place. What's your name? What
does it mean? Who gave it to you?"
Aida's words
were strung together so quickly it was hard to separate one from another, but
her name seemed true enough. She hadn't stopped grinning since I'd opened my
eyes and it didn't look like she was going to stop anytime soon. For some reason
it made me upset that she was so happy, I wanted Aida to be as depressed as me.
And who was Kinga?
"Alice, it
doesn't mean anything, and my parents gave it to me," I said coldly,
"don't you want to go by the name your parents gave you? Don't you miss them
at all?"
It was a cruel
thing to do, almost the same as Lacey accusing me of not loving James. However,
my words seemed to bounce right off Aida's shiny smile.
"My
parents called me, Leigh. but here everyone has a different name. Usually the
first person you meet gives it to you."
"Why?"
I asked. I had to admit I was truly interested now.
"It's
something that describes you, usually. But if you're like Kinga you can earn a
new name. Avery says it means 'stubborn mule', but I looked it up. It actually
means bravery in war. Kinga is stronger than a million Averys and is leading
the war against Alecsander."
I still didn't
understand, "But still, why go by different names?"
I had been so
focused on Aida and her answers to my questions that I hadn't noticed a very
tall black woman in the doorway. She was dressed similarly to Hannah, but that
was where the comparison ended. This new woman was wraith thin, angry, and
wreaked of authority, her whole demeanor was cold and demanding, "Most
people don't want to remember who they were when they come here,” the woman
said, “A new name feels like a new start to them and they can more easily
forget the person they were. The rest of us take new names to keep up
continuity and respect for those who chose to change theirs. More prodigious
names are like titles among us, but only when given by others."
"Yeah,"
Aida agreed, "like Kinga's!"
"That's
enough," Kinga said, "Isn't it time for you to be in bed?"
Aida hugged me
tightly, completely catching me off guard, "You're nice, Alice. I like
you."
Aida hopped off
my bed and skipped out the door, poking Kinga in the stomach on the way out.
"How did
she die?" I asked Kinga.
"You'll
have to ask her that one yourself," Kinga replied, she set a tray of food
down in front of me. From what I could see it was all bland, unseasoned, and
probably flavorless food. Not really my idea of a good meal. Kinga saw my
skepticism and quickly explained that I probably didn't want to upset my
stomach further by eating rich food too quickly.
I didn't want
to admit it, but I knew Kinga was right, but I was already sick of her babying
me, and I wanted to know what was going on.
"Will you
tell me how you died then?" I asked hopefully.
"I was a
slave," Kinga said, her Jamaican sounding accent seemed heavier then,
"I died giving birth to a little girl. I would've named her Aida."
"So that's
why you gave Leigh that name."
Kinga shrugged,
"It fit her."
I hesitated,
wanting to ask Kinga what she thought my name should be, but I bit back the
question. I didn't want to sound like an overeager child.
"Your name
intrigues me," Kinga said. Her eyes were not on me, but fixed somewhere
above my head, "it means of noble kin. Few others here are known by that
name. The old king's wife was named Alice before Alecsander stole her away. No
one loyal to the old king will support Alecsander. For now we are in anarchy
until one side conquers the other."
"So that's
why Alecsander gave himself that name? To try to intimidate the ones who won't
follow him?"
Kinga nodded
her head, "I think for now we will call you Ira, meaning watchful. Perhaps
your new name will remind you to look
out for the demon who gave
you that mark."
I closed my
fingers defensively over my palm, "Can he find me because of this."
"Yes,"
Kinga said. There was no gentleness in her response, "but he will only
know your general
does it mean? Who gave it to you?"
Aida's words
were strung together so quickly it was hard to separate one from another, but
her name seemed true enough. She hadn't stopped grinning since I'd opened my
eyes and it didn't look like she was going to stop anytime soon. For some reason
it made me upset that she was so happy, I wanted Aida to be as depressed as me.
And who was Kinga?
"Alice, it
doesn't mean anything, and my parents gave it to me," I said coldly,
"don't you want to go by the name your parents gave you? Don't you miss them
at all?"
It was a cruel
thing to do, almost the same as Lacey accusing me of not loving James. However,
my words seemed to bounce right off Aida's shiny smile.
"My
parents called me, Leigh. but here everyone has a different name. Usually the
first person you meet gives it to you."
"Why?"
I asked. I had to admit I was truly interested now.
"It's
something that describes you, usually. But if you're like Kinga you can earn a
new name. Avery says it means 'stubborn mule', but I looked it up. It actually
means bravery in war. Kinga is stronger than a million Averys and is leading
the war against Alecsander."
I still didn't
understand, "But still, why go by different names?"
I had been so
focused on Aida and her answers to my questions that I hadn't noticed a very
tall black woman in the doorway. She was dressed similarly to Hannah, but that
was where the comparison ended. This new woman was wraith thin, angry, and
wreaked of authority, her whole demeanor was cold and demanding, "Most
people don't want to remember who they were when they come here,” the woman
said, “A new name feels like a new start to them and they can more easily
forget the person they were. The rest of us take new names to keep up
continuity and respect for those who chose to change theirs. More prodigious
names are like titles among us, but only when given by others."
"Yeah,"
Aida agreed, "like Kinga's!"
"That's
enough," Kinga said, "Isn't it time for you to be in bed?"
Aida hugged me
tightly, completely catching me off guard, "You're nice, Alice. I like
you."
Aida hopped off
my bed and skipped out the door, poking Kinga in the stomach on the way out.
"How did
she die?" I asked Kinga.
"You'll
have to ask her that one yourself," Kinga replied, she set a tray of food
down in front of me. From what I could see it was all bland, unseasoned, and
probably flavorless food. Not really my idea of a good meal. Kinga saw my
skepticism and quickly explained that I probably didn't want to upset my
stomach further by eating rich food too quickly.
I didn't want
to admit it, but I knew Kinga was right, but I was already sick of her babying
me, and I wanted to know what was going on.
"Will you
tell me how you died then?" I asked hopefully.
"I was a
slave," Kinga said, her Jamaican sounding accent seemed heavier then,
"I died giving birth to a little girl. I would've named her Aida."
"So that's
why you gave Leigh that name."
Kinga shrugged,
"It fit her."
I hesitated,
wanting to ask Kinga what she thought my name should be, but I bit back the
question. I didn't want to sound like an overeager child.
"Your name
intrigues me," Kinga said. Her eyes were not on me, but fixed somewhere
above my head, "it means of noble kin. Few others here are known by that
name. The old king's wife was named Alice before Alecsander stole her away. No
one loyal to the old king will support Alecsander. For now we are in anarchy
until one side conquers the other."
"So that's
why Alecsander gave himself that name? To try to intimidate the ones who won't
follow him?"
Kinga nodded
her head, "I think for now we will call you Ira, meaning watchful. Perhaps
your new name will remind you to look
out for the demon who gave
you that mark."
I closed my
fingers defensively over my palm, "Can he find me because of this."
"Yes,"
Kinga said. There was no gentleness in her response, "but he will only
know your general
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