The Castle on the Hill Ch. 01

The world seemed calm for once, Ana couldn't quite place what it was that made the world feel at peace for the first time in her adult life. Maybe it was the light fog that left dew drops on the unharvested wheat that seemed to go on for an eternity, or the clean air that was part of the soft morning sky. Or maybe it was the dirt road that showed her that she had arrived at place that was nothing like the one where she lived before. Either way this place seemed to be perfectly serene, and after all the running she had been doing Ana needed a calm place to stay.

She kept walking on the dirt path, looking for a place to rest. Instead, she found a beautiful pond, unsure of when she'd ever get the chance to bathe again she went straight to it. She took off her clothes and placed them with the rest of her meager belongings. Slowly, she walked into the water, relishing in its bone chilling quality, but soon she couldn't take the frigidness anymore and went completely under. The shock of going under so quickly caused flashes of the past to come to her: how the last time she was underwater she almost died, because of him, her tears and screams silenced by the pool he held her under. Suddenly, it was as if his hands were around her neck again squeezing harder and harder until she came out screaming, choking, crying, then remembering where she was she calmed down a little and took a deep breath. "I'm safe now" she told herself. She took a moment to let the truth sink in, once her breath became as still as the water she began cleansing her body of the dirt and the memories. When she finished she floated for a while taking in the calm she had yet to fully experience, she wasn't scared anymore. She knew that this place was what she was looking for. And now, resolved in her ability to have a fresh start she waded out of the water and sat down on her towel. She fiddled with her hair fixing the twists that were coming out while the sun dried her as she enjoyed the day.

"See ma, I told you there was something out here, I heard it!" the sudden sound of people yanked Ana from her meditation and she struggled to dress herself before facing the voices. When she had the courage to look up she saw a young schoolboy and a woman who had to be his mother. Unable to meet her gaze due to the rising amount of embarrassment she looked down at the ground. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea this was your property, I meant no disrespect."

"Well, it was pretty foggy earlier. I guess a stranger wouldn't have known."

"Still I apologize."

The woman snorted, "Stop apologizing lil girl, you weren't stealing nothing were you?"

"Of Course not!" she Blurted out, she looked up at the woman to show her sincerity and was greeted with a smirk in return.

"Seeing how skinny you are girlie I'm surprised."

Before Ana could protest her stomach decided to speak for her and all Ana could do was whimper as the mother and son duo laughed.

"It's fine honey, obviously you haven't had a good meal in a long time. Follow us we'll feed you"

Surprised by the offer Ana couldn't help but question. "But, you don't even know me?"

"We know you're starving and harmless there isn't much else I need to know"

Ana chuckled and gave a slight smile at the notion. "Thank you Mrs.-"

"Mama May, call me mama may errybody else does, and this" she said as she hugged her son close. "Is Jethro."

She looked up into the woman's eyes and saw a warmth and peace that seemed to embody the land. And for the first time in a long time she gave her true name. "Namisa, my name is Namisa.'

"Well come on Namisa, the food's starting to get cold by now."

And with that she picked up her things and followed the duo. The path they took was different from the original one she walked on. It was prettier, with flowers growing around wildly as if someone threw their seed in the air to see where they would land. farming animals and tools were spread throughout, like a painting she would have over her mantle.

"Is there a fence around your property?" Namisa asked breaking the silence.

"Nope," mama May responded "we don't really need one, most of our animals are for company not cookin."

"But aren't you afraid they'll run away?"

Jethro stopped in his tracks and faced Namisa "We love em and treat em righ' there ain no reason for them to wanna leave." the authority in his voice, too old for his small body, caused the women to chuckle. His mother hugged him close.

"Righ you are son, righ you are." She moved her gave to Namisa. "You'll find out darn quick that we only let good people around these parts. Now come on the house is only a stones throw away."

Namisa had to use all her strength to keep back her tears. In that one moment she felt more protected that she did in her entire life back home. She was able to reign it all in by the time they made it to the house. The place was just as she expected small and cozy, flowers on the windows a sleeping puppy on the front step, just a painting she would stare at when she was little, she always thought these kind of places were imaginary never once did it cross her mind that it was just showing her what could be. As soon as they stepped in the door Jethro bolted away yelling for someone or something. Namisa followed Mama May into the kitchen, hoping to help her anyway she can.

"Do you know your way around a kitchen girlie?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Good, cuz I'm getting a bit older and I refuse tuh let my age slow down when we eat. Come on."

Suddenly, they began hustling and bustling. Mama May gave her all the ingredients that needed chopping, dicing, and slicing while she ran around collecting pots pans and spices that Namisa haven't even seen before. Unable to begin to try and focus on what Mama may was doing without getting a headache, Namisa focused on what she was doing and the questions mama decided to throw at her.

"So what brough' you tuh these parts girlie."

"Um, I just came upon it, the landscape here is almost indescribable."

"Haha it's always been that way, I swear that land is protected by something to keep it the way it is."

"I wouldn't doubt it. Have you lived here your whole life?"

"Aye, this a home been in my family generations. Couldn't imagine a livin anywhere else."

"I couldn't see why you would." Namisa sighed as she peeled some potatoes. They continued cooking breakfast. The conversations flowed filled with happy memories of the past and hopes for the future, she even began to help her actually prepare the food. Once they were done. They put the food on the plates and set out for the table.Right before they went towards the dining room Mama May stopped, she turned toward Namisa, "Before we sit down I needa know am I packing your dessert tuh go or are you stayin with us."

Namisa didn't have to think for a moment. "I'll help you serve it."

Mama May smiled and went to the dining table, Namisa followed ready to experience her first home cooked meal.

Namisa worked on the farm for three months integrating seamlessly with the family. She cooked with Mama May in the mornings and evenings, and during the day she taught Jethro all the school subjects, and helped him and Papa Craig fix up the home. She even adopted their last name Silas. Once the harvesting time had come Namisa decided to help Mama May sell food in the market. It was a calm job and it helped her meet more people of the village. It was slightly different from the farm but not really, the air of calm was around, so was selflessness. The buildings and roads were built of stone giving an air of a fortress. But she never paid it never mind. She just loved sitting in the booth with Mama May watching her haggle with the customers and completing the odd tasks that needed to be done. One day, one of the elderly customers forgot her coin purse and Mama May sent Namisa to go get it. On the way back she saw a stray puppy in the road, taking a nap. She chuckled at it and almost continued on until she noticed something in the distance. It was a carriage barreling down the street. Namisa freaked out she started yelling at the puppy trying to wake it. Realizing the futility she ran into the street and tried to flag them down, screaming at them to stop. But the carriage kept barreling towards them, in the final second Namisa realized the carriage wouldn't stop in time she picked up the puppy and dived out of the street. The horses freaked out at the sight of her and caused the carriage to halt as they whinnied in surprise.

As Namisa began to unfurl from her fetal position on the ground, the carriage door burst open and to her surprise a little girl popped out. Her hair was in long plaits that went to her waist, her skin was like cinnamon applesauce with freckles sprinkled randomly across her face. She Looked around wildly until they landed on Namisa and the puppy. Her eyes opened as wide as a canyon her brown eyes showing her youthful wonder. "Jeffery," she squealed as she jumped out rushing towards her, "There's a puppy and a lady you almost ran over out here."

"Miss Bethany I would like to point out if you weren't trying to take the reigns from me I wouldn't have even come close to running them over, a distressed voice rang out from inside the carriage."

Bethany picked up the puppy from the ground and began to pet it. "Don't be silly Jeffery we both know that princesses should drive the carriage like they drive the country."

Startled Namisa finally spoke, "P-princess?" she stuttered, never in her entire time in the village did she hear of a ruler, let alone a princess.

Bethany looked at her quizzically for a moment, before focusing back on the puppy who started to whimper. "yeah, of course I am."

Then the voice from the carriage emerged. A scraggly teenage boy, with curls dancing on his head like a summer bonfire, his freckles more prolific than Bethany's. He was dressed in ragged clothes that reminded bethany of an orphaned beggar, "Miss Bethany you really shouldn't pick up strays off the street."

He started to walk towards her when he glanced at her for a second, then realizing what had happened, he rushed over to Namisa helping her pick herself off and brush some of the dirt off of her. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't realize I ran in front of a royal carriage." She said as she bowed.

The young man sighed as he shook his head. "Miss Bethany, isn't a princess."

"Yes, I am!" Bethany pouted.

Aggravated, Jeffery pushed his hands through his hair as if to rip it out. Picking up on the tension Namisa, went to the Bethany and kneeled down next to her. "What makes you a princess?" she asked in a sweet motherly voice.

Bethany gave her a huge smile in response. "Well, I live in the castle on the hill so obviously, I must be a princess."

Namisa smiled at her and stroked the mewling puppy, "Sweetheart trust me when I say, that there is more to being a princess than just living in a Castle."

"How do you know? Were taught to be a princess."

Namisa paused for a moment, reflecting on her past, " Not to be a princess, but something like it."

Not picking up on the twinge of sadness in her voice Bethany started jumping up and down. "Then you can teach me, I don't like my stuffy ol' teacher anyway."

Namisa laughed at bethany's sheer enthusiasm. I would love too honey but I'm already teaching another young man. Besides you don't want to make someone lose their job, it's not very princess like."

"Fine," she said as she stomped her foot.

"Don't worry princess, it'll all work out, I promise."

Namisa smiled giddily at her, Bethany then turned Jeffery, "We gotta go back now."

He sighed, "Fine, are you bringing the puppy too?" she nodded vigorously, "As you wish miss Bethany, I'll be there in just a second."

As bethany bounded into the Carriage, Jeffery walked over to Namisa. he bowed to her before he spoke, "My sincerest apologies to what has occurred today, I will talk to my boss and you will be compensated for your trouble I assure you."

"Oh no, it's fine we're all okay, I just don't want any trouble."

He gave her an understanding nod, but he knew the truth, "Well until I see you again." he said as he bowed to her and began to return to the carriage.

"How are you so sure I'll see you again?" she asked confused.

"Between Miss Bethany's will and my bosses moral code, fewer things are more certain than the fact that I will see you again." He closed the carriage door and they rode off down the street.

Namisa stood there bewildered for a moment, until she realized she still had the elderly woman's coin purse in her hand. She picked up her skirt and began running back to the marketplace. When she finally got there she was greeted by a very cross Mama May.

"I'm so sorry," she blurted out as soon as she was in earshot.

"You were less that 15 minutes away what took you so long?" she reprimanded in return.

"A carriage from the castle on the hill almost ran me over today."

Mama May's face paled at that moment, she gave the elderly lady her coin purse and produce for free. She then pulled Namisa into the booth and put up the closed sign.

"I want you to tell me everything that happened." she demanded.

Namisa recanted every detail of the story from the puppy to the promise of meeting the nameless boss. "I highly doubt the last bit is going to happen Mama, they don't even know my name and this is quite a large village."

Mama May let out a mighty roar of laughter, "Sweetheart this place may be big but it's ol' and you're new. He's goin tuh find you alright, and you're goin tuh get and you're goin to end up doing whatever he tells ya."

Namisa pulled back in anger, "I thought there wasn't a king in this place."

"There isn," Mama May began to explain but Namisa cut her off.

"Then I won't just do as he says, I have been pushed around too long to give up a life I love to be under the control of another belligerent bully. That is not the life I chose."

"He isn a bully child, but he is a very persuasive man, and tuh way he runs around this place, he might as well be king."

"I thought this place was different, I thought it was a haven, not a prison!" She screamed as she bolted up.

"When I told you we were protected by somethin, did you think that it was some magical pixie dust. It was an actual thin, a man. This man."

"I'm not a damsel, I can protect myself. I'll see you at home." She stormed off, leaving Mama May alone.

"You might be protected, but you are not strong my dear," she sighed.

Namisa went to the pond to clear her thoughts, she had meant to go back for a while, she even bought a swimsuit with some of the money she'd earned at the produce stand. She decided to go for a swim. she floated along letting the water cleanse her of her anger and help the pain of the past ebb away. She barely had gotten rid of the feeling of one man clasping over her. She had just stopped sleeping with the lights on, just barely stopped turning around in fear every time she heard a masculine voice, and waking up violently in the middle of the night because the memories of what he did to her would terrorize her dreams. Though sometimes she still felt the remnants like his boorish laughter whenever she was afraid. She wasn't going to allow another shadow be cast on her. Not when she was struggling to get rid of the first one. She abandoned the painful thoughts and began to focus once more on the pond, and the nature surrounding it. The light wind bristling through the willow trees and wheat fields, the midday sun caressing her skin, the calls of the birds and animals prancing through their day, it began to calm her and She started to drift into a daydream when a deep voice tore through her bliss.