Ancients

Eight

Normani knew. It had been months since the girls were separated. Dinah seemed to have adjusted to her new life and family easily. Marcus and Kyra sent updates for Milika and Gordon's sake. The young girl remembered nothing of her former life or friends or family. While it was heartbreaking for her parents, it was exactly what they had intended when her memories were erased.

Normani on the other hand although not questioning the memories she had woken up with the night after Dinah left, seemed to be feeling the loss subconsciously. There were moments when she would set out an extra place whilst having tea parties with Kehlani or one of her parents would see her sitting in the spot that she and Dinah loved to go and hide in, just completely lost in thought in ways a six year old shouldn't be capable of.

The morning of the first day of unity week, she told her mother about her imaginary friend. Andrea listened as her daughter described the girl with concern. Then Normani complained of a headache later that morning. And by the afternoon, Barbara could hear the same whispers that Normani had been hearing since the day in the woods.

'What did you do to my daughter?'

The bloodied prisoner looked up at the Allarian king in fear. 'Nothing I swear I told you everything. We only wanted to change her memories but I didn't have enough time.'

'She's hearing voices in her head.'

'Derrick,' Andrea said to her husband. 'Mom needs to talk to you right now. She thinks she might know what's going on.'

'What's happening to her?'

'This voice belongs to one of her three guides. The girl means no harm, she can't control what she's doing any more than Normani can block her out. I can create a barrier and when the time is right, she'll be able to break it and do what she has to do.'

______

Normani watched Dinah and her friends dancing and laughing. They were all carefree teenagers, something that Normani had always envied for most of her life. Ross walked up to Dinah, put his hand on the small of her back and whispered something into her ear. She felt the urge to rip his head off his shoulders for the way he was touching her. Instead she remained in her seat, taking deep breaths.

Choie placed a hand over hers. 'What are you thinking?'

'Nothing, if anyone asks, please tell them I went for a walk.'

Before she could leave though, a hooded figure was brought into the banquet hall by the guards. Derrick nodded and they removed the hood to reveal a girl who looked about the same age as Normani. The princess stopped and stared at the woman. There was something familiar about her that she couldn't quite place. At least not until she spoke. Normani pushed through the crowd that had encircled Derrick and the prisoner.

'You had to have known that you would fail. So I will ask you again, and I expect an actual answer this time. What is a Thaedian doing in Allaria?'

The girl still remained silent. Derrick nodded to the guards to take her away just as Normani stepped into the circle that the crowd had formed. 'Let her go.'

'Princess Normani,' the girl bowed her head. 'My name is Zendaya. I mean you no harm. The only way I could think of to get to you was to walk into the palace.'

'I do live here.'

Derrick looked at his wife with a frown. 'Kehlani please come with us.'

Murmurs of discontent broke out across the entire room as people saw that the intruder wouldn't be punished, might even be treated as a royal guest. The music began to play again, the conversations and the dancing resumed and Normani became invisible once more. On her way out to the garden, she made eye contact with Dinah who had a longing look in her eyes. The younger girl broke it first by turning to talk to Ally.