Chapter 13

Valtareau

            The woods were dark and magical, wild flowers bloomed in profusion of colors, rare animals ran wild, silver rabbits and fire like deer ran between the dense trunks of the tall trees. Everything was mystical and carried the air of adventure, the flowing crystal clear streams and hidden grass slopes invited everyone who was up for a game of hide and seek.

            Two little girls ran into this magical woods with wild abandonment, like little fairies eagerly going home. The elder of the two girls had fiery hazel like hair that was braided at the top tucked into a tight bun below. She had a fair warm complexion that told of the warm autumn colors, she had beautiful lips at a young age of eight and had almond shaped eyes of the warmest brown hue. She wore a pretty red dress with a gold underskirt and a gold colored corset studded with rubies and embroidered with chrysanthemum. She ran across the soft grass covered ground in her cute red velvet shoes. The younger of the two girls followed her gasping for air.

            “Tae-tae wait!” the seven year old girl told her companion but the latter merely ran without noticing the other. The younger of the two had platinum blonde hair that turned golden whenever light touched it; she had deep blue eyes and rosy lips. Her complexion was as fair as milk and her cheeks were pink like sky at twilight. She wore a deep blue dress that had a silver underskirt and her corset was of the same silver fabric studded with sapphires. Her hair was made into little ringlets around her face which was slowly becoming undone as she ran after the older girl.

            She stopped in her tracks when she saw an unusual glow in the far off stream. She searched the area in hopes of finding the older girl but all she saw was trees and a few animals. She squeaked with glee as she saw a silver rabbit hiding amongst the fallen leaves. She gladly picked it up and caressed its soft fur. She hummed a tune as she approached the stream and saw under the clear waters little trinkets and objects which were so peculiar. She placed the rabbit down and lifted her skirt as she kneeled beside the waters and dipped her hand to reach for the objects under the stream. She was able to grab so many things from big gem stones to jewelries such as necklaces. She stared at the stream which leads to a roaring river and thought of how nice it would be to swim in it.

            She eyed her dress and with her innocent yet extremely curious mind as she fiddled with the treasures she had found. There was a huge sapphire stone cut like a star, there were diamonds fashioned like apples and little rubies that looked like roses. There were also gold coins with writings she couldn’t understand and pretty rings that were very delicate. Another object caught her eye it was a silver necklace with a pendant as big as a glass bottom that had a small arrows at its center, the arrows which pointed at different directions were made of gold and studded with different gems like a rainbow. She immediately took it into her little hands and wore it over her head. She beamed with joy as she looked at it against her blue dress.

“Tae-tae would like it” she said to herself. She was enamored by the pretty necklace and was curious about the numerous arrows pointing at different directions. She started playing with the largest arrow which had symbols written on it. She moved it the necklace started to glow and she was lifted up into the air she screamed and felt her surrounding shift. The whole woods became a blur and then she disappeared…

The older girl ran into the flower bed where they always played in and turned around to look for her companion. She was shocked when she saw that the other was not behind her. She became scared, the woods were large and they were only able to explore just a part of it. She picked up her skirts and went back the same way she came. Her eyes searched her surroundings hoping to catch a glimpse of the white haired doll. Panic was evident on her face when she couldn’t find her the other girl.

            “Sica where are you?!! SICA! SICA!” she screamed frantically as she lifted her heavy skirt and broke into a run, her petite form dashed through the woods. “SICA! JESSICA!!!” she yelled at the top of her lungs but she only heard the emptiness of the woods and her own voice echoing back to her. She was crying now as she ran, she ducked and went under a tall log that had fallen then made her way into a wide clearing. Her mother’s words echoed through her head.

            “You must never go into the woods it’s dangerous! That place is full of things you don’t know of, scary things like monsters and ghost!” her mother told them but she didn’t listen she went to the woods numerous times whenever the fog came and it mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. She was stubborn and wanted to know what was inside the forbidden woods! What was worse was the fact that she even bought Jessica along with her. She tripped causing more tears to fall from her eyes as she thought of the monsters and beast and little Sica all alone. She broke into a run when she heard the familiar dolphin scream ringing through the woods, she found herself near the stream and saw an assortment of things scattered on the ground a familiar blue ribbon was together with the trinkets but there was no sign of Jessica.

She cried so hard as she dashed out of the woods and into the royal gardens. She spotted her mother the queen with her former lover the queen of Clairevane. They were having tea along with her phama. She cried, her knees failing her as she reached them, the adults were horrified at her appearance. How was she to tell them that she had lost her only sibling in the woods?! The same woods her mother told her not to enter. The queen helped her up as she wailed endlessly.

            “Sica gone! Woods! I lost her!” afterwards she fainted from exhaustion…

            Taeyeon stared at the once mysterious woods now just a normal forest near the castle. Her thoughts drifted again and again to the events that almost shattered her sanity. Her sister lost in the woods, the guards and even the royals searched endlessly for months, and then months turned to years… Tears flooded her eyes yet again, she was shocked to the point of depression what made it worse was the fact that no one blamed her. It was her fault that the poor queen Yukie became ill at the disappearance of her eldest and most beloved child, her fault that Clairevane went into deep mourning when their crown princess could not be found. She blamed herself she was evil, she was at fault but why? Why were they still kind to her? Why had her mother lavished her with attention when she was responsible for Sica’s disappearance? Every night she dreamt of the woods, her cries filled her room as the same dream plagued her like a disease. She swore if only she was given another chance to make it right she would never leave her sister again. Her wish was soon granted.

            It was the year she turned twelve when she found her long lost sister hiding amongst the bushes in the very same woods where she was lo