Her gown looked like sails as the wind blew it ahead of her in puffs. The original pristine white now appeared cream as the salt of the cliffside and the dirt of the earth tainted her flawless image. Her brown locks now curled around her face, fallen from its restrictive updo the instant she fled toward the rocky crag.

She could hear the whiny of horses and the shouted orders of their riders as they searched for her, but the wind offered a favor of muting them from their original volume. The rain seemed to encourage her decision to flee as the torrential downpour washed away her footprints and erased the scent of her trail.

It was only once she reached the end of the road that she stopped running, but the sails of her gown still called her forward, blowing out over the edge of the cliff. Appealing to their desire, she sat and allowed her feet and the trim of the gown to dangle over the side.

She then closed her eyes and tilted her head toward the heavens as they cried from above. She knew she couldn't escape forever, but even an hour more of freedom was worth everything before she found herself locked away in a golden cage for the rest of her life: a sparrow with nowhere to fly.

Time crawled for her, but not slow enough. The breath of the horse and the rider that approached were equally heavy. She ignored them for as long as she could before finally breaking the unspoken agreement of silence.

"Have you come to take me back to the market?"

"What?" her brother asked in confusion, knitting his brow and stopping in his tracks from the trench of pacing he'd created. "The market—come now, Anne. It's simply a wedding, and yours at that. This should be the happiest day of your life."

"Ah yes," her eyes fluttered daintily but her voice dripped with the venom of sarcasm, "I'm overjoyed to be wed to a complete stranger with the intention of strengthening foreign relations."

"You're being a touch melodramatic—"

"On the contrary, brother, dear," Anne interrupted and lifted a single finger in the air, waving it about wildly, "I don't believe I've been dramatic enough yet. Perhaps I'll simply seal my fate and leap from this ledge and risk fate's outcome below."

"And leave me at a loss for your wise council?" her brother gasped, then mockingly placed a hand to his chest, appalled at the very thought. "That shan't do."

He then took a seat beside her, hanging his muddied boots over the ledge beside her bare feet, as she'd shed the weight of her heels moments after she fled. Noticing the small quirk, he shook his head but couldn't conceal the smile and gentle chuckle that emerged from his lips.

"I don't belong," Anne bitterly admitted. "I hardly manage to keep my wits and dignity about myself back home. How could I possibly deceive the commoners of a foreign power much less its nobility?"

Her brother was silent, but as she glanced in his direction and noticed the wrinkled line along his forehead, she could tell he was deep in thought. That line would only deepen as he accepted more responsibility that came with the duties and obligations of the crown.

"You're really that unhappy?"

She took a breath then nodded her head in agreement with a sheepish shrug. "I thought I could simply smile and bear the burden of my role, but I'm not as strong as you, Freddie... I can't spend the rest of my life as a glass doll displayed on a shelf, forced to watch but never act."

Her brother's face remained stoic and the lines across her forehead deepened. She didn't expect him to solve her problems for her... but that didn't stop him from the obligations and responsibilities he felt toward protecting her. He was her older brother after all, it was the only job he ever really felt successful performing.

Slowly, he stood and extended a hand to help her back onto her feet. "Then perhaps it's time we take a ride along the coast."

Her brow furrowed in confusion, but she accepted the gesture while distracted and rose. "You mean run away?"

He shrugged. "You're already half-way there. We might as well finish the job."

"And what about my fiancé?" she questioned, not out of a remorse, but concern for how the repercussions would fall back on him.

"Father doesn't have to know the truth," Frederick shrugged again and winked. "As far as I know, you were kidnapped by pirates and stolen out to sea."

"What a fanciful tale," she agreed while also implying that he had the occasion of letting his tall tales grow larger than he could properly handle.

"We'll arrange for transport, of course," he reassured her. "I'm sure there's a quaint merchant's ship at the docks that we could pay to take you back home."

"And then what?" she asked, albeit amused that he really hadn't considered the consequences of his proposal. "You hide me in the cellar and sneak me meals between hours of princely duties?"

"Well I'm certainly not planning to let you actually be kidnapped," Frederick protested, "and if you don't plan to marry, we'll have to find someplace to keep you hidden."

"There's an entire world outside of London and your suggestion is to trade one golden cage for another?" Anne skeptically asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Alright, perhaps it needs a bit of work," Frederick admitted with a shrug, "but you can't expect me to allow you to sail off into the distant horizon with no actual thought to your future."

"Why not?" Anne pestered her brother as she climbed onto the back of the horse before wrapping her arms around his waist for balance. "Every adventure I've ever dreamed about is waiting for me out there and you think I should just stay put."

"There's plenty of adventure back in London," Frederick contradicted. "Adventure that is safe and consists of silk sheets. What do you know of surviving in the world you speak of anyway?"

"It's natural instinct," Anne explained without a sliver of doubt present, "I'm not saying it would be easy, but it would be free."

"Death is free too and sounds an awful lot like what you've described," Frederick retorted.

"Ah, but the price of life tastes that much sweeter when you know you've worked for it," Anne insisted, closing her eyes to smell the saltwater along the coast while a gentle breeze caressed the curls that hung around her face.

There was a brief moment of silence then Frederick filled their air with a sigh of resignation. He rose to his feet and began to walk back toward his horse. Anne's brow furrowed as she opened her eyes and noticed his disappearance, quickly turning her head to relocate him.

"Where are you going?" she questioned.

"If you're going to escape unnoticed," Frederick explained, slowly allowing a smile to increase the worry lines around his eyes, "then we ought to make our way down to the docks."

A similar smile formed on her face as she rushed to his side and tightly wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you, Freddie."

Frederick's gaze softened as he looked down as his younger sister, struggling to see the grown woman before him and instead remembering the young girl who would pull him away from his morning lessons for play. Concern filled his gaze, but he tried not to let it affect him too strongly. "Don't thank me yet."

With a single sweep of his leg, he mounted his horse without breaking a sweat, but years of practice to create a habit of poise would ensure such. Frederick then extended a hand to help his sister mount behind him. Although the action was a bit awkward at first, there was only a fraction delay before they were riding down the hill toward the docks.

The wind blew the wisps of her hair away from her face, and keeping her fingers interlocked to maintain balance while holding onto her brother's waist, she closed her eyes and tasted the salty air of freedom. Sure, she didn't really expect to succeed, and the guards were probably already waiting to take her back to the ceremony, but it was the thought that counted and the fleeting seconds that mattered. Much to her surprise, only a pair of ships were moored at the docks: a small merchant's ship and a much larger vessel across the way.

Frederick dismounted first, then again offered his hand, which she graciously accepted. Seconds later they were walking across the wooden planks to greet the sailor winding a rope around his arm to tie up the loose ends of his mooring line.

"Excuse me," Frederick cleared his throat. "I don't suppose your vessel accepts additional passengers?"

The man turned his head and faced the pair with a warm smile before a look of shock crossed his face. He immediately dropped to his knees, bowing out of respect.

Frederick quickly looked around, paranoid that they were somehow drawing more attention to themselves even though no one else was around. "That's quite alright. There's no need for that."

"Your highness," the humble merchant remained still, keeping his eyes trained on the wooden planks. "I would be honored to offer you passage."

"Excellent." Frederick smiled and clasped his hands together. "I trust you can keep this information in confidence? You'll be handsomely rewarded for your service."

"Whatever his highness requires," the merchant agreed without delay.

"Excellent," Frederick repeated himself then returned to the task at hand. "My sister here requires passage back home to London—"

"It doesn't have to be London," Anne interjected. "We can discuss the route once we leave the docks."

Frederick gently frowned and turned his sister to face him. "I'd be much more comfortable knowing exactly where you were headed, Anne. I'd even be elated to know you were heading someplace safe. And—no offense to you, good sir—but I'm concerned as it is sending you overseas in this dingy."

"It's certainly not a warship," Anne retorted, rolling her eyes, "but there's nothing wrong with this man's ship. It's quaint, but it serves its purpose."

"Ah, yes, that's exactly what I want to hear," Frederick scoffed. "England's royalty escorted overseas on a vessel that 'serves its purpose'. How charming,"

"You don't need to be a snob," Anne chastised. "I don't need to be pampered every waking second."

"Perdón, señorita," another voice, thick with a Hispanic accent, joined the conversation. "I couldn't help but overhear that you needed passage?"

"Well, yes," Anne hesitantly agreed, looking beyond the stranger as she tried to discern where he'd come from, "but everything's already been arranged."

"Ah." The man nodded his head then walked past the pair of royals and referred to the large vessel that instantly diminished the merchant's ship simply by being within the vicinity. "I understand this gentleman has several errands to run while ashore and may not be leaving for several more hours, but the Quedagh Merchant is leaving port any moment now. I'm sure the captain wouldn't mind an additional passenger or two."

"Just the one, I'm afraid," Frederick corrected as he looked the referred to ship up and down, failing to hide the impression of approval in his eyes.

However, there was something about the situation that didn't quite sit right with Anne. Maybe it was the way the other man eyed her figure, or perhaps it was the way his finger twitched toward the empty sheath at his side as if constantly prepared to duel. She slowly shook her head. "As much as I appreciate your kind offer, I'd hate to negate the bargain already struck with another."

The man shrugged and chuckled. "I'm not sure your business partner feels the same way."

Anne turned on her heels and frowned once she realized what the man had insinuated. In the span of their short conversation, the merchant had already abandoned them at the docks, either delivering his goods or simply escaping the unwanted responsibility of looking after the royal.

"How much compensation would be worth your while?" Frederick asked looking down toward his purse; however, he frowned when he noticed the small pouch usually tied to his belt was missing. "I could have sworn it was just here..."

"I'd say the Crown Jewels would suffice."

Frederick's brow furrowed in confusion, but as he opened his mouth to reply, a gag was shoved down his throat and a pair of burly sailors apprehended him. Anne released a frightened shout, but she too was gagged and restrained as a burlap sack was thrown over her head.

Her equilibrium was immediately distorted as she was lifted off her feet and presumably carried aboard the ship, down a flight of stairs, and harshly thrown onto the ground. The clang of metal bars echoed around her as what she assumed to be the brig door was closed and locked while a muffled, but indignant shout could be heard just to her left. It seemed that Frederick had jinxed them because just like he'd joked: they'd been kidnapped by pirates and stolen out to sea... and yet even worse, no one had any idea of said truth.