At first, Janessa struggled with the idea she may not be able to have sex with Antyny again. He was so skilled and powerful, so generous and passionate. She might never find a sexual partner like him again. Then she reminded herself that she was not meant to be a concubine. She was supposed to be a prince! And a prince should not be subjected to treatment such as this! A prince was not meant to become Queen and bear children!
When Antyny departed for the night, Janessa waited until she heard the snores of Borya and Francesca fill the harem quarters. She then crept past her harem sisters towards the large window that looked out into the Palace Garden. As Prince Jasper, she had left the harem this way many times, when the King disapproved of how much time she had been spending with her harem. Luckily, Antyny was just as lax in guarding the window as Janessa’s father had been.
Janessa slipped into the Palace Garden and then sprinted outright away from the Palace. She ran through the back alleys of the Capital, grabbing clothes from clotheslines to change into. By the time she arrived at the gates, she had a complete outfit, which she changed into once she slipped past the gate guards and outside the walls surrounding the Capital.
Janessa leaned against the wall, panting heavily. Her mind was getting clearer by the second. Clearly, distance from Antyny was helping her to think properly. She looked up at the night sky. The stars were bright. Bright like the opportunities before her, now that she was freed from Antyny. Her breath finally caught, Janessa stood. She began to walk away from the Capital, full of determination.