Shaph's voice sounded urgent.
I was uncertain whether I should enter the room. Shaph was in there. He seemed to know the guest. And the noises that seeped out from the gap between the doors suggested that there was a quibble going on.
Maybe I shouldn't go in, I thought because Shaph was dealing with this himself. It must be something important. But the maid knocked on the door before I was able to stop her. "Princess Carla, Sir." She announced.
The door swung open with Shaph stood face shocking-white. Behind him was an old man in elegant penguin butler suit. Wrinkles on his forehead curved up with his prominent eyes which were looking daggers at me. "That's n—" His lips trembled. A young man standing beside him looked confused.
Shaph pulled me into the room and shut the door into the maid's face. Then, his face fell, his ears drooped. The old man doddered towards me and said almost shouting in—I was positive—Thai. "This is not Princess Carla!"
Shaph hushed loudly and said it a rush mumble. "Please don't say too loud Master Derek!"
"Who's this girl?" The old man shriveled pointed finger stabbed into my face. "What have you done Shaph!?"
Shaph fell onto his knees and howled. "It's my fault! I got the wrong person!" He sobbed in his hands as the old man stared at him in bewilderment. Seeing Shaph cried helplessly, and the not-so-wrong allegation, I couldn't help but interfere.
"I'm very sorry too!" I said and crouched beside Shaph. "I did not mean to impose as Princess Carla!"
The old man was taken aback, then he said in a slightly calmer tone. "You're—Thai?"
I looked up at him. "Yes..."
He frowned and said with a stern voice. "Shaph, get up and explain to me this instance!"
Shaph told the old man his story. By the time he finished, the room was full of heavy air and pressing silence. The old man, one hand supported his head, the other draped on the arm of the chair, was deep in thoughts for long minutes. When he finally sighed, the heaviness went with it. "It can't be helped."
Both Shaph and I sighed too. Now we were all in the same boat.
"I'm sorry that we drag you into this." The old man said to me and I, per my habit, said. "It's very alright! Shaph helps me a lot anyway. It's also a good break for me." I bit my lips, it actually was a headache and not alright at all.
"Of course, it's good. You got to be the Princess." The young man said.
"Be quiet." The old man snapped at him and smiled for the first time. "I'm Derek. I am Queen Nareeya's and Queen Nara's steward. And this is Jes, my grandson. Sorry for his bad-mouth."
"I'm called Kara here. Nice to meet you." I decided not to tell my real name too.
"Let's sit down." Master Derek said. "I came here to greet Princess but it seems we're going to have a long talk." We all chose a chair and relaxed. Shaph poured jasmine tea for us. The flowery aroma utterly changed the atmosphere from the minute before.
"I'm from Thailand too." Master Derek said after a sip. "Actually, I'm Queen Nareeya's brother."
"Oh!" I realized and quickly did a 'Wai.' Master Derek raised his hand as a signal to receive my 'Wai.' If he was from Thailand too, then the right way to pronounce their names would be Dee-rek and Jed.
"It was seventy years ago that my sister was pulled into this world but I still remembered clearly." His voice was as far as the time his story began, "We were orphans, our mother and father passed away early. One day P'Nareeya just disappeared, I thought I had to be alone." He said nostalgically to the air. "But she came to get me after saving this world. She married King Carrick and we lived happily ever after since. It's like a fairytale, isn't it?"
I nodded and he asked. "Sorry, but how old are you?"
"Twenty nine ka." I said adding the polite suffix.
"You don't look it. I think you're more like early twenties." His remark made me happy and he turned to Shaph. "Shaph, can Kara use magic?"
"Yes," Shaph replied. "Prince Valentine said that she's pretty talented too."
"Umm," Master Derek was back into his thought again. "That's why. Then, it's no use. We'll have to carry on with Shaph's plan. Open the gate again."
"Excuse me, what do you mean ka?" I said, tried super hard to be polite. It happened that Master Derek was a very important person indeed.
While he talked, both Shaph and Jes sat quietly listening. The master steward drank a quarter of the tea and put the cup down. "I've done some researches about Magic for decades, you see. Do you notice that almost every magical tales in our world are based from here?"
I nodded. "Prince Philip told me some, about needing a person from the Dry World to control magic."
"Prince Philip?" Master Derek cocked his head. "The Prince of Witrin? O I see, this is about that Prince of Keon right?"
Shaph instantly attended to his master's question. "Yes, six Princes have gathered here for almost two months now."
The old Master frowned. "This is a difficult battle for you. I'm sorry you have to be involved in this mess."
"Don't worry, really. I can manage them." —so far. I said. "What do you know about Magic from your researches ka?"
Master Derek began again. "There have been many contacts between the two worlds and, like you just said, many came here from our world. The ability to control magic fades every four to five generations, sometimes faster or slower depends on the savior strength. We would need a new savior when the new King or Queen proves to have no magic controlling ability. And all of them became a King or Queen after saving this world. You know Alice in Wonderland?"
"Yes," I said and that pretty lady on the portrait in the throne room came into my mind. "You're saying that this is Wonderland?"
"Yes but not exactly," Master Derek said. "but before coming back here for good, Queen Alice, as a child, did go back to our world and told her story. It turned into that book." I was mesmerized as he went on. "Queen Alice was very powerful. She pinned Magic down within a week. It was afraid of her. But like most of savior from our world, she could control Magic but cannot use it. I think your case falls into, or rather like, King Peter."
I forgot to breathe feeling like something important about to be told.
"Or, the name that we're more familiar with, Peter Pan."
So, this is Neverland too. I knew it!
"Have you seen his portrait?" Master Derek asked.
"Yes," I said. "He's a child. Like it says in the book."
"Actually he'd be about forty if he stayed in our world." said Master Derek. "King Peter's special. He went really well with Magic. You could say they were best friends. He's the best Sorcerer and Magician in that century. Apparently, people from our world who are on good term with Magic cannot control it, which means they cannot calm down the Magic mess, so King Peter couldn't save this world. He went back to the Dry World, brought in many people, but all of them were the Magic-mate type. Only when the last girl, Wendy, came did the Magic got into its place once again. He married her after that."
I took in the story of the lost boys and Wendy excitedly. "But you said he was forty?"
"Yes," Master Derek grinned. "When the bodies of the Magic-mate type person from the Dry World mingle too much with Magic—this is hard to explain," he said pausing a little, "the ages, sort of—reverse to the real age of the hearts."
"I see," Shaph said and looked at me. "I've been thinking that lately you look different Princess."
That's why! My age reduces?! What the heck?!
"Usually the one who's good with Magic, in other words—Magic likes that person, will attract Magic around them. It sometimes goes through their bodies." Master Derek went on explaining. "While for us the effect is on age, to the people in this world who are more immune to Magic, it is only on their hair, eyes, and skin color. It fades."
That explained Prince Valentine and Jared weird and scary irises.
"I divide people from our world into two groups." Master Derek still had more theory to share. "Those with creativity, imaginative minds will be good with Magic, while those with logical mind will be the one who can control Magic and make peace in this world." He clapped his lap. "Well, but that's just my assumption. Anyway, that's why we have to get Princess Carla back." Master Derek summed it up.
"I see." I said. It was not like I hoped to save this world in the first place. I knew I was not the real Princess. I never thought I would have such power. "By the way Uncle Derek," I called the old master in Thai style feeling closer to him that way. "Will my age return when I go back to my world? And will it continue to decrease?"
"I guess not for the first question, as for the second," The steward master said. "the age will decrease until it reaches the real heart's age and you will start growing from there, if you go back. That was what King Peter's son, Prince Michael wrote in his note. O wait, talking about princes, is Prince of Aeca here too?"
"Yes. Prince Leonhard" Shaph nodded.
Master Derek's face was of that an old person, pale. But even with his Thai tan skin, I knew that the shade went whiter at the name. "You're in danger! How come you've survived until now?" His whole body shook as if there was an earthquake under his feet following wherever he went. "I—I must do something. We—we must get Princess Carla at once! Jes! You stay here and help Shaph!"
Despite his frail legs, he scuttled out of the room and went away quickly. Shaph and I were left in confusion as Jes took charge. He told Shaph to follow him out of the room. Now, only me was left in confusion, during the Magic lesson with Prince Valentine, at dinner, before the shower, and after the full moon rose.