Found You

A knock on the bathroom door jolted me back to reality. I realized I was still sitting in the freezing bathwater. Jumping out quickly, I almost slipped, nearly cracking my neck on the bathtub’s edge. My body felt like a block of ice. Taking careful steps, I wrapped a towel around myself and shuffled to the door, wondering if I was even allowed to wear it.

I swung the door open and found myself face-to-face with a kid. He was shorter than me, with dark hair and a pair of reddish-pink eyes. A purple bruise marred his cheek—a signature mark of ‘The Lady of the House,’ I guessed.

Curiosity got the better of me as I asked, "Yes?" He seemed familiar, but I couldn’t remember from where.

“You… were taking too long, so I came to check,” he mumbled, eyes darting away. Maybe I still looked dirty, even after that bath.

“I was ordered to assist you. I’ve already packed your suitcase and prepared the suit you’re supposed to wear.” His voice was soft, but before I could ask any questions, he exclaimed, “Oh, your hair!” nearly making me jump out of my skin.

“Huh? What’s wrong with my hair?”I asked, touching the soapy mess still clinging to my head.

“The shampoo is still in,” he said. Embarrassed, I hurried back into the bath, but he followed and started helping me with my hair like a professional. He even gave me a haircut, washed my hair properly, and got me dressed—all without me saying much.

“Done,” he finally declared. When I looked in the mirror, I barely recognized the stranger staring back at me. My once dull brown hair now sparkled, framing my face with a fresh cut, and my eyes seemed to glint with a hint of blue.

I turned to the kid, speechless. He nodded knowingly as if expecting my reaction. “You’re going away from here. You should be happy,” he said, his eyes reflecting a fleeting kindness. I tried to thank him, though I still didn’t fully understand what he’d done to turn me into this. The person in the mirror wasn’t me; it was just another illusion for the Lady’s schemes. Not that I could tell him it was my fourth time leaving this place.

Before we could exchange more than a few words, the Lady barged in. “Hurry! The carriage is here…” She stopped, eyes widening at the sight of me. “Hey, you! What kind of makeup did you use? I almost didn’t recognize him,” she snapped, interrogating the kid. He calmly insisted it was just “necessary grooming.” We both bowed to her, and he went outside to load my suitcase, leaving me alone with her.

She glared at me before gesturing for me to sit. We mostly had this meeting when I was about to go to work, and, as expected, she declared a new name for me. I didn’t have a real name anyway, so why not change it every time I left for work? “From today, your name is Graham. Got it?” she commanded. I nodded in agreement, but internally I couldn’t help thinking, Graham… really? She wasn't getting any good at picking names.

I listened to her briefing about the place I was being sent to, my heart heavy with the hope that this time, I wouldn’t come back.

The carriage ride began—a rare moment of freedom in my otherwise confined existence. But the journey took an unexpected turn when the carriage came to a sudden stop. “What’s going on?” I asked.

“The soldiers are inspecting every carriage at the kingdom’s border,” the driver replied. “Usually, they only check the ones coming in, but who knows.”

Fifteen suspenseful minutes passed. “Why is the prince himself here?” the driver muttered, his voice trembling. Really? Prince, a real prince! Curiosity peaked and I couldn’t resist peeking out the window. Soldiers surrounded us and I only had to follow their gaze, and there he was—the prince. Dressed in black, with a flowing cape and a massive sword at his side, he exuded authority. He had his back to me, but as he started to turn, I pulled back. Panic set in – what if he saw me?

Just as I began to calm my pounding heart, there came a knock on the carriage door. Fear gripped me as I opened it and a tall soldier stood there. This wasn't part of the plan. I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet I felt like I was about to face punishment for a crime I didn’t commit.

As the door swung open further, three soldiers loomed before me. The air thickened with an odd tension, The lead one seemed as stunned as I was, his pupils dilating. “What the…” he muttered, bewildered. One soldier left hurriedly, leaving me with the others, who then ordered, “Please step out of the carriage.”

My heart raced. Was I going to jail? But maybe that would be better than where I’d just come from. Slowly, I climbed out, only to be met by a powerful force colliding with me. Gasping, I stumbled forward, bracing for the worst, when a deep, commanding voice broke through the chaos.

“Riley…?”

The familiar name made me spin around. I found myself staring into the most stunning pair of red eyes, filled with a strange, disarming kindness. “How…” he began, confusion and recognition blending on his face.

“Sir…” A soldier’s interruption snapped him back to reality, but he didn’t let go of my hand. I, too, realized who he was—the prince.

Stumbling over my words, I managed to croak out, "My name... is Graham," though the name he’d spoken felt more right. His eyes clouded with confusion as he examined me, head to toe.

“Get the driver,” he commanded. The driver, looking nervous, was brought forward and interrogated and throughout the questioning, the prince's gaze remained fixed on me, intensifying my unease.

“I picked him up on the road, sir,” the driver said, clearly reciting a rehearsed story. “Just an act of kindness, you know.”

The prince arched an eyebrow, scepticism etched on his face. He was unknowledgeable about the fact that the driver and I shared a past – both slaves from the same place. Also, it was clear; that the Lady had orchestrated this narrative, ensuring that even the driver played his part seamlessly. Sighing, the prince nodded, eyes still on me, and then back at the soldier.

"Put him on a horse. Take the driver too.” The command hung in the air as I gulped nervously. Riding under the watchful eyes of a prince added a whole new level of uncertainty to my already turbulent fate.

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