~ ZARA ~
Where were the servants? Why wasn't anyone shouting or running after me?
What the fuck was going on?
I made it to the stable and gulped down some water from one of the troughs, then found a handful of horses, but there were no grooms. Nothing. As if the place was deserted. I could only find one saddle, and it was so intricate, I didn't have a clue how to get it on the horse, let alone make it safe to ride on.
Then I heard a bang that echoed from a distance—a door into the house slamming? Had he seen where I'd run to?
There was no time. I had to run.
Unable to see whether anyone was approaching from the house, I darted out of the stable from the other side, where it was shaded with trees, then I started to run, praying, praying, praying that my father wouldn't find me. Didn't know which direction I'd gone, and that he wouldn't actually kill my mother.
Please… please…
*****
