I started this a long time ago. I add to it now and then, but I want to finally finish it. Should I post the rest of it? Reviews are appreciated.
She wept bitterly in a corner, trying to stifle her sobs, but failing. Cradling her sore face, Kiara gently wiped the blood off of her lip, remembering how Jasmine had slapped her while still wearing all five of her rings.
Jasmine was her mistress, also the richest and most beautiful woman in the realm. She was also queen. Kiara got beaten often, even for little things, such as stealing an extra loaf of bread when she was hungry. Jasmine was evil, and hated Kiara, for reasons she didn't know.
As Kiara sat there and cried, her eyes shone with fury, and her fists clenched. She was tired of being beaten for things other girls weren't punished for. And she didn't even know why Jasmine treated her differently. What had she ever done to deserve this?
Furious, she grabbed the necklace her mother had left her, and held it tight. It was a beautiful necklace, blue in color, and made by the most skilled glass blower in the world. It was the one thing Kiara had saved from Jasmine, by always hiding it under her dress.
"Someone should put a thousand worms in that evil woman's bed," spat Kiara.
Suddenly someone opened the door in the girls' dorm, making Kiara jump. But it was only her friend Diana, bringing her some stolen dinner to fill her up.
"Thanks," said Kiara, smiling warmly. "You're a real friend."
Soon enough, the dinner of stale bread and a few potatoes was gone, and the girl was fast asleep.
Kiara woke with a start, right as the sun fell below the horizon, and looked around at the other girls, who were now also awake. There were footsteps in the hallway, and some shouts. All six girls jumped out of their beds, grabbing their robes in the same movement. Running out into the hallway, they saw a crowd gathered before Jasmine's set of rooms.
"Where is the Wizard?" she screamed. She was red in the face, and her eyes were wide. "I don't know how those worms got in my bed, but if someone put them in there on purpose, they better watch their back!" And with that, she stormed down the hall.
As people began to return to their rooms, some laughing, others wondering, Kiara stood glued to her spot, thinking, what're the odds?
X
Rising before dawn, Kiara went to her favorite spot in the world: the stables. The horses there greeted her with friendly whinnies.
She smiled; they were the only true friends she had in a world full of trouble and pain. As she sat in the straw of Starlight's stall, she thought about last night's events. Was it her that had set the worms in Jasmine's bed? But how is that possible? Not magic, surely. She didn't have magic. She would've known if she did. Then how did it happen? It must've been a coincidence. It had to be.
Satisfied with her conclusion, she stood and jumped on Starlight's back and rode off in the morning sunshine.
When she returned, Kiara was laughing, happy now that her head was cleared. As she returned to the castle to wait on the nobles for breakfast, she promised herself she would follow the nobles' every wish to avoid trouble.
X
She ended up getting another beating for placing the cups on the wrong spot; although she should've known better after sixteen years in the palace. This time she didn't cry, though. After being thrown into a closet with no dinner at all, she held her necklace with trembling hands. It was warm from the light it cast.
"She makes me so mad," whispered Kiara. "I hope her hair turns into snakes!"
A tear slid down her cheek. Angrily, she brushed it away. She fell asleep thinking of all the things she could do to Jasmine.
Once again, she was awakened by something. Now fearing the worst, she ran out of the tiny room and came face to face with Jasmine.
"Get out of my way!" she yelled, and pushed Kiara, hard. Kiara fell against the wall, the wind knocked out of her, and slid to the floor. It took a moment for her to regain her breath, and then she was running after Jasmine.
"-- the prankster that put a snake on my head?" was what Kiara heard when she found the crowd in front of the wizards' chambers. "If I ever find out who did this, I'll have them hanged! This was not a coincidence!"
She's right, thought Kiara. This wasn't a coincidence. I must have some kind of power. But what is it?
"Ok, let's try something," she said to herself as she quietly returned to the tiny room, unnoticed. If something did happen, she would have to be alone.
"Umm, I wish the hole in my clothes would mend," she said after she closed the door. Nothing happened.
Why isn't this working? She wondered. How did I do it last night?
She bit her lip, thinking hard, and ignored the footsteps of people returning to their bedrooms. Jasmine must be through yelling, she thought. Now, what happened last night?
I thought in my head how angry I was, I grabbed my necklace...
"That's it!" she screamed, then clapped a hand to her mouth after remembering where she was. "The necklace! That's why my wishes came true! But then why didn't my whole wish happen?
Hmm, she thought. Maybe I need a spell for the whole thing to come true. Last night when I wanted jasmine's hair to turn into snakes, a single snake appeared on her hair. And when I wanted a thousand worms in her bed, only a couple showed. I must need a spell and the necklace. But I don't know that for sure. I have to get out of here. I can't ask the wizards here, they'll just send me away. I have to go through the woods to the City Beyond, and ask someone else.
She started to pack the only clothes she had, which was two dresses and a couple worn outfits she owned for working in the garden. She also grabbed some blankets and the food stash she kept in this room. It would have to last for a couple days.
Running down the hallway, she ran past Jasmine's open doorway. Suddenly she stopped. Something had caught her eye. Carefully and silently, she walked back to the room, and there, on the bed, was a book with Kiara's name on it.
Moving closer, Kiara saw the book was old and had been read many times. Being a curious girl, she opened it and looked at the first page. It was a book of spells.
A sound came from the hall. Startled, Kiara grabbed the book and held it to her chest. She stepped out of the room and ran.
She was lucky; everyone was asleep, and Jasmine must've been off yelling at someone.
After stopping at the kitchen for some extra food, she jumped on Starlight's back and galloped towards the forest.
When she reached the edge, she halted and took a deep breath. This was it.
Cautiously, she nudged Starlight into a walk. As she stepped under the trees, she relaxed. She was alone at last, free of people who only wanted to hurt her. Now, it was just her and Starlight. She sighed. What now?
X
A couple hours later, Kiara sat on a rock under the trees, eating a small part of her food. Starlight had found a patch of grass to chew on. They had ridden until the sunlight started to fade through the trees, then had found a tiny stream, and drank until they could drink no more. For now, they were safe.