by Zola Tau
Nari wrinkled her brows and asked, "Why not just throw it away, what the point of giving a dead flower a place of light if it has no use for it?"
Completely ignoring her question Ada turned to Nari and smiled, turned around to walk towards the palace.
She turned around and began walking backwards, before she returned to a proper walk, towards the palace.
"Nari, how often are we allowed outside those walls?" Ada asked midway through her walk, she pointed at the wall that separated her and the subjects.
"Ever so often when there is something in the village you wish to buy, but if that ever is a problem you can just send me. " Nari said. With a smile like a person of mischief would give Ada raced to her room to get a hold of a basket of coins hidden deep in her room layered of clothing with Nari racing close behind.
"What are you doing with all that money?" Nari asked with her eyes open wide out of surprise.
"This basket is barely the size of your head why worry?" Ada asked. She got a hold of Nari's arm and pulled her along.
"Come on my dearest Nari, today we help me see the sun, I've been dead for far too long." Unsure of what it meant Nari walked close beside Ada, as they found their way outside the walls and ended up walking on a clear road towards a busy market. Nari looked about worried that someone of the palace may see her, and report to the king, that she had let the princess walk around, and wander off.
Ada smiled, and took in her surrounding, displaying the thin line between their priorities. Both distracted, never heard the countless called to their names, until, a sudden wind of dirt raised into the air, from a sudden stop, made by someone. To their revelation a white horse found its way beside them, the horse connected to a cart blocked their way as they were about to reach the market, " Princess, would you like a ride?" The voice asked.
With a huge grin Ada pulled Nari along as they sat beside the eldest prince, he gave a signal to the white horse to carry on with a pat, after they boarded the cart and like the wind brushing through their hair, the horse ran with grace and ease.
Looking to his side he noticed the soft smile on Ada's face as she looked to the nature around her "Ah if this is what the castle walls block out, I only wish to be blocked out forever." she said in awe of looking at nature's art around her.
"It looks even better from this point of view. " she said with a smile towards the eldest prince. "I guess it is" he replied unsure of himself, he was so used to nature; he saw regularly that only when the beauty of the Princess was beside him did he remember how stunning it was.
Like always Nari sat silent and observed. She looked at the eldest brother as he stole glances of Ada when she was looking about when he met Nari's gaze while stealing another glance, he cleared his throat and made effort to start a conversation. "Don't you have any other servants, she is the only one I ever see you with, why?" He asked Ada. The princess shook her head and smiled at Nari.
"I was offered some other help before but she's one of my favorite people here, she's enough for me. " Ada replied giving Nari a clutch of her hand while the cart was moving. Nari looked at the eldest prince, as she stuck out her tongue juvenilely. "She's so quiet" the prince said to himself as a method of sarcasm and undermining Nari.
"So what brings you to tour the village today?" he asked. Ada silently smiled and replied by saying " you'll see " the three rode through the market and found a place to stop and tie up the cart, carrying her basket of money Ada went about the fruit section. She was acted as if she was released after being jailed for decades, the method in how wide her smile shined, proved the observation to be true. An old man selling the variety of fruit just strangely looked at Ada neither in awe that she was there, but in shock by her skin. She knew he was, therefore so as she looked through the different types of fruit and sniffing them she simply said: "If you stare hard enough mister maybe my skin color will change."
She playfully looked into the eyes of the old man then returned to looking at the fruit. The eldest prince and Nari snickered as the man tried to find his way to take back his action. Ada proceeded to look about anyways neither in regret; of what she said or how it made the old man felt.
"I'll take them all." She finally said as she was pointing at the oranges, apples, and the different fruits on the table.
“ Princess!” Nari called out. “ Ada!” the eldest prince said in similar shock.
Nari looked over to the prince and stared, sternly. “ Did you just call my princess by name?” she asked.
“ You really don’t fear authority do you?” the eldest prince responded as he returned the stare. Nari humbled her stare and changed her attention towards Ada. “ We already have food at the palace, all of this is-.”
Ada stuck out her hand and told Nari to stop her whining.
"As thankful as I am to you, the amount you'll pay will feed my family for weeks but what will happen to the people of this town that depend on my fruit when they can't find any? I can tell you're from the palace, you have endless su—" the man began; Ada raised her hand and shook her head.
"Don't assume, sir I promise you, your fruit will go into good hands. " Ada said and so the man gave her the containers of freshly picked fruit and he was left with nothing but an empty stand. The elder man grew teary at the sight of money he was paid.
"You've blessed my family, never have I been given so much in a day. " he said as he helped carry the fruit onto the cart. " Where to you live sir?" Ada asked the man, while she separated the fruits into smaller baskets.
The man pointed out his route. Ada looked at the eldest prince with a face of one that would ask for a favor, already knowing, the eldest prince cleared his throat and said: "Accept our offer to take you home from what I can see, that is a long route ahead of you."
"We will have to make a few stops if that fine with you. " Ada added, overjoyed the old man just nodded and walked to the cart and sat beside Nari. The rest of the way Ada walked as the others stayed on the cart handing her fruits baskets at each stop. Ada stopped at random homes and stopped strangers in the streets to hand them fruits and gave them some of the coins she had left.
She saw the smiles blossom on the faces of the young and the elderly, women who were with child emotional, those whose face she recognized as accusers now unsure how they could react, one, in particular, asked her forgiveness, and some she left in awe in order to handle the awkwardness they must have felt in the moment amongst themselves.
The eldest prince watched nearby as she did so, observing how she had a genuine smile on her face, she turned towards him as she walked about alongside the cart. The simple look of admiration of their day that they shared turned into a smile, resulting in his chuckle from amusement.
The inner rebel of the eldest prince arose as he signaled the horse to race faster and Ada tried to run to catch up as they were on the way to the older man's home.
Finally, out of breath when they reached the home of the old man Ada rushed to the eldest prince and playfully hit him on the shoulder " I'll get you back for it " she said as she glared a playful stare.
When all was calm she turned to the older man and gave some of the remaining fruit to the man and kept some in the cart. "You and your family eat without worry. " she said watching as the man bowed to her and as he was doing so out of his home came a woman that looked very familiar.
Distracted by her presence Ada turned towards her and continued looking deeper at her, studying the woman till it began apparent that the woman was the same one that had slapped her in the throne room several days earlier, and behind the woman stood a young boy hiding about shyly.
The old man walked to the young woman and did what seemed like explain his day to her; the woman greeted the old man in a hug as she smiled in gratitude.
Ada took chance and went to hide behind the cart, peeking consistently as she saw the woman bowed and greeted the eldest prince.
The old man by choice of his own leads her towards Ada explaining that without Ada none
of today would have been possible. Ada stood up straight, as she came from hiding and both women came face to face.
"You're..." The woman started to say as she slowly started to point at Ada. Ada, just nodded her head with a smile, and ignored the rest of what the woman was saying.
The young boy once hiding behind his mother was picked up by the old man. "This is my grandson." The old man said while playing with the young boy's cheeks.
Ada smiled and ignoring the woman, pretended as if she didn't know the woman and just asked "Does he have a brother? " she inquired figuring maybe it was his brother the boy's mother lost. The old man laughed a little and shook his head. "It's just this rascal; he's the only grandson of mine."
"I see "Ada responded." He's a handsome young boy" she complimented. Unsure how to respond in words the woman raced towards her home. Ada watched after her, shook her head and looked towards the sky. “ I should’ve been born angry.” She spoke to the sky in thought. “ That way I could get revenge easily.”
As awkward as she felt, Ada, didn't want to appear hesitant to accept the kindness, from the old man as he looked towards Ada, the elder prince, and Nari asking them to come in for a meal, reluctant to pass down food the elder prince agreed before anyone else spoke.
He pulled Ada to himself and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and whispered in her ear " it's the least he could do, all that steering the horse was a lot of hard work " he teased with a smile. Ada looked to Nari and looked up as the eldest prince looked down on her with his arms still holding her close she laughed and just said " Might as well. " satisfied with her answer he released her from his grip and they followed the man into his home with the young boy looking back studying Ada while being carried by his grandfather.The home was small but neat, everything was about the place in a set order even so it was all complimented with the scent of it mint and other herbs.
"I'm sorry." The woman said coming in from the kitchen, Ada looked at her and smiled slightly before nodding her head as a sign of acknowledgment.
"For the smell, the young one gets sick easily, the herbs seem to help, my mother, use to say I was the same way when I was young, very sickly and weak. " she added finishing her sentence though between her and the princess it seemed multiple things were being implied in her apology. As the woman went into the kitchen and back, she eventually returned with several plates of food, then placed them on the table to be consumed as planned. Even before everyone started Nari and the eldest prince went ahead and started eating without a care in the world, Ada just silently watched the little boy as she grew intrigued.
"Was he sick recently?" Ada asked the grandfather as he was looking down at the child before he began to speak.
" He has, he along with many kids in the village, I blame myself only later we found out there was some poison spread onto the soil of which we grew our food. When we started growing elsewhere on new soil and noticed the difference was when it came to mind that it may have been the cause for the children growing sick. They often pick fruits, some before it’s fully ripened when on their way home from playing about." He finished. Ada noticed the child's mother gripping onto her worn out hanbok skirt as her father spoke, eventually by cause of Ada’s silence she finally broke and knelt at the feet of Ada.
"Princess I've committed a great offense and disrespect towards you please forgive me. " She said as she looked down, feeling as if she wasn't worthy to look at the princess in the face. Ada lifted her head and tried helping her stand but the woman wouldn't, rather she just proceeded to speak, as tears make way like a river rushing down her eyes.
"Around the early evening a short while back I witnessed the middle princess and a strange man walk about in the fields, at first I was unsure of who they were when I saw them watering the plants I found it unusual that they would do such a thing so late at night. Assuming it was one of the older children, playing a prank, I walked towards them to ask them what it is they were doing, what happened soon after was that the man proceeded to attack me if it wasn't for a young woman that came in and fought in my place, helping me I don't know if I would've survived. All I know is she must have worked in the palace by her attire it wasn't light outside but the design was one from the palace staff even that I would recognize anywhere. In the events of that happening that only angered the princess causing her to rush over towards me, it was as if her disgust was coming for me not by physical force alone but in my spirit, and in the worst way. My son, my precious son went missing for a week, and in order to get him back unharmed I needed to accuse you of the crime as an explanation as to why the kids were growing sick, but I did it also to save my father’s reputation, if he loses sales we will only starve. So in order to preserve my father's dignity as a farmer, I'm sorry, I'm not worthy to ask for forgiveness but I am in even more debt for the kindness you have shown. I didn't mean the evil I placed over your good name, but for the life of my child, I knew no other person as a human, even you princess. "
The eldest prince and Nari watched as the woman stood only to bow to the ground and kept asking for forgiveness. A grateful Ada patted the woman to get up before proceeding to ask for her approval on a matter. "Can I hold the boy?" She asked the woman, the mother got a hold of the young boy from her father and handed him over to Ada. The boy was reluctant at first, but observing Ada and her smile he sat on her lap and looked at her hair. His gaze was busy in the study of Ada, as the princess began to speak.
"You and I are quite comparable, we both got used by the princess, she saw who we loved and used it against us to bring out our worst, don't worry I did my shame as well " Ada said in such a way it would be suspected that it was a matter elegantly handled, but the eldest prince and Nari looked at one another remembering when Ada gave the princess a slap showing to light how the matter was everything but elegant. The two tried in an effort to control their laughter and when by the ability of their own the two couldn't stop the temptation to snicker, all that was then necessary was a stare from Ada and they stopped and went back to being silent.
“ Princess on behalf of my daughter I am-“ the old man started. Ada shook her head, as she declined the words about to be said.
Ada stood up with the child in hand, and his mother stood up along with them. The selfless princess gave the young boy some coins and gave the rest to his mother. "This is for you, buy something and be well, don't let your past choice leave you with guilt." She spoke wisely as a queen would, slowly in the short time she spent outside the village Ada began to feel a soft sense of worth in her actions.
Ada smiled and kissed the boy on his forehead before she handed him over to his mother. A mother unfamiliar to such kindness from a royal, bowed in gratitude towards Ada, as Ada bowed towards the old man and said: " I believe we should head back now, thank you for your hospitality, stay safe and well, remember no true royal has to torture another to get something they want, if they can't act as a royal they don't deserve to be treated as one either."
In that shadow of a moment, an awakening came before everyone by the words said from the lips of the princess. Waves of farewell were shared and in that same spirit, the nature around them all, transformed on the way back to the cart.
The sun was slowly going to rest, as it descended from the sky leaving its trail of colors, pink, purple, and hues of orange all about. Before getting onto the cart Ada grabbed onto Nari in a hurry to say what she kept in thought "Was that why you came home all bruised?" Ada asked waiting for a reply. "I know that's why " Ada added as she looked at Nari watching as her eyes stared at hers there was a twinkle of a soften heart coming from Nari as she understood her value to the princess before her.
"I hope the princess doesn't take my response to disrespect but…we will never know will we? " Nari said with a smile.
"This is not something you leave unanswered. " Ada repeated as she held onto Nari's shoulders, but Nari smiled and left the question unanswered.
Though she didn't say anything, Ada now knew and she could
leave the matter to rest as she softly scoffed and shook her head.
The rest of the way home consisted of the three admiring the sky that surrounded them, by the fault of one another's presence they laughed at stories they shared among themselves. They smiled speaking on Ada's response to the event of the old man's consistent staring as well as other events of the day, in the cart a palace structure of status didn't exist they were simply beings sharing experience and insight.Soon a tired out Ada found head rest on the eldest prince's shoulder by the movement of the cart, it was where the most comfort resided. As for the eldest prince he looked at her and smiled as they rode home in gratitude for the moment even the atmosphere that day was like no other.
"Nari, you know why I placed that dead rose in the midst of the living?" A tired Ada asked after a short moment of silence, though her voice made a clear distinction of how tired she was Ada managed to say " I guess I thought it was me, and as dead as I was if I found my sunlight, maybe, just maybe I would take a chance to grow again and become stronger than before, if I surrounded myself with the right people, maybe I'll find way to happiness again like I have today, or maybe it..."
Ada never got a chance to finish her thoughts but rather she fell asleep on the eldest prince leaving everyone with the few words she managed to share. The eldest prince smiled as Nari just scoffed guilty for feeling touched by the few words that were shared.
