THE Knight's Hidden Princess
Chapter 190: Freedom

Chapter 190: Freedom

DAHLIA POV

"Psst, Ilyana, Ilyana!"

I watched as Ilyana raised her head from where she was busy chopping vegetables. She stared around in confusion and when her gaze finally landed on mine after recognizing that it was me. She swallowed before she set the tray down and approached me. The head cook glanced up at her, a scowl on her face but when she saw that it was me who had summoned her she turned her head away not saying anything but the scowl still remained in place which I assume it was from embarrassment from what had happened.

Ever since I knocked her out, the head cook stayed out of my way. She had woken up to see us all eating our supper and I had carried a bowl of cabbage soup along with bread to give her. She had glared at me but when I raised my hand to hit her, she flinched. The other women started following me already seeing there was nothing to be afraid of. The head cook was just big and she used her size to intimidate fellow women like her. She got humbled when she went against me and because of that she has been hiding her face in shame.

Most of the women do not even fear her any longer, they had no reason to. Others believed that I should have been the head cook but I didn’t want to tie myself to any position as I would be leaving this wretched place soon. My plan was already coming into motion because I now had allies too which was exactly what I wanted.

Ilyana approached me with a smile on her face, "Dahlia? What do you want?"

"Did you get what I asked?" I requested of her.

"You mean the poisoned berries?" Ilyana whispered as her gaze darted around hoping no one found out what it was we were discussing, "Of course I did and I crushed it into a bit of a nectar too, mom helped me to pour it inside a vial."

Ilyana reached inside the pocket of her apron and brought out a small vial which contained a black reddish liquid. I smiled as I accepted the vial from her, I looked up at her before I squeezed her hand affectionately in mine. "You’ve done well Ilyana."

"Anything to be free of these bastards." Ilyana said with a smile, "I honestly can’t believe we are getting out."

I know how she felt and I felt the same way too. She’s been here for two years and I’ve been here for just eight months. But I knew those painful experiences and I can’t imagine how it must have been for her. I admire her tenacity though, she never gave up like the way everyone here had. She still saw hope through it all, believing that she was going to get out of here which was why it was easy to talk to her about the plan.

Ilyana was the one who had helped in convincing the rest of the women about getting out. They were skeptical at first but Ilyana finally managed to convince them. She might be young but there was no denying the fact that being here had made her grown into a woman.

"You did good Ilyana, because of what you just did, you are saving a lot of women’s life. That of mine included." I said feeling more confident and what I admitted made Ilyana grin at me, her smile was radiant.

Looking around and making sure no one else noticed, I slipped the vial into the bra under the clothes I was wearing. It was the one place that I counted it wasn’t going to fall off and besides, no one would be searching there. I adjusted my clothing as I turned to look at Ilyana. "Who is on serving duty tonight?"

"Just Leah, Rowena and some other women." Ilyana affirmed before she turned to look at the head cook, "Though she is part of them and she is the one supervising which means she will be watching like a hawk. She suspects something is going on but I’m confident she is smart enough to figure it out."

"And she won’t!" I said with confident, "I will handle her and if she proves difficult, nothing a bowl of fish stew can’t fix."

Ilyana grinned before she turned to look at me, "My mother has another batch to put into the wine. Just in case the men don’t eat their dinner. They can’t deny wine, they drink it every single night. They won’t be expecting how tonight will go for them though."

I smirked as I stared at a guard who was watching. "Yeah, they won’t."

Ilyana turned to look at a guard who was looking around, hand at the hilt of his sword as she stared with a menacing look on his face. "Will this poison kill them?"

To be honest, that question took me off guard. I cleared my throat trying to think of the best way I could answer that question. I mean it was poison, it was meant to kill. But she was a child and even if she grew up in the horrors of this place, she shouldn’t be exposed to more of it.

I stared at her as I figured out the best way to tell her. "It is poison so yes it will kill, but the can be saved if someone gets to them."

"I hope no one does." Ilyana said looking at me with a cold look in her eyes, "I hope they all die a cold and punishable death."

Her tone was cold and the look in her eyes terrified me just a little. This girl who should have been playing the streets, braiding flowers into her with friends, causing little mischief with boys her age now had to crush poison with her hand. She had to grow up quickly along with hatred in her heart and that worries me.

"Listen Ilyana, you shouldn’t think like that." I said my voice, my voice gentle and soft. "You are too young to have that much hate in your heart."

Ilayana snorted in response, "Well my hatred was what made me survive this place and I mean it, I hope they do die."

I heaved out a breath knowing that there was nothing that I could say to change her mind. Instead, I reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "Alright let’s just get ready for tonight." I said with a smile and just like that, the light was back in her eyes.

***

It worked! I thought to myself as I stared at the guards who now laid on the ground in awkward position. Some of them were busy writhing in pain on the ground as they coughed up blood, others groaned weakly and others laid with their eyes closed, dead.

All the guards in the fortress have had a taste of the poison and they’ve been relieved off their duties, which meant we were free. For the first time in a really long time, we were free! The thought was both scary but mostly exhilarating. Freedom laid behind those gigantic iron gates. We get to be outside, away from guards with whips and get to go meet our actual families.

I get to go back to Reagan and most importantly, I get to see Ivar again, I get to see my son. It’s been eight months and he might seem unfamiliar with my face but he was going to get used to it and we will be complete as a family once more.

"Alright, everyone is here."

I turned at the sound of Loraine’s voice, Ilyana’s mother. She had gathered all the prisoner’s and we all stood outside in the courtyard. Some of them were huddled closely with each other, their eyes darting nervously at the guards as if they expected them to wake up anytime soon to begin whipping them. That wasn’t going to be happening, I made a promise that I was going to be getting them out of here and I was fulfilling that promise.

"I honestly can’t believe that you pulled this off kid." Branderson said as he stepped forward.

I smiled wryly as I looked up at him, "It’s the least I could do." I said with a smile before I turned to look at the crowd, "Okay everyone, today is the day we get out of this place. Today is the day we go back to where we rightfully belong, home. A place where we are able to breathe freely and not worry about whips, frostbites, or rats crawling over us in our sleep." I said and that earned me a few scattered chuckles and I grinned.

"But most importantly, we get to reunite with our families." I said and I saw people nodding their heads in agreement, "Now, the journey isn’t going to be easy. I don’t even know where but Branderson here is kind enough to lead us. So I would like if we can stick together, in order for us not to get missing, is that understood?"

"Yes." The people chorused.

Satisfied with the answer, I turned to look at the gate. "Now who is ready to get out of here?"

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