A Strange Acquaintance

As she sauntered along the gravelly road, you could immediately tell she was a foreigner. The town’s plaza was always swamped with familiar faces. Maybe if her wardrobe was similar to the townsfolk she could have been considered as one of them. However, her ensemble consisting of knee-high heel boots, black jeans, and a black crop top paired with a leather jacket that was partly covered by a half-open cloak proved that neither was she from this town or any of the neighbouring towns. She was certainly an alien to the contemporary dress code, which sparked the question amongst the town’s dwellers. 

“Who is she?”

“She’s certainly not from here, that's for sure.”

“Nor any of the other towns.”

“Is she an alien?”

“She’s a witch!”

“Oh my goodness Paul, you cannot just call somebody a witch.”

“I can and I will.”

“Paul, please shut up.”

“Witches are nice though.”

“Look at the way she’s dressed. How shameful!”

“I think she looks beautiful.”

She was not oblivious to the faint whispers and she smiled slightly for all the attention she was receiving - especially that last compliment. She halted in her steps and glanced around at the homogenous crowd. The whispers instantly ceased and heads whipped frighteningly to the silhouette of the young woman. 

“See what you did now Paul.”

“Me!?” Paul cried.

The plebeians squinted in an attempt to uncover the identity of the mystery lady but unfortunately, the hood of her cloak covered her face. A younger girl who was unknowingly the voice behind the previous compliment cautiously shifted and bent to the side to catch a glimpse. Noticing the girl’s attempts, the stranger strutted towards her. 

“Do you know where the palace is?”

The question became a passing statement as the girl’s eyes widened as she got a better look at the enigmatic visitor. She let out an incredulous gasp and dropped the towel she was holding. It was impossible...there was no way.

“Are you alright?”

The young town girl snapped back to reality.

“Y-yes I-I am,” she stuttered, “Y-you’re l-looking for t-the…”

“-Palace. Could you tell me how to get there?”

The girl shakenly pointed towards the straight path.

“Just go straight?”

The girl nodded in response.

“Thank you. And thank you for the compliment.” the stranger smiled.

Anxiety rose in her girl’s stomach. As the foreigner retreated to route and walked away, the people huddled around the girl for information.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“H-her..e-eyes…”

“What about it?”

“T-they were-e p-purple.”

“See! I told you she’s a witch!”

“Shut up Paul.”

“No Paul, I don’t think she is. Even witches’ eyes aren’t purple.”

“Then...who is she?”

The palace was magnificent, to say the least. It certainly was the main tourist attraction of the town. Arriving at the palace gates, those of noble status stared at her incredulously. Unlike the townsfolk, she could care less for the prejudiced individuals.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to stare?” she snapped.

The frightened nobles scurried away in fear. She sighed exasperatedly and glanced back at the palace in front of her.

“You just had to be royalty this time didn’t you?” she said to no one.

Her heels clicking along the cobblestone path somewhat soothed the anxious feeling bubbling in her stomach. She could not even figure out why she was anxious. She was of a much higher calibre than the prince yet she was nervous.

“I’m here to see the prince.” she articulated to the guards.

“What business do you have with his Highness?”

Lifting her head higher so the guards could get a better look, shivers ran down their spines when they saw her.

“That is between the prince and I. Don’t worry, I’m not here to harm him, wouldn’t think of it. If you don’t let me in though, I’ll have no choice but to bypass you.”

Before they could respond, the young woman disappeared from their sight. Blinking twice, they crazily searched until they saw her entering the palace.

“What on earth!?”

“Hey! Stop right there!”

“You snooze, you lose,” she mumbled.

The prince was very much confused. Out of nowhere, this gorgeous woman entered the throne room decked out in an attire he had never seen before. It was different but a good difference in his eyes. He should have questioned how she was able to access the palace because only those of nobility had that privilege. However, he was so engrossed, he simply did not question it.

“Your Majesty! Our sincerest apologies! You! You can’t be here, let’s go.”

“Now hold on, I want to know who this is.”

As he met her face to face, he became deeply mesmerized by her brown eyes. He drank in each of her features. She was a goddess in his eyes. However, there was this feeling. He felt like he knew her but at the same time, he was aware that he never met her before. He was certain she never attended the palace parties or any events outside of the town. Unless maybe he had seen a glimpse of her and just could not remember. Yes, that was possible.

“Who are you?” he questioned.

A small smile that rested on her face made his heart flip. It was a contagious smile, and he could not get enough of it.

“Let’s skip the formalities for now,” she began, “Let’s just say, I’ll be your guest for the next few days.”

“My guest? Bold of you to assume that I will let you stay here when I don’t even know who you are.”

“I’m your friend.”

“My friend?”

“Yes, that’s what I said. You’re friends with everyone, I’m just another one of them.”

“Excuse me but you cannot speak to his Highness like that! Who on earth do you think you are!? You are a mere stranger, a simple nobody, clearly of no royal blood and you dare speak to the prince like that! Have some shame!” one of the palace’s ministers bellowed and the others nodded in agreement.

“Now minister…” the prince began.

Before he could continue, the woman turned to the minister and removed the hood of her cloak. The minister trembled at her fiery eyes, he had never seen anyone with purple eyes before. 

“You act as if you are the rulers of the universe,” the woman spoke, “Are you not aware that the Gods and Goddesses who put you on this earth hold much more power than you? You simple humans who have stolen from the poor to afford your silk robes and large homes seem to forget that you’re simply a small part of the grandeur of the universe. You have no real power.”

“Are you trying to say that you are a goddess?” the minister challenged.

‘She certainly is.’ The prince thought to himself.

“I never said that. I simply highlighted how narrow-minded you are. It shouldn’t matter, you should always treat people with respect. Haven’t you heard of xenia?”

“Of course I have. If I remember correctly, Odysseus’ wife had to entertain 108 unwanted suitors. We don’t want to have that problem here.`` The minister replied smugly.

“I agree it has its cons but at the same time, Odysseus’ home was inhabited by suitors who had demands beyond the bounds of xenia. One of the two basic rules of xenia implies that the guest must not be a threat or burden to the host. Xenia is simply a standard practice that guides humans in interacting with others. On both sides, there must be a level of courtesy and respect.”

“This is unacceptable your Highness!” the minister yelled.

The woman turned back to the prince and bowed slightly.

“I will tell you who I am after a meal. That’s the other rule of xenia, you cannot ask who the person is until they have finished a meal provided to them and I heard the palace has delicious delicacies.”

“Your Highness!”

“Enough minister,” the prince responded, “She’s my guest and she will be treated with respect. You will stay in the east wing and I hope we can have a fruitful discussion afterwards.”

“I guarantee we shall.”

As the maids escorted the young woman to the eastern wing, the prince dispersed to his room. 

“Who is that woman!?” the minister seethed.

No one had ever dared to speak to the nobles like that. 

“Maybe she’s a witch?” another minister answered.

“You’ve been spending too much time around Paul in the town again haven’t you?”

-

End.