The Gainans: Servant Princess

Chapter 17

In the Kumera palace courtyard, Nola laughed as Lina showed her maps, and shared with her stories of Andula. The world had tripled for the princess, and she couldn't have enough of it. It amazed her that so much lay beyond Gaina's borders, yet they weren't the wiser. She wondered why this was so. How was it possible that nobody knew any of this? Her mind went back to the secret room she'd been shown and it all made sense. There were some who knew. Only some. For what reason, she had no clue.

It was a month after she had begun her training with her royal hosts, and thanks to their diligence, she was proficient with the whip, and had a strategy for her return. She had gained some confidence in herself, mostly because she had gotten to learn under royals who truly knew what being a leader meant. She watched how they carried themselves around, and how they treated others. She keenly took lessons from the way they spoke to their subordinates when they were pleased, and when they were displeased, seeing that it was possible to be firm but kind and respectable.

With each passing day, her smile grew a little wider as her heart softened and opened up to forgiveness. It was a long and hard process that she was still enduring, but she was grateful for it, for the more she was open to forgive, the closer she felt to King Jesus. He was her ultimate model of leadership; therefore, if he could afford to forgive his killers, who was she to do the opposite?

Encouraging her all through, in her own subtle way, was Lina. The young woman was a gem Nola was lucky to have been given for a companion during her stay. The young lady, though a few years her junior, knew just the right thing to say at the right time. She was a ray of sunshine that burst through the clouds of doom on Nola's dark days, and a strong wind that blew away the negative thoughts which polluted her mind from time to time.

Nola was sorry to have to leave such a wonderful friend behind, but sadly, she had no choice. Her time in this wonderful kingdom was fast coming to an end. Soon, she would say goodbye to her new friends and go back to her old ones. She could only hope that one day they would reunite.

"Is it true that all Gainans have eyes like yours?" Lina asked out of the blue.

Nola shrugged.

"Yes." She thought about that for a second. "Well not as blue as mine, I suppose. To be honest, my eyes are a little too alarming for their liking."

Lina was offended on her behalf.

"They don't like your eyes?" she gasped. "But they're beautiful."

Nola snorted.

"If there ever was a time I deserved that word, it is now over."

Lina looked at her seriously.

"You know, you mustn't assume to know what people see when they look at you," she lectured, "Especially when you're determined to believe the absolute worst about yourself."

Nola shook her head and looked away.

"My appearance doesn't matter," she said. "The important thing is what's inside."

"Who says I was talking about your appearance?" Lina asked with a raised brow. "Nola, you are an inspiration."

The princess turned to the maid in genuine surprise.

"An inspiration? Me?"

Lina nodded.

"You've lived a hard life, fighting a huge battle on your own, taking on kings for the sake of the poor and innocent. You were cut down because you wouldn't budge from your convictions on justice, but...despite that, despite the horror, you're rising from the deep. You're emerging from your challenges even stronger than you were before. You are so brave and strong and kind, giving you a radiance from the inside out. Don't you see how that inspires us? How it inspires me?"