by C S Patra
“It’s perfect.” Alice nodded. “I think you are ready to head out into the town now. Try not to flaunt your wealth about too much. People might get suspicious and we might end up drawing attention. Stay close to me at all times, all right?”
“I understand. I won’t leave your sight unless you say it’s fine to do so.”
Kian came back upstairs to take the rest of their bags. He took a look at Lavinia all wrapped up in her clothes and didn’t know what to make of it. “What happened to you, Your Highness?”
“Shh!” Lavinia silenced him. “Remember, I’m not the princess here. I’m Vinnie. I’m trying to blend in with everyone else.”
“I see.” Kian nodded slowly, not believing this. “I’m not sure why you sound so quiet but that’s fine with me. Anyway, I’ve managed to convince the guards that I’m going out of town. They came down to question me and the rider. I showed them the things I had and fortunately it was all of my stuff. There was nothing but clothes, supplies, and food. They did want to know what the supplies were for and one of them recognized me as a baker in Themasa.”
“So what did you tell them?” Alice wanted to know.
“I told them what I told Miss Tamara; that I was going out of town for a few days to see my family, but I would be home soon. The supplies were to help me get through the forest in case of wild animals or thieves.” He smirked at that. “They believed then and told me to be careful. Also, if I were to come across the princess, to let her know that her family misses her and wants her to come home. They are worried and just hope that she’s all right.”
Lavinia swallowed upon hearing that. She knew her parents would be worried and a part of her wanted to let them know things were fine. What she was doing was because she wanted to do it. If she went home, things would go back to the way they were. She would be locked in that castle with nowhere to go and nothing to touch. For everyone’s sake, she had to keep moving forward. “Well, I see that they are concerned but I can’t run back home now. I have questions that need answers. Are you sure those guards won’t return?”
“For now, they won’t. That’s why we must move. Come downstairs quickly. The sooner we get out of this village, the quicker we can make it to the next town.”
He picked up the heaviest bags while Alice took the smaller ones. Lavinia looked around the room one more time to make sure they hadn’t left anything behind. She went to the window and saw that all the guards were there, questioning shop owners. She couldn’t tell what they were talking about, but she knew what they wanted. Any bit of information about Princess Lavinia’s whereabouts would help them. As far as she could see, they were all out there.
“Come, Vinnie. We have to go.” Alice reminded her.
“Of course.” Lavinia wrapped the bottom half of her face and started to head down the stairs. It was a relatively cool day, so no one would be suspicious over the fact that she was covered. Alice was right behind her, locking the room door and taking the rest of the things. They headed toward the back of the inn where Kian had been waiting with their rider. He looked over at them and motioned for them to get onto the back of the cart.
“I will pay everyone at the inn,” he promised. “Both of you just get on and try to get yourselves comfortable.” He looked at all the bales of hay that were at the back of the cart and then at the horses that were going to be pulling it. “I know it’s not exactly an ideal ride but it’s better than going on foot. It’s supposed to get much colder today.”
“This will be fine,” Alice said, climbing into the cart, and nodding at the rider. He was an older gentleman with gray hair and dark eyes, but he seemed friendly enough. “Thank you for helping us get to the next town, sir.”
“It’s my pleasure, Miss. You may call me Isaac. I was planning to leave today when your friend came into the tavern and asked if he could find someone to sell him a horse. When I asked what he needed that for, he told me he needed something to help carry his things into town. I told him I was heading there tomorrow for business, so he could take a ride with me. He needed to keep his coins for other things later.”
“So he told you that he’s going to have other passengers?”
“Yes, he said he was traveling with two lovely ladies that needed to get into town because they were looking for something,” Isaac explained. “He also said you were a little shy and you never really been there before.”
“It’s true. We’re looking forward to this.” Alice leaned back against the hay and decided to ask Isaac a few more questions. “So are you from around here or do you live somewhere else?”
“I actually live in the town that we’re going to, Losalle. It’s pretty big with a lot of things going around in it. I think you will enjoy it. Plus it will be nice to get away from the guards questioning everything I do. I wasn’t sure what they wanted from me.”
Lavinia was curious about this and finally spoke up. She was starting to worry about the guards coming back before they left. “What were they asking you?”
“Apparently, the princess from Themasa has run away from home and they want to know if anyone has seen her. I didn’t even realize there was a princess in Themasa. The king and queen over there never mentioned her,” Isaac shrugged. “They gave me a brief description of her but that could describe anyone around the world. Then they checked my things and gave me permission to go into town. I did nothing but tell them the truth. I’m going on business and I’m giving Kian a ride.”
“You didn’t mention the ladies he was traveling with?”
“I hadn’t met you yet so there was no point in bringing that up. I doubt you’re doing anything awful. If you’re friends of Kian, I expect you to be as good as him.”
Kian returned to put the remaining bags in the cart and then he jumped on. “All right, I think we’re ready whenever you are.”
“Then sit tight because we’re on our way out.”
The horses started to move and Alice got comfortable against the hay. It was a little itchy and it kept poking her skin, but this was better than nothing. Kian had moved to the front to sit with Isaac while she and Lavinia sat in the back. The cold air didn’t bother her at all because they were both wrapped up in sheets and shawls. They were soon out of the village and on the open road, heading toward a town neither of them had seen.
“Isn’t this exciting?” Lavinia whispered to her. “We’re doing it, Alice! We’re moving further and further away!”
“Quiet!” Alice motioned her to keep her voice lower, then nodded toward Isaac. “I’m excited too but remember that we can’t draw attention to ourselves.”
“Right, right.” Lavinia reminded herself. “You do owe me though. You promised to go out with me in the Losalle. Don’t forget about that.”
“How could I forget? You reminded every five seconds last night.” Alice chuckled. “But even if you didn’t, I’d still want to do dinner and walk around. I want to see as much as Losalle as I can. I’ve heard many things about it but I know I get to be in it and experience it.”
“Exactly. The experience will make it worthwhile.” Lavinia looked down at her gloved hands and thought about how much further they had to go. “This feels so unreal to me. I was only thinking about what it could be like to take a step outside. Now I’m so far away that I don’t know what I’ll do when I go back. What if I never want to go back?”
“You will have to go home for at least a little bit.” Alice reminded her. “For the sake of your parents and the people who know you, you should go back and tell them what you’ve done. Tell them how you feel.”
“That will be tough, but I think I can do it. Now let’s just enjoy this view.”
The ride was smooth for the most part except when they went on the dirt roads. It was then that the horses slowed down and the wheels of the cart went over some rocks. When that happened, the two of them sometimes crashed into each other. Fortunately, with all the clothes covering them, they never touched each other’s b
are skin. It was good because they didn’t want Isaac or Kian to see what could happen.
“I do apologize for the bumps on the road, ladies,” Isaac told them. “I promise this is the only road where things can be bad. The rest of it should be smooth.”
“We’re all right,” Alice told him, straightening out her dress and picking the hay from it. She pulled the scarf back around her head. “I admit I was a little surprised by that last bump but we’re both fine.”
“Yeah, this road needs to be fixed but no one has thought to do it. Apparently, there isn’t enough money or resources to smooth this over.”
“And why is that? Has anyone tried to reach out to neighboring kingdoms and towns for help?”
“All the time. People have been asking for better roads or shorter paths but that help never comes. Everyone is at the point now that they have given up asking for that help. They know they’re not going to get anything. Others have tried to smooth over the road with they have but it’s not enough. You can see it from how we’ve been traveling.”
“I have.” Lavinia did see that some parts of the road were smooth but a lot of it was bumpy and rough. The workers that had done this must have given up midway through. “Well, maybe one day, someone will be able to fix this road and get all the resources needed to put it back together.”
“I hope that is the case but I’m not holding my breath. It’s been too long, and we got nothing in return.”
“That’s horrible,” Alice murmured. “You shouldn’t have to wait so long for help to arrive. Is there anything people in the village can do?”
“They’re trying. They’ve been trying for a long time but it’s not enough. The neighboring kingdoms have the supplies that we need. If they could help us, things would improve quicker,” Isaac sighed. “Nowadays, we just pray for a miracle to come along. It doesn’t seem like much but it’s the most we can do.”
“It shouldn’t be that way. People should be helping you out.”
“They should but what can you do? You try to fix things on your own but it may not be enough.” He tried to change the subject. “Don’t worry so much about it. You’re all very young and it shouldn’t be something on your mind. I just want you to get to Losalle safely and find what you need.”
Lavinia knew he meant well but she was worried about everything. Her family kept too much from her and she needed to be able to fix things. She began to think about what she could do for these people. Once her curse was gone, she was going to come back and put things together. No one deserved to live in such awful states. She needed to get to work and see what was really happening. For once, she needed to act like a princess and be the princess that this world needed. It was high time she started acting like the leader that she was.
Maybe then, her family would see that she was capable of doing many things on her own.
Chapter 14
Losalle was a much bigger city than anyone had expected, and it was filled with far more people than Themasa had. It also seemed to be further ahead of the times as there were trains and other vehicles on the road. The people all seemed more sophisticated and busy with their own lives to care about some strangers. Isaac had no trouble finding them an inn that had rooms to stay in but that was all he could do. He had brought them to their destination and now needed to go about with his business.
“Losalle has many modes of transportation.” He showed them a map of the train routes and pointed to the blue line on it. “This is the train you will need if you want to go to the Frost Kingdom. It won’t take you all the way there, but it will get you close enough. Once you reach the very last stop, go to the Rosewater Inn, and tell them Isaac sent you. They will know what to do.”
“Is there anyone in particular we need to see?” Kian asked.
“Anyone working at the inn will be able to help you. They get travelers going to and from The Frost Kingdom all the time. They’ve heard all kinds of stories and will be able to tell you the fastest way to get there.”
“It sounds fantastic. Thank you for all your help.” Lavinia gave Isaac a few gold coins. “Use that to buy something nice. Do not worry about having to pay me back.”
“Oh, I couldn’t.” Isaac tried to hand the money back, but she refused to take it. “I will feel awful. All I did was take you to another town.”
“That was more than enough. We wouldn’t have come this far in such a short time if we went by foot.” Alice added. “Thank you. We promise to keep in touch with you.”
“I would like that. Have a safe journey and be careful out there,” Isaac told them. “It will be a long trip, but I know you will make it.”
Once he had left and they had checked into a new inn, Alice decided to take a look at their new surroundings. She stared out the window and down at the crowded street below. Unlike the village from before, this town looked like it was in future. It was well ahead of its time and everyone was moving quickly. She was in awe of all the fashion that people were wearing. She had never seen anyone in Themasa wear such clothes. Other than the royal family, no one in Themasa could afford such outfits.
“Isn’t this amazing?” She watched as a couple walked by, dressed up and heading inside of a restaurant. “I never thought I would see a place like Losalle. Now I feel a little out of place.”
“What do you mean?” Lavinia asked. “They’re people just like you and I.”
“Yes, but they are so much wealthier than I am. I’m just looking at all that’s in this town and it feels ten times bigger than Themasa. Do they even have a kingdom?”
“Not really. I’ve read a few things about Losalle and while they have people to help make laws and keep things in order, it’s not a kingdom. They all seem so free and relaxed. I wonder if having no king or queen is the reason for it.”
“Is this the kind of town you’d want to rule?” Alice found herself asking. “Think about it. People are going about their own way and not being part of a kingdom. I bet you wouldn’t have to do as much work.”
“I’m pretty sure the people in charge of Losalle are doing work. They may not be kings, but they are important. You are right about one thing. I wish Themasa was more like this. I feel like we’re stuck in the past while Losalle has moved forward. I want to bring Themasa into the future as well, but I don’t know where to begin.”
“Well, I think going out for a night on the town is a good place to start,” Alice said. “We can try new foods and go into the stores. Maybe we’ll find some better supplies over here. If there is a train that heads to The Frost Kingdom, they must know about the harsh weather and how to survive the cold.”
“That is true.” Lavinia got comfortable on the bed. “So where do you want to go first? Are you feeling hungry or would you like to shop around a little bit? If there’s anything you want to buy, let me know. I have enough gold to get us through anything.”
“That’s what I’m wondering though. Will they even take gold coins here or is there a different currency they use? We need to figure that out.”
“Well, this is solid gold. Who would want a solid gold coin?”
Alice accepted this answer and decided to go get changed. “All right then. I think we should try to figure out where we want to eat first. Let’s find the closest place here so we don’t get lost in Losalle. Kian’s already gone out to get some more supplies so we should head out too.”
“Then I should get dressed. We can’t walk around like we’re travelers. We need to blend in with them.” Lavinia opened one of her bags and started to lay out some dresses. “You can borrow anything from me if you want. I think you and I are the same size, so it should fit you.”
“Vinnie, I couldn’t!” Alice held her hands up to reject this. All those gowns that Lavinia was taking out were worth several gold coins and were made of the finest materials. They had designs sewn onto them with fine threads and were meant to be worn in ball rooms, not the streets. “What if I got them dirty? What if I spill someth
ing on it? I don’t think I would ever be able to repay you.”
“I’m not worried about that. I just want you to look your best tonight. It’s about time someone gave you some good clothes,” Lavinia said, finding a light blue dress made of silk and laying it on the bed. “What do you think? Blue would make your eyes stand out. Of course, if you would rather have another color…”
“No, it’s fine!” Alice held up the blue sleeveless dress and pressed it against her body to see how it looked. The dress didn’t drag on the floor and the skirt was full and bouncy. She could twirl around in it and it wouldn’t feel heavy on her. “This is the perfect dress. Are you sure you want me to wear it?”
“I do. I think you’ll look better in this than I do. Would you like me to do your hair?”
“Oh no!” Alice shook her head. Even though she knew Lavinia would wear gloves, she worried about the slightest touching brushing against her. Either things would grow out of Lavinia or she would turn to ashes. “I will handle my hair. In fact, let me just ready now while you wait downstairs. I swear I will come down within an hour.”
