The Gainans: Pariah Princess

Chapter 2

The next few weeks were unbearable for Nola. It turned out that to pass up the only proposal she would ever get was to gain entry into her father’s blacklist for all eternity. He hardly spoke to her except to say ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’, sparing his words for his beloved Chief Warrior. Jumu was the recipient of all things ‘anti-Nola’ from the king, and bore it with a level of distaste that went unnoticed. 

Nola hated that her disappointing nature was the topic of discussion between the duo, and made every effort to be away from them. Not to mention the stiff treatment she got from Kaana. He was the king of sore losers. Unable to take the humiliation of being turned down – moreso in front of everybody – he joined the forefront of the ‘we hate Nola’ movement. He spread rumours, teased her endlessly, and even had the gall to be disrespectful to her face. 

Her turning down Kaana made the people dislike her all the more. They maintained a safe distance from her whenever she walked by because they believed her to be a fool. Never before had she felt so ostracized. After all her fails, perhaps this was simply the last straw for them. Either way, Nola was friendless and alone.

In a bid to escape it all, the princess took time each day to roam the land and simply enjoy the beautiful views it offered. Gaina was a small kingdom concealed among ranges of mountains, and surrounded by vast forests. It was a green place that enjoyed regular rainfall, and endless blue skies on sunny days. It had two lakes that were fed by high mountains. 

Nola loved to walk around and simply look at the amazing beauty of their kingdom. It gave her a sense of calm and tranquility, and often made her wonder what was beyond those forests and mountains…who was out there? Nobody knew. Their history didn’t contain any information of what lay beyond their borders. The common consensus was that there was nothing but wild animals and wild men who would rip them to pieces on sight. Nobody was ever allowed to check, the punishment for that being imprisonment…if one was lucky. Nola enjoyed coming up with all sorts of theories, most of which sent her crumpling into hysterics. 

When nature failed to be enough, she visited the one place she always felt like she belonged: Paupers Village. That was a very small and squeezed place situated at the far east end of the kingdom, on the Outer Plains. It was away from the water, away from the resources of the land, and away from the so-called true Gainans. That was where the poor, the outcasts, and the weak were banished as a sort of life sentence. To set foot back in ‘the kingdom’ was a crime punishable by death. The rule was simple: once a pauper, always a pauper. Looking at the place, one would hardly believe that it was actually a part of Gaina. It was destitute, dry, and impoverished. The sad part was, people went out of their way to make sure it remained that way. 

Nola loved to go there because she got a sense of solidarity with them, her being a pariah herself. She felt sorry for them and often did her best to make their lives a little better, even if it was by simply spending time with them. Did they welcome her with open arms? Not necessarily, for she was the daughter of the king that put them there in the first place. However, they did tolerate her presence because she came with food and other provisions she observed they needed. 

It was on one such day she rode out to the village to escape the tension in the palace. She wore a long, patterned, flowing top over her favourite trousers, and her most comfortable boots, with her kinky hair tightly braided into two rows. This she did on purpose for she had come with the strong desire to run around and play with the children. So she did. After distributing the food she brought, she engaged the willing children in a game of tag. 

Several inhabitants of the village stopped to watch, for this was something that they never once expected to see. They had always known the princess to be a pariah of her own doing, but they never knew her to be so humble and down to earth.