THE LOST KINGDOM

CHAPTER ONE

The bang woke me up, I needed no one to tell me that I was not in the right kind of neighbourhood.

Only those who were not accepted in society and wanted to find a way to survive are here.

I sat up ready to start another shitty day in the slums of the Glorious beautiful kingdom of Sanctus, I laughed at myself for the sarcastic way in which I said it in my mind. I saw a few people turn their head toward me and after confirming that it was just another person who has its sanity on the edge, they went back to what they were doing before my interruption.

Now, this kingdom flourished under the reign of the king and it is said that he has two princes, yet I could not help but wonder if he knew that there are slums in which some of his people do suffer. I walked out of my shabby building and looked around.

Yes, I am that weird girl who was dropped at the door of an orphanage before she could even reach her first summer in the world. and since then it was obvious that I had a pretty exciting life ahead of me.

It's been over four summers that I have been living in the streets, I picked up some interesting occupations and skills along the way. It felt like forever since I left the sanctuary because the concept of lack of freedom scares me more than I care to admit.

"Watch it". I heard before I turned yet as always I reacted before my brain caught up, evading to the left of the alley I saw Erin smiling smugly at me. I resisted the urge to chase him and spank his cute little lovable face, the disadvantages of staying in an area where anyone can be the prey to anybody could not be undermined.

Most here are skilled in the little side profession they do before coming to the nearest alley to sleep for the night or the lowest part of the lower town to find the next target or meal for the day.

It is not a lady's dream to live in the street, there are a lot of wolves that can devour a lady's innocence should she give the chance for them to, having learned the hard way that nothing comes easy and having earned my place for now in the abandoned church in this alley I felt safe for now.

"Sorry". He screamed as he ran down the alley, I shook my head. Boys, am I right?

I became one of these people as soon as I became marriageable. I was expected to marry the Nun in charge of us who was like a mother in every sense of the word beloved and did her part. But apart from the fact that she thinks that I would be good to be the second wife of a regular man or the first wife of a baker or a farmer because even though the church may not accept such an act, those were the best option an orphan could get in the society.

Call me picky, but I know I do have selected standards that I must see for me to be able to say that this is the man who has captured me enough to want to get married. She died a summer after my 16th birthday and we all mourned her death, she tested us right and I could not have been happier to have grown under her. The new nun came after replacing her in a blink of an eye and everything changed for me, first, was she enforcing much more dramatic changes to our daily activities.

Also went as far as giving us vigorous punishments for unconscious mistakes made, then her telling me that if I do not give her a palatable answer before the evening runs to an end to my choice out of all the options presented to me then I would have to leave the orphanage. I knew I was stupid but I was angry and so fed up with her so I did the next best unreasonable thing, I packed. I could still remember the days like it was yesterday when I left.

I was beyond sad and yet excited to start something new and fresh in my life. I was a young adult after all and I should be able to make do with what I had and could control. I walked into my room or rather our room in the orphanage and started packing my luggage. I didn't have much.

The blanket that Sister Benedict, the previous nun told me that came with me when I was dropped at the doorstep of the orphanage was held in my hands. I stuffed it into a box given to me by one of the remaining caretakers there. I was praying that one of these people would offer me a home.

I was young, not clueless and I knew that there might be some unforeseen dangers after leaving this sanctuary. I packed the 3 clothes that I had that had been sent by the people who no longer have use for them and stood up.

"Alice, must you leave?". I saw one of the younger ones with whom I shared a room and asked me, I turned to her and gave her a half smile. she, after all, is younger than me to understand that I do not have much of a choice in the matter but I just have to comply.

"I must dearest". I responded solemnly as emotions tightened around my throat forcing me to let out a gasp.

"But you will come to pay us a visit would you not." She asked again as the remaining girls all looked at me. I shared a room with four other girls in the orphanage and they were as annoying as they were lovely.

The first girl I shared the room with was named Margaret. She was only six summer old, with curly blonde hair and big blue eyes. She was a quiet and shy child, and she always seemed lost in her own thoughts. She would spend most of her time playing with her dolls, or sitting by the window, watching the world outside.

The second girl was Charlotte. She was nine summers old and had a bubbly personality and never knows when to stay in her space. She had brown hair and brown eyes, and she was always the first to start a conversation. She would tell us stories of her life before she came to the orphanage, and she would always make us laugh.

The third girl Sarah, ten summers old and had a serious and studious demeanour. She had dark hair and green eyes, and she was always the first to finish her chores. She would spend her free time reading books and studying, and she would always be willing to help us with our lessons.

We shared a small wardrobe where we kept our clothes and personal belongings. We would take turns keeping it clean and organized. We would also take turns sleeping by the window, as it was considered a privilege to have fresh air and natural light in the room.

Despite the simple and modest conditions, I felt a sense of camaraderie and safety with my roommates, and we would help and supported each other through the hardships of growing up in an orphanage. After all, I became their eldest sister the moment I reached marriageable age. It also made me look after them more as I made sure never to let any of them get into trouble and anytime I was not changed to protect them I found a way to take the blame for myself.

I care for every one of them in my way and all of them loved me as I loved them, I was abandoned and so were the majority of them. I became their family as they became mine, I looked up and I remembered this building and how everything was done.

The orphanage where I grew up was a grand and well-maintained building, made of solid stone and sturdy wooden beams. I could still remember the details: the structure was two stories tall, with a thatched roof that provided shelter from the weather, and the exterior of the building was whitewashed, giving it a clean and inviting appearance.

The main door of the orphanage was through a large wooden door that was garnished with iron hardware and lock, Inside, the building was divided into several large rooms, each serving a specific purpose. The main living quarters for us and the Nuns were on the upper floors, where we all slept in simple wooden beds that were lined up in rows. But the Nuns and the remaining caretaker who do not sleep in their own houses have their separate rooms in the quarters.

I remembered feeling like I should have had mine when I grew up, it took me a while to know the main reason why I could no longer see the older ones who came here before me after some time. Some got married with the choices of either the Head Nun or the caretakers. I even heard a rumour that some of the caretakers were trying to trick the children into getting married to their sons, but they were caught and dismissed.

And no matter how much I tried I never remembered anything from my childhood, I was told by the Nun that I had a fever so terrible that it must have affected me because I was still a child then.

Our beds were covered in thick woollen blankets and had straw-filled mattresses, which we were taught to change regularly to ensure our hygiene. Rooms were well-lit by small windows that were covered with oiled paper to let in natural light. The walls were beautified with religious paintings and tapestries, which provided a weird sense of comfort to us. The lower floor of the orphanage was home to the kitchens and the dining hall.

The kitchens were large and well-equipped with a fireplace for cooking, a wooden table for preparing food, and a variety of pots, pans, and utensils. Every one of us was taught how to use all those utensils and how to act like a proper lady in society. The food always was basic but nutritious, consisting of bread, porridge, vegetables, and sometimes meat if we are lucky or if the kingdom is in festive periods.

The dining hall was a large room with a long wooden table that could seat all the children at once. The children would sit on wooden benches and eat in silence under the watchful eye of the caretakers.

The orphanage also had a small infirmary where medical attention was given to us and one of the Nuns as our nurse, which was annoying because we can't even fake sickness to get out of work scheduled for us for the day, off to the infirmary she goes with Sister Anna to help educate us if she did catch you faking it.

The room was equipped with a simple wooden bed, a small table for instruments, and a cabinet for medicines, and after the earful, we will be punished by having double our workload assigned. The caretakers of the orphanage were trained to provide basic care for us by the church and if Sister Anna was not duty they do know how to treat us, such as treating cuts and bruises.

A small school room was also provided where we were taught reading, writing, singing and how to play an instrument.

We were also taught skills such as sewing, knitting, and basic carpentry, cooking which was my favourite as I would eat quite a lot more than usual. The school room was equipped with wooden desks, chairs, and a blackboard. The caretakers also had the task of providing us with basic education, as they believed that this was crucial for our success in life. How does education help with baking and knitting, I would never know.