NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Escape
After hearing that some of the girls would be picked to go to the capital. She begged Haiza to help her get on the list.
"The masters are the ones to decide. Just impress them." Haiza had said to her.
By impress, Haiza meant to dance like a slut and arouse them. Show them that you can be a very attractive sexual tool.
But as a high born Lady, it was forbidden for her to learn such acts. Though she had watched the dancers occasionally at banquets and balls.
The masters came and each girl showed her skill.
Haiza gave them crazy belly dancing moves that she was picked in the first five seconds.
Ten other girls were picked while the rest were shoved aside like trash.
"You! Goldy!" The master yelled, pointing at Iris. Her blue eyes widened as dread filled her.
She moved to the center and did nothing but stare at them.
"You can do this," she sighed, replaying images of the girls whining their waists in her head and hoping she could imitate it.
She started.
Turning in circles and "Whining" her waist.
But even a log can do better than her.
She only realized that she was doing utter nonsense when she heard stifled laughs coming from the girls watching her.
She paused, sweat beads dripped on her forehead at the sight of the angry looking masters.
They looked like she was nothing but a waste of time.
The one in the middle showed her to the left side of the room where all the other failures were asked to stand.
"Please," She was about to beg, but the growl from the master made her shut up.
She sighed, disappointment covered her at the thought of how she lost her only chance of getting to the capital.
Her one chance at freedom and safety.
"Master Qin," Haiza's voice echoed, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
Even with all eyes on her, she didn't look fazed at all.
"Look at her, she's blonde, and has blue eyes. She's the only girl here with those features," She pointed at Iris and
all the eyes trailed back to her.
"She'll attract more men because she stands out. And she can be very seductive off the dance floor," she added.
The masters were shooting daggers at Haiza. They were angry she dared to speak without their consent and even tried to convince them about something.
But she stood with a raised chin, confidence eluding her.
"Join the girls," Master Qin said, his flaring nostrils going back to normal.
Iris almost fell on the travelling girls, as she jumped on Haiza with joy. "Thank you," she snuffed.
"We leave in 1 hour!" Master Qin said, the girls stopped whatever staring they were doing and rushed to their lockers, packing and arranging.
The trip started exactly one hour later.
To Iris's surprise, the carriage they were all yapping about was not a carriage. It was a big wooden cart that looked like something used to transport animals. It looked nothing like the ones she used back in Taff Hills.
But who was she kidding? These people, including herself, were nobodies.
The ride started, and the coaches rode day and night. No stopping.
They only stopped once a day for one hour, for everyone to relieve themselves, to get food and then continue.
About Four days later, they were in the borders of the capital.
"I don't know what your desperation was about. But don't do anything that'll get us all in trouble," Haiza whispered in her ears.
She shook her head, nodding in agreement. But her plans wouldn't change.
Now that they were in the capital, she needed to escape and find the Baron.
"There'll be no more stops until we get to the castle," Master Qin announced.
All the ladies squealed in excitement.
"We are so close to seeing the princes." One jerked in joy.
"All five of them!" Another added.
Iris could only stare at them in silence.
They all knew there's no happily ever after with the royal family. The princes all have to marry someone of noble birth.
Though, if they are lucky enough, they'd pass for concubines.
She shuddered at the thought of it.
Remembering the number of concubines her brother Eden had back at home and his wife couldn't say a word, it was the norm.
She thought of how that would have been her faith with Lord Dominic too.
Ohh, the dread.
But her thoughts and fears travelled back to the fact that the carriage, in fact, did not stop.
Soon, it looked like they were leaving the capital and up a cold mountain.
She could spot the tall towers atop the dark mountains.
THE ROYAL CASTLE.
The Baron's manor should be in the city that she could barely see now.
Out of reach.
And there was no room for escape now. Not with Haiza's brown eyes drilling into her worried ones.
Not with the hefty men in the cart with them.
They wouldn't hesitate cutting her head off for the pleasure of it.
So she swallowed and accepted her faith.
The carriage stopped in an estate outside the main castle. The kind of estate for guests that the king didn't want too close.
"The ball is tomorrow. Get some sleep, practice, and leave the rich men wanting more," Master Qin said, after giving the girls a room for the night.
"Don't try anything funny," He warned before shutting the door.
Why did it seem like everyone knew she was up to something?
They all went to bed in less than an hour.
Everyone was exhausted.
Everyone, except Iris.
Her eyes flew open the moment she was sure everyone was asleep.
As risky as it was, this was her perfect opportunity. Everyone, including master Qin, was exhausted. Sneaking out shouldn't be that hard.
She opened the glass window after making her way there in tiptoes.
Lucky for her, their room was on the ground floor, so it wasn't hard to jump out the window.
The moment her feet hit the damp grass outside, she did not turn to look at the room, or the window she had just jumped out of.
Instead, she raced towards the tall walls of the estate since the gates were guarded.
She climbed up the rough brick walls as fast as she could. The rain drops that had just started dripping made her work a bit harder but she made it. And soon, she was on the other side of the wall.
She kept running, too scared to look back and see if she was being followed.
She came to an abrupt halt when her face and whole body collided with a wall.
"Ah,"
She looked up,
There was no wall.
No, a tall strong figure, with eyes that shone red in the darkness glared at her.
Oh, Oh,