The Lost Princess
694 Words
MARA
“…di, wake up.”
I want to tell Elina to get lost, but I can’t even open my mouth, let alone move a muscle. It feels like there’s a bear lying on top of me—there’s no other explanation. Even my ears feel exhausted, as if Elina’s voice is coming from somewhere far away, like another woman speaking.
“Tiyandi… please wake up.”
I slowly start to regain consciousness. But her voice still sounds foreign, distant. This time she gently strokes my shoulder, trying to wake me.
“You must wake up, Tiyandi.”
Wait…
Why is Elina speaking to me like this?
And why does her voice sound so unfamiliar?
Panic slowly takes over my body. As adrenaline floods in, everything I last saw flashes before my eyes.
The forest…
The snake…
The cave…
The old woman, the dust cloud, and darkness…
Panic completely takes over me. With the fastest movement I can manage—probably about ten seconds—I open my eyes.
The first thing I see is a woman with light brown hair, middle-aged, with kind eyes.
“Good morning, Tiyandi.”
When Mara opens her eyes, the first thing she does is look around.
The room is spacious. White-painted walls look even paler under the soft light filtering in. Across from the bed is a wooden bookshelf. It’s filled with books, small figurines, and strange objects Mara can’t identify. Next to it is a large window with closed curtains, yet the room is still bright. That only makes Mara feel more uneasy.
The woman smiles at her and gently takes her hand.
“Are you okay? Would you like some water?”
Normally, Mara would never accept anything from a stranger in an unfamiliar place. Especially not when she still remembers the old woman who knocked her out.
But her throat is dry. If she doesn’t drink soon, it feels like her tongue will stick to the roof of her mouth.
“Yes… I could use a glass.”
The woman pours water from a jug on the side table. Mara hesitates as she takes the glass, but her thirst outweighs her suspicion. She finishes it within seconds. The cold water feels like life returning to her body.
After taking the empty glass, the woman stares at her for a long time. The silence stretches uncomfortably, and Mara starts to feel uneasy.
She clears her throat.
“What’s your name?” Mara asks.
“Siya.” The woman keeps smiling. “What’s yours, Tiyandi?”
Mara ignores the question.
“What do you keep calling me—” she says, making air quotes with her fingers, “Tiyandi?”
“Tiyandi is what we call women whose names we don’t know. In your world you might say… lady, madam…”
Mara frowns, confused.
“From above? What do you mean, above?”
Siya ignores the question again.
“What is your name—”
“Maralin. But I prefer Mara,” she says quickly. She doesn’t want to hear that word again, but she also doesn’t want to be rude.
“Where am I? What is this place? And—” She thinks of the old woman, anger rising.
“—what did that old woman do to me?”
Siya takes a deep breath.
“My dear Mara, that is all I can tell you.”
She gently pats Mara’s hand.
“You should rest now. There is a ball tonight.”
“The King wishes to see you at the ball.”
THE KING?
A BALL?
Siya stands up and walks toward the door. Mara is still trying to process everything.
“Hey!”
Siya stops and turns back.
“The king… the ball…?”
Siya smiles brightly. “Yes. His Majesty Valor is holding a ball for our princess.”
She pauses for a moment.
“Oh, and… right after you, someone arrived through the Gate.”
Wait…
Mara swallows hard.
She doesn’t want to ask, but she has to.
“The princess… Elina?”
She closes her eyes tightly.
Praying inside.
Please say no…
“Yes.”
“Princess Elina.”
- Writer
