by C S Patra
“Why are you here?” She whispered. “It would be much better to meet in daylight.”
“I know but I have to tell you my decision now,” Alice began, pulling the scarf tightly around her neck. The wind had started to pick up, and her hair was blowing around her face. “I will go with you. I want to get rid of my curse and help you get rid of yours. More than that, I want an adventure. I know nothing about this world beyond Themasa. I don’t know what to expect out there.”
“Well, I’m sure you would know more than I would,” Lavinia sighed. “I’ve never been allowed to step outside my castle walls without permission. My mother and father were very protective of me. They didn’t want me to harm anyone or anything by accident. That’s why they’ve kept me in secret. They feared how people would treat me if they knew the truth.”
“I know,” Alice murmured. “Very few people know of my curse too. It’s hard to live this way. I thought it for a while and I realize how important this is for both of us. You need your curse to go away so you can rule the kingdom. I need it go away so I can just feel like a person. I want to be able to touch something with my bare hands. I don’t know what it’s like to hug or kiss someone. I’ve always been afraid to do so.”
“I feel the same. I can’t hug my own parents.” Lavinia looked down. “But if the curse was broken, all our dreams would come true. We have to move quickly though. I have to leave in the middle of the night tomorrow. I have to go before anyone realizes what I’m doing. I don’t want them to follow me. This is something we have to do with very little help.”
Alice nodded. “Then I will meet you at the edge of town tomorrow morning. Bring whatever you can; food, water, clothing, anything you think will be helpful. I don’t know what we may come across but maybe having a weapon might be necessary. We have to be ready for anything.”
“Indeed. I’m going without any guards so I will pack what I need.” Lavinia looked nervous at that. “I don’t know what I need though. All my outfits are so fancy and I know those won’t work out there. I need to be as discrete as possible. As long no one realizes who I am, we should be fine. So when you are around me, do not refer me to as ‘your highness’ or ‘your majesty’ or anything of that sort. Treat me like you would treat anyone else, understood?”
“Yes, your ma…I mean, yes.” Alice stopped herself. “Is it all right to call you Vinnie while we’re out there?”
“That is perfect.” Lavinia wanted to burst as happiness filled her up. “I cannot believe I am doing this! I am leaving my home without telling anyone!”
“If you want to back out, there is still time.”
“No!” Lavinia insisted. “I want to explore things, Alice! I want to see things but I don’t want to do it alone! I’m glad you want to come with me because this is something we should do together!”
“Then it is settled. In the morning, I will try to make some bread and other food to take along on this trip.” Alice promised. “We cannot go into this without provision. Kian already promised me earlier that he’ll bring things we need to deal with the weather. I assume you will have gold to exchange and buy goods if we need them.”
“Naturally.” Lavinia chuckled and took Alice’s gloved hands in hers. “I can’t believe this is real. I’m scared but so excited! Promise me you will keep this a secret from everyone.”
“Of course. At the bakery, I will tell everyone that I am taking a quick trip to help a sick friend.” Alice decided. “I know they will believe me if I tell them that. Tamara might be a little worried because she knows I haven’t gone beyond the town’s boundaries but I will take care of her. Everything is going to be fine.”
A part of her was assuring Lavinia of that and the other part was trying to convince herself that this was a good idea. She knew that this all made sense, but she worried about what they wouldn’t be able to confront. Kian had told her there were dangerous creatures all around and that they had to be careful. She promised herself that if she did run across something like a bear or snake, she would try to stay still and not draw its attention. That sounded like the best solution.
“Are we ready then?” She asked. “Are we ready to handle what’s in front of us?”
“I think so,” Lavinia nodded. “We can be able to take down anything in our path. We just have to stick other and not try to draw too much attention to ourselves. We have a mission to complete before we go home. This is going to be between us and only us.”
Alice looked behind her and saw the two figures, one bright and one dark. She wanted to scream but found her voice was stuck in her throat. Instead, she pointed behind Lavinia. “Um, I think we have company.”
“Who, them?” Lavinia turned around. “Oh, that’s just Light and Dark. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“What are they?”
“I’m not even sure but they are friendly enough,” Lavinia nodded. “They seem to understand me and are willing to come along on the journey. I don’t know why they showed up in front of me, but I would like to think they’re a sign.”
“A sign?”
“I think they were sent here to help me with my journey. They can’t speak but they seem willing to help out and follow along. To be honest, we’re going to need more help and maybe they can help us,” Lavinia said. “I hope this doesn’t bother you.”
“As long as they aren’t harmful and won’t cause trouble, I guess they can come,” Alice agreed. “I’m just a little curious about what they are and why they’re here.”
“I don’t know but something tells me that we’re going to find out. Until then, we are all in this together.” Lavinia promised. “We have to cross the mountains and rivers to find some answers. I hope you are prepared.”
“I’m as prepared as I can be.” She let out a deep breath. “I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I have to remove this curse. The sooner I do it, the better.”
“I’m glad you agree because I feel the same way. I’m so excited!”
“So am I,” Alice nodded, looking over at Light and Dark looming around them. “I’m going to guess that they’re also thrilled to come along. If they are willing to help, I’m fine with keeping them.”
“Of course they can stay! They are friendly enough and maybe they’ll be of use on the way,” Lavinia nodded. “I’m just glad I won’t be alone on this journey. I’m happy you want to come and that I found someone who understands what a curse is like. This is going to worth it. We’re going to be free of our curses.”
Alice returned her smile but she was feeling a little more nervous about the whole thing. They were going to be free, yet they didn’t know how this journey would take. No doubt Lavinia’s birthday would pass before they got home. The world would wonder about their princess and why she disappeared. There were things to be concerned about and there was no turning back now.
“I’m ready to go when you are,” she sighed.
And I hope I don’t regret it.
Chapter 10
Lavinia was bursting with so much excitement that she could not sleep. She tossed and turned around but was unable to calm herself down. There was also a little bit of fear rolling around inside of her. Not only was she going to leave her home, she was going to venture far from everything. She was going to see more of this world and learn about places that she only heard about before. It was going to be daring to leave like this, but it had to be done.
“If I stay here, I will never learn anything about myself. I won’t learn about my kingdom or the worlds around me.” She was telling Light and Dark. For some reason, they had never left the castle. She didn’t know if it was because they were attached to her or if they had nowhere to go. In fact, she wasn’t sure what they really were but they weren’t harmful. They seemed to listen to everything she said and were comforting to be around. ““It’s going to be dangerous, but I’ll never get anywhere if I stay.”
They both danced around on her ceiling as she looked over at the thing
s she had packed. She was unsure what was needed because she had never been far. Beautiful gowns and fancy jewelry were not what she needed for this. She only had two dresses that would work while walking through fields and dirt roads. Her coat and winter clothing would work for the snowstorms. She had a nightgown to wear during nights and some extra scarves if it got too cold. Other than that, she didn’t need much. Alice had told her she would bring the food and water while Kian would bring other supplies. She didn’t know what Light and Dark would bring but they were willing to help. Perhaps they had powers that would reveal soon.
“I’m so excited!” She went on, sitting up in bed. “I am especially glad that Alice wants to come along with me! If she had said no, I don’t know what I would have done. You don’t suppose that my mother and father will send people after me, do you?”
Light and Dark stopped bouncing around and she realized that they were worried for her. Sighing, she knew what the answer was. “I figured as much. Don’t misunderstand me; I care about them too. I just don’t think they understand what I really need. Locking me away isn’t going to solve anything. It’s not going to make things better for the kingdom. If I have to disobey them, so be it.”
As much as she liked the idea of an adventure and getting rid of her curse, she was starting to get scared. When she got a chance to look at a map, she realized how big this world truly was. There were mountains and rivers and forests to cross through. Their trip would take a few days to get there and another few more days to get back. Even with transportation, it would take a long time. There was a good chance she would miss her birthday party. Her parents would be worried, wondering where she went and there would be all kinds of gifts that wouldn’t be opened for a while.
However, if I get rid of this curse, then that would be the best gift of all. She told herself. That is far more important to me than any party. If I can remove this ability to turn things to ash, I will be the happiest ruler out there.
She found a map again and looked at some of the paths they had to take. Some were long but they were safer and easier to walk down on. Others were shorter but they were going through woods and mountains. In addition to being rough and hard to walk down, these were the roads that bandits targeted the most. This was where they would be hiding for nobles to walk down because they knew people wanted to take the shortcuts. The woods were also filled with several dangerous creatures and she had no idea how to fight against them. One of the books that she read explained to do if she ran into something. She wanted to believe that she could be strong enough and smart enough to remember all this. However, it was one thing to read about it and another thing to face it.
“Am I over my head with this?” She asked Light and Dark. “Am I trying to do more than I am capable of? Maybe there are things out there that I’m unsure about and no one is around to tell me. Of course, Kian will be guiding us but he’s younger than both of us. How much does he really know?”
Dark shrugged at that response and she continued to read her book. She got a better understand of the living creatures they could come across and certain plants and berries that they could eat in the woods. She did her best to memorize what they looked like. She also wrote down the names and specific characteristics, so she could consult the page when she got a chance. For this trip, she was planning to take two of her books and some journals. Unfortunately, she could not take all of them with her because they would be too much to take. It would slow her down, so she picked the two books that she thought would hold the most information.
She was excited for this trip and a little worried. Her father and mother would find out she was gone soon enough. They would send the guards after her and then try to drag her home. However, she needed to step out and see this world. She needed to find herself more than anything else. She didn’t want to do it alone, but she needed to do it. There was no turning back on this one.
Come hell or high water, she was going to get rid of the curse and learn everything she didn’t know before.
~ ~ ~
Alice met up with Lavinia the next evening, all bundled up and carrying as much as she could. As promised, she brought enough food and water as well as some gold coins to buy more supplies on the way. She wasn’t sure how much things cost in the other villages and towns, but she was sure it was enough to buy a night or two in an inn. There were also enough gold coins left over to buy food at taverns and maybe a horse if they needed one. The only thing that could stop them in the evening were thieves but she wasn’t scared. They had Kian who had proven he could be a good thief as any. If anyone tried to steal from them, he had promised he would steal everything back.
“There is nothing to worry about, Miss Alice.” He told earlier that day. “I have run into people like this before. I know how they think and what they want. Rest assured that if anyone tries to steal from us, they will not get far. I’ll get everything back.”
“What if they tried to kill you?” Alice asked. “I don’t know what I would do if that happened.”
“They won’t kill anyone. You have to have some trust in me, Miss Alice. Regardless of what I have done, you need to trust that I know what I’m doing.”
She was still skeptical about this, but she had no time to think about it. The harder part was telling Tamara that she would be gone for a few days. Since most of the cakes and treats had already been made so they would not need as much help. Alice had done her part and she needed a break. The excuse that she used was that she needed to help a sick friend out of Themasa and had to spend time with them. That was the best thing she could come up with.
Tamara seemed to know what was going on but accepted the excuse. “Take the time you need but I do hope you come back. Be careful out there. Not all places are like Themasa. Not all people are friendly or welcoming to strangers. Just stay close to roads that other people travel on. Do not wander places to places you don’t know.”
“What makes you think I would do that?”
“I have seen many people do that. Many people have wandered down paths they didn’t know, and they never came back,” Tamara sighed. “To this day, I have no idea what happened to them. These roads are filled with all kinds of dangers.”
“I’ve been told that,” Alice nodded. “I am prepared if anything happens.”
Tamara wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “You are not touching anything or anyone with your bare hands, dear. We can’t have others knowing what you are capable of. I’m afraid what they could do to you.”
“You don’t have to worry, Tamara. I won’t hurt anyone that way.” She promised. “I have some friends I am traveling with. Kian knows far more about the world outside of Themasa than I do. He will help me with things I don’t understand.”
“That may be so but you are both so young. You’re just children! You shouldn’t have to wonder into these places alone,” Tamara sighed. “However, I know I can’t stop you. I hope that what you can achieve what you want to achieve. More importantly, I want you to come back and for you to be happy.”
“I will be happy,” Alice said. “I will do everything I can to come back in one piece.”
“That’s all I ask. Come back safely, both of you. Whatever this journey is about, I want to see you back and working in this bakery. Above all, I want you to survive. Know your surroundings. Don’t trust people so quickly. Keep your eye on your belongings. Stay alive. Those are the main things you should keep in mind.”
Alice reached over for a hug but then pulled back. She still forgot that hugs were not an option right now. A brush with her skin would have killed Tamara. “You are so good to me. I promise that I will make this up to you when I come back. I will work hard and make the best cakes and desserts that this world has ever seen.”
“I know. Still, I can’t help but be worried. You’re like my own child.” Tamara almost tried to hug her but stepped back. “Wherever you go, I hope you can do something about that curse of yours. I’ve wanted to hold you many
times when you were sad, but I couldn’t.”
“I want to get rid of it too. Maybe I will finally find a way to remove it,” she murmured. “I’ll finally feel like a person.”
“You are a person.” Tamara assured her. “You’ve always been a person who is deserving of love and respect. I understand the frustration though and I really hope you’ll be able to feel the warmth of someone’s hand one day. You deserve it.”
“Thank you, Tamara. I swear I will come back as soon as possible. Things will be better. You’ll see.”
“Don’t worry about how long you are taking, dear. Be careful where you go and what you touch. There is more danger out there than a simple curse. You’ll see soon enough.”
Alice didn’t understand what that meant but she could just nod to say it made sense. She knew that other dangers existed out there but nothing in this world could be as bad as a curse. There was nothing worse than not being able to touch something.
Nothing at all.
Chapter 11
