Separated

Part III: Rosaline

The next morning, I didn't hesitate to get up and carry out my plan. I packed the proper materials for such an occasion: an apple and a tattered tan cloak. I wanted to wear the dress I normally used to sneak out, but I figured the commoners would have caught on to that fact by now, so I instead settled with an older dress I had made as a young adolescent. It was burgundy with a faux fur sash (hideous, I know) and silver flats.

"Princess? It's time for breakfast," a servant said on the other side of the doors.

I panicked and ran into the closet. "Just a moment, I'm getting changed!"

"Of course, princess. Come down to the banquet hall when you're ready."

I hastily changed into a much prettier lime gown with flowing sleeves and a gold neckline. I put some grey flats on whilst running through the halls to make it into the banquet hall before the Queen had her suspicions. 

Of course, when I made it into the banquet hall, the Queen was already waiting for me, tapping her foot impatiently under the table. I sat in the seat across from her at the other end of the table in hopes of avoiding the criticism that was sure to come sometime soon.

"Here's your breakfast, Your Highness," a servant said as she was placing a tray in front of the Queen. She simply nodded her off in response, and the servant scurried away.

"Your breakfast, Princess," another servant said whilst placing my breakfast tray in front of me, an ornate metal lid covering my food.

"Thank you," I muttered. I lifted up the tray, the fresh scent of basil immediately meeting my nose. Under the tray sat a plate of eggs benedict, with toasted bread and cinnamon oatmeal. I dove into my breakfast, savoring very last bit of it...

The Queen slammed her tray on the table, jolting me from my trance.

"This needs to stop now!"

I looked up at her with confusion. What could she possibly be so on edge about?

"We need to talk about your speech last night, Rosaline."

I shifted in my seat. Oh, right, that thing.

"There's a reason we have a giant wall separating us and them! Those...those creatures are monsters, monsters that you should never know about or see! It would be dangerous tearing such a protective barrier down, and you know that, Rosaline!"

"How would you remember?" I spat back, standing up in my seat. "It's been seventeen years! I'm past adulthood now, I deserve to know!"

"It's best if you never knew!" the Queen retorted, standing up as well.

"Maybe I'll go find out for myself!"

"Never! I forbid you!"

We stared at each other in enraged silence.

"I will go, and I will see for myself just how monstrous they are! You can't stop me!"

"Rosaline, I'm saying this because I'm concerned for you! Those dangerous creatures will hurt you, scathe you in a way that can never be healed!" She almost had a sort of fear in her eyes.

"I think I'll do just fine!" I screamed. "Besides, I've already been dealing with the worst monster for seventeen years, and I never realized until now that it was the Queen herself!"

The Queen gasped, and I covered my mouth, hardly believing what I had just told her. I expected her to yell back at me, to bounce back while hardly taking offense to it, but she just stood there, mouth agape.

"I...I..." I stuttered.

"Go," she simply said.

"I'm sorry..."

"Go! Learn for yourself that they are far worse monsters than I ever will be to you!" The Queen started choking up.

I lowered my head and ran out of the banquet hall, hoping to avoid eye contact.  I left the castle and walked through the courtyard -- without having to sneak around, for once -- to the stables, where my white horse, Tulip, was waiting. I saddled and mounted her, and guided her down a trodden dirt path to the town.

It felt quite nice to trot through the town without having to lurk in its shadows. People wandered the streets, lifting up their dresses so that the dirt would not gather at their hems. Some carried baskets filled with fruit and bread in their arms. Others carried rolls of fabric and sewing tools. Not a single one looked at me with suspicion or concern; apparently news spread fast around here.

The buildings were small, but they all had at least two stories. I guessed that many people lived above their shops. Long strings of twine were occasionally strung across the street between these upper levels, holding dresses and other associated garments and undergarments.

When the number of buildings dwindled down to the occasional  community of rickety shacks (to put it nicely; these piles of wood were practically unfit to live in or even go inside of), I had Tulip speed up to a gallop. The wind tousled my hair as she ran like she hadn't done in a long time. When the Border's late morning shadow came into view, I tied Tulip's bridle to a nearby fencepost. I then walked towards the ginormous stone structure, taking in its massive size.

When I was at the edge of the shadow cast by it, I saw the thin layer of snow that had gathered. I was awestruck, for it hadn't snowed -- or rained, for that matter -- in at least a couple weeks. I stepped once, then twice, into its gloomy shadow. I started shivering. I wanted to turn back.

But I'm so close...I can't turn down such an opportunity.

On that thought, I trudged through the snow, ignoring the numbness growing in my feet.

"I should've worn better shoes," I said to myself as I looked pitifully down at my flats. It wouldn't have made a difference if I discarded them. I focused on looking straight ahead, watching myself come nearer and nearer to the Border.

Finally, I could feel it. The exhilaration, the terror, the awe. I had never come this close to it before, and I knew it was meant to be. Me, Princess Rosaline of Highlandia, the one to discover the secrets of the other side. The one to first see these creatures face-to-face. The only person to dare explore even this far.

Little did I know that this discovery would have such great consequences. Or such an unsettling history. I stopped moving when I realized I was in arm's reach of the Border.

I looked to either side of it. It seemed to stretch infinitely in both directions. I considered making the journey around it.

But it could literally go on forever. I could be walking for hundreds of miles before I realize that.

I discarded that idea and again looked straight ahead.

What if I went through it?

I went closer to the Border, and touched it.

The stone was so cold, I had to snatch it away just as quickly. My fingers were turning blue already. Maybe I shouldn't try to tear through it, at least not with my bare hands.

I turned around and noticed that I couldn't see the town from here. What I could see were the communities of buildings dotting the landscape where I could see.

And dozens of the terrifying red-eyed creatures were ransacking them.

My breaths quickened, and despite my newfound knowledge of the ability of the Border to give me frostbite, I backed up against it. Before I could react, I heard a small click coming from where my back touched the freezing stone. I looked at the stone, and I saw a perfectly round piece of the stone projecting from the wall. I looked around to see what this supposed button would have done.

I nearly jumped when I saw a descending staircase that wasn't there before. I walked towards it, trying to look where it led. When I got close enough, I realized that I couldn't see the bottom. I also saw the snow coating the first few steps. It would be hard not to slip on them. I held my breath as I put my foot on the first step as slowly as I could. I exhaled with relief when I was still standing on top of the snow.

Unfortunately for me, that moment was short-lived when I tried to take another step. My heart skipped a few beats when I slipped and tumbled painfully down the stairs into utter darkness.

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