Analina

"Don't worry honey. We got you covered. I'm Margie, and this is Xennia, your new aunties.  We're just going to take a wee ride over to our summer home. You can live there with us for the rest of the summer. Our wagon is in the village below, so we'll just have to take a quick walk."

But didn't Zuri want me to stay in her castle? I forgot if she had said so, but it must have been implied. Zuri didn't seem like the kind of person to let two strangers cart me away to their abode, especially after rescuing me from my father.

Aunt Margie grabbed my hand and started guiding me down the long driveway, Aunt Xennia close behind her. Aunt Xennia hadn't spoken since Zuri had disappeared inside the house, yet she still looked concerned. Zuri had really hurt herself, her leg swollen to twice its normal size. She was limping as she entered the castle, her injured leg dragging behind her as she walked. Yet, even despite her injury, she was still able to fly me back to her home without taking a break, even while I was asleep.

Suddenly, Xennia turned away from us and pulled out a gilded handheld radio.

"We have what looks like the Duke's child," Xennia said into the radio. "Yes, that duke's child. Please make sure preparations are made in four hours, we'll be there soon."

"Who is that, Margie?" I asked.

"Sweetie, that's our cleaning staff! We have to make sure we have a bed for you ready when we get back!"

They were so sweet! Zuri had the nicest aunties. They were like my own personal fairy godmothers. Honestly, I had never met my real aunts before, but these two would make good replacements.

We walked through the town, careful not to trip on the old cobblestones that paved the street. The streets were lined with small shop stands, each displaying a myriad of goods ranging from colorful paper crafts to jugs of fresh fruit juices. The autumn leaves fell from the trees above us, their orange and yellow hues reminding me of the sunsets back home. Despite the Duchy of the North holding my worst memories, it always had the prettiest winter sunsets, the colors reaching out into the snow-sprinkled wilderness, making the trees glow. Numerous townsfolk waved as we passed by, cheerful and energetic despite the growing chill in the wind.

We reached the wagon within minutes, my small legs already growing tired from the walk. As I heaved out a deep breath, I looked up at our ride. In front of me was a wagon, its wooden frame worn from years of use. The wagon was led by a massive pegasus, but the pegasus looked tired and beaten down, almost like it would pass out in mere minutes. Would I be safe riding in that? But Zuri trusted the aunties with me, so I couldn't complain. As Father said, no one needs nor wants to hear complaints from me. It would be okay.

The wagon creaked as I stepped up into it, but the aunties assured me it was fine. Apparently, this wagon had never once broken down, a feat that few vehicles ever achieved.

I looked behind me at the castle as I stepped into the wagon, watching as a white and gold carriage arrived at the front entrance. Was that who hired Zuri to kill me? But I thought it was my father. It was almost obvious, a fact that no matter how hard I tried to forget, it still haunted me. He had never loved me in the same way he loved my older brother, a fact even I, a five-year-old, couldn't help but notice.

The wagon quaked as we took off, the shaking wooden seat boards rattling the bones in my body. I watched the sparkling sea glimmer through the cracks in the floorboards. The turquoise water was so beautiful, with shiny red serpents gliding effortlessly through the crashing waves. I watched as they slipped between the glittering currents, their opalescent tails leaving trails of seafoam in the water behind them.

I didn't know much about Zuri, but I had no choice but to trust her. I really shouldn't have been worried. She hadn't hurt me nor lied to me yet, but with a father like mine, it was hard to stay completely calm.

Back home, I always had to be the perfect daughter, or, even that, beyond perfect. I learned to read at just two years old and was able to read complex texts by the age of three. Not because I wanted to, but because my father required it.

The Duke of the North would only pay attention to me for two reasons. He either had a bad day, or I had done something remarkable. One would lead to black-blue bruises and sleeping troubles. The other would lead to nothing more than a passing 'as expected.'

As I gazed down at the glistening sea through the floorboards, my mind filled with memories of my father, his cruel face plastered with a fake smile in every one. Yet with each passing memory, I felt myself becoming less worried. Zuri hadn't betrayed my trust, so there was no reason to fear her. I should still stay cautious, but she was not my father. She never would be.

My thoughts drifted back to the sea, its cerulean hue lulling me into a sense of security.

I woke up just before we reached the imperial palace, something I had only seen in Governess Ryan's textbooks. It was massive and regal, but it wasn't as pretty as Zuri's castle. There was something off about it. It was too cold and pristine.

Xennia and Margie were arguing in the front.

"Honey, we have to bring the child to the palace," Margie said, "She will only be safe there."

"Margie, Zuri trusts us. Are you sure this is the right decision?"

Zuri's aunties led me toward an entrance near the back of the palace. The door was covered in iron bars and reinforced with steel. This is where Zuri's aunties lived? Were they princesses or something? No, that wouldn't make sense. Their clothes were frayed and worn at the edges and their wagon was on its last legs.

Margie and Xennia turned to me, smiles plastered on their faces.

"Analina, we're here! Welcome to your new home."

Just as I was jumping off the wagon, thick arms wrapped around me and put a cloth over my face, a cloth covered in a sweet-smelling substance. I tried to prevent it from getting to my lungs by not breathing, but the world was already fading. In the haze, I could make out a guard standing next to the aunties, giving them a bag of shiny objects. The reflection of the setting sun through the guard's armor stung my eyes, but I had to know what was happening to me. This wouldn't be my end.

"Is this the bounty for the child?" Xennia said, "This is not even enough to cover our debts. Where is the first prince? He promised me that this would ruin his brother!"

Margie turned back and softly smiled at me, pity in her eyes. I-I couldn't trust Zuri anymore. But if I couldn't trust Zuri, then who could I trust instead? Maybe I was meant to be alone. Maybe that was why nobody loved me.

"Sorry honey," Margie said. "It's just revenge."

The world faded to black as I felt the first tears wet my eyes.