by C S Patra
Alice carefully took off her own gloves and looked at her hands. Bringing life to things wasn’t a good thing either. It was a good thing when she was helping people grow crops like she did with this village. These people would wake up tomorrow to find a fortune in their field. However, she could not touch anyone with these hands. She feared that they would die a horrifying death, painful and disgusting. She had to keep her hands to herself now. Not even Lavinia could be able to touch her. No one could.
This is our last chance. She told herself. This is the last chance to get anything done. Let’s hope we always stay one step ahead of the king’s men. We have to keep moving and staying in the shadows. Keep the communication with others to a minimum. That means Vinnie can’t reveal herself to anyone.
Slowly, she finished changing and found Lavinia already in bed with her sheets pulled up to her body. Alice crawled into the other bed and blew out the light in it. The windows were shut tight to keep the cold out and the doors were locked. She lay down and closed her eyes, trying not to think about the worst things that could happen. They had a ride into the next town. They were going to be fine.
“Alice?” Lavinia’s voice broke through. “Are you still awake?”
Alice kept her eyes closed but spoke. “I am. Are you having trouble sleeping?”
“A little bit. This is the furthest I’ve ever been from home. I’m excited but also terrified. What if we go so far and never remove our curses? What if we can’t come back? It didn’t bother me before but now it does,” Lavinia explained. “Is this normal?”
“I would say so. I’ve never been far from Themasa either, but I am looking forward to seeing new things. I just hope we do find something.”
“So do I. I just worry that my father’s guards will recognize me and try to drag me back home. I do miss Themasa but I need to do this. I need them to understand why this is important. I don’t care if I miss the big party back home. This is the only gift I’m going to need.”
“I understand that.” Alice rolled over and finally opened her eyes. It was still very dark and their friends, Light and Dark, were nowhere to be found. Kian was in the other room, so she had time to talk. “Have you always been kept locked away because of the curse?”
“I think so. My parents weren’t sure how to raise me this way. Putting gloves on my hands and keeping me away from people was the best thing to do. I tried running through a field once without my shoes. Whatever I stepped on died right away. I knew I couldn’t keep doing that,” Lavinia murmured. “I know why they did this, but I also feel like I missed so many things. I miss hearing out what’s going on in Themasa. I don’t know what’s happening in nearby villages. I want to help people because that’s what a leader should do. Unfortunately, I don’t know how I can help because no one tells me anything.”
“That’s not fair,” Alice murmured. “Even if they won’t let you past the castle grounds, they should at least tell you what’s happening in Themasa. Maybe you’ll have ideas that no one thought about. You can give a suggestion that would work.”
“That’s what I think too. No one ever asks me for my opinion, which I don’t understand. I’m supposed to rule Themasa one day, but they don’t want to know what I think. They don’t give me any of the duties that a princess should have. I’m only a princess by name and nothing more,” Lavinia sighed. “I realize now that if I want to do something, I have to do it now. I have to do it alone.”
“I agree that you should be allowed to take part in things that involve you. I am curious though. Why would you ask me to come along? Is it because of the curse?” Alice asked. “You didn’t find out about it until I showed you, but did you sense that something was off about me?”
“I didn’t think anything was off about you although I am surprised that you also can’t touch any living thing. A part of it is to remove the curse. The main reason, however, is because I trust you.” Lavinia admitted. “I don’t know what it is. The moment I stepped into your bakery and you welcomed me, I liked you. I felt comfortable around you. I felt like a citizen of Themasa, not someone who was locked away in castle. I know I kept the truth from you, but I didn’t want to scare you away. I didn’t want you to treat me differently from others.”
“Oh, I would treat you with respect if I had known the truth before. I do see why you wanted to hide it though. You were sneaking out of the castle just so you could see the kingdom you were going to rule. You didn’t want anyone to know you were out there.”
“Exactly. Believe me, I planned to tell you when I had the chance. The journey was planned after an argument with my parents. They just can’t seem to trust me. They don’t understand that by keeping me locked away, they were keeping me from discovering things. I hate that I had to disobey them, but it was necessary.”
“I just hope they will understand what you did when we come back.”
“They will. Finally, I will be able to hold them without worrying about hurting them,” Lavinia murmured. There was a bit of a pause before she spoke up again. “Are you angry at me for buying that scarf?”
“The scarf? Oh no! You were only thinking of me and you had the right idea. After Kian mentioned that we had to go through a land of ice, the scarf I had would not last for long. It’s going to be very helpful.”
“Well, I bought that for the weather but it’s a gift,” Lavinia explained. “I wanted to get you something but I couldn’t figure out what you would like. I saw those scarves and felt that they were perfect. Just think of it as a little token of thanks.”
“You didn’t have to do it.”
“I wanted to do it.”
Alice closed her eyes again and asked another question. “Vinnie, may I ask you a question you might not like?”
“It would depend on the question. What is on your mind?”
“Have you ever... have you ever tried to touch someone? Hug them? Kiss them?” Alice began. “I’m just wondering if you have…”
“Ever accidentally killed someone?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to say it like that, but I have wondered what happens if you did touch someone,” Alice admitted. “Have you seen anyone turn to ash?”
“In truth, I haven’t.” Lavinia admitted. “I have touched grass, flowers, and smaller animals and I’ve seen them turn to ash. My parents said I did turn people into ash, but I was too younger to remember that. I was always scared to touch anyone because I knew what could happen.”
“Yet you can’t remember if you’ve seen this happen. What if your parents were lying to you?”
“You think they would do that?” Lavinia was worried now. “You might be right. They been keeping me locked away for years. What if I can’t hurt people? I can’t risk that now though. It’s obvious I can’t touch grass, flowers, or animals. I’ve seen what I can do to them and it’s probably best that we remove this curse completely.”
“I agree. I’ve never tried to touch a person either, but I know what could happen. I could never give anyone that kind of fate. So let’s get rid of our curses, no matter what it takes.”
“I agree. There’s also something else I want to say to you…” Lavinia paused for a second. This was going to be the harder question to ask. “I just wanted to know if… well, after we get into the new town, maybe we can spend some time together. We can let Kian go off and buy some supplies while we get dinner or walk around town.”
“Walk around town?” Alice opened her eyes again. “You want to do that with me?”
“Yes, I think that will be a great time for us to get to know each other better. We’ve been running around so much that I think we should bond a little bit. I want to know more about how you found out your abilities. That is, if you are interested…”
“No, I would be fine with that,” Alice agreed. “I think we can send Kian off to find some things. We’ll just take a quick walk around town, but we can’t draw attention to ourselves.”
“Of course. I will try to
keep a low profile. The last thing I really want is for people to find out who I really am,” Lavinia sighed. “I already made a big show when I revealed myself to so many in Themasa. I couldn’t help it. That man was going to be executed for no reason, so I had to step in.”
“You did the right thing. You kept someone from dying and the people did need to know who you were. Up until that point, no one knew anything about you. I had hoped you were a princess and I’m glad I was right.”
“Do I look anything like you expected?”
Alice thought about Vinnie’s dark skin and hair and how her teeth shined when she smiled. “You are even more beautiful than I imagined. Much more elegant and wiser than expected. I really enjoy your company.” She blushed. “This may sound strange, but this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to anyone. I’ve always been afraid of how they would feel. Most don’t know of my curse and those that do aren’t that close to me. I always feared that I would hurt someone.”
“At least your curse can help others. I saw that. There are benefits to being able to create life,” Lavinia murmured. “All mines does is bring about destruction and death. It’s no wonder no one knows about me. I’m a danger to them.”
“I don’t think so. You just have a curse that needs to be removed. It’ll be gone before you know it, Vinnie. I promise,” Alice whispered. “Don’t worry so much about that. We have come this far. We can go further and then we can go back home when it’s all said and done. You’ll be the perfect princess for them and eventually the perfect queen.”
Lavinia smiled at that as she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. Being a queen would be nice, but she just wanted to feel like a regular person. Alice was right. It wouldn’t be long before they would get their curses removed. Then she could be the ruler that Themasa needed.
And she wanted Alice at her side at all times for it.
Chapter 13
The next morning came quicker than Alice had expected it. The light was pouring through the window and she could no longer sleep. Opening her eyes, she was greeted to the warmth and sounds coming from downstairs. It sounded like many people had noticed what she had done because things sounded bright and chipper. Getting up, she made her way to the window and saw all the people below. There were so many of them setting up their shops and selling fresh new produce on the market. They sounded so happy and she knew her work here was done.
“That will hold them for now.” She told herself, going to the washroom. Lavinia was waking up now and rolling onto her side. “Good morning, Vinnie. Today’s the day we have to leave.”
“Ah, I know. I wish I could stay a little longer and get to know some of these people.” Lavinia rubbed her eyes. “I’ll be ready in a little bit. Did anyone notice what happened this morning?”
“Oh, yes. I can’t hear everything they say but it sounds like they are excited. I’m sure they think it’s some kind of miracle.” Alice found her clothes and went into the washroom. “I’ll wash up and then we can wake up Kian. After all, he’s the one who found our ride.”
“I should get ready too. We can’t leave until we’re ready.”
Alice went inside the washroom and got the warm water running so she could take a quick bath. When the temperature was perfect, she took off her clothes and stepped inside, soaking in the warm water. Taking a bath was a wonderful time because it was the only time she wasn’t covered up. She wasn’t worried about other people being in the water with her. It was a time for her to be alone and reflect on things. Right now, she was happy with herself. She had helped the people in this village and was looking forward to the next town. Lathering up with soap, she doused herself in the water and let out a deep breath.
“This is perfect,” she murmured to herself, cleaning her feet and legs. It was nice to be able to stand with her bare feet on the ground. Nothing was growing out of this bathtub. She liked the feel of the warm water against her skin and her toes scratching the floor. “We’re getting closer and closer to removing this curse.”
She couldn’t understand what she had done that warranted getting this curse. No one had told her much about her family, but she figured that it was something they had done. As punishment, she was the one who had been given an ability that could help some people but would do more damage. The only things she knew about her parents were that she was their daughter and they had died when she was still young. No one else had information about them. No one knew who they were or what they had done. Alice was left with more questions about them than answers. For all she knew, she had come out of nothing. She didn’t have much of a past so all she could do was move forward and make a future.
Once she got out of the bath, Lavinia went in to get changed and she decided to look outside. More people were walking around outside, and the noise everywhere sounded cheerful. Bringing a little bit of light into their lives was what she wanted. It was what she could use her powers to do. However, she was going to get rid of them soon for her own sake, so she would do what she could now. If she moved quickly at night and made crops grow, everyone would be happy in the morning while she had this ability. Afterwards, she would try to help with all the other problems.
There was knocking at her door, so she ran over to it and found Kian looking alarmed and barely able to stay still. His green eyes were wide and he tried to make his way into the room. “We have to leave now, Miss Alice. The king’s men have made it into town and I saw that they were questioning the townsfolk. They want to know where the princess is.”
“What?!” Alice gasped. “How did they get here so fast?”
“I don’t know but we need to leave immediately. Our ride is waiting for us out back and he’s going to leave in a few minutes. Where’s Vinnie?”
“In the tub. I’ll get her to come out.” Alice went over to the washroom and knocked on the door. “Vinnie, we have to go now! Your father’s men are here!”
“They are?!” Vinnie shrieked from the other end. “Hold on, I’m almost done! Start packing everything and take them out of the room! I’ll be downstairs in a few seconds! Make sure no one sees you or questions you. Just try to stay calm and don’t draw any attention to yourself.”
“I understand, Miss Alice. I’m going to see if I can stall them long enough. If they need to check my bags, I’ll have them look through my things. They shouldn’t get too upset over what I have.” Kian started to take some of the bags downstairs. “Keep an eye on her, Miss Alice. Pack what you can up here. I’ll start taking them to the cart.”
“Okay.” Alice began to move around the room and start shoving everything into bags. She didn’t care if they were folded or not, she just needed to make sure they were put away. Her eyes went toward the window and she could see that some of the king’s men had arrived. They were talking to people around the shops so she had to get Lavinia out quickly.
“Vinnie, please hurry! They are so close to the inn!”
“I’m done!” Lavinia came out of the washroom and started to help carry the bags outside. “You have to keep me hidden, Alice! I don’t want them to know I’m here! If they find out, I don’t know what I will do! How would I explain this?!”
“All right calm down!” Alice stopped her. “Well, I’ve got some clothes that I can wrap you up in. They will at least you hidden from sight.”
Carefully, she tried to wrap Lavinia up in some of her hand-me-downs and old outfits. Lavinia put the scarf over her head and tried to pull it down far enough, so her eyes were hidden. She was soon completely covered up that only the bottom half of her face was showing. Still, Alice wasn’t convinced that this would work. What if they were stopped by the guards and they asked her questions? If she spoke, they would probably recognize her voice.
“Can you speak in another voice?” She suggested. “Perhaps a little higher or a little lower than how you normally speak? This is so no one can figure you out from how you speak.”
“Oh, you’re right! I think I can do that.” Lav
inia cleared her throat and started speaking in a slightly higher voice. “Does this work?”
“It’s a little too high, Vinnie. It sounds like you are straining your voice. Lower it a little bit.”
“All right. I will try to lower it and see how that goes.” She tried again, this with a lower voice. “Does this work?”
“That sounds frightening. We don’t want to scare people off, Vinnie. We need another voice.” Alice shook her head. “Try to do something in between if you can. Not too quiet, not too high, but still very soft-spoken and polite. Try not to sound too regal because they might be able to spot you.”
Lavinia seemed to understand and changed it up, making her pitch a little higher but still soft-spoken. “Does this work?”
