Chapter 2| Getaway

“Hello, father”

Diana slowly walked into her grand dining-room with a festive chandelier on top of the ceiling, blinding her eyes while the streets outside veiled with grey mist. She walked over through the table and sit beside her step-brother, Edmund Prince. Edmund gave her an assuring glance, it somehow calms her down perhaps it could be those shady hazel-eyes. Edmund is Diana’s step-brother but ever since Edmund came into her life it becomes more and more serene and enduring, Edmund is the brother everyone could ask for, He took advantage to defend my knit as a teenager, to play, to explore and make friends. Edmund just wants the best for me, to study and to have thoughts full of knowledge since he knows that I really admire a hundred pages of books. He even urges me to study abroad at university to hang out and take on the world. Well, it’s easy to say than done.  

“You’re late for the afternoon tea.”

“I know father, I’m sorry.” 

Her voice low and narrow. Diana’s eyes training down the teacup, her hands looking for warmth beneath the fringe of the teacup. Diana managed to settle her eyes to look at her fiercely looking father. She looks at her vision in the teacup filled with earl grey flavor. 

“If I saw you talking with that filthy boy again or even dare to sneak at midnight, he’ll regret it.” 

He replied cold civility and confidence filled his voice. He utters those words without mercy. Diana's astonishment was beyond expression. She stared, colored, and doubted.  She just sits still, unable to open her mouth.

Edmund pleads her. 

“Father, she’s only thirteen.” He whispered sharply there’s intense pressure on his voice. Diana’s eyes are filled with fear, she’s scared of what will happen if Edmund loses his temper, Edmund is a down to earth and loving, but now Diana is just seeing the other side of him. 

“Is there anything you wanted to tell me father? Edmund, please stop defending me. I can do this myself”. Diana just stares back at his father’s eyes, fearless and gallant. She’s unafraid of what might happen if she dares say a word. 

“Are you confronting your own father?” He did not try to low his voice yet he speaks to us like we are a deaf person.

Edmund felt himself growing angrier every moment, yet he tried to the utmost to speak with composure when he talks. Diana holds his brother’s hand, she could feel uneasiness and anger from him.

“Stop defending your sister, Edmund!”

“Father, she’s only making friends because she doesn’t have any, let her be.”

“She shouldn’t be talking with an orphan, a hideous looking boy who works in our garden.”

“Father!” 

Diana was so angry, she hardly speaks but when those words came out from her father’s mouth, she’s losing control, her very own friend being blamed for this turmoil, it’s supposed to be her. 

“Father, I’m trying to be reliable here, but you never understand, you never want to listen, not a single word just please stay away from my life and how I wish mom’s here but she isn’t, she died! I just hope you could’ve done better for us for mom, apologies to me for being rude, and please do not look for me, I am going away far from here, far from this depth of despair, I just want to be happy like everybody else, I am tired and sick of all of this nonsense constantly breaking my sentiments and I want to be free, is that too much to ask?” 

Diana cried like she never been cried before, she is just a miserable little girl, unhappy and desperate, her eyes are puffy and red, she sobs silently. Edmund stood beside her, putting his arm around her, protecting her from all the evil things in the world, Diana leaned down to his shoulder and continue sobbing quietly. No longer, Diana slipped away from the dining room leaving her father dumbfounded.

“I must say I agree with her.” Edmund’s complexion became pale with anger, and the disturbance of his mind was visible in every feature. He went out without a single glance and slammed the door shut. Edmund looked for her, the place where she loves to be alone to think. 

“Hey, you alright?” He sat down beside Diana who is now plucking the grasses angrily.

“Sorry, Ed”. Her eyes fixated on his, as usual, the serene feeling from his eyes. 

“For what?” he demanded. 

“What you did was brilliant, you snapped him”.

“Um, I don’t even know why I did that”. 

Suddenly feeling proud of herself, she gave a warm smile to Edmund.

“Well, you can guess where that came from”. Intrigued by her answer, giving her a shove on the elbow.

“Ouch! What do you mean? Of course, I have it from mom”. Diana laughed mockingly.

“I know Diana but what is so wrong to make friends, all I know is you being locked up in a room reading hundreds of books, without going anywhere socialize”. said Edmund impatiently. 

“About going away from here, I mean it, Ed, I want to travel and learn something new, something incredible, where I can peacefully grow up without being anxious and scared of what others would say” Diana took his brother's hand and gave him an assuring look. Edmund saw her fidelity behind those eyes, and Edmund knows if he holds her any longer, her future will be shattered. 

Diana only giving him a lop-sided smile, she longed to speak but could think of nothing to say. She wishes that she could run from this utter mess and live alone without any shouting, fighting, tables-banging, and doubtful love. Even birds need to fly free.

“All I want is us to be happy, having dinner without arguments or scared of being blamed, but things seem to be the opposite”. She sighed leaning her back against the oak tree, her eyes slid through the slit of the tree canopy.

Edmund made no answer, and soon afterward got up and walked towards the horse stable. Leaving Diana staggered.

“I beg your pardon, Mister Edmund, I’m still talking”. Astonished by his sudden behavior.

“I wanted to show you something”.

“You’re joking”. 

“Am not, I’m walking to the stable right now and you’re obviously following me with your two legs”. He complements.

“Well-it’s wait!” She rhymes her walk with Edmund and manages to keep up.

“Edmund are you being serious right now?”

Gazing at his tall feature, his brownish hair covering his forehead. He puts a saddle on one of his black horse named Black, he is a fine horse witha black coat. Edmund pats his forehead softly and start putting a small saddle with a strap around the tail to double up, the horse started to neigh with joy.

“Hey, saddled up Beauty.”

“What?! No, I’m not going with you, it’s a bad idea.” 

“You’re afraid.”

“I’m not, I just want to stay out of trouble.”

“I thought you love trouble, fine then, Goodbye Ms. Stay-out-of-trouble.” He pulled the leash and the horse started to trot slowly.

“Fine! I’m going if something happened this is all your fault Ed”.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***