Kato took me to his village. From my position in his arms all I could see were a few quaint, wooden cottages, a couple groves with people picking fruit off the trees, and the ocean.

The ocean was something I, despite my status, had never seen. There seemed to me nothing more mysterious than the blue water that constantly pounded the shoreline, and hid wonders beneath its heavy blanket.

My vision was blocked as we left the dirt street and entered one of the small homes that stood beside it. A girl looked up from her book. It seemed strange to see a commoner reading, but as I was not at home I would have to act like this was normal.

The girl had strange eyes, like the green of the trees we had left behind were trapped inside. They were framed by a pale freckled face and hair so black it looked like I was staring into an abyss. She was definitely not a normal girl, and I was unsure I wanted to know in what way she was abnormal.

“Kato, I’m starting to become worried about your habit of bringing wounded women into my shop,” she spoke, her voice surprisingly smooth. She stood up, clapping her book shut with a snap. She set it down on a small desk by her chair and walked over to us. “Can you stand? You look a bit uncomfortable.”

I nodded and Kato set me down. I wobbled a little, but I managed to keep my balance.

“How in the name of deception did you do this to yourself?” the girl asked, walking around me with scrutinizing eyes. My gut clenched together at the word deception. Did she know I was about to lie? The context of the question made it seem like that was a common saying.

I decided to reply with honesty, though not the full truth. “Some thieves surrounded me. While escaping I fell quite a lot. I’m not quite sure how I got away from them. Then I got caught in one of his,” I motioned to Kato, “hunting traps and he dropped me on my face.”

“I wish I could say he’s only done that to you.” A new voice piped up. I turned around and caught myself before almost toppling to the ground again. A girl stood in the doorway, obviously Kato’s sister by the way she looked. Her face scrunched up when she saw my face and she groaned, “Oo, I think he hurt you more than he hurt me though.”

I blushed and turned away. “I’m Kennedy,” Kato’s sister continued. “Me, Chloe, and Zaniyah will fix ya right up, no problem.”

“I don’t want to be any trouble…” I protested.

Kennedy pushed me further into the house. “Oh, please, this is payback for what my bro did to you. Plus, we don’t mind giving hospitality to a girl who’s been through so much.”

We walked into another room to the left of where the black haired girl had been sitting. In it was another young woman our age, with copper skin, sitting in a wooden chair next to a bed. My eyes widened in surprise to see someone of her color so commonly dozed in such a nice house. However, by her clothes--a white blouse and a loose green skirt--she did not seem to be a slave, which surprised me. All people of color were slaves in my father’s kingdom.

“Chloe, stop slacking!” Kennedy laughed going past me to shake the girl awake. Chloe’s eyes fluttered open and she groaned, leaning over and putting her hands to her face.

“Sorry, my dad had me up all night studying the Rigilen language. I don’t understand why. With the war we’re not going to be able to go back there.”

Kennedy looked at Chloe with sympathy. “Yeah, sorry about that… we should have got you home sooner.”

Chloe shook her head and stood up. “It’s fine, you don’t need to feel bad.” Catching sight of me, she asked, “Who’s this?”

Kennedy stared at me blankly for a moment. “Oh my fire I’m so sorry we didn’t even ask your name. ZANIYAH! Get your healer butt in here!”

Zaniyah came in, arms full of books and bottles full of strangely smelling ointments. “Ken, stop rushing me. You know I always lose track of my stuff when you move all of it.”

“I was organizing it. Geez, Niyah, be grateful.”

I smiled a little at their joking relationship. I grew a little jealous that they were allowed to play around with friends. As the princess I was just supposed to be completely involved in the law.

Chloe giggled. “Ken, aren’t we going to ask her her name?”

Kennedy nodded and stared at me expectantly.

Momentarily, I panicked. I didn’t know what to say. Princess Kira Verarose of the Kingdom of Rylluzia? That definitely wouldn’t fit. I didn’t want to go by my given name either. Kira was of another world. If I was in a new land, I wanted to be a new person. I decided to take the name of a kind servant whom I had always envied of being diligent, calm, and happy all at once.

“Aradetta.”

The three girls stared at me for a moment. Then Kennedy and Chloe smiled. Zaniyah’s lips lifted only a little bit, but then she said, “What a beautiful name. It would probably fit you better if you didn’t look like your face had been stomped on by a horse. Let’s fix you up, shall we?”

She sat me down on the bed and all three girls surrounded me.

“Okay, this might feel weird, but I promise we’re not trying to hurt you.” Kennedy said. Immediately after there was a buzzing noise. No one else seemed to hear it. Suddenly there was a pricking feeling, as if millions of cats were walking all over my skin. My skin felt like it was folding in over myself. Then everything went back to normal.

“Are you okay? You look pale now.” Chloe pursed her lips. “Zaniyah, what did you do? I mean, she’s fixed, but what if she’s not?”

“I think I’m fine,” I spoke, standing up. My head didn’t hurt and I didn’t feel any blood on my face. I looked down and saw there wasn’t any blood on my clothes, either, just dirt. I noticed a mirror on the other side of the room, to my left. I walked over to it and frowned.

“Oh,” I stuttered. My eyes’ normal green was gone. In its place was something so out of the ordinary I could hardly speak.

My eyes were purple.

Despite the unusual color, it didn’t clash with my earthy brown hair that was wisping in every direction out of my plait. I decided not to bother Zaniyah with it. I didn’t want to make them feel bad. They had tried, and though I didn’t understand their methods, it had worked.

I took the remaining pins out of my hair and smoothed it out with my fingers. It fell, curly from being tied up, just past my shoulders. It seemed thicker than usual, but it was poofed up. I tore a piece of fabric from my ruined blouse and tied it up. It was still poofy, but it was now out of my face again and looked as presentable as it could be.

This was the dirtiest I had been in almost six years, and, strangely, I didn’t mind.

Chloe helped me get cleaned up a bit more and I borrowed a dark blue blouse and black skirt from Zaniyah. Kennedy did my hair into a simple ponytail.

It was much simpler than how my handmaidens would have dressed me at the castle. I liked this way better. My handmaidens were always so stiff and respectful. Zaniyah, Kennedy, and Chloe were carefree and happy, and they talked to me as they dressed me up. It was almost as if life was a fun game to them, and not a duty.

Finally, Zaniyah went back to her studies and Kennedy went to her chores. Chloe and I were alone, and she offered to give me a tour of the village.

“This is Calanthe,” she began, “we are small, but very instrumental to the survival of this area.” she jested in a proper tone. “We trade our plentiful food for clothes, building materials, and simple pleasures like jewelry and even pets.”

“You don’t have slaves,” I whisper in an amazed tone. “You really don’t.”

Chloe looked at me with a strange expression. “Allanis is the only place with slaves. We’re too small to have any, but if we did I’d be…” she looked down, then stared at me with panicked eyes. “You’re not an inspector, are you?” she asked, a horrified look crawling onto her face. I stared at her in shock as she started to hyperventilate and back away from me.

“What? Chloe no, I don’t even know--”

A scream pierced through the air.