Sarina huffed as she ran through the hallways back to her room. How embarrassing! Both men had seen her in just one layer, stuffing her face no less. She finally reached her room, throwing herself inside and closing the door quickly. What would she do? How would she face them later?
'Ugghh' Sarina groaned and laid flat on her bed.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Sarina sat up quickly, confused as she had just run away from the mostly embarrassing scene of her life.
'Who is it' called Sarina hesitantly.
'It is Darya, madam' she answered through the door.
'Oh', she sighed in relief, 'please come in.'
Darya entered, smiling at Sarina and her eyes were twinkling. The girl thought she looked curious but decided not to comment on the matter.
'How are you Darya' Sarina asked in politeness.
'I am quite well, my lady, and I have brought you something to wear for the day' she answered, holding up the dress in her hands slightly.
'Thank you' Sarina replied, examining the red dress the woman just brought to her. It was a beautiful chiffon that had sleeves reaching to the elbows and there was intricate gold embroidery that decorated the bodice. Golden powder was on the bottom of the dress, giving it an almost ombré appearance.
'This is far too quality for someone as simple as me, Darya' Sarina said a little sadly.
'I will tell you a little secret, miss' Darya whispered leaning close.
Sarina was intrigued and leaned in a little closer.
'You are worth only as much as YOU deem you are. No one else can determine such things, no matter their title' Darya finished, looking satisfied with herself.
Sarina looked at the older woman, stunned. No one had ever said such a kind thing to her as this. Her mother loved her with all her heart, but expected her to still fit within her role.
'You are very kind' Sarina said, gaining a bright smile from the woman and Darya began to help her into the dress she had brought for her.
Once the elegant dress was on, Darya asked if she would like breakfast. Sarina smiled sheepishly,
'I have already eaten.'
Darya smiled again, 'alright dear, well you are ready and if you need anything do not hesitate to ask, and then she nodded her head at Sarina and left quietly.
Sarina sighed, missing her mother and father once again. She wanted to enjoy all of the mystery and beauty around her, but everything was tinged with the sadness and fear she held for her parents. Having no extended family, Sarina was extremely attached to her mother and father, they were her only consistent relationships she had held in her life. Sarina walked to the mirror, brushing her hair and deciding to leave it down, suddenly not having the energy to put any more effort into her appearance. She walked to the window where there was a small chair, and sat it in it, thinking about her life before all the trouble.
Sarina closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind and her worries, knowing it would not help her parents. Sarina took deep breadths through her nose and exhaled slowly through her lips. As she was doing this, she felt a tingling sensation in her palms. The feeling tried to break her concentration but she ignored it and persisted in her calming breaths. But as she continued, the sensation only grew stronger, and when she opened her eyes to examine her hands, they were shining slightly. Disturbed Sarina looked at them more closely, thinking maybe some of the golden powder had rubbed from her dress and onto the tips of her fingers. The shimmering was gold-like, but it strangely did not look like powder. She blinked hard, and then looked, but when she looked again her fingers had returned to normal.
Sarina was perplexed, maybe her grief was driving her mad. She stood up, determined to not sit and sulk all day, and left the room.
Sarina walked down the quiet halls, enjoying the alone time to be able to examine the estate as she pleased. One painting in particular caught her attention. It was a simple depiction of a well in the middle of the sandy desert. The well was made of tan-like bricks, making it almost invisible to the eye, and there was no banner or bucket to draw the water. How strange she thought.
She continued walking and got to the living area, where there were lounge chairs and sofas arranged strategically around the room. She had an idea and was about to head to the library and immerse herself into a book until Caspar returned with the news, when the manservant walked in.
'Good morning my lady' he greeted her.
'Hello, um,' she stuttered, not yet learning his name.
'I am Hashem, my lady.'
'Hello Hashem, I was just heading to the library.'
The man had a calm simple face, as if nothing could surprise him.
'Of course my lady. It is very beautiful today however, if you are interested in visiting the lake' he answered, probably guessing that she did not know what to do with myself while here alone.
'That actually does sound refreshing, would you mind pointing me in the direction please?'
'Of course', he answered. 'Go to the patio, and once you've reached there, you will see a path that leads straight back. Follow the path to the end and you will arrive. It is on Caspar's property, so you will not have to worry about any unforeseen guests.'
'Thank you, I will head there now then' Sarina said.
She began towards the patio and followed the servant's instructions. She found the path at the back of the patio and began the trail. He was right, it was lovely out, the air was perfectly warm but not overbearing and you could even feel a breeze. Trees guarded the path from both sides, making it feel as though she was walking through a tropical jungle. She could even hear birds calling. This was place was enchanting, she thought.
The walk was longer than she anticipated and she wondered when it would end. After what had to be almost 2 miles (3.2 km), she saw a beautiful lake that was surrounded by a rocky cliff a little distance away. Water trickled from the cliff, making a waterfall. The beautiful view stole her breath and dazzled her eyes. How could something this beautiful exist, she wondered.
She walked to the water's edge, smiling happily and dipped her toes in, testing the water. She laughed like a tiny girl lifting her dress and wading deeper. She had never been in this much water before, it was glorious. She kept wading, not caring about her dress anymore, just happy to be in such a large amount of water. She had heard about swimming, but she had never experienced it and she wanted to try.
Taking step after step, she continued in, smiling all the while, when suddenly, she stepped, but there was nothing to step on as the lake dropped off deeply. Her head went under without a sound.