It has been a couple days where we have been adjusting to life in the poorhouses without actually leaving our house. Mother and father have been worried that it won't go too well for me outside of the house with the rest of the townsfolk, so they said I should stay indoors for now. But, I decided today that I'd change that.
"Hey, mother, is it all right if I finally venture out into town today? I just want to look around and observe, you know?" I ask making sure to look as cute as possible. She sighs before smoothing my hair out a bit.
"Alright, but please, try not to interact with people too much, just to avoid trouble okay?" I nod excitedly before rushing and putting on some clothes that aren't extremely fancy and scream, "I was once a princess" and instead "I belong here now." I step outside and take a deep breath.
"How truly wonderful to be outside!" I start walking in a random direction, hoping to just explore and observe everyone.
While walking around and minding my own business, I'm stopped by a group of teenagers.
"So, you must be the fallen princess." One of the girl teenagers say with her hands on her hips.
"Um, who is asking?" I ponder trying not to start anything unnecessary.
"Us, duh! See, she's stupid too. It's like she never went to school. Oh right, princesses don't need to. They only learn how to cook and clean and be 'good girls.'" A teenage boy says this time, laughing, making everyone else laugh.
I look down at the ground before clearing my throat.
"You must excuse me. I am on my way to an important arrangement so I must leave now." I say, slightly pushing past them and walking away. The group start following me while making noises and running into me, so I finally stop.
"You say, 'I'm stupid', and don't know anything. So let me show you." I turn back to face them before making my way to the side of the street. I picked up some ground pieces of white chalk and start writing math equations on the ground. Answering each perfectly."
"Any other objections, I will gladly explain in detail." The teenagers go silent before a girl with glasses and a short haircut comes forward, clearing her throat.
"I do! I am well-known in my age group, around these parts, to be the smartest out of all of them. That is proven through my education and overall behavior. I would like to ask you something."
I nod in response, pretty amused.
"If we were to be in front of the Hall of Records and causing a scene, what would be the first course of action usually taken against us, in that case?" Everyone else in confused but my face doesn't change its confidence one bit.
"Usually, people causing a scene are either given warnings or ushered to a different location to handle their problems but in that case, being in front of the Hall of Records is a high offense and seen as punishable through imprisonment and/or physical harm deemed reasonable. And the reason is that the Hall of Records, of course, holds highly important information for the kingdom, but also, has people working in silence and precision to ensure correctness, therefore, noise and distractions are extremely irritating for them." Everyone stares at me in awe, including the same girl.
They continue to stare for a while before backing away slightly.
"Um, we're sorry." The girl with the glasses says a little shyly. "I know that might not be enough for you but we thought you were like all those other nobles who 'fell from grace' and still were dishonorable and selfish because they once had money. But you, you're different, and we appreciate that. If you need us, you can find us in the town market most days. Once again, we sincerely apologize." She looks apologetic at me before ushering everyone to do the same and they leave. I kind of blink before shrugging and heading home.
"I'm home!" I say and my mother rushes to me.
"Darling! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Were you bullied at all?" I chuckle.
"Mother, I'm okay. I was stopped by a group of teenagers but they ended up being justified in their reasoning for questioning me. So it's fine, don't worry." I say rubbing her back and she sighs.
"Im so glad. And that gives me a bit more peace, but please still be careful, alright?" I nod before kissing her cheek and going to my room.
The next few days I go out and am left alone, surprisingly, by the townsfolk, and I am not shown anymore disdain and disgust and instead, trust, honor and even respect. I smile at the thought before heading outside again today.
One day I went to the post to deliver letters to my good friends to check on them and make sure they were okay.
And a few days after delivering those letters, I decide to head back to the post office to check why it's been so long that I haven't heard anything.
"Your letters ma'am, they came back sealed and untouched. And we were also told to limit letters that come from your address in the future."
I stare at them a bit confused before walking back home with them in hand.
"What's up sweetheart?" My father asks as I start to pass him, clearly upset.
"My letters. They were all returned without being opened. I don't know why, they're for my friends who I love dearly." I sit down next to him. He sighs.
"I was afraid this would happen. They... probably were coerced to stop corresponding with you, to avoid any bad reputation it will bring, or they chose for themselves to cut you off." He says still trying to be light about it. I sigh.
"Right. I understand." I flip through the letters and notice that Mito's letter is still sealed but, he wrote on the outside of the envelope.
I cant speak via letter, I will come see you in a few days. I'm so sorry about everything Liv
- Mito
A tear flows from my eyes before I start fully crying and my father pats my back, cradling me into his chest.
"There, there. It's alright to cry. I'm only sorry this had to happen in the first place, honey." He says sweetly, and I stop crying after a while.
"Thanks father." I sit up and dry my eyes before standing. "I'm going back out okay?" He stares puzzled at first but then shrugs and smiles at me.
I walk around the town market to clear my mind before I get pulled into an alley.
"Ahhh-" I scream for a few seconds before the persons covers my mouth.
"Shushh will ya?!" The voice says, which is fairly familiar to me.
"Mito?" I ask and turn to find him behind me, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Hey, how've you been?" I hug him instantly.
"It's been... horrible, without you guys." He smiles but only a little.
"I'm sorry about the girls. They, told me that they wanted nothing to do with a... "traitor" but I couldn't just drop you, you're my childhood friend. The only one who is on the fence about that decision is Flora and that is probably because we're interested in each other." I gasp when he says it.
"You guys both finally found out??" I ask jumping up and down and he chuckles.
"Yes Liv. We have. We have only started talking more and hanging out just recently, though." I smile, shuffling on my feet.
"I miss you guys." He sighs.
"I'm sorry again about them. Unfortunately, I'm not sure you'll be able to see or talk to them again." He looks down at the ground and I open my mouth but close it again.
He pats my head before smiling a little.
"This town is quaint. It isn't rich looking nor fancy but it for sure isn't poor looking either." I nod and he smiles more fully this time. "I'm glad we got to see each other, even if it was short." He says and I smile solemnly.
"Yeah. Me too Mito. Thank you for coming honestly. It was fast since I just got the letters back but thank you, truly." He rubs my hair playfully.
"Of course dumbo!! I would never leave you completely, I promise." I smile before hugging him.
"You probably have to leave, right?"
"Yeah..." We both look awkwardly around at our surroundings before he says goodbye properly and we go our separate ways.
I walk around the town market a bit more alone before buying some fruit and going back home.
"Hey you." My mother says hugging me.
"Hey." She wipes under my eyes.
"Were you crying, honey?" I shrug.
"A little but... I did get to see Mito, so that could be why." I chuckle, and she smiles before clapping her hands once.
"That is just great! We should celebrate with good food!" She brings me to our dining area and my father is already there, seated. The table is covered in a few dishes, but all are favorites of mine.
"You guys didn't have to!!" I say sitting down.
"We did. Your father told me how sad you were about your friends, and so we had to do something. We're so sorry, sweetpea, that you're dragged into this horrible inheritance/kingdom war, but we know you, and we know you will probably come to be even better of a person than your father and I were. You will be something for this kingdom, we know it!" She smiles, and my father also does.
A tear starts to fall, but I wipe it away quickly.
"Thank you so much, guys. Yes, it's hard losing people I thought were my friends, but I'll meet other people. I know I will." We start eating and we reminisce about the past at the same time.