As the days progressed, Simina slowly got used to her new job. She often helped Matilda dust rooms, mop floors, clean dishes, and much more. After working for a straight week, Simina didn't mind it much. She was getting paid five zyros a day, which made Simina feel a little better about working.
Nar however, was very critical of her work. At the end of each day, before going home, he would come to inspect what she had done. He complained that the floor wasn't quite spotless, pointing out areas that she'd missed. If there was even one speck of dust still lingering, Nar made her stay an extra thirty minutes longer. Despite this, at the end of her first week, he'd raised her pay by two zyros, so now she was getting seven zyros a day. Simina didn't work weekends and was glad about that. Her aunt had also cut her chores since she was cleaning the castle.
Simina didn't do much on weekends since she mainly rested, but this weekend was an exception. This weekend, Sunday to be specific, Simina was out with Gloria and Olivia around the marketplace. Simina was trying to avoid Gloria, so she was alone somewhere else. She wouldn't have minded Olivia with her, but since Gloria was so bossy, Olivia had to follow Gloria around all over the place.
Simina, doing as Aunt Lyda told her, was buying the groceries. Olivia and Gloria were off looking at expensive jewelry they knew they didn't have money for. As Gloria dragged Olivia away, Simina heard Olivia whining about her not wanting to do something. Her words were,
"No, Gloria. I don't want to. Do we have to?" Olivia had whined. Gloria had snapped at Olivia and said that she had to. At the time, Simina didn't really pay much mind.
So now, Simina was humming to herself as she picked out the groceries. She placed a loaf of bread and some orange grass into her basket, eyes skimming over the selection of fresh foods. Astounded by the variety, Simina's jaw nearly fell right off its hinges. Autumnville never produced such a wide selection of foods. Simina grumbled to herself at the price of salted meat. She scowled. Gee, ten zyros for only a pound? What are they trying to do, rob me blind? A pound wasn't even that much.
From a little way down the street, Simina heard a ruckus. She turned her head toward the noise. Someone, a man, was yelling. A little way down the street, Simina saw the jewelry shop. The man inside, the salesman, ran outside, screaming.
"You two come back here, you thieves! Guards! Guards!" the man cried. The man was short and bald, wearing glasses that made him look like an owl. The two nearest Royal Guards took off on a run toward the scene. Simina rushed forward to get a better look and craned her neck above the crowd to see.
To Simina's astonishment and great disbelief, she recognized the jewelry thieves as her cousins. Simina's eyes popped out and her mouth hung open so wide she was sure her jaw would fall off. Both girls were running in her direction, but past her they went, shoving through the crowd with their hands full of expensive and precious jewels. They weren't running very fast, and Gloria was wearing a huge, happy smile.
That confused Simina. Why is she smiling? Eventually, the guards caught up, surrounded them, and made them drop the jewels. The guards put shackles on Gloria's and Olivia's wrists, roughly grabbing their arms and arresting them.
Once the shackles clamped around Gloria's wrists, she smiled so brightly, like never before, her smile brighter than the sun.
Olivia, on the other hand, looked like someone had kicked her puppy. She looked like she didn't want to. Simina thought that Gloria had forced her to steal that jewelry, but she didn't know why. Olivia's eyes drooped, lips pouty, looking ready to cry. As the two girls and the guards passed Simina, Gloria smiled at her. It was much less of a smile and more like a sneer. It was a mighty nasty sneer, and when Gloria turned away, she stuck her nose high into the air, triumphant.
Simina put the puzzle pieces together, her incredulousness growing. Gloria wanted to get arrested. She wanted to. Simina gathered herself, clearing her throat. She shut her mouth and took a breath. Simina took a moment to think. She reflected on Gloria and Olivia's conversation, which she'd overheard about a week ago. Gloria is jealous of Simina because she thinks Simina purposely stole his horse just so she can work there and see the Prince.
Simina knew that wasn't true. She had stolen the horse on purpose, but not just to get arrested so she could go back and see Prince Nar. A light bulb clicked on in Simina's head. She understood now why Gloria did it. Gloria did it on purpose so that she could work in the castle because Gloria liked the Prince. Simina's eyes popped open. Extremely alarmed, Simina walked home to tell her Aunt Lyda about the mess her two daughters had caused.
Simina told Aunt Lyda the news. When Aunt Lyda heard, boy was she angry. Her eyes flashed and her face flushed red. She got so fired up that Simina was actually scared of her. The two girls returned a few hours later without shackles, Gloria sporting a great big happy smile. They both got yelled at upon arriving by Aunt Lyda and got double chores for a week as punishment.
It turned out that Prince Nar had given her two cousins the same offer he'd given her. This irritated Simina beyond belief since now she'd also have to deal with them at the castle. This displeasure haunted her until they started the following day.
Simina hated this and hated how Gloria looked so freaking happy about this. She'd done it intentionally just to get Nar's attention. Simina doubted it would work, as the Prince was quite aloof. Simina couldn't fathom the thought of Nar possibly being interested in anyone, let alone Gloria. Why would he? She was a brat. The thought of Nar liking Gloria disgusted her, and even made her a little jealous. She didn't know why she thought these things, or had these feelings. Simina definitely had no romantic feelings toward him. She hardly knew him and he was utterly cruel to her; why did she care if he was attracted to another girl? This made Simina feel stupid, and she dreaded going to Nar's castle.
After dinner, Simina spent the rest of the night avoiding Gloria's demeaning stares.
The next morning, Simina had to ride in the carriage with her two dumb cousins. Simina wanted to slap that smile off Gloria's face because she hated how happy Gloria looked.
When they arrived at the castle, Nar and Matilda stood waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Nar greeted Gloria and Olivia and explained what they'd both be doing. Both girls were to go with Matilda. Gloria looked ready to faint at the sight of Prince Nar and couldn't stop ogling him for the sake of all things sane. This irked Simina's nerves beyond belief.
Nar turned to Simina, dark eyes staring straight into her soul. However, he said nothing and disappeared.
Trusting her experience, Matilda allowed Simina to clean on her own while she supervised Gloria and Olivia. Glad for this, Simina wandered around the castle, cleaning rooms of her choosing at her leisure. It was refreshing not having someone watching her every move like a vulture. While she appreciated Matilda's help, she enjoyed her solitude.
Later that same day, as Simina was wandering the corridors, she overheard two voices talking. Unable to make out the words, Simina quietly crept closer until the voices became clear. It was Matilda and Nar, arguing. They were just around the corner, in a room across the hall. Simina saw a sliver of Nar's back and some of Matilda's front, but she couldn't see her completely due to Nar standing in front of her.
"I don't understand why you're so hard on the girl!" Matilda hissed at Nar.
"She stole my horse!" he spat in response.
"So what? The punishment should fit the crime, in my book," Matilda said matter-of-factly.
"Well, it's not up to you, is it?"
"The poor girl has no magic! You could at least cut her some slack. You don't always have to act so cruel, Dark Prince."
"I'm not acting," he sneered. "I am the Dark Prince."
"Hogwash," she harrumphed. "I see right through you, and I think she does too. You're just scared. Scared of letting people in."
"I'm not scared of anything," he grumbled. "The last time I let someone get close to me...it's better if people stay away from me."
Prince Nar left the room and turned down the hall in Simina's direction. Heart leaping, Simina darted into the room closest to her and quickly shut the door. She waited there until she heard his footsteps fade away.
The next day, Simina was cleaning in the dining room with Gloria and Olivia. Matilda was berating them about proper cleaning techniques when the door opened and Prince Nar walked in. Simina didn't have to look up to know that he was watching her. Olivia almost fainted at the sight of him, and Gloria giggled. Simina rolled her eyes hard. Ugh. She attempted to look nonchalant and aloof in the hopes that Nar would ignore her. Unfortunately, he did not.
"Simina, won't you come with me, please?" he asked, attempting to sound polite, kind even.
Glancing up at him, Simina frowned. Olivia gasped and Gloria glared.
She heard her whisper to Olivia, "Why is he asking for her?"
For once, Simina actually agreed with her. Why was he asking for her?
Prince Nar ignored them, keeping his focus trained squarely on Simina. Reluctantly, Simina dropped her cleaning rag and walked over to him.
"Please follow me," he said, and led her out of the dining hall. Nar took her through a maze of corridors and up three flights of stairs, until he finally stopped in front of a strange door. It was gigantic, with a long, sleek black handle. Murals depicting various historical events were engraved in the stone: The creation of Zormonia, The Steele family enslaving the Darkla race, The Azrian-Steele conflict. That conflict was the shortest, yet bloodiest battle in all of Zormonian history. There were dozens more, but Simina couldn't remember them all.
"Where are you taking me?" A slight fear twinged the back of her mind. Was it some kind of special torture chamber?
Nar did not answer her. Silently, he pushed open the large door, and it opened with a loud groan. A thick layer of dust blew across the floor, disturbed by their entrance. Inside it was dark, but Simina could make out strange shapes and silhouettes.
"This is my father's artifact room," Nar spoke finally, stepping inside. "No one's been in here for many years."
Simina hesitated at the entrance, afraid to step inside. A draft of air blew out, stale and musky. Nar gestured for her to come.
"It's okay," he assured her. "I'm not going to hurt you."
She didn't trust him, but she went with him anyway. Simina followed him in, and the heavy door crashed shut. Nar waved a hand and candles burst to life along the walls, their flames casting dim, but much needed light. Thick dust billowed around her feet as she walked.
The silhouettes were statues and dusty bookshelves lined the back walls. The room was painted an eerie shade of blue, and there were rows and rows of other shelves that held strange items and jars filled with unknown substances. Some of them had things floating in them, and discomfort clawed inside of her at the sight of it. She hoped that she didn't have to clean it.
"Do you want me to clean it?" she asked, wringing her hands.
"No, nothing like that." Prince Nar shook his head. "My father wishes for this room to remain untouched."
"So why bring me here?"
Nar stroked the spine of a book, and then carefully removed it from the shelf. A huge dust cloud pooled in the air in front of him. "All these books are grimoires. Spell books."
"What does any of this have to do with me?" Was he trying to rub it in her face that she didn't have magic?
Simina peered closely at a jar labeled "Mermaid Scales." They were floating in liquid and the scales shimmered beautifully. Simina was mesmerized.
"Everything," Nar answered, and his voice broke Simina from her trance. He walked over to a podium in the center of the room and placed the book on top of it.
Simina became intrigued with an odd-looking plant. The stems were a dark, vibrant green with blood red tendrils snaking up the length of them. The leaves, wide and bountiful, were midnight black, glowing with sparkles. She reached out a hand to touch it.
"Don't touch that!" Nar snapped urgently.
Simina's finger stopped centimeters from the leaf. "Why?"
"It will kill you," he replied, voice dire.
Simina quickly withdrew her hand and turned towards Nar.
"You still haven't told me why you've taken me here."
He glared at her, irritated. "I'm going to try and help you channel magic."
Simina bit her lip in an attempt not to laugh. "You're going to help me? Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"
Prince Nar took a deep breath, sucking his teeth. "We may have gotten off on the wrong foot and I am trying to...amend that."
"Yes, but why?"
"Does it matter?" He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I believe that you have untapped magic that, for whatever reason you have difficulty channeling, unlike the rest of us. You claim to not have magic, but I think you managed to use magic to unlock the door."
Simina didn't know how to feel about Prince Nar being nice to her. Or trying to be. Maybe his conversation with Matilda changed his mind.
"Why is this room important?"
"Because this room is filled with magical items and artifacts. Being around magical items and things makes it easier for someone to channel. Come here." Nar ushered her over.
Simina cautiously walked up to him, gulping nervously. Nar held up his hand.
"Put your hand against mine," he instructed. She did as she was told and put her hand against his. His palm was warm, the sensation of their skin to skin contact sending tingles throughout her hand, and Simina's cheeks flushed slightly at the contact.
"Yes, you most definitely do have magic," Nar said. "I can feel it. But it's dormant."
"Dormant? Why?"
"I don't know. Maybe subconsciously you haven't needed it. But I want you to think back to when you unlocked the door. What did you feel? Describe it to me."
"It was like a pulse. A surge of energy flowing through my entire body," she told him, hand still against his.
"Hm, all right." He lowered his hand and took a small pin out of his pocket. "We'll start with something easy."
Resting the pin in the palm of his hand, Nar made it float for a few seconds. Then, it dropped back into his palm, and he handed it to her.
"Now you make it float."
"Um, okay."
Simina tried to do what she did last time. She pictured the pin floating above her hand in her mind and imagined the magical energy flowing through her. She stared at the pin for several seconds, but nothing happened.
Simina frowned. "It's not working."
"Open yourself up to your surroundings," Nar suggested. "There is magic all around you. It's in the artifacts. Inside the planet itself. You are a part of this planet. So the magic flows through you, too. Just relax. Concentrate."
Taking a deep breath, she nodded. Simina relaxed and focused her energy. Closing her eyes, she thought about the items around her and the magic deep inside Zormonia's core. A surge of energy started in her feet. It trickled up her body until it found its way into her hand. Warmth coalesced inside her belly and she opened her eyes. The pin was not floating, but instead wriggling, as if struggling to lift up. Simina pulled on the magical energy around her harder, but the trickle stayed only that; a trickle. It started slipping away, even though she tried to hold on to it. Soon, it vanished completely and the pin went completely still.
"It didn't work," she groaned.
"That's fine," said Nar. "Just try again."
Simina began to start over, but before she could, a gigantic wave of exhaustion washed over her. Eyes drooping, she swayed precariously, off balance. Her limbs turned into noodles, and suddenly she was careening towards the floor.
"Whoa, now," Nar said, catching her. "Really? Doing that little magic made you this tired? Hm, you're weaker than I thought..."
"Shut up..." Simina mumbled, and then she fell unconscious.
Simina awoke sometime later back in her own bed. The last thing she remembered was Prince Nar and his artifact room. Startled, she shot up in bed. Simina regretted this immediately as dizziness overtook her, her head pounding.
"Ugghhh..." she groaned, rubbing her temples.
Aunt Lyda was there by her bedside, hands on her shoulders.
"Easy, Simina," she said softly. "You've been through quite the ordeal."
Aunt Lyda slowly pushed her back into a laying down position. "What are you talking about?"
"You almost used up all of your magical energy. You could've died," she explained.
"What?" Simina exclaimed, attempting to sit up again, but her aunt stopped her.
"You didn't know? If you completely deplete your magic energy, you'll die."
Simina huffed, pushing her head back into the soft pillow. "How did I get back here?"
"Prince Nar brought you back. You were unconscious and barely breathing."
This information surprised Simina. He brought her back here? Maybe he wasn't so bad after all...
"How long has it been?"
Aunt Lyda patted her hand. "You've been asleep for a week."
"A week?!" Simina hollered. "What about my duties?"
"You'll be allowed to resume them when you're better. Right now, though, I think we better get something in that stomach." Aunt Lyda picked up a steaming plate of meat and vegetables, covered in a thick, rich and delicious looking brown sauce. Simina took it gratefully and ate it up. Every bite made Simina better, and soon the dizziness and headache went away.
Aunt Lyda took her plate when she was finished.
"Aunt Lyda?"
"Yes, dear?"
"What do you think about fairytales?" Simina asked.
Aunt Lyda shrugged. "Unrealistic."
"How so?"
"Because things like that don't always happen. It seems nice, yes...but if you really think about it, the outcome of those stories are very unrewarding to the character," Aunt Lyda said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for one it's not real. Second, they get their happy ending . But that's all they get. True happiness isn't just getting the ending you want. It's about growth, about realizing that real life isn't as black and white, like being good or evil. Real life is more complicated, dramatic, fulfilling, and most of all, real," Aunt Lyda explained.
Simina was silent for a moment, reflecting on her aunt's words. She thought about Prince Nar, and how just because he was a prince, he'd been given the evil title of The Dark Prince. Despite his previous cruel actions towards her, Simina still didn't know the real reason why he held that title.
Aunt Lyda stood, patting Simina on the shoulder. "You rest up, now."
Without another word, her aunt left the room, leaving Simina alone with her thoughts.
The following day, Simina returned to the castle to complete her duties. When she attempted to go with her cousins to clean with them, Matilda stopped her.
"Excuse me Simina, his majesty has another task for you today," she said.
"Like what?"
"You will be cleaning the library today, with our librarian, Oliver," Matilda told her.
Simina gulped with anticipation. The library. She could only imagine the vastness of a castle library, the sheer volume of books it could hold. This servant situation was by far not ideal, but cleaning the library was a task Simina looked forward to.
"Follow me, please." Simina nodded and followed Matilda up the staircase. Olivia and Gloria watched them with curiosity, but as they entered the corridor her cousins disappeared from sight.
Matilda led Simina up three flights of stairs, taking her to the third floor. Simina had never been in this part of the castle before. Soon, they stopped in front of two large, silver lined double doors with striking silver handles. Matilda grasped each handle and pulled the great doors open.
Matilda stepped aside, allowing Simina entrance. Simina walked in, gazing all around. The breath left her lungs as she took in the sight of the library. The library was more expansive than any she'd ever seen before. Built-in shelves, overflowing with books, spanned the entire length of each wall, reaching towards the high ceiling. The sheer volume of books was astounding; Simina had never seen so many in one place. Additional shelves were scattered throughout the expansive room, creating a maze of literature. To the right, there was a counter. Behind the counter was an old-looking man with wild white hair, glasses, and a bushy white beard. He held a cane, and he stared at Simina with a strange curiosity. He adjusted his glasses and squinted at her. The wrinkles in his face were prominent, but something in his aging blue eyes looked distinctly youthful.
On the counter sat a huge, thick book, probably holding the records of each book's placement in the library. A little quill pen sat on the corner. Breathless, Simina gazed around, mouth agape.
"Wow," Simina breathed, craning her neck to see the top of the highest shelf. A smile crept across her lips.
"It's beautiful. It's amazing!" Simina exclaimed, arms out on either side of her. She turned around to Matilda, smirking.
"I love your library," she gushed. Matilda smiled knowingly.
"Yes, it's quite magnificent," she agreed. "I come here sometimes to read."
Simina was surprised. "You like to read?"
"Yes, a little here and there when I'm able."
Matilda cleared her throat. "Back to business...you will be helping the bookkeeper sort books and clean the library."
Simina beamed. "With pleasure."
"Well, I'll leave you two to it.."
As soon as Matilda was gone, Oliver started bobbling to Simina, walking with his cane.
"Come on over here, girl. Help me with these books," he drawled with an old, raspy voice. Simina walked over to him.
"All right, now I need all these books re-sorted." Oliver gestured to the whole right side of the library. Surprise jumped into her bones and she gulped. That's a lot of books.
"You'll start over here, Section A. On each spine is the letter A and a number. You go through and make sure they're in order. Here." Oliver shoved a giant, musty book in her arms. Simina grunted with effort and set the big book down on the counter. She opened it. Inside was a list of each book, every title, and every book number. Simina looked at Section A and started her sorting.
An hour later, Simina had hardly gotten any sorting done. Well, she sorted two whole rows of books but was constantly distracted by the books. She'd find a book with an eye-catching title, get interested, open it, and start reading. Simina would keep reading it until Oliver told her to return to work.
Simina had set aside a pile of books for herself to read later, and this pile kept getting larger by the minute. At this rate, Simina could probably read every book in the library. She was standing, reading a book, when she suddenly heard a loud WHACK! Simina looked up from the book she was reading, startled. Simina saw Oliver hobbling around in between the smaller bookshelves, wandering. She watched him. He lifted his cane and whacked the side of a bookshelf. WHACK! She now noticed the dent marks scratching up the bookshelves' sides. Why was he doing that?
She shrugged and kept on reading. Again, WHACK! Simina jumped, feeling slightly disgruntled.
"Get back to sortin'!" Oliver yelled. Simina set the book down and continued sorting. She sorted for hours until Oliver told her that she was done. Afterward, Simina gathered her books, found a table, sat, and started reading.