Simina found it hard to focus when other things were on her mind. Oliver had her dusting off books, but Matilda wanted her in the kitchen cleaning up dishes. Matilda said she had lots of work to do today. She wanted her to dust the books while Gloria sanded the shelves, which made more work for Simina because of the sandy, dusty stuff created from the sanding. Then, she had to wash the dishes and clean the stables.
Simina hated working with Gloria, but not so much with Olivia. Gloria did everything possible in her power to make more work for her and to make things harder. When washing dishes later, while Olivia dried the others and put them away, Simina saw Gloria purposely drop a dish in a way that made it look like Simina did it. Simina then had to sweep it up and throw away the tiny shards.
Olivia, on the other hand, tried to help Simina as much as she could. She washed Simina's dishes while she swept. Gloria had also tracked mud across the foyer and the carpets. Simina was made to mop it up and bless Olivia's soul, who offered to help. Simina's back started hurting halfway through her day, and gloom hung over her in a sick, funky cloud for the rest of her day.
Today, her thoughts were more preoccupied. This surprised her, though, since she didn't usually have that much to think about. But now she did. She didn't really have "things" on her mind. Instead, it was just one thing—Nar.
She hadn't seen him all day, though she usually would have on any other typical day.
"Matilda, where is Nar today?" Simina asked while cleaning the dining room. Matilda raised a questioning eyebrow. Simina realized that she'd used his first name, which probably wasn't used very much among commoners.
"Oh, I mean, the Prince. Where is the Prince?" Simina reworded her question. Matilda's brow now creased with suspicion.
"He's not here today. The Prince is away taking care of royal business. Why?" Her eyes narrowed at Simina. She blushed and turned her gaze away from Matilda.
"No reason. I was just...wondering," Simina muttered and quickly skittered away from Matilda to continue her chores. She didn't want anyone to suspect that she had an interest in the Prince, but she was sure that Gloria somehow already suspected—;the little wench.
Simina had hoped to see him today. He'd said he'd train her in magic, and she'd spent all night reading the book he'd given her yesterday. She sighed, feeling glum. She wanted to go somewhere quiet where she could be alone. Simina requested this of Matilda, so she granted her request, telling her to clean the stables.
Simina went out to the castle grounds, feet crunching the snow, but did not go directly to the stables. She took a walk through the castle garden. She had never been in the garden before. She thought it magnificent. There were rows of large hedges that were a sparkling, frosty blue .Despite the cold weather, Simina saw beds of blooming flowers all around. The snow-white flowers were coated with a chilly frost that sparkled in the sunlight.
She recalled these flowers as ice flowers, a type of flower that thrived in cold weather. Next to the bed of ice flowers was a bush of frost berries, sparkling like blue crystals, just like the blue snow. Every flower here thrived in cold weather. Without the cold, they'd die.
Simina walked under a canopy of frost bells that hung above her, and they sprinkled little blue sparkles onto her head. She smiled as they landed softly on her nose and cheeks. She saw another bed of flowers, but these next ones were different. These flowers were also a frosty, icy blue, and Simina remembered they were called Frosty Winkles. But Simina's favorite was the black roses. She liked how they sparkled a dark purple, like Nar's mist. Their beauty was indescribable.
Simina thought it beautiful, but did not lollygag for too much longer because she had to clean the stables, so that is what she did. Nar's horse was, of course, there in the stables. Simina cleared out the snow, replaced his hay and water supply, and cleaned out the remains of his feces.
After a while, Simina brushed and cleaned Nar's horse, the same one she'd stolen. She admired his horse's black beauty, petting it and stroking its mane. It neighed to her and nuzzled Simina under her chin. This made her giggle, so she put her arms around the horse's neck and hugged him.
Simina loved horses. This horse reminded her of her old horse, Winona, the horse she missed. She missed the beauty of Winona and riding her. This only made her nostalgic and caused a wave of sadness to overflow her. She missed her quiet town of the Left. She missed her quaint little cottage, her father, and her friend Ernest. Simina really missed the games she and Ernest would play, the pretty woods, the stream they drank from. But most of all, she missed the library and all those books. Simina hugged the horse tightly, gently petting it. She honestly saw no point in why the Lazerian Government sent her to Winterville. She still hadn't gotten married yet, anyhow. Simina sighed and pulled away from the horse.
"I miss my home. I was happy there. I had friends there. Here, I only have one friend," she muttered to the horse. She considered her friend here to be Nar. At least he was kind to her. Besides Olivia, of course. Simina didn't think that she belonged here, in Winterville. She wanted to return to Autumnville, where everything seemed much simpler. There, she didn't have Gloria: A demeaning cousin who made life hard for her. But if she returned home, Nar wouldn't be able to teach her magic.
Simina was so focused on her thoughts that she ignored the sound of footsteps behind her.
"Do you ride?" a familiar voice from behind asked. Simina turned, hoping it was who she thought it was, and she was right.
She smiled. "Your highness. Yes, of course, I ride. I used to before I came here."
She took a few steps closer to him. "I haven't seen you all day. You told me that you'd tutor me. Where have you been?"
Nar's smile vanished. A troubled expression replaced it. "I was...away."
She cocked her head. "Away where?"
Nar looked at her. He found it easy to open up to her and talk to her. He figured he could tell her; Nar didn't see the harm in it.
"There's been some diplomatic issues with another Kingdom. They are refusing to make a trade agreement and form an alliance. I fear we are on the brink of war. The King of Azria wants to share our land, which will soon be mine once I take the throne." She noticed this troubled him very much. Did this have anything to do with the conversation with his father yesterday? The King had mentioned Azria.
"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Simina asked. Nar thought it sweet of her to ask; her concern was charming. He offered her a sad smile.
"My lady, I do not wish to worry you with my troubles." After all, it was none of her concern. What could she do? He became immediately stricken with guilt when he saw the dismissed look in her eyes.
"Walk with me?" he said quickly after.
Simina nodded.
"Sure."
They started to walk, and Simina fell into step beside him. They said nothing for a while. Nar didn't know what to say to her. He thought he might've hurt her feelings. Guilt gnawed at him. Nar figured he should say something. But what? What should he say? Nar screamed internally at himself, thinking that he'd lost his head.
"Do you like my horse?" Nar started.
"Yes, I do. It's a beautiful horse," Simina replied.
Nar grinned. "Is that why you stole it?"
Simina turned to glare at him. "No."
Nar chuckled.
"I like horses. I used to have one before I came here. Her name was Winona."
"What was she like?" Nostalgia crept upon her.
"She was a gray horse with spots and rode like the wind." She sighed. "I wish I had a horse now. I miss Winona."
Simina thought about the King, and wondered why he was sick. In fact, she realized that other than the book she'd found about Nar, she didn't really know that much about him or his family. He was such a mystery.
"How...did your father get sick?" Simina asked.
"He was right about one thing. It was my fault," Nar replied.
"What happened?"
Prince Nar took a deep breath. "From birth, I was gifted with magic. Others don't develop their powers until about five to ten years old. Well, I possessed it as soon as I came out of the womb, which is...quite rare."
"As I grew older, so did my power," Nar went on. "My father hired all kinds of expensive private tutors to train me, sparing no expense. But, see...my magical prowess grew too much and too fast for a young boy to contain...I had trouble controlling it. Needless to say, the tutors stopped coming back. One after the other, they quit, fearing for their lives."
"But why?"
He shook his head. "If I happened to get too angry at one of my tutors, my...magic would lash out, all on its own and...well, bad things started to happen."
"One day, about five years ago, there was an accident. My father attempted a spell to seal away my...dark powers, but the spell backfired. Shortly afterward, he fell ill. He's only gotten worse, no matter the tonics, potions, or spells he'd try. He never got better," Nar explained. "My magic...is slowly killing him."
Simina gulped. "What about...your mother?"
Eyes clouding with sadness, Nar stared up at the sky. "I killed her too."
Simina's stomach turned. "Whatever happened, I'm sure it wasn't your fault."
"Father said that my dark magic gave her the plague," Nar mumbled, voice thick with emotion. He sniffled. "And...she died when I was five. He's always blamed me."
Simina placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Nar, I'm sorry. That wasn't your fault. And I'm sure your mother loved you very much."
It made her think of her mother. As they walked, they entered the garden.
"My mother died from the plague too," Simina said. "Lots of people died from it. It was just a disease going around, and your mother happened to catch it. You didn't kill her."
Nar was silent for a long time. Then, he finally said, "I am sorry for your loss."
Simina took a deep breath, feeling the hole in her chest reopen, the part that her mother used to fill. "Thank you. It was really hard without her."
She shook her head.
"I don't want to talk about it. Did your father ever remarry?" She changed the subject.
"After a while, yes. He remarried several times, actually. But the marriages never lasted. Some he divorced, a few of them...died." He hesitated. Simina drew her brow.
"Died?" she wondered. Nar's face changed to stone.
"I killed a few of them," he said emotionlessly. Simina's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"You killed them?"
"It was an accident. I didn't mean to kill them," Nar said.
"What happened?"
"Some of his wives were mean to me or would hurt me. I got angry. And without my control, my powers unleashed and killed them," Nar explained. Simina thought how terrible it would be to have such power and kill someone by accident.
"That's terrible," Simina muttered. And she complained about going to school when she was that age. He said nothing. Neither did Simina.. Simina stared at the flowers and let a smile stretch her lips. She went over to each bed of flowers and ran her hand across the petals. Simina cupped an ice flower in her hands, bent down, and sniffed it daintily. A cool breeze sucked up her nostrils, filling her nose with the sweet scent of frosted vanilla. She brushed her finger along each petal until moving to the next bed of flowers, which were the frosty winkles.
Nar watched her sniff the flowers and gently caress them, then smile with pleasantness at the beauty of them. Nar liked that the flowers pleased her, and he liked how happy they made her. He wanted to see her happy. Nar smiled. Her beauty was indescribable. Simina's plump cheeks were flushed red from the cold weather, her lovely curly locks of hair draping around her pretty face. Nar liked Simina. Perhaps he could even love her some day, but it was too soon to say. He liked being with her. She made him feel normal. Simina noticed him staring and smiled at him.
"Your garden is beautiful," Simina said admiringly. "I love it." She sniffed the frosty winkles. They smelled like blue raspberries. She stroked the petals.
"Who planted them?"
"I did. Sometimes Matilda helped." Simina stared at Nar with admiring eyes.
"You like flowers?" She meant it to be a statement rather than a question.
Nar just couldn't stop smiling when he was around her.
"Yes, of course. I enjoy their undying beauty," Nar said, caressing a flower. Simina squinted with confusion.
"But won't they wilt?" Simina didn't understand what he meant. Nar shook his head.
"They'll never wilt. I enchanted them with everlasting beauty." Simina found that fascinating. She caught sight of the black roses, her favorites, with the purple sparkling glitter floating around them. She touched one, fascinated by their beauty.
"I like these ones the most. I've never seen anything like them before." Her voice sounded enchanting. It was at that moment that Nar realized that he'd do anything she asked of him. While Nar wasn't paying attention, Simina picked up a handful of snow and packed it up into a ball. With a mischievous smile, she threw it at him. It hit him in the shoulder. Nar looked up. Simina snorted, holding back a laugh. She grinned. Nar smirked.
"Oh really?" He cocked an eyebrow. Simina nodded, giggling. Nar bent down and made his own snowball. He threw one back at her, but Simina dodged it. She stuck out her tongue.
"Missed me!" she teased. Nar threw another. It hit her this time.
She gasped. "Oh, no you didn't."
Nar laughed. They kept throwing snowballs back and forth at each other. Nar's heart sang with happiness. Simina's presence filled Nar with a warmth and contentment that had been absent for years, and he reveled in the unfamiliar lightness in his heart.
Simina and Nar kept throwing snowballs at each other until Simina begged him to stop through her laughter. Nar was winning. They stopped, laughing and giggling, rolling in the snow. Finally, they stood, and Simina went to him, no longer resisting the urge to run into his arms. Nar took her in his arms, picked her up, and twirled her around in the air until he put her down, and they hugged each other tight.
Simina laughed as she laid her head on his shoulder and breathed with contentment. She closed her eyes. Nar held her close, petting her hair, stroking his fingers through it. She was so warm and comforting. She smelled like home. Even though he was the happiest man in the world, sadness visited once again, a frequent, unwelcome friend. He couldn't stay with her long; he'd be leaving again tomorrow. He had to settle the dispute in Azria. Nar had no idea how long he'd be gone.
"I must tell you something," Nar said. She must have caught the sad tone of his voice because she looked up.
"Is something wrong?" Worry creased her beautiful young features.
"No. Nothing is wrong," he assured her..
"Then what is it?"
Nar sighed.
"I have to go again."
Her smile faded. "When?"
This disappointed Simina. She didn't want Nar to go anywhere. He had promised to teach her magic.
"Tomorrow. I have to settle this dispute. I have no idea how long I'll be gone. It depends on how long it takes to settle the dispute and the methods used to settle it. But I promise I'll write to you."
Simina shook her head.
"No. You said you'd teach me how to use my magic."
"I know, I'm sorry. But I'll be back soon."
Silently, she nodded and hugged him. Unfamiliar emotions stirred in Simina's chest. She didn't know why, but she didn't want Nar to go. She had a bad feeling about this thing with Azria.
"Please don't go. I have a bad feeling," she whispered into his shirt.
"I think I have something that will put your mind at ease," he said, pulling away. He smiled. Simina looked up at him, curious.
"What?" Nar held out his hand, palm up.
"Watch." Simina looked at his hand. To her amazement, she saw a small flurry of purple glittering sparkles gathering in the middle of his hand. They swirled all around very fast, spiraling like they were making something. She stared in wonder at them. Slowly, a wisp of purple mist joined. The wisp of purple spiraled, and the purple sparkles were absorbed into the purple wisp, forming a bright green stem. Simina opened her mouth and gasped.
"Ooh!" she squealed. Nar smiled at her delight. The purple wisp swirled higher, just as the sparkles gathered in number, glowing brighter—two tiny wisps formed on the stem and made two leaves. The curling purple wisp at the top absorbed the gathered sparkles, transforming into a beautiful, spiraling black rose with many petals. Simina gasped, gaping at its beauty. Purple glitter fluttered around it, and each petal sparkled. It glowed magnificently, levitating in the middle of his palm. Simina's jaw dropped in awe.
"Oh my." Simina was breathless. Smiling, Nar took the rose by the stem. He offered it to her.
"For you," Nar whispered. Unable to speak, Simina took the fragile flower with two delicate hands.
"Oh, Nar, it's beautiful." She brushed a gentle finger along the edge of a petal. She brought her nose to it and sniffed daintily. It smelled like a rose but with the scent of lilac. It smelled like lavender, like Nar. Nar's finger brushed across her jawline. She looked up as Nar tilted up her face to see her. He cupped her chin.
"I've enchanted this flower. As long as I live, this flower shall never wilt. It will only wilt when I start to die. Take it, and keep me with you, always," Nar whispered, letting his hand drop.
Simina smiled at him."Thank you, Nar." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek softly. Nar stood stunned at her actions. Besides her hugs, this was her first real sign of affection. After he composed himself, he leaned forward. He buried his nose in her hair, closing his eyes.
"Mmm. Always," he muttered, kissing the top of her head. Simina closed her eyes. As he kissed her, he used his magic to send her home. When Simina opened her eyes, Nar was gone. She stood on her front porch alone, holding his flower.