Warnings: Classism, ableism, sexism, child neglect, mentions of sickness, mentions of blood, mentions of death in childbirth, mentions of forced marriage, suggestive moment in paragraph 31, Anxiety attack
A week later, I arrived in Nezertnea. I walked through the warm sand. I hid behind a palm tree and changed into my dress from Corona. Hopefully, no one recognizes me from Corona. I thought. I saw a town made of light orange clay houses in the middle of the desert. I trudged through sand to the town.
The town was filled with merchants with brown skin and hair dressed in purple and blue robes selling green melons in a brown, wooden stand. I saw two girls with brown skin, black braided hair, dressed in robes with a dot in the middle of their foreheads, one's attire was pink and the other was purple approached me.
"Hi, are you lost?" The girl in the pink robes asked me.
"No, I'm just looking for a place to stay." I replied.
"You can stay with us if you like." The girl in purple robes offered.
"Abhaya, what will father say?" The girl in pink robes questioned.
"Shalina, she's homeless, we have to help her!" Abhaya told her.
"Fine, but you and I are responsible for feeding her, clothing her, and…" Shalina started to list my needs on her fingers. Suddenly she turned to me. "Are you still in school?" She questioned, gently.
"I finished school a few years ago." I quietly replied. I was able to finish my schooling in Corona just before I turned 15.
"...providing for her basic needs. And if she dies I blame you." Shalina finished, bluntly.
"Why me?! You probably got to feed her!" Abhaya cried. Shalina rolled her eyes. I gotta stop this before it turns into a fight. I thought.
"Can you girls show me your home?" I questioned.
"The house?" Shalina questioned.
"Our oasis is right this way. Com'on dear." Abhaya told me as she took my hand. She led me through the sandy streets.
Shalina and Abhaya lead me to a beautiful oasis. It looked like an orange clay palace. The oasis had palm trees and a fountain also made of orange clay was at the center of the palm tree forest. By the fountain, a woman dressed in white robes was giving a creature that looked like a whitish-tanish horse with a hump on its back a drink from a tan, clay jar. The woman rose.
"Hello, Ladies Shalina and Abhaya, I see you have a friend with you today." the woman told Shalina and Abhaya as she bowed.
"This is… Abhaya, we didn't get her name!" Shalina scolded Abhaya.
"My name is Anna," I told the woman.
"Lady Anna! My name is Kalinda." The woman greeted me. I smiled. Just then, a boy with brown skin and hair dressed in purple robes, with brown, wooden crutches with a little brown monkey on his shoulder hobbled over to us.
"Hi Shalina and Abhaya, I see you brought a friend home." He told Shalina and Abhaya.
"Ishaan, this is Anna." Shalina introduced me.
"Anna! Hello!" Ishaan leaned against his crutches and reached his hand out. I shook it. Ishaan grabbed his crutches again for support. The monkey made a noise that sounded like 'ooh ahh'. Ishaan giggled. "This is my monkey, Harsha." He introduced me. Ishaan reached his hand out. Harsha ran down Ishaan's arm. I petted him with my finger. Harsha made a chirping noise.
Just then a man wearing purple robes burst into the room.
"Shalina! Abhaya! Stop talking to that untouchable! You in the purple and white dress go back where you came from!" He ordered.
"Untouchable…?" I wondered. "By the way, I'm homeless!" I cried.
"Then you must have murdered someone!" The man yelled at me. What in Corona…? I thought.
"Father, have you checked on the harvest?" Abhaya asked her father.
"The harvest! I must work the servants!" Their father rushed out.
"What was that all about?" I wondered. Shalina sighed.
"Our father believes in a very strict class system. He believes that whatever happens to you, you deserve it. And he believes in reincarnation. For example, if you were born into a weak and failing body, like Ishaan, you must have done something very terrible in your previous life." She replied as she closed the curtains. I gulped. I didn't deserve to lose Rapunzel, did I? "But, that's just what he believes. And, just because he believes that doesn't make it true." Shalina continued. She smiled. I smiled back. "How 'bout I get some food?" She asked me. I nodded. Shalina went downstairs.
Abhaya went back into her room. A few minutes later, she came out with teal robes. "Here, you can change into this." She explained to me.
"Thank you!" I told her as I went into the back room. I changed into the robes. I came out and spun around. Abhaya giggled.
"Here," Abhaya addressed me as she put a dot on my forehead. "Now you look like a true Nezertnean belle.". I giggled.
A few minutes later, Shalina came back upstairs with some flatbread on a brown, wooden slab.
"Here you go, guys." She explained as she set it down on the table. Abhaya tore off a piece of flatbread and began to feed it to Ishaan. Shalina also tore off a piece of flatbread and handed it to me.
"Do you need me to feed you? Or can you feed yourself?" Shalina asked me.
"I got it," I told her. I ate the flatbread. It kind of tasted like eggs. "Yum! This is good!" I exclaimed.
"Glad you think so," Shalina replied.
A few hours later, it was time to go to sleep. I put on the purple, cotton, nightgown I had from Corona. Abhaya and Shalina were in the other room helping Ishaan dress in his sleepwear. I pulled out my journal and began to write.
10/18/1619
Dear Journal,
I made it to Nezertnea! I'm staying with some kids, Shalina, Abhaya, and Ishaan. Ishaan has crutches. I don't like their dad. He believes in social classes. He believes that Ishaan did something horrible in his other life to deserve to be on crutches. He also said that I deserve to be homeless. Och! Anyways, Shalina is super formal and proper! Abhaya has a free spirit. Ishaan is just so happy and just has a positive attitude all the time. I just really hope I can stay here.
Sincerely,
Arianna
I put my journal beside my bed and fell asleep.
About seven months later, Shalina and Abhaya were in the town square. We were just standing around when the band started playing flute music. "Shalina, Anna, want to dance?" Abhaya eagerly asked us.
"Umm, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN SQUARE!" Shalina yelled.
"I would like to dance." I told Abhaya. I and Abhaya looked at Shalina with pleading eyes.
"Okay, fine, only for you guys." Shalina told us. I and Abhaya cheered.
Me, Abhaya, and Shalina went to the middle of the town square. We stood in a line. Abhaya was in front, I was in the middle, and Shalina was in the back. We each raised our hands, together above our heads. We each squatted. Then, we each spun around. The people in the market cheered.
"See, I told you it would be fun." Abhaya told Shalina.
"Whatever, Abhaya" Shalina replied.
"Girls, don't fight." I reminded them.
Later that night, I looked up at the picture on the wall of Shalina, Abhaya, their father, and a woman with brown skin, black hair, blue eyes, dressed in teal robes with a teal dot on her forehead. "What happened to your mom?" I asked the girls. Shalina sighed.
"Mom? Never met here." Ishaan told me. She must have… I began to think.
"She got sick while giving birth to Ishaan. Father tried to save her. The three of us would take turns feeding her and sitting with her throughout the day." Shalina began.
"One afternoon, when I went into her room to try to feed her soup, she began begging for Ishaan deliriously. When I went to get him, she began vomiting up blood. I immediately rushed to her side, grabbed her shoulders, and began to cry out for Father. About five minutes later, she stopped. When the servants went to wash her up, she grabbed my hand and told me: 'I love you, now tell your father, sister, and brother.'. I tried to tell her that she was going to be okay, but she wouldn't listen. So I began to sing a lullaby to her. When I was done with the first verse she began vomiting up blood again. One of the nurses began to take her temperature. She told me to keep singing to her to keep her calm. As I sang, my voice shook from fear of losing her. Then, she stopped. After washing her body the nurse told me she didn't make it." Abhaya explained. I sighed.
I sighed. I should tell them my secret. "Hey, can you keep a secret?" I questioned. The kids nodded. "Okay, so you know that girl that ran away from Corona after all that crap went down like two years ago?" I questioned.
"Yeah, I agree with her. If you don't feel that safe in your home, you need to get out." Abhaya told me. I sighed again.
"So, I am that girl." I told them. The kids gasped.
"How did you escape the palace?" Shalina wondered.
"I just walked out the door and outran all the guards." I explained. The kids giggled.
"Has anyone in Corona come looking for you?" Abhaya questioned.
"None that I have known of." I answered.
"Have you seen any sign of your daughter?" Ishaan asked me.
"No…" I replied, sadly. Ishaan touched my shoulder.
"Hey, it's okay. You've only checked two kingdoms. And besides, there's a whole world out there." He comforted me. I smiled.
"It's getting late, we should get to bed." Shalina advised us.
"Okay." Ishaan told her. Abhaya and Shalina picked him up and put him in his bed. I went to my bed, pulled out my journal from my blue bag, and began to write.
5/2/1620
Dear Journal,
I, Abhaya, and Shalina went dancing today. It was fun. But I do feel bad about leaving Ishaan behind though…
Sincerely,
Arianna
I put the journal beside my bed and went to sleep.
Two months later, I woke up. I got dressed. I went to the living room.
Shalina, Abhaya, and Ishaan were sitting on the ground on an orange, yarn rug. "Hey, Anna, do you want to go to the Lantern Festival in two days?" Abaya asked me.
"Yeah!" I replied.
"Okay, we will leave here around eight, not tomorrow, but the day after that." She explained. I nodded.
Two days later, Abhaya shook me awake. "Hey, Anna, time to get up." She told me. I nodded and got up. I got ready then went downstairs. Abhaya, Shalina, and Ishaan we're sitting on the ground on the orange, yarn rug.
"Okay, I have breakfast." Shalina explained as she set out a plate of scrambled eggs. I ate them. They were cheesy.
"Okay, let's hit the road so we get there in time for the festival." Abhaya told us. We all went outside and got in the cart being pulled by oxen.
We arrived in Corona two hours later. I got off, went into town, and looked around. The baker was selling cupcakes at his booth in the street. People were dancing and making chalk art in town square. Some people were also selling flags, dolls, and other souvenirs along the sides of town square in wooden booths.
I went over to the chalk drawing area. sat down on the concrete. I took the yellow, tan, white, green, black, pink, and purple sticks of chalk. I outlined baby Rapunzel with the black chalk. I colored her skin with tan chalk. I drew her eyes with the white, green, and black chalk. I colored her lips and gave her some blush with the pink chalk. I colored her dress with purple chalk. I stood up and wiped my brow. "You drew your daughter, didn't you?" Ishaan questioned. I smiled and nodded.
"Hey Anna, do you want to come dance with us?" Abhaya asked me as she and Shalina were dancing. "Sure!" I told her as I went over to the middle of town square. Me, Abhaya, and Shalina went to the middle of the town square. We stood in a line. Abhaya was in front, I was in the middle, and Shalina was in the back. We each raised our hands, together above our heads. We each squatted. Then, we each spun around. Everyone in the market cheered.
We went over to the baker's booth where he was selling cupcakes. I got a strawberry one, Shalina got a lavender one, Abhaya got a lemon one, and Ishaan got a blueberry one. My strawberry cupcake was good.
Then, I went over to the booth that was selling dolls. "Hello, can I buy a doll, please?" I asked the vendor.
"Sure thing, sweetie. Take your pick." The vendor, who had tan skin, brunette hair, and brown eyes who was wearing a purple dress told me. I picked out a doll with long, blonde hair, tan skin, green eyes with a purple dress on. I gave the lady a copper Corona.
"Thank you so much," I told her.
"You're welcome, sweetie." She replied. I walked away.
As I was walking away, I heard a strong, male voice announce: "To the boats!". I rushed to find Abhaya, Shalina, and Ishaan.
I found the rest of my family at the docks. They were sitting in a brown, wooden kanone. I climbed into the boat. "Where were you?" Shalina questioned.
"I was buying a doll." I explained. Shalina nodded. I showed her the doll.
"We just wanted to know where you were in case your old family found you and tried to kidnap you- but, it wouldn't technically be kidnapping because you're family." Abhaya explained. I just giggled. Abhaya rodded us out in the middle of the ocean. As soon as we got to the middle of the ocean, we noticed lights arising from the island. I gasped.
"Floating lanterns!" I explained. I smiled.
"Pretty, aren't they?" Abhaya asked me. I nodded. I watched as yellow, glowing lanterns flooded the night sky. One floated down towards me. I pushed it back up into the sky and hoped that Rapunzel would see it and know to come home.
That night, on the cart, Shalina and Ishaan were sleeping in each other's arms and Abhaya was driving the oxen. I pulled out my journal and began to write.
7/4/1620
Dear Journal,
I went back to Corona today for the Lantern Festival. Again, like last year, nobody recognized me and I didn't get caught. I drew a picture of Rapunzel in the town square. Ishaan recognized it. You know, despite what his father says about him and that he's a sinner, Ishaan is really smart. I did the same dance with Abhaya and Shalina that we did a couple of months ago back in Nezertnea. And even though the dance wasn't native to Corona, people still clapped for us as they did back there. I had a strawberry cupcake. It was yummy! I brought a doll that looks like Rapunzel. I know that it won't replace not having Rapunzel with me, but I hope it will give me comfort until I find her. I saw the floating lanterns! I hope Rapunzel also saw them and knows to come home.
Sincerely,
Arianna
I closed the journal. I fell asleep on top of Shalinda and Ishaan.
One day, seven months later, as we were eating our breakfast of scrambled eggs, Abhaya, Shalinda, and Ishaan's father was in an extremely good mood. "What makes you in such a good mood today, Father?" Shalina questioned.
"Well, glad you asked, Jewel, because I just found a suitor for Anna!" He announced. "Com'on in, Nalin!".
A tall man, with brown skin and hair, blue eyes, dressed in white robes walked into the dining room. He walked up to me. "Hi Anna, I hope you will enjoy combining our two great families." He confidently told me. He leaned over as if he was about to whisper something in my ear. I cringed. "And in exchange, I expect you to give me some baby girls so you know, I get dowry money." He whispered in my ear. If you think that women are just baby popping machines, you are about to get it coming, mister! I thought. "So, what do you say…?" Nalin told me as he put his hands on my hips.
I could feel my face turning red. My breathing started getting faster and faster. I could feel my whole body tighten as if a boa constrictor was wrapping around my whole body. I could feel my body shaking. I could also feel hot, sticky sweat pouring down my face.
"Nalin, I think we have heard enough from you. Com'on Anna, right this way." Abhaya explained as she took my hand and led me to the bedroom. Shalina and Ishaan followed us.
"Who was that?!" I questioned once we got into the room.
"Nalin, the most stuck-up boy on the block!" Abhaya angrily explained.
"And your Dad was going to make me marry him?" I questioned nervously. Abhaya nodded. I gulped. Even though I wasn't with Frederic, I still felt loyal to him. "Is there any way to get out of the marriage?".
"Anna, if you stay in Nezertnea, you are going to be forced to marry him." Abhaya told me. So I am going to have to leave… I sadly thought. I sighed.
"Maybe you can check another kingdom." Ishaan suggested. I smiled. I stood up a little taller.
"Well, kids, it has been nice knowing you guys, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to go or your dad's going to marry me off to some self-absorbed rich dude." I announced. The kids giggled. They all hugged me.
As soon as I got out of the town of Nezertnea, I sat down in the warm, orange sand underneath a palm tree, pulled out my journal, and began to write.
2/4/1621
Dear Journal,
Today Abhaya, Shalina, and Ishaan's father tried to marry me off to some dude named Nalin. He was super tall. I had an anxiety attack when that happened. So we decided it was time for me to go. Even though I love the kids, I really don't feel safe around their dad. So I left. I've been kicked out of three homes in the past two years and a half and I don't really know where this is going. Oh, well it's not like I have any control of anything anymore. I guess I could at least try to go to Begncore next.
Sincerely,
Arianna
I put my journal back in my teal bag. "To Begncore!" I announced as I ran towards the border.