Princess Aravo Part 1

5

"You see, Your Highness, my real name wasn't known to anyone. The man who replaced my real father called me Irbis. Thus different nations of Eastonida called a snow leopard."

"What name is written in your documents?"

"Forgive me but I have never had any. Everyone who I knew called me just Irbis."

"We need to do something with beggars. Besides, where did you get these clothes?"

"I made them myself."

"So no name, relatives, dwelling?"

"None of it, Your Highness. I have nothing except myself."

"And no one to get compensation if something very terrible happens to you?"

"No one at all."

The prince was looking at her for some time. Then he ordered to give her apartments. The servant asked her to follow him. In fact it was a rather small room without any sign of luxury. Irbis before slept in a dark corner of the cave or in the forest in the open air, so she didn't bother about any whims of civilization at all. And yet it was clear that nobody lived in it for quite long. After them a maid came that quickly dusted everything and prepared a bed for sleeping. She was very pretty with soft black curly hair, the skin with golden tint and very pleasant, innocent and frank expression of the face. She somehow resembled a lamb.

The servant pointed at the second door. It was a tiny bathroom. At first Irbis didn't actually understand what was it for. Her father built a little wooden house near their cave where washed themselves although inside of it looked quite different. But all in all for the girl everything was alright. After all she was too tired for careful inspections. The servant asked her what to do with her bag. She answered that she would manage everything herself and asked to leave her. She had the most convenient shower she had ever had, dressed herself in clean underwear and put on her nightgown. Then she threw herself on the bed and began sobbing and weeping till the tiredness eventually defeated her.

She was awaked by a knock in the door. Her entire body ached and she actually didn't get enough sleep after such adventures. At first she couldn't understand where she was but then she remembered the events of the previous day and the day before it and melancholy appeared on her beautiful face. Sleepy she went to open the door. There stood the maid that had been there that evening.

"Forgive me. Were you sleeping?"

"Please, don't mind," and the girl yawned.

"To tell you the truth, miss, you look not very well. May I bring you cold spoons? Put them under your eyes, wait for 10-15 minutes and there will be no bags," the other girl continued talking while making the bed.

"The last things I think of are the bags..." Irbis lowered her head.

The maid noticed then that the swelled face was caused not only by not getting enough sleep.

"Is that guise you were yesterday in the only one you have?" the servant asked.

"I have one more shirt."

"Yeah, it is not the clothes to appear before the prince. You should have given it to me yesterday and now it would be as if new. But you can get some nap after lunch and give it to me then. And now you should dress yourself and I will bring you your breakfast. Then you will be told about all conditions of the game and given the instructions."

Irbis thanked her and after the maid had left her dressed herself. The maid brought her breakfast and was going to leave her again when suddenly she was stopped.

"What is your name?" Irbis asked.

"Nata," the maid replied.

"Please, Nata, tell me. Why is everyone so afraid of this Sirvantame?"

The other girl became silent and humbled.

"You see, miss, this game was declared not so recently. This game is not public. The only viewers and judges of it are the prince and his closest people. At first there were some brave ones that wanted to receive the reward. Some went out not telling any word about what had been there and they would hardly ever talk to anyone for a long time at all. Some went out with grey hair though they weren't old. Others went mad and one died of heart attack. Nobody would ever win. You know, miss, personally I would not risk it."

Irbis put the contents of the plate in her sleepy mouth and after drinking the glass of milk said:

"Now I am too much afraid of everything to be afraid of something more."

Then other servant came and asked to follow him. They went to some study. A man who sat at a desk asked the girl to sit before him, introduced himself and started talking.

"Sirvantame is a game for the bravest and brightest. It is very difficult but the reward is a real fortune. You can refuse of participating any moment before signing the contract. Then the refusal is possible only after you spend some time in a game room. Here I will read you all your rights and obligations..."

Water, water, water, water, water... Irbis had never felt such anxiety and fear like the ones caused by reading of all this water. In several words, after signing the contract she should obey everything told to her; she might refuse at any stage of the game and yet she would get nothing in such case and she had rights of free medical aid if she needed it. Actually, she also should have paid a small admission fee but the prince ordered to release her from it. But one more thing: after participating in that game she mustn't tell anybody what she had seen there. The girl agreed to everything and was given the contract and a pen.

"Can you write?" the man asked sneeringly.

The girl smirked and put a beautiful complicated inscription "Irbis" in the bottom of a page. The man was quite surprised and gave her other documents to sign. Who knew? Maybe she so obediently signed her own unknown sentence...

"And I will give you instructions about the game process. You will need to pass through three rooms separated by four glass corridors. To exit a room you should solve puzzles which will be behind bears' heads. But you will have obstacles that will become more difficult in the following room. In the glass labyrinths the only thing you should worry about is only not to get lost. Besides, there you should be only in gloves."

"I have a pair."

"Very well. There you may spend the whole day until you pass through all rooms. At 8 o'clock you will be woken up and have breakfast. Then you will appear before the prince and taken to the game rooms. In the glass labyrinths there will be corners where you can eat and drink and also a water closet. If you want to stop the game the only thing you have to do is to cry out: "I finish the game," and you will be brought out. If you need something concerning your health you may take everything you need. But I don't recommend you to fuss with big bags."

"I will be light."

"All right then. You are free till tomorrow but I would ask you to remember about your obligations."

Irbis nodded and was taken back to her room. There Nata met her. The blond expressed her wish to have some walk and the maid accompanied her.