Ever After- Chapter 2: Lost

That morning I woke up and grinned. Today was the first day in two years that Desdemona hadn't woken me up for filthy chores and it felt wonderful.

Yawning peacefully, I sat up.

For the whole day, I ate small bits of food, skipped, tripped, danced and pranced to my next destination, Penepia.

Joyously, I continued my journey without any complications until I reached where I estimated to be about twenty miles away from Penepia.

"Khabbu lonno aggrey!" A fearful voice called out, with a beautiful rolling of the tongue for the R.

I turned around and tried to make out what the young elf said. I was surprised when I saw a pale- green elf toddler, instead of an expected teen elf.

Elves are the same height and shape of humans, but green in color with pointed ears. They seemed nice enough, I concluded.

I struggled to make out what the elf had said. Oh, if only Desdemona hadn't fired Governess Mariah from teaching me foreign languages!

If khabbu was please, then what did lonno aggrey mean?

"Borna jou yama Annabelle" I replied, telling the little elf my name. It wouldn't be a while, that I would figure out I forgot to say my name was Snow White.

"Me lost! Lonno Aggrey!" The small child wailed, falling to his knees. Brilliantly, I remembered lonno aggrey as a distress signal in Elfish. All elves were taught it as a young age. I at least remembered that much when I was drawing in my study books pretending to take notes from Mistress Mariah. Oops.

The elf child started to cry, and immediately, another elf, about thirteen years old stepped out of the forest onto the path I walked on.

"Khabbu! Please! No hurt my brother! I sorry he make angry. We are lost, lonno aggrey, but please be on you're way. I have money! Just please do not hurt us!" The small elfish girl pleaded, in her broken English.

It took me a while to understand what she said, her beautiful accent fighting its way through the distressed message she gave me.

When I had finally understood what she meant, I chuckled. "No, I can help you back to Penepia. I am on my way there myself." I said, smiling. A small relief took over her face.

"Please come with me, my name is Annabelle, but call me Snow," I caught myself.

"Snow?" The elf asked. "In elfish, that is Lahina." Lahina. I liked the sound of that. It was pronounced La- Heena. I smiled once again.

"But what is your jou?" I asked her for her name. The girl responded warily at first, but became friendlier as she, her brother and I walked back to her hometown.

"I am Velatine, and my brother is Asdonio."

For miles, Velatine and Asdonio traveled with me peacefully to the 'Land of Prosperity', Penepia.

As we approached, I breathed in and took in the crisp smell of the tiny village. The summer, alive with youth and activity, was slowly making its way to autumn, where I knew that every harvest day held a great celebration for all elves.

As soon as we reached the first step of elfish soil, Velatine and Asdonio ripped themselves out of my grasp and into the village they knew so well. Slightly uncomfortable that I was alone, I wandered around aimlessly.

I admired the painstaking beautiful quality of the gardens and the care that these elves put into their home. Every house was unique, but had the same likeness to it. They were all shaped into shells, but they were different kinds of shells.

I smiled as the beautiful houses glistened and winked out at me, the light bouncing off of the glass- like finish these houses had.

Everywhere, elves were full of life, always doing something.

Not in the least like humans, who sulked around all day eating, like Desi.

Suddenly, I saw Velatine waving me over, dragging a stressed- looking woman behind her.

"Borna, child." The woman greeted, her accent thicker than the girl's. I could see the dried tearstains and worry lines on her face.

I bowed my head low. "Borna." I curtsied, my accent foreign to hers.

"Latria, ess avens kencho Lahina." She smiled. I smiled back, as Velatine introduced me to her mother and explained that I had guided her back to Penepia.

"Pleased to meet you." I curtsied again.

"You speak in English. Are you from the province of Frell?" She questioned, confusion wavering in and out of her eyes.

"No, I'm from Tantua." I answered, nervously.

"Ah." The mother said, her accent giving her speech a melodious tone. "Welcome to Penepia, enjoy your stay. I am entirely in debt to you, for helping me guide my daughter and son back. Perhaps a meal and bed would help to make it up to you?" The older woman smiled shyly.

I grinned softly, touched by this woman's graciousness. Desi would probably die of all the modest and nice people that lived here, in the forest!

Not that I missed her, anyhow.

For a day, I stayed, meeting new elfish friends. Velatine's Latria, mother, held a small feast introducing me to the other elves. I made them laugh constantly, never knowing that I could be funny before.

Or maybe I just never tried.

But many elves knew only little English, and I knew little Elfish, but gestures and facial expressions helped up to understand one another, and I was content. The dinner was many soups and salads, for the Elves were against eating meat.

But then again, I didn't want to tell them I did so.

The soups were such as berry soup, potato and leek soup, pumpkin seed soup, boysenberry and mushroom soup, 'love soup' (which just happened to be made out of an elfish mushroom that made the consumer temporarily infatuated with the first living being you see.

I didn't drink any of that.

The salads were plenty and of perfect quality. For salads, that is. There were pasta salads, berry salads, bean salads, cheese salads, fruit salads, and many more that I couldn't possibly hope to name. There was even a love salad!

I didn't eat any of that either.

Contented and filled with delicious soups, I fell asleep on the comfortable vine- cot and swung myself to sleep.

***

I awoke early, but happy, to the sounds of horses. It must be just elves training, I thought.

Changing into a different dress, I headed outside for an early morning walk, remembering to take a quill and my fairy diary with me. I grinned widely as I took in the breath- taking scenery around me.

I could see some trees starting to ripe with autumn colors already. Fall was always my favorite season. The air was chilly and I could see my own breath escape like a cloud from my mouth. I strolled along the path in my drab threadbare dress.

I should leave tomorrow. But today, relaxation, to make up for the lost months, years I spent waiting on my poor excuse for a step- mother.

I sat on a nearby bench, soon after. The sound of horses again delivered me out of my sweet reverie.

"Excuse me, miss," A male voice said.

Smiling, I looked up and then gasped. It was him.

I stood up quickly and curtsied. As I stood, my diary dropped to the floor.

"Your highness! To what do I owe this pleasure?" I stammered helplessly.

The prince of Tantua looked confused. Gallantly, he jumped off of his horse and bent down to pick up my fallen diary. Just as he was about to hand it to me, he recognized, and stopped, shocked.

"Annabelle?"

I stood there, stock-still. What could I possibly say? He had actually remembered me.

"Yes, your majesty?" I stuttered. The prince was very handsome all grown up.

"Call me Chenate, Annabelle. I told you I didn't like titles." He responded, slightly annoyed, but mostly teasing. I can't believe he remembered that! We haven't spoken since age 12! Well, I was 12 at the time, he was 14, and so he would be 19 now.

"Uh huh... Yeppers" I rambled. Oh goodness, I just said 'yeppers' to the prince!

The prince grinned at my astounding vocabulary.

Coming to my senses, I took the diary from him.

"Thank you." I said, not wanting to say any more. "I must go now." I curtsied and walked off as quickly as possible.

"Annabelle? Where are you going? We must talk, for we haven't spoken to each other in four years!"

"Five." I replied, stiffly.

"Well has it been that long, really? I'm dying to have a friend to talk to. Everyone else calls me 'your Highness', it's been bothering me immensely!"

"No. I have to go!" I pleaded.

Chenate seemed like he had been slapped. Then I immediately felt sorry for him, remembering how we had been such good friends. We were each other's soul confidents. I made him laugh often, and he made me patient. Somewhat.

"But your father and lady Desdemona will know you are in good hands! Here, I'll send a pixie to go inform them!" A pixie came out and started to write a message.

I stood rigid. "No!" I shouted, for fear of Desi.

"I'll do anything!" I whimpered, "Please!"

Chenate peered at me. "Oh."

"So, what are you doing here, in Penepia?" He asked.

"I'm… on my way to a school in…Attadia."

"But that's all the way across the country!"

"Yes…?" I stuttered maniacally.

"Are you traveling alone?" The prince asked, smiling gently.

I fingered the threads on my dress, unconsciously wiping away soot and stains.

I didn't even answer the handsome prince; I grabbed my diary and ran. I ran from the secrets and past when I was once happy. I ran from the only man I had ever loved, running, running, running…

~*~*~

Hey, this chapter isn't as long as the first one, but I was stuck. Thanks for all the reviews, I should do review shouts cause I love you all so much!

A/N: Elfish accent is equivalent to an Italian accent.