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, her wedding dress has just 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 spoke to Shura. Shura was the son he got from a palace maid he fell in love with who was currently dead.
"I am not your son" Shura replied calmly, keeping his emotions in check.
"You better accept it Shura and you will take that crown and be the king. It's what your mother would have wanted" King Igor stated.
"It's what my mother would have wanted! How would you know considering the fact that you got her pregnant, promised her heaven and earth but ended up rejecting her on the wedding day and marrying another woman. It didn't stop there, you had your way and got her killed! Now, you're saying you are my father" Shura ranted, so much for keeping his emotions in check. His emotions always went haywire when it came to his mother.
"I did not kill Valeria!" King Igor said matter-of-factly.
"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.