Chapter 3: The Travel

Taylor Baker’s POV

I was looking at the old man that was sitting across me from the dining table. We were having some dinner as I was sipping on the soup that was being served before the main course. The vivid green eyes were making me a little bit uncomfortable.

My father just introduced him as Levine Virtanen. I heard that name before because he was one of the ruthless businessman that control half of the Finland as well as his grandsons that were married into the royalty.

This was beginning to make me wonder, why was he here? I heard that all of his grandsons have been hitched and I don’t think that he would be here if he was not planning something with my father. 

Unless it was about me and my future.

I took the glass that contained the white wine that was being served for tonight’s main course. It was leaving the floral scent and taste to my mouth before the old man was dabbing his mouth with a napkin. Then he spoke.

“I see, this is a very lovely soup but can we move along? I am dying to know what we will have for the main course,” Levine said before my father, bless his soul, laughed.

“You really are having a huge appetite, old man,” my father said as the old man flashed his smile at my father.

“What can I say? The jet lag was getting to me,” he said before I was dabbing my mouth as the staff was removing the soup and then it was for the main course. The staff wheeled in the trolley from the kitchen before I was looking at three silver lids. Then, it stopped beside the dining table as the other staff was opening the lids.

The smell of a medium rare steak was hitting my nose that made my mouth watered. I cannot wait for the steak to be in front of me as the staff was moving to put it in front of my father and his guest as well as me.

“I present to you, Steak and Ale Pie. I hope you can digest this much, Levine, for this is quite the delicacy for us,” my father said as I was rolling my eyes at his joke. Everyone knows that the real delicacy of England was nothing.

But of course, if the old man even know about our delicacies and the lack of it, he did not tell us. Instead, Levine was picking up the knife and the fork and started to cut the meat. I did the same and we were back to the bantering of my father with the old man as I was just listening to it.

It has been a few moments after the dinner is served. We were entirely spent of eating the food and right now, we were sitting at the table, mostly drinking. And that would be me right now as my father was discussing some business deal with the old man.

Until it was focused on me.

“So, have you been planning what will you be doing after this, Taylor?” the old man said as I was looking up from the glass to look at his vivid green eyes. I blinked a few times before I was straightening myself.

“I’m sorry?” I said as I was smiling at him. The old man was staring at me that made me uncomfortable enough before I was clearing my throat.

“Well, if you were asking about what I will do after my degree, then I supposed I would continue to the next level. I just don’t want to be stuck in that level only,” I said as I was smiling at him. The old man was nodding at me before he smiled.

It was a rare sight as I never knew that he could that. Mostly, he would smirk and make a snide remark to my father regarding something that I was not care enough to know.

“I see. So you don’t think you would see yourself get married in a couple of years after this?” he said as I was blinking my eyes. How come this old man was bold enough to ask that sensitive question?

But of course, I would not answer it as I know it was a trick question.

“I don’t know. It was not in the top of my list right now but once I have found someone that I am interested in, I would tell my father right away,” I said as I was taking his hand on top of the table before I was smiling at the old man.

He just stared at me before he was turning to look at my father again, with a silent arched eyebrow before my father was being uncomfortable. I think I just missed something between them but I can guess what it was.

“Father?” I asked my father before Hugh Baker took a sip of his wine. The old man chuckled lowly as I turned to look at him before my father was gripping my hand that I was putting on top of his.

“Listen, my dear, remember when I said I have been trying that I wanted to talk with you in the library earlier?” he asked me before I was nodding at my father. He sighed.

“Well, it was about this…machination that I have been doing with my friend...” I did not let my father finish when I know what he was planning behind my back. 

How dare he thinks that he can control my life just planning my future?! Most of them was for me to get married as soon as possible! Unbelievable?!

“And when you will be planning to tell me about this? I thought I am free to make my own choice regarding when and who I will be marrying father,” I said as I was trying to control my anger in my voice. I was looking at my father with the old man before I was running out of the dining room.

I was making my way to my bedroom before I was slamming the door as loud as I can. I was leaning against the door before I was taking a few deep breaths as I was closing my eyes. I slid myself to the floor before I was opening my eyes to look at the ceiling.

“I cannot believe that man,” I mumbled before I was taking in the room that I have been occupied for the most of my life. I was looking at the pictures that were lined up on the walls before I was walking to my dresser. 

I was looking at the picture frame that I treasured so much in my life. It was nothing really, for other people to see it. But to me? It was much more than anything that I would rather have.

It was a picture of me and my father as well as my mother when she was alive. My grandmother was behind them before I was sitting on my grandpa. It was a memorable day.

Before everything was turning dark.

I sighed before I was looking around the room. I have to do something about the plan that my father was trying to put on me. I will not let him have the satisfaction that I will be an obedient girl. If anything, I am opposite of that.

I was smiling before I was making my way to my closet. I opened the door before I was looking at the duffle bag that I have been packing for the last time when I know that I will be leaving London soon.

And that time has come.

“This is for my own freedom and sanity,” I reasoned before I was making my way to the bathroom and getting rid of the dress that I wore for the dinner. I know what you might be thinking but I don’t think that I wanted people to look at a pretty, prim woman that was related to the queen, right?

No, I will be someone else and I will change my entire wardrobe after all. Then, my phone buzzed as I was looking at the email that was sent to me. I smirked before I was making my way to the window. 

I was looking down at the ground from my 2nd story. I know, it was nothing but it was the problem. The problem relied on how I can escape this mansion without being detected. Ever since my mother died, my father has tightened the security on the mansion and I have been surrounded with bodyguards that lurked in the shadows.

I sighed before I was pulling my hoodie over my head as well as I slung my duffel bag on my shoulder. I was looking at my bedroom before I was smiling at it.

“I see you guys later,” I said as I was looking at my plush that I have been hugging since I was a child until now. But this was not my chance to be shackled to someone that I don’t know. No, I will not let my father match make me. I will make that decision myself.

And so, I was jumping off from the window into the ground before I was rolling myself on the ground. Many people thought that I cannot defend myself, that I was a damsel in distress.

I show them how damsel in distress I was. 

I was trained by the monks and warriors that were hiding in the mountains of Himalayas. Most of the royalty went there when they were younger and the limbs were not that hard yet. We trained night and day to be the best of ourselves but also, we have been keeping track of the academics as well as fitness.

To be a princess was so much more than just sit still and look pretty.

I smiled before I was avoiding my guards as I was making to the loophole that I have been keeping it a secret from my father since I was a child.

It was my mother who showed me that hole on the gate.

I felt my heart ached before I was shaking that feeling away. I have to be tough and I cannot be soft when I know that I will be going on a journey that no one knows who I was.

I was counting on it.

I hailed a cab before I was getting away from the mansion a few blocks away as I was slid into the car. I was looking at the driver before he was asking where I wanted to go.

“Heathrow Airport please,” I said as the driver nodded before I was turning to look at the mansion that I left behind. The life that I left behind and concealed. This was for my own personal growth and I know that my father would agree with me.

If only he knows that I was out of the country, which was away from his grasp now.