Within the next few days, Simina spent time with her two cousins, Olivia and Gloria. She'd met them before, but it was so long ago that she didn't remember them much. Gloria was the older of the two sisters. Her skin was fair, like her mother's, with light curly hair below her shoulders and dull green eyes. She was older than Simina and had a sly, pouty look.
Olivia's skin was tan, and her hair was shorter and olive-brown. Her eyes were darker green, and her face was rounder, with an innocent look that held a touch of mischievousness behind said innocence. Olivia was shorter, too, but not as skinny. They'd forgotten Simina's name.
"What's your name?" Gloria asked Simina.
"Simina," Simina told her. Gloria fouled up her nose, hating that her name sounded prettier than hers. Simina saw jealousy flash in Gloria's eyes, but Simina didn't know why.
Simina curtsied. "Pleased to meet you," she greeted kindly. An envious, nasty scowl cut into Gloria's face as her eyes glared with distaste at Simina. She hated Simina's dress just because it looked prettier and more expensive than hers. Gloria was curious about where she'd gotten it and wanted it. The dress Simina was wearing was the one Prince Nar had given her, and it was the only one she had besides her peasant dress. All of the other clothes she'd packed to take with her were lost in the accident, along with a few of her personal items.
Olivia approached her and gave Simina a hug. Simina was confused by her action. Olivia squealed and pulled back, placing her hands on Simina's shoulders.
"We should take you shopping sometime! I can pick dresses out for you!"
Olivia offered Simina, overly excited that she was there. Simina nodded and smiled.
"Thanks. That'll be great!" Simina was delighted at this idea. Gloria shoved a sharp elbow into Olivia's side and gave her a warning look. Like a kicked puppy, Olivia stepped away from Simina and lowered her eyes. Gloria's reaction puzzled and uneased her.
Later that evening, Simina, Gloria, and Olivia spent time in Simina's new bedroom. Gloria leaned her arms on the edge of the bed. Olivia actually sat on Simina's bed, crisscrossed. Gloria picked at her nails, while Olivia ogled Simina.
"So what's it like on the Left?" Gloria asked, even though she sounded like she didn't care.
Simina shrugged.
"It's...small," she said, remembering her little village. She missed it. She missed the marketplace, the library, the quaint little cottages, but most of all, Simina missed her home. She missed her father, the loud way he tramped through the little house and the gruff way he spoke. She also missed her horse, Winona. Simina thought it had been ages since she'd been there. Her father probably missed her dearly.
"It's nothing like this on the Left," Simina told them.
Olivia's eyes were wild with excitement.
"Have you met the Prince?" Olivia squealed. Simina's stomach turned, and she became uncomfortable. I hope she doesn't mean "that" Prince.
"Uh...Prince? You mean the Dark Prince?" she asked timidly, not wanting to say his name. Olivia shook her head.
"No, silly! That's not what we call him!" Olivia giggled. Gloria looked up at Simina, then glanced at Olivia. A dreamy look fell over Olivia's face.
"Prince Nar," Olivia sighed dreamily. Simina fouled up her face with a disturbed look. Both girls swooned at the thought of him.
"He's gorgeous," Olivia and Gloria said in unison. Simina made the most terrible face. That's it, now I've officially gone mad. Simina thought Prince Nar was attractive, but she'd never swoon over him like these girls. They clearly had no idea of how he truly was. Simina shook her head.
"Uh...yeah. I've met him. Once," Simina said hesitantly. Olivia's eyes clouded with envy. Gloria looked doubtful. Olivia placed two hands over her heart.
"Oh, you're so lucky!" Olivia sighed with yearning. Simina gave Olivia an annoyed look. Not really. Gloria tossed her hair and batted her eyelashes.
"You've met the Prince?" Gloria asked, sounding doubtful, tone full of scorn. Simina recalled her moments with him, when she'd spoken to him. He was harsh, rude and cruel to her. What kind of Prince locks an innocent girl in a room? He wouldn't let her leave, and his rage induced antics nearly killed her.
Simina looked back up at Gloria, who stared at her inquisitively. "Yes. I've met him once," she said simply. Simina didn't want to go into detail about what happened. Gloria seemed like the jealous type.
"I've seen him in the town sometimes, walking around, just observing. I like how he walks and how his lovely purple eyes glint as they take in everything." Olivia looked ready to hyperventilate.
"Oh, he's so handsome," Olivia gushed. Simina rolled her eyes. Could this girl be any more dramatic?
Simina never really took a particular interest in guys, but she wondered about Nar. He'd gotten her attention, that was for sure. No matter how often Simina tried to will him from her mind, he always floated back in.
"Oh, hey, do you have any magic?" Olivia wondered, changing the subject.
Thankful that they were off the topic of Nar, Simina breathed out in relief. "I'm not sure...I haven't noticed any magic..."
She decided not to tell them about that moment in Nar's castle.
Gloria picked at her nails, a smug smile curling her lips. "Then that means you probably don't have any."
Olivia glared at her sister and quickly turned back to Simina with a bright smile.
"That's okay!" she said. "You might just be a late bloomer! It happens."
"Okay..." Simina didn't care about magic. She was tired of hearing that late bloomer line.
"What magic do you have?" She looked at Olivia.
"I can make plants grow," she replied, smiling. "I can also create plants too, but I'm not so good at it yet. The most I can make right now is a leaf."
"I'm sure you'll get better if you keep practicing." Simina smiled encouragingly. "What about you, Gloria?"
"I can create mist. It's like a thick fog. Watch." She held out her hands, spreading her arms out. White mist leaked out of her palms in slow, thick waves. It spread through the room, clouding everything in a haze until Simina could barely see anything.
"Eeeh!" Olivia whined. "I can't see anything, make it stop!"
Gloria laughed, and the mist dissipated. "Bet you wish you could do that.
Loser."
That night as Simina slept, she dreamed of Nar. She saw his glowing eyes and heard his deep, demanding voice. Simina didn't know what the dream was about, just that she kept seeing him for some reason. This irked her later when she woke up, which produced a bit of grumpiness in her. Gloria and Olivia took her to town to shop for clothes the next day. Gloria didn't seem to care much, but Olivia wanted to get Simina new garments. This town looked considerably wealthier. The streets and roads were in much better condition and better made. People here looked more affluent and healthier. These people were also noticeably thicker in build because of better eating; people here were better fed.
Lampposts lined the streets, and at the top of each lamppost waved a white banner with a black-stemmed rose. The banner waved from each lamppost for all to see. While walking through town, Simina pointed at them.
"What's that banner?" Simina asked Gloria and Olivia. Olivia answered.
"It's Prince Nar's. It's his flag. It symbolizes his rule. Technically, the King still rules, but he's too old and sick to do anything, so the Prince takes care of everything," Olivia explained to Simina. Simina got an uneasy feeling every time his name was mentioned.
Now Simina understood what the Lazerian Officials had meant by, "not in our jurisdiction." The Right side of Lazera was under the rule of the Dark Royal Family. And Prince Nar was the heir to rule the throne. Simina remembered now what the book said: The Dark Prince is more prominent in Winterville, and the Left side, Autumnville, doesn't know he exists. The book was right. Well, about a few things.
"Why doesn't the Prince take over the throne for the King?" Simina asks. Olivia leaned in close to Simina's ear.
"Because the Prince isn't married yet. And his coronation hasn't been held yet, either," Olivia whispered. Simina wasn't surprised about him not being married yet. What girl would want to marry such a horrible person? However, Simina was sure that girls would overlook his behavior due to his good looks.
Gloria nudged Olivia. "Let's take her to Princess Attire*.*" The name of that place perked Simina's interest.
"What's that?" Simina asked curiously.
"It's a clothing shop for girls," Olivia told her.
When Simina entered the shop, her mind was blown. Mannequins posed wearing various dresses, flaunting how the dress might look on a woman. Racks spilled over with more, some with ruffles, some with tulle and taffeta. She'd never seen so many clothes in one place in all her life, so many pretty dresses. Her mouth opened in awe.
"Oh my gosh..." she gasped, speechless. Simina saw many dresses she liked. How could I ever buy one? Simina's heart sank. She had no money.
Olivia chose a sparkly blue dress with long floaty sleeves and a fluffy skirt. She held it up to Simina.
"This would look great on you," Olivia crooned. She made Simina take it.
"Try it on," she insisted. Startled, Simina took the dress.
"But I...I don't have any money," Simina breathed out, feeling winded suddenly. Olivia wasn't listening. She kept picking out dresses and throwing them into Simina's arms to try on.
"Hey..." Simina tried to say but was cut off by the fabric of a dress.
"Wait!" Simina shouted. "I don't have any money!" Olivia turned to her.
"Nonsense. We'll buy some dresses for you. My mom doesn't mind," Olivia assured. She shoved Simina away toward the fitting rooms.
"Go, go, try them on." She shoved Simina. As she walked by, she caught a glimpse of Gloria's face. She glared at her, jealous that Olivia was giving her so much attention. Simina hadn't even been there for a day yet, and Gloria already hated her.
Simina had never tried on so many dresses in her life. She liked a lot of them and soon began to enjoy herself, despite Gloria's sour expression toward her. Olivia loved how Simina looked in every dress, but Gloria never gave a nice comment to her once. She once said, "No, that dress doesn't look good on you. It doesn't match with your complexion." Simina thought her voice sounded so bitchy. She also noticed when Olivia got too close to her, Gloria would pull Olivia away, or elbow her in the side. Simina quickly realized that Gloria was the controlling type.
Gloria never said one thing nice about her. She never gave Simina even one compliment. Olivia didn't seem to have a problem with her, though. Olivia actually liked Simina. Olivia was happy that she finally had a friend to dress up in pretty clothes. Simina was fun.
That day, she returned to the house with so many new clothes that Olivia picked out for her. Simina didn't know what to do with herself; she was so giddy. She'd had a good first day, despite Gloria's rudeness.
Three days later, Simina was getting used to living at her aunt's. It wasn't so bad. Today, her aunt told the girls that she wanted them to get outside and enjoy the weather, so Aunt Lyda gave each girl a basket and told them to go to the orchard to pick some apples. Simina wore her sparkly red dress for this occasion and put on her cloak, since it was a bit nippy outside.
Simina had never been to the orchard, so Gloria and Olivia (mainly Olivia) showed her the way. She noticed something in the sky that caught her attention as they walked. She turned her head and looked up. The Dark Castle, looming above the little town, cast a dark shadow that seemed to stretch on forever. The sharp, pointed spires towered ominously towards the cloudy sky. The sight sent a shiver down Simina's spine, and thoughts of the Prince entered her mind.
Simina thought he'd probably figured out by now that she'd stolen his horse. He'll probably come after me. Simina wanted to crawl under a rock and hide from him, so he couldn't find her. Somehow though it seemed he was watching her from everywhere.
Olivia tugged on her arm, tugging her mind out of these thoughts. "Come on, Simina!" Olivia urged. The two girls led Simina into the woods, down a little trail that opened into a clearing filled with apple trees. Orange and red leaves rained down from the trees. It was so very pretty.
Simina liked how the early sun shone through the leaves, reflecting their lovely colors. She loved autumn's beauty; it was clearly her favorite season. Some apples littered the ground. Holding her basket, she bent down and picked them up. She put them in her basket. Simina stood under a tree and looked up for some apples.
Enjoying the crisp, fresh air, she plucked one from a branch. Dead leaves crunched under her feet with each step. As Simina picked these apples, she thought of Ernest. A wave of nostalgia drenched her and she fell into a deep melancholy, a whirlpool of distraught emotions she didn't know how to manage. She missed Ernest. She missed playing those games with him, where they chased each other through the woods. She wondered how he was doing. Perhaps Simina should write to him sometime.
Simina reached up to pick another apple. Something hard whacked the back of her head. Simina winced and rubbed her head. She turned as an apple thumped to the ground. It would have made sense if the apple hit the top of her head. If an apple fell, it wouldn't hit the back of her head. It came from behind her. Simina turned around.
She saw Gloria giggling and Olivia glaring at Gloria. Simina scowled. She had reason to believe that Gloria threw an apple at the back of her head. Boy, she does know how to ruin someone's day. Simina, feeling vengeful, reached down, picked up an apple, and threw it at the back of Gloria's head to see how she liked it. It whacked Gloria on the head with a cracking splat and Simina turned back around, acting like she hadn't done anything. She continued picking apples.
Gloria gasped in shock and said, "Ow!" Simina smiled triumphantly as she placed another apple into her basket. She heard Olivia giggling and snorting behind her, but she held back her own laughter.
Simina learned that when you lived on the Right side, you had to go to school. At the start of next week, Aunt Lyda enrolled Simina in Etiquette School, so she'd learn to be a proper, dainty young lady.
Her first day was humiliating. While practicing to walk in heels, Simina staggered and tripped, falling flat on her face in front of the entire school. The rest of the girls there laughed at her, and Simina's face reddened terribly. But she got back up and kept walking, even though she wobbled.
When she returned to the house that day, her aunt approached her, holding a parcel. Simina stared at the parcel in her aunt's hands. Aunt Lyda handed it to her, but Simina didn't take it.
"Your father sent this for you," Aunt Lyda told Simina. "You must have forgotten something."
Simina took the parcel. "Thank you."
She sat down at the kitchen table and opened it. Inside there were a few zyros, and her mother's necklace. Misty eyed, Simina carefully held it up. How could she have forgotten this?
"Is that a gift?" her aunt asked.
"No," Simina sniffled. "It was my mother's."
Aunt Lyda walked over to Simina and stood next to her chair. "Would you like some help putting it on?"
Wiping away some tears, Simina nodded and handed her the necklace. Aunt Lyda carefully unclasped the chain and fastened it around her niece's neck. She then smoothed her hair out, letting it fan around her shoulders.
"There you go." Smiling, she patted her shoulder. Then she walked back over to the basin to wash dishes.
Simina remained at the table, admiring her mother's necklace.
"So, how are you settling in?" Aunt Lyda asked.
Simina smiled tightly. "Fine. It takes some getting used to."
Her aunt nodded, and said nothing else in response.
Simina wondered why Aunt Lyda hadn't stayed in Autumnville with Gregory. After all, they were brother and sister. Perhaps they didn't get along?
"Aunt Lyda?"
"Yes?" She carefully put an intricately decorated plate in the cupboard by the wash basin.
"Why didn't you stay in Autumnville with my father?"
"Simple." Aunt Lyda twirled around to face her, her flaming red hair bobbing. "I met my husband. He was from here. Of course, I married him and then moved here. The rest...is history."
Since Aunt Lyda had lived here for many years, Simina figured that she must have knowledge of The Dark Prince. Simina loathed him, yet she was curious to know more about him. She wanted to know as much as possible.
"Aunt Lyda?" she asked again.
"Yes?"
"What do you know...about...er, Prince Nar?"
"Not much," she said. "He's a bit of a recluse. Rarely leaves the castle."
"Is he...evil?"
Aunt Lyda rose a quizzical brow. "I don't think so. He's a bit odd, I think, but not evil. Why would you ask that?"
Another week passed, and Simina became accustomed to living on the Right and attending Etiquette School. She didn't like it, but she managed. She also wrote a letter to her father and Ernest just to see how they were doing. Simina was worried about them.
Simina had begun a daily routine. It consisted of getting up, getting dressed, going to school, coming home, doing chores, making dinner, eating, bathing, and going to bed. The only time she had free time was on Sundays.
Throughout the last week, Simina had noticed many soldiers around the town. They weren't marching in formation. They seemed to be looking for something. Every time Simina saw soldiers, she ducked back into the house and hid. She didn't know why these soldiers were here.
One day, while walking home from Etiquette School, Simina saw a picture tacked to a post. The boldness of the letters caught her eye. She stopped and looked at it.
WANTED
Girl, young, brown hair, wanted for thievery, stole Prince Nar's black
stallion. One thousand zyro dollars reward regarding her arrest. Please
notify a royal guard if you've seen this girl in your local area. Thank you.
Below that was a black-and-white picture of Simina's face. Simina's stomach turned, threatening to spill its grueling contents to the ground. So, he was looking for her. Helplessness threatened to squeeze the life right out of her. Oh my goodness. Simina looked around to ensure no one was watching and ripped the picture from the post. She stuffed it into her pocket and quickly ran back to her house.
Once in her room, she hid the wanted poster in her top dresser drawer, daring not to tell her aunt. She slammed the drawer shut, ran over to her bed, and hid under the covers.
The next day, Saturday afternoon, Simina was outside in her aunt's stables, brushing the stolen horse. Caution urged her, but she figured that she'd do this since she did this every day and didn't want to look suspicious.
She did not notice the soldier walking up behind her, however. She brushed through the horse's fur, stroking its mane. The soldier behind her thought she looked like the girl on the poster. He also thought that the horse looked a lot like Nar's. The soldier approached.
"Excuse me," a man's voice called from behind Simina. Goosebumps sprouted all over her body. Simina's skin prickled; it was as if her innermost darkest secrets were laid bare. Taking a deep breath, Simina turned and smiled politely.
"Yes, sir?" Simina responded. She wanted to freak now that she saw it was a Royal Guard. He wore armor and a fine silver tunic with the royal emblem on the front. He pointed at the horse.
"That's a really nice horse you got there," the soldier told her. Simina smiled.
"Thank you." She wanted to melt. Every fiber in her body told her to run, but Simina knew she couldn't do that, for it would look suspicious.
"Where'd you get it?" he asked her. He was suspicious. Her throat dried up.
"I...I..." Simina didn't know what to say. Her throat clinched. Her tongue attempted to form words in her mouth, but it flopped all around uselessly. The guard placed two hands on his hips.
"Perhaps you stole it," he stated. Simina gulped and stopped, trying to speak. Her polite composure had faltered. Simina shook her head.
"N-No," she stuttered, "I...um..." Simina was tongue-tied. Her blood drained from her face. The guard looked a little triumphant.
"Ma'am, what's your name?" he asked. Simina did not stick around to respond. She dropped the brush, turned, and ran.
"Come back here!" the guard yelled and chased her. Simina ran around the house and into town. She didn't get far. Unfortunately, Simina ran right into another Royal Guard. She gasped and tried to wriggle away, but he'd caught her.
"Let go of me!" Simina shouted, wrestling with the guard.
"Now you see here, miss," the guard grunted. Simina heard the other guard from before coming up behind her. She heard the clinking and clanking of a pair of shackles.
"You think this is the girl?" the one behind her asked the one restraining her. Simina fought the guard's restraint, struggling to get away, twisting and writhing. The guard tightened his grip on her.
"Yeah, it looks like her," he grunted. He growled at Simina. "Will you keep still!"
Simina saw her aunt and two cousins coming out of the house because of all the commotion. Aunt Lyda's face whitened at the sight of Simina in the hands of two guards.
"Aunt Lyda!" Simina shouted in hopes she'd help. The guard restraining Simina shook her.
"Quiet," he hissed sharply. Aunt Lyda rushed over to see what all this was about.
"By Zormon, what is going on?" Aunt Lyda asked, startled. The second guard raised a hand, stopping Aunt Lyda in her tracks.
"Please ma'am, don't interfere. This is royal business," he said monotonously. Aunt Lyda told Gloria and Olivia to go back inside.
"What has she done?" Aunt Lyda asked the guards.
"This girl has stolen Prince Nar's royal horse. She is to be arrested and taken to the castle for thievery, where the Prince will decide her fate," the guard with the shackles explained.
The guard grabbed Simina's arms, pulled them around and snapped the shackles around Simina's wrists, binding her. Simina struggled, trying to free herself from bondage. Aunt Lyda tried to protest, but the guard shushed her.
"I told you not to interfere. She was caught in possession of the stolen horse. Please. Step back," he ordered sternly. In compliance, Aunt Lyda held up her hands and stepped back.
Each guard taking an arm, they grabbed her and drug her away. Simina hung her head, wanting to cry, but the tears never came.