Gabriella let out a deep sigh of relief and urged her mount to pass through the tree line. The animal made a weak protest, but obeyed and slipped into the quickly deepening wood. She hated to continue pushing her horse, but the need to be hidden before the sun rose was of great importance. The weary steed would get a rest when they reached the stream she knew to be close inside the forest.
Only a few hours earlier the young queen had slipped out of the small keep that served as royal palace for the burgeoning kingdom. Her husband, Aidan, was away at yet another battle. It seemed as if he was never home any more. She'd once hoped that the three years of peace following Aidan's coronation were a sign of change in the region. Unfortunately, their kingdom's prosperity had only served to invite barbarian invaders and the king had no choice but to call his people to arms. Aidan refused to lead from the rear. He'd left the castle weeks ago to fight side-by-side with his men, turning back assault after assault.
Gabriella had begged to go with him to battle. Aidan had given her a fair amount of training, after all. What good was knowing how to handle a weapon if she never got to use one? It wouldn't be her first time to see action, anyway. She'd taken part in dozens of skirmishes early in the kingdom's short history. She went with him everywhere. She hated not having him near.
But Aidan had insisted this battle would be too dangerous. Scouts had reported sighting countless barbarians approaching their realm. As fierce as Gabriella could be, Aidan needed to know that she was safe inside the castle, far from danger. He'd made her promise not to follow him this time.
Of course, this had left Gabriella to manage the trifling affairs of state while he was gone. She'd never been a patient woman. Her temperament was more akin to that of a warrior's than a politician's. But, she'd had little choice but to do her best to keep the schemers from tearing apart the kingdom from within while Aidan was away safeguarding against attacks from without.
The first few days were not easy, to say the least. Gabriella had no idea how Aidan always managed to keep a calm head while holding court. She'd lost her temper more than once. Only her mother's calming influence managed to keep her in check. Gradually, she fell in a sort of rhythm. She opted for deflection and delaying actions as opposed to meeting the counsel head-on. She knew that if she could simply hold them off until Aidan's return, he'd make everything right.
Unfortunately, his absence began to drag on and soon even the counsel started to lose patience. Their demands for attention grew louder and increasingly frank. Eventually, Gabriella couldn't stand it any longer. The constant bickering was simply too much. She refused to pick sides in their petty squabbles, but doing so meant listening to their ceaseless yammering.
Unable to deal with the constant stress a minute more, she'd slipped from the castle in the middle of the night. She couldn't go to Aidan. She'd given her word and she always kept her promises. But that didn't mean she had to stay at the castle. After leaving a vague note for her lady in waiting to find in the morning, she'd made her way out of the city and urged her horse into a gallop as soon as they reached to the open plain to the north. On the other side lay a forest so dark and thick that few dared to venture inside. She knew she'd find her rest there.
During a scouting expedition several years ago, Aidan and a handful of his most trusted men had discovered a small, ancient cottage hidden deep in the wood. It had long been deserted, but the exquisite craftsmanship managed to keep it standing even after countless years of neglect. The king and his men had worked day and night to expand the small clearing around the cottage and manage the most serious of the needed repairs before heading back to the castle. He'd taken Gabriella out to visit the hideaway a handful of times, but they were never able to stay long. Always, some pressing matter would arise and their tiny moment of peace would be ended.
"Not this time," Gabriella swore. The only other people who knew of the cottage's existence were away battling barbarians. She would find the escape she needed and stay as long as she desired.
It took her nearly ten minutes to find the well-hidden trail in the faint predawn light, but soon she came upon the stream and was able to give her horse a break. She allowed it to get its breath, to graze, and to drink while she took in the lush canopy above them. The thick foliage served as a curtain to the outside world, but wasn't so opaque as to block out the golden red sky lit by the morning's first rays. It was perfect. The forest all around her was beginning to wake, filling the airs without untold sounds of life. But for all the noise surrounding her, Gabriella felt as if she were enjoying silence for the first time in years.
After a time, she led her horse through the forest to the quaint cottage hidden in its depths. She settled in quickly, having brought very little with her, and began the idle chores of tidying the place after months without use. Time lost meaning as she surrendered to the calm surroundings. Eventually, though, Gabriella realized that it wasn't just the members of court who'd had her on edge at the castle, and the stress returned.
She was worried about Aidan.
She wasn't used to that. She was usually so certain of him, of his abilities, of his safety. Of course, unlike this time, she was usually with him. She couldn't stand having to wait for news.
And now she wouldn't be able to get news of the battle thanks to her need to escape the castle. But she couldn't go back just yet. It was peaceful in the forest, and calm. That was what she needed more than anything else. Waiting for word at the castle instead of in isolation wouldn't change the fact that she wasn't with Aidan; that she didn't know where he was. She let that frustration ferment into an anger that grew daily and helped to hide her worry. She hated him for leaving her, for making her promise not to follow. She was supposed to be with him.
Gabriella channeled her fury into a vibrant energy that offered distraction through activity. She made minor repairs to the cottage. She worked on some paintings she'd started months before. She practiced throwing her daggers. She remained active until long into the night, spending hours on each task, using the intense focus to remain preoccupied.
Hours slipped into days and her frustration slowly returned.
