Fly like the wind

The air whipped at me in lashes of powerful gusts as dug my polished nails into my horse's creamy, chocolaty fur as it neighed in protest. 'Just a little more Nutty, a little more.' I whispered into Nutty' s ears as I stole a glance at my hunters, pursuers, those who want to steal my freedom. I saw them. Riding on galloping horses, their bow stretched out, the arrow secured on its aim, waiting for the order for the release. They wore shields emblazoned with a roaring lion, which was carved in pure gold, the logo of Cecilia, my homeland. My supposed homeland. 'A girl does not belong to where she is born but where she is given off' my father used to say, with his golden crown etched on his head, his eyes lost in the affairs of the kingdom, this sentence came out too easily for him. He had no idea how much it hurt. Were we mere gifts to be given off?

 'Stop Princess Alaska of Cecilia or we will have to release the arrows.' a voice boomed frighteningly from my behind, the commander's voice, my oldest brother's voice. I would have rolled my eyes if I wasn't running from my marriage with a whole troop of soldiers in pursuit. They still took the effort of calling me by my whole name. I didn't reply. I urged Nutty to go faster, swifter, the forest was just a few feet away. 

I heard the bowstring being drawn and swiveled my head to look back. The bow was drawn and its arrow stretched, just about to release and find its mark. I swerved just in time as the arrow grazed against Nutty' s mane and my horse neighed in pain and its hooves screeched against the muddy road, came to a halt and shook me off as I fell to the ground on my knees as my silky ball gown swarmed around my knees. The sounds of the galloping horses in my pursuit slowed down to a trot. I got a vision. I groaned. I was born with this disability, memories from my past swarm me in visions which I cannot stop. 

They appear whenever I am in a difficult situation, like now. In my untimely vision, I saw my mother singing to me as the baby me lay in her lap giggling and crying at the same time.

'There's a world, out there, 

Swarming with light, dancing in love, 

The flowers bloom, and the magic lives,

 There's a destiny for everyone, a string of hope for one and all, 

The fate lies, for you to write, 

So my darling, say good night, 

Get lost in dreams and sleep tight, 

Sweet dreams to you 

 'Lost in your visions sister? Say hi to our dead mother for me will you?' a voice snickered at the same time pulled me out of my vision like a magnet. My vision blurred but after a few moments it was fine and well. It was my older brother who spoke with a smug grin on his face. Next to him stood my younger brother, Raymond, looking at me with honest concern. My younger brother clearly did not want to capture me. I snarled. 'I certainly am not lost, brother.' I snapped. 'Very well then. Father gave you two choices. One, rot in Cecilia's dungeons, Two- Rot in your husband's dungeons.' continuing, 'Poor Alaska wanted to escape. Tut Tut' my older brother mocked in a babyish manner while Raymond winced and the entire troop of alcohol addicted soldiers burst into barrels of laughter.

My gaze travelled towards Raymond's eyes as I shot a pleading gaze towards him. 'Allow me to escort Alaska to the palace, brother. ' Raymond asked the commander. 'Seems you finally got hold of your love towards this filthy traitor, huh? Fine. I allow you to take this witch back to the prison,' the commander shot a dirty look at me, the one he uses to look at street beggars. 

Raymond's Point Of View

 It was the beginning of spring, 14 March, when my sister vanished. Disappeared. The castle was a horde of chaos, searches were being made for the finding of Alaska, the bride. I had gone to the stables, expecting to find my sister with her hair brushed back in a messy bun and her straw sticking in her hair, laughing in her melodious voice and nuzzling that ugly horse, Nutty, she called it. She was the closest I could have to my mother, mine had died when I was born. When I did not find her in the stables, I began to panic. I did not notice that her horse had gone as well. If I had, then I might have come to the conclusion that she had run away. I might have led father to believe that Cecilia's enemies had captured Alaska and killed her. She might not have been imprisoned. I was the reason my sister would be thrown into the dungeons and starved to death, irrespective of the fact that she is a princess. I know what Alaska would have said, 'You do not write the fate of others, dear brother, you write it for yourself. 

My brother, the commander of the army and the would-be king, who knew Alaska very well, was sure that the pesky witch, as he called her had run away on the ugly beast of a horse. So here we are after the chase, my older brother had succeed in capturing Alaska, and my poor sister was denied the opportunity of running away, because she was troubled by those annoying visions. I was at crossroads- 1. I could take my sister to Cecilia's dungeons. 2. I could go against my brother, the beloved crown prince and save my sister by dueling against the entire troop of soldiers. 3. I could throw Alaska off the cliff on my right and relieve her of this life. Neither of them seemed too good. I decided that I would think about it later. Maybe I could find Alaska a way to get out of prison? Thinking this, I cuffed her hands and shoved her in the front to keep her going. She did not resist like any reasonable prisoner would. She went a meter or two like this, with a frown on her face and her body rigid and her eyes deep in thought like she were deciding something difficult. Then she stopped abruptly, her iron shackles stopped clinging, and her face paled, paler than the moon, she whispered to me, 'Throw me. Throw me off the cliff brother. I do not wish to live a life of an outlaw, a life where women are treated like dolls.' 

'Hello? What's going on there. Why did ya stop?' my older brother's voice emanated from the back. 'Nothing. This witch thinks we are going to kill her. Throw her off the cliff. ' I said. Reverse psychology. I gulped. 'Why?' I asked my sister. She just smiled a sad smile and said gently, 'Mother used to say that after we die if you choose, you could become a nymph, an air spirit, that is. I want to fly. Fly like the wind. I nodded. I nodded, trying to control my urge to stop her choice. But I agreed. Before I could say anything, my brother interrupted me, 'Heh. That's actually a good idea. Raymond, I give you the permission to lay death penalty on Alaska for treason to the kingdom of Cecilia.' he said in a toothy grin. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. I would not commit this crime. My moralities would not change. Suddenly, my brothers toothy grin vanished and the soldiers chorused a series of Oohs and Aaahs. I looked to my right and saw my sister advancing towards the cliff. She mouthed, 'You'll do well' and fell. Just fell. I closed my eyes in remorse. I let my sister die. My only sister. the soldiers began laughing my brother began laughing but I walked, trance-like towards the horses. That's when it happened. The wind. It encircled me in a comforting blanket. Then it vanished like it was never there. At that moment, I knew it. Alaska flew. She flew like the wind.