"Liya-ah", a voice called.
It was of a woman in her mid-fifties, washing clothes on a stone tablet.
"Yes, Yes, Yes, I'm here", a girl came running through a small wooden fence.
She had thick, long, black hair which hung behind her. Two thin strands were also tied into braids which rested on either of her shoulders. Her figure was delicate, and thin, but not fragile and she wore a light blue dress. Yes, she was exceptionally beautiful. Beautiful like the bird flying free in the blue skies...S'envoler *
Doe eyes looked up at the women washing clothes. Liya ran and sat next to her.
"What happened, Mama? Why are you shouting?
"How many times have I asked you not to go around wandering out of the village?", the women had a stern look on her face.
"Well I just went to buy sweet from Uncle Hay. What's the big deal?", she pouted.
The woman shot her an annoying look.
"Okay...I got it. It's dangerous for me and I won't go out of the village again but please don't be angry with me", she stared at the lady with doe eyes again.
"Hah, just get yourself working. Move.", the women turned to focus on her work.
"No, first tell me if you're still angry?", Liya kept on sitting next to her.
"Okay! I'm not!", the women exclaimed.
The woman wasn't Liya's actual mother. She was someone the girl has always lived with and called "Mama".
As far as she was told, her parents had died in the war between kingdoms, just some months after her birth. Liya had always been curious but found it better not to ask much.
Liya smiled and proceeded to take out a khaki wrapper from her dress pocket. She opened it and presented it to the woman.
"Mama, have some sweets", she said picking up one and putting it in her mother's mouth. The woman gave a glare but still ate with a smile.
Liya then gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheeks and ran off laughing, in what seemed like the liveliest laugh one could hear.
"Hey, you—", her mother nagged her again.
But Liya had already gone off into the small wooden cottage in which she lived with her mother.
After a while, she returned with a basket in her hands.
"Mama! I'm going to sell my cakes in the village, okay? And I also promised Miso that I would visit her to read books together. I'll be back before noon. Bye!", she bellowed and left.
Her mother got up, gave a heavy sigh and then smiled. After all, she loved Liya with all her heart.
Liya made her way through the narrow muddy path to the central village.
Mozhao village was located in the East of the Royal Palace. It was a place known for its ethereal beauty, especially in the spring when all the most beautiful flowers grew in this place. Many a time, flowers from here were sent to the Palace as well as a means of decoration.
Liya set up her basket of cream cakes at the usual place, next to Uncle Jin's tangerine stall.
"Uncle! Here, have a cake. Freshly baked!", she said after setting her basket down and presenting a cake to Uncle Jin.
He gave a smile, that made the corners of his eyes curl into the shape of crescents and accepted her hospitality.
People passed by through the village, some for trade, some only to wander around, and some on their way back home after picking up their children from the only school in the village. Liya looked at them intently. She always thought that each one of them would have their own stories, right? Each one of them would be going through their own troubles of life. Each one of them would be the main character of their own lives. If possible, Liya might have tried to remove all their worries and troubles and make them happy because that was what she wanted...to see the world happy.
But how could she do it? She didn't have any power. It wasn't as if she was the King's daughter or something. She was just a normal village girl.
Suddenly a tap on the shoulder brought her back to her senses.
"Silly girl, I have been calling you for so long already! What are you even thinking about?", a rather bulky aunty nagged her.
"Uh-oh, I'm sorry. What would you like?", Liya asked.
"Two of those cakes"
Liya carefully packed the cream cakes and handed them over to her. The woman paid her in coins.
For quite some while she kept on staring at those metal circles and then looked up at the sky. Oh how much she wished, she could go beyond the horizon. Liya wanted to see more, more of the world, more of the people, more and more of everything. But little did she know that knowing a lot and seeing more wasn't a privilege either. At times, it caused more pain and torture.
Once again a voice disturbed her thoughts. It was little Miso on her way back from school. She ran into Liya's arms almost strangling her.
"Yah Miso-ya! How was your day at school?", Liya asked.
The brown-haired girl smiled from ear to ear.
"Guess what!?", she raised her eyebrow.
Liya gave her a questioning look, as if very desperate to receive her answer.
"I scored the highest in my archery skills and my Master is really satisfied. He even asked the other children to follow my example.", she exclaimed.
"Is that so!? Our Miso is concentrating well, huh?", Liya smiled at her.
Miso nodded as she eyed the cakes in Liya's basket and slowly approached to grab one. Liya chuckled, stroking the girl's hair. Miso didn't even have to ask. She and Liya were like friends despite her being a child. Miso had always been fond of Lia, ever since she lost her parents to the plague that affected her five years ago and had had to live with her old grandmother.
"What about your promise?", Miso asked taking a bite of her cream cake. The cream adorned her little nose.
"Of course, I remember", Liya smiled and wiped the cream off.
Then she took out a book, which had cattle skin as a cover, from her bag, which she kept hung across her shoulder.
"Here!"
Miso exclaimed at the sight of the book.
After spending time with Liya, she had also grown fond of books and had always craved to read them, although at times she didn't understand the words. And when that happened, Liya would have to turn the words simpler and explain the story to her, so that she wouldn't feel left out on anything.
Liya and Miso sat reading until the sunset, after which Liya left her back home and walked down the lane to hers, her thoughts still blurry and entangled as always.
* S'envoler - To fly away (Latin)