Tag: fairy tale

Next To Nieveaux- Part Four

Please enjoy the finale of our Next To Nieveaux adventure!

Back To Nieveaux

Joy, Picclapena, and Chomp started on the path back to Nieveaux. As they walked, Picclapena noticed that the road looked unfamiliar. Nothing at all along the way looked quite the same as it had when she first stepped beyond the Edge of the Curve. Also, it seemed like a very short journey back to Nieveaux. Before Picclapena even had a chance for feel tired, Joy halted in front of her.

“There it is!” Joy cried. “There is the Edge of the Curve right in front of us. We are almost back to Nieveaux!”

Picclapena stopped and stared. She turned to Joy and sputtered, “But, but… that’s a snow globe! A giant snow globe!”

“Of course,” Joy responded calmly. “Didn’t you know that Nieveaux was encased in a giant snow globe?”

“NO! Nieveaux is REAL!”

“Well, in a manner of speaking it is real. It is real in the same way the contents of any snow globe are real. They have substance and bulk. They are made of materials that you can see and feel. But they aren’t real in the same way that life Outside the Curve is. Outside the Curve is bigger and thicker and richer in detail. Everything is made of pretty much the same materials as things in Nieveaux, yet, somehow, everything is more than the combination of its materials. Everything Outside the Curve is just more- more beautiful, more joyful, more painful, more interesting, more dangerous, more explosive in every way. Didn’t you notice that when you stepped Outside the Edge?” Joy asked.

“Well, yes. Now that you mention it, I did notice it. I just didn’t think about it. It didn’t sink in somehow. I think, though, that I always felt it,” answered Picclapena quietly. “I don’t really understand what it all means, though.” Her lips buckled. Her cheeks sagged. Tears filled her eyes. “If Nieveaux is not what I always thought it was, what am I supposed to do now?”

“Let’s take a moment,” suggested Joy gently. “Let’s sit down and wait while you decide what you really want to do next.”

They sat down on the green grass right outside the Edge of the Curve. Picclapena cried for a while and then fell silent. Joy sat next to her and waited. Chomp curled up in her lap. Finally, Joy asked, “Well, what do you think you want to do? Shall we keep going Inside the Curve and take ourselves to Nieveaux or would you rather go back to my village? You are welcome to stay with me as long as you like. You can go to school with the other village children. Someday, maybe you would like to work with me in the flower shop. Or maybe you will go on to have other adventures of your own. You have been very quiet. What have you been thinking?”

Picclapena said nothing for a few seconds. She finally looked at Joy and said, “I don’t know what to do. I can see now that the world Outside the Curve is beautiful and wonderful. It can be scary and dangerous, and I do not know if I am strong enough to live there. The idea of trying sounds exciting, though. Still, I am the royal princess of Nieveaux, and I have a duty to be the next monarch. What would they do if I never came back?”

Suddenly, Picclapena was aware of someone standing behind them. She turned to see that Ezra had caught up with them.

“I don’t know,” he said. “What would they do?”

“I don’t know either,” said Picclapena. “They need a monarch.”

“Oh, do they? Why is that?” asked Ezra. “Joy, do they have a monarch where you live?”

“No,” replied Joy. “Every two years, everyone in the village comes together to select five of the wisest and kindest citizens to be elders in the town. They mediate arguments and organize help when someone needs it. It works pretty well. Sometimes, the people get it wrong, and the elders turn out not to be the wisest and kindest. Usually, though, we live very happily and, if we have made a mistake about an elder, it is pretty easy to fix it during the next selection.”

“Sounds to me like a monarch is not a necessity of life, Picclapena,” Ezra said.

 Picclapena ignored his comment. “I would also like to see my mother and father and Lady Agnes again, too. Choices are so hard. That is one of those things about the world Outside the Curve, isn’t it? Making choices is scary and difficult and uncomfortable but making choices can also lead to great happiness and great beauty.”

“Yes, love… you have said it just exactly. But whether you decide to stay Outside the Curve or decide to go back to Nieveaux, it must be your choice.”

As Picclapena continued to ponder her decision, she noticed something right at the Curve. A faint dark line was getting bigger and darker and deeper. She and Joy ran over to inspect it.

“Oh no, Picclapena! There is a crack in the Edge. This is a terrible situation for Nieveaux. If it cannot be fixed, everything within the globe will dry out and chip and crack. Life will not be possible there. Everyone must evacuate now to survive. Even now, it might be too late. This means there is no real decision for you to make. You cannot go to Nieveaux now!”

“But people I love are in there!” cried Picclapena. “We have to save them! Will your magic work on the globe?”

“What do you mean?” asked Joy.

“You healed the gash on my arm simply by drawing your finger over it. Could you heal the crack in the Edge in the same way?”

“I don’t know. That is a pretty tall order. Your little gash did not require much magic to close it. That crack is much stronger and more vicious. I could try, but I would have to go Inside the Curve to do it.”

“Let’s go!”

Picclapena, Joy, and Chomp ran towards the Edge. Without thinking, Picclapena stepped right into the Edge.

Joy hurried to the crack and drew her finger up as far as she could reach. Picclapena held her breath while she watched fluid continue to seep out of the globe. Joy kept trying. Picclapena cried, “You and Ezra keep working on it. I am going to warn the kingdom of the danger and tell them to evacuate Outside the Curve!”

Picclapena ran off towards the palace, with Chomp racing behind her. When she arrived at the marketplace at the center of the kingdom, she began to tell the people that the Curve was cracked, and they only had a brief time to evacuate to save themselves. The people just laughed at her and told her that the Curve was completely safe.

One citizen demanded how she had re-entered the Curve without bringing anything with her to make Nieveaux better. All she had brought, the citizen pointed out, was some ridiculous story that was causing all kinds of panic. Picclapena tried to explain that she had entered with Joy, who was a magical healer. Again, the crowd rebelled, demanding to see this “magical healer.”

As Picclapena tried fruitlessly to explain, Ezra appeared from nowhere.

“How did you get here?” Picclapena asked. “How did you pay this magical tribute?”

“Oh, I come back and forth from the Edge all the time. And I never said anything about magic. You are the one who keeps bringing up magic. All I said is that you needed to bring back something that would make life better in Nieveaux. I bring back something that makes life better in Nieveaux every time I enter- me.”

“So, I could have just come back on my own any old time?” Picclapena demanded.

“I don’t know. Could you have? Do you believe you make life in Nieveaux better?”

Before Picclapena could reply, she saw Joy running down the path.

“I did what I could. It was too much for me to bind up the whole crack. It is still leaking, and my repair will breech, but I was able to buy us some time to get the people safely out of Nieveaux.”

Picclapena again tried to address the crowd, but they continued to shout her down. Everyone knew that nothing bad could happen in Nieveaux. There was such an uproar, the king and queen heard the noise from their palace and came out to see what was happening.

Queen Theodora ran to fold Picclapena in her arms, crying and laughing all at the same time. “Oh, Picclapena, I have been so worried. I thought I would never see you again.”

King Noble moved towards Picclapena also but stopped when he noticed Joy. His face flushed and turned bright red.

“Mariette!” he cried.

Picclapena looked startled. “Mariette? No, Father, this is my friend Joy. She helped me in the world Outside the Curve. She is magic and she came with me to help Nieveaux. She  has repaired the crack in the Curve to give us time to evacuate the kingdom. But we must hurry, Father. Please proclaim that the people need to abandon Nieveaux and travel Outside the Curve. There is not much time. I do not know who Mariette is, but this lady’s name is Joy.”

Joy stilled. “Mariette Joy. That is my name- Mariette Joy.”

Queen Theodora, King Noble, and Picclapena all looked at Joy incredulously.

“But how? Why are you back? What does this mean?” Queen Theodora’s face was folding in on itself, preparing to cry painful, piteous sobs. King Noble stood stone-faced in despair. Picclapena reached out to Joy.

“What do you mean?” Picclapena begged.

“It is not a simple story. We really don’t have much time, but I need to tell you so that we can concentrate on getting the people to safety.” Joy was impatient but knew that she had to tell the story now that the king and queen had recognized her.

“Once upon a time, I was going to marry a handsome prince and live happily ever after, but I was caught in a storm. The wind threw me through a minor crack in the Curve. My prince could not find me. When I found my way back to him, he was preparing to marry another. I did not want to interfere. Also, I found that there was a different kind of life for me Outside the Curve. I decided it would be better for everyone if I just left well enough alone and went back to my life Outside the Curve. The night of the wedding, though, I left a beautiful flower bouquet of white roses for the royal couple as a gift for them.

My prince knew immediately who must have left the flowers and he came looking for me. That prince was your father, Picclapena. He had not stopped loving me. He loved his wife, too-  Queen Theodora, never doubt that he loved you. In some ways, he loved you more than he did me. You were his partner and his helpmate. I was the fantasy of his youth. I was the promise of something he could never have… and perhaps only thought he wanted. But we were both young and still in love. Prince Noble searched for me beyond the Edge often until he found me. We loved each other and one day, I found myself to be with child. I was poor and alone. I knew that my child would be safe in Nieveaux. There was no risk in Nieveaux. Prince Noble told his princess, breaking her heart. That break never quite repaired but, when Princess Theodora saw the baby girl, all the love she ever had spilled out onto the child. I knew it was the right thing to do.”

Joy pushed up the right sleeve of her dress to reveal a small, lavender-colored, cross-shaped mark just like the one on Picclapena’s arm. “You, Princess Picclapena of Nieveaux, are my ever-beloved, never forgotten Penny.”

Picclapena stared at Joy and glanced at the king and queen in bewilderment. She did not even realize that tears were running down her cheeks. Her sorrow and fear and confusion tightened within her. She could feel it crushing her very essence.

“But how is possible that you are my mother? I have a mother already. A person can’t have more than one mother.”

“Why not?” asked Ezra. “Don’t you have more than enough love to go around? Love should be multiplied, not divided.”

Joy moved towards Picclapena and said gently,  “I know this might be crippling news for you to hear. I never wanted you to find out this way. We can talk about it all you want in the future… after we get everyone safe. I know you want to save the people of Nieveaux, and I will do whatever I can to help.”

Picclapena gulped down a sob. She squared her shoulders and, with a curt nod of her head marshalled all her determination. She turned to her father.

“Papa, please listen to me. I have seen the crack. I have seen the fluid beginning to flood Nieveaux. The fluid is already beginning to pool. Soon the globe will be so off balance, it will topple over. Anyone who survives the fall will soon drowned. You must issue a royal proclamation requiring everyone to go beyond the Edge of the Curve!”

The red-purple shade of King Noble’s face had faded to a dull, flat grey. He looked hopelessly from Mariette to Theodora, who were both quietly weeping for something they both realized they never had. He stared at his daughter.

“Picclapena!” cried King Noble. “I can’t order people to leave Nieveaux and go outside the Edge of the Curve. It is dangerous out there. It is dark out there. Scary beasts dwell in the shadows. People get hurt. People do bad things. Sometimes, there is not enough to eat. Sometimes, there is no shelter from the cold and the wind. Sometimes, hearts are broken.”

“Yes, Papa…. All that it true. But that is not all of the truth. The world out there can be scary and dangerous. But it can also be so strangely beautiful and joyful. Hearts do get broken, but hearts also get healed. Since I have been away, I have been scared and hurt and hungry and cold. Vicious beasts have chased me. I am sure some people do bad things, but I only saw the kindness. The kindness was always there when I needed it. And, frankly, Father, I do not think you can say people never do bad things in Nieveaux.”

Picclapena paused and looked at her father intently and deeply. He realized that he had done bad things right in the very center of Nieveaux. He had been selfish and thoughtless…and he had broken two hearts in the process. He looked away in shame.

“Anyway, it might be dangerous Outside the Edge, but it is definitely dangerous here!” Picclapena spoke with more confidence and authority. “Papa, you must issue the proclamation! Please, please save your people!”

King Noble looked up at the crowd. In a flat, defeated voice, he said, “No, Picclapena. I have no business issuing any proclamations. I have no right to tell anyone to do anything. I have proven myself to be an unworthy monarch.”

Then, as his voice regained strength and surety, King Noble looked out across the crowd of people and said, “People of Nieveaux! I have wronged my child, her mother, and my queen through my selfishness and foolishness. I am no longer fit to be called your king. But, please, listen to my beloved daughter Picclapena and do as she says.”

The crowd turned to Picclapena. She began organizing evacuation efforts and assigning tasks. She helped pack the wagons with provisions. She calmed children. She helped the elderly and disabled walk to the Edge of the Curve. She ran to the palace herself and loaded a cart with the most important cultural icons of Nieveaux. Everywhere anyone looked, they saw Picclapena taking measures for a safe evacuation of all the citizens. Queen Theodora and King Noble went through the palace and gathered all the valuable treasures so that there would be money to start again in the world Outside the Edge.

In the midst of the carefully controlled chaos, Picclapena looked at the people around her. Nearly all of them were terrified of leaving the comfort of Nieveaux to plunge into a new life full of danger and pain. She wished she could tell them what it was really going to be like, but she could not. For one thing, she didn’t really know herself. For another thing, she realized that her people would never understand the world Outside the Curve until they experienced it for themselves. All she could do was urge them forward to the Edge.

After several hours of hurried preparation, Picclapena led the people of Nieveaux to the Edge. When they reached the Edge, she asked Joy to go through the Curve first so that the people could see how it was done. Picclapena would stay Inside the Curve to soothe the people’s fears and help them through the Curve. Joy agreed and easily passed through the Curve while the people watched.

“Ezra, will you go next?” asked Picclapena.

“No. You can do this yourself. I’m going to go do a few things. You know I’ll catch up with you if you need me.” Ezra walked away, towards King Noble. Picclapena began shuffling people through the Curve. When all the citizens were through, Picclapena reached to help Queen Theodora. She shrunk back a little and asked, “Do you really think I should go? Is there a place for me?”

“Of course, you will always be my mother. I want you with me. Joy is wonderful and I love her already. She fills a place in my soul that I did not even know was empty. You, though, are the mother of my heart and I never want to be away from you again. Please go through the Curve and I will meet you there in just a moment.”

Queen Theodora went through the Curve. Picclapena could see her smiling with a brightness she had never before noticed on her mother’s face. Picclapena looked and saw that King Noble was the only person left. Ezra had disappeared. King Noble backed away as Picclapena moved towards him.

“No, Picclapena. I am not going. I was born to be the monarch of Nieveaux. I let down my whole kingdom and now I am going to stay within the globe and try to find a solution to the problem. I know I can find a way to fix the crack in the Curve. I appreciate you bringing all our people to safety, but it must be my job to find a way to be able to bring them home safely.”

“Father! There is no way. If you stay here, you will die. Joy has a magic healing power and even she could not fix the globe completely. All she could do was buy us enough time to save the people. Papa, you are one of the people, too. We want to save you. It doesn’t matter now what you did years ago! You made a foolish, selfish mistake. It is over now!”

“It can’t really have been a mistake, Picclapena. It brought us you. No, I must stay here and at least try to fix the globe. Let’s go take a closer look at the crack.”

King Noble walked over to the crack. When they got close to the crack, it was clear that the patchwork Joy did was disintegrating. The crack was jagged and angry. Several feet of water pooled over the snow on the ground. The globe had a distinct list. Picclapena could hear the rumbling and creaking of the globe as it struggled to remain upright.

King Noble got as close as he could to Edge of the Curve and called Picclapena to join him. “Look, Picclapena. I see something.”

Picclapena stood right next to her father and peered over his shoulder to see what he meant. As she did, he grabbed her and pushed her through the Edge of the Curve. Just at that moment, the globe broke open and capsized. Picclapena watched in horror as King Noble disappeared into the suction of the dying globe.

Picclapena screamed a mighty cry- a cry that emanated from the deepest part of her soul. She turned away to stop from seeing her father’s head go completely under the liquid. She went to break the sad news to her mother, Joy, and the people of Nieveaux. A sad crew camped for the evening by the outside Edge of the Curve. Picclapena stayed her grief and confusion as she labored to set up the camp. As she cooked food and distributed blankets and dried tears, she happened to look up and saw Ezra helping to pitch tents. She was glad he was back.

The next day, Picclapena led the people of Nieveaux to the little village where Joy lived. As time passed, she and Joy and Queen Theodora helped the Nieveaux citizens find a place in this new world. Picclapena went to school, helped in Joy’s flower shop, and taught all the children- the children from Nieveaux and the children of the outside village- all about the beauty in both Nieveaux and in the world Outside the Curve. When Picclapena grew up, she was a wise and kind person. She was so wise and kind that the town selected her as an elder every two years through her whole life.

The week after the crack, when the shambles should have settled, Picclapena brought a group of volunteers back to the place where the crack had been. There was no remnant of Nieveaux left to be found. The shards of glass and pools of fluid had disappeared. They searched with all their might and found no trace of King Noble.

All they found was a small bouquet of white roses and sparkly icicles.

THE END

Next To Nieveaux- Part Three

Here we go with the third leg of our Next To Nieveaux adventure!

Princess Picclapena Meets Joy

Picclapena and Ezra followed as Chomp led them into the village. The village was a vibrant place. There were sounds and colors and textures everywhere. Picclapena’s nose crinkled at the smell of freshly baked bread as they walked past the bakery. The hard, uneven cobblestones beneath her feet felt sturdy, even as her ankles rolled to accommodate them. She stopped to chuckle at the reflection of the three of them in a shop window.

Ezra looked serene and tidy. Chomp was bursting with enthusiasm. Even his wiggle had swagger. Picclapena was the odd, rag-tail member of this company. Her hair ribbons were long gone. The new dress she had donned for her first public appearance was barely recognizable. When Lady Agnes took it off the hanger, it was exactly the color of fresh spring lilacs. Now, it was more the color of the dirt in which those same lilacs would grow. Her face was smudged, and her stockings torn. The scrapes and scratches on her leg and hands were still visible. In fact, there was a brand-new gash in her right arm that she did not remember even getting. It was bleeding. All in all, no one would ever know she was a royal princess.

Chomp stopped outside a small shop.

“Here we are,” said Chomp. “My friend Joy lives here. I think she is about the most magical thing in our whole village. Perhaps you could take her back with you, although I do not know why she would want to go. Maybe she has some ideas, though.”

As they entered the shop, they saw a woman standing in front of a long table arranging flowers. She smiled when she saw Chomp and stooped down to welcome him. Chomp rushed over to her and threw himself into her arms. He chortled and snorted in glee. The woman peered curiously at the two visitors over Chomp’s head.

“Oh, Joy,” Chomp said, “please forgive my manners! I was just so happy to see you I did not stop to introduce you to my friends. This is Picclapena and Ezra. They are on a quest, and I thought you could help. You see, Picclapena lives in Nieveaux- Inside the Curve, but has wandered beyond the Edge of the Curve. She went chasing a churla and got lost. By the time she realized what had happened, she had been gone too long. She cannot return home unless she can bring back something from the outside world that will make life better in Nieveaux. I thought you might be able to help her find some magic. You are the most magical person I know!”

Joy looked at Picclapena closely. She seemed about to say something when Picclapena yelped.

“Oh, I am so sorry! I have this gash on my arm, and I’ve dripped blood on your floor.”

“Don’t you worry about that, child. You poor thing. Does it hurt? Here, I can take care of that for you,” responded Joy.

Picclapena thought Joy was going to clean and bandage the cut, so she held out her arm. Instead, Joy gently drew her finger over the cut, and it immediately healed. Picclapena gasped. She tried to pull her arm back to examine where the cut had been, but Joy was still holding it. Joy seemed puzzled as she looked intently at Picclapena’s arm. She laid her hand gently on the lavender mark.

“Oh, that. That is just a birthmark. It doesn’t hurt or anything,” explained Picclapena.

“No, I imagine it doesn’t,” mused Joy quietly.

“You really are magic, aren’t you?” asked Picclapena. “I know you would make life better in Nieveaux. You can heal wounds without medicine or tools. Would you come back with me so I can go home?”

“Oh dear, I am not sure I could do that. You see, I have a life here. I have my friends and my flower shop. I don’t know what I would do in Nieveaux.”

“Oh, please! It would mean so much to me to go home. Won’t you come with me?”

“No, I don’t think I can but never mind. Perhaps I can think of something. In the meantime, you are tired and all scraggle-muffin. I wager you are hungry, too. I am sure I can wrestle up something for you to wear from one of the neighbors. Why don’t you take a bath and l get you some clean clothes? I have some chicken cooking in the oven. Please, all of you, stay for dinner. Chomp, I am sure I have some blackberries for you. In fact, I know… why don’t you all stay the night, and I will try to think up a plan to get you home, Picclapena.”

Picclapena was disappointed but was happy to get a hot bath and a hot dinner. She was very hungry and very tired. It had been so long since she left home. She could barely remember what it felt like to have a full belly and a comfy bed and people around her to keep her safe. The idea of soaking in a bathtub and eating her fill and spending more time with this unusual woman was immensely appealing.

That evening, after an enchanting dinner filled with rollicking laughter and easy conversation, Picclapena snuggled into the bed Joy made up for her. She felt warm and cozy, wrapped in amiability and companionship. Picclapena started to realize how safe she felt. For the first time since leaving Nieveaux, she felt secure and free from fear. In fact, thought Picclapena, she never felt this bone-deep sensation of safety even in Nieveaux where everything in her world was designed specifically to keep her safe. Before she had a chance to think too much about this revelation, her eyelids drooped close, and she fell fast asleep in the darkness.

The next morning, Picclapena stretched awake and luxuriated in the sunny rays seeping through the curtain in the bedroom. As she pushed herself up into a seated position, she saw that Joy was sitting beside the bed in a chair quietly stripping thorns off roses.

“Oh, you are awake! I didn’t want to wake you because you have had such a difficult few days, but I was starting to worry. I must say, I was worrying for nothing, though. You look wonderfully well-rested and happy,” marveled Joy.

“Yes, I feel fantastic. Thank you so much for letting me stay here and for the dinner and for everything.”

“I am glad to have you. Truly,” Joy replied. “Chomp is playing in the backyard and that Ezra fellow who was here with you asked me to tell you that he had a few things to do but will be back a little later. I am happy to have a little time to ourselves because I wanted to tell you something. I have decided to come back to Nieveaux with you after all. I am not sure how long I will stay, but I will go back with you so that you can go home.”

Picclapena jumped out of the bed and threw her arms around Joy.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you! That is so good of you. I don’t think I have ever met anyone as kind of you.” Picclapena began to cry with relief and gratitude. “But what changed your mind? You seemed so against the idea last night!”

“I was just thinking about everything last night and decided I wanted to help you more than I didn’t want to go to Nieveaux. I had a little girl once. Her name was Penny. I would like to think that, if my little girl were in trouble, someone would be kind and help her.”

Picclapena paused. She wanted to know what had happened to Penny but didn’t like to ask. Joy looked so sad. “I am sure Penny was a lucky girl to have a mother like you. Thank you so much! When shall we go?”

“The sooner the better so I don’t have a chance to change my mind!” laughed Joy.

As they were talking, Chomp came barreling through the room with his mouth full of blackberries. He plopped down next to the bed and began eating. Picclapena and Joy had a breakfast of fresh blackberry muffins and cambric tea. They were ready to leave.

“Shall we wait for Ezra, do you think?” asked Picclapena.

“I think we are good to start out on our own. I am certain he will catch up with us,” replied Joy.

“Yes,” said Picclapena. “He does have a way of appearing at the right times. Let’s go. How will we know which way to go to get to the Edge of the Curve?”

Joy laughed. “There is only one road to Nieveaux, and I have been to the Curve thousands of times. We will be able to find our way with no trouble at all.”

Next To Nieveaux- Part Two

Here’s the second installment of Next to Nieveaux, for your reading pleasure!

Princess Picclapena Breaches The Curve

Picclapena looked at Ezra skeptically, but his face seemed to reveal no trace of guile. Well, she thought, what could it hurt to just go outside for a moment? And the churla was indeed extremely cute. She hesitated and then made up her mind.

“Okay,” she said. “How do I do it?”

“You just do it. Watch.” Ezra stretched his arm beyond the Curve, and it seemed to penetrate an invisible plane.

Picclapena gathered all her courage and stuck her right arm through the plane. Ezra smiled approvingly. Then, his eyes got bigger, and he seemed startled.

“What is it?” asked Picclapena.

“Uh, nothing, nothing. I just thought I saw something on your arm when you pushed it through the Curve. No problem.”

“Oh, yes. That is just a birthmark.” Picclapena pushed the right sleeve of her gown up above her elbow and showed Ezra a small, cross-shaped lavender-colored mark.

“Yes, yes. I see that now. Do you want to go further before that churla runs away?”

Picclapena, momentarily distracted from her task by the observation of her birthmark, took another deep breath. She wrinkled her forehead, scrunched up her nose, closed her eyes, stamped her foot, and plunged through the plane.

When she opened her eyes, she found that she was Outside the Curve. She had not really expected it to work, but there she was. She looked around curiously. The first thing she noticed was that there was no snow on the ground. Next, she saw a clump of trees growing nearby. They looked so solid. The roundness of their trunks, the roughness of their bark, the subtly assorted colors that covered them- everything about the trees was so much lusher and more nuanced than the trees in Nieveaux.

In that moment of distraction, the churla had scuttered away. Disappointed, Picclapena looked around her for someone to advise her on what to do next. She looked towards the Curve but could no longer see Ezra. In fact, to her dismay, she could not even see the Curve. She stood on the green ground under the trees, trying to figure out what to do… and trying desperately not to cry. She stood there for a rather unreasonable amount of time waiting for someone to come by, but nobody happened to cross her path.

As she waited, Picclapena noticed that something strange was happening. The sky, which had been just as bright and blue as the sky in Nieveaux earlier in the day, was changing. Cotton candy colors swirled around the clouds. The colors and the play of the shapes in the air made Picclapena think of a kaleidoscope she played with when she was very young. The colors in the sky, though, were so much softer, warmer, and more amorphous than the garish, sharp-edged tones in her kaleidoscope. In fact, the colors in the sky were more than just colors. They engaged more than just Picclapena’s eyes. They immersed her. They danced in the air like graceful ballerinas. Picclapena wanted to fling her arms into the air and join their corps. She thought she could almost hear the notes and themes of a sweet, pure, exquisite symphony wafting gently like visual music from the sky. As Picclapena watched the beautiful color ballet, nothing else seemed to matter beyond the glory of the sky.

Soon, though, the colors faded into a dull grey. As the sky darkened, the evening grew cold. Almost before she realized it, Picclapena noticed that the sky was black. She could not see well enough to find her way back to the Curve. She realized she was hungry and tired. She fished around and found the cookie she always kept in her pocket in case of emergencies. She started eating the cookie while she thought about how she could find her way back to Nieveaux. Just as she was eating the last crumbs of her cookie, she spied a churla a few feet ahead of her. The churla’s bright white fur seemed to glow, providing a sort of beacon to light the path ahead of her.

Picclapena inched her way towards the churla. When she got close to it, she exclaimed, “Oh, you cute, dear little thing.” She reached out to pet it. Suddenly, the churla’s white fur turned a bright pink color. The churla smiled a terrible smile, revealing pointed, serrated teeth. The churla reared back to hurl itself at Picclapena, who screamed and turned to run away.

“There really is no sense in that,” said Ezra, as he stepped between Picclapena and the churla. “Churlas are much faster than you could ever hope to be. Best not to rattle them to begin with. Once they have a notion to attack, it is not easy to put them back in their place. Look what’s coming now.”

Picclapena looked and saw a whole colony of vibrant pink churlas approaching. Panicking, she began to climb a nearby tree. Ezra nodded approvingly. “That’s the ticket,” he said. Churlas are afraid of heights. He did not seem particularly bothered by the churlas himself.

“What are you doing here?” Picclapena yelled from the tree. “Where did you come from? You were there and then you weren’t. I didn’t know where you had gone.”

“No, dear. You were there and then you weren’t. I stayed exactly where I was.” Ezra looked up at her in the tree. The churlas, seeing there was no chance for a quick meal of organic princess, decided to go in search of easier prey. The color of their fur transformed back to brilliant white. “So, you can’t stay up there forever. What are you going to do?”

“I want to go home!” Picclapena cried, as she scrambled down the tree trunk. As she did so, she scraped her shin on the jagged bark and exclaimed in pain when she saw thin stripes of blood seep from her skin.

“Well, it is not that easy,” replied Ezra. Now that you have been outside the Curve this long, you cannot just go back home. At least, not right away. You have to earn your way back in. You must first find something to bring back that will make life better in Nieveaux.”

“You mean, I have to find some kind of magic to get back to Nieveaux?” asked Picclapena.

“I never said anything about magic. You just need to bring back something that will make life better in Nieveaux.”

“What could there possibly be out here that is better than Nieveaux? It is scary and dangerous out here.”

“True enough… maybe you are right. Maybe there is nothing better out here. Surely this green grass isn’t better than the snow-covered ground in Nieveaux. Surely the everlasting light in Nieveaux is better than the night here Outside the Curve. And you have the royal orchestra in Nieveaux to play music. Surely, that is just as good as the symphony of the sunset?”

“Well,” frowned Picclapena doubtfully, “I suppose those things out here are very nice, but I am not sure they are worth it. Those churlas are scary!”

“Yes, but sometimes something wonderful lies just below scary,” Ezra mused. “I’m not sure that’s the case with churlas, but why don’t you do some exploring and see what you find out here Next to Nieveaux? After all, you cannot go back home until you find something of value to bring with you. You might as well get started”.”

“But there is this strange darkness, and I can’t see where I am going and I am very tired,” protested Picclapena. “Will the light ever come back to the sky?”

“Yes, in ten hours or so, it will be morning, and the light will return to the sky. You will see the path before you clearly. In the meantime, you might want to rest and gather strength because you are going to need a tremendous amount of power. It is an arduous task to find something wonderful to bring back to Nieveaux.”

“Maybe I should wait until the sky lights up again. But then I will have lost ten hours that I could have been searching! What is the wisest thing to do?” asked Picclapena.

“What do you think is the best thing for you to do?” asked Ezra.

“I don’t know! I just don’t know! That’s why I am asking.”

“You know better than I do what the best thing for YOU to do is. You are the expert at you, not me.”

“I’m sorry, Ezra, but that is not much help. If I am the expert in this situation, we are both in trouble.”

“You are much more competent than you think. Truly. The wisest thing to do is the best thing for YOU to do. You must proceed at your own pace. If you push ahead before you are strong enough to start the quest, you won’t make as much progress. On the other hand, if you are ready to move forward but postpone, you will meet with frustration and despair of your wasted opportunities. You decide.”

Picclapena and Ezra stood in companionable silence in the dark. Picclapena scowled and pondered hard. Ezra let her.

“I think I will go back up in that tree until morning so those vicious little churlas can’t get me. There was a handy little notch in the branches up there that will give me a place to sleep safely. Then, when the sky lights up, I will start trying to find the magic to bring back to Nieveaux.”

“That sounds like a sensible plan. Remember, though, you do not have to find anything magic to bring back to Nieveaux- just something that will make life better there.”

“But isn’t that a kind of magic in itself?” asked Picclapena.

“Yes, I guess you do have something there. Anyway, good night.”

Ezra turned and began to walk into the darkness.

“Wait, wait… where are you going?” cried the princess.

“Oh, I’ll be around if you need me. I am just going to do a few things.” Then, Ezra was gone.

Picclapena climbed into the tree and arranged herself in the notch as comfortably as she could. The tree was hard and unforgiving. The bark was rough. Her hair caught on branches and leaves as she tried to snuggle into a familiar sleeping position. Shifting and wiggling, Picclapena realized how much she missed the satin pillows and quilted blankets on her cuddly, bouncy bed in the palace. As she stared out into the dark, clouded sky, she felt sobs simmering in her gut. Tears began to ooze from her eyes and the pain in her stomach started spreading through her ribs and heart. Her sides started pressing in on her and her throat tightened. The sobs constricted to make their way into her head. When they finally released themselves, they were tight, dense, and sharp-edged. She sobbed into the night, but no one could hear her.

Just as the sobs were wearing Picclapena out and exhausting her to sleep, a cloud passed over the sky above her. In the wake of the cloud, a skyscape of stars appeared. Picclapena had never seen how brilliantly the stars could sparkle when piercing through a pure black sky. Her sobs subsided and her eyelids fluttered closed.

When the sun woke her the next morning, Picclapena clumsily climbed down the tree. She was not sure how to proceed with her quest. She felt rested, but hungry and empty. She had no real idea how to start searching for magic to bring back to Nieveaux, but she was fairly certain that she would not find it sitting in a tree. She heard the noises of a community in the distance and began walking towards them. As she walked away from the trees, further from the Edge of the Curve and further from Nieveaux, she saw a small village. She headed purposely towards the village, hoping to find food and guidance. She was certain that anyone would surely assist her when they learned she was the Princess of Nieveaux.

When she got close to the village, Picclapena hesitated. She felt anxious and shy about approaching anyone in the village. Supposing the villagers were not willing to provide help to the Princess of Nieveaux? Supposing the villagers had never heard of Nieveaux? What would happen? She paused by a small creek near the village. She found that she was quite thirsty, so she sat down and cupped her hands to gather a drink of water from the creek. As she drank, she realized she had never been so thirsty in all her life. She drank and she drank, and she drank until she could drink no more, but she was still thirsty. When she paused to catch her breath, she noticed that her arm was throbbing. There were some brambly bushes by the side of the creek. She looked closer and saw that they were thorny and tangled. However, at the very center of the brambly mess of bush, she saw that there were some shiny, luscious looking blackberries growing. The berries were almost as big as Picclapena’s fist.

Picclapena gingerly wove her hand amongst the brambles to pick a blackberry. Each time she tried; her hand caught on a thorny vine. Her skin caught and tore each time she pushed forward towards a blackberry. The streaks on her hands began to sting. They made angry lines on her skin. Picclapena began to weep in frustration. She sat cross-legged next to the blackberry bush and cried in despair. She was so intent on crying, she did not notice that she had company in the blackberry thicket. Finally, she heard a cooing noise and looked up to find a whole flock of churlas staring at her. One by one, their brilliant white fur changed to bright pink. Many of the churlas already eyed her greedily, their mouths open to bare their deadly teeth.

There were no trees in sight and Picclapena had no idea how to escape. She wondered if she really even wanted to escape. This world outside Nieveaux was dangerous and scary. She was far from home. She was hungry and thirsty. She was alone. There was nothing for her anymore. Maybe it would be best if she simply sat still and let the churlas get her. She had just about made up her mind to succumb when one of the still white churlas turned away from her and towards the other churlas. This lead churla made a snarling noise and the other churlas shrank away. Once the others had all disappeared, the lead churla turned back to face Picclapena. He cooed and gurgled menacingly at her, slinking towards her. Then, he climbed onto her lap and snuggled against her body. He let out a final grunt of satisfaction and curled himself into a ball as he fell asleep cuddled against Picclapena’s abdomen.

Picclapena did not know what to do but she reasoned that it probably was not a clever idea to wake a sleeping churla. She sat quietly, pondering her options, and trying to evolve a plan. She was still very hungry and very thirsty. She still had no idea how to find any magic to take back to Nieveaux. She still did not know if the people in the village, if she was ever able to escape the churla, would be friendly or not.

The churla eventually awoke.

“Hello,” said the churla.

“You talk?” exclaimed Picclapena.

“Of course I talk. I am a churla.”

“I didn’t know churlas talked,” explained Picclapena.

“Of course you didn’t. No one does. No one ever gets close enough to find out that we talk. Not that I blame them. Most of those churlas are not very nice.”

“I’ll say! Churlas have almost eaten me twice in the last couple of days! I am so scared of them. They are so dangerous and ferocious!”

“Oh? Am I so dangerous and ferocious?” asked the churla.

“You don’t seem to be… but why aren’t you trying to eat me?”

“Not all the churlas are the same, little girl. You are right about most of them. They look adorable, but once you get close to them, they transform. There is a poisonous substance that ignites in their bodies when they attack. It turns their fur pink. They tear their prey to bits with their sharp, serrated teeth. The poison that turns their fur pink also paralyzes and poisons their prey. There is a strain of mutant churlas, though. We do not have the gene for producing the poison. We hang out with the toxic churlas for protection, but we do not attack. We eat blackberries, not people.”

“Oh my! I am lucky you were with that flock of churlas, aren’t I? Thank you so much! Why did they leave when you turned to them?”

“That’s easy. In churla culture, we mutants are considered the Wise Ones. The toxic churlas are afraid of us. We know them for what they are, so they want to avoid us. We move from flock to flock, being as inconspicuous as we can. Then, when something happens like today, we reveal who we are to the toxic flock. Truth be told, most toxic churlas believe we are as poisonous to them as they are to you. I am not sure if that is true because I never tried to poison any of them.”

“I don’t know what to say!” exclaimed Picclapena.

“Why don’t you start by telling me your name, little girl?” suggested the churla.

“Oh, I’m not a little girl. That is, I am a little girl, but I am also the Princess Picclapena of Nieveaux,” explained Picclapena.

“Never heard of it. I’m not even sure I know what a princess is, but you are welcome to hang out with me anyway. My name is Chomp. It is irony. I don’t chomp.”

“Yes, I see. I am pleased to meet you Chomp. I hope we are going to be great friends.”

“I am sure we will be. For right now, I would sure love to have something to eat. Do you happen to have any blackberries?” replied Chomp.

“Now that you mention it…” began Picclapena, looking ruefully at her tattered hands. “There are tons of blackberries in the brambles over there. They look so luscious. They look much bigger than any blackberries I have ever seen. I am so hungry and the water from the creek did not slake my thirst. I have been trying so hard to gather blackberries, but all I have been able to do is shred my hands.

“You are in luck,” responded Chomp. “Mutant churlas are expert blackberry hunters. Our bones are pliable so we can squeeze ourselves into tiny areas away from thorns. Our skin is tough and resistant to prickles. If we do hurt ourselves on the brambles, we heal immediately. Let me get us some blackberries.”

Picclapena watched as Chomp wiggled under the brambles and disappeared into the thatch. When he emerged, he carried a large blackberry in his mouth. He left it at Picclapena’s feet and went back to retrieve a blackberry for himself. They ate their meal companionably. Picclapena found that the blackberry completely satisfied both her hunger and the ever-present thirst. When they finished eating, Picclapena stretched out on the grass, relaxing for the first time since she ventured Outside the Curve. With Chomp to protect her from the toxic churlas, she felt safe. Chomp snuggled next to her. Picclapena told him the whole strange story of Nieveaux and the Curve, Ezra, and her quest, and all the things she ever wanted to tell anyone. Chomp listened quietly until they both fell asleep.

When Picclapena woke up, she saw she was not alone. Chomp was still there, but Ezra had also appeared.

“Hello,” she said. “I wondered when you would show up. You said you would be here when I needed you. I kind of needed you yesterday.”

“You look okay to me. Looks like you found a friend,” Ezra observed.

“Yes, this is Chomp. He is a mutant churla who eats blackberries. He saved me from a flock of toxic churlas. He’s my friend now.”

“Good. I knew you would be fine. You have resources. You have skills. You should be proud of yourself. What’s next on the plan?”

“I still need to find some magic to bring back to Nieveaux. Chomp is pretty magical, but I am not sure if having a churla- even a mutant one- in Nieveaux would really make life better. Maybe Chomp has some ideas on where I can look.”

“I’m right here,” Chomp muttered at them. “Yes, I have some ideas. It has to be up to you to figure out what you want and get it, but I may be able to point you in a direction.”

“The right direction?” asked Picclapena.

“Maybe. That rather depends on you, doesn’t it?” Chomp replied crossly. He gurgled irritably. Churlas, even non-toxic ones, do not like being woken from a nap.

Ezra smiled and nodded. “I think you are exactly right, Chomp. It sounds like a great adventure, though. A churla and a princess on a quest for magic. This I have to see. Do you mind if I come along?”

“I think perhaps you had better,” answered Picclapena.

Have an adventurous day! See you next week..

Terri/Dorry 🙂

Next To Nieveaux- Part One

Last week, I told you about a story I told at the general meeting of my church women’s group.  I mentioned that the story I told was the extremely abridged version of a longer narrative I wrot a couple of years ago. I asked you if you would be interested in reading a serialized version of the original story.  One person responded with a resounding “Yes, please.”  To show you that I do not need to be asked twice, here we go…

Part One: Introducing Princess Picclopena

There is no dark in the kingdom of Nieveaux. The sun and the moon and the stars all shine simultaneously around the clock. It snows there frequently, although most of the silver white fluttery powder melts before it leaves the sky. Only a thin layer of snow blankets the ground, but that blanket never goes away. It does not matter how warm the sun gets, that layer of snow never quite recedes. The people in Nieveaux live with sparkle in their eyes.

Nieveaux’s government is virtually nonexistent. There is no need for one. People keep to themselves, meticulously following the laws of civilized society wrought over centuries of Nieveaux culture. No one ever comes from outside the kingdom to cause trouble. In fact, no one ever comes from outside the kingdom, period. Nominally, King Noble and his wife Queen Theodora rule the kingdom as benevolent, if somewhat indifferent, monarchs. Their daughter, Princess Picclapena, is the culmination of their lives’ work. The only real job for the monarchs of Nieveaux is to produce and preserve more monarchs.

When Noble and Theodora married, there was a collective sigh of relief in Nieveaux. Noble was the first in line to the throne but had shown no interest in marrying throughout his twenties. Right after his 30th birthday, he met a beautiful, kind, accomplished young lady named Mariette. Mariette had a pure, open heart that generated love effortlessly. Noble began to pay court to Mariette. This scandalized his parents. His actions also scandalized the small fraction of the Nieveaux population who paid any attention to anything beyond their own  front doors. Mariette was not of royal blood. Also, Mariette and her family lived at the Edge of the Curve, the official boundary of Nieveaux. No one in Nieveaux knew what lay beyond the Edge of the Curve, but the people of Nieveaux believed that citizens who lived too close to the boundary were tainted by the kingdoms of the Outside.

Noble defied his parents and the community by continuing his courtship. He finally proposed a union between his royal house and Mariette’s humble family. While such a marriage of unequals was the closest thing to trouble that Nieveaux had seen in generations, the families eventually agreed. The work of a monarch is to produce monarchs and, at 30, it was long past time that Noble got to work.

Noble and Mariette floated along on the amazement of their love for some months. There were elaborate preparations for a wedding worthy of a prince of the realm. Mariette’s family was not able to match the opulence of a royal wedding, but they gathered flowers and ribbons and lace to make gorgeous bouquets for every pre-wedding event. The day of the wedding rehearsal, Mariette went out to gather fresh flowers to grace the altar. A severe snowstorm arose. That day, the snow did not melt quickly. The storm raged and flurried all around her for hours. She never returned. Mariette’s family and Noble went looking for Mariette, but it was useless. All they found was a bouquet of white roses, trimmed with icicles and evergreen. The bouquet appeared to have been dropped next to the largest tree in Nieveaux, thrown from Mariette’s hands as the wind and snow threw her against the tree. Her people had to assume that Mariette was blinded by the snow and disoriented. They believed she sustained a blow to her head that caused her to lose consciousness and freeze to death. They decided that they must wait until the snow in the area melted to a reasonable level so they could excavate to find her body.

The snow in that area of Nieveaux never melted from that day forward. Elsewhere in Nieveaux, the topography returned to its pre-storm state. There was a thin layer of snow all over the ground all the time, but it would have been easy to unearth anything covered beneath it. In the Curve of the Edge area, however, the snow stayed mounded. Another strange coincidence was that the bouquet of white flowers stayed as fresh as the day Mariette picked them. The evergreen never wilted. The icicles never melted. Her family kept the bouquet in a protective case to always remind them of Mariette’s beauty and pure goodness.

Noble locked himself away in his castle for a month after Mariette’s death. When his family and his people told him he must marry, he refused. It was as if all the vibrancy and power he had within him died with Mariette. As time went on, though, he did tire of living within his own head. He came out of his locked room and began to go about the normal daily routine of a dashing young monarch. He was rich, popular, and quite the catch. He knew that he was born to marry. He also knew he would never love again the way he had loved Mariette. He decided that he might as well marry to please his family and his kingdom.

Noble decide to propose to Theodora. It was a highly satisfactory match in the eyes of the people of Nieveaux. Theodora was Noble’s third cousin and was fifth in line to the throne in her own right. She lived in the third castle on the right from Noble’s palace. She was beautiful and accomplished. She was poised and intelligent. She was born to be a queen. Noble found her to be an attractive and pleasant companion.

Once again, a royal wedding was in the works in Nieveaux. This time, everything went according to plan. The bride was stunning. The groom beamed. The decorations of gold and silver and precious gems gleamed… but the flowers were not quite as special as they had been for Mariette’s wedding. That night, when Noble and Mariette arrived at the Palace in the Pines, where they were to honeymoon, Noble found a fresh white rose bouquet, trimmed with icicles and evergreens, on the doorstep.

Time passed. Noble ascended to the throne. The kingdom celebrated a magnificent coronation for King Noble and Queen Theodora. They were the “it” couple, lauded at every turn. It seemed that the king’s sad romantic history had retreated into nostalgia. King Noble and Queen Theodora seemed very happy together. The kingdom ran just as it always had, to everyone’s satisfaction.

Everyone became even happier one day when the royal herald announced that Queen Theodora had given birth to a healthy baby girl. Her father named her Princess Picclapena. Princess Picclapena went to live in her own household, meticulously cared for by servants appointed by her parents to keep her safe. Her governess, Lady Agnes, guarded her fiercely from all things ferocious. Because Princess Picclapena was so precious to the royal house and no one wanted to risk her getting hurt or sick or endangered in any way, she only left her personal palace on rare state occasions. Even in the gardens of her palace, servants watched her play to make sure she stayed happy, healthy, and safe. King Noble and Queen Theodora visited her each day in the early evening hours. Picclapena loved that time of day. She always put on her coziest nightgown and wrapped herself in her quilted satin robe. Her queen would bundle the princess onto her lap in a rocking chair and quietly rock her to the sound of silence. The atmosphere was silent because King Noble and Queen Theodora did not speak to their daughter for fear of scaring her or hurting her. Since her parents did not speak, Picclapena did not either. She just snuggled close to her mother while her father looked on with an incredulous smile on his face. When Princess Picclapena went to bed, her parents went back to their castle until the next evening.

Princess Picclapena’s world was not always silent. Every day, her tutors came to teach her the great history and culture of Nieveaux. Picclapena learned the story of the royal succession, the importance of safeguarding the monarchy, and the need for caution in all things. She learned not to open the door to strangers. She learned not to question the great truths of the Nieveaux philosophers. She learned not to play too hard or jump too high or laugh too loudly. She learned to never leave her palace grounds without her parents. She especially learned that she must never, ever go beyond the Edge of the Curve. Picclapena would often watch the world of Nieveaux pass by outside the palace gates and wonder what it would be like to wander the kingdom on her own. Sometimes, she even thought she heard the far-off sound of music playing.

Whenever she mentioned her dream of life beyond the gates to her tutors, they explained that such a thing was not possible, nor even desirable. Clever, well-brought-up  princesses understood that they could have everything their hearts desired inside the palace grounds and there was nothing to be gained from the risk entailed with leaving her sanctuary. Picclapena was not sure this was true, but she liked to believe she was clever, and she knew she was well-brought up. After a while, she stopped asking about the world outside the palace gates.

Finally, an exciting day came. Princess Picclapena was going to join her parents for her very first official public appearance since her christening. She was to cut the ribbon at the opening of a new ice-skating rink at the center of the kingdom. The ceremony would take place in the evening when the second star twinkled. All day long, people came to the princess’s palace to prepare for her outing. Her tutors came to instruct her on her royal duties at the event. The seamstress came to fit her new dress. The hairdresser came to freshen her curls and change the color of the ribbons in her hair. The cobbler came with brand new slippers to match her new dress. A florist came, delivering a corsage of beautiful flowers to wear on her wrist. Princess Picclapena saw more people on skating rink day than she had seen in the entire year combined. She watched excitedly by the palace gates, as they swung open and closed multiple times. Once, she even jumped on the gate and began to swing on it. Her governess, Lady Agnes, quickly and gently removed her from the hazard.

Not to be deterred, Picclapena kept watching the hubbub at the gate. As she watched, she noticed a small white puppy just outside the gate. Delighted, she rushed to pet him, but he ran away before she could reach him. At first, she did not even notice that she was outside the gate completely on her own. Then, she noticed a man standing a few feet from her gate.

“Hello,” he said. “I am Ezra. How are you?”

“I think I am okay,” replied the princess. “How are you?”

“I’m very well,” Ezra responded. “Who are you and how did you get here?”

“What do you mean? I am Princess Picclapena, and I am standing right outside my palace,” responded the princess a little irritably.

“Are you sure?” Ezra asked politely, “I don’t see any palace.”

Picclapena looked around and was surprised to see that, in fact, the palace was not in sight.

“Oh no,” she cried, “I must have followed that little white puppy further than I intended. I have no idea where I am. And I am supposed to cut the ribbon at the ice-skating rink opening this evening!”

“Well, I might be able to help you,” Ezra said. “I can tell you that you are just next to the Edge of the Curve. It is quite a pleasant place to be. It may not seem like it to some people, but I think you will like it if you give it a chance.”

“But I am a royal princess! And I am not supposed to leave the palace grounds by myself. I am certainly not supposed to get this close to the Edge of the Curve!” Princess Picclapena retorted.

“Why not?” asked Ezra, quite reasonably.

“I’m just not. It isn’t safe. I have to be extra careful because I will one day be the monarch of Nieveaux. In the palace, there is no danger. Everyone is kind to me. Everyone makes sure I am comfortable. I know exactly what to do.”

“Oh, so what do you do?” Ezra asked.

“I, I, I, uh, I can’t explain it very well. Mostly, I am attended by my tutors to learn things so that I can be a good queen of Nieveaux… you know, history, culture, how to behave properly. I am particularly good at behaving properly,” Picclapena replied doubtfully.

“Hmm… it doesn’t sound very interesting.”

“It might not always be interesting. My governess tells me that it isn’t important that life be interesting or fun or exciting. It is important that I remain safe, learn how to do my duty, and be a good queen one day.”

“And what does a good queen do?” asked Ezra.

“There are Things.” Picclapena proclaimed importantly.

“Like what? Your father is king, right? What does he do?”

“He mostly just proclaims things. He is a very smart man and knows the answers.”

“The answers to what?”

“What is Right. He never talks to me, so I do not know exactly.”

“He never talks to you? At all?”

“No, my mother and father want to make sure I am not hurt or scared. If they talk, they might tell me something that will harm me. I did hear them talking once, though, as they left my palace to go back home.”

“What did you hear them say?”

“Hmm… let me think. I don’t remember exactly. My father was talking rather loudly. He sounded angry. My mother was crying. It had something to do with me, but it was not exactly about me.”

“That sounds confusing.”

“Yes, it was. After that day, I always waited next to the door when my parents left to see if I could hear anything else. I could not hear the words clearly, but I often heard snippets of tones. It was like faraway music. Sometimes, their voices tinkled like bells, and I could hear laughter. Most of the time, though, my father’s voice was like timpani and cymbals, crashing percussively against the halls of the palace. My mother’s sound was an oboe- mournful and piercing.”

“Did you ever ask anyone about what you heard?”

“Oh no, I couldn’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“It just isn’t done in Nieveaux.”

“Well, that’s true enough. Don’t you think it would be nice to know, though?”

“Yes, but I am sure I never will.”

“Hmmm… maybe not. What do you want to do now?”

“I don’t really know. I should go back to the palace. I would like to find that puppy, though, before I go back. Could you help me do that?”

“Sure. I know exactly where that puppy would be. It wasn’t a puppy, though.”

“It looked like a puppy!”

“Yes, but things are not always what they look like.”

Picclapena thought things were always what they looked like, but she did not want to be impolite and contradict.

“So, if it wasn’t a puppy, what was it?”

“Oh, those creatures are called churlas. They live right outside the curve.”

“OUTSIDE the curve?! Oh no, am I outside the curve? I thought you said we were at the Edge of the Curve.”

“Yes, yes… you are still inside. The churlas often creep into Nieveaux from the outside to check us out and then scuttle back outside the curve.”

“They must be very dangerous.”

“Do they look dangerous? What makes you think they must be dangerous?”

“No, they don’t look dangerous at all. They look cute and fluffy and sweet, and I want to pet one. I am sorry, Ezra, but they could not actually live outside the curve. Nothing but dangerous things live out there.”

“Well, you know best, of course,” replied Ezra, looking quite bemused. “Perhaps we could go over to see the Curve and you can show me how I am wrong. I am fairly certain we will see some churlas right beyond the Edge.”

“Is that safe?” asked Picclapena doubtfully. “I mustn’t go outside the Edge.”

“You should still be able to see those churlas, even at the Edge. However, if you don’t want to go, I quite understand.”

Ezra began to walk away towards the Edge of the Curve. Picclapena hesitated and then followed.

“After all,” she said, “there can’t be anything too dangerous as long as I stay inside Nieveaux.”

“You can stay as far from the Edge as you wish,” Ezra reassured her.

They walked in silence until Ezra exclaimed, “There it is!”

“What?” asked Picclapena. “I don’t see anything.”

“The Curve! Look, it is right over there.”

Picclapena looked quite carefully but did not see anything. Slowly, she moved forward until she finally noticed a small shimmer in the sky above her, creating a prism of multi-colored melted sunlight all around her.

“Is this it? Is this the Curve?”

“Yes, it is. Be careful, though; you do not want to get too close.”

Picclapena stood with her head bent upwards and squinted at the beautiful designs the prism of the Curve made. At first, they seemed to dance and morph and tease her senses. Then, as if by magic, her eyes cleared, and she could see outside the Edge of the Curve. Sure enough, there were churlas playing in the field right outside the Edge.

“Oh, there they are! You were right. They do live out there. Oh, how cute! I want one! I want to pet one!”

“Well, you can if you really want to.”

“How?”

“You could try calling them and see if one will breech the Curve and come inside. It probably will not work, though. Churlas only go where they want to go when they want to go. If you really want to pet one, you’ll have to venture outside the Curve. I do it all the time. It isn’t so bad. You can do it if you want to. Oh look! There is one of the churlas right outside the Curve over there.”

Stay tuned for the next exciting installment- Part Two: Princess Picclopena Breaches The Curve!

Have a royal day!

Terri/Dorry 😊