Two months later.
There's still no sign of Ivy. Kate was getting edgy and restless.
The sisters were doing their laundry near the lake. They chose to go to the lake during the late afternoon when the sun was about to set.
As usual the lake was crowded, people were finding their favorite spot on the lakeside to take a bath, wash dirty clothes and fill their water jug with drinking water.
"I have to go to the castle on the hill to check on sister Ivy next week," Kate declared.
"Okay, I will help convince Aunt Margie to permit you to leave the village to check on sister Ivy. But you must return home immediately after you see her in good condition or else we will worry about you," said Ella.
"Don't worry about me, as long Ivy is okay then I will return home immediately. I'm worried about Aunt Margie, she might not consent to my going to the castle on the hill," Kate said worriedly.
Ella released a deep sigh, finding everything worrisome.
Kate took a deep breath knowing that their aunt will give her a hard time.
"If in case that happens, I'll just have to sneak out during the night while Aunt is sleeping then set a journey to reach the castle on the hill. I'm sure...Aunt Margie won't be angry at me anymore if I bring good news after three days of absence," Kate elaborated. "Would you help me, sister?"
Ella looked at her sister in the eyes. "Y-yes of course. I'll help you. But let's try to convince Aunt first. I don't want to see you sneaking in the middle of the night. It's dangerous for a woman to travel during night time," she reasoned.
Kate breathed deeply. "Alright, let's finish washing these clothes so that we can tell Aunt Margie about my plan," she said.
The sisters resumed washing their clothes while the people around them were laughing and having fun while bathing and doing their thing.
Ella looked at the people's faces.
Not everyone was worried because not everyone sent their daughters and sons to the castle on the hill, only the poorest among them. Only 100 families, the poorest of the poor in the village sent their children to the castle because they have no choice.
If only her sister Ivy is here, the laughter around them would have carved much more meaning in her heart. But the worry was growing deeper in her mind. Something tells her that her sister is not okay where she is right now.
She wanted to accompany Kate to the hill, but the more her Aunt won't allow her to go. So, she'd better stay at home and let her elder sister go.
Kate looked at her youngest sister. "What are you thinking? You look like you're thinking of something..." she observed.
Ella took a deep breath. "I'm worried about sister Ivy. She should have visited us by now," she answered.
"We're both worrying, we should do something about it! Damn, I can't wait any longer. I'm aching to travel tonight or tomorrow morning," Kate blurted out. "Let's finish doing laundry, go home and tell Aunt my plan," she said.
Thirty minutes later.
The sisters finished the laundry and went home in a hurry.
After putting the clothes in the clothesline, the sisters waste no time and talk to their Aunt.
Kate was silent for a moment while facing her aunt.
"What is it that you want to talk to me, children?" Margie asked them.
"Aunt, sister Ivy...she hasn't visited us for two months already. I'm worried about her," Kate said. "I want to go to the castle on the hill to check on her condition and then come back here," she suggested.
"I also worry about my sister. Aunt, please allow Kate to go to the hill and check sister Ivy's condition," Ella begged.
Aunt Margie looked at the worried look on her nieces face. She sighed heavily. She's also getting worried about Ivy. Every day that she has no news about her she was dying inside. She tried to mask her worries so that the sisters won't worry as well, but right now, the three of them were thinking and feeling the same thing.
"Kate, I can't allow you to leave this village. Just stay here together with Ella, I will be the one to go to the castle on the hill and check on Ivy," Margie said.
Kate and Ella stared at each other in disbelief.
"B-but you can't travel anymore, Aunt. It's three days of exhausting travel passing mountains and rivers and it's not fit for your current health!" Kate exclaimed.
"And remember your arthritis, Aunt!" Ella added.
Aunt Margie glared at her nieces. "I'm not going to the hill on foot. I will travel aboard the wagon. I'm gonna hire one! That's my final decision!" she said.
Kate and Ella stared at each other with a defeated look on their faces.
"Alright Aunt, what about if we go together?" Ella suggested.
Margie was liking Ella's suggestion for a few seconds. However, if something bad will happen along the way, she can't allow her conscience to make her nieces suffer as well. "I will travel alone. If something bad happens to me during the trip, it's alright, I already resigned everything to my fate. You girls are still young, you have to take care of each other."
Both Ella and Kate sighed. Their Aunt is also stubborn, once she decides on something, she won't back out.
"When are you going to start traveling, Aunt?" Kate inquired, accepting defeat.
"Two days from now," Margie answered. "While I'm away, you girls don't venture outside the village. Sleep early. Always lock the window and the door during night time and no matter what happens do not open the door to strangers during night time," she warned them.
"We understood, Aunt," Kate replied.
"Rest assured that we will follow all your instructions, Aunt," Ella responded to put her aunt's mind at ease.
Margie smiled in relief. It's hard leaving the two sisters on their own. But the children are all adults now, they can take care of themselves. She must find out if Ivy is doing well in the castle or not. Being their guardian she has to make sure they're alright.
She was now blaming herself for allowing Ivy to work outside the village, but she has no other choice during that time. She can only pray that Ivy is safe and doing well in the castle. If something happens to her niece, she has no one to blame, only herself.
She was only thankful that she could use the gold coins to hire a wagon that would take her to the castle. Since it's Ivy's money, she would use it to visit her in her workplace. She will leave the rest of the money to the sisters just in case something bad happens to her on the road the sisters can feed themselves in the next few months.
Margie stood up and went to her room to plan her trip.
Kate sighed deeply. She rose to her feet and left the house. She went to the shade of the red cedar tree and sat on the wooden bench. She was bothered by her Aunt's decision to go to the castle herself. She did not expect that in the end, it's her frail aunt who will do the traveling and not her, after all she was already determined to do it herself.
Ella followed her sister in the shade of the tree and sat on the wooden bench. "I'm worried about Aunt's health, she's too old to travel," she grumbled.
Kate shrugged. "There's nothing we can do about it. She's our mother figure, once she decided on something, we can't persuade her to back out."
Ella nods her head agreeing with her sister's statement. "I will try to convince Aunt to bring you along with her!" she offered.
Kate bit her lip in disappointment. "No need. Don't waste your time. She won't change her mind. We know her too well," she murmured.
Ella scratches her head feeling worried about her aunt's condition. "What if she encounters robbers on the road?"
Kate sighed. "Let's pray she won't encounter something like that or else we can't help her at all," she replied, more anxious than ever.
The sisters were now facing more pressing problems, they only used to worry about their sister Ivy, but now they also have to worry about their stubborn frail aunt traveling on her own.
Problems just keep adding up!
Ella can't take it anymore, she stood up. "I'm going inside to convince Aunt to bring you with her," she said.
"Good luck with that! Besides...she won't allow you to be the only one left here alone in the house," Kate replied.
"It doesn't matter, I will keep trying," Ella retorted and sauntered towards the direction of the door.
Kate watched as her sister disappeared inside the house.
Ella went to her aunt's bedroom and sat on the bed facing the old woman.
"Aunt, I'm worried about your health. The road towards the castle on the hill is not smooth, you might suffer pain on your legs. Please reconsider your decision, please take Kate with you," Ella begged. "Don't worry about me being alone here, I can take care of myself," she insisted.
Margie stared at her niece for a long time. "No. Child, stop convincing me to change my mind. My decision is final and nothing you said can change my mind," she concluded.
"Alright, Aunt. I respect your decision," Ella said in a defeated voice. She stood up and ambled towards the door and left the room.
Ella emerged from the door with a hunched shoulder.
Kate smiled in amusement upon seeing her sister's defeated look. "I told you so!"
Ella sat down on the wooden bench and spent a long stretch of silence beside her sister. They were both preoccupied on what's gonna happen in the coming days.
That night.
While lying in the bed.
Ella was praying fervently that her sister Ivy would surprise them with a visit tomorrow so that her aunt won't have to travel a long way.
She falls asleep soundly before the clock strikes at midnight.