”

My reflection didn't look convincing.

“Stop looking at me like that. You're making me nervous.” I said to myself.

I sighed, grabbed my bag, and walked towards the window.

My bedroom was on the first floor, and a sturdy trellis covered part of the wall outside. I'd watched the maids use it to reach the upper windows when cleaning the exterior.

Surely, if they could climb it, so could I.

I opened the window and peered outside.

The garden was quiet. Most of the servants had retired to their quarters, and the guards stationed near the main entrance were too far away to notice anything happening on this side of the mansion.

I swung one leg over the windowsill.

Then the other and immediately regretted every decision that had led me to this moment.

The trellis looked much sturdier from inside the room.

Outside, it looked like something that would break if I sneezed too hard.

I glanced back at my room.

My comfortable bed, golds, my perfectly good life of imprisonment.

Perhaps I should reconsider.

I could go downstairs, apologise to my father, marry Lord Lucien, and spend the rest of my life regretting everything and who knows, I might be lucky to birth a male.

I exhaled.

I tightened my grip on the trellis and began climbing down.

My hands were sweating, my legs were shaking, but I kept on climbing down till my feet finally touched the ground.

Now all I had to do was get out of the mansion grounds.

I crept along the wall, keeping my head low whenever I heard footsteps.

Then I ran past the flower garden, through the narrow path behind the stables, and towards the small opening in the wall that the gardeners used to carry supplies.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

When I finally slipped through the opening, I stopped and looked back.

My father's room windows glowing brightly in the darkness.

I turned away before I could change my mind.

The first hours of my journey went surprisingly well.

I followed the main road until I reached the forest path my aunt had marked on the map. Then I turned onto the narrower trail that would supposedly lead me to the next town.

The air was cool, the trees swayed gently in the evening breeze, and the distant chirping of crickets was heard.

For a while, I almost enjoyed myself.

No maids following me around and no father barking orders.

I smiled.

Maybe running away hadn't been such a terrible idea after all.

The moon was covered with a thick cloud and the forest was growing darker.

I glanced at the map, looked at the path ahead of me and back at the map.

Something wasn't right.

According to my aunt's instructions, I should have reached a small wooden bridge by now.

Instead, I was standing in front of two paths that looked exactly alike.

I turned the map upside down then sideways, same result.

“Am I lost?”

It's barely three hours, and I'm already lost?

The only time I'd ever been outside the mansion without supervision was when my aunt took me to a festival years ago.

I'd spent my entire life sheltered behind stone walls, surrounded by people who did everything for me.

Now I was alone in a forest, with no idea where I was going.

For the first time since leaving the mansion, the reality of my decision settled over me.

What if I couldn't find my aunt?

What if I got lost and never made it out of this forest?

My throat tightened.

I hugged my backpack closer to my chest.

With renewed determination, I chose the path on the left and continued walking. Anything is better than going back.

The trees became thicker. I could hear the faint sound of rushing water somewhere ahead, though I couldn't tell how far away it was.

I continued towards the sound. The rushing grew louder.

Branches brushed against my dress, and I had to push aside several bushes to make my way forward.

Then, suddenly, the trees opened up.

I stopped.

Before me stood a breathtaking stretch of forest I'd never seen anything like before. Strange violet flowers grew between the rocks, their petals glowing in darkness, a flying squirrel and a purple -coloured moon.

The air had this sweet Jasmine smell.

I stared in awe.

I was too busy staring at the strange surroundings to notice the patch of slippery ground ahead.

My foot slid. My arms flew out instinctively, and I tried to grab a nearby branch but I missed.

“owww!”

I screamed as I plunged into a steep, narrow pit, sliding helplessly down its rocky surface.

My backpack bounced against my shoulders,and dirt filled my mouth as I tumbled farther down.

I tried to grab something.

But the walls were too smooth, and the slope was too steep.

“Help! DADDY!!” I cried out.

I saw light ahead and before I could understand what I was looking at, I shot out of the pit into empty space.

For one second, I was flying through the air.

Then,

SPLASH!

I landed inside a cold stream.

I plunged beneath the surface, my backpack dragging me down as bubbles rushed past my face.

I kicked desperately, trying to figure out which way was up.

Finally, I broke through the surface with a gasp.

I blinked water from my eyes and looked around.

I wasn't even in an ordinary pool.

The water is a mixture of natural water colour and purple, with glowing flowers swimming on it.

A magnificent waterfall cascaded down the rocks behind me, filling the air with mist.

Purple and white flowers covered the surrounding rocks, and tiny lights drifted between the trees like floating stars.

Where in the world had I fallen?

I heard a cough behind me, I turned back only to see a naked man bathing in the purple pool!!!

My eyes drifted down and I caught hold of that thing – Yes, that exact thing.

Tears filled my eyes immediately.

What in the world of dickery is this?