Boredom

I forgot to add a disclaimer so: I do not own any of these characters, or any of the worlds they live in, so yeah.

Enjoy!

There is only one word to describe the first two weeks of my trip to Ayorthaia: Boring.

My mother had packed me several books on the History of Ayorthaia, and at the end of the day I was proud to say that I could list 3 of the queens of Ayorthaia. By the end of the second day, I could list every king that had ever been Ayorthaia's ruler.

By the end of the week, I could list every ruler, the years they ruled in, their sisters, children, aunties and third cousins, and what they ate for lunch each day.

I also had a song book to practise with. I was quite good for someone of Pu, due to some fantastic singing lessons I had received at my palace, but that did not mean I could size up to an Ayorthaian by anyone's standards.

The chambermaid and I had countless hairdressing sessions, gossiped frequently and shared everything. We had truly become the best of friends, and she was so trustworthy that I told her how I felt about my mother, my marriage, and myself.

The last secret was the hardest to share.

In return, I learnt about her past.

Arae was born into a poor family in Kyrria. She spent the majority of her time working hard to survive and provide dinner for her four younger sisters. Her mother had not survived her youngest sister's birth, so Arae was a sister and a mother from the age of ten.

When she was thirteen her father also died, and the family was separated to find a home.

Arae, and her baby sister Samaiya, were sent to live with their mother's cousin, who was a washerwoman at our palace, until recently when my mother met her and decided she should be chambermaid.

Arae wasn't sure why she had been chosen, but my mother had always had a kind heart.

Once I had been brought up, I did remember seeing Arae around once or twice in the past two years. She was often playing in the gardens.

I think that when I was fourteen I even had a brief conversation with her, but it was then, two years later, that I distinctly remembered it for the first time.

My greatest companion though was Falada; a friend from long ago who I had requested to come with me on my journey. I talked to him whenever I could, which got me some strange looks from others who were driving.

No-one could figure why I was wasting so much time talking to a horse, and no-one considered that he would reply.

I must have sounded very lonely, saying my best friend was a horse, but it was the same as having a human as my friend, I could braid his hair, complain to him, and go out and about with him.

But although I had many companions and much to do, it wasn't long before I tired of the journey.

There is only so much time one can spend sitting down doing nothing, and for me, the time was up.

In all truth, it had been up before my carriage had even begun to move. If I had to pinpoint a moment, I think it was the time when my mother came to me with her handkerchief.

I had carelessly left it in my room, but when she brought it to me I was greatly relieved. I took it and tucked it away safely, then listened to her parting words.

'Take good care of these. They will be of good service to you on the way.'

It scared me once more, reminding me of the danger before me, but all fear was forgotten through my boredom only moments later.

The boredom soon became so unmanageable that I couldn't go on.

I was the type of girl who liked the woods. I liked nature, and I liked to explore. Back in the palace gardens on the edge of Pu I had liked to wander around, learning something small every day.

Sometimes I would find a bird's nest, or a new flower sprouting. Occasionally I would meet a new gardener. The best times were those when I would lose myself to my surroundings for hours on end.

Just as I wanted to do this at home, I wanted to do it during the journey.

So roughly two weeks after stating out, I had finally had enough. My time of patience had ended, and I asked the driver about exploring. Around lunchtime the following day, I finally got my chance.

I practically jumped out of the carriage the moment it stopped. I ate my small portion of lunch as quickly as I was able, then set off to explore.

During my brief freedom I completely lost track of time. I just rambled around aimlessly until I fond my way back to the campsite.

I chose to go to Falada next, and feed him a bit of carrot.

'Enjoying the time outside?' asked a voice coming from behind me. It was Arae.

'It is very beautiful here.' I replied. 'The river is so clear, the grass is green, and the birds are all singing.'

'I dislike nature. The sooner we are in Ayorthaia, the better. The driver says we should be there about tomorrow, and the trip should be faster from there on.'

I briefly registered what she was saying, but was distracted by the fuss someone was making across the other side of the clearing.

Suddenly, a man appeared breathlessly before me. I recognised him as Mubdi, a young servant who I got along well with.

'Run,' he wheezed out. I will try to find you. Take Falada and go. Now.

A/N I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I am working to update as much as possible. I must say though, that the more I get reviews, the more motivated I will be to keep writing.

Never2Old4Disney