Ten years later (Crown)

Crown strolled through her city on that bright summer day. She was just returning from her fight and defense class.

The class was a training organized for every citizen of Ashford once they reached the age of sixteen. A training that had become compulsory ten years ago when a fateful incident stirred up fear and worry in the hearts and minds of everyone in Ashford.

An incident that she was forever in the forefront off. She had no detailed memory of such incident but the actions of her townspeople let her know it wasn't a good story. Crown had enlisted two years ago along with her sister, Honey, who had come of age at the time.

Now at age fifteen, she was the youngest ever to be in the school and for good reason. Once a spirited and fiercely independent child growing up, something had changed in her ten years back. Why it did? She also had no memory of that. She had been the darling of her village but not anymore.

With a determination that set her apart, she had faced her challenges head-on, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those who knew her. She may have lost a part of herself but her vitality and strong-willed nature remained.

Her past actions had thrust her into a role her family had never imagined for her. An outcast.

The same free spirit that had once been admired now made her a target, drawing resentment and jealousy from her peers and elders alike. On her bad days, she faced bullying from some of the children in the city. The attributes that once set her apart were now wielded as weapons against her, as whispers and taunts echoed in the very village that had once celebrated her. It hurt her.

And so she had fought her way to the school and was allowed in. She had to channel the pain and anger somewhere and this was perfect.

With each hurtful comment and each cold shoulder, she clung to her individuality, determined not to allow the way others perceived her to define her self-worth.

Oh, but did she have a few good friends. Above all she had her family too. Love and guilt had caused them to support her, and that they truly did.

She had avoided getting close to her siblings when she noticed the consequence of her actions rubbing off on them, it was her way of saving them, she thought. But that had been the foolishness of a child thought wise.

For one day while returning back from an errand, a group of kids had followed her hurling hurtful words at her. All of which she had ignored until they mentioned her family. "They must all be cursed," one child had said. "Yes!" The others agreed.

Crown was having none of it as she turned on them and fought with all the strength she could muster at only eight years old. But her strength wasn't enough as they did overpower her in the end.

She ran home and packed a bag, ready to go anywhere else for the sake of them. Tiran had seen her and called their parents while he held her down.

She explained her reason amidst tears and hiccups.

"I don't want anyone to say anything bad about you all anymore. It hurts, it really hurts." She had said. "That's why I don't talk to you, I didn't want people to think we are close so they don't talk badly about you. But they still do, and it hurts. I'm sorry. Let me go." She had further added as she fought Tiran to let go off her.

Her brother had flicked her forehead causing her more pain and she cried even more from that. "How could you choose to suffer like that on your own. We are family. We are one!" he said sternly.

Honey was crying and had nothing to say to her.

Her mother simply started to treat the wounds she had sustained from the fight with a wet towel. She said nothing but her eyes glistened with tears and her heart broke for her little Crown.

Her father had asked her who the kids were and quite innocently she had provided the names. Kish Lod nodded and walked out of their home.

It wasn't until nightfall that they had known why. Her father, quite humble and quiet, always minding his own had gone out of character for her. He visited the homes of the parents of the kids and did more than warn them. He scared them. Slowly, the bullying subsided, replaced by whispers of apologies for the pain she had endured.

In the midst of the trials she faced, a few loyal friends stood in her corner, offering a much-needed refuge from the storm of negativity. These friendships became a light to her, reminding her that her true value lay beyond the shallow judgments.

There was Old Mick and his wife, Mila. Old Mick must have been a sight in his younger days, a slender man with eyes that did shine, a jawline that was worth being envious of, his complexion reminded her of pyrite stones that was found along the river that flowed through Ashford. Mila his wife was a beautiful chubby lady, and the sweetest of all. She always had a blushing shade of pink under her fair skin. Old Mick was the city's oldest poet, a storyteller and a secret harpist, he always teased her with sweet words that always made her happy. Just this morning he had told her, her skin reminded him of flowers his grandmother once grew at their window pane in his old home. Dahlia, he called them.

She had Danika and Dose, twin siblings, she had met in the fight and defense school. Danika was a beautiful girl and her brother Dose stood quite tall. Though older than she was, they both adored her and she did too. Both her and her sister always complimented Danika's red hair.

"It looks like fire underneath the sun. Not the kind you want to run from, the kind you want to run to and just bask in its glory." Honey had said on one such days.

Crown avoided talking about Dose for she may have a little crush on him but he bore very similar features to his sister from their brown skin to their face features but he was taller.

Then there was Nalu. Nalu was her closest friend and their friendship was one she held dear to her heart. Nalu would always shine in her eyes. Unlike her own curls, Nalu had chestnut-colored silky straight hair that flowed down to her waist, her round eyes, a glass green was always lively. Her lips, tiny, held a certain pout and was always quick to smile. Her skin was a perfect medium tan.

But even their friendship wasn't free from judgement for Nalu was the sister to Miss Neoma and Miss Neoma wasn't exactly welcomed in their society.

Their parents were stars in the sky was what Nalu always said, so it was just her and Neoma in this world.

Miss Neoma owned the 'respectable' facility in the city and it housed quite a good number of young ladies, most without family. They were all individually beautiful in their own way those laides. The name of this facility was known as Mora meaning together.

Men came always to Mora and went, parties were held every night, dances, singing and some more.

Crown learnt that she and Nalu were never to ask about the activities that went on at Mora and they didn't. "When the time is right, that secret will be revealed to you children and the magic and passion and beauty of that world will be embedded in your memories forever that you sometimes shiver in the after thought." Miss Neoma had said on the matter.

But Mora was her second home during the day. Neoma taught her how to read properly and better, she gave them assignments on different matters that covered their world and they took it as a challenge and was always happy to do them.

As time passed, things got better. A few persons began to question their own prejudices and the role they had played in Crown's isolation.

Despite all that has been, the village still held memories of the girl she had once been—a spirited soul with boundless potential.

__

Crown was now a few meters away from her home when a child her age blocked her path.

"Why in a hurry Crown," he asked.

"You should stay in school, your grammar is an assault to my hearing."

"You really think you are something special aren't you," he mocked as two other boys showed up.

"It's don't you and not aren't you." She corrected again before walking past them to continue on her way.

"I hear there is a special globe that makes you sleep at night well enough,"

That made her stop.

"Exactly."

"What is this about?" she asked as her anger was starting to rise.

"Well we heard stories of your fearlessness and boldness and wanted to see it in action." The second boy spoke.

Because the forest of the damn was always visible from wherever one stood in ashford, they simply pointed to it.

"We threw it away! You don't get to sleep well while the rest of us worry about what your actions may have caused."

She held the bag she carried tighter. "You did what?" She asked slowly.

"Bye bye to your good night sleep miss Crown."

"How did you--"

Their laughter cut her off. "Let's go. If you dare, go get it and with your rotten luck the whole town will turn on you again for what you may do."

She bent down and cupped up sand in her hand. Standing up slowly she threw it at them and turned away immediately.

The three boys screamed as their eyes felt the sting of her actions blinding them.

Crown got home to see it messed up. Those idiots had it out for her. She quickly took to arranging it, not wanting her family to come see it.

She quickly started on dinner as the sun painted the sky a bright orange color. The night bidding its time and was going to takeover soon.

She was done promptly in an hour with the food and looked to the forest.

What was she to do? Her globe, her precious globe. Those idiots couldn't have thrown it far, she believed and hoped so.

She ran back inside, tearing a piece of paper, she wrote.

"Going to Mara, will be back soon"

She left the note on the table for her family.

She was angry, and riding on that wave, she dashed into the forest careful to not be seen by anyone.

Like she did all those years ago, she ran blindly into near darkness.