Smile

“Step on up! Are you looking for a bargain on clothes? How about potions? We have it all!”

“Joooosssshhhh... how long do I have to wait over there?” Kyrie moaned falling on my back.

We were behind a bargain cart in the market area. I was borrowing it for an hour while a guy I knew went to get lunch. He never asked what I was doing, all he cared about was that I was “kind” enough to give him a break. I was dressed in some clothes of mine that were similar to the peasant fashion. Living in the palace, all... servants... wear the best robes. Well, the best robes a servant would wear. They're long, usually designed with reds and golds, and distinctively made for the palace.

Madam Kayanna, the head of the servants at the palace, gave me the day off today. We entered the palace late last night and a servant ran off to tell her that I had returned. I could hear her raspy voice throughout the entire servant courtyard ready to yell and scold me. Though when she saw Kyrie with me, a big smile suddenly came upon her round face and literally pushed us back out into the world telling me to treat her to a nice dinner. She even gave me money. I tried to complain saying that all I wanted to do was sleep, but she was soon joined with her daughters who also helped push me out. I only ended up taking Kyrie down to a local fishing pier. She loved every part of the meal, even though the quality of the fish was fishy. No pun intended.

Since this morning, Madam Kayanna has been doing her ultimate best to make sure that I was perfect. She never even worked this hard when I had to serve the prince.

“A girl! You brought home a girl! And a beautiful one at that! Oh, my little boy is growing up so fast!” her nails dug into my scalp as she scrubbed my hair, “Joshua! Quit squirming!”

Even though she wasn't my mother, she made sure to pose as one for every single servant. I hated it, but she was also the only other person that knew about my curse. She didn't ask about it, and she didn't feel offended by it. I glanced up to her pudgy body as she dumped a bucket of water over my head and sent me off to get dressed in “date worthy clothes”. Her daughters giggled and told me how to enjoy my day off with Kyrie and a bunch of other crap I have known for years. I only amused them, internally hating every second of this process. I was going to change right when I got the chance.

The morning felt like I was trapped in time before I finally was free from the women and free to finally think. That morning, Hunter came back to the palace. Sure his “welcome home” meeting was much more grand than mine, but he came home empty handed. The floating islands became too much and he was in a horrible mood. All that prepping for my so called “date” with Kyrie, ended up with me being thrown by the man into the horses pen, and leaving as a mud monster. A child even screamed calling me a mud fairy. If I was a fairy, at least I would get some respect.

I knew that it was only a matter of time till I had to go back to the prince's side, and I knew that I couldn't leave him in the condition he was in. He needed to be healed. He needed to be well and take his throne. I gritted my teeth bitterly thinking of all of this. I could just get Kyrie to make the potion from that flower now, but then Hunter would know. And if Hunter found out that I, a servant, went behind his back...

I clenched my chest in fear.

“Jooooosssshh!”

“What, Kyrie?!” I flinched of her sudden voice.

She was still for a second when she lifted her head and looked at me with a strange look. What did I say? She usually had that look on her face when she was about ready to throw that disgusting soap back in my mouth for saying something “bad”. Whatever I said, didn't matter now. The crowd in the market started to part as the tall, authoritative knights walked through the middle of the road. Dressed in their shining armor, and holding their helmets, they searched the crowd doing their jobs. In front, was Hunter.

“Go go,” I hissed pushing Kyrie away from the booth.

She listened and ran back to her spot in the crowd.

“We've got all kinds of products from around the four kingdoms!” I proclaimed as he passed, “how about you, sir? Would you like a bargain?”

“Don't talk to me peasant,” he kept walking forward.

“We have many fine potions, even a flower said to cure all diseases-”

He stopped midway in a step. Yes! Bait and captured! He quickly walked back to the booth and looked to make sure I didn't see any prying eyes. I took out Kyrie's container and placed it on the bargain cart.

“This beautiful flower holds the answer to all diseases, coming straight to the floating islands of the Northern Kingdom.”

“Where did you get this?” he looked at the flower in the container as it floated in it's preserved state.

“A man never revels his trade secrets,” I smiled, a thing Hunter hasn't seen me do in a long time, “however, this flower doesn't come cheap. The very delicate process to extract the medicine from the flower also needs to be known before you use it.”

Hunter looked up to me with a confused look. Yeah, join the same boat buddy. I didn't know that either.

“Wait... do I know you...”

I was wearing a hat, and still had dried mud on my body. I figured that he wouldn't notice it was me, but to make it safe, Kyrie insisted I wore a mustache that she found on the cart. I guessed it all wasn't working that well, since he began to stare. I eyed Kyrie to come over, but she wasn't getting the hint. She only knew of the signal I was going to give her that told her to come up to Hunter and tell him that she'll make the medicine for him. She waited patiently for that cue. I felt my hands clam up as his stare got more intense. Come on, someone, help me just buy this flower!

“Oh, my! Is that what I think it is?!” a voice came from the crowd.

A girl with long brown hair ran up to the cart with her hands folded together and an distressed look on her face. She was dressed in bright clothes and a chicken ferret was resting on her shoulders with it's little tongue sticking out.

“Oh, please, mister! My ferret is very sick and I must save him! He ate something strange earlier and I'm afraid he will die!”

“I... do have some...potions?”

“No! Potions don't work on animals! Please, I'll pay anything for such a flower!”

Finally Hunter left his attention from me and to the girl.

“You're going to spend such a valuable item on something that is as disposable as a chicken ferret?!”

“But I love him-”

The words Hunter used I expected Kyrie to run up and karate chop him over the head forcing him to eat her soap. Luckily she was too far away to really hear anything. She was still there waiting for my cue. Hunter slammed down a bunch of paper bills onto the table that was more than enough for a flower and it's container. He glared at me demanding to know if that was enough. I nodded flinching at his loud voice. He then grabbed the container and stormed off through the crowd barking at an innocent peasant.

The girl lowered her hands suddenly and sighed. The ferret then shook it's little head and chirped at the girl for a treat for playing dead so well. She laughed and handed the little animal a treat.

“Thanks...” I scratched at my hat.

“You've not been out of the palace much haven't you?” she smiled a cat like smile.

“How-”

“Maybe it's because I shop here a lot, maybe it's because your mustache is falling off, but I think mainly it's because you're wearing a palace ring.”

I looked down to my hand forgetting about the ring. I pulled down on my long sleeved shirt to hide my hand. Thankfully Hunter didn't notice, but this girl I never met before noticed right away. She stuck out her hand to me and I shook it cautiously. Which actually ended up being the cue Kyrie was waiting for. She must have noticed that Hunter was gone already, but she still made her way back over.

“Name's Anju,” she gave a large toothy smile.

“Anju?”

Her chicken ferret crawled down her arm and sniffed at my hand. She laughed and let go of my hand and lifted the ferret up to her cheek.

“And this little guy is my star in training-”

I looked at the little ferret with sharp eyes and a little scarf tied around it's long neck.

“T...Tobias?”

“Huh... ah, yes! Tobias my little cutie up and running,” she posed with her arm out at the pretend name in lights, “staaar of the theater,” she laughed, “you've probably heard of us.”

Kyrie finally got to my side and shared Anju's confused look. I looked back and forth between the girl and her ferret remembering the woman from the ruins. Give the girl a funny looking haircut and aged about ten years from her late teenage age now, she would look exactly like the woman he saw before. His eyes looked back to the ferret. It can't be... Kyrie snapped her fingers in front of my eyes bringing me back to life. She raised her eyebrow in confusion. The downtown clock tower chimed loudly and Anju sighed.

“Well, sorry all! I need to get back to practice. You should stop by the Northern Wall Alley Theater later tonight! Fridays are usually our busy nights, but they're the most fun. Hope to see you two lovebirds there!”

“We're not-!”

She was gone. I placed my index finger and thumb between my eyes trying to think. What did that woman from the ruins want when she wanted to meet her from the past? And... Tobias? That couldn't be him... could it? A horrible head ache flooded through my mind as some flashes of memories traveled across my vision.

“Josh!”

Kyrie took ahold of my shoulders as I lost my balance. She held me up with all her might and slowly carried me away from the cart. I felt sick and the tattoo on my arm felt like it was burning. I usually felt that burning feeling if I wanted to tell someone about who I really was... but it was as if it was also trying to hide a few things from that dreaded day. The day when all of this began...

“It's okay, Josh,” Kyrie's body was twitching trying to keep me up, “I'll get you home.”

Kyrie's hair smelled nice...