Chapter 7
1432 Words
It was like camping outside Malacañan Palace with bonfires surrounded by each group. But instead of the Malacañan Palace, the building on their background was barely lit with little lights. The Northumbrian Palace has so much electricity supply to brighten the whole place at night. She doubted this place could get even a small voltage of electricity from the North. It was impossible.
She wondered where that was coming, as well as the high voltage in the fences, protecting them from the other creatures.
This must be the mansion they were talking about. But it was ruined. Seems like the cause of a wildfire. But the structures stood tall. However, it looked lifeless compared to the spirited life outside it where the people had gathered.
As their footsteps brought them closer to the group, the noise suddenly subsided. The kids, who were playing around one bonfire, ran away to the older groups, and to seek refuge from their parents. The mothers embraced the kids. The older men and young boy stood to face us. On their hands were arrows, guns, and other weapons that could help them to any battle in the woods.
The reaction confused and intimidated Princess Loaisa. But the old man with them exhaustedly lifted his hand to wave at the group. Seconds later, and when the wave became visible to them, the children screamed their delight. They jumped in excitement, waving back to the man before running back to the bonfire to continue their play. The men and women approached with a welcoming smile, glad that their members were safe and alive.
The men quickly helped the injured man. They lifted him off the ground and headed to the closest tent. And the biggest one.
At the far end, and beside the ruined mansion, are low houses. Five of them. They were constructed by natural materials, mainly wood and tree branches of coconut trees used for roofing. Coconut trees are natural in Agartha, so it's only natural to see them even in the south.
Some women followed the group inside the tent. The vast field surrounding the ruined mansion. They took two steps down and that was when the people noticed her. Her fair skin complexion was like the moonlight reflecting lights coming from the bonfires.
The women's curious eyes remained on them. However, the men looked suspicious. They shared the same look with the first old man, but he said nothing. Just a bare nod before motioning for them to follow him in the tent where the injured man was brought.
"Samuel, take care of our visitor," he said to the young man who was stretching his arms on the side. Then he glanced at the blue-eyed man beside Princess Loaisa. "If you must need help, join us."
Without saying anything, the man distanced himself from her, bowed his head a little, and turned to follow the men. She followed them with her eyes, but the presence of the people circling her blocked it. A light of curiosity in their eyes.
"What's your name again?" the young man, Samuel, asked. This widened the eyes of Princess Loaisa. Should she tell them her name? They must not know she's a princess. At least not for the time being. But do they know the royal family of humans?
"Are you a princess?" one of the young boys asked out loud. Behind him was his group of children who joined the circle to see the commotion. "A human?" He reached out to gently pinch Princess Loaisa' arm.
The lady next to the boy pulled him away from her and clamped her hand over the young boy's mouth. A look of horror on her face that mirrors the rest's reaction. Princess Loaisa's confusion grew.
"How can she be a human princess?" the young girl behind asked. Her voice was like a loud shrill, despite being the smallest among the group. "The human royal family don't come down here because they're cowards!"
"Samantha," one of the women called out to silence the girl. Samantha pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. Princess Loaisa's heart sank. Does everyone here think the same about the royal family? Why is there loathing in their eyes? A pure judgment as if she's really a princess?
Well... she is. But would they continue to give her that look if they told them? Or... are they going to throw her out the fences if...
"Don't mind the kids," the young man waved his hand in front of her to catch her attention again. "What's your name again?"
Biting her lower lip, Princess Loaisa looked down on herself, fidgeted on her fingers and gently tugged on the sling of her bag. One of the kids reached out to touch her cloak, but the woman slapped his small hand off her.
"Red," she said to the kid, seeing the curiosity the cloak brought to him. It must have been the soft fabric, or the color. Their clothes looked worn out and dirty. Dull, even. A variation of faded brown, dirty white, and black. Not much of color that is good to the eyes like the rest of Princess Loaisa's clothing.
In fact, their clothing reminded her of the clothing from the past. There were photographs of older people in the books and even in the palace. This was how they looked in the books. Women wear three pieces of clothing. A camisa, a light collarless chemise that reaches their waist, the pañuelo, or the stiff scarf wrapped around their neck, and the tapis, or the plain floor-length skirt. On their feet were thin rubber sandals.
The men only have thin long sleeves shirts and long slacks with the same handkerchief wrapped around their neck but not stiff.
However, the men she met on the way wore an over-design long sleeves top that barely hugged their torso, making their chest a little visible, and above knee-length shorts. And a black handkerchief around their forehead.
"Red?" the young man repeated? "That's your name?"
She blinked.
"That's why she's wearing a red dress," Samantha raised her chin to Princess Loaisa.
"This is a cloak," she informed the little girl who tilted her head to the side, not liking the correction. It somehow reminded her of herself.
"It's soft," the young boy, who touched her cloak earlier, said. And the other kids reached out to feel the softness of it. Most of them gasp.
"Like a wolf's skin!" they exclaimed.
"Enough, enough!" the young man said to them and pulled Princess Loaisa away from them. "She's a merchant. And it's definitely not the wolf's skin!"
"A rich merchant," one of the women murmured. They were about ten in numbers now as half of them went with the men inside the tent.
She pressed her lips shut, not knowing what to say. And then the young man nodded as if he accepted the name.
"Red, then it is." He nodded.
"Your age?" Samantha demanded.
"I'm... eighteen." At least she did not lie on that part.
"You're young to be a merchant!" one woman commented. Princess Loaisa didn't know that.
"I..."
"Come on, continue it tomorrow. She must be starving because I am," Samuel said, and the women let him pass, as they gestured to him the large tent where laughter of men started to echo.
Samuel jerked his head to Princess Loaisa, and she slightly bowed her head to everyone to excuse herself.
"She's like a fairy," one of the girls murmured to her friends. "How can she be a princess with that beauty? Fairies are beautiful. Human royals are witches."
And everyone laughed. The girls cheered that they were fairies, and the boys yelled they were royal families and ran after the girls to chase them.
Princess Loaisa’s lungs constricted at the innocent insult. Why are humans becoming a villain to these people? Especially the royal family, who wished nothing but all the best to the human population in Northumbria?
Her heart sank again as she blindly followed Samuel. That must be the reason. No one believed there are still humans living in the South. In Mindanao. In Kent.
Her father King believed that so, and that trying to save humans down here was futile because there was no one to be saved. But now she knows the truth. Would they still refuse to help once they learn it as well?
But how are they supposed to know? How Princess Loaisa can make them know there are living humans here. That she’s part of them now. And that they have families... and children.
- Writer
