Where They Belong

1 : Our Story, Affadalonia

Maple knew that she was in the line of Matriarchs and she often found herself imagining her rule. “High Matriarch Maple.” She liked the sound of that. Maple’s older sisters were a slight problem though. Both of them were in line to become a High Matriarch, but neither of them seemed very excited about it. Something would have to be done about that

Two days later, Maple was found dead. No poison, no knife, no weapon detectable. This was strange. Both of her sisters were interrogated. One, June, said, “Who?” when she was asked. The other one, name unknown, jumped when she was asked. “Of course I’m jumpy!” she snapped at them when they asked her about it, “my younger sister was just murdered!” The team of interrogators crept out of the room cautiously, unsure what to make of it.

Then the youngest child, Daffidolania. The girl rocked back and forth on the ground, muttering, “Gone, she’s gone forever, gone, she’s gone forever…” her muttering broke off into sobs. The interrogators snuck away without being noticed.

2: Daffidolania

Daffidolania had tiptoed to her sister’s room, because she’d had a bad dream. She always had bad dreams. This one was about a magician, leaning over Maple’s bed and putting a spell on her so she would sleep forever and ever.

When she entered the room, Daffidolania shook Maple to wake her. Maple felt cold, but Daffidolania thought nothing of it, she was only five years old and thought her sister was just sleeping. Seeing that her sister hadn’t disappeared calmed her and she went back to sleep.

The next morning when she came down to breakfast the family was in disaster. Her sisters were crying; a strange sight for the child. “Why are you crying?” she asked her sister, Amelia. “Don’t you know?” she responded.

“Know what?”

“Maple is dead! No one told you?” This shook Daffidolania. Her sister was going to live forever and ever. This was not in her line of logic. Grownups lived forever, and her sister was nearly a grownup.

“What do you mean that she’s dead? She can’t really be dead. She was going to live forever!” Her sister gave her a look that was pure despair.

“It means she’s dead!” Daffidolania flinched at her sister’s harsh words. “Gone forever and ever, Daffidolania, and she’s not coming back.”

Reality hit her so hard that Daffidolania couldn’t breathe. She gasped for breath, tears streaming down her face. Her sister pulled her into a big hug. That made her feel much better.

3: Five Years Later, Amelia

As the High Matriarch, Amelia had so much to do. It was a dull, tedious job, but it had to be done. She had to watch after the kingdom and her little sisters, June and Daffidolania. Oh, Daffidolania. She loved her dearly, but what was to be done with her? At least she had found a friend. What was her name? Oh, yes, Juniper.

Daffidolania and Juniper were both odd children. Daffidolania never quite recovered from the death of Maple and had alway been a bit strange before it happened. Juniper saw things only in shades of gray. She hadn’t seen color all her life.

“The different ones always seem to find each other,” her mother had told her, “I’m sure Daffidolania will find a good friend.” Her mother was right. Daffidolania and Juniper were the perfect match.

4 : What Should Not Have Happened

Maple shouldn’t have died. No never. June had sat that morning numb with shock. She was going to live forever. Actually, June never intended for this to happen. Her sister Amelia ruled now, and she liked that, even though she had wanted Maple to rule. June felt so bad for Daffidolania. Her sister’s brain had never been the same. The servants always found her rocking in corners and muttering nonsense. She had to be educated though, no matter how many marbles she had lost.

She shuddered at a cold breeze as she sat out on the bench dedicated to Maple. It sits under a sugar maple tree. They make maple syrup from the sap in the spring, which they put on their deflated cakes. When the trees weren’t in season, they used honey from the local bees. It always tasted good, until Maple died, then everything started to taste strange to June. No taste, little taste. Eating was just something she did to stay alive.

6 : The Stranger in the Cloak

Daffidolania was seeing orange. Someone must be crying. She crept towards the sound. When she found the source of the crying, a cloaked figure, she placed a hand on her shoulder, “What’s wrong?” she asked. The figure’s face was hidden in the shadow of the hood. “No one listens to me,” they said, voice trembling. The voice was female, she could tell, with a smooth light blue color to go along with it. “Listen to you about what?”

“That the one they believe is dead, lives!” Daffidolania shuddered at this thought. “You mean Maple?” she asked.

“Yes, of course it’s Maple! Who else has died in the last five years?”

Daffidolania felt her chest tighten. If Maple was not dead, what would happen now?

“If you follow me, you can see her again.” It was like she had read Daffidolania’s mind. “So, will you come?” A chance to see her sister, her dear, dear sister! How could she turn down that opportunity! Before she had time to think, a strangled “Yes!” came out of her throat. “Good, then follow me!” Daffidolania’s legs moved without her consent. Might as well give in.

7 : Don’t Shoot the Messenger

A servant ran, panting, into the throne room. “High Matriarch! I have,” here she stopped, catching her breath, “I have something to tell you. I just saw your youngest sister, following a cloaked stranger. She was heading east, but it took me so long to run here so they have a head start.”

Amelia’s bodyguard slowly reached for his bow and arrow. “Please, PLEASE! Don’t shoot me! I’m just the messenger!” She started crying, death rarely stared anyone in the face so plainly. “Put the weapons down!” Amelia shouted at the guard. “Lead us to where you saw the two leaving,” she said, gently, to the servant. The woman took a deep breath and said, “Come.”

8 : Journeying

“When will we get to where we are going?” Daffidolania asked. “Soon.” was the answer every time she asked. Her legs were tired. TIRED! WHY WERE HER LEGS SO TIRED! “My legs are tired. ARGH! Can we stop and rest? When will we get there!” Somehow the cloaked one kept her cool. “I’m sorry your legs hurt, but we can’t stop and rest. I’ll tell you when we’re almost there.”

Usually this would make anyone frustrated. Daffidolania was impressed. Only her sisters could withstand Daffidolania whine sessions. The cloaked one, as Daffidolania had dubbed her, should have shouted at her, but somehow she had answered calmly.

“You have passed round one.” Daffidolania whispered to herself. What could she do for round two? Ah yes, the panic attack. “ARGH! I’M BEING KIDNAPPED! HELP ME! I DON’T KNOW YOU! STRANGER! LET ME GO! HELP!” The cloaked one put her hands on Daffidolania’s shoulders and bent down to her eye level, yet Daffidolania still couldn’t see her face. “Hey, listen. You came here because you wanted to, right?” Daffidolania nodded, surprised that the cloaked one didn’t clap her hands over Daffidolania’s mouth.

“Okay, see? I’m not scary.”

Wow, this person was really good. How come the cloaked one hadn’t shouted at her yet? Most normal people would’ve thrown her off a cliff by now. This lady had trained for this. Her sisters were the only ones who knew how to deal with her, but this woman acted like she had lived with Daffidolania all of her life.

“Hey, guess what?” The cloaked one asked, her smile just visible under the hood. “WHAT.” She was so exhausted from walking, her legs were about to give out. “We’re almost there! Just around the corner.” A cave came into her line of sight. A figure was standing in the mouth of the cave, barely visible from Daffidolania’s point of view.

As the two drew closer, she saw that the figure was no other than her sister, Maple! Daffidolania took off in a sprint towards her. Maple was alive! “MAPLE MAPLE MAPLE!” Her sister spread her arms to embrace her. She was almost there! She was running so fast that it would hurt when she ran into her.

Daffidolania closed her eyes to savor their sisterly reunion. She would run into her soon. A whoosh of cold air. She opened her eyes, still running. Where had her sister gone? Still running, wait, now she was running on air. And now, falling! Down, until she hit a hard stone floor. “OWCH!” she screamed. She had landed on her leg all wrong, it felt broken. She glanced down at her leg, saw the unnatural angle it was laying in and promptly passed out.

9 : Shock

Amelia ran towards her sister, she had just seen her! She turned a corner to see her sister run straight through a person and disappear. Her quick minded bodyguard drew out his arrows and shot at a cloaked figure who she hadn’t noticed before. The aim was impeccable but the arrow went straight through and the figure ran off.

Amelia screamed. She put all of her rage, stress, sadness, self doubt, and frustration that she had pent up into the scream. Then she took a breath and fell to the ground, weeping. The tears came easily. She laid there for what seemed to be hours. After all her tears ran out all that was left was dry, racking sobs.

She wasn’t supposed to lose her sister, or have a dead one, or become High Matriarch at fifteen. She was just a child, playing the role of leader. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t do anything. She could do something, actually. She could search and save her sister. Yes, she would bring back Daffidolania and prove to anyone that doubted her that she was the rightful one. She was supposed to lead, she would be the leader.

10 : Awakened

When Daffidolania came to, she found a boy, a few years younger than her, staring at her through the bars. Oh, she was in a cell. Wonder how that happened. It all came rushing back. Her sister, the fall, her leg-oh, how her leg hurt!

“Brought you food,” the boy said. She glanced up, having momentarily forgotten that she wasn’t alone. He slid a plate through a small gap under the bars. The plate held some type of food that she hadn’t seen before. Didn’t taste too bad.

11 : Search

Amelia ventured carefully into the cave, knowing that her sister had fallen, so there must be a pit somewhere. She looked around. You don’t just fall through a stone floor! It was hard not to imagine her sister’s broken body at the bottom of a hidden abyss. “Hello,” Amelia shouted into the cave. “AMELIA, ARE YOU THERE?” Amelia gasped! Her sister had to be here somewhere

“Where are you?” Amelia shouted frantically, vivid images of Daffidolania trapped in goodness knows what. “I’m in a pit, the ground is fake” This confused Amelia. Then she thought of her sister running through Maple as if she wasn’t there. Fake ground, what in the world? “Okay,” Amelia shouted downward, “can you move something to soften my fall towards the opening?” “Yeah, I’ll do that now.” Amelia could hear rustling noises as her sister moved something. “Can I jump down now?” “Yes, I’ll move out of the way.” Amelia got a running start and jumped, through the floor down. But because Amelia was prepared, she braced herself for the fall.

After a small amount of falling, she hit soft hay. Her sister immediately sprung to her, then groaned. “Oh, Daffidolania, are you okay?” Daffidolania’s face was contorted in pain. “I think I broke my leg.” Amelia could feel her forehead creasing. Her mother said that it would become permanent. “What do we do now?” Daffidolania asked. “Now,” Amelia answered with a smile on her face, “Now we escape.”

12 : Escaping

Amelia knew that they were going to escape. How, she had no idea. “Hey, Daffy, have you tried scaling the walls?” Her sister frowned at her, “I have a broken leg, remember?” Amelia thought for a bit. “Well, can you walk?” Daffidolania tried, then, succeeded!

“Okay, I think I can carry you on my back.” Amelia lifted Daffidolania, who had always been light, with success. Now, the wall. She climbed up with ease. Almost too much ease, so much that she grew suspicious. But when they reached the top, there was no one to push them back down or anything. “Follow me.” Amelia whispered to her sister. Together, they crept towards the light.

13 : A State of Panic

June was pacing. When her sisters hadn’t returned for supper, the royal guard had sent out search parties. The parties were still searching, and it was driving June insane. Supper was so quiet without her sister Amelia debating with her about how to rule Affadalonia best.A book could calm her down, but June didn’t want her nerves to be stifled by history and fantasy. Suddenly the palace doors opened. That wasn’t right, the door was locked at this hour, and you would need a key to open it.

Three people stood in the doorway. June walked to the door, not believing her eyes. Amelia, Daffidolania, and Maple were standing there, drenched. “No, no, no. Maple! Come in and dry off.” Then June hugged her long lost supposedly dead sister. All the sisters reunited.

14 : How it all Happened

They had found Maple whilst running through the woods. Her body had been carried away after the funeral, but she wasn’t quite dead. She was in the oddest state, frozen solid. She woke up just recently in a cell, but climbed out and hid. The rain had started during their journey. That was why they were soaked. They still had to capture the cloaked one, but right now everyone was right where they belonged.

15 : Epilogue

Somewhere in the wilderness, a king sat on a dark throne. “Do you have them?” he asked in a raspy voice. The cloaked one approached with caution. “It appears sir, that they have escaped. But the subject woke successfully.” The king rose with a roar, striking at the cloaked one. He would make kingdoms burn, forests fall, and mountains bow. But that, my friends, is a tale for another time.