Sweet As Sugar

“You are more distracted today than ever, my young lady.”

She tore her eyes from that insignificant point in the far distance that she had been staring at intensely without noticing, and brought her attention back to her impatient teacher. For a second she thought about answering his question concerning some event in the Kingdom’s history, but then she decided otherwise.

“What is it that is worrying Papa so much in the last days?”

The teacher did not expect the young girl to have actually been contemplating on something meaningful, and for a second, his serious visage showed a glimpse of uneasiness. Then his more natural grimace of resilient solemnity returned.

“That should be none of your concern right now, my lady.”

“Then when should it be of my concern?” the girl replied recklessly, adding hastily a quick “Teacher” to the end of her blurted question.

“There is nothing you should be worrying about at all.” The teacher looked at her almost reproachfully. “And now I wish to continue your lesson.”

‘And I wish adults would stop lying to children,’ she wanted to counter, but she managed to stop herself from crossing the line. Angering her teacher would only lead to more afternoon readings and she would much rather enjoy the last sunny days of the passing autumn season today.

“Now, let me repeat the question: What was the cause of The fight for the Golden Apple?” The teacher asked, with his usual, serious face expression and his watching eyes. He was sitting on a large wooden chair facing away from the window, and half blocking it with his massive head and hat. That was unfortunate, given that the window was the only source of that precious autumn sun light that was beautifully golden and orange just like the colour of the leaves outside of this dark, dusty study room.

“The fight for the Golden Apple,” she repeated slowly, bringing her thoughts back from dream mode to study mode. She almost wanted to roll her eyes at her teacher. He couldn’t be serious, - that question, again?

“It occurred exactly 33 years ago. When farmers of the land decided to rise up against their Lords due to suffering and famine...They started to fight against the ruling, wealthier individuals in each region… The uprising started against the Apple Family first, hence the name for the Golden Apple, but it soon spread from one important property and farm to the next, across all regions of the Kingdom, all the way down to the fig jungle at the border to Citronia. The fights that lasted for almost a year lead to a sever restructuring of the Kingdom of Fruits. Sharing resources from Lord to Peasant, and fighting hunger and suffering have become priorities, after the King saw what injustice had been tolerated in the past. Since then, peace has been present in our Kingdom, and famine has been more or less extinguished. The inequality between Lords and Peasants has been reduced significantly…”

She could remember a lot more from her history books, but she was tired of recounting them to the teacher, who obviously knew them better than her and really didn’t need to hear them over again. Didn’t he get bored of hearing and reading the same stories again and again with each student?

“If there is peace and harmony in the Kingdom, why is my father concerned?” she asked, not wanting to let go of her distress.

“Princess Cherry, I will not permit another interruption of my lessons with your relentless questions.” Her teacher was irritated. But didn’t she always answer his relentless questions? Why couldn’t he answer one, just one, of her questions? She didn’t say anything; instead she shifted in her uncomfortably hard seat, trying to look past her teacher’s head to watch the clouds pass silently in the sky outside. They looked so peaceful.

“Now, we need to revise your geography, Princess, - it is of severe importance for you to be able to discourse with any visitors of the Castle without embarrassing the honour of your Family. What are the five kingdoms bordering your father’s?”

Cherry felt like sulking, but she answered nevertheless: “Berrylands, the Kingdom of Melons, the Tropical Empire, Citronia, and the Kingdom of Sugar.”

“Miss Cherry, not again. How often do I have to repeat to you, that the Kingdom of Sugar can hardly be called a neighbouring kingdom? It is almost only a myth that it really exists, and if it does, it is so far north, beyond the Sugar Mountains, that there is no way it can be considered a neighbour.”

“Knight Half-Plum says it does exist, and as long as there is no other kingdom in the way, I would still consider it a neighbour, logically – unless mountains are considered as a neighbour…”

“Knight Half-Plum is nothing more than a blown-up chatterer, he has not even been to half of the places he said he had been to, - I wouldn’t consider him half a Knight, not to mention his doubtful half-a-plum-kinship to any sort of Noble blood!”

Her teacher was partly right about the fact that the Knight did have some quite far-fetched stories sometimes, but still, Cherry liked to listen to him. She loved his travel stories and ideas, and she did not mind that they might have gone away from the truth at certain points. At least, with Half-Plum, Cherry could tell when he was exaggerating, and it often only acted as an enhancer of making the story more gripping and interesting. On the other hand, with all these books Cherry had to read for her lessons, - who knew what was really real? There could also be exaggerations in these books, no? Aren’t they also just recounted stories?

Cherry would much rather learn history and geography through real stories, and real travels, rather than from history books and maps. She didn’t know the people who wrote and designed them, so why should she believe in everything they wrote… But her teacher would hear nothing about such a way of thinking. He would never let his students even mention a hint of doubt about the greatness of the books their majestic library had to offer.

“So what is the correct fifth kingdom, Teacher?” Cherry asked, of course knowing exactly what the teacher would answer.

“Haven’t I told you, over and over again, that Citronia has split with Orangia, and they should be considered as an independent region now, and as they are also bordering the Kingdom of Fruits, they are our neighbour…”

“Well, considering we dismiss that the Orange Mountains are between us, and…”

“Those mountains can hardly be called mountains, they are merely hills!”

“I wouldn’t know, I have never been there, but according to what the books say, they are called Orange Mountains, not orange hills…” Cherry had to try hard not to grin smugly.

“Nevertheless, they are a neighbour, and they are independent from Citronia as of…”

“As of a few months ago, according to the accounts from diplomats, - I know. But travellers also talk, and they say it is not definite they have split entirely, they are just talking about a change of the way the Kingdom is ruled. The folk wants more power in choosing their ruler and…”

“Where do you get these stories from? Choosing a ruler? Kings are born, not chosen. There is no such talk about choice, the kingdom has simply split up; that is all. A friendly division of power, divided between the two royal families of Lemons and Oranges…” the teacher stopped abruptly, as a knock was audible at the massive door.

The maid, Appleskin, was at the door, nodding politely to Cherry.

‘Finally’, Cherry thought, ’the call for the end of her lesson. And she was so hungry… Hungry for supper, but also hungry for fresh air, autumn coloured trees, and the sparkling sunrays reflected on the garden’s ponds and streams.

“Not so fast, my lady,” the teacher said. “Don’t forget your readings for the next day’s important lessons on the boats and harbours of the Tropical Empire…”

Cherry sighed, as her image of herself lying in the grass to watch the clouds and ripples on the water collapsed, and instead she was reminded of the tower of books prepared for her on her night table. She even preferred arguing with her teacher about historical facts and travel anecdotes, to sitting at her desk by candlelight to read, all alone.