The Princess

Chapter 19
Aster

At home, dad and I were sitting by the phone waiting for the latest news about Sarasi. That’s when the phone rang. Dad got to it first.
“Hello? Finally. What? No! Yes, keep looking.” he hung up.
“Well?” I asked him. He sighed.
“They said that they searched everywhere but didn’t find her. So I told them to check houses. Let’s hope they find her.” he explained.
“Yes.” I went to the window to look outside. The sky was starting to get dark. I could see people hurrying through the streets doing last minute things before the curfew. Yes, the Cleansers created a curfew. ‘If you are found on the streets after curfew hours are set, you will be viewed as a Cleanser hater and will be treated as so.’ That is what the sign in the middle of the town says. If you are wondering how they treat ‘Cleanser haters’ well, they kill them. After school every day, they make everyone in town come to the square to witness the ‘highlight of the day’. Or, at least, that’s what they call it. It’s actually an execution. They execute a ‘Cleanser hater’ every single day. Sooner or later, there won’t be any people left to execute. Most of the time, the people they execute are old. One time, they had found a little girl to execute. As the axe was coming down, a little boy, I think her brother, came running up and threw himself on top of her. The axe stopped moving. The man looked up at the ‘boss’ and the ‘boss’ nodded. The man cut both of their heads off. That was the first day dad didn’t go. He was sick. I had to tell him about it. The soldiers ordered me to.
One time, I was caught on the streets after curfew. Luckily, the man who found me was nice. He didn’t approve of the ‘curfew crap’ as he called it. He took me home. (I got lost coming home from a friend’s house.) He told my father, “You are lucky that I was the one who found him. My brother, who was a street over, would’ve killed him on the spot.” I never saw the man again.

I woke up to find out that there was no school today. The reason was that the Cleansers found a lot of ‘Cleanser haters’ last night. We were all called to the square. I looked at the spot Sarasi normally sat, but she wasn’t there. Why would she be? I felt stupid for looking.

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I was woken by Sama shaking me. When I opened my eyes, Simon was up too.
“You guys have to get out! They are checking every single house for you now! They are next door right now! Go out the back way and hurry!” Sama said. She went toward the door.
“This way!” Caem said, ushering us toward the back of the house. He showed us the door and called, “Good Luck!” after us. We ran to the best place I thought of. The park. Niya led us to her hiding place there. In the middle of a ‘ring’ of giant bushes.
Simon went in after Niya. I followed. It was pretty sheltered and the ground looked very soft.
“I’m still tired.” Simon said.
“Then lay down near Niya.” I told him. He complied. He was asleep instantly.
“Oh Niya.... How long do we have to hide?” I asked her, “I think all this hiding is hard on Simon.” But I didn’t expect her to answer.
“He is used to this kind of thing. He has been a nobody his whole life. Now he’s somebody, so he doesn’t care. He admires you. He is glad that someone like you is caring for him. He couldn’t wish for something better.” Niya said.
“N-Niya! You talk! That means I’m-” I knew nothing more.

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After a few deaths, I noticed lights going off in the park. Like fireworks.
“Oh-ho! Look at that! Someone is approving of this!” said the person next to me. I rolled my eyes. Shows what they know.
Something started to stir in the back of my mind. Something that I need to remember. Something that I was supposed to remember.
“I wish they would find the missing princess. I am so tired of this crap.” the person next to me muttered. Then things clicked. Those fireworks were Sarasi’s magic showing itself. I needed to get there! I dropped to the ground and started crawling in the direction of the park. Then I ran into a pair of legs. Not normal legs, Cleanser soldier legs. Crap.
“And where do you think you’re going?” the soldier asked. I looked up to see the man who caught me all those years ago.
“You? Fancy seeing you here.” he said, recognizing me.
“I couldn’t say thanks then, so, thank you.” I told him.
“And where are you off to now?” he asked.
“The park. I can’t stand to watch any more of this. It disgusts me.” I told him, making something up, that was true, but not really, on the spot.
“The park, eh? Have fun. To let you in on a little secret, this disgusts me too.” he told me, whispering. Then there was a cheer as another person was killed. The man winced. So did I.
“If you’re going, go!” he ordered. I left.
When I got to the park, I couldn’t see Sarasi anywhere. Then I saw the lights. It was coming from a copse of giant bushes. I ran to them and looked inside. Niya, I would know her anywhere, was laying down just watching Sarasi. There was a boy bent over Sarasi trying to wake her.
“Wake up! What’s wrong? Why won’t you wake up?” he was saying. I went in.
The boy looked up at the sound of the branches moving.
”W-Who are you?” he asked, definitely terrified. He looked about thirteen or fourteen.
“Don’t worry. I’m not here to hurt you. I’ve been looking for her.” I soothed him.
“Why?” he asked, all tense.
“Because Sarasi is the Princess.” I told him. Niya ears perked up.
“Now I know why you look so familiar! You look like Mohty! He was the queen’s advisor. He was faithful to the end.” Niya said. I was struck dumb for a few seconds because I wasn’t used to hearing human words come out of an animal’s mouth.
“Yes.... He’s my dad. He’s the principal. We’ve been searching for her for a long time. Why didn’t you approach us?” I asked.
“I thought Mohty was dead. Anyone who helped the royal family was put to death. I thought that he was one of them that was put to death.” Niya explained. Then she glared at something behind me.
“I never dreamed that I would see it...” I turned around so fast that I fell on my butt. The soldier that saved my life was behind me.
‘Wh-What are you doing here?” I asked him.
“I am against the Cleansers and I’ve been looking for her.” he motioned at Sarasi.
“What? But you’re part of them.” I said.
“It’s a guise. Come, bring her to my house. It’s right over there.” he pointed to a house that was a few feet away from where we were.
By now, Sarasi had stopped spouting fireworks. When all of us got into his house, he shut the door and locked it.
“Now, what’s wrong with her? Is she sick, dead, or what?” the soldier asked. He didn’t see the ‘fireworks’ that Sarasi created.
“First of all, her magic has just shown itself, and second, what’s your name?” the mystery boy asked the soldier.
“My name? Well, my name is Dan. She has magic?”
“Yes. See that bracelet tattoo on her arm? That’s the sign of a magic user.” I explained.
“Oh. Well, what is your name?” the mystery boy asked me, “I’m Simon. You already know Sarasi and Niya.”
“Oh, my name is Aster. I’m the queen’s adviser’s son.” I told them.
“Oh! Mr. Mohty! I knew him! i was just a boy when I first met him.” Dan said.
“He works as a principal at my school.” I told him.
“Really? You think I could meet him again?” Dan asked.
“Pretty sure. After we get Sarasi reinstated.” I told him, completely serious.
“Of course, of course. That’s the first order of business. I can get you in.” Dan said.
“Really? Let’s go!” I said.