"Get inside Proserpina." Queen Aphelia appeared, her voice curt.
Where? Proserpina looked around, hoping to find a palace. No such luck. But when she turned back to Queen Aphelia, it was there, the most beautiful palace ever.
A bunch of grownups that were standing around swept past her into the palace. Proserpina followed. A bunch of guards surrounded her and pushed her into a room at the far side of the palace. Proserpina tried to get back to Aphelia, who had dissappeared in a flurry of blue and white and was swept away with another group of guards.
Queen Aphelia's voice suddenly started echoing in her head.
"Do not go. This is for your own good. Stay in the room and don't get out, no matter what. We are going to find Diana. Now."
Where? Proserpina looked around, hoping to find a palace. No such luck. But when she turned back to Queen Aphelia, it was there, the most beautiful palace ever.
A bunch of grownups that were standing around swept past her into the palace. Proserpina followed. A bunch of guards surrounded her and pushed her into a room at the far side of the palace. Proserpina tried to get back to Aphelia, who had dissappeared in a flurry of blue and white and was swept away with another group of guards.
Queen Aphelia's voice suddenly started echoing in her head.
"Do not go. This is for your own good. Stay in the room and don't get out, no matter what. We are going to find Diana. Now."
"But what about Diana?" Proserpina wondered aloud, "Aphelia, are you still there?"
No reply. Guess not.
Proserpina hurried up the hill. The ground was rocky and hard to walk on, but lucky for her, Proserpina found a trail. A smooth, and, most importantly, VISIBLE, trail.
Soon, she was at the top of the hill. Still no palace.
Fortunately, there were people. Finally, there was somewhere with people. Proserpina recognized one of them.
"Mr. Hassen!" she hollered,
Mr. Hassen turned around. "Proserpina! Aren't you supposed to be in Amphitha?"
Proserpina opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted.
"Don't worry, Paul. It isn't her fault."
No reply. Guess not.
Proserpina hurried up the hill. The ground was rocky and hard to walk on, but lucky for her, Proserpina found a trail. A smooth, and, most importantly, VISIBLE, trail.
Soon, she was at the top of the hill. Still no palace.
Fortunately, there were people. Finally, there was somewhere with people. Proserpina recognized one of them.
"Mr. Hassen!" she hollered,
Mr. Hassen turned around. "Proserpina! Aren't you supposed to be in Amphitha?"
Proserpina opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted.
"Don't worry, Paul. It isn't her fault."
Proserpina closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Where am I? This doesn't look like Hydromeda." She wondered aloud. It really didn't look like the palace they landed in last time. For one thing, the room they were in had no windows, doors, or furniture as far as Proserpina could see.
"What's Hydromeda?" Diana sneered, "And what did you do, you nincompoop! I'm going to be late for Archery, and you decide to take me to this gross place? I'm not even going to ask how you did it. I want out!"
Diana snatched the rose away and started walking to the door. Proserpina did a double take at Diana. That door wasn't there earlier.
But Proserpina decided she probably just didn't see it, because Diana walked out and left. And left Proserpina in the dark, mysterious room that had weird doors.
"What's Hydromeda?" Diana sneered, "And what did you do, you nincompoop! I'm going to be late for Archery, and you decide to take me to this gross place? I'm not even going to ask how you did it. I want out!"
Diana snatched the rose away and started walking to the door. Proserpina did a double take at Diana. That door wasn't there earlier.
But Proserpina decided she probably just didn't see it, because Diana walked out and left. And left Proserpina in the dark, mysterious room that had weird doors.
"Proserpina, are you listening?" Mr. Hassen asked,
"Uh..." Proserpina didn't know what to say.
"I said, your education will begin soon. Your tutor will be here any minute. Get yourself ready." Mr. Hassen replied.
"Oh, okay." Proserpina said.
Mr. Hassen left the room, then came back with woman. Then he left again, but the woman stayed.
"Proserpina." the woman looked at her, "I am Countess Peniah, your tutor in magic. But you are to call me madam. If you misbehave during your lessons, you will be sent back to Earth. And never to return ever again do you understand?"
Proserpina nodded. What a disciplinarian.
"Good. You are to return here on Wednesday at the same time. Do be prompt." Madam walked out of the room.
~
"Uh..." Proserpina didn't know what to say.
"I said, your education will begin soon. Your tutor will be here any minute. Get yourself ready." Mr. Hassen replied.
"Oh, okay." Proserpina said.
Mr. Hassen left the room, then came back with woman. Then he left again, but the woman stayed.
"Proserpina." the woman looked at her, "I am Countess Peniah, your tutor in magic. But you are to call me madam. If you misbehave during your lessons, you will be sent back to Earth. And never to return ever again do you understand?"
Proserpina nodded. What a disciplinarian.
"Good. You are to return here on Wednesday at the same time. Do be prompt." Madam walked out of the room.
~
The man opened the door and gestured for her to enter. Once inside, Proserpina was given a minute to look around.
There were a few old-fasioned chairs, lots of bookshelves of books, huge windows, fancy rugs, and fashionable curtains.
"Have a seat." The man said, scooting a chair out in front of a desk for her. Proserpina sat. The man sat in the chair facing hers.
"We recieved a note from Her Majesty Queen Aphelia. Your name is Proserpina, correct? You live with your sister Diana?"
Proserpina nodded.
The man continued. "Good. I am Paul, the advisor to the King of Hydromeda, which is the city you are in, however you are to call me Mr. Hassen. You will be trained here, due to the siege in Amphitha."
"Siege?" Proserpina thought, "In Amphitha? Why?"
Would Queen Aphelia be okay? And why Hydromeda? What was special about this city?
There were a few old-fasioned chairs, lots of bookshelves of books, huge windows, fancy rugs, and fashionable curtains.
"Have a seat." The man said, scooting a chair out in front of a desk for her. Proserpina sat. The man sat in the chair facing hers.
"We recieved a note from Her Majesty Queen Aphelia. Your name is Proserpina, correct? You live with your sister Diana?"
Proserpina nodded.
The man continued. "Good. I am Paul, the advisor to the King of Hydromeda, which is the city you are in, however you are to call me Mr. Hassen. You will be trained here, due to the siege in Amphitha."
"Siege?" Proserpina thought, "In Amphitha? Why?"
Would Queen Aphelia be okay? And why Hydromeda? What was special about this city?
Proserpina followed Queen Aphelia down the corridors and staircases all over the huge house. It looked like a mansion, or even a castle to Proserpina, however, to Queen Aphelia, it looked merely like a normal house.
Finally, after a lot of walking, Aphelia brought Proserpina to a room much like the room in Amphitha. There were three people waiting for them. A man and two women. All looking quite distinguished.
"She's here." Aphelia announced to them.
The man nodded. He was tall, slender, and the most finely dressed out of the three. "Come with me, now, Proserpina." He said, "You, Aphelia, can return to Amphitha now."
Proserpina obediently followed the man, while the two women said goodbye to Aphelia, then returned to their work.
They walked for a few minutes, then went inside a room.
Finally, after a lot of walking, Aphelia brought Proserpina to a room much like the room in Amphitha. There were three people waiting for them. A man and two women. All looking quite distinguished.
"She's here." Aphelia announced to them.
The man nodded. He was tall, slender, and the most finely dressed out of the three. "Come with me, now, Proserpina." He said, "You, Aphelia, can return to Amphitha now."
Proserpina obediently followed the man, while the two women said goodbye to Aphelia, then returned to their work.
They walked for a few minutes, then went inside a room.
The doorknob turned. Proserpina was still standing in front of the door.
A beautiful woman walked in and stood in front of her. It was Queen Aphelia!
"There you are, Proserpina." Aphelia exclaimed, seeing her, "I was beginning to think the Transport didn't work."
"Did it?" Proserpina asked, not knowing what a "Transport" was.
"The rose, dear." Aphelia replied, nodding to the rose that Proserpina still grasped. "Keep it, you'll need it later."
Proserpina looked at it. She nodded.
"Now, that you are here, do you want me to explain why I sent for you?" Aphelia finally said, smiling at Proserpina.
Proserpina nodded again. Aphelia waved her out of the room, and locked the door behind them.
A beautiful woman walked in and stood in front of her. It was Queen Aphelia!
"There you are, Proserpina." Aphelia exclaimed, seeing her, "I was beginning to think the Transport didn't work."
"Did it?" Proserpina asked, not knowing what a "Transport" was.
"The rose, dear." Aphelia replied, nodding to the rose that Proserpina still grasped. "Keep it, you'll need it later."
Proserpina looked at it. She nodded.
"Now, that you are here, do you want me to explain why I sent for you?" Aphelia finally said, smiling at Proserpina.
Proserpina nodded again. Aphelia waved her out of the room, and locked the door behind them.
One week later...
"Why did I have to leave Amphitha?"
This question was the only thing that Proserpina could think of for one whole week. Everything at home was normal, too, as if no one knew she had dissappeared and went to a whole different place.
When she had returned from Amphitha, everything seemed the same, as if no time had passed at all when she went throught the painting-portal. It was still a commercial break on the TV channel. Her mom still hadn't noticed her, or noticed that she had left, anway. And Diana still wasn't home.
And so Proserpina hoped to hear from Aphelia soon.
And today, Proserpina hoped extra-hard. It was a Monday again.
"Why did I have to leave Amphitha?"
This question was the only thing that Proserpina could think of for one whole week. Everything at home was normal, too, as if no one knew she had dissappeared and went to a whole different place.
When she had returned from Amphitha, everything seemed the same, as if no time had passed at all when she went throught the painting-portal. It was still a commercial break on the TV channel. Her mom still hadn't noticed her, or noticed that she had left, anway. And Diana still wasn't home.
And so Proserpina hoped to hear from Aphelia soon.
And today, Proserpina hoped extra-hard. It was a Monday again.
"The attack is over, Proserpina." Aphelia said, "I believe it is time to send you back to your home. We will see each other another time, but for now, you need some distance from this world."
She raised her hands up, and the same whirlpool that brought Proserpina to Amphitha appeared, this time to bring her back.
It was much stronger than last time's, and Proserpina helplessly got sucked in, even though she wanted nothing more than to stay in Amphitha forever. But still, she squeezed her eyes shut as the maelstrom took her back to her house. And that was the last she saw, or heard, of Queen Aphelia for the rest of the week.
~~~
She raised her hands up, and the same whirlpool that brought Proserpina to Amphitha appeared, this time to bring her back.
It was much stronger than last time's, and Proserpina helplessly got sucked in, even though she wanted nothing more than to stay in Amphitha forever. But still, she squeezed her eyes shut as the maelstrom took her back to her house. And that was the last she saw, or heard, of Queen Aphelia for the rest of the week.
~~~