Zhanna instructed Vika to go into the village and get clothes for them while she found a way to get rid of the guards at the palace.
*******
"My princess, if I may speak. Some are my cousin sister's clothes and rest are male clothes. They are at the carriage park just like you instructed" Vika said.
Zhanna changed into a maid's uniform, put on some makeup and locked her room door. After giving Vika the signal, they both jumped out the window since it was not that high from the ground.
"My princess, what about the guards?" Vika asked after taking permission to talk.
"Don't stress yourself, I've gotten that sorted out" Zhanna said as she remembered the Royal Guards Commander who was locked in a dark cabin. She had earlier informed the palace guards about the queen's instructions to stand in front of a warehouse. The guards feared the queen that they didn't think twice before leaving their posts. It was only remaining a guard at the gate.
'This is going to be easy' Zhanna thought. They were almost at the main gate leading out of the castle when they bumped into the Chief maid in the castle.
"Vika where are you going to and who is this?" The Chief maid asked. Zhanna answered immediately on Vika's behalf "I'm Irene, her cousin's stepsister. I just started work here and she's showing me around. Besides, Princess Zhanna is sleeping and requires no disturbance" Zhanna said and left immediately, pulling Vika with her.
"Who approved her application to work as a maid?" The Chief maid asked but looked up to see that they had already left. The Chief maid wanted to go after them but another maid informed her about the queen wanting to speak to her.
"That was close" Vika murmured as she wiped of the remnants of sweat on her face. Her heart was beating so hard that she was sure Zhanna could hear it. She wondered what would happen if they were caught...death, and there was no two ways about it.
"You there!" The guard at the gate said, he was coming back from relieving himself (Peeing) when he sighted them leaving the gate. Zhanna remembered about their encounter with the Chief maid...of course those fallacies weren't good enough to satisfy her curiousity and it's only a matter of time before they find out she's gone. The maids would soon call her to come out and try her wedding dress and then she'll be caught.
Zhanna analyzed the situation, the guard had started running to them when Zhanna whispered to Vika "Run!"
Zhanna took her fighting stance and knocked the guard out, then a maid came running to her, "What happened to him? Never mind... Where's Vika? She needs to wake up the princess, I was instructed by the chief maid to inform her that the princess' wedding dress has arrived".
Zhanna panicked instantly, "Try knocking on the Princess chamber's door. I'll go get Vika" Zhanna said and ran out of the gate. They needed to leave the kingdom quick.
[Meanwhile in Volkorod]
"Son, I'm sure you know why I called you," King Igor said, his voice steady.
Shura stood before him, hands clasped behind his back, his face unreadable. A bitter silence filled the space between them before he finally answered, voice low and cold.
"I am not your son."
The words hung in the air, sharp and deliberate. Shura's eyes met the king's, unflinching.
"You better accept it, Shura. You will take that crown and rule this kingdom. It's what your mother would have wanted," King Igor insisted, a flicker of frustration in his tone. (Shura was the son he got from Valeria, a palace maid he fell in love with who was currently dead) It was always like this whenever they had a moment of discussion, Shura denying having any blood relations to him and blaming him for Valeria's death.
A muscle twitched in Shura's jaw. His hands clenched behind him.
"What my mother would have wanted?" His voice cracked through the stillness like thunder. "You dare speak of her now?"
He took a step forward, his composure unraveling with every word. He was eager to hear what King Igor wanted to say and reminded himself to keep his emotions in check, so muh for that.
"You got her pregnant, promised her the world, made her believe she meant something to you, and on the day you vowed to marry her, you left her. Just like that. You married someone else like she was nothing. And you didn't stop there." His voice shook, not with fear, but fury. Grief wrapped in rage. "You cast her aside… and then you destroyed her. Don't stand there and tell me this is what she would've wanted."
The king's gaze hardened, but his voice remained calm...almost too calm.
"I did not kill Valeria," he said, as if facts could undo pain.
All hell was let loose on Shura's path.
"You knew her life would be in danger if she associated with you and you still lead her on!" Shura said. Yes he partly blamed his mother for not thinking before agreeing to bed 'this man' but it was majorly this man's fault. Shura would have gladly killed or tortured him to death but he just had to be the king and Shura wasn't the type that loved chaos.
"Can we just leave Valeria out of this for once and sit down to talk like normal people!" King Igor pleaded.
"I can see my mother's death didn't do anything to you. You feel no remorse but guess what, it hurts me the most. I was motherless at 6 years and you didn't care, no not about my well-being, how I still lived...you never cared! It was until luck smiled on me and I became a young warrior then you saw me of use to you. You think I don't know about your plan to make me king in other to cause chaos in the castle and make people hate me? Do you think I'm senseless and would gleefully let myself be used. Hear me and hear me well Igor...I am just the son of a maid and I would never accept the throne from you. Why don't you give it to your son instead!" Shura said and marched out of the king's chambers.
Queen Kira sat in her chambers with Boris, her son. Her chamber was directly beside the king's chamber and they could hear the conversation that was going on inside the king's chambers.
"It's relieving to know that the son of a maid knows his place" Queen Kira said.
"It is relieving...but I don't still get why father is pushing the crown to him and not me" Boris said.
"It doesn't matter whom your father pushes the crown to, you would still be king. After all Volkorod has only one prince and the tribunal won't agree to Shura becoming King, I'll make sure of that. Boris, all you have to do is to get married according to the law and that crown would be yours" Queen Kira said. Boris nodded and smirked, the crown was meant for him and him alone.
...
Zhanna and Vika ran to the carriage park and successfully sneaked into a covered cart. It was like a carriage but it had no booth and the doors which were to be by the sides were at the back.
"Vika you are a genius!" Zhanna said to Vika when she noticed the carriage's structure. Vika bowed in response.
"You know, we should act more like sisters....to avoid suspicion. You are aware that as we run away everyone would be on the lookout for a princess and her maid, that is why I want us to act like sisters. Vika nodded.
"You can say my name you know" Zhanna added as she saw Vika's discomfort.
"Very well Zhanna" Vika shuddered when she spoke with her head bowed.
Zhanna and Vika were waiting for the carriage driver to arrive when they heard an announcement.
Zhanna gasped as she heard the message, fear was evident in her voice as she said "They have found out that we ran away!"