The rain tickled the stone walkway near a side entry to the castle of Aeroth. Metella stood calmly and looked up at the sky. The Kingdom of Aeroth was getting ready for a huge battle and she was a bit nervous, but also excited. She always wanted to fight, but she was never allowed because she was one of the heirs to the throne, and her father was very set on continuing the family rule past his death. She had three siblings who also had a claim to the throne: her eldest brother Charles, he fought with the elite brotherhood of knights led by their father; the second eldest was her sister, Malia, then her and then her younger brother George. George and Malia were away at school and Metella just returned from an educational expedition that she had been on since the year before.

She figured her father wouldn't be looking for her much so she decided it was the perfect time to dawn armor and a disguise so she could join the military ranks. She made sure all of her gear was ready in a bag under her bed before she got ready for bed. They weren't sure when the army would reach the city gates, but she guessed it would be within the next few days. She took off her formal clothes and got ready for bed. She pulled up her hair, got under the cover, and let the warm haze of heat coming from the fireplace put her to sleep.

Early the next morning, a war horn bellowed through the air, waking her. The noise vibrated with a deep bass that made it feel like the ground was shaking. The sun had not risen, and only a tiny sliver of light could be seen on the horizon. Metella ran to her window. The men camping on the lawn were reacting to the horn. That sound meant that the enemy had reached the kingdom's border.

She quickly ate and changed into straight pants and a thick shirt.

Someone suddenly knocked on her door.

who is there? she asked

It is Alea, Your Majesty, a quiet voice said from the hall.

Come in, she said

Henry wanted me to check to ensure you packed your bag, she said.

Metella was confused

My bag? she asked

She nodded, did he not tell you?

No…, she said trying to think if something slipped her mind.

You need to pack a bag with all of your necessities and sentimental trinkets so if the castle is breached you can flee.

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Flee… she said, shocked, why would we ever be in such a situation like that? She asked

Miss, I don’t think you understand how many people the enemy has marching here.

She turned and looked out the window.

They are triple the size of your father's army.

Metella was shocked

Wait, is there a real possibility all will be lost?

I’m sorry. She said, they have already begun to barricade the castle gates. It would be best if you got your possessions ready.

Metella gathered some clothes, some of her possessions, and the bag of armor she had stowed away for battle. She gathered some food, and Alea entered the room again.

Have you ever seen war? She asked Alea

She nodded. I’ve seen a lot of war she said solemnly.

Have you ever fought in a battle?

I have not, she said. But I used to live in a village that was pillaged by an army passing through and it was terrifying.

When Alea left, Metella wandered down to the first floor and went to the library. She often went to the library, but that day, she was surprised when she walked in and saw her father.

The king was with two of his advisors. Metella couldnt think of the last time she saw her father in the library, it had been years. She was even more surprised when her father was very jovial in spirit and waved for her to join them. He put his arm around her and asked how she was. He told her to get ready to celebrate their victory later that week. She smiled and nodded along with everything he said, making sure she reacted in every way that she expected that he wanted her to respond. Satisfied with her reaction, he and his men left her alone in the room.

Metella always felt very uncomfortable near her father because she was afraid that she was going to do or say the wrong thing and he would get angry, he had a bit of a temper. It didn’t really go anywhere. She was never punished, but he did scream loudly.

She walked over to where he was leaning when she entered the room, noticed the book his hand was resting near was a ittle out of place, it was slightly pushed in farther than it should have been. She pulled it out from the top and it wouldnt budge, she tried harder then she heard a mechanism creek and a part of the wall opened. There was a small section of wall between two bookshelves that turned into a doorway.

She was shocked. She had been in that library so many times and had never once found a secret passage. She looked around and then quickly ran over to it. She wanted to go inside, but she didn’t want people to know that she was there. She looked to see if there was a way to push the book back into place and stay inside the tunnel.

She saw a torch that wasn't lit on the crux of the hall. She grabbed it, hit the book hard, and the door closed again. She successfully sealed herself into the hall. She was aware that she wasn't sure how she would get out, but she figured there had to be a mechanism on the inside.

She took each step carefully, making sure she didn't make a lot of noise. For some reason, she was scared that if she was caught, she would be punished, but the only person who had the authority to punish her was her father. It was clear he knew about the passage. She continued down the hall. The walls were stone and mostly smooth; nothing stood out there as notable.

She reached the end of the tunnel. The wall in front of her was flat like there wasn’t a door at all, but she knew better and looked around the walls for a button or switch that would open the wall.