The Asters of Ogaza

Adventure Time

         Marjani didn’t sleep in their room that night. She stormed with wet eyes all the way to Jael’s and let out her grief there. Jael scooted over so Marjani could share her bed. Marjani only returned to her room the next morning, just because she had to get a change of clothes. Zina was looking through her sketch replica of the map when Marjani barged in. She shut the book in one swift motion and sat up to watch her roommate. Marjani went straight to her wardrobe and started throwing out clothes, something she always did before deciding on what to wear.

          “Marjani,” Zina called.

          She kept her back to Zina. “What do you want?”

          Why didn’t you come back last night? I left the door open, and I stayed up for a while waiting for you. She wanted to say, but changed her mind. That would just show that she somehow cared about her, which is not the message she was trying to pass across. Besides, she had every right to be very upset with her after what she said last night.

          “About me and Amare, why did you say that when you have no idea what the truth is? What you said yesterday just proves that you’re aiding the rumor Jael started. Do you have any idea how big a mess you could create for us?” Her voice started as firm, and ended in an almost yell.

          Marjani turned to her slowly, a dress in her hand. “If you’re not guilty, then you wouldn’t be concerned.”

          Zina sprang up. “You need to stop this, Marjani. The both of you need to stop. You know how horrible such a nasty rumor can be for the subjects, especially me. What has gotten into you?”

          “Relax, Anfari,” Jael said from the door frame in a mock cool voice. The way Master Poja would say it. “What is that thing we were thought about the truth?” She stroked her chin as if trying to remember and then snapped her fingers. “Aha! The truth, they say, would always reveal itself. Nothing is hidden under the hot, North Ogazaian sun. Whether or not you’re sleeping with Amare shouldn’t bother you, let time reveal the truth.” She finished with a sly grin that exposed her yellowed canines and Zina wished above all things to strangle her right there. “Let’s go, Marjani.” She tugged at her elbow.

          “Kill the rumors,” Zina said and the girls stopped by the door frame. “Stop going around saying untrue things about us. If you don’t, I’d report you. To the Princess.” She didn’t intend on playing that card, but things would definitely spiral out of control if she didn’t threaten them. She returned to her bed, threw her sketch book into her knapsack already containing her cloak, and left the room, slamming the door harder than she expected to.

          Seeing Amare and Angel waiting for her downstairs melted parts of the annoyance she was feeling. She was already beginning to get used to them being around her, despite how much she tried to not admit it. Amare's eyes were bright, brighter than Angel's, which was not a regular occurrence at all.

          He was giddy, waving at Zina when she got out. “Over here!”

          “I have eyes, you know.” Zina rolled them at him. “Good morning, Captain.”

          Angel's face lit up with his radiant smile. “Warrior Z, did you sleep well? I hope Marjani wasn’t any trouble.”

She shrugged and told them Marjani didn’t sleep in their room.

          “Today is going to be a big day. An amazing day!” Amare gave Zina a knowing smirk. She returned it.

          “Since when are you so excited about going to the library?” Angel arched his left brow.

          Amare just slipped his hands into his pocket and stared ahead. “Since now, Captain. Since right now.”

                                                          ****

          Almost immediately after they stepped out of the library, a Palace maidservant approached Zina with hurried steps.

          “Miss Anfari,” she said, very certain that she had the right person. The Princess’s description was apt enough.

          “Yes?” Zina answered, a little hesitant, a little surprised.

          “The Princess has called for you. She is in her quarters, and would like to see you.”

          Zina huffed, and tried to cover it with a slight cough when she realized the maidservant could read bad meanings into it. “She wants to see me . . .now? Immediately?”

          The woman nodded and Zina wished she could pretend that she wasn’t aware of this, that she hadn’t been informed. But the maidservant might get in trouble for it, so she returned the nod and walked up to Amare and Angel. They had paused to wait for her.

          “Your new Mama needs you?” Amare teased, the sides of his lips curving into his cynical smile.

          “Shut up. I'd catch up to you folks later?” Amare gave her an it’s okay nod and Angel told her to enjoy her time with the Princess, before she turned on her heels and dragged her feet after the maidservant.

          The Princess’s quarter was like an entire house. The walls and stairs that led up to her bedroom were bedazzled with rare stones: red rubies, topaz, zircon, even diamonds. The floors were made of thick redwoods, termites couldn’t penetrate that. She knew this because Pa had a knack for carpentry and all things related. “Yellow cedar, redwoods and cypress keeps the termites far away,” he always said. When the maidservant announced their arrival, rapped the big door twice and gently opened it, the sweet scent of cinnamon reminded Zina of the cinnamon rolls and breads Pa used to bake. She would usually have started craving it, but this scent now belonged to Princess Haile, it made her want to vomit. She concluded that she might never eat any cinnamon flavored thing again. Being around the Princess was all the cinnamon she would ever need for the rest of her life.

          “She is here, Your Majesty.” The maidservant bowed, and Zina bowed some seconds after. Her hatred for the Princess always made her forget to be formal around her. Princess Haile had on a simple, purple silk dress, and her scanty braids were put into one big braid that rested on her shoulder. Her grin made her cheeks almost touch her ears when she saw Zina.

          “Leave us.” She made a dismissing hand gesture, and the maidservant bowed again before leaving them. She kept her eyes on Zina, who was already hot with anger and discomfort. She balled her fists by her sides, and fixed her gaze on her sandals.

          “Come,” Princess Haile said, patting a spot on her queen-sized bed for Zina to sit. Zina pressed her fingers deeper into her palms, but nonetheless, obeyed and sat beside the Princess. “Welcome to Haile's space. No one else has been here, except my parents and maidservants. PJ stops by once in a while.”     She left her happy eyes on Zina whose upset ones landed everywhere but on her. She briefly wondered how close the Princess and Master Poja were, to call each other by their first names, and even nicknames. Also, if only a few people ever came up to the Princess’s quarters, was she privileged to be one of them? She thought, but then shook it away and heaved a little quietly, not wanting anything to clog her mind.

          Princess Haile stood abruptly. “Get comfortable, feel free to look around. I'd go bring us food. Would you prefer hibiscus tea? Or something stronger, like fresh palm wine? I’ve asked them to cook beef and beans. But if that’s not what you feel up to, I’d tell them to make what you want. You are a big beef eater, aren’t you?” She sealed her ramblings with a gleeful laugh and Zina questioned her sanity. Why is the Princess about to serve me, a non-Royal food? And how does she know of my love for beef?! She managed a small nod and the Princess smiled.

          “What’s the nod for? Hibiscus tea or palm wine?”

          “Whichever . . . Your Majesty,” She stuttered, realizing a little too late again that she had to bow, and so she did. Princess Haile reminded her to make herself at home, as if, before shutting the door, leaving Zina angrier, alone and lost in the vastness of her room. She rubbed the spotless, white sheets and quilt between her pointy finger and thumb, pure cotton. The curtains were raised, and the rays from the vicious sun illuminated the room. Despite the annoyance brewing on Zina's inside— she could be out doing very essential planning and escaping with Amare but instead was held captive here— she admired how homely, even if a little too large for one person, the Princess’s room felt. It was also very clean, there was not even a single speck of dust. It must take more than five people to properly clean out the place, Zina concluded.

          When she had gotten bored sitting and identifying the diverse types of clothing materials in the room, she rose. She ran her palm across the thick books on the shelf, fed her eyes on the facial and body items on the vanity. She secretly tried to identify what was responsible for the now familiar cinnamon scent of the Princess, but couldn’t place which. And then she noticed the pictures and drawings.

          They were placed all around the room. There was no partition of the wall that didn’t have at least one. If you started looking at them at one point, you would end up in a perfect circle by the time you got to the last one. She stepped closer and paid attention to them: The Emperor and Empress seated at the middle, and the Princess and the Crown Prince at either side of them. They were much younger. They recreated the picture when they had grown, but now, Princess Haile and Crown Prince Taye were standing. She observed then how handsome the Crown Prince was. Confident and straight posture, same amber eyes as the Princess, hopeful gaze, a leader kind of smile. And strong arms too.         There were other pictures of Princess Haile by herself and Zina had to admit it, she was beautiful. Gap toothed, a stern face that could easily break out into the sincerest smile, a slender figure with a plump chest. But the image that dominated most of the room was someone Zina had never seen before. Maybe a distant cousin? A friend? A sister born out of wedlock and hidden away from the public eye? That last option was unlikely.

          The girl, about the Princess’s age had the kind of smile you could notice from a mile away, the kind that would persuade people to do things to her benefit. She was chubbier and curvier than the Princess, a little shorter, but they looked like they complimented each other in a way that was almost perfect. Images of her alone, and with the Princess at different stages of their lives were everywhere. She had to be very important to the Princess. Maybe a little more important than her handsome twin, because only two pictures of him were in the entire room; the family ones.

           She imagined him being crowned Emperor, he would make an amazing ruler. Then, she imagined herself being crowned Empress and giggled. That was the kind of thing Zo would put together, not her. Oh no, Zo. Something inside her stretched with longing. Maybe it was because of the closeness between the Princess and mystery girl that was almost palpable from the images. Whatever it was, it made her want to run home and hug Zo. She hadn’t replied the last letter they sent, so she reminded herself to do that the moment she gets to her room.          The door swung open and she jumped, taking an attack stance before coming back to the realization that she was in the Princess’s quarters, and no one else could enter. This Aster thing is slowly becoming a part of me. She rubbed her temples to keep calm. The maidservants who stepped in rolled with them a steel cart holding trays and platters of food. She peeked behind them with widened eyes to see if the Princess was expecting guests, or hosting a feast, but she was only met with the radiant and self-satisfied eyes of the Princess. The maidservants placed the platters on the Princess’s table and two stayed back to serve.

          The Princess clapped once, jerking Zina back to realness. “Table is served, shall we?”

                                                ****

          Amare waited for Zina in front of the Palace Residence. Alone. He had maneuvered his way out of tagging along with Angel, saying he wanted to return to the library and study some more history. Thankfully, Master Poja was able to rescue him from Angel’s suspicious interrogations. He had called Angel and Marjani for a brief chat, giving Amare enough time to scurry off and hope that the Princess releases Zina in good time for them to leave. Zina's shiny scalp soon emerged from the doors and Amare waved to get her attention.

          “Good. You’re out early. Let’s leave now so we can be back in time.” Amare handed her her knapsack and they moved with hastened steps towards Vines. “How was your fun time with the Princess?”

          Cinnamon clouded Zina’s sense again and she shook her head to get it out. She felt bloated from all the beef the Princess practically forced down her throat. Deep inside her, she was sure the Princess was insane, with the way she talked to her like they’re old friends, making her very uncomfortable. She had done most of the talking, while Zina remained silent, answering only when she had to. She felt very uneasy with the Princess’s attention. Leaving Vines every day would be tricky now, and she hoped, oh, how she hoped that the Princess doesn’t monitor her enough to figure out what they’re up to. That would ruin everything.

          “Vulture?” Amare brought her back to his question.

          “Weird, as usual,” she answered. “What do I have to do to stop her from bothering me?”

          “Let’s bother about that later. Right now, we have a whole adventure unfolding before us. Are you ready?” He stared at her with joyful eyes and she nodded.

          “I was born ready.” They put on their cloaks, and set out into the woods, following their map closely.

          “No way,” Amare said, looking around. “We’re here. This is the first point.”

          Zina wanted to squeal, but she tried to maintain her cool. One down, six to go. “This wasn’t so difficult.”

          She gulped down the liquid from her waterskin. They had walked for quite a while. Birds chirped high above their heads, and squirrels jumped from one tall tree to the other. They had even seen a monkey resting among the branches.

          “I have my coloured ink here. I’m going to paint some fallen leaves and little rocks so that we can easily identify them next time,” Zina said, but Amare didn’t respond. She turned to see him squatted, sniffing leaves and feeling the soil with his fingers. “What are you doing?”

          “Trying to pick up animal scents. And to see if snakes slither through this route.”

          Zina gripped her knapsack in fear. “Sn . . .snakes?” she stuttered.

          Amare nodded. “They do. Asides them, and the tree animals, no other animals come through this path. So, we’re alright.” He stood, dusting dirt from his palms.

          Zina’s feet remained firmly planted to the ground. Amare’s important yet disturbing discovery had fazed her.

          “Hey, vulture,” He said with a laugh. “They are just snakes. Poisonous, but handleable. I’ve been bitten by various kinds of snakes before, so I know what to do if any of us get hurts. Okay?”

          She didn’t budge. Truth was, she was very afraid. But she didn’t want to show that to Amare. He started to move towards her and she held up refusing hand at him.

          “Don’t. I’m not afraid, just worried.” Her shaky voice gave her away and Amare laughed again. She carefully went down into a squat position and picked rocks with caution. She fished for her coloured ink in her knapsack, and began applying them on various rocks and leaves. Red, the lightest shade of blue, mauve, all colours that would usually not be found on rocks and leaves. That would make it a lot easier to identify. She didn’t say anything to Amare while she worked.

           As she put her inks back in her knapsack, she heard a thud that forced her up her feet. She looked to the direction of the noise and there was Amare on all fours, head down.

          She scoffed. “How bored are you to be playing animal pretend when we’re in the middle of a very serious adventure. Stop playing around. We still have enough time to survey point 2 today.”  Animal pretend was a childhood game, where little children would pick various jungle animals and act like them.

          When he raised his head, she saw that he was gasping for air, eyes and tongue swollen into a size bigger than his entire face. Her knapsack slipped off her shoulders.

          “Amare?” She took unsteady steps to him. He was already lying on the ground now, his sharp gasps rising and falling. She cradled his head in her hands. He wasn’t playing, something is happening to him. Her thoughts started running wild, was he bitten by a snake? Or some strange forest insect? Did he eat a wild forest fruit when she wasn’t looking? His tongue was so swollen, it stuck out like he was mocking her, unable to fit into his mouth anymore and Zina was so scared that he would die. She flung her head left and right, to see if she could find anything that would help them. But she didn’t even know what was wrong with him let alone find a solution.

          “Amare!” she yelled, tears already pooling around her eyes. Was deciding to cross the Obsidian a bad thing? Was this a sign that they should stop? “Somebody help us!” she screamed, even though the chances of anybody hearing them was next to none. “Amare, please.” Her flooding tears landed on his swollen face, and she hoped that he would breathe well again. If Amare died, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself. He would create another emptiness in her heart, and she would have to live with it for the rest of her life.