“Niharika.” My father’s voice is low and rough as he beckons me forward. “Come here.”
I swallow and step forward, the skirts of my gown brushing against my legs. When I reach him, he pulls me into his arms, the soft evening light bouncing off the ornate walls and the shiny decorations around the room, creating a light and seemingly elegant atmosphere.
“Yes, Father?” My voice is uneven as well. I even have to clear my throat. But apprehension and fear still have their vise-like holds around my throat and chest.
He lets out a breath, tension dancing in his eyes. “I think you know what I’m about to say.”
I don’t know for sure, but I can take a guess.
For the past few months, the people of Animalia Kingdom, my family’s kingdom, have rebelled against us. They’re mad, mad beyond belief - taxes are too high, they complain, taxes are too high and you’ve done nothing to lower them!
There’s a part of me that aches for them. Animalia Kingdom has quite a large population of people that just don’t have that much money. And though I’ve admittedly never experienced poverty for myself, having been born into the royal family, I can only imagine what they must be going through.
But another part of me wants them to understand that because of their tax money, we can afford to provide services to them. Services like public transport, free schooling, compensation money for any losses - they say they pay too much, yet they want more and more services. It’s as if they don’t want to pay, they want things for free. And then where are we supposed to get money?
But the people were fed up. So they staged attacks. Attacks on royal buildings, attacks on royalty themselves. My aunt, my father’s younger sister, ended up with a broken arm from such attacks.
But now, there are rumors of them storming the castle. Extremists, I should say, because it’s clear that not everyone wants violence. But those who do…
Father continues. “I’m sending you and Phoenix out.”
My heart drops into my stomach. I’d suspected it, but hearing him say that makes it so much more real - and terrifying. I manage to choke out, “Where?”
He looks as pained as I feel. “Not too far. Zeo’s place. Just- just in case it doesn’t actually happen. But,” he takes in a breath, “if worst comes, they know what to do.”
Even though I still feel like I’ve been punched in the gut, relief washes over me. Zeo is my best friend, the son of our castle’s stablemaster, and I’ve known him since I was ten - over six years.
I put on a brave face for my father, but also for myself. “Okay.”
Father pushes me back gently and looks me in the eye. “Thank you,” he says softly, smiling sadly at me. “I’ll tell Genevive and Marl to prepare you both.”
“Have you already asked Phoenix?” Knowing my older brother, he’d probably rebel. He hates going away from home, like a little kid.
Father nods. “He said yes.”
Oh, wow. Maybe there’s hope for him after all.
I step back from my father and curtsy. When I straighten, he’s looking at me with an expression almost like pride. “I’ll see you later, Niha.”
“See you, Father.”
━━ ☆ ━━
The pouring rain blurs my vision, and I can barely hear Marl pounding on the wooden door over the rush of water and wind in my ears. “Alfres! Open up!”
Next to me, Phoenix exhales and hoists his backpack higher on his back. I do the same.
After a moment, the door flies open, revealing a short, sturdy man with curly blond hair and kind, dark eyes - Zeo’s father. “Marl! Prince, Princess, what are you doing out here? You’ll catch a cold- come in, come in.” He ushers us inside frantically, and we step inside the medium-sized cottage. Behind us, Alfres pushes the door shut and bolts it.
The cold from the storm outside is starting to seep in, and I shiver. Alfres looks at me and shakes his head. “Really, Marl,” he scolds, grabbing a few towels from where they hang over the fireplace and giving them to us, “You really couldn’t give the kids better protection?”
As I wrap the heated towel around me gratefully, Marl sighs. “Had to get them out now.”
As the warmth from the cloth flows into me, I tune out the conversation between Marl and Alfres and look around instead. The Acker family cottage is as bright and cozy as ever, with candles everywhere and curling vines on the walls. They don’t use electrical lights, saying that it’s “too human” for comfort - instead, they use a combination of candles and floating light orbs to shed light where they need it. It’s a rather relaxing combination, and it suits the family’s personality.
Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I focus on the lady in front of me - dark hair, bright lime eyes, and a motherly atmosphere around her - which, of course, is natural, because she’s Zeo’s mom. And one of my most favorite people in the world.
“Maia!” I squeal, throwing my arms around her.
She laughs, like tinkling bells, and hugs me back. I take a deep breath, inhaling her comforting scent of books and cinnamon, like wintertime. “Niha, so good to see you.”
“Is it?” a teasing voice asks from behind me, and I pull back from Maia’s grasp almost immediately. Turning around, I’m greeted with Zeo himself - his father’s hair and his mother’s eyes, but fully himself in personality. I launch myself at him and he laughs, staggering slightly at the impact. “Woah, Niha, slow down!”
If Maia smelled like winter and cozy moments, Zeo smells like the air after a rainstorm. I pull away and push him back. “You dork.”
He grins at that, and I grin back. Then Phoenix slides in between us. “Hey, Zeo!”
“Hey.” They clap hands and slap each other on the back. I roll my eyes. Boys.
Marl comes over to us. “Niharika, Phoenix. I’m going to leave now, okay? You’ll be safe here. And remember: don’t come to the castle. If needed, your parents will send for you.”
I curtsy, Phoenix bows, and we both nod. “Bye, Marl,” Phoenix says.
Marl nods at us and turns. He lets himself out, and Alfres locks the door behind him with a sigh.
“Well?” Maia asks cheerfully, clapping her hands together. “Who’s hungry for dinner?”
━━ ☆ ━━
I blink, trying to rid the drowsy feeling from my head. I can hear the faint twitter of birds outside the window, and the soft morning sunlight is gentle on my face.
“Niha,” Maia’s soft voice breaks through my sleepiness. “Wake up, sweetie.”
I open my eyes and look at her, then look around me. Phoenix, Zeo, and I ended up falling asleep in their living room last night, but as I look around now, there’s no sign of them. In fact, the cottage is oddly silent. “Where are they?”
Maia chuckles. “Nix, Zeo, and Alfres? In the stables. They woke up early, and decided to get out there. Come on, get ready so you can join them.”
After getting ready hurriedly and eating a quick breakfast, I step outside. I’m wearing an outfit nothing like what I would usually wear as Princess of Animalia Kingdom - rather, it’s a simple cotton dress with leather pants and boots, something a middle-class family would give their daughter.
The sun is bright, not at all like last night’s pitch black darkness - but evidence of the storm is clear, in the large puddles and muddy path to the trees stripped of most leaves. I start down the path to the stables, but think better of walking and sprint there instead.
When I reach there, I push open the door and step inside. The smell of horses and hay wafts into my nose, and I grab a pitchfork from the wall. “Hello?”
“The princess has arrived!” Zeo’s voice echoes from the room next to the entrance. I giggle and hurry into the room. There, Zeo and Phoenix are shoveling hay into each horse’s stall. They both turn to me as I enter.
“Niha! Skipping out on poop duty, are you?” Phoenix says with a smile. “Bad girl! You’re supposed to share responsibilities.”
“Oh, really?” I say. “Well, I-”
A loud sound cuts me off. It sounds almost like an explosion - and it doesn’t sound far off. The horses startle, and Phoenix’s eyes widen. “What was that?”
Zeo looks worried. “They haven’t actually stormed the castle, have they?”
Suddenly, Alfres pokes his head in, looking frantic. “Kids. You heard that, right?”
We nod in stunned silence.
Faint shouts come from the direction of the city. Alfres turns to them for a moment, before shouting “Go! Run! They’re targeting the castle!”
Who is? What’s going on? Those thoughts fly through my head as we drop our pitchforks and run through the stables and out towards the city - away from the castle.
“What’s going on?” I ask as we run. My mind is frantic. “Were those bombs?”
Zeo grabs my wrist and pulls me forward. “Yes! Hurry!”
Bombs. Targeting the castle-
Mother, Father. Everyone else, they’re in danger!
“We have to help!” I shout, pulling my hand away. We’re halfway to the main road now, and the nearest house is less than a hundred yards away. “Nix! What about Mother and Father?”
They both stop, breathing hard. “We can’t,” Phoenix says, looking pained. “Niha. Think clearly. We can’t stop bombs.”
Zeo grabs my hand again. “The only thing we can do is run!”
As much as I hate to admit it, he’s probably right - we have to save ourselves.
But that doesn’t mean I like it.
We dash onto the main street and take off down the asphalt road. Around us, people are shouting, clamoring, in complete chaos as they try to run as well.
Then, another blast.
We’re thrown to the ground from the impact. I hear a creaking sound, like something’s about to collapse, and scream. “Move!”
Phoenix and several other people just barely manage to roll out of the way when a house comes crashing down. I start coughing from the dust and debris when I feel a hand pull me up. It’s Zeo. “Come on, let’s go!”
“But Nix-” I start, but he shakes his head.
“He’ll be fine. We have to go!”
I stagger to my feet and we take off. He pulls me into an abandoned building half-demolished by the previous blasts and we huddle together, shaking from fear.
What is going to happen to us?