Escape Wrapped in Roses

The morning mist clung to the forest floor like a physical weight, swirling around Nene’s ankles as she navigated the uneven terrain. The heavy linen of her cloak felt damp against her skin, but it was a small price to pay for the silence. For years, her life had been a series of echoes—echoes of her father’s decrees, echoes of the court’s expectations, and the hollow echo of her own footsteps in corridors too large for one person.

Now, the only sound was the rustle of leaves and the rhythmic clinking of Mizuki’s armor behind her.

"You know, Yomē, for someone who spent twenty-two years inside a stone box, you’re surprisingly good at trekking through the mud," Mizuki chirped, their voice cutting through the stillness with its usual melodic brightness. They stepped over a fallen log with a flourish, their pink hair catching a stray beam of sunlight that managed to pierce the canopy.

Nene didn't turn around, though the corners of her mouth twitched. "I spent a lot of time reading maps in the library. It’s not difficult to understand topography, Mizuki. It’s just... exhausting to apply it."

"Spoken like a true scholar," Mizuki laughed, catching up to her and gently placing a hand on the small of her back. The touch was light, protective, and filled with a warmth that made Nene’s heart hammer against her ribs. "But don't push yourself too hard. We have a long way to go, and you’re carrying precious cargo."

Nene instinctively rested a hand over her stomach. It was still early, the bump barely noticeable beneath the folds of her commoner’s tunic, but the weight of the secret was monumental. A royal heir, conceived in the shadows of the Fargardens, now being spirited away to a life of anonymity.

"I’m fine," Nene whispered, more to herself than to her spouse. "I just want to be somewhere where the air doesn't taste like old parchment and duty."

Mizuki’s expression softened, the playful glint in their eyes replaced by a depth of devotion that few ever saw. They leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Nene’s temple. "Soon, my love. The river is just ahead. Once we hit the water, the trail goes cold. Not even the Captain’s best hounds will be able to track the scent of a princess who doesn't want to be found."

They broke through the treeline a few minutes later, revealing a narrow, hidden inlet where the river ran deep and dark. Tucked away beneath a canopy of weeping willows was a vessel that looked nothing like the royal barges Nene was accustomed to.

It was a "sketchboat"—a small, flat-bottomed craft Mizuki had modified themselves. The wood was painted in vibrant, clashing shades of teal and magenta, and the small cabin was draped in weather-resistant silks. It looked less like a boat and more like a floating art studio.

"It’s... colorful," Nene remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"It’s a masterpiece!" Mizuki corrected, hopping onto the deck and offering a hand to help her down. "I call it the *Akiyama Special*. It’s fast, it’s sturdy, and it’s got enough personality to distract anyone from looking at the passengers."

As Nene stepped onto the boat, the slight wobble of the deck made her stomach flip. Mizuki was instantly there, steadying her with firm arms.

"Easy there. Sit down, I’ve got the cushions laid out for you."

Nene allowed herself to be guided into the small cabin. Inside, it smelled of cedar and the faint, sweet scent of the perfume Mizuki always wore. There were sketches pinned to the walls—drawings of the kingdom, of the forest, and dozens of portraits of Nene herself, captured in moments when she thought no one was looking.

Mizuki unmoored the boat, using a long pole to push them away from the bank. As the current took hold, the silence of the forest returned, punctuated only by the lap of water against the hull.

"We’re really doing this," Nene said, her voice trembling slightly as she watched the shoreline recede. "They’ll call it a kidnapping. They’ll say you bewitched me."

Mizuki laughed, though it sounded a bit jagged. "Let them. I’ve been called a court jester, a delinquent, and a menace to tradition. 'Kidnapper' is just another badge for the collection. Besides..." They looked back at her, their eyes shimmering with a fierce, quiet joy. "They don't know that the Princess of the Realm is the one who suggested the escape route."

"I only suggested the route. You provided the means," Nene countered, leaning her head against the cabin doorframe. "You provided everything, Mizuki. A life I actually want to live."

Mizuki set the pole down, allowing the boat to drift with the steady flow of the river toward the Outer Realms. They crossed the small deck and knelt at Nene’s feet, taking her hands in theirs. The colorful ribbons on their gauntlets fluttered in the breeze.

"I promised you in the Fargardens, didn't I? No more scripts. No more acting. Just us." Mizuki looked down at Nene’s belly, their voice dropping to a reverent whisper. "And this little one. They’re going to grow up hearing birds instead of trumpets. They’re going to learn how to run in the grass before they learn how to bow."

Nene felt a tear prick at her eye. She squeezed Mizuki’s hands. "And the husky? You weren't joking about the dog?"

"Oh, absolutely not! His name is Snickers, and he’s a total menace. He’s currently guarding the shed—or more likely, sleeping on the rug I told him not to touch," Mizuki grinned, their chipped tooth catching the light. "He’s going to love you. Everyone does, once they get past that prickly 'I’m-a-serious-royal' exterior."

"I am not prickly," Nene huffed, though there was no heat in it.

"You’re a cactus, Yomē. A very cute, very sharp cactus. But I’ve always liked a challenge."

Mizuki stood up and reached into a small satchel, pulling out a wrapped parcel. "Here. You didn't eat much at the market because I kept distracting you with roses. It’s bread from the bakery near the south gate. Still a little warm."

Nene took the bread, the simple scent of yeast and honey feeling more luxurious than any banquet feast she’d ever attended. As she ate, she watched Mizuki navigate. They moved with a grace that was entirely their own—unconventional, loud, and utterly brilliant.

The sun climbed higher, burning off the last of the mist. The scenery began to change; the manicured forests of the royal estate gave way to the wilder, untamed beauty of the Outer Realms. The trees grew taller, their branches tangling together in a chaotic dance, and the air felt sharper, cleaner.

"Mizuki?"

"Yeah, Yomē?"

"Do you think they’ll ever forgive us?"

Mizuki paused, looking out over the water. The playful mask slipped for a moment, revealing the weight of the choice they had made. To leave the knighthood was treason. To take the princess was a death sentence if they were caught.

"The King might not," Mizuki said softly. "The court definitely won't. But forgiveness is for people who think they did something wrong. Do you feel like we’re doing something wrong?"

Nene looked at the sketches on the wall, then at the vast, open horizon ahead of them, and finally at the person who had risked everything to give her a choice. She felt the life stirring within her, a tiny heartbeat that deserved a world without walls.

"No," Nene said, her voice firm. "I feel like I’m finally breathing."

"Then that’s all that matters." Mizuki beamed, returning to the helm. "Next stop, the Outer Realms! We’ll have to move the shed further into the valley by winter, but the view of the star-fall is incredible from there. You’ll be able to see every constellation without the castle torches blinding you."

Nene sat back against the cushions, the gentle rocking of the boat lulling her into a sense of peace she hadn't known since childhood. She thought of the guards back at the castle, frantically searching the wardrobes and the gardens. She thought of the empty throne and the heavy crown she was meant to wear.

It all felt like a dream she had finally woken up from.

As the afternoon light turned to gold, Mizuki began to hum a tune—a melody from a play they had seen together in secret months ago. Nene closed her eyes, letting the music and the sound of the river wash over her.

"Hey, Nene?" Mizuki called out softly.

"Yes?"

"I love you. More than the ribbons, more than the boat... even more than annoying the Captain."

Nene smiled, a real, radiant smile that reached her eyes. "I know, Mizuki. And I love you. Even if your boat is an eyesore."

"Hey! That’s my artistic vision you’re insulting!"

Their laughter echoed off the riverbanks, carried by the wind into the deep woods where no one could hear them. The Princess was gone, and the Knight had vanished, but for the first time in their lives, Nene and Mizuki were exactly where they were supposed to be.

The sketchboat sailed on, disappearing into the shadows of the Great Valley, leaving the kingdom and its shadows far behind. In the quiet of the wilderness, a new story was beginning—one written not in ink on parchment, but in footsteps on fresh earth and the shared breaths of a family finally free.