Pearl was still waiting for Rayah to return with wine at the eatery but she saw that Rayah was not forthcoming. She kept looking out the window from where she was sitted.
The server saw that Pearl was getting worried and offered to go out to search for Rayah.
"My lady, I'm certain she might have followed the wrong path. I'll go look for her there's no need to worry." The lady server said.
"Is it not just across the road? where must she have gone." Pearl asked worriedly.
"I'll be right back my lady." The server went to the counter, Pearl saw that she seemed to be talking to someone, Pearl deduced that she might be asking for permission to go out of the eatery to look for Rayah.
Pearl turned towards the lady again and saw that this time she was cowering in front of the lady she was talking to. She couldn't hear what they were saying but it looked like that was her boss and she was against her going out even if it was to search for a customer who was apparently missing.
Pearl knew she had to go out to look for Rayah herself . She dropped her payment on the table before leaving the eatery.
"Please wait." Rayah chased after the woman who looked like her mother and was putting on a grey cloak.
Rayah knows that she is younger than this woman yet the woman could run faster than her.
Rayah would hit this person and another person as she was trying to keep up with the woman. "Sorry Mr, oh I'm so sorry ma'am" People cursed at Rayah for running into them that way.
Rayah saw the woman with the grey cloak turn to the left and she also turned that way, the woman made several turns and Rayah made sure not to loose her.
Rayah herself was surprised that she still had strength to run like this after being extremely tired from walking around the village earlier.
"Why do you have to run, are you really Solana? Please wait." Rayah said with teary eyes. This time, she got to a really crowded road which made her loose the woman. Rayah was breathing hard as she used her eyes to scan around in hope to see a grey cloak but she didn't see any.
Rayah saw an umbrella shade of a fruit seller and absentmindedly went over to sit down on the bench breathing tiredly. The old woman who sold the fruits didn't mind. She thought the poor girl looked hungry and offered her some fruits.
"You can have these fruits my child." The old woman spoke and got Rayah's attention.
Rayah was confused for a moment until she realized that she was in the woman's shade.
"Thank you grandma." Rayah accepted the fruits, she was indeed hungry.
"It's okay my child." The old seller replied.
Rayah put her hands in her pocket and brought out some coins in a bid to pay for the fruits.
"Oh no no dear, you can have them you don't have to pay." The old woman thought that Rayah was an extremely poor person judging from her looks, her clothes were ragged, her hair was messy and her body was a little bit muddy. Probably that was her last money, she did not have the heart to take it from the poor girl.
Rayah thought of the grandma to be kind, she didn't know why the woman gave her the fruits for free.
"I insist grandma." Pearl opened the old woman's palm and placed the money there.
The woman pushed the money back to Rayah. This made Rayah speechless.
"Please my child. I said you don't have to pay, I know you don't have much this is the least I can do to help you." The old grandma insisted.
Now Rayah understood why this grandma was so adamant on not accepting her money. Pearl really transformed her alright.
"Thank you grandma." Rayah thanked the old seller.
Rayah no longer insisted, she just began eating the fruits because she was really hungry, she missed lunch with Pearl and now it was almost sunset.
Rayah decided that she wouldn't cry for a woman that was not her mother even though her facial features and hair was no different from her late mother. She reminded herself that her mother who was the former queen was dead, everyone knows the late queen of Montis died because she was sick. There's no way that woman could be her mother.
'But why did she run like that and didn't wait to at least listen to what I had to say.'
Rayah just refused to let any tears spill from her eyes. Rayah looked around, she didn't even know where this place was, she was lost. She had been chasing after that woman without minding where she was going.
Rayah put her palms on her forehead. "How to go back to the eatery, Pearl must be worried by now."
She scanned her surroundings to see if she would be able to see any of her guards. They must have followed her unless they lost her while she was running after that woman. Rayah sighed.
"Your highness." A tall palace guard approached Pearl.
"Do you know where Rayah went?" Pearl asked one of the guards who secretly followed the two princesses to the village. He came out of hiding when he saw Pearl coming out of the eatery looking extremely worried.
"A report came from one of Princess Rayah's guard. They had been following her highness but lost her while she was chasing after a woman. They are currently still in search for her and will find her soon your highness." The guard informed.
"Chasing after a woman?" Pearl asked surprised.
"Yes your highness. According to him she started chasing the woman out of nowhere and they lost her in the middle of the crowd but it would not be a problem to find her your highness." The guard said.
"Okay let's go search for her, tell the other guards to spread out." Pearl responded.
"They are already spread out in search for her highness." The guard replied.
"Okay that's good. Come with me let's look for Rayah together." Said Pearl.
"Affirmative"The guard bowed his head.
This made Pearl slightly annoyed
"You don't have to do that while we're still here in the village. We wouldn't want everyone finding out I'm a princess okay."
Pearl stated.
"Yes my lady." Replied the tall guard.
'Now that's better ' Pearl thought.
Rayah had asked the kind fruit seller if she knew any eatery around to see if she would be able to locate the eatery Pearl and her went to but the woman told her that there were many eateries in the village and that she would be able to find one on her way. Rayah then knew that the old woman would not be able to know the one she wanted to find since there were many eateries in the village. Now Rayah was just trying to find her way back.
"Ugh I feel so dirty, I need to wash up but where." Rayah sighed exhaustingly, she just wished she hadn't gone out with Pearl today by now she would be resting in the castle on her sweet bed and not roaming the streets but she majorly regret going out of the eatery to go buy wine just because she was being a gossip.
Rayah began to feel lightheaded.
"No no please, not here in the middle of nowhere please." She begged her body, she was on the verge of tears.
"Your highness" Rayah heard someone call her. A guard approached her.
Rayah herself was beyond relieved to see that it was a guard from the palace and knew he could help her. She was feeling very lightheaded, she reached out to him.
Other guards stood by in order not to cause a scene.
"Water quickly" Rayah asked while tapping her temples with her eyes closed.
One of the guards who stood by hurriedly took out a water can and tossed it to the guard whom Rayah asked for water.
As soon as the guard helped Rayah open the water can, She poured it on her head, the water dripping to the floor.
"Rayah!" Pearl called out to Rayah. She saw what her sister just did and began to worry that Rayah might not be okay.
"Leave us, you and others can continue to watch by I'll help her." Pearl said to the guard who was with Rayah.
"Yes your high...
"Just go okay?" Pearl cut off the guard.
He bowed slightly then left.
" Rah I'm so sorry you got lost it's all my fault. I shouldn't have let you go out to get some stupid wine I'm sorry." Pearl said while guiding Rayah to sit in a corner.
Meanwhile Rayah knew that she was slipping out of consciousness
"It's okay Pearl, it's not your fault I promise." Rayah was wheezing.
"Why you suddenly breathing this way." Pearl asked in a panicked voice. "What happened to you."
"Rah please say something." Pearl had already started crying. Pearl regretted bringing her sister out of the castle. She just regretted it.
"Pearl please don't get a doctor to see me, please.. promise." Rayah said before she passed out.