Hidden Tales, The Diary of Agatha

THE TWO PRINCESSES

They were running through a vast labyrinth, where anyone could get lost, even the three girls. Realizing that they wouldn't stop running anytime soon, Ashley released her grip and stepped back, taking a few steps away. She remembered her guardian's advice: she couldn't trust someone so quickly, even if these people seemed like silly and innocent girls. Who knows if they weren't planning an ambush for her; after all, they had discovered her forbidden secret.

The two looked back and quickly realized how far they had gone. They observed the sky and turned their gazes to the hedgerow walls as if they were lost, but they didn't want to give that impression, as they didn't want to be seen as foolish and irresponsible girls, an impression they often gave to those who didn't know them well.

The twin with straight hair placed one of her hands between her breasts while still holding the book with the other. She looked at Ashley and promptly apologized politely.

"Oh, forgive us." She shook her head gently, as if in denial, and continued, "We didn't realize how much we had run."

She wore a long pink dress with puffy sleeves and silver ruffles that reached halfway down her upper arm, followed by another layer forming a loose white sleeve. There were also ruffles on her neckline, gray and shimmering. At her waist, the dress opened into a long lilac skirt, covered by layers of fabric that matched the color of the upper part, both touching the ground, with a black rope tied in a long, loose bow. She also wore a pearl necklace and a delicate silver tiara with ruby diamonds, which Ashley didn't notice, not even realizing those jewels, as she feared what the two were planning.

"Who are you?" She hugged the basket once more, trembling. She wanted to run, but... where would she go? She could end up getting lost in that labyrinth. Well, she was already lost; however, going further would only worsen her situation.

"Who are we?" The curly-haired one pointed to herself. She wore the same dress model as the other; however, the pink was replaced by blue, according to each one's taste. "Don't you know us?"

"Should I?" Such a response even took the breath away from the two girls, who looked surprised at her. The girl in the pink dress knew her sister would freak out at any moment, so she decided to take the lead to keep things under control.

She let out a gentle laugh, bringing her hand in front of her mouth as she laughed, then gave a serene smile and began to speak: "It's all right, after all, we haven't even introduced ourselves, have we?" She looked at the girl in blue, who was rolling her eyes in displeasure. The one in pink cleared her throat, catching her sister's attention, who soon gave a forced smile. Then, she looked back at Ashley with the same smile as before. "My name is Moly Schulz."

"And I..." She pointed to herself, resting the other hand on her hip, striking a pose. "...I'm Britney Schulz. We are twin sisters! Isn't that cool?"

Indeed, it was, as both could pull off various pranks with that advantage, being best friends with each other, even though they still had their little quarrels. But which siblings don't have those, right?

Ashley remained silent, not knowing what to say. They acted as if they were close, suddenly asking for a silly opinion. Moreover, she continued to be afraid; she didn't know the nature of the people in that kingdom, nor if they were similar to those in the one she lived in. And after that talk about witch hunts... How could Ashley trust someone who had her forbidden object in hand? What if... What if they used it against her? It took so little for a tragedy to occur...

Seeing that the girl wasn't very talkative, the one with straight hair took a step closer and tried to continue the conversation:

"But what about you?" Her voice was sweet. "What's your name?"