The One Thing That They All Got Wrong

That Would Be Enough

    The journey took a few days and left me with only my thoughts. The thoughts that you get right after something horrible happens. After you are kicked out of everything you know. I kinda wanted to curl up in a ball, but that's normal, right? 

    I tried to stop myself from thinking, which wasn't completely impossible during the day. I was able to concentrate on the walk, survey the breath-taking valleys and swathes of lush forest. But at night, when I was laying on a sturdy low hanging branch or atop a boulder by the road, my mind would turn against me and try to remind me of what had happened. After I found myself somehow murdering small rodents that got too close for the third time when I was thinking about this, I rolled over and stared at myself in a puddle. 

    "We do not have time for this. I am going to count to three and you will have put the whole ordeal inside some repressed memory jar for us to open when the time is right. Got it?" The me in my reflection didn't look convinced. I glared at her, then closed my eyes. "One." I saw my mother's lifeless eyes looking at me. "Two." I saw my home in flames. I saw the bishop waving to me as I dissapeared over a hill. One shaky breath. Another, stronger this time. I felt the dread push down in my stomach. Not lessen, never lessen, but easier to ignore. "Three." My reflection was right where I left it. A single tear building in one of her eyes. I wiped my face and rolled over, letting my exhaustion wash over me and letting sleep finally claim me. 

    The next day, I found myself walking over a series of hills, feeling as if something was tugging me by the gut. Possibly instinct, possibly food poisoning from that morning's breakfast. Who knows? 

    Finally, I reached the final hill and Camelot appeared. It was breathtaking. The beauty of the castle was indescribable. Towers scraping the sky, walls soaring half as high. From where I stood I could see people bustling around the streets, grocers selling goods, and children running after each other. 

    I jogged the rest of the way to the gates, then let up when I passed through. The streets were such a winding maze, I knew I would never be able to find my way on my own. On the bright side, there were people everywhere to ask. 

    However, people seemed to be in such a rush. I almost got knocked over multiple times. It seemed like everyone had a place to be and were much too busy to answer me when I asked where the court physician lived. One person pointed me in a general direction and rushed off. 

    I squeezed between two people's carts and took a few steps before someone ran into me, making me fall and hit my head on the back wheel of the cart I had just passed. I rubbed the already growing knot on my skull and looked up. A young man with blonde hair eyed me with an emerald gaze and raised an eyebrow. 

    "Are you going to apologize?" He folded his arms.

    "Excuse me?" I stood up and walked up to him, anger swelling up inside me. "You bumped into me." I poked him in the chest with every word. "So I'm gonna be waiting on my apology." I folded my arms and leaned back a bit, mocking his position. 

    He looked surprised then gave a short chuckle. "Do you know who I am?" 

    "Nope and I don't care." 

    "No, you don't understand. I'm-" 

    "No, you don't understand. Your social ranking is not an excuse for a lack of basic manners. Don't expect me to treat you like royalty just because you were born in  a better house than me. I just got here and I was trying to find my way through this mess of a place. But instead, I was pushed down by some pretty boy on his high horse. And you know what? I'm not in the mood to put up with this. So if you would excuse me, your Majesty," I said it with as much sarcasm as I could muster. "I need to go find where I'm going to be staying. Unless you would like to give me that apology along with directions?"