The Dandelion System

Chapter 5

"Good morning, I'm glad you remembered me. No, I'm busy at the moment." She gestured to Aideen. "I have some urgent matters to attend to, so pardon me. I hope to see you all soon."

Then without even looking at me, the two went off, leaving me left in the dust.

Didn't Aideen wait for me to talk about something? Or did Oda want the same?

Or did she actually need Aideen?

Aideen turned around and mouthed something, but then quickly ran after Oda, who had left without acknowledging me.

"Wait, Aideen," I cried, but I doubted she heard me. I pushed through some people, annoyed at me, and when I finally reached the hallway, they were nowhere in sight.

Did they forget me? Or was I supposed to be left out?

Lost, I walked down the hall alone. I only got myself more lost so when I caught a glimpse of Oriana's golden hair, I ran towards her. She knew a lot about the Royal Family or the layout of the castle because of her father's job.

"Oriana!" I called out, but she continued walking. I quickened my steps and tapped on her shoulder. When the girl turned around, I realized that she wasn't Oriana.

Her eyelids were heavily hooded, lashes long and dark, eyes a peridot green instead of brown, and lips a bright red. She was enchantingly beautiful, more like a fairy-tale princess than Oda.

"Yes?" she said, with an accent I couldn't identify. Was she from another kingdom?

"I apologize, I mistook you for someone else," I answered, feeling embarrassed.

"No, it's fine." She gave a light laugh. "There are so many people here, aren't there?" I nodded in agreement.

"Are you alone? What about your lady in waiting?" I asked.

"I think she said she was looking for someone. What about you and your lady in waiting?"

"We separated," I said, deciding against telling her that Oda and my lady in waiting left me. She nodded in understanding.

"It's a good thing most people are leaving." I looked around and saw that it was true; people were slowly filing out. However, the princess and Aideen were still nowhere to be seen. I looked at the girl again, standing there alone. It wouldn't hurt to get to know the other contestants.

"How do you like the castle so far?" I asked, trying to find a topic to talk about.

"It's gorgeous," she exclaimed easily. "Everything is so regal!" I was about to open my mouth to say something when I saw a girl dressed in a plain dress like Aideen's running to the girl.

"Oh! Blithe returned!" She gave me a smile. "This is Blithe, my lady in waiting." The girl was another lady in waiting.

Blithe turned to me and curtsied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And I'm Annabelle de Cendre."

"I'm Karina Dearcage," I said. I didn't know if I should be proud I was no longer saying Karlina by accident.

"Shall I ask her for directions?" Annabelle asked.

"Oh no, thank you, but I think I'll be fine. I can take a tour while I'm at it."

"I see. Have a good night, then, and farewell."

"Farewell."

I sighed as I continued to look for Oda and Aideen. As I stumbled around the almost empty hall, I felt a dull pain in my head.

When I was a child, I had a weak body due to my fussy ways of eating. Catalina would always tell me to finish eating the leftovers, often times hiding my dolls due to it. Once I collapsed in a dinner meeting at my father's friend's home. Catalina went home with me by a carriage because my parents couldn't leave. I woke up to see all my dolls surrounding me, and her green eyes flickering by candlelight. All night she sat next to me, waiting for me to wake up.

"Karina!" I heard someone shout in a whisper. I turned to see Princess Oda, somehow, back in the ballroom. Shaking my head in disbelief, I stumbled towards her.

"Why did you leave me?" I scolded, seeing Aideen right behind her. The dining room was empty now, and our voices echoed in the wide room.

"Trust my plans, they always work," she said confidently, a crude smile on her face. "What I want to tell you is—you have won the Dandelion System now for sure."

I raised an eyebrow and looked towards Aideen, who had on an equally smug look on her face. Did they know each other?

"Lady Karina," she began, her voice soft. "I will, from now on, be a personal messenger for you and Princess Oda." My eyes widened at this, and Oda broke out in laughter.

"Aideen is an orphan Mother found in the castle, possibly a servant's bastard child who left because of shame or poverty."

What?

I looked at Aideen as Oda spoke. She was smiling. Didn't she feel hurt at her way of speaking, at her past being exposed like this?

"She was raised as a lady in waiting and I often played with her when we were young. When she became a maid, we had less contact, but she is a clever child. There is not one bad mark on her record, so she rose in rank and at only fourteen, became a lady-in-waiting for a Dandelion Contestant."

I gasped. Aideen wasn't simply small—she was four years younger than me!

Aideen peered up at me with her doe-like eyes, lips still curved into a delicate smile.

"As promised, I will do absolutely anything to repay the princess, and we will win the Dandelion System. Together."

A certain shiver crept onto me, and I bent down, my hands pressed over my mouth.

"Karina!" the princess cried out, the harshness in her voice gone. "What is the matter? Are you feeling unwell?"

I couldn't answer, but I felt myself fall, nausea overwhelming me.

There's a thing about fainting. You don't feel pain, you  only feel the heaviness of your body, the cold spreading in your chest, the burning in your head, then you drift around. When I faint, I always dream of drifting around in a void.

In my dream I saw a girl with long hair the same shade of brown as mine. I knew, even without seeing her face and closed eyes, that she is my sister. We shared the same features, and yet she still managed to look more mature, her face calm and almost melancholic.

Only now, after coming to the castle, did I realize how much I miss her. Last night we had bid farewell, but it didn't feel real yet.

But now I felt like a child, and all I wanted was to be taken care of by my sister.

Something cool touched me, and I try to open my eyes. It won't. I commanded my eyes to open once again, and slowly they budged.

A cold hand wrapped around mine. I opened my eyes.

"Catalina," I cried out hoarsely. The scene sharpened, and I saw white near my bed. I blinked. White hair, white skin, and a dark red gem contrasted against her neck.

That jewel—it wasn't Catalina—it was Princess Oda.