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How different it would be going back.
“Who’s there?” I did not recognize my own voice, not as it quivered. The cords were tight from not being used.
Had I been crying? I don’t remember crying, not really. My face felt damp and my eyes were tired. I was so tired. I wanted to lay back down and go to sleep. Sleep sounded so good. But there was a giggle as I felt a light breeze on my face. It was like someone had blown on it, softly as it caressed my cheeks. Only, I realized something had flitted past me instead.
It caused me to sit up, but I was still unable to see the owner of the voice. Even as my eyes adjusted in the dark. “I cannot see you.”
A light flickers in front of me. Lighting up the room, my eyes focusing on the figure in front of me.
A sprite.
“Who are you?” I asked, my legs wobbled as I tried to stand. I had been laying in the dirt far too long. My body ached, every muscle screamed from laying on the ground, the lack of movement.
She smiled at me, cocking her head to the side in wonder. I watched the sprite stare at me, taking in my appearance from head to toe. But her face turns to shock as she looks upon my own, her hands flying to her mouth. Her light brightening.
“Oh! It’s you!” she finally says.
Dropping her hands and fluttering before my face. Casting a soft glow as she spun around, her hair trailing in her wake. She was rather beautiful, her long hair floated about her face. Her round shape and plump legs, with eyes that twinkled as she smiled at me.
She spoke again, her hands pulling on a strand of my hair. “We’ve been waiting for you, you know. You shouldn’t be here. You’ve been down here far too long now. You have to go.”
“What?” I asked in disbelief.
“You’re supposed to be at the castle,” the sprite reminded me, her voice musical and light.
“The castle?” I repeated, trying to recall why I was supposed to be there. Trying as hard as I could to shake off the fog that had settled in my mind. It was as if everything in the last several days were being sucked into a black hole, leaving me with nothing but confusion and a sense of urgency.
“He’s waiting for you,” she sang, twirling around me. Her movements were so graceful, it was almost hypnotizing. I found myself staring at her, captivated by her beauty and her words.
“Who is?” I asked, my confusion growing. My heart skipped a beat. Who was waiting for me? And why was it so important that I get to the castle? The sprite seemed to read my mind, for she landed on my outstretched hand and leaned in close.
“The Prince, of course,” she replied with a giggle, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “The one who holds the answers you seek.”
The Prince? What Prince? My mind was a blank slate, and I couldn't seem to recall any Prince I knew. I racked my brain, trying to come up with a name, but nothing came to mind.
The sprite seemed to see my confusion as she patiently waited for me to connect the dots. There was no Prince the I knew, not here. Not in Rothnia. But maybe she was talking about another.The Goblin King.The name echoed in my mind, triggering a flurry of memories. A ballroom filled with glittering gowns and masks. A handsome man with piercing eyes and a cruel smile.
“Do you mean the Goblin King?” I asked.
Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she giggled again. “No, the Prince,” she sang, before darting away into the darkness, leaving me alone with the twinkling lights.
“Wait!” I called out, but she was already gone. I was left standing there, staring at the panel of glass that had appeared in front of me. It looked like a window, and beyond it I could see the outline of a castle.
I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Should I trust this sprite and head to the castle? What answers was she talking about? And who was waiting for me there? But all I got in response was a haunting melody that echoed around me, filling the air with a sense of longing and loss. And then, a light appeared, illuminating the panel of glass.
Tentatively, I stepped closer to the mirror, my heart racing with anticipation and fear. I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to see the reflection staring back at me. But I couldn't resist the urge to look after the chaos of the ballroom. Slowly, I lifted my gaze and gasped at the sight before me.
I was a complete disaster.
My hair was a tangled mess, strands sticking out at odd angles. The combs that had once held it back were long gone, and it hung in wild waves around my face. My dress was in tatters, the once-beautiful fabric now torn and dirty. Dirt streaked across my face, and tears had left tracks down my cheeks. I had been crying.
“That certainly will not do,” the sprite declared, her tiny voice full of authority. I watched in amazement as she waved her hand, I felt the magic she used- the electric current of it palpable on my skin. But as I glanced back in the mirror again I saw I was no longer covered in dirt, my shredded dress gone. Instead, I was clean, my breath caught as I saw what I was wearing.
My new dress was sleek and form-fitting, made of shimmering emerald satin that hugged my curves perfectly. It slithered across my skin as I moved, glistening in the light. The criss-cross of the fabric across my chest, the sleeves that hung off my shoulders, it was beautiful. My hair was now clean, combed, and styled in cascading curls down my back.
“Go on,” she urged. “Go find him.”
“But what do you mean? What answers, what prince?” I demanded, my uncertainty mounting. The sprite just giggled in response, flitting around me in a blur of light and color.
