Page 70 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

“I see.” Meryth Island was one of the small island nations that existed off the coast of the main continent. They were mostly fishing and commuter communities. I’d never traveled to one of those. After my accident, it took a long time for my mothers to even let me leave the city, much less the continent. So I never pushed to go further. None of my escapades ever led me further, which I was fine with. Anywhere away from the ocean was fine with me, but I’d broken one of my only rules.

“So you can imagine I’d experienced… next to nothing. But I feel like I’ve already done a lifetime of things.”

“That’s a nice way to look at it,” I said. “I feel like I can never look at things that… positively.”

“What do you mean?”

I chewed on my lips, unsure I wanted to answer her. “I’ve also been to a lot of places,” I said carefully. “Eaten a lot of things. Had everything handed to me. But I’ve also not been to a lot of places due to my… aversion to ships. I’ve been sheltered and don’t know a lot. No one’s ever placed their trust in me to do anything, so I’m not very good at anything. But I’ve also had everything given to me anyone could ever want, so I should feel fulfilled and grateful, but I just don’t.”

Anne looked thoughtful, and I placed my gaze to the curtained stage, not wanting to see the judgement on her face. It was dumb for a princess to complain about such a trivial matter, but I did anyway. Once, I’d tried to talk to Paige about it. She’d rolled her eyes.

You’re a princess, everything anyone has ever wanted, you have. So you should just be grateful.

“I think you’re being really hard on yourself,” Anne said, surprising me.

“What?”

“Everyone has good things and bad things about themselves, about their life. Just because you have gold in one hand doesn’t mean you can’t have shit in another, is what my mom used to say. And everyone’s shit looks different. So you can acknowledge you have issues, and still enjoy the shimmer of the gold, you know?”

I just blinked at her for a long time.

“I…”

Before I could say anything, the lights went down and music started. We turned towards the stage and watched as the curtains opened and a man in a purple top hat stood there.

“Welcome all to the Show of Light. I’m your host, Mirage.” He paused, then, in a blink of an eye, and a puff of smoke, he was gone.

“Tonight, you’ll be shown magic so fantastic, you won’t be able to peel your eyes away.” Suddenly he was back in one of the aisles, speaking from there now. Was this real magic? He did use smoke, but he reappeared so quickly. My magical knowledge was very limited. I knew a lot about curses and healing potions from my time trying to remove the necklace, but never anything else. There were a few mages in Peradona, mostly healers, but the majority of people there were human, so they didn’t possess any magic. They just used the benefits to light and heat their house.

I’d seen some things in Quvill before, things that have shown me the true power a magic wielder can have, but I’m shocked every time I see it.

The spotlight followed the row all the way to the stage where a woman balanced gracefully on a hanging aerial hoop, her body laid out flat along the bottom, posed and awaiting the music.

Once it did, she moved to the rhythm, circling herself around that hoop with grace that I didn’t know someone could possess. She wore a rhinestoned blue leotard with hanging fabrics on her arms and waist that moved with her perfectly.

But soon the music changed, the light flashing off for only a second, then illuminating her new, shimmering orange outfit, bright like the sun. She hung with her hands gripping the bottom of the hoop, dangling in a pose with one leg up. Her entire body flipped so she did a split upward, letting the light flicker again to reveal her in a shining black outfit with silver trim.

I was totally mesmerized by her. The grace and strength she had was unmatched. Looking over, it seemed Anne was just as entranced as I was.

After a few more outfit changes her set ended, and the show runner was back.

Each act was more impressive than the previous. A man who swallowed colored fire, someone who shot magic arrows into a board someone was spinning on, sparks flying every time it hit.

The finale was a group that created a light show in the air that told the story of the fallen city of Lestia. It was said that the city fell into the ocean, literally, and hasn’t been seen since. It was a prominent trading island before it sank, believed to have tons and tons of treasures on it. There’s never been an official record of existence, so it’s speculated to be a place of fantasy, but many believe it still exists.

I’d never heard this tale before, but I was entranced by the way the lights floated above, showing the rippling of the waves, and the beauty of the treasure said to be there with gold glitter that fell over the audience. It was all truly magical.

When the lights came back up Anne and I stayed in our seats, chattering about our favorite parts.

“How did that man consume flame that easily?” she asked.

“I have no idea, a strong stomach I guess.”

She laughed when I said that and I laughed along. It felt good to laugh with a friend.

Wait.

Was Anne my friend? Should I ask her? Everyone I knew and considered a friend was because we ran in the same circles, or they wanted something from me, like Paige did.