Chapter 4 The masked hooded stranger (II)

"I told you not to mention him again!" Diana was breathing hard as she clenched her fists.

Anna didn't raise her hand to soothe or nurture the sharp sting she felt, right on her cheek, but kept her hands as a fist beside her. She met her gaze with ferocity.

"Why? Does he embarrassed you that much? Because he's poor?"

" I loved him..."

"No you don't! You don't!"

Tears came rolling down her cheeks and she sniffed hardly as she tried to hold her pains, tears and emotions back.

"I hate you and the fact that you're my Mother"

" Anastasia..."

Anna couldn't wait again, not when her Mother was still in here, she took her knapsack and stormed out the room, exiting the house swiftly.

Diana staggered and sat on the chair, clenching her dress, tightly.

Anastasia stopped at the stream nearby and knelt on the ground. She stared at her palms which shook and lifted them to the water to scoop a large amount of water and rinse her face.

She stared into the water and her reflection was staring back at her.

"Father..." Her voice shook and she swallowed the sob that escaped her lips.

Standing to her feet, she continued on her way to Abigail's house, where the wedding was to hold. When she got there, there was little space for her to pass through since it was crowded.

Entering the small house, she proceeded inside. Though they were both poor and had little finance to sustain themselves, they were still different in terms of family relationship.

Abigail had her family right at her hands, they love her with everything they have. But she only has Mother who used her like a slave, to achieve her own satisfaction.

"Anastasia...we can't thank you enough for yesterday" She turned behind her to see Mrs Robert.

" It's alright Ma'am, it's actually nothing" She released a sweet smile.

" Where's Abby?...is she in? I'll get her"

As she made to leave for Abigail's room, she felt a hand on her arm and she stopped to throw a curious look across Mrs Robert's way.

" We need to talk"

Settling down the cup of hot green tea, she grinned in acknowledgement.

" So...what is it you want to talk about, Ma'am?"

" Patience is virtue, Darling"

Anastasia lowered her head in embarrassment when Mrs Robert stared at her in a disgusted manner.

" Stop being friends with my daughter"

Anastasia raised her head sharply. What's she saying?

" Ma'am?"

" She's out of your league now... she's now married to a rich family and so are we rich now...she has nothing to do with the market whore now"

" What?"She choked on her words as she found it ridiculous. And did she just call her a market whore?

"I don't understand..."

"Should I make you understand then? Jake!"

The door opened and three men emerged. Her heart clenched.

"Ma'am...I..."

"Leave, while I'm being patient"

"But I need to see her...I need to..."

"Make her leave" She ordered.

"Go on" Jake said and the men behind moved closer, grabbing her arms as they forced her out of the room.

"Wait! I need to see my friend, I need to see her, one last time! One last time!"

Anna struggled but their holds only tightened around her as she kicked and yelled.

"Shut her up, we can't afford Abigail knowing" She heard her voice and they hit her in the head.

Anna collapsed and they were quick to escort her inside the carriage that stopped. The men also entered and they rode off.

"Not a word must be spoken to Abigail"

"Yes Ma'am" Jake bowed.

When she came around, Anna could hear the voices around her. The sounds of carriage wheels rolling along a rocky path, the horses trudging and men laughing.

"She's such a beauty, too bad...she'll be getting laid tonight"

"I heard she's a whore, this won't be hard for her" Then came another laughter.

She slowly opened her eyes, and saw the man who was the guard that had drag her, the other guard was sitting beside her. She was in between them.

Staring ahead, she saw the coachman at the front and another man sat beside him, it was noon. Her eyes snapped open and closed again.

She didn't want them to know she was awake already, she needed to act fast and wise. She wondered where she was, she couldn't be far from home right?

As she was thinking of a plan, the carriage suddenly stopped and the horses neighed loudly.

"What's going on?"

"I think the horses got hurt"

"Really? Let's check it out"

And soon, they were all out of the carriage and at the front to check the horses huffs.

Anna thanked her stars and the rocky paths for hurting the horses as she slowly opened the curtains and slipped out. She leaned against the carriage as she slowly helped herself around to stand at the back, without them noticing.

She looked around and was relieved to see that they haven't left the village yet, this place was close to the central market place.

The central market place was where their village and Akanta meets.

Akanta was a village which was more bigger than theirs and lots of nobles and royalties live there.

She knew she couldn't go back towards the village, they'll easily find her there. Is it finally time to leave everything behind and run? But her Abigail was still here, would she leave without seeing her?

"Where's the lady?"

Her heart skipped and she knew if they come to the back, they'll find her. In order to get to Akanta, she would have to get past them instead of running straight ahead.

"This is more hard?" She panted. But it was either now or never.

She moved from the carriage and peeped to see their positions, the other side was empty. These people are sure stupid.

"And look who we have here" Her heart leaped and she slowly turned around.

"Were you trying to escape...?" She landed a blow on his jaw, cutting off his speech. He staggered.

She took the initiative to run for her dear life. Taking the empty side , she picked her dress and ran like her life depends on her tiny legs. Well, her life depends on it.

"Get the girl! Get her!" While holding his jaw, he screamed at the men and they came out the woods to chase after the girl who was running as if being carried by the wind.

Staring back, they were hot on her chase and she panicked? This was her only chance to freedom, even though she's bittered about being rejected by Abigail's family, she knew she has to survive to see her some other day.

As she emerged from the woods, she found herself at the central marketplace, it was crowdy and it was easy for her to blend in with the peasants and other people.

The men arrived a while after and their eyes scanned the crowded market but they couldn't see her.

"Make sure you bring her to me... alive!" He ordered and rubbed his jaw to soothe the pain.

"Yes boss!" They dispersed.

"Do you think you can escape after hurting me? No way"

He also set in to find the black haired girl who had manage to ruin his beautiful jaw with her little fist.