by V F Sharp
“Lady Arrow,” said a male voice behind her, startling her.
She slammed the book shut and turned around toward the voice. Standing with Miss Tee at the entrance to the gallery was a tall, slender man with handsome chiseled features, impeccably dressed in royal clothing. She dropped the book on the bench and rose.
“My apologies,” he said, offering a slight smile. “I meant to say… Miss Ezstasia.”
His piercing blue eyes met hers with a combination of kindness and suspicion. Yet, he seemed pleasantly surprised by her cleaned-up appearance in the beautiful, flowing, gown.
“How’s your head?” he said, approaching her, as Miss Tee left the room.
“It hurts,” she said, tensing up. “I can hardly remember anything. May I ask how I got here and what happened to me?”
As he came up to her, he lifted his hand to check the cloth on her wound. By instinct, she nervously pulled away.
“I’m just checking to see how it’s healing,” he said, ignoring her request for information.
She slowly brought her head forward as she felt him gently peeling the cloth open.
“It looks much better,” he said as he returned the bandage to its spot. “But I’m afraid you are in no condition to leave, quite yet. If you’d like, I can send a horseman to alert your kin to let them know where you are. And that you’re under my care.”
“And where is it that I am, Your… um… I mean, my lord?” She wasn’t quite sure what to call him, nor was she doing particularly well at hiding her discomfort.
“Oh yes,” he said, “I apologize. I’m Prince Alazar.”
“Prince!? As in—a real prince?”
“Real?” he said, with a slight chuckle. “The last time I checked I believe I was real, though some people may dispute that.”
“I’m sorry, my lord, I meant you no disrespect.”
“Well, now that we’ve both said our apologies…” He smiled again—a warm smile, which put her at ease. “Welcome to Old Vynterra.”
“Old Vynterra!? I thought it was in ruins.” She had heard countless tales of the legendary kingdom as a child.
“I’m restoring it.” His eyes almost twinkled as he said that.
Now that he mentioned it, she remembered hearing about a prince restoring the old ruins a few years ago. She found it odd that she could remember things from years ago, yet she had very little recollection of where she had been for the last few days.
“You’re the son of King Izhar,” she said, “I’ve heard of you. Well, I think everyone has.” She couldn’t believe she was talking to an actual prince, let alone the very son of Izhar the Great.
“Indeed I am. Upon my request, my father bequeathed this kingdom to me while he sits on the throne at Rhyceton. I’ve chosen to restore it to its former glory. You’ve seen a very small part of it, such as this gallery. But I assure you there’s much more to be seen. Valorian had quite a keen inventor’s mind.”
“Wait a minute,” she said, feeling her heart fluttering. “Valorian? Prince Valorian from the scrolls!? This isn’t—”
“I assure you it is,” he said. “You, Miss Ezstasia, are in Valorian’s Castle.”
* * * *
Ezstasia was beside herself. This castle was a piece of history every living soul had heard about. Her parents used to tell stories about the magnificence of Prince Valorian before she and Lanzzie fell asleep at night. But Prince Valorian of Vynterra was only known from the stories that had been passed down from generation to generation, and from the tales told in the ancient scrolls.
There were rumors about what remained of Old Vynterra. Some believed it to be haunted or cursed. Others claimed it to be a mystical place where magic once prospered. In any case, everyone agreed it was the seat of old magic, a living testament to the tales in the old scripts—prior to the Great War, after which humans and magic folk had split forever. And here she was, within its very walls while standing before the one and only son of King Izhar the Great.
While the Cottages were, by law, not part of any kingdom, everyone who lived there had heard of King Izhar of Rhyceton, the wisest ruler of all. He had been revered for his compassion and fairness. Rumor had it that his son was of the same disposition—noble and just. She felt faint in the surrealness of this moment.
“One thing intrigues me,” said Prince Alazar, breaking her out of her trance. “If you’re not a Lady, then where are you from? I haven’t seen you around the villages, and I make it a point to know my people personally.”
“I’m from the Cottages down south.”
“The Cottages? I wouldn’t have guessed. You don’t look it, you know.”
“And why not?” She didn’t know whether to be delighted or insulted.
“For one, your hands are unmarked. They’re too clean. And two, the clothes you were wearing when we found you were much too elegant for a Cottage girl. Your shoes looked like they hadn’t seen a day of labor.”
“We’re not all root farmers, you know.”
His brow furrowed. “I suppose not. Still, you look more like a Lady than a Cottage girl. No offense, of course.” He glanced once again at her gown with respectful admiration.
“Who could be offended at being called a Lady?” she said.
“Who indeed,” he said, smiling.
She couldn’t tell for sure, but there was a hint of suspicion in his voice. But now it was her turn to ask the questions.
“Your Grace,” she said, “is there a reason you haven’t told me what happened to me?”
He looked at her with both inquisitiveness and surprise.
“None at all. I was hoping that you’d be able to tell me.”
“But how can I, if I don’t remember anything?”
“Fair enough.” He held out his hand. “Come. Fresh air will help. We’ll go out on the terrace. I’ll have Miss Tee bring us some freshly baked bread. It’s the best in the kingdom.”
On the way out of the gallery, he pulled a bell cord on the wall twice. She followed him back into the bedroom that she had awoken in.
She watched as he walked to the wall where the wooden shutters were. The wall was cluttered with paintings and wooden carvings. He grabbed two protruding vines and effortlessly spread them apart, pulling open two large doors that led outside to the terrace.
“Why would you ever need a secret terrace?” she said.
“Some rooms were hidden for sheer amusement, and some for other reasons. I think it’s safe to say this was one of those ‘sheer amusement’ designs.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant by other reasons, but she followed him out onto the large terrace. Immediately, she was in awe at the beautiful landscape that stood before her. The sun was setting, and the sky was a blended hue of vibrant purples and oranges. She walked past the small wrought iron table and chairs and toward the iron railing that surrounded the terrace, where she could get a better view. To the far right was a magnificent, rocky mountain range with a giant waterfall cascading down the front of the tallest peak. A thick mist rose from the bottom of the waterfall, and she saw a slight rainbow within its moisture. The peak of the falls looked to be even higher than the castle, which, from what she could see, was high up on a hill.
She looked down and spotted the front courtyard, decorated with flowers of every color and a tremendous fountain in the center. Enormous stone statues of various historical figures surrounded the garden. To the right of the garden was a path leading to an impeccably manicured green maze.
“Quite impressive, isn’t it?” said the prince, as he stood next to her, leaning on the terrace railing. “As long as I’ve been here, it still takes my breath away.”
“Especially those waterfalls,” she said, gazing once again at the staggering beauty of the falls.
“Those are not just waterfalls.” He smiled. “Think back to your history.”
Then it hit her.
“Are those the actual Falls of Allura?” she said. She felt the goosebumps forming on her arms.
“They are indeed. Valorian named them after his wife, the princess.”
She was speechless. She gazed farther out, straight ahead, and noticed the imposing stone and iron gated entrance that led to a paved path toward the castle’s front doors. She shifted her gaze to the left, where she saw another path that wound around behind the castle. She could just about make out the tail end of a village, with its thatched roof dwellings.
“That path leads to the twin villages,” said the prince. “The twins, we call them. I find the term ironic.”
“Why is that?”
“As east is opposite to west, the people of the Eastern and Western Villages are as different as could be from one another. Let's just say it makes governing a challenge.”
She heard a shuffling from behind her and turned to see Miss Tee carrying a tray of bread and tea, with what looked like an assortment of creams and jams.
“Shall we sit?” said the prince.
He held out his hand toward the iron table, which she noticed had been designed after the roots of a tree. She sat in one of the matching chairs, and the prince took a seat opposite her. Ezstasia could see that the chairs were quite worn, with the cream-colored coating, having all but faded away. She wondered what marvelous pieces of history these chairs and table were privy to, all faded into the distant past, just like the decaying paint.
She also noticed that there were fallen leaves all over the terrace floor, and a few were scattered on the table. The prince brushed them off as Miss Tee placed the silver food tray down. How could all these leaves have traveled so high up? Even the strongest wind couldn’t have blown them here from any of the trees that stood so far below.
“Where did all of these leaves come from?” she said, pulling one out from a crack in the table.
Miss Tee abruptly stopped pouring the tea into the saucer cups and glanced at the prince—a glance he returned with a smile.
“Thank you, Miss Tee,” he said. “That will be all for now.”
Miss Tee placed the tea pot down and exited. Their odd behavior piqued Ezstasia’s interest.
“I’m sorry,” said Ezstasia, “I was just curious. I don’t see any trees nearby.”
The prince took a sip from his cup. “A little mystery now and again is good for the soul and wisens all men.”
“Excuse me?”
He smiled. “It’s an old saying. But I have a more important mystery I’m hoping you can solve for me. You say your name is Ezstasia, and that you’re from the Cottages, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. So what I’m trying to figure out,” he inquired, “is why you told me your name was Lady Arrow?”
“I told you that was my name?”
“Yes, when we found you.”
He tore off two pieces of the bread and handed her one.
“I have no idea why I would’ve said that. I’m sorry, but there must be a misunderstanding. That’s not my name.”
She spread the sweet butter onto the warm bread, its aromatic heat rising to meet her senses. She took a large bite. It was delectable!
“You remember your scrolls history well enough. And you know exactly who you are and where you are from. You will have to excuse me if it sounds peculiar, but initially, you had told me you were Lady Arrow.”
“I can’t tell you why I would’ve said my name was Lady Arrow. I’m Ezstasia and I’m from the Cottages. I can tell you everything about the Cottages if you want.” She felt herself growing frustrated with the line of questioning, but also with herself for not being able to remember.
“That won’t be necessary,” he said.
As he looked out at the open expanse, apparently contemplating his next words, she couldn’t help but think of how attractive his features were. He was fully in control, intimidating in a way, yet calm and pensive. She admired that about him.
He leaned back against his chair and smiled again.
“Okay, Lady Ar—” He paused to correct himself. “Miss Ezstasia. I’ll tell you how we found you. But you must tell me any details that come to your mind as you remember them. Is that a deal?”
“Of course.”
“Good.” He leaned toward her and looked right at her with a sincere, but serious expression.
“A few days ago, I was alerted by several of my knights that they saw something peculiar in the direction of that forest. Quite a few villagers also reported it. It was the strangest thing. Small stars of colorful light fell from the sky overhead. Just about there,” he said as he pointed to the sky directly above the forest.
“Stars?”
“Not quite stars, but something colorful—of that we have no question. We’ve received rumors over the last year or so about strange sightings in that forest, but this was the first one seen by the masses. Soon after those colors were seen falling from the sky, something even more interesting happened. A tremendous flash of light reached across the entire forest and it was gone in an instant. I took a few of my best horsemen with me to investigate.”
Her eyes drifted as she tried to remember anything she could. Something about the colored lights sounded familiar. Noticing that the prince had stopped speaking, she looked back at him to find him staring at her even more intently. She knew he was cautiously analyzing her reactions in response to what he was saying.
“That does sound strange,” she said, returning her attention to him. “What did you find there?”
“You,” he said.
“Me!?”
“Yes. When we went into the forest, we heard loud shuffling, so we rode toward it. We heard someone talking. It was a female voice—your voice. I was curious, so I dismounted my horse and attempted to move closer. And there you were. I couldn’t quite tell what you were doing, but I must have startled you because you frantically and pretty abruptly attempted to leave. And while trying to do so, you took an unfortunate, dreadful fall off your rabbit.”
“Tia!” she said. Suddenly it all started coming back to her. She was with Tia in that forest. They were playing Arrows. She wondered if that had anything to do with the name she had given him: Lady Arrow. But she didn’t dare reveal that thought.
“Tia. Is that your rabbit’s name?”
“Yes, it is. Is she—”
“She’s fine,” he said. “But let’s stay focused.”
“I do remember something. I was in the forest and I remember it being eerie. I remember hearing a noise behind me—a branch cracking—and I panicked.”
He smiled. “That was likely me. That solves that mystery. But why did you say your name was Lady Arrow?”
She shook her head.
“You were barely conscious when I got to you. One of my horsemen said you appeared to be highborn. That led me to ask, ‘Are you a lady?’ You repeated Lady a few times. So I asked, ‘Lady who?’ Then, very slowly, you said Arrow… Lady… Arrow. Does that help you recall anything?”
“I really don’t remember,” she said.
“Do you remember why you were alone in the forest? A young woman from the Cottages just doesn’t venture into a place like that on her own.”
She hesitated and looked down.
The prince gently held her chin and lifted her face toward his. “Ezstasia, I want you to look at me and tell me honestly why you were there.”
“I—we, my friends—oh, my friends! I was with my friends. They’ll be so worried! I have to get back to them.”
“So, you weren’t alone? There wasn’t anyone else around when we got to you. We would’ve seen them.”
“They must’ve ventured off. I’m sure they were looking for me. That forest! That—”
“Why were you all in that forest to begin with?”
“We were just exploring. That’s all. One of my friends discovered it so we all wanted to see it. It was a new place. Something different.”
“It’s different all right, I’ll give you that. And the arrow?”
“What arrow?” Her heart sunk.
“Th
e arrow you mentioned when you told me your name.”
“Oh!” She breathed a sigh of relief. She had to think of something quickly. “I remember now. It’s something my father called me,” she said. “I forgot all about that.”
“He called you Lady Arrow?”
“No, just Arrow. He called me Arrow because I was good at archery. I mean I still am.” The latter part was true; she was particularly good at archery.
He leaned back and appeared to be digesting it all. He didn’t look like he completely believed her story.
“Lady Arrow,” he said, smiling. “It’s a shame, I liked the sound of it.”
“I do too,” she said. “You can still call me that if you’d like. Or at least Miss Arrow. I mean, if it’s not inappropriate.”
“Lady Arrow it is,” he said, returning his gaze to her. “I suppose you’ll be wanting to get back to your friends when you’re well. And your rabbit, of course.”
“Very much,” she said, relieved.
“Can you think of anything you may have left in that forest?” he said. “Besides your rabbit?”
She shook her head.
“No, Your Grace.” She tried to keep her legs from trembling while thinking of the forbidden magic on the arrow that she’d never retrieved.
He stood and walked to the terrace railing to gaze out at the landscape. She wondered what he was thinking. The last thing she wanted was for him to associate her with the so-called ‘stars’ that everyone had seen. Or the bright flash that followed the win of their game.
“And you didn’t see anything in that forest while you were exploring?” he said, still looking off of the terrace and out toward the forest.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe if I had my clothing and belongings, I might remember something. Are they in my room? I didn’t see them.” She figured maybe he’d reveal what he found, if anything.
“Ah yes, I forgot about your clothes,” he said. “I’ll have Miss Tee set them out for you.” He seemed preoccupied as he walked past her toward the terrace doors. She sensed that something was bothering him.
