Free Before Beauty by Brittany Fichter Page B

jumped down to help her up. It had taken her a moment before
she could shake the giddy fog from her mind, and by then, he had
left her side. Instinctively, she’d run and grabbed his sleeve,
unaware at the time that it was inappropriate to touch a
sovereign.
    The pain of the horse’s hooves had
been excruciating, but what she had never told anyone was that the
pain hit before the horse’s heavy hooves ever touched her. The
moment he shook her off, a white hot pain had shot through her, as
if he’d taken a branding iron and made her blood burn. The animal
that had trampled her seconds later had left its mark for the rest
of the world to see, but Isa could still recall the first pain more
clearly than that of her broken ankle and wrist.
    If the prince had threatened her
family, Isa had no doubt that he had the ability and the intentions
to carry through with his plans, Caregivers or not. There was no
other choice.
    Isa would have to go to the
Fortress.
    She nearly had nearly started back
downstairs to tell her family, when she quickly realized they would
never listen. Her father would die before he let her go, and her
headstrong brother would probably get himself killed as well. She
would need to leave before they had a chance to try anything
foolish. So she returned to the family, but stayed quiet. Her
father was instructing them on how to prepare for their
journey.
    “ We must bring as little as
possible and go about our business as normal for the rest of the
day. I don’t want anyone aware that we’re all leaving. Only the
Caregivers will know.”
    “ And our mercantile?” Everyone
turned to see little Megane standing in the doorway, her face
white.
    “ I am sorry, Megs.” Ansel sighed
and held his arms out to her. “I didn’t see you standing there. No,
we will have to leave our shop. But it will be alright. We will
have one another, and we will set up a new life in the new land
where Marko takes us. But we must not tell anyone, you understand?
Anyone at all.”
    Megane nodded seriously, her
golden curls and round blue eyes shining brightly in the fire’s
light.
    “ That’s my girl,” Ansel put his
hand gently on her head before dismissing them all to do as they
were told.
    With a tight throat, Isa managed
to grab both of her parents in a hug before gathering her things.
They hugged her back, but Isa was sure they simply believed her to
be afraid. They didn’t know that it was probably the last embrace
they would ever share.
    Wiping her suddenly watery eyes on
her sleeve, Isa finally turned and headed back to her room. She had
few belongings of any real value. A silver hairbrush from her
parents and a change of clothes were all she could find to put in
her bag. Megane had left her own bag open on her bed, so Isa
slipped her favorite childhood doll inside of it. Her sister had
always admired the doll, and though Megane was nearly too old for
playthings, she might find it a comforting reminder of Isabelle
after she was gone.
    With that settled, Isa realized
that she needed an excuse to leave the house, particularly as her
father had just returned with such urgent news. Immediately, her
thoughts went to her horse. After losing her ability to run and
dance, Ansel had taught his daughter to find respite in the freedom
of riding. It had become a way of escape for Isa over the years,
giving her a chance to feel the wind rush past her as she moved
unhindered over the earth. Her parents would think nothing of her
taking one last ride through the countryside.
    “ I’m going out for a ride,” Isa
announced to her family. It took all of her will to steady her
voice as she spoke. “I…I need to think.”
    They nodded understandingly, and
her mother threw her favorite green cloak around Isa’s
shoulders.
    “ Use mine. It’s warmer than yours.
We will be leaving just after nightfall, so be back
soon.”
    Trying to smile, Isa nodded and
headed out to the stable. Using the special step her father had
made for her,