It took at least another two days for Simina to arrive at the right side of Lazera, known as Winterville. She trotted through town with the stolen horse, looking for her aunt's house. She noticed that this part of town seemed quite different. Homes here were much better built and looked sturdier. Things didn't look as shabby as they did on the left side, in Autumnville.
There weren't any vendors. Instead, there were actual buildings with little signs next to them. There was even a bakery and a butcher's shop selling meat. There was only one vendor selling fruits and vegetables. Even the people's clothing looked finer. Simina concluded that this part of Lazera was much wealthier than the other part.
But Simina didn't feel like paying too much attention to it. She was tired from riding for two days without food or sleep. She wanted to hurry and find her aunt's house, so she could rest. Simina scanned each house she passed, reading each address to see if it matched her aunt's. She found it and stopped. Simina dismounted the horse, put it in the stables, and staggered to the front door, where she knocked. Simina waited for someone to answer. The door opened, and Aunt Lyda appeared.
Aunt Lyda recognized the girl standing in her doorway as her niece, Gregory's daughter, Simina. Her eyes widened at how terrible she looked.
"Simina! You made it! Please come in!" Aunt Lyda ushered Simina in and shut the door. Simina hugged Aunt Lyda. Behind Aunt Lyda, Simina saw two girls descending a small set of stairs. Simina's vision blurred at the edges. Sleepiness swept over her. All of a sudden, her legs weakened, and her eyelids were too heavy to lift. Simina groaned and collapsed from fatigue, blacking out.
Simina woke hours later to the delicious smell of food. Her nose wiggled, and her eyes snapped open sharply. Simina looked around. A bowl sat on a bedside table with a glass of water next to it. Simina sat up and stretched, feeling a lot better since she'd gotten some sleep. She peered over the bowl, the steam rising into her face. She sniffed it. It smelled good, and her stomach growled. It was chili. Simina could tell from the beans and the thick broth.
Simina snatched the bowl up, seized it, and devoured it. After she'd finished, she grabbed the glass of water and drained it with only a few gulps. She set down the glass, gasping, and wiped the wetness from her lips. Simina's eyes observed her surroundings. She recognized the room. She'd been to her aunt's house a long time ago before her mom died. Simina was surprised she remembered since it had been so long since the last time she was here. From what she could tell, not much about this room had changed.
The room seemed smaller than she remembered. But maybe that was because she'd been much smaller the last time she was here. The walls were still the same light colored wood she remembered, just like the girly pink dresser with chipped paint in the corner and the flowery little lamp atop its surface.
The creak of the opening door drew Simina's attention away from the room's interior. Simina saw her aunt peeking through the door. Seeing Simina awake, she walked in and approached the bed.
"How are you feeling, sweetie?" she asked kindly.
Simina shrugged. She didn't feel like anything.
"I'm fine," she said plainly.
"You were supposed to arrive four days ago," Aunt Lyda said. "What happened?"
"Well..." Simina wasn't sure how to explain her encounter with Prince Nar. So, she embellished a little bit.
She explained everything from the marriage issues to the accident and about Nar, but omitted the significant details. She also left out the part where she stole his horse. After their conversation, a great weight lifted off her. She belonged here, like a missing part of a puzzle. Everything was right. For now.