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WALKING IN THE WIND
i. FATE HAS A STRANGE SENSE OF HUMOR

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  IT'S NO SECRET THAT children, and oftentimes adults, long for fairytales to become their reality. It's only natural to wish for something so genuine and pure to exist in our complicated lives. One "once upon a time" and a "happily ever after," and that's it. Your life is over. Unlike real life, fairytales are simple and therefore, ideal.

  Hope adored fairytales, and she wasn't ashamed of it. They taught her some of the greatest life lessons, like "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and "never take life for granted." However, she always deemed it peculiar how often the in-between parts of these stories were neglected. No one ever discussed the dragons that were conquered, the poisoned apples, or the great chase of it all that give these life lessons their meaning. In her opinion, those were the best parts!

  Well, maybe not for the person on the receiving end of those horrid things.

  Perhaps it was a bit strange of her to feel so passionately about fairytales now that she wasn't a little girl anymore, but she couldn't help herself. Fairytales were the foundations of her childhood, something that she cherished. Everything was so simple back then. When you're small, the world is endless. You're too overwhelmed with the excitement that life holds in the palm of its hands to notice the cracks, the flaws, and the shadows.

  Sometimes, Hope found herself holding onto fairytales when things got bad. After long days, she'd recall her favorite stories — ones about Aslan, knights, and true love. That was something Hope noticed was common in all stories: true love. And if there was one thing Hope loved most, it was the idea of love.

  She was a firm believer that love was the most powerful form of magic. She supposed that in hindsight, love could stop all evil. Think about it: what war did love ever cause? Exactly. None. Perhaps if more people cherished love over war, the world would be a better place!

  ...Then again, what wars were ended through love anyway?

  Hope believed in a lot of things about love, but the strongest opinion of hers was that no matter what, love couldn't be forced. How can you force something to be true when it's simply not? It's like trying to force your foot into a slipper that doesn't fit. Artificial love can't grow into true love. It can only become the opposite, which is pure hate.

  You'll have to forgive Hope for feeling so passionate about the subject. It was something she thought of often. She blamed it on the fact that she was living a real-life fairytale.

  Yes, you read that correctly. Hope was living out a true fairytale life. She resided in a magnificent castle with towering ceilings and innumerable servants. The windows were always spotless and the meals were phenomenal. The castle in question existed in the heart of a small island to the east of Narnia. Like many other islands, this island was one of many that didn't consider itself to be a part of Narnia, acting as an independent land. It was a small kingdom called Wysteria.

  Hope had lived in the castle her entire life, but not in the way you might be thinking.

  "Princess Odette!" shouted Hope, banging on the bedroom door before her. "If I find you're still asleep, I'm going to hurt you!"

  You didn't think Hope was the Princess of Wysteria, did you? Oh, that's unfortunate. No, Hope was the princess's lady-in-waiting!

  Though, everything else was true. Hope grew up in the castle as a handmaid because her father was the Captain of Wysteria's Royal Guards. Her mother passed away giving birth, so she surrounded herself with lovely servants who kept her company while her father was busy executing his duties as such a high-ranking official.

  It wasn't quite the fairytale life she dreamed of as a child, but it was close enough.

  Swinging the door open, Hope marched into the princess's bedroom. "Today's the worst day for you to sleep in! Odette—!" she continued, only to instantly falter. Princess Odette stood before a long mirror, dressed and nearly ready for the day, which wasn't what Hope had been anticipating. "Oh. You're... awake?"

  Whimsical laughter escaped the princess. "Of course, I'm awake!" she chirped. The sun slipped through the tall windows, striking Odette's heart-shaped face so perfectly that her blue eyes sparkled like the eastern seas in the summertime. She wore an elegant gown, one that required a corset so tight that Hope cringed at the thought of wearing it. "Would you mind helping me with my hair? I can't quite reach..."

  Hope quickly approached her side. She took a pin from the vanity, bending it to the point of nearly breaking it to contain Odette's thick, blonde hair. Odette observed Hope in awe, adding, "Wow! Always so bright, aren't you?"

  A gentle smile found its way to Hope's face. The princess had that effect on people. "You're rather chipper this morning," she noted as she redirected stray hairs from Odette's complex braids — a trademark for the princess.

  Odette grinned. "Because, silly, today's the first day of the rest of my life!"

  Hope raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that something people say on the day of their wedding?" she recalled. "That's far from today."

  "Only three months," hummed Odette. "But today's just as important!"

  With a hint of sarcasm on her tongue, Hope remarked, "Ah, yes, the day your stranger of a fiancé comes to visit Wysteria because your father decided an arranged marriage was the only way to save our dying kingdom."

  "He's not a stranger," she defended, "and Wysteria isn't dying!" Hope glanced back at the mirror before them, eyeing Odette knowingly. The princess sighed. "Okay, you might be right about Wysteria, but you're wrong about Edmund. He's a gentleman. You'll like him, I'm sure of it."

  As much as Hope disliked thinking about it, Wysteria was a decadent kingdom. It was weak, dying. Magic was troublesome to come by, the economy was amid a brutal recession, and desolation reigned the land.

  Princess Odette was meant to be coronated as queen after her 18th birthday, but there was a high chance that Wysteria would crumble before the day ever came.

  Desperate to ameliorate the kingdom, Wysteria's King and Queen forged a deal with the Kings and Queens of Narnia. After Odette turned 18, she would marry one of Narnia's Kings. This would unite the kingdoms, thus saving Wysteria. The High King of Narnia only agreed to this because of Wysteria's long-term alliance with Narnia.

  Hope pursed her lips. "Why aren't you betrothed to the High King again?" she wondered.

  "Because he's already the High King," Odette explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Edmund's only a regular King. Think of it as a renewal of Edmund's kingship. He and King Peter would become equals in power, essentially."

  With furrowed eyebrows, Hope mumbled, "That makes no sense." Before Odette could reply, she tugged on the laces of Odette's corset to properly tighten it and announced, "Alright, I think that should do it."

  Odette, squealing with delight, turned and engulfed Hope in a hug. "Thank you!" she beamed. "Oh, I pray you and Edmund like each other. I don't know what I'll do if my best friend and my fiancé are unable to get along!"

  Remember what Hope said about how love can't be forced? Well, you can only imagine how she felt about Odette's arranged marriage. The princess didn't quite understand her lady-in-waiting's mindset. She thought what she was being forced into was a wonderful thing.

  Hope had to bite her tongue to stop her from making any further negative comments regarding the matter. Odette was overjoyed, and she felt that it wasn't her place to protest something she had no control over. As long as Odette was happy, she was happy.

  "I don't know, Your Highness," she kidded, "I may have to rough him up a bit so he knows what will become of him if he ever breaks your heart."

  "Oh, please. King Edmund's the finest swordsman in all of Narnia!" Odette proudly boasted.

  "I'm sure they only say that because of his position in the royal family. What good would a king be with a fractured ego?" she quipped with a smile, causing the princess to erupt with giggles. "Now, shall we?"

  Odette's smile fell. She turned back to her reflection in the mirror, ensuring that she looked her best. This caused Hope to declare, "Would you stop fussing? You look lovely."

  "Aw, thank you—!"

  "Besides," she interrupted with a cheeky grin, "it's not like your looks are of any importance! You've already trapped the poor man into marriage!"

  Their giggles swarmed the castle as they abandoned the princess's private chambers and traveled to the Grand Hall. There, they would unite with visiting Narnians. According to Odette's father, King Edmund would spend the entirety of April in Wysteria to educate himself on the conditions of the land. Then, Princess Odette would spend May in Narnia, where she would also celebrate her 18th birthday. On the first day of June, Edmund and Odette's wedding would occur.

  Hope and Odette strolled throughout the castle with linked arms. The princess went on to tell Hope about a bizarre dream she endured last night. She dreamt she was at her wedding, except Hope had been missing because she'd been chased away by monsters! It was an odd dream, but then again, Odette always had outlandish dreams.

  Suddenly, Odette stopped in her tracks, unexpectedly ridden with worry. "Oh, dear! I've forgotten my gloves!" she cried.

  Hope shot the princess a puzzled glance. "Were you intending to wear gloves? It's springtime, you know," she pointed out. When Odette didn't reply, she added, "Is there a problem?"

  Her blue eyes contained the sky: stormclouds engulfed them. "Yes! They complete the outfit!" Odette frantically exaggerated. "I don't want King Edmund to think I'm incapable of putting myself together! Would you please go fetch them?"

  Hope was about to complain, but times like these were when she remembered her job. She was Odette's lady-in-waiting first, and she was her friend second. Pulling away from Odette, she asked, "Did you leave them on your dresser?"

  Odette's smile returned to her face. "Mhm! You're a saint, Hope!" she chirped. When she noticed her lady-in-waiting walking away without a sense of urgency, Odette shouted, "HURRY! I don't want you to miss him!"

  Hope glanced back at her over her shoulder. "Where else would he go?" she teased.

  "Hope!" whined Odette. "You'll never get a second chance to make a first impression, and I need you and Edmund to get along!"

  "Alright, alright! I'm going!"

  "Run! I mean it!"

  Snickering to herself, Hope mumbled, "Yeah, yeah." She wasn't originally going to sprint as Odette implored her to. Perhaps she would jog or walk fast enough to cast a similar illusion. But knowing Odette, she wouldn't be able to simmer down until those gloves were in her tiny hands. With a sigh, Hope broke out into a sprint.

  As high-maintenance and fussy as Odette was, Hope truly loved her. Of course, she was obligated to since Odette was the princess and future queen. But this type of love was different. Hope loved Odette like she was her sister.

  Perhaps that was another reason why Hope opposed the princess's arranged marriage. She worried that the King of Narnia would be a stubborn bastard, nothing close to what Odette deserved.

  Hope wouldn't admit it, but she was rather nervous to meet the Just King. Sure, she'd heard rumors about him, but those were only words and actions always speak louder than words.

  She wouldn't believe a thing about him until she met him herself, which, to her discretion, was a lot sooner than she thought. For now, she wasn't concerned about him though. She just needed to get Odette her stupid gloves and prepare herself for what was to come. Piece of cake, right?

  Wrong.

  BANG!

  A gasp, a thud, and a groan later, Hope found herself cringing as she landed on the ground. Her head shook with a temporary, but beyond uncomfortable, pain. She squeezed her eyes tight as her brain rattled against her skull, and when she finally opened them again, a pair of warm brown eyes were staring down at her.

  "Are you alright?"

  Hope didn't respond at first. She winced at how bright the castle now seemed. "Ugh," she moaned, immediately shutting her eyes again. "If I say no, can I stay down here?"

  "Well, I'm never one to stop someone from their free-will, but the floor doesn't look very comfortable," the voice mused. Hope quickly discerned it belonged to a male, but it didn't sound like any of the castle dwellers. She was vexed. She knew everyone in the castle.

  "Oh, you'd be surprised," she bantered, still grimacing. "You should try laying here sometime."

  She opened her eyes again to see a male before her. No, scratch that. He had been laying on top of her. How in the world did that happen?

  Hope quickly backtracked. She'd made a sharp turn in the midst of her sprinting, just as Odette requested, and the next thing she knew, she had bumped into someone, unintentionally dragging him to the floor. They must've tumbled and rolled to the side, which was how Hope had hit her head and they ended up in this unfortunate position.

  Pulling himself off of her, the brown-eyed boy casually rose to his feet. He didn't make a single attempt to mask his amusement caused by the unfortunate encounter. A charming smile pulled at his face. Freckles littered his pale, yet somehow sun-kissed face. His raven hair was fluffy and tousled after Hope had essentially bodyslammed him.

  He offered her a hand, which she took without a moment to hesitate. She was about to thank him and profusely apologize for her foolishness when she remembered Odette and her gloves.

  "Shoot," she breathlessly muttered. Her eyes were wide. "I'm so sorry, I have to go! It was lovely running into you!" She cringed at her word choice as she turned to flee. She peered back at him, stammering, "Or... Um, y-you know what I mean! Sorry!"

  With that, Hope pivoted on her heel and sprinted away, praying that the melodramatic princess wouldn't be a mess by the time she returned with the gloves.

  "King Edmund, are you alright?"

  He paused. Then, Edmund chuckled. "Of course," he promised. He turned to the Narnian guard beside him, who had been holding the silver crown that had fallen off of his head. His crown returned to his head, fitting perfectly.

  "I'm deeply sorry, your Majesty—" a Wysterian guard, one that had been guiding the Narnians to the Grand Hall, started.

  Edmund shook his head. "I've fought wars. A little bump won't kill me," he lightheartedly assured. "Now, shall we?"

  And as King Edmund continued to travel down the narrow corridors of the castle, he couldn't decide if he was more confused or intrigued by the strange girl that had knocked him off his feet.

  Uncommon to popular belief, fairytales have engulfed our lives. All of us are living fairytales of our own. Happily ever afters awaits each of us, whether it's the conquering of evil, avenging our loved ones, or even self-love. Sometimes, we never notice when we experience our happily ever afters because so we're content with our lives that we've stopped searching for it. Other times, we're so caught up in our lives to fail to realize when our stories have truly begun.

  Everyone has a story waiting to be told, and sometimes, the greatest ones are the ones that come to us—or run into us—when we least expect it.