Status: Read me!
The Princess
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter 23
Aster
Sarasi has changed so much from when I first met her. That’s all I’m saying on this matter.
When I followed her out of the room, I saw no sign of Simon’s, Dan’s, or Niya’s passing.
“Where are they?” Sarasi asked.
“I have no idea.” I answered. She bent down near where the wall met the floor.
“See this mark?” she asked. She was pointing to a faint whitish mark that was very close to where the wall met the floor.
“What is that?” I asked her.
“It’s a game that Niya and I would play. She would make these marks in places and she would hide. The marks were very hard to find. The only way you knew they were there is if you were looking for them. They would lead to her hiding spot.” Sarasi was wistfully thinking about the past.
“That’s it!” I exclaimed. She jumped.
“What is it?”
“You said that the marks would lead to her hiding place. Why else would the mark be here?” Understanding dawned in her eyes. In her happiness, she jumped up and hugged me and went on to look for the next whitish mark. I stood there for a few seconds before following. I was not expecting that hug.
After a while of following the whitish marks, I stopped to take a break.
“How far away did they go?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Niya would always hide at various lengths from where I started.” Sarasi said. I looked around. We were in a small hallway, definitely not a part of the main castle. It was dusty. I consulted the map in my head.
“I think we’re in the servant’s area near the kitchens. They might be hiding in one of the rooms. At least, I hope they are.” I told her.
“Most likely. Hey, here’s another one!” she exclaimed, bending down to look at another whitish mark.
“It’s pointing this way.” she said, pointing down the hallway. She walked off, not even waiting for me or checking if I was following. She bent down again, a little while later, looking at the next mark. She looked at me with confusion in her eyes when I walked up.
“What?” I asked.
“The mark points right at the wall. There is no doorway there.” she pointed at the solid-looking wall across the hall. I looked at the map in my head and didn’t see anything there. Then I consulted the secret book’s map. There was a passage behind the wall! We had to push a stone that was three from the ground and six from the left.
“It says in the secret book that there is a doorway there if we push a stone that is three from the ground and six from the left. It should be this stone.” I pushed the stone that was specified, but nothing happened. Then there was a loud grating sound, like trying to move a stone into a place that doesn’t fit it. Then the sound stopped.
In the area where the whitish mark was pointing was a gaping hole.
“Uhhhhh..... I’m not a rocket scientist, but I think we’re supposed to go that way.” I said.
“Yeah! Let’s go!” she ran through the door. Why and how does Sarasi have so much energy?
I ran after her and found her around the corner. There was a fork in the passageway. She was crouched down looking at, (guess what!), another whitish mark. She looked at me when I walked up.
“The mark says to touch or push the stone beside it. I did, but nothing happened. You try.” she moved out of the way. I bent down and saw that the whitish mark was pointing as a stone. I touched the stone and the sound came again followed by a dull, echoing thud.
“Well. I think that shut the door.” I summarized.
“Why didn’t it work on me?” she asked, as her brows knit together in confusion.
“Maybe because I opened it.” I suggested.
“Oh.” she bent down to look at the mark again.
“Hey! It changed! It says to go this way.” she went down the left tunnel. I had no choice but to follow.
‘Why was she acting like a child?’ I thought to myself. Then it occurred to me what she said earlier. ‘This is game that Niya and I used to play.’ That’s what she said. She’s acting like she used to when Niya and her played the game! Now I feel elated too.
We followed the white marks for a while, until we reached a dead end. The builders literally built a corridor that leads nowhere. At least, nowhere according to my ‘map’.
“Now what?” Sarasi asked, the giddiness gone.
“I.... don’t know. The marks led here, right?” I asked.
“Yes. But there’s no sign at all!” she was starting to get frustrated.
“There is a sign of a dead end.” I told her.
“Yeah.” she rolled her eyes. She leaned against the dead end wall. It started to move. She jumped away from it, quicker than I ever could.
“Whoa!” she exclaimed, as the wall moved back into its original position.
“That.... is not on the map.” I said.
Then the wall started moving on its own. It stopped moving when it was halfway in the opening. There were two dark slots on either side of it. Then a voice came out of it.
“You sure they’re out there?” it was Simon’s voice.
“They are.” that was Niya.
“Guys! Is Dan with you?” I asked.
“Yep! You’re the last ones! Simon met up with us before we got here. Who knew that there was a corridor behind the dead end?” Dan asked.
“The builders.” I told him, walking into the hidden corridor.
“I guess so. They did build it.” Dan admitted.
“We didn’t know where to go until Sarasi saw the first white mark.” I told them.
“Well, right now we need to find Dan’s dad. How else can we beat him?” Simon asked.
“So, where do we go from here?” Sarasi asked, looking at me.
“You’re asking me?” I was surprised.
“Yeah. You have the map.” she said, pointing at her head.
“Yeah.... about that.... this room isn’t on either map. The normal or secret one. I don’t know who wrote those books. It would be cool if I meet them...” I said, trailing off when I realized that they were looking at me weird.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Hey, I know what we can do.” Simon said.
“What?” Sarasi asked.
“We can look through the walls of the corridor to find out where we are.” he suggested.
“Or......” Sarsi said, looking thoughtful.
“Or what? Sarasi.... What are you thinking about?” Niya asked, taking on a motherly tone of voice.
“I could use my magic to show us where we are.” Sarasi said.
“Good idea. For once.” Niya said.
“I’ve had other good ideas!” Sarasi objected.
“Really? What about the one where you wanted to catch a bee and keep it as a pet so you could use it as an alarm clock?” Niya asked her.
“That doesn’t count! We need to focus on what’s happening right now!” she said, changing the subject.
“Go ahead. It’s worth a try.” Dan said, relating to her idea of trying her magic.
Sarasi concentrated and whispered a few words that I couldn’t hear. The space in front of her started to glow blue. The map of the kingdom showed up, zoomed in on the castle, and showed every single passageway in the castle. Even the ones that didn't show up on my maps.
She opened her eyes. There was a red dot that was pulsating in one spot.
“We’re right here, between the wall.” she said, pointing at the dot.
“How can we be between the wall?” Dan asked.
“This passageway runs behind the mirrors in the throne room. They are one way mirrors. We can see out, but no one can see in. Let’s go!” Sarasi took off running down the hall, the map vanishing once she left the group.
“She left us.” Dan said, dumbfounded.
“I’m used to it.” I said, and ran after her.
Aster
Sarasi has changed so much from when I first met her. That’s all I’m saying on this matter.
When I followed her out of the room, I saw no sign of Simon’s, Dan’s, or Niya’s passing.
“Where are they?” Sarasi asked.
“I have no idea.” I answered. She bent down near where the wall met the floor.
“See this mark?” she asked. She was pointing to a faint whitish mark that was very close to where the wall met the floor.
“What is that?” I asked her.
“It’s a game that Niya and I would play. She would make these marks in places and she would hide. The marks were very hard to find. The only way you knew they were there is if you were looking for them. They would lead to her hiding spot.” Sarasi was wistfully thinking about the past.
“That’s it!” I exclaimed. She jumped.
“What is it?”
“You said that the marks would lead to her hiding place. Why else would the mark be here?” Understanding dawned in her eyes. In her happiness, she jumped up and hugged me and went on to look for the next whitish mark. I stood there for a few seconds before following. I was not expecting that hug.
After a while of following the whitish marks, I stopped to take a break.
“How far away did they go?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Niya would always hide at various lengths from where I started.” Sarasi said. I looked around. We were in a small hallway, definitely not a part of the main castle. It was dusty. I consulted the map in my head.
“I think we’re in the servant’s area near the kitchens. They might be hiding in one of the rooms. At least, I hope they are.” I told her.
“Most likely. Hey, here’s another one!” she exclaimed, bending down to look at another whitish mark.
“It’s pointing this way.” she said, pointing down the hallway. She walked off, not even waiting for me or checking if I was following. She bent down again, a little while later, looking at the next mark. She looked at me with confusion in her eyes when I walked up.
“What?” I asked.
“The mark points right at the wall. There is no doorway there.” she pointed at the solid-looking wall across the hall. I looked at the map in my head and didn’t see anything there. Then I consulted the secret book’s map. There was a passage behind the wall! We had to push a stone that was three from the ground and six from the left.
“It says in the secret book that there is a doorway there if we push a stone that is three from the ground and six from the left. It should be this stone.” I pushed the stone that was specified, but nothing happened. Then there was a loud grating sound, like trying to move a stone into a place that doesn’t fit it. Then the sound stopped.
In the area where the whitish mark was pointing was a gaping hole.
“Uhhhhh..... I’m not a rocket scientist, but I think we’re supposed to go that way.” I said.
“Yeah! Let’s go!” she ran through the door. Why and how does Sarasi have so much energy?
I ran after her and found her around the corner. There was a fork in the passageway. She was crouched down looking at, (guess what!), another whitish mark. She looked at me when I walked up.
“The mark says to touch or push the stone beside it. I did, but nothing happened. You try.” she moved out of the way. I bent down and saw that the whitish mark was pointing as a stone. I touched the stone and the sound came again followed by a dull, echoing thud.
“Well. I think that shut the door.” I summarized.
“Why didn’t it work on me?” she asked, as her brows knit together in confusion.
“Maybe because I opened it.” I suggested.
“Oh.” she bent down to look at the mark again.
“Hey! It changed! It says to go this way.” she went down the left tunnel. I had no choice but to follow.
‘Why was she acting like a child?’ I thought to myself. Then it occurred to me what she said earlier. ‘This is game that Niya and I used to play.’ That’s what she said. She’s acting like she used to when Niya and her played the game! Now I feel elated too.
We followed the white marks for a while, until we reached a dead end. The builders literally built a corridor that leads nowhere. At least, nowhere according to my ‘map’.
“Now what?” Sarasi asked, the giddiness gone.
“I.... don’t know. The marks led here, right?” I asked.
“Yes. But there’s no sign at all!” she was starting to get frustrated.
“There is a sign of a dead end.” I told her.
“Yeah.” she rolled her eyes. She leaned against the dead end wall. It started to move. She jumped away from it, quicker than I ever could.
“Whoa!” she exclaimed, as the wall moved back into its original position.
“That.... is not on the map.” I said.
Then the wall started moving on its own. It stopped moving when it was halfway in the opening. There were two dark slots on either side of it. Then a voice came out of it.
“You sure they’re out there?” it was Simon’s voice.
“They are.” that was Niya.
“Guys! Is Dan with you?” I asked.
“Yep! You’re the last ones! Simon met up with us before we got here. Who knew that there was a corridor behind the dead end?” Dan asked.
“The builders.” I told him, walking into the hidden corridor.
“I guess so. They did build it.” Dan admitted.
“We didn’t know where to go until Sarasi saw the first white mark.” I told them.
“Well, right now we need to find Dan’s dad. How else can we beat him?” Simon asked.
“So, where do we go from here?” Sarasi asked, looking at me.
“You’re asking me?” I was surprised.
“Yeah. You have the map.” she said, pointing at her head.
“Yeah.... about that.... this room isn’t on either map. The normal or secret one. I don’t know who wrote those books. It would be cool if I meet them...” I said, trailing off when I realized that they were looking at me weird.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Hey, I know what we can do.” Simon said.
“What?” Sarasi asked.
“We can look through the walls of the corridor to find out where we are.” he suggested.
“Or......” Sarsi said, looking thoughtful.
“Or what? Sarasi.... What are you thinking about?” Niya asked, taking on a motherly tone of voice.
“I could use my magic to show us where we are.” Sarasi said.
“Good idea. For once.” Niya said.
“I’ve had other good ideas!” Sarasi objected.
“Really? What about the one where you wanted to catch a bee and keep it as a pet so you could use it as an alarm clock?” Niya asked her.
“That doesn’t count! We need to focus on what’s happening right now!” she said, changing the subject.
“Go ahead. It’s worth a try.” Dan said, relating to her idea of trying her magic.
Sarasi concentrated and whispered a few words that I couldn’t hear. The space in front of her started to glow blue. The map of the kingdom showed up, zoomed in on the castle, and showed every single passageway in the castle. Even the ones that didn't show up on my maps.
She opened her eyes. There was a red dot that was pulsating in one spot.
“We’re right here, between the wall.” she said, pointing at the dot.
“How can we be between the wall?” Dan asked.
“This passageway runs behind the mirrors in the throne room. They are one way mirrors. We can see out, but no one can see in. Let’s go!” Sarasi took off running down the hall, the map vanishing once she left the group.
“She left us.” Dan said, dumbfounded.
“I’m used to it.” I said, and ran after her.