The Dark Lord's Daughter

Chapter 3 -Departing- Part II

People started bustling, reaching for free

samples, as the man smiled down upon them. As soon as he spotted Nino, he called.

"Good people, please part for Lady Nino!"

Many people turned to see Nino, and instantly stepped aside and bowed. Nino raised her hands.

"Oh, no it's alright, I-" Nino didn't finish. Tiko had snuck up front and grabbed a sample for the three of them. Nino smiled, she would have to thank Tea later for saving her an uncomfortable moment. "Never mind! I have one!" Nino called.

"Why thank you, good Lady, for trying our toffee apples! Please come back if you feel the want to!" The man called. The people, to Nino's relief, began to bustle back around the stand.

"Mm! These are delicious! The best!" Tiko

said, chewing on her apple slice. "Try it you two!"

Lillian and Nino took a bite out of theirs. Lillian and Nino took a bite out of theirs

"Wow!" Nino exclaimed. "These are good!

Beyond words! "Indeed," Lillian said. She sucked on each finger to get the remains of the sticky, sweet, coffee-flavored caramel toffee.

"Where to now?"

"Um, hey how about "Tiko began

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Someone had said to Nino. The three turned around to see a petite beauty. She had short, bob-cut amber-colored hair, and her eyes were a clear cerulean blue. She was a few inches taller than Nino, and just as slim

"This cat has been following you, I was just wondering if she was by any chance yours." The girl asked, and pointed to a calico cat just a few feet away.

"Gypsy!" Tiko cried. The cat came bounding into Tiko's arms. "Oh, how did you get out? Silly

cat!"

"Oh, yes thank you!" Nino said to the girl.

"No problem Milady Nino" The girl bowed

and was about to turn when Nino said,

"Hey, could you do me a favor?"

The girl turned, curious. "Yes?"

"I do know this place, but not every single shop. Do you think you could perhaps give us a tour? If it's not too much?" Nino asked.

"Oh, Milady I'd certainly make time for it. Please tell me the ones you have not been to, so!

can know what to introduce you to." The girl bowed again.

"Please call me Nino. And what am I to call

you?"

"I am Sinika, the youngest girl of the Talike family, younger sister to Salika and Jafful, and older sister to Barte. My father is Horace Talike and my mother is Ulelia Gamet." Sinlika said.

"Thank you. This is Lillian, and Tiko" Nino gestured to her friends.

"Such pleasure to meet you all. Shall we begin?" Sinika said.

Nino nodded and Sinlika turned to lead Nino towards one of the many cafes. Nino noted Sinika's dress. She seemed to mix the gothic and medieval together, but it mostly looked gothic. Nino smiled to herself,

"Sinii?" Ulelia asked. She looked at her daughter. Siniika looked down.

"I loved it! She's so kind!" Nino waved a hand at nothing.

"We thank you, Miss Nino. We hope she was

no burden!"

"Defiantly not!" Nino answered.

"Yes, we enjoyed her company!" Tiko said. "But we must leave now; Lord Betelgeuse might be looking for us."

"Oh, I forgot, thanks Tiko. Well, we would love to stay, but as Tiko said..." Nino let the sentence hang.

"Yes Missus, we understand! Thank you for

your honorable presence!" Ulelia said, bowing

again.

"Thank you again, Siniika!" Nino called as they walked out the door.

When the three returned home, Lord Betelgeuse was waiting for them.

"I need to speak with you, missy." He said to Nino. "Why did you take Lillian and Tiko away from their chores to accompany you on your exploration?"

"Father I did not want to go alone. You wouldn't have let me anyways. They didn't want to, but I insisted. We had such a wonderful time." Nino replied.

"Well, tell me beforehand next time, Nino. Dinner almost didn't get cooked. So what all did you find?" Lord Sain asked her, dismissing the two maids. He was just happy that Nino actually went out, and had a wonderful time. Perhaps she was opening-up

"A new flavor for caramel toffee apples.

Coffee. They were delicious."

"Mm. Might be good to you, but it sounds too

sweet for me." Lord Betelgeuse laughed. Nino

smiled. He pulled her into their solarium and

walked through the small gardens until they came to the benches. They sat.

"And I have a request for someone."

"For who, and what do you want to give?"

"A small girl named... Oh, yes, Marian Hillis.

She made a kind offer, and I want to send her

family some presents." Nino said.

"Ah, Nino. You're just like your mother. Too

generous. Alright, what is it that you wish to give them?" Lord Betelgeuse smiled at Nino.

"A doll for the girl. Or maybe a stuffed

animal. She had turtle earrings. I think she may

like turtles. And for her family... How about a

painting of ... a beach scene?" Nino suggested.

"Sounds lovely. I'll make sure they get them.

And that they know that their good Lady Nino sent them. Marian Hillis is it? It shall be done for you daughter."

"Thank you, Father!" Nino got up and hugged

her father. Then she left to go straight to her room. She liked the view she had, of yet another suburbial section of houses. When she reached her room, she went directly to her window. She doubted that this was the section Sinilka lived in. But to her surprise, two small girls were playing directly below her window. One had dark magenta markings on her face, and Nino nearly shouted with joy. Marian! Now she could defiantly make sure her family got the gifts. A lady opened the top

window of the house and called their names.

"Marian! Karly!"

The two got up and ran inside. Nino smiled

and nearly jumped when Gypsy jumped up onto the windowsill. She mewed once in greeting and turned her attention to the birds and squirrels on the nearby tree. Nino was surprised to find that she was happier than she thought she would be."A new flavor for caramel toffee apples. Coffee. They were delicious."

"Mm. Might be good to you, but it sounds too sweet for me." Lord Betelgeuse laughed. Nino smiled. He pulled her into their solarium and walked through the small gardens until they came to the benches. They sat.

"And I have a request for someone."

"For who, and what do you want to give?"

"A small girl named... Oh, yes, Marian Hillis. She made a kind offer, and I want to send her family some presents." Nino said.

"Ah, Nino. You're just like your mother. Too generous. Alright, what is it that you wish to give them?" Lord Betelgeuse smiled at Nino.

"A doll for the girl. Or maybe a stuffed animal. She had turtle earrings. I think she may like turtles. And for her family... How about a painting of ... a beach scene?" Nino suggested.

"Sounds lovely. I'll make sure they get them. And that they know that their good Lady Nino sent them. Marian Hillis is it? It shall be done for you daughter."

"Thank you, Father!" Nino got up and hugged her father. Then she left to go straight to her room. She liked the view she had, of yet another suburbial section of houses. When she reached her room, she went directly to her window. She doubted that this was the section Sinilka lived in. But to her surprise, two small girls were playing directly below her window. One had dark magenta markings on her face, and Nino nearly shouted with joy. Marian! Now she could defiantly make sure her family got the gifts. A lady opened the top window of the house and called their names.

"Marian! Karly!"

The two got up and ran inside. Nino smiled

and nearly jumped when Gypsy jumped up onto the windowsill. She mewed once in greeting and turned her attention to the birds and squirrels on the nearby tree. Nino was surprised to find that she was actually happier than she thought she would sue her father would give her anything she could want. But the lives of unstable people on this planet? He would never stop his plan for her. He was already set on it, and there was nothing Nino could think of to stop him. Plus she didn't even know when it would happen.

She fumbled around her room until she found her iPod and tried to keep the malicious plan from bringing down her mood. She turned the iPod on, and let the soothing heavy metal chords of an electric guitar drift her away from her awful misery.

The Next Day

"Nino! Nino?" Lord Betelgeuse called from the stairwell. Nino came out of her room and went over to the stairwell.

"Yes, Father?" She called back."Siniika!" Nino called. The girl looked up from her chair, scanning the crowd for the source of who called her name. When she spotted Nino

and Lillian, half-smiled. "Hello, Milady Nino. Lillian." She greeted, Her eyes glanced at the crowd behind Nino and Lillian, and she immediately tensed.

"Siniika? Are you okay?" Nino looked over her shoulder and saw that Lord Betelgeuse and Lord Lundgren had moved up two vendors near them. They were talking with a brawny-looking man. "Oh, my father, and Hector?"

Siniika looked down and said nothing.

Nino's mood instantly vanished. "What has my father done to your people?"

"His people." Siniika corrected. "We are not King Gammond's anymore. But your-um, Lord Betelgeuse has done nothing to us. We still have our community. Nothing other than a change of leadership has changed. But he's just so powerful. And very capable of tearing us apart."

"But he's mingling among the common folk, so he means to assure you?" Lillian pointed out.

Siniika said nothing yet again.

"What are you so nervous about?" Nino asked.

Sinilka looked her straight in the eye.

"I'm sorry Your Highness, I mean no disrespect, but it's abnormal for common folk to talk to one so high as yourself. I am a simple villager, and I'm not worth your time."

"But I like you. You're very nice. I like talking to you, very much. I find nothing wrong with this." Nino replied, picking up a ruby red choker made of silk and velvety mesh. "Plus you have very beautiful merchandise!"

"Oh, thank you, Milady," Siniika said.

"Please, do call me Nino. I'd like to buy this."

"Oh, Miss Nino, you don't have to purchase it. You may have it." Siniika quickly said. "But that's not fair to you! Nino hates getting stuff for free." Lillian said, admiring a turquoise hairpiece. Nino nodded in agreement, and paid the price that the tag read.

"Oh, no, Miss Nino-" Siniika started.

"Please. For me. It would make me feel so much better." Nino pleaded. She hated being above everyone else in matters like this. She smiled when Sinilka finally took the money. Lillian paid for hers as well.

Nino wanted to stay a little longer, so she decided to find out more about Siniika.

"How old are you, Siniika?" Nino asked.

"Seventeen, Miss."

"Same as I!" Nino exclaimed, laughing. "What about your siblings?"

Sinilika thought for two seconds, "My father is

around forty. Same as Mother. Salika is nineteen, Jafful is seventeen, and little Barte is four."

"I noticed yesterday that Salika had marks under her bangs. They were very pretty. Do any of your other family members have unique... features?" Lillian asked.

"Wel,l no one is the same on this planet. No two colors or markings are the same. But to answer your question, yes, Jafful and Barte." Sinilka answered. "Father, Mothe,r and I don't."

"This place is so fascinating!" Lillian said.

"Thank you, Lillian."

"Can I call you Sinii, like your mother?" Nino asked.

"Of course, Miss Nino!"

Nino smiled. Her father called her name.

"Gotta" go, Sinii!" Nino called. "I'll see you later!"

Siniika looked startled by her words but simply waved. Lillian and Nino both waved in return and they ran to catch up with both Lords."Father! Look at what we found!" Nino held up her chin to show the choker. She also pointed to Lillian'shairpiecee.

"Gorgeous, daughter. You look stunning in

red." Her father praised. "Wouldn't you agree, Hector?"

Lord Hector nodded. "Indeed. Very beautiful.

Just like your mother."

"Thank you, Lord Lundgre." Nino said. The real reason she had picked the red one wasthate it reminded her of Sinii's hair. Now she would never forget Siniika. This had turned out better than Nino thought it would.