"Princess it opens!"
Shaph's voice rang all over the room fetching me away mid-sentence from a letter from Lord-something of somewhere. I was still in daze as he hurtled closer to the table and said again with softer voice that quavered with excitement, or rush, or both. "The gate is open!"
I stood almost straight up without realizing it. And as I rounded the table to follow him, my feet wrapping in supple leather shoes reminded me. I held back and told Shaph almost as hurry. "Go first, I'll follow you very quickly."
Shaph merely nodded and went away. I stumbled my way into my bedroom and rifled through the wardrobe. Digging out my old clothes, I changed into them in no time, and went seeking for my long-forgot handbag. Looking just like the first day I came here, I sighed satisfactorily to the mirror and said goodbye to the roses in the room.
A jab of loneliness stabbed at me as the oak door of the suite lightly shut. I had not known when had I grown to like this place. Now that I was leaving it and without saying any proper goodbye, I realized I had had lots of fun and meaningful memories and fantastic friends. I consoled myself that although I might feel lonely, I would not need to lie anymore.
And maybe lying was the real underlying reason that pained me. Especially lying to all my good friends.
My feet automatically took on light steps as a result of a clandestine wish to come upon no one. It was going to be arduous explaining my outfit and destination. My luck kept on with me half the way, then at the corner leading off to the guest quarter, Sharon scampered out.
"Sharon!" I gasped nearly tripped with nervousness.
"Princess!" Sharon said in a rush hush and ran her eyes from my head to toe, "So it is true!"
The head maid caught me in her warm and plump hug. "I'm going to miss you," she whispered, "thank you so much for everything."
"It is I who owe you Auntie Sharon," I whispered back, "thank you for all your help while I'm here. We might never meet again," at this we separated, "but I will always remember about you and Shaph and everyone."
Sharon nodded and whisked a drop of tear into her hair. We shared one last hug and I, a wai, to her as a respect and goodbye symbol before resuming on my walk satisfyingly being able to make at least one proper farewell to one person in this world. My heart was fulfilling at the thought when somebody came over from the opposite, upper half of him hidden in a shadow.
"Kara?" said the person wandering into the streaming light from the big window. It was Ciel. Drats!
Ciel looked at me from head to toe too. His moon eye was exceptionally piercing today, "What are you doing? Why are you dressing like this?"
"I—" I blundered for an excuse, but the blunder was also partly from me demurring on using this chance to make a secret goodbye. "I need a change." I said finally, did not slow down.
"Hey," Ciel grabbed hold of my wrist, "you're strange today. Something happened?"
My other hand squeezed tighter at the handbag. "I—I need to hurry." With that I shook him off and ran, running out of excuse, running out of idea, and running out of time.
"Hey!" Ciel called out from afar. I hurriedly took on a corner and—shit! Fayn was talking with Jared on the other hallway. Only slightly curious about their conversation, I shuffled my feet swiftly into a narrow corridor. This path would lead me in a full circle before I got to the basement.
I finally made it to the basement, nevertheless; panting and hair messing. A tremendous air noises deafened me when I enter the room. Jes was sweating and clenching teeth trying to hold the enlarging black hole in front of him. Uncle Derek was peering intensely at the void, probably reminiscing about his past. Shaph, when I looked, was curling up behind a chair, both knees drawn up to his chest s—sobbing?
"Shaph?" I went over to him and he lifted his head showing both naturally red eyes and crying-red eyes. I was taken aback at the redness and his somber face.
"P—princess!" his word barely attached, "you're leaving!"
"Hey, hey," I laid a hand on his head, "don't be sad. It is meant to be, and think on the bright side," I livened up the voice, "you'll get your real Princess Carla back."
"But," he wept, "I really like you!"
"I like you too." I said and he drove himself into me crying like a baby. I stroked his furry white head.
"Hurry!" Jes, on the verge of depletion, called out hastily.
I let go of Shaph and went over to the monitor with green dots. "Where's the Princess?"
"Rachadapisek road." said Uncle Derek pointing at the moving light near Asoke BTS station, "We'll send you over there. I hope you can recognize her."
"I will try," I told the old steward and gave him one last wai.
In front of the hole felt buzzing and humming as if large amount of electricity was gushing greedily through. I supposed it was Magic making an escape to this world. So our world is that unlivable, I thought and swayed as I tried to make way into the busy Magic traffic. This is going to take some time.
"Princess!" Shaph still kept calling me princess.
"I'm sorry," a voice beside my ear suddenly said. I realized it was Jes. "about everything."
I turned to him and gave the biggest smile. There was no point in keeping grudge when we were never going to meet again. At least a nice and memorable goodbye is required, I thought and said, "It's okay. Good luck Jed." Jes smiled, rather doleful.
Needing a help, I used both arms swimming through the vigorous outflow of Magic. The current was so strong and powerful that even my heavy handbag flew along like a feather. At this rate, the handbag might really slip out of my shoulder.
One step to go into the hollow. My outstretched arms dug zealously ahead with constant Shaph's cry. I wondered what I did to deserve such honorable care and friendship from him. I was merely a burden in this suffering world that badly needed Princess Carla. Softly breathing out, I resolved to feel grateful.
"Kara!" A chorus resounded the not-so-large room. I spontaneously turned without my intention to as my right foot slipped into the black pit and handbag respectively slipped out of my shoulder and hand. I fell on my back to the darkness with the last so-many-was-going-on glimpse of this world—Princes stood shocked, Fayn holding onto my handbag, Jared shimmering hair, Leon with empty outstretched arm, Shaph still crying with dimming noise, Ciel's moon and mauve eyes, Jes collapsing onto Philip, Kay's whiter than ice face, Val deftly drawing his hand about to use Magic, and last of all, Uncle Derek's back sliding in covering Eldrin's wave and the scene with uncle's arms gesturing as if saying something to all the remainders.
There should at least be a quarter of an ounce of wistfulness as I languished but,—
that bag costed me ten thousand baht, oh dear—