Seeing the busy people of the town made Miyuki’s heart swell. She’d never been outside the capital, so she saw nothing but luxury. Here you see beggars, workers of all sex, doing their best to keep the town alive. Miyuki sees a tavern with a group of men standing outside, she turns to one of the escorts and says, “I need one of you to go ask that group of men over there if they know any lads that can help us with our carriage, but do not mention my royal status.” The men nod and walk off not understanding why they must ask such things. Miyuki did it to get them away from her while she asked her real questions. It was also for Riki, she thought he would be the type to want to help anyone in need no matter the person’s status, to show off his strength and chivalry. She turned to Albie and asked “Could you go find some sweet bread for those knights? I have a feeling they’re going to be a bit sour.” Albie laughed but gave a look that told Miyuki he was aggitated, “We could go together, I don’t understand why only I should go. How would I protect you?” Miyuki sighed and said, “I have to ask questions, but I can't do that around you.” Albie nodded in understanding and started heading to the town bakery around the corner. Finally, Miyuki was alone, but she didn’t know who to ask. She didn’t know where to start. Then she thought about the first-born triplet, polished wisdom and knowledge, she thought. Maybe there's a library in town or maybe I can check for outstanding students the towns had before. She sees a worker taking a break in the shade and decides to walk up and ask him if there was a library in town. “Excuse me sir, do you know if this town has a library?” She asked gently. The man looks up at Miyuki, surprised anyone's trying to talk to him. He blinked a few times before answering, “There was a new one built down by the well a couple years ago. I don’t see many people go in, so I don’t know if it’s still opened.” The man said as he looked away from the princess. “Thank you, that’s very helpful. Could you tell me which direction the well is?” she asked, looking at each pathways of the town. “You take the one on your left past the Inn, then the wells at the end of that road. You should see the sign to the library.” Miyuki follows the man's instructions and heads down the road. There’s an Inn with vines growing up the side that had a yellow sign out front. “That must be the Inn which means the wells up here somewhere.” she mumbled to herself. She saw a brick well with a red wood canopy over it, but she didn’t see the library. She looked around and saw no door leading to it or any depicting it. She thought she had gotten the man’s instructions wrong and went the wrong way, and if that’s the case then her bodyguards weren’t going to be able to find her. Just as the panic started to set in a man tapped her on the shoulder. “Are you lost?” the man said. He wore a hood over his head and black gloves on his hands, he stood a lot taller than her and had a manly but small figure. What she could see of his face was pale skin. When Miyuki looked closer, she could see his eyes, green eyes, she thought. They weren’t glowing but maybe her parents were exaggerating a bit. She looked at the man and took a few steps back just in case. “I’m just trying to find the library, I heard it has many great books.” she said quickly, she could hear the man scoff. “Doubtful, barely anyone even knows the library exist. Yet, you seem to know the books that lay inside it?” Miyuki took a deep breath and tried to look for an exit. The man said “I'm the bookkeep is all. Last time someone asked about the library, they trashed the place.” Understanding now, Miyuki slightly bows and says, “I really am just looking for a good book, sir.” “Call me Thian.” he said, “But I won’t ask you your name it doesn’t look like you’ll be staying here long.” Miyuki laughs as she follows him to the side of a building. On the side there was a door and windows that showed the bookshelves on the inside. When they walk in Thian takes his hood off revealing golden blonde hair, so he’s not my brother that’s why his eyes weren’t a glowing green. Realizing that Thian was not her lost brother, she made the conversations quick. She didn’t want to waste time here when her brothers weren’t here. She bought two books to make it look like she visited for the library itself. Of course, my brothers wouldn’t be in the closest town to the capital they would’ve been found already, she thought, but leave no stone unturned. She got back to the carriage easily, to her it seemed easier getting back than getting there. Albie was waiting, leaning against the wheel of the carriage. He looks her way and looks back down releasing a sigh. “You know some people spend time with their bodyguards, So the bodyguard can do his job.” He grinned walking towards her with bread wrapped in his hands. “Oh, Albie, are you feeling neglected?” she smiled as she took the bread he offered. They both laughed it off, but then Miyuki noticed the other escorts were avoiding trying to tell her something. “Boys,” she said, “If you have something to say it would be best to tell me while I’m in a good mood.” The escorts looked at each other and then back at the princess. “My princess” said one, “We weren’t able to find a helpful hand with the belongings, so we haven’t unpacked yet.” Miyuki smiled gently, “Gentlemen, you shouldn’t be scared to tell me things like that. Trivial matters anyway, there's no information here for us.” “How can you be so sure, your Highness?” Albie asked curiously. “I can feel it” She beamed back as she climbed into the carriage. She stuck her head out the window and said, “If we need to rest here, however that’s fine too.” The boys, still flushed by the princess's way of speaking to them, without thinking said “We’re ready to travel if you are, your Majesty.” She smiled and said, “Well, let us be on our way then.”
The carriage carried her for what seemed like days, when it was just six hours. They stopped in the middle of the woods because the horses wouldn’t continue. Albie got out to put out the tents while Miyuki looked out the window at the wilderness around her. She wasn’t scared but rather felt at ease. She stepped outside the carriage and even though she was wearing shoes, she could feel the softness of the grass. Her dress just slightly touching the ground. It wasn’t completely dark yet, but she could see the fireflies and the life the forest had. She wanted to venture out further on foot, but she knew her guards would follow her. So, she went up to the nearest tree and started climbing it. “Princess, what are you doing?” asked Albie walking up to the tree. “I’m getting a better view and some alone time, good friend.” she answered. He looked up at her in the tree and smiled, “As long as you come down when we all go to bed. We can’t sleep if you’re not asleep.” “Yes, dad.” Miyuki teased laughing as she climbed higher into the tree. When she got as high as she could she looked out over all the other trees. The forest looks alive, there is so much light but it's getting dark. It’s so beautiful, I wish we had things like this close to the palace. She thought to herself as she sat at the top of the tree, and all the while she couldn’t stop thinking of what her brothers might look like now. She pictured Cato with messy hair and unkept clothes, she saw him in a room skinny and reading or playing a puzzle, a small strong bone structure on his soft emotionless face. She saw Riki as a soldier or a strong farm boy with a big build and short hair to easily get out of his face when fighting. She saw him with soldier friends laughing and drinking all night.Then she imagined Vanir, she saw him surrounded by sparkles and animals, doing magic by the water or performing for the town he lived in to get by. These thoughts made her both happy and sad. She loved imagining what her brothers would look like but she also wished she didn’t have to in the first place. Miyuki never met her brothers because she was born three years after them, but she missed them. Which always seemed weird to the people around her. They would ask ‘how can she miss someone she’s never met?’ or say things like ‘She’s probably doing this, so her parents pay more attention’ which never bothered Miyuki, she just wanted someone to believe her when she said she misses their presence in the castle. Lost in thought, she barely heard Albie calling for her. “Earth to the Princess!” he shouted up the tree, to which she started climbing down and said, “I’m coming, alright?” Albie laughs as he says, “You just would have missed dinner. Which I don’t think you want to do.” Miyuki nodded her head; she definitely didn’t want to skip dinner. She was already not eating as much as when she was in the castle. However, she knew that was going to happen and asked the staff to prepare her a common meal and portions for the few days before her departure. When she got down from the tree, there was a small plate with warm meat and beans on it. “It’s one of the rabbits that the men caught.” Miyuki didn’t say anything, but the thought of eating a rabbit from this forest made her very sad. This surprised her because she usually loves meat and doesn’t ask where it comes from. Something about the forest made her hate the idea of eating any animal that lived here. She didn’t eat much of it and asked for more beans before heading to her tent. She lay down and wished she could see the stars while still inside the tent. She thought about all the beautiful plants that might be in the forest with her as she drifted off to sleep.
Miyuki could hear humming coming from outside her tent but couldn’t tell which direction it was. The melody of the humming sounded familiar to her, but she couldn’t remember. She climbed out of the tent to see a bright blue pond with a patch of green land in the middle holding a big green tree. All sorts of things flew around the tree. At first, she thought it was just fireflies, but then she saw they looked more like flower pedals or sparkles. The humming continued into a second verse that again led into the melody. She then remembered that was the song her mother sang to her when she had nightmares. She walked up to the edge of the water to get a better look at the tree and see get a better sense of where the humming was coming from. She looked up from the water and saw a small figure sitting by the tree with something glowing in the figures' hand that they sent up with the rest of the pedals. She couldn’t tell what it was, so she called out to it. “Who’s there?” she asked as loud as her voice would go. She heard a faint whisper in her head that said swim, my child. The voice said I'm not here to hurt you, but it seems there's a body of water separating us. I am but an old being, so I can’t make the journey. Miyuki was hesitant but more curious than anything. She was ready to swim but didn’t want to dive in, so she placed her foot in the water at first. Miyuki was amazed when her foot stood strong on top of the water surface. At that moment, the voice laughed gently, sometimes caution rewards, it said as Miyuki placed her other foot on top of the water. She walked until she got to the grass where the tree stood and gently stepped onto it. The figure was a bit clearer now, she could see it was a woman and of a small build. She asked “What am I doing here? Where are my guards?” the woman simply said “You are just dreaming dear. I only have but one thing to say, don’t stop looking for them.” Miyuki just stared at the lady; she’d never met her before so how could she know about her brothers? “You are young but brave hearted. A small gift of what was given split, I hope you know.” The lady’s words started to slur as she stumbled. Miyuki caught her by her arm and gently set her down. “I’m sorry but what do you mean?” she asked the woman as she sat next to her. The lady looked her in the eye and said, “Eventually, what we’re used to ends up hurting us, you have to step out of your comfort zone if you want to find them.” Miyuki didn’t understand what she was trying to say and couldn’t make sense of the dream or the place she was dreaming, she’d never been here. “The strength of a river” The lady said, “What?” Miyuki almost yelled. “The tree of knowledge, I think is the name.” Miyuki was dumbfounded at what the lady was saying. “And don’t you think” she continued, “That those flower pedals floating in the sky just look so... magical” she made direct eye contact with Miyuki, a certain look in the womans eyes almost made her cry out of relief. “I think it’s almost time for me to go, dear. You’re doing great, don’t give up. You better get to the other side.” Miyuki still couldn’t wrap her head around everything this woman was saying, but she got up and started walking back to the water. Something felt different, but Miyuki couldn’t guess it. She thought it was because the lady said something about leaving, and that through her off. Who would want to leave this peaceful place, she thought, two steps away from the water. She knew she would just float so she instantly tried to walk on the water. As soon as she did, though, the water felt like it grabbed her and pulled everything but her head underwater. She looked up to see the woman standing at the edge of the water looking down at her, “Comfort can be someone's misfortune, Princess” she said right before Miyuki started to fall through the water. The water seemed to wrap itself around her. The deeper into the water the more fear she felt, until it didn’t feel like water anymore, it felt like thick air. Then, in the blink of an eye, it felt like she landed on her bed. She opened her eyes, and she was back in her tent, and she could tell it was morning outside by the rays shining through the opening of the tent. She climbed out to see the forest she knew when she went to sleep. Albie was already packing up everything and was talking to the men. He turns around when he hears rustling. “Ah! Princess, you’re awake.” Miyuki stretches and says “Fascinating, right?” he laughs as he starts to pack her things away in the carriage. “By the way,” Miyuki started to ask, “What's the name of this forest?” Albie looks up after putting her tent away, “It’s nicknamed the god’s forest, rumored to be the starting place of humanity. That’s why it’s been preserved for so long. People have tried to build here but your father wouldn’t allow it. Why do you ask?” She smiled and said, “Just wondering.” as the carriage begins to leave the forest. Riding through the rest of the forest, she thought about her dream. Was it really a dream? She wasn’t scared of the lady in her dream or the water that pulled her under, as she thought about it. She felt more determined and hopeful that she would find her brothers. As the carriage left the woods and revealed an open valley on both sides Albie could see a gleam in the princess’s eyes.
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