Queen of Light, Prologue
Bear's Claw Bazaar was as bustling and busy as ever. Its cobblestone streets were flooded with shoppers, traders, and merchants. Children's laughter rang through the air as they chased one another, their mothers scolding them from their stands. The smell of baked bread and pastry filled the air, tempting patrons to their tents. It was perfect.
At least little Roselyn thought so. Her seven-year-old eyes were filled with awe and wonder as she and her mother, her "Mimi," entered the market. Mimi had described what it looked to her many times after she returned home from shopping. But this was the first time her sapphire eyes had seen it firsthand. It was even more extravagant than she could ever imagine. Never had she seen so many people in one place. Mimi was overprotective, rarely letting the girl play in the backyard unsupervised. Now she was out in the real world, with real people; much different from the ones she read about in books.
It was a crisp autumn day. The two were hidden under the hoods of their traveling cloaks, the heavy cotton shielding them from the whipping winds. Roselyn's was an amethyst hue with gold and silver trim while Mimi's was a mint green with a silver leaf pattern.
"Stay close, Roselyn," Mimi instructed, holding the girl's hand. "Don't wander off."
"I won't," she promised, squeezing back.
Together they entered the belly of the beast. Many people greeted Mimi as they passed, paying little attention to the girl on her arm. As they walked, Roselyn could barely see past the wave of people. She was disappointed. Being so short, she couldn't see any of the tents. Nobody but Mimi seemed to know she existed. Even on her tippy toes, the girl could barely see past people's shoulders. She wondered if it really was more fun to be an adult.
"Minami!"
The two made their way out of the crowd toward a nearby stand. An older woman, around the age of fifty, with curly blonde hair and almond brown eyes in a light blue traveling cloak waved to them, signaling them over.
"Minami!" she called again. "Over here!"
"Jeanene," her friend replied, letting go of Roselyn's hand to hug her. "How are you, dear?"
"Oh, I'm fine," the woman pulled back to look Mimi in the eyes. "I saw you and just had to say hi." Her eyes wandered to Roselyn. Jeanene pulled away from Mimi to examine the girl. "And who is this."
Mimi smiled. "This is the little one I was telling you about."
Roselyn shied away behind Mimi as the woman's face leaned in closer to hers. Mimi laughed, patting her head. "Rosie's a little shy."
"It's natural to be shy in a busy place like this," Jeanene commented. "But," she continued. "The reason I called you over is because I need some more herbs. I've tried growing my own, but the soil around my place is crummy. Nothing grows. I need some ingredients to make it more fertile. I know you're not open until Friday, but since you're here today I thought I'd ask."
"Of course," her friend replied, beaming. "I have plenty of ingredients in stock. I'll stop by the stand really quick."
The three made their way along the path carved out by the tents on opposite sides of the street. Mimi's was the second to last on the side closest to the homes and stores with brick walls. Jeanene stood on the customer side while Roselyn and her mother made their way under the curtains to grab the supplies.
"Stay here," Mimi instructed as she grabbed supplies from behind the tapestry. "I'll only be a minute or two. Then we'll get our own supplies and head home. Alright?"
Roselyn nodded. The girl didn't want her mother to leave her behind in the dark, only specs of light filtering from the fabric roof. She knew Mimi ran a stand in the market, but didn't expect they'd be going to it that very day. She felt vulnerable without her guardian with her. Roselyn didn't get out much. She was scared of what might happen in Mimi's absence.
Fifteen minutes passed, yet Roselyn was still waiting. She pulled a small section of the tapestry back just enough so one of her eyes could see out. Mimi was still managing the stand, but a whole line of people crowded around, wishing to purchase her goods. Roselyn's heart sank. At this rate, they'd never get home. The market wasn't as fun as she thought it was going to be. Adults ran everything. There was nothing for a child like her there.
Except that there were children like her there. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a group of them further down the street, almost in the main part of the town the bazaar attached to. They laughed and shrieked as they chased one another, forgetting all about the parents that brought them. A ray of hope shined down on her soul. If only she could go play with them too. Then Mimi could do her business and she wouldn't be stuck in the dark.
But you can, her mind whispered. Mimi can see you from her stand. She'll know you're safe.
Her heart was torn. She'd hate to disobey her mother, but she desperately wanted to explore the world, to have fun.
It'll be fine if it's only a moment, right?
Roselyn made sure Mimi wasn't looking when she ducked under the fabric and crawled to the other side. She came out from the small strip between Mimi's tent and her neighbor's. The crowd of people by her stand was much too vast for her mother to notice her. She took off down the street, toward the group of children in the town.
There were no girls in sight, only boys with tattered rags and dirt on their faces, their feet shoeless. At first, they didn't notice her. They took her as another tourist to their town. But as she lingered, they began to grow curious.
"You just gonna stand 'ere an' watch?" one of them sneered.
"We some kina sho' to ya?" another interjected.
"N-no," Roselyn defended herself. "I-I was just watching."
"Well scram," the tallest one ordered. "We're busy here."
"W-wait." All eyes were on her now. Her heart slammed against her ribcage. Thump, Thump, Thump. "I-I...I want to join you."
Some boys expressed disgusted looks while others laughed.
"We don want nothin' ta do with no girls," the tallest, and most likely the eldest, responded, shooing her away.
"Please," she begged. "Give me a chance. The adults are so boring. You all looked like you were having so much fun."
The rest of the group opened their mouths to protest, but the boy held up his hand to silence them. "Fine. We'll give ya one chance, but only one."
Roselyn beamed from beneath her hood. "T-thank you." Her heartbeat eased a little. At least they were willing to give her a chance; not everyone has evil in their soul.
The group led her down the streets of the town, further from the market. A twinge of guilt resonated in Roselyn's soul. She could barely see Mimi's tent anymore. If she didn't return soon her mother would worry. But they boys already agreed to give her a chance. She couldn't back down now. What would they think? They'd probably call her a coward, strengthening their stereotypes that she was a weak little girl. The heroines she had read about were daring and brave; she drew her strength from them, the ones she looked up to and aspired to be.
"Here," the eldest said as they reached an alleyway. "You an' me'll race." He stretched his arms behind his head. "If ya beat me, you can play with us."
Roselyn's nerves tingled. She'd never been in a race before. By the looks of the boys, they'd been running around the town and market most of their lives. She was at a terrible disadvantage. Of course, they chose such a challenge on purpose; they had no intent of letting her join them. So instead, they tease the poor girl with visions of false hope. But she wasn't going to give in so easily. She knew she'd lose, still, she had to try her best. Mimi always told her that as long as she tried in life she'd get somewhere. So maybe, just maybe, if the group saw the determination and fire she had in her heart they'd let her join their game regardless if she lost.
Roselyn took her place next to the boy at the entrance of the alley. She was a nervous wreck, but she was ready. From the corner of her eye, she saw him look at her and sneer. "You don't stand a chance girl."
"Ready!" one of the other boys shouted from behind. "You gotta touch the wall n'back. No cheatin'."
"Get on with it already, Ross."
"R-right," the boy cleared his throat. "Three...two...one...GO!"
The two took off down the narrow path, both determined to beat the other. Roselyn's legs seemed to move their own. It was as if she'd ran like this all her life. She was a few paces behind her opponent, touching the wall moments after him.
Come on! You can do this! Push yourself!
She felt like she was at her limit already. Her lungs were on fire, her legs ached. She feared she was going to lose after all.
You can do it! Show these boys up!
With all her strength, Roselyn pushed herself further. Suddenly she was neck and neck with him. Their feet moved in sync. His face was in shock as he turned his head to find her right next to him. "What the..."
In the last few seconds, Roselyn pulled ahead, touching the line before her opponent. She stopped abruptly, desperately wanting to catch her breath. Her legs felt heavy as the fresh oxygen burned her lungs. Shock and horror painted the boys' faces. They all looked at her as if she was a snake with three heads. Some took a step back from her. Her eyes stared back at the boy she'd race. He stood less than a foot away from the finish line, mouth unhinged.
"G-good...race...huh?" she asked between breaths.
Still, nobody said a word. Silence and wide eyes filled the air. A knot began to form in Roselyn's stomach. She didn't know what was wrong. They didn't look at her this peculiarly before. What happened?
"I knew it." The eldest finally spoke up. He crossed his arms and glared at her. "There's no way a normal little girl could have beaten me, you albino witch."
"W-what..."
Roselyn's heart stopped. What was he talking about? She peered behind her to discover that her hood had fallen. Her snowy white hair was now exposed for all to see. The group snickered and laughed, calling her a witch. Roselyn didn't understand what they were talking about. She was a normal person, like them. How was she to know that she was different? Being sheltered all her life, she believed she was like everyone else. Mimi had never said anything about her look being strange, so Roselyn saw no problem with them. Not until now.
Tears welled in her eyes as the boys teased her. Undesirable, ugly, unwanted, they called her, mocking and ridiculing her. "Stop it!" she cried. "Be quiet."
"Oh yeah." The leader grinned as he stepped toward her. "And you'll curse us if we don't, ain't that right?"
"I said STOP!"
An invisible wave rippled through the group of boys. All of them fell to ground moaning and groaning. Others were starting to stare now. Passersbys gave her shocked, dirty, and curious looks as they passed by. Roselyn's face was redder than a tomato. She grabbed her hood and threw it over her head once again.
"You'll pay," Ross muttered. "We ain't gonna let a witch get the best of us."
"Roselyn?"
The girl turned to see her mother standing from afar with a group of concerned adults. A few of them rushed over to their sons, giving her dirty looks as they reassured their children they'd be ok. Roselyn could barely speak. She'd spent too much time away from the tent. Mimi probably saw everything and thought of her as vile as the rest did.
Mimi rushed over to her, kneeling to hug her daughter. "I was so worried," she whispered. "I came to check on you and I couldn't find you anywhere."
"I'm sorry, Mimi." Tears streamed down the girl's cheeks, staining the fabric of Mimi's cloak.
The crowd began to whisper behind them. Immediately Mimi pulled away, her eyes scanning the group that formed around them. "We have to go."
Before Roselyn could respond, her mother picked her up and rushed past the wall of people. She was in a rush to get out of the market, not wanting to be seen. Roselyn peered back to see the disapproving looks on all their faces. To them, white hair was abnormal, an alien trait. Roselyn had never felt so low in her life. She thought it was perfectly normal to look the way she did. But she was wrong. One look at her and the rumors begin to spread. She could hear the terrible things they whispered. Roselyn wanted to disappear from the world.
Mimi didn't even stand up for her. She wanted to leave as fast as possible. Was her mother embarrassed of her looks? Is that why she made her put her hood on before they left the house? Roselyn didn't know. But she did know that she probably wouldn't be returning to the market for a long time.
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