10 Years Later...

"Asra!" I half-whispered, half-shouted. I was sitting at my desk waiting for him to show up. I looked in the mirror on my desk and started to play with my hair. In the reflection of the mirror, I could see the small boy I met when I was six years old.

I started to brush my long brown hair, "All of these years, and you still look  young." I chuckled.

Asra gave a small shrug, "I may look young, but I'm probably older than you are."

"How old are you?"

He got up from the bed and started to walk up to the mirror. "Not too much older than you. I've lost count."

I waited for him to finish. Looking in the mirror, I remember the day after I got the ring. When I woke up that morning, Asra had was gone, but I was so excited that I could see, I quickly ran to see my parents. "It was a cold morning, that day." Asra interrupted my thoughts.

"Yea but I don't think anyone cared much. When I told the news, everyone was so happy for me." Looking out the window, I couldn't see very far outside. I could see tree branches before everything else turned black.

Asra stared at the window with me, "Is there something out there?"

I sighed, "No that's the problem. I can't see anything pass the tree branches."

Asra hid his shock well, "Hmm... the ring should still work..." He looked down and started to rummage through his small brown bag. Before I could say anything, Asra dissapeared and my room door opened, revealing Isabel. She wasn't much older than me. She started working here when she was fourteen, right around the time I got the ring.

"Miss Lucy, if you would allow me to speak?" Isabel requested.

I got up from my chair, and walked to her, "Of course you can speak Isabel, you don't need to ask."

She bowed, "Thank you my lady, your mother, Queen Mary, requested that you come join her in the dinning room."

"It would be a pleasure." I said, making my way pass her.

She followed me, "My lady! Please let me escort you."

Before the stairs, I stop and turn towards her, "Isabel, please, I can make my way down to the dinning room. If you would like, I'm sure my sister would like help with a toys."

"Yes my lady, I will go immediately." Isabel bowed, and started moving to my sisters room. Making my way down the stairs, I could see Asra at the end, waiting for me.

He held out his hand, holding a small, bottle with a green liquid inside. "Lucy, here."

When I got to the end of the stairs, I grabbed the small bottle. Looking at the liquid, it was a deep green. "Do I drink this?" I whispered, so no-one could hear us. If Asra was here, that means he wasn't in anyone's direct eyesight but that doesn't mean anyone is nearby. Since I couldn't see too far past him, I couldn't check.

He waved his hands frantically, "Heavens no! Do not drink that! Just rub it on your ring. It should fix any problems."

"Alright I'll try that, but not now, I have to talk with my mother." I tucked the bottle in my small purse before making my way to the dinning room. I didn't hear anything else from Asra.

I made my way to my mother. Though I could barely see her, she was sitting at the end of the table, eating her favorite breakfast.

Her smooth voice broke the silence, "Ah, you arrived. Please have a seat dear." Her green eyes pierced through me, judging my every move on my way to sit down. When I sat, I could barely see her.

"Now dear, as you know, you are now sixteen," She took a sip out of her teacup, "You'll have official duties in the next few days."

I nodded, knowing better than to talk.

"Now, a princess needs a prince. We have asked King Ade and Queen Marian for a chance to marry Prince Kade. I want you to impress him, he is here for you, so I expect you to be there for him. Understand?"

I nodded again.

Her face twisted in disgust, "Speak up girl! How are you supposed to become the Queen if you don't know when to respond?!"

I bowed my head, "I'm sorry mother, I'll try my best to impress Prince Kade."

She relaxed and took another sip, "Of course you will, you are dismissed."

I silently got up and left the room, making my way back upstairs before anyone else could ask anything of me. Closing my door, my room felt like my safe place. All the toys my father has given me over the years was spread around the room. Asra was in the corner, playing on my old wooden horse.

I took a deep breath and moved over to the bookshelf, picking up one of my many books. "Tell me Asra..." I paused opening the book, "Where do you go when you dissapear?"

He hummed, "I don't leave, you just don't see me anymore. The ring is specifically made to see me, but in your case, it fixes your slight."

I glanced at the ring he gave me so long ago. It was a small rose-gold ring, with a silver engraving on it. Though, it was in a language I couldn't understand. I could hear Asra rocking the horse. I moved over to my bed, placing the book on the bed, and taking out the small glass bottle. I opened it and the smell of ocean filled the air.

"Just get a cloth and just put some on the ring." Asra said. Following his directions, I did exactly that.

"Why did you help me?" I asked.

"Why did I help?" Asra paused, "Well... I was around your age when I helped, but, everyone else I tried to help didn't respond. When you reacted to me, I guess I got excited. No-one had noticed me for years at that point."

Rubbing the ring, I asked, "But why can't anyone notice you?"

The horse rocking stopped and the room felt colder. "Before I told you I was dead, didn't I? You didn't believe me. But I was wrong, I'm not dead, but im not alive. I'm entered some sort of limbo when I was five, so now I'm stuck at this age."