Chapter 2

She perceived the smoke but she didn’t pay any mind to it. She only tossed to the other side of her bed, releasing a sigh and falling back deep into sleep. Suddenly, someone tapped her hard on the shoulder and she grumbled in response while slapping the air to get rid of whoever was disrupting her beauty sleep. “Hilda get up now” a hushed voice whispered in her ear as the tapping on her shoulder persisted and she whimpered sleepily before she opened her eyes and it was Brad.

She quickly sat up and checked the time on her phone and it was way past midnight. Fear gripped her insides as she snapped her head back to him and she knew the only reason why he would be in her room by that time wasn't about something good. She was about to ask what was wrong when she heard a loud crash and when she looked out the window of her room, she saw flames. Wild angry flames flared from the other wing of the palace and it reflected in her eyes together with the fear that was beginning to eat her up.

“We have to get out of here now!” Brad yelled and she didn't waste a second more. She flung her blanket off her body and jumped down from the bed. Then she wore the first pair of shoes she could grab and ran out of her room with Brad holding onto her hand tightly. She didn't care if she was wearing a thin see-through night dress at that moment, all she thought about was her father and Alan. Were they okay or not? Were they going to escape the attack or not?

Brad pulled her down to the second floor as tears filled her eyes and she sniffed. The smoke was burning her eyes and she could tell that the fire had gotten to their wing. She wondered who it was that started such a great fire in their palace without dragging any attention or getting caught. They finally got to her father’s room and Brad kicked the door open. Hilda screamed in horror and her voice echoed through the walls of the palace as she stared at the charred body of her father.

He was dead. Gone. And nothing could be done to revive him because he was burnt beyond recognition. She ran into the room as her voice choked with her tears and she knelt beside his body. He didn’t even look like her father anymore as his lifeless eyes stared like an empty void. “Father?” she called, hoping she would get a reaction from him but he was stiff.  He was really dead. “We have to go now princess, the fire is spreading fast” Brad called for her but she ignored him.

He rushed into the room and grabbed her by the shoulders and she screamed and struggled to free herself of his hold but he didn’t let go as he pulled her out of the room. Hilda didn't want to leave. Her father had just been killed in a fire and she didn't want to leave his body behind but she had to. She had to stay alive so she could make the bastard who caused this to pay.

So together with Brad, they ran out of the palace as tears blurred her vision and she didn’t even notice the maids and guards that ran to and fro for safety amidst the raging fire that was swallowing up her once lovely home that she shared with her now dead father.

There was a car waiting and Brad was about to help her inside when she remembered Alan. “Where is Alan? I don’t see him” she asked, her eyes dashing around in panic to see if she would find her cousin. “You have to leave first, princess. I would make sure he is safe” Brad replied and she shook her head. She couldn’t afford to lose another family. “I’m not leaving until you find him now!” she insisted and Brad was about to reply when a bullet passed through his head and he fell dead to the ground immediately.

Hilda screamed and it echoed as the fear that enveloped her had no limit this time. She was frozen and crying uncontrollably. She couldn’t even bring herself to move as she stared at her dead bodyguard. Suddenly, someone grabbed her by the arm and when she looked, it was Alan. “Alan, you’re alive” she called in relief before she hugged him tight and he patted her on the head. He didn’t even care if she was soiling his clothes with her tears. “They killed Brad and we have to leave here right now” she warned him with a shaky voice and he nodded before he took her hand.

They didn’t know where they were running to but it was going to be safer to hide first because they couldn’t even see the attackers and that made it more dangerous to be spotted by them. It was going to make them easy targets. Suddenly, they were surrounded and Hilda held Alan’s hand tighter as she looked at the masked men. They began to attack and Alan let her hand go before he began to fight them. She quickly joined him and together they fought the men and soon, they were all dead even though they sustained cuts in the process.

Hilda smiled, feeling victorious, then she turned around to speak to Alan and she stopped in her tracks when she saw an arrow with a silver spearhead nestled deep in his chest and it looked like it met his heart. Alan was dying too and she wouldn’t be able to save him. She rushed toward him and he was already choking on his blood as he looked at her, his face already pale. “You should go now, Hilda. Go before they find you” he told as she cried. She shook her head. “I can’t leave you here Alan. You’re all I have now” She wept and he cupped her face with his bloodied hand. “You’ll be fine Hilda, just go. Please” he begged but it was too late.   Hands grabbed her from behind and a handkerchief was placed over her nose. Alan tried to fight for her but it was futile. He was too weak to even wield a knife or sword. Dots clouded Hilda’s vision as she began to get dizzy and the last thing she saw before she passed out was Alan getting stabbed with a sword.