Aurora Abroad

by Aron Lewes

  “Actually, we’re not sure. She just started following us around and—”

  “She started following you around?!” Rachelle interrupted shrilly. “I thought she was you little sister or something! She’s not?” She waited for Aurora to shake her head. “Well, I guess that makes sense. Lyric would have told me if we were traveling with another relative of his.”

  “He’s not my cousin.” Aurora couldn’t keep up the charade any longer. In the corner of her eye, she could see Lyric wince.

  “He’s not?!”

  “No. He just said that because he didn’t want you to think we were, you know... romantically involved.”

  Rachelle’s gaze must have shifted between Aurora and Lyric at least a dozen times before her eyes finally settled on Lyric. “Well, are you romantically involved?!”

  “Uh... well...” Lyric hesitated, if only for a moment. “No. No, not in the least. We’re only traveling together due to a series of unlikely events. I just want to make sure Aurora finds her aunts, gets back home, and that will be that.”

  Aurora could feel her spirits declining, but Rachelle looked satisfied.

  “Oh, good. For a second, I might have been jealous.” Rachelle crossed her arms. “But the fact remains... you did lie to me.”

  “About what?”

  “About what?!” Rachelle rolled her eyes. “About Aurora being your cousin, silly! If you say you’re not romantically involved, I believe you! I have no reason to doubt you, just as you have no reason to lie to me!”

  Aurora clenched her fists. She should have taken Rachelle’s existence into consideration before falling for Lyric. Now that Rachelle was back in the picture, she didn’t stand a chance. She could never confess her feelings for Lyric.

  “Well, anyway, I forgive you.” Rachelle started to lie on the ground. Then she remembered they were camping in the woods, so she popped back up and smacked the dirt from her hair. “But I have to warn you about something.”

  “What’s that?” Lyric inquired.

  “Well, I might fall for Noxor,” Rachelle said. “Someone has to rid him of his curse, right?”

  She followed up her statement with a snide chuckle, as if to suggest what a ridiculous notion it would be.

  Chapter Nine

  I

  “IS IT JUST ME, OR DOES it seem like people are staring at us?” Lyric asked. As the five of them—six, if one took Charmaine into consideration—strolled into town, it did seem as if they were attracting several stares.

  “Of course they’re staring.” Noxor made a gesture toward his hooded head. “People always stare at me, no matter where I go. Which is why I should have stayed behind like I did last time...”

  “Or they’re staring at me,” Rachelle suggested with a sniffle.

  Noxor chuckled softly. “And why would they be staring at you, Princess?”

  “Because I look like Hell!” Rachelle exclaimed. “My hair’s a mess. My clothes are dirty. I have smudges on my cheeks because I had to sleep on the ground... and I have red rings around my eyes because I couldn’t sleep on the ground! People usually stare at me because I’m beautiful, but now they’re staring at me because I’m a mess! I wish I could be more like Aurora.”

  Aurora didn’t want to know what Rachelle meant by that, but Rachelle was going to give her explanation whether she wanted it or not.

  “I wish I wasn’t so concerned about my appearance,” Rachelle went on. “I wish I could wake up, roll out of bed, and not even give a second thought to the status of my hair. How do you do it, Aurora?”

  “Uh... huh?”

  “You don’t have a beauty regime, but you’re perfectly happy. I can tell! And I mean that as a compliment, of course.”

  “Do you?” Aurora grumbled.

  “I’m sure I’m the one who’s attracting all the attention, and not the good sort of attention,” Noxor insisted. “Maybe the troll will take some of the focus away from me.”

  Lyric’s head popped up. “What? Troll?”

  Lyric’s and Aurora’s eyes simultaneously landed on the “troll” that Noxor was referring to. It was a green, sauntering, wart-covered lump of a creature—with familiar fashion sense.

  “No way,” Lyric whispered. “Are you kidding me?!”

  Aurora had to laugh. “Nope. That’s definitely him.”

  “It’s the troll that stole my clothes!” Lyric shook his head with disbelief as he recalled that humiliating day. “Unbelievable.”

  Rachelle spoke up again. She had to be the center of attention, or else she was restless. “Anyway, is that a pub at the end of the road? Didn’t you say you wanted to gather some information?”

  “Gather information... ask for directions...” Lyric quietly listed all of the tasks at hand. “Yes, a pub would be a good place to start. Let’s go.”

  “Oh... but, Lyric!” Rachelle grabbed his shoulder before he could take another step forward. “I have the most terrible blisters on my feet. Every time I take a step, I can feel them pulsating. The pain is unbearable! Won’t you carry me?”

  “Uhhhh, really?”

  “Please? Pretty please?”

  Lyric shrugged a shoulder. “The pub is at the end of the street, Rachelle. If I can make it, you can make it. I have blisters too. And I’m sure Aurora’s got them.”

  “I do.” Aurora nodded, smiled at Lyric, and self-satisfactorily marched off in the direction of the pub.

  “But I... but you... but damsels in distress...” Rachelle was rooted to the spot, unable to believe she just got jilted. Her pout was so prominent, her lip was practically touching the bottom of her chin.

  Before she could rail at Lyric, Noxor lifted her off her feet; which, of course, wasn’t what she had in mind. “Wait? What? Put me down!”

  Noxor tossed her over his shoulder as if she weighed a feather. “But you said you have blisters, Princess. I wouldn’t want your feet to get worse.”

  “Ack! No!” Rachelle continued to fuss and kick, not unlike a squealing pig. “J-just put me down, okay? And I take exception to your tone! If you keep calling me Princess, it’s going to sound derogatory!”

  Noxor gently laid her on her feet. “Oh? Then what should I call you?”

  “Your Highness... or... Your Grace. Something along those lines, please.” Rachelle smoothed her hands over her dress, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and ran to catch up with Lyric and Aurora. Once inside, the chaos of the crowded pub nearly bowled her over.

  “Ahh. Don’t you just love the buzz of voices murmuring in unison?” Lyric asked, directing the question at Aurora more than anyone. “It reminds me of the bazaar back home.”

  “You’ve been to the bazaar?”

  “Occasionally,” Lyric answered. “You didn’t think I was holed up in the palace all day, did you?”

  “Actually, I did,” Aurora admitted with a nod.

  “Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. I love people. I love the crazy hustle and bustle of a crowded town.”

  “Well, I hate it!” Rachelle voiced an different opinion. “Let’s get out of here as fast as we can!”

  “Not too fast, I hope,” Noxor said as he appeared in the doorway. He pulled out a coin purse and tossed it to Lyric, whose reflexes weren’t quite on par with Noxor’s, thus the bag fell to the ground with a loud clunk. “When you ask for directions, purchase some rooms for the night. We’ve been traveling all day. I think the princess’s feet could use a rest.” Noxor paused for a few seconds, then amended, “That is to say... Her Highness’ feet could use a rest.”

  Rachelle smiled obnoxiously. “Very good, Noxor. You’re learning! That’s always good.”

  With a roll of his eyes, Lyric went ask for directions, and Aurora followed. When they were at a safe distance, she whispered. “I can’t believe you’re actually courting that girl.”

  “Yeah, I know. She’s a peach, isn’t she?”

  Aurora sincerely hoped he was being sarcastic.

  “I’m being facetious, you know,” Lyr
ic went on, alleviating Aurora’s concerns. “Peach? A hellion is more like it. But she reminds me of myself at times.”

  “How so?”

  “Do I really need to tell you?” Lyric wrapped an arm around Aurora’s shoulders. “What’s gotten into you? Why do you look so serious? A few days ago, you would have gladly listed my Rachelle-like qualities... as horrid as they might be. Believe it or not, I miss the days when you used to tease me.”

  “Well, it’s a little hard to tease you when we’re traveling with Noxor and Greta and Rachelle.” And I’m in love with you, her mind quietly finished the thought. “As for what you have in common with Rachelle... well, you’re both spoiled, whiny, pampered...”

  “Ah, there you go!” Lyric cheered her on. “That’s good.”

  “But Rachelle’s even worse than you, believe it or not. Anyway...” Aurora tapped Lyric on the shoulder. “You’ve got the innkeeper’s attention.”

  “Oh.” Lyric turned to the innkeeper, an old man with a ruddy face and hardly any teeth. “Hello, Sir. We could like two rooms for the night.”

  “Two?”

  “Yes...one for me and Noxor, one for you and—”

  “Rachelle,” Aurora finished listlessly. “And Greta, of course.”

  “Oh, yes. Right... the little girl we kidnapped. I almost always forget about her.”

  The innkeeper’s brow was fraught with concern as he slid two sets of keys across the counter. “Anything else?” he asked.

  “No, sir. Well... yes, actually.” Lyric changed his mind in mid-sentence. “We’re trying to get to a town called Avalon. Have you heard of it?”

  “Of course I’ve heard of it!” the innkeeper exclaimed. “It’s about fifteen or twenty miles to the east of here. There are coaches that ride there all the time.”

  “Okay, great. Thanks.” Lyric snatched the keys, took Aurora by the elbow, and dragged her away from the counter. “Perhaps I should’ve left off the part about kidnapping a little girl.”

  “Perhaps,” Aurora agreed with a roll of her eyes. “You’re such a numbskull, Lyric.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s not like we actually kidnapped her. We didn’t throw a sack over her head and carry her off. She’s more like... a stray dog.”

  “And that girlfriend of yours is a thorn in my side.” Aurora whispered under her breath.

  AURORA TRIED TO THINK of a better analogy, something worse than a thorn in the side, but nothing could properly illustrate her negative sentiments toward the persnickety princess.

  “The bed is making me itch. I think there might be bedbugs. The food at the inn was terrible, wasn’t it? I hope I never have to eat at a pub for the rest of my life. Do you remember eating dinner at the castle? It was far superior, wasn’t it? My father’s chefs are some of the best in the land. And the silverware... don’t even get me started! It wasn’t even clean! And it wasn’t real silver, either. I can spot real silver from a mile away. It isn’t as fetching as gold, though, and gold is more flattering on my skin tone.”

  After ten minutes of sharing a room with Rachelle, Aurora was ready to scream into her pillow. “It’s not so bad, Rachelle.”

  “No, no... I like silver, it’s just not for me.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Aurora corrected her. “The inn, the food... it isn’t that bad.”

  Rachelle sighed. “If I was like you, I’m sure I’d feel like I was living in the lap of luxury right now. But since I’m used to real luxury, this place is one step above a hovel. I can’t wait to get back to the palace and start planning my wedding to Lyric.”

  “What?!” Aurora, who’d only been playing marginal attention to what Rachelle was saying, felt a sudden tingle in her ears. “You and Lyric are getting married?!”

  “Well, it’s not really official... yet,” Rachelle admitted. “But I think it’s just a matter of time. I know he cares for me, or he wouldn’t travel halfway across the world to rescue me. Out of all my suitors... and I have many, I assure you... Lyric is my favorite by far.”

  “R-really? Why’s that?”

  “First of all, he’s incredibly handsome. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed! And he’s one of the richest men in the world, too.”

  “Really?” That was news to Aurora.

  “Uh-huh. My father is very rich, of course, but he’s nothing compared to Lyric.”

  “Oh, really?” Aurora felt silly for repeating the same word over and over again, but she didn’t know what else to say. It was as if she was realizing, for the first time, that Lyric was above her reach. He would want someone beautiful and refined, who would match his good looks and fit his extravagant lifestyle.

  “When I found out you weren’t his cousin, I have to admit, I was a bit worried,” Rachelle said. “Then I remembered that he hates redheads. It would be crazy to think he’d actually be interested in you, right?”

  Aurora tugged at the ends of her copper locks. “Right...”

  “I mean no offense! You’re a very pretty girl, of course, you’re just not Lyric’s type. Just like Charmaine is handsome, but he’s not my type.”

  “Right now, I don’t think Charmaine is anyone’s type,” Aurora noted. “Anyway, all this talk about types is stupid. I think it has to do with finding someone whose personality complements your own.”

  Rachelle laughed. “If I was looking for a husband based on personality, I’d rather be with Noxor! Lyric has nothing going for him in the personality department, if you know what I mean.”

  Aurora gasped. “That’s not true!”

  “Yes it is.”

  “That’s not true!” Aurora insisted. “Sure, he can be a bit... irritating sometimes, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a good person! I know he’s spoiled and whiny and sarcastic... but he’s also fun and clever and caring!”

  “You think so?”

  “I do!”

  “Hmm. Well, I can’t say I’ve seen that side of him, but I guess I’ll find out after we’re married.” When Rachelle ran a hand through her hair, it looked like she was dipping her hand into a vat of gold. “It’s so sweet of you, jumping to his defense like that. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were the one in love with him.”

  “What?! No!”

  “Well, DO tell me if you are in love with him, because I can’t stand competition.” Rachelle’s head collapsed against her pillow, and her eyelids fluttered drowsily. “It’s not like I have my heart set on him. If you really want him, he’s all yours.”

  II

  THE NEXT MORNING, ERRANDS were assigned.

  “I’ll gather information about Medea’s whereabouts,” Noxor elected himself.

  “Do you really think that’s a good idea, Necksore? You have a talent for drawing unwanted attention to yourself.”

  “His name is NOXOR,” Aurora corrected him with a sigh.

  “Oh, yeah? You mean I’ve been saying it wrong all this time?”

  “It’s alright. I’m not particularly attached to my name. At any rate, you’d be surprised at how willingly information is given to someone in a black hood.” Noxor turned his head toward Aurora, but it was impossible to tell who he was looking at, as his face was permanently hidden from view. “More specifically, Aurora, I need to gather information about Meg and Mary. I’m going to try to find out where Medea is keeping them.”

  Aurora smiled. “That sounds like a good idea. I wish you luck.”

  “And I’ll go hire a carriage,” Lyric offered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Noxor’s bag of coins. “I’ll pay you back as soon as I get back to my palace.”

  Noxor shook his head, as if to say it wasn’t necessary. “Remember, we need two carriages. One to take Aurora to Avalon, and one to take Greta and Her Highness back to their respective destinations.”

  Lyric returned the pouch to his pocket. “Right. Okay.”

  Rachelle, who had been uncharacteristically quiet during breakfast, raised her hand. “Ooo! I’ll go with Lyric!”

  “No need,”
Lyric said. “It doesn’t take two people to hire a carriage. I’ve got the easy job.”

  “Then... I’ll go with Noxor!”

  “That won’t be necessary either. Considering the nature of my task, I think you’d be more of a hindrance than a—”

  “I’m coming with you!” Rachelle insisted. “I don’t want to spend the whole day with Aurora. I already spent the entire night with her!” She briefly turned her attention to Aurora. “No offense.”

  “None taken,” Aurora said with a sigh. She was getting used to Rachelle’s inadvertent insults. “Anyway, what am I supposed to do while everyone’s gone? Shouldn’t I have some kind of task, too?”

  “I think you should stay put,” Noxor recommended. “Medea might be looking for you. If you wander off on your own, I won’t be there to protect you.”

  “Well, maybe I don’t need protecting?” Aurora suggested with a frown.

  “Let’s not take any chances. Please stay here with Greta. I’ll be back within the hour.” Noxor motioned for Rachelle to follow him. “Let’s go.”

  When Rachelle followed Noxor out of the inn, she was as inquisitive as ever. “Why couldn’t Aurora come with us? If you want to protect her so badly, wouldn’t it be better if she went with us?”

  “I’d prefer if neither of you went with me.”

  “Well, that’s not very nice!” Rachelle crossed her arms over her chest as she walked along. “You’re not much of a team player, are you?”

  Noxor grumbled something inaudible.

  “Why ARE you so determined to protect Aurora, anyway? Is it because you’re hoping she’ll fall in love with you? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you might be too late. I think she’s in love with Lyric.”

  “Really?”

  “Uh-huh. So you’re out of luck. And he might be in love with her too, for all I know. Lyric seems determined to protect her too, don’t ask me why. You’re both trying so hard to take her back home. Maybe you’re both in love with her?”

  “It isn’t love,” Noxor objected. “It’s... atonement.”