by V F Sharp
“How are you feeling?” said the woman. “I see you didn’t touch your food tray. Poor thing, I suppose you don’t have an appetite.”
Ezstasia could barely utter a syllable, but she managed to let out a slight groan. Then her head fell back against the soft pillow and she shut her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Miss Ezstasia,” said the woman. “You’ve had quite the fall.”
Too tired to open her eyes again, she heard the woman’s footsteps move closer to the bed.
“Where am I?” said Ezstasia, still with her eyes shut.
“Don’t worry, dear, you’re in good hands. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m Miss Tee. I’m the head housekeeper here. I’ve been caring for you.”
“Housekeeper… Miss Tee,” she repeated, half asleep. “How did I get here?”
She felt the throbbing pain intensify on the side of her head. She tried to remember what had happened, but she couldn’t recall a thing. She opened her eyes again and focused on a faded, silver, ancient tree that was stitched into the red canopy above her.
“Never you mind about that now. Are you feeling well enough to take a warm bath? That always helps me when I’ve taken ill.”
“I don’t know,” she said.
She forced herself to sit up slightly, as she watched Miss Tee walk past the foot of her bed and toward a set of rickety, wooden window shutters on the far right wall. The shutters were already slightly open, and, after her vision cleared, she could see why. A vine had grown right through the center of the shutters from the outside in, winding up the wall and across the ceiling, continuing halfway across the room. She moved the canopy drape aside and saw that the vine was twisted around an old, wrought iron chandelier which was mottled with hints of faded gold plating. Miss Tee opened the shutters wider, bringing more light into the room, revealing the dust particles in the air and the peeling frescoes on the wall by the door.
“Pardon our appearance, dear. This chamber hasn’t been occupied since—well, come to think of it, I’m not sure if it ever was occupied.”
Ezstasia lifted her hand and felt her head where the intense pain was coming from. She felt heavy bandages wrapped all the way around her head.
“Oh no. Don’t do that, dear. Our physician tended to your wound and patched it up quite carefully. You probably don’t even remember taking the Betony Milk. It’s also why you’re lightheaded. The warm bath should help clear your head.”
Ezstasia watched as Miss Tee grabbed the silver food tray on the small wooden table by her bed and placed it at the foot of the bed. She was surprised Miss Tee could even lift it. The shiny tray was loaded with bread, cheese, grapes, dried meats, and a silver water pitcher accompanied by a small dainty cup.
“I think I’d like that bath,” she said, “if it isn’t too much trouble.”
“No, no, no dear,” said Miss Tee. “Not at all, I insist.”
As Miss Tee helped her sit up, Ezstasia gazed around the room. It was magnificent with its high ceiling, beautiful tapestries, and an enormous chandelier. However, it did look as if it were from the days of antiquity and hadn’t been used or cleaned since then.
As she stared beyond the foot of her bed, she could see a dusty, stocked bookshelf on one side of the far wall. Along the rest of the wall, empty picture frames of all sizes were arranged haphazardly, though a few of the larger ones had glorious paintings of flora and fauna. Between many of the frames stood random wooden shelves of varying designs, each displaying unusually-shaped pottery and other objects. Ezstasia shifted her focus to an old desk that stood alone against a wall, with a drapery of clear canopy netting falling gracefully around it from the ceiling.
She glanced over at the fancy food tray on her bed and began picking at the food. The grapes were sweeter than any she had ever tasted, and the assortment of cheeses were exquisite. She hadn’t realized just how hungry she was.
“I’ll fetch the servants to prepare a nice hot bath with lavender and lemon oils,” said Miss Tee.
“Servants!?” said Ezstasia. She was sincerely concerned about not knowing where she was or what happened to her, but she was grateful that they were treating her with such care and kindness. She wondered who these people were that had such riches.
Miss Tee exited, shutting the large heavy door behind her while Ezstasia reached for the snack tray and grabbed a few more grapes. She noticed that the thick, silk blanket which had been keeping her warm had a large, ancient golden tree stitched into it, with a border of golden tree roots outlining the edges.
She pushed the blanket aside and brought her legs to the floor. She felt sore and weak. She wondered what had happened to her and where her sister and friends could be.
She rose and slowly pushed the thick canopy drapes aside, proceeding to the small desk area. She parted the netting that surrounded the desk and entered. Approaching the desk, she spotted three small wooden boxes on the desktop, just beside a pewter inkwell. Feeling a bit dizzy, she pulled out the dainty wooden chair and sat down. She picked up one of the boxes and placed it in front of her. She slowly, opened it up and looked inside. There was a small silver-lined mirror with a diamond-studded handle. She took it out carefully and looked at her reflection. She looked awful! No wonder Miss Tee wanted her to bathe.
Just as she was about to open one of the other boxes, a knock on the door startled her. She stood just as Miss Tee entered.
“Your bath is ready, dear.”
Ezstasia followed her out of the room and down a long corridor. It was like entering another world, with frescoes painted on the left wall with overlapping swirls of varying shades of red. The wall to her right had been painted in vertical stripes of dark blue and light blue. She followed Miss Tee past several wooden doors on both sides, each adorned with intricately detailed tree carvings. With each door she passed, she wondered what was behind them.
One thing was for sure: whoever owned this place was infatuated with trees.
Finally, Miss Tee stopped in front of two beautifully designed double doors, pristinely coated in gold, with silver tree branches for knobs. She pushed the doors open and Ezstasia followed her inside.
“Your bathing room,” said Miss Tee, as two servant girls bowed.
Ezstasia couldn’t get over how opulent the room was. In the center lay a beautiful wooden tub, with pearl inlays and elaborate swirls carved into its base. Just beyond the foot of the tub was a small, marble fireplace. The walls were covered in shiny, golden mosaics with pearls and other gems sprinkled throughout. Even the cathedral ceiling had been covered in an intricate, gold design. Thick steam filled the air and the satisfying smell of a sweet lavender and lemon citrus wafted up from the tub. She looked around at the welcoming candles sitting on iron wall sconces and saw a chorus of small flames dancing and flickering through the mist. The whole space was mesmerizing.
“I feel like I’m in a dream,” she said.
“The water will clear your head, dear,” said Miss Tee, apparently taking her statement literally.
As Miss Tee left the room, one of the servant girls approached and held up a warm robe, which was her signal to undress. Still in a daze, she slowly removed her garments and stepped into the plush robe.
“There are towels next to the grand mirror, Miss,” said the girl. “And you’ll find rose and mint soaps on the glass table by the bath. If you need anything, my name is Elyse. You can just call for me.”
Ezstasia was far too entranced by the room to respond.
“If there isn’t anything else, I will leave you to your bath, Miss,” said Elyse, as she and the other servant girl left quietly.
Ezstasia looked up and noticed a small open window high above her, letting a singular ray of light shine into the candlelit room.
She removed her robe and placed it on the marble vanity by the gold-lined, grand mirror. Carefully, she pulled the back and sides of her hair loose, without disturbing the bandage, untying the braid and letting her hair fall down to the small of her back. She slowly stepped into the tub;
the marble fireplace flickered only a few feet in front of her. As soon as she lowered her body into the tub and leaned back, she could feel the warmth envelop her body, the scent of lavender and just a hint of lemon intoxicating her. She rested her head on the back of the tub and gazed up, noticing a delicate chandelier dangling right above her. Each arm of the fixture was shaped like a pearl-covered branch with hundreds of thin, dainty leaves dangling down from each of them. The chandelier gently swayed with the soft breeze that emanated from the small window overhead. It gave the impression of a living tree as each leaf moved in its own fashion.
As she began to wash, her mind drifted. She thought of her sister and her friends, and exactly what had occurred to lead her to arrive at this magical palace. She was anxious to find out, but for now she was too tired to think about anything else. Between the candles, the warmth, and the lavender, it wasn’t long before she found herself losing the fight to stay awake.
* * * *
Ezstasia didn’t know where she was. She felt numb and surrounded by darkness. She heard someone calling to her from a great distance, but she couldn’t discern who it was. It was a female voice yelling and calling her name. She couldn’t answer. She tried to move her lips, but she felt paralyzed. She felt two hands grasp her arms and begin to gently shake her. Then a loud yell near her ear jarred her.
“Miss!”
She opened her eyes. That’s when she realized she was still in the tub. The servant girl, Elyse, was above her looking down. She must’ve fallen asleep.
“We were worried about you,” said Elyse. “You did not answer when we called, and with your head… well, anyway, how do you feel?”
Ezstasia waited a few seconds to fully awaken.
“I think I’m, ok. I’m—I’m freezing.” She looked at her quivering, wrinkled hands.
“You were in here for a long time.”
As Elyse held up the robe, she rose out of the tub and slipped into it as she tried to keep her quivering body still. It actually felt really warm. Elyse must’ve warmed it by the fireplace.
“I’ll show you back to your room, Miss,” said Elyse.
She followed Elyse back to the room, where she noticed Miss Tee had laid out a variety of fancy gowns that looked like something a princess would wear.
“Miss Tee will return shortly,” said Elyse as she exited, shutting the door behind her.
Ezstasia examined the gowns and selected one that was long and flowy. It was forest-green with a braided gold rope that tied around the waist. She laid the gown out on the bed and admired it. Careful not to tear the delicate material, she tried it on. She became slightly giddy when she realized that it fit perfectly. She picked up a small, silver hairbrush and meandered back to the desk area to grab the hand mirror. She gently combed through her hair, avoiding the bandage around her head, and styled a loose fishtail braid in the back.
Just as she finished tying the gown’s golden rope, Miss Tee knocked lightly on the door and entered.
“Oh dear,” said Miss Tee. “You look absolutely stunning. And dare I say refreshed.”
“Miss Tee,” said Ezstasia, “you’ve been quite gracious, but my sister and friends must be worried sick about me. I’ve got to get back, and I really must find out what happened to me.”
“Of course, dear, we have every intention of helping you. I’ll take you to my lord now, and he’ll explain everything.”
“Your lord? Is that how I shall address him?”
“Oh he’s not picky, but you can call him my lord, Your Grace, Your Highness, sire, Your—”
“Wait a minute. Are you saying I’m—”
“I’ll let my lord tell you where you are,” she said. “He insisted on being the one to tell you everything. Oh dear, I’ve probably said too much already.”
Miss Tee walked past her toward the desk area and passed through the clear netting. “Come now,” she said. “Through here.”
“Through where? I only see a desk and a wall.”
“You’ll soon learn that nothing is as it appears to be here.”
Confused, Ezstasia followed her through the canopy netting as Miss Tee walked to the right of the desk and moved some of the netting to the side.
“Do you see those protruding roots on the wall?” said Miss Tee, pointing up at the wall by the desk. “The ones between the dragon sculpture and the rabbit painting?”
“Um… I do. They’re beautiful,” said Ezstasia, unsure what Miss Tee was getting at.
“Push the one that’s directly aligned with the inkwell on the desk. The third one from the left. Go ahead, try it.”
Ezstasia walked to the right of the desk and spotted the oddly shaped root. Hesitatingly, she pressed it, noticing that it pushed into the wall quite easily.
Immediately, she heard a loud rumbling, a deep thundering which shook the floor in front of her. A section of the wall, resembling a door, began to open away from them, revealing the entranceway to another room.
Ezstasia could sense that the expression on her face was one of bewilderment.
Miss Tee smiled at her reaction. “The builder was quite inventive, as you see. Go ahead. It’s quite a cozy haven. I’m quite sure you will love it.”
Ezstasia walked toward the doorway, eager to see what was inside. Part of her wondered why Miss Tee didn’t seem concerned about keeping this secret chamber a secret.
She entered through the doorway and pressed a hand to her chest in amazement as she gazed around the surprisingly large, cavernous circular gallery. She looked up and saw a high cathedral ceiling. The room was well-lit, with sunlight coming in from large stained-glass windows. Huge candles in giant sconces surrounded the entire area, offering additional lighting.
She was enthralled by the wall-to-wall bookshelves, replete with thousands of books. Each wall hosted a rolling track ladder, used to reach the highest shelves. Above them, an upper loft wrapped halfway around the room with a wide, spiral staircase leading up to it. The iron railings on the staircase were magnificent in themselves, with serpentine swirls going all the way up.
“Miss Tee, this is just—”
She turned to see Miss Tee had gone.
Ezstasia returned her gaze to the magnificent gallery, and then spotted something that took her breath away. It was the most magnificent thing she had ever laid eyes on.
Directly in the center of the great chamber stood a massive tree—a real tree—lush and alive, with branches, green leaves, and pink flowers. A circular area of soil surrounded the tree, though the roots had extended out below the black and white checkered floor tiles, breaking through and pushing many of the tiles up.
“How is this even possible?” she said aloud.
She walked to the right side of the tree and noticed a plush, red bench with an exquisitely swirled gold frame and lavishly designed legs. She took a seat on the soft fabric and realized that she was facing a giant fireplace with a stone mantel. The stone had been carved into a face of a dragon. As the dancing orange and red flames flickered, some of the smoke that rose from the fire appeared to be escaping through the nostrils of the massive dragon. Ezstasia was in awe at the brilliance of the design.
Hanging just above it was an enormous painting of a garden that overlooked the distant ocean. A large, white, fur rug was laid out in front of her, and to her right was a small round table with a single, old book resting on top of it.
“What a wonderful place for reading,” she said aloud to herself. She envisioned waking up in the morning and walking in to sit on the soft bench under the welcoming tree, while warming up by a cozy fire. As a pink flower fell upon her lap, her mind wandered. She thought back to the fables from the old scrolls about Valorian’s Castle, with its secret chambers and magical rooms. She pretended she was back in mythical times in that legendary fortress. She determined that whoever’s castle this was took some inspiration from the great fables.
She wasn’t sure exactly what she was waiting for, but she glanced once again at the old b
ook to her right and decided to pick it up. Brushing off the dust, she opened it and leafed through the fading pages.
Ezstasia couldn’t understand the writing in the book; it had been written in a text that she had never seen before. Maybe it was the old tongue, similar to what had been written on the original parchments of the ancient scrolls. There were a number of delicately painted pictures in the book, many of which she recognized as scenes from the old stories. As she turned the pages, she saw pictures of rabbits, both large and small. She also saw the fabled Tree Lords with their magnificently built mansions high up in the trees, and the tiny Mushrim folk, who lived in mushroom-shaped dwellings. There were pictures of all species together, living in harmony.
She flipped the pages to the back of the book and cringed at the sight of a much more horrific picture. She’d learnt about the terrible event depicted in the scene—an episode during what was known as the Great War—but it was gut-wrenching for her to see such a detailed rendering of it. Men, women and children floated limply in a large river of blood. Those whom were among the dead were innocent villagers and nobility alike, as well as benevolent magical beings including the Tree Lords, Mushrims, giant rabbits, and many others. They were attacked by a variety of terrifying giant creatures that she had never seen or heard of before. Some looked like serpents and rose from the sea. Others had arms and legs like a human, yet appeared to be formed from the fiery depths of Earth itself. She saw the vicious diamondwolves hiding in the dark shadows of the surrounding trees, their eyes glowing as they waited patiently for their prey. She had heard the stories about these wolves—they were nearly the size of horses, with beautiful, glistening white coats, piercing, multi-faceted, diamond-like eyes, and razor-sharp teeth. She was glad she wasn’t alive in that time. It was that very war that led to the treaty which now defined her magicless world.
She gazed at the illustration and spotted a giant rabbit in the water that looked just like Tia. Tia! Despite everything going on, how could she have forgotten about Tia!? She tried to think of the moment when she had last seen Tia. She had a fleeting memory of riding with her in a forest. But that’s all that she could remember. She needed to find her. She needed to find her sister and her friends.
