When The Gold Is Gone ✔ ~ trixya

Chapter 16: Traces Of Childhood Places

It was nearly midday when the growling stomach of Beatrice made the two girls prepare to journey back to the castle. They were about to climb onto their horses when the brown-eyed girl noticed something.

"Your face!"

"Is there something on it?" Katya asked.

"No, that's the problem. If you return like this people will see who you truly are." Trixie explained.

"Oh god, I entirely forgot. What can we do?"

Trixie thought for a moment, wracking her brain for ideas when she suddenly remembered something from her childhood.

The two girls ran through the servant's quarters, laughing and screaming as they chased each other in a game of tag. The youngest of the two was running ahead slightly when she stumbled over a metal handle sticking up from the floor.

"Trixie! Are you alright?" Katya asked as she rushed to the side of the now weeping girl.

"No..."

The girl replied with a weak voice holding up hands that were scratched and lightly bleeding. Katya gave her a small, caring smile before she took Trixie's hands in her own kissing her palms gently.

"There, now they will heal quicker."

"Are you sure?" Trixie asked.

"Of course, I have magical kisses." Katya assured her as she helped the girl back on her feet.

"Katya? What is that handle for anyways? Why is it sticking up from the floor?"

"It's an escape tunnel. Mama said we needed it if anyone bad ever comes to the castle."

"A tunnel? Where does is go?" Trixie asked, her eyes wide and curious.

"I think it goes out to the forest that lies just behind the church graveyard." Katya explained.

"That sounds spooky."

"I know, I hope we never have to use them. Come on, Trixie. Let's go find Alexej." Katya said, taking the younger's hand and guiding her back upstairs.

"Katya, that escape tunnel that runs from the graveyard to the castle, is it still there?"

"Yes, it is, but we will never get the horses through it."

"We won't have to. I will take the horses back, and you can take the tunnel. Then I'll fetch Judy and meet you down there so we can get your makeup done."

"Trixie, you are brilliant!" Katya replied, pulling the girl in for a quick kiss.

"Thank you very much." Trixie said, jokingly curtsying.

They mounted their horses and rode off  towards the church, taking backroads and forest paths as to not be discovered.

"Here." Katya said, making her horse come to a halt. "This is it."

"Stay safe, and walk carefully." Trixie said as Katya handed her the reigns of her horse.

"I will."

The Resvyan girl opened a hidden trapdoor, and jumped down into the tunnel, closing the door behind her. Trixie then took off towards the castle, carefully riding back whilst holding tightly onto the reigns of Katya's horse. She couldn't move to quickly as it might cause the other horse to run off, but she managed well, reaching the castle gates rather quickly.

"Your Highness." The guards greeted he once she arrived. "Open the gates!"

The gates slowly opened, allowing Trixie to enter the courtyard. She climbed off her horse moments later, asking a guard to take the reigns of Katya. Soon enough two stable boys came rushing towards her, taking the two horses off her hands.

Trixie rushed through the courtyard and into the castle in search of Judy. In truth, she felt a bit unsettled by the maid's confession, but she knew Judy was the only one who could do Katya's makeup. And so she kept looking. After all she needed to think of Katya, and not of her own feelings.

"Judy!" She yelled out once she spotted the maid coming out of Katya's bed chamber.

"Your Highness, what's the matter?" Judy asked as Trixie practically ran towards her.

"I need your help. Katya needs your help. Bring all the makeup you use on her right away."

"Katya? Wait, you know?" Judy asked.

"Yes."

"And you don't mind it?"

"No. Now hurry, there is no time for this." Trixie said.

"Of course, I will get it right away." Judy replied. She ran into Katya's room to get the items she needed, returning quickly after.

"Thank you, we need to go to the tunnel entrance in the servant's quarters." The Princess said as she rushed off towards hallways that she hadn't been to for years.

"Katya, why aren't you wearing you makeup?" Judy asked once she saw the girl who was waiting for them.

"God, yell a little louder, why don't you?" Katya replied, holding her ears dramatically. "Trixie realized it and then wanted to see the real me, so I took it off. We just forgot that I needed it once we returned. Luckily she remembered this tunnel, so I managed to sneak back in undetected."

"Well, thank the Lord for that. Sit down, I'll get you fixed." Judy said as she sat down on the floor, putting all her equipment out in front of her. Katya sat down in front of her, allowing the maid to work her usual magic. "So... are you two staying engaged?"

"Yes, we are." Trixie replied, probably responding too quickly.

"Oh."

There was silence after that, no one saying anything until Katya once again looked like Alexej.

"Thank you, Judy." Katya said as she got up.

"Of course. I'll leave you." The maid replied before she quickly rushed off, hiding the tears that were threatening to escape her. She was happy for Katya, truly happy the one she loved was getting her wish, but despite that she still couldn't help the sadness she felt from the news.

"She loves you. Did you know?" Trixie said once the maid had left.

"I do... And she's wonderful.... But no one can control who they love... And for me, it's always been you."

They walked out together, a slight heaviness weighing on both their hearts from the fact that their love caused someone pain. But they soon let the thoughts of guilt go. For after all it was just as Katya had said; no matter how hard we try, we can not control who we love, nor who loves us.