The Prince of Old Vynterra

by V F Sharp

  “This feels a bit creepy,” said Pallu. “He’s nice, right? The prince?”

  “Of course,” said Ezstasia. “Trust me.”

  “Just checking,” said Pallu. “I keep thinking of the saying from the old tales, the one about never trusting a scary road to a castle—or something like that.”

  “They’re just old tales,” said Ezstasia, trying to reassure him.

  “Somebody wrote them for a reason,” said Zander.

  They finally emerged through the tree-lined path. The road curved and the friends saw their first view of Old Vynterra’s tremendous, imposing walls, with its ornate, iron and brass gate.

  “I can’t believe you actually got to stay here,” said Lanzzie with an awestruck tone in her voice.

  Ezstasia nodded, but she was a bit distracted. Things looked different. As they approached the walls and the gate, which was wide open, she could see knights walking around inside, and some riding their horses. They were scattered throughout the expansive field. Some were in groups speaking to one another while others seemed incredibly distracted.

  “Are you sure we can just ride in there on our rabbits?” said Meldon.

  “It’ll be okay,” said Ezstasia. “The guards should remember who I am.”

  “Lead the way,” said Fin.

  Ezstasia led the group through the gate, where they continued along the dirt road that led through the open field toward the stables. To the right, there was an inner wall being freshly constructed from large stones. Beyond the partial barrier, she saw the buttresses of the Black Castle peeking out up ahead. She wondered why all this new activity had suddenly begun.

  “Was it like this when you were here?” said Meldon.

  She shook her head. “No. It was much more peaceful when I was here. I wonder if something’s wrong.”

  “What do you mean wrong?” said Fin.

  “Well, they’re still rebuilding the old village, but they seem to be on high alert. There weren’t this many guards out when I was here.”

  “Maybe something happened,” said Pallu.

  “Wouldn’t the gate be closed?” said Lanzzie. “We wouldn’t be able to just wander in like this if something was wrong.”

  Before anyone could answer, she watched as a group of knights on horseback began to ride toward them.

  “This can’t be good,” said Zander.

  “Okay, now I’m scared,” said Pallu. “Those are real knights. They even have swords and stuff.”

  “Relax, Pallu,” said Fin. “They wouldn’t be very good knights if they didn’t carry swords.”

  Everyone stopped as the armored horsemen approached them.

  “Don’t worry,” said Lanzzie. “Ezstasia’s a friend of the prince.”

  “Do they know that?” said Zander.

  “Will you all please be quiet?” said Ezstasia. She was nervous enough without all the bickering in front of the prince’s men.

  The horsemen approached the group. One of the men, whose chest armor was more decorated than the others, rode forward.

  “What business do you have here?” he said, in a bellowing, deep voice.

  Ezstasia’s heart was pounding.

  “Hi, I’m—uh, I was here yesterday and—well, I know Prince Alazar, and—”

  “Everyone knows Prince Alazar.”

  “No, I mean, he knows me personally. I was here a few days ago.”

  “I will ask you again,” said the leader, more sternly. “What is your business here?”

  As Ezstasia struggled to find the right words, Fin rode forward.

  “We have vital information to share with the prince personally,” said Fin. “We believe he’ll want to hear it from us directly.”

  “What kind of vital information?” said the knight.

  “It’s about the forest,” said Ezstasia. “The prince rescued me from there and I have more information for him. We all do.”

  “Lady Arrow!” called a voice from the rear of the knights. “You’ve returned!”

  The knight who spoke rode around to the front. She didn’t recognize him.

  “I have,” she said. “Forgive me, but have we met?”

  “Lady Arrow?” said the lead knight, looking befuddled as he turned to the other knight. “Are you certain it’s her?”

  “Quite certain,” said the knight. “I was with the prince when we found her in the forest. How is your injury, my lady?”

  “Much better, thank you. Thanks to Prince Alazar.”

  The leader bowed his head to her. “Apologies, my lady,” he said. “I didn’t realize who you were. And whom have you brought with you on this day? Your servants?”

  “What? No, they’re my friends,” she said, realizing they must not have been informed that she wasn’t actually a Lady. “And this is my sister. We have urgent news for the prince.”

  The knight turned to address his guards.

  “Make way for Lady Arrow and her friends,” he said.

  The knights parted, with three on each side, as the leader rode toward the villages that led to the castle.

  Ezstasia followed him and Lanzzie rode beside her. The others followed behind.

  “Lady Arrow?” said Lanzzie. “You forgot about mentioning that one small—or should I say giant—detail. This, I have to hear.”

  “Later,” said Ezstasia. “It’s a long story.”

  “You can tell us ‘servants’ later, too,” said Fin from behind, laughing.

  As they rode past the horsemen and toward the village, the grandiose Black Castle, with its tall, black, iron gates, began to come into full view. Ezstasia could hear her friends behind her, whispering intently.

  Soon they approached the Western Village, first passing the stables and the outdoor markets on the left. Shortly after, the Black Castle could be entirely seen on her right. Ezstasia could hear her sister and friends marveling at its commanding presence as they rode past.

  “Who lives in there?” said Pallu. “That’s one creepy castle!”

  “As far as I know, nobody,” said Ezstasia. “They use it for some kind of training.”

  She noticed the village was much more crowded than it had been previously. The villagers were outside of their homes. Most of them were busy running to and fro; transporting crates and pushing wheeled carts. They all seemed to be extremely focused and in a hurry. Between the knights and the villagers, it appeared that Old Vynterra was preparing for something big. But what?

  They arrived at the steep ascent which led to the eerie tree-lined path that Ezstasia recognized from before—the one Prince Alazar had said was the famous Road of Sorrow. She made a mental note to herself to tell the others about this road, as well as the beautiful Falls of Allura, whose distant rumbling sounds she could hear coming from the mountains—as soon as they had some time alone.

  They walked through the small dirt path in the field of beautiful wildflowers, then passed through the bustling Eastern Village. After what felt like an eternity, the prince’s castle finally emerged up ahead. She felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing Prince Alazar again.

  She took a certain pride as she saw the look on her sister’s face at the sight of the majestic castle. She could hear all the gasping and whispering from her friends and turned to see their reactions. Even Ithron seemed to be in awe.

  Before they reached the rear entrance, the horseman stopped.

  “Please wait here, Lady Arrow. I’ll have to announce your arrival to the prince.”

  Ezstasia watched the knight walk away and curiously turned to see what her friends were doing. She saw her sister and her friends were busy watching the villagers hurrying about. The townspeople hardly paid any attention to them, even with their giant rabbits. Either they were terribly preoccupied or they were simply accustomed to receiving visitors.

  Meldon and Fin focused on the architecture of the castle, gawking at the exquisite stone statues and the intricate carvings.

  “I still can’t believe you got to
stay here,” said Lanzzie as she rode a few steps closer to Ezstasia.

  “This is nothing,” said Ezstasia. “Just wait until you see the inside. And the gardens.”

  “I’ll bet it’s—hey, what’s Pallu doing?”

  Ezstasia looked to see Pallu walking up to one of the village women who was holding a couple baskets of food.

  “Pallu!” said Lanzzie, whispering as loudly as she could so as not to draw attention. “Where are you going? We’re supposed to wait here.”

  Pallu ignored her, apparently too focused on his mission.

  Ezstasia tried to hear what he was saying to the woman.

  “Miss,” said Pallu. “Please let me carry those for you. Those are much too heavy for a lovely lady like yourself to have to carry on her own.”

  The young, fair-haired woman seemed shy, but she handed him the braided baskets and led him to one of the corner homes with a white, wooden fence. In the front on the road stood a donkey-drawn, wooden wagon. Its two large wheels had sunk into the soft dirt that it was resting on.

  The porcelain-skinned girl motioned to the wagon and Pallu loaded the baskets onto the back. They began talking about something, but Ezstasia couldn’t quite hear their conversation. Based on the young woman’s mannerisms and the way she held up the vegetables, it appeared as if they were discussing cooking. That wasn’t much of a surprise to Ezstasia, knowing Pallu.

  “What’s Pallu doing?” said Randin.

  Zander shook his head. “I guess his mission to get a bride continues. He’s persistent, if nothing else.”

  The knight emerged from the castle and walked toward Ezstasia.

  “Lady Arrow, the prince will see you and your friends now. Our guards will tend to your rabbits during your absence.”

  “Pallu, let’s go!” yelled Zander.

  Pallu finished a few last words with the young villager before kissing her hand and meandering back. He was halfway back when he turned to her and yelled, “We’ll talk soon, Miss Ellie.”

  “We shall!” she yelled back, a beaming smile on her face.

  “You’re so lovely,” he yelled. “And your peaches are wonderful!”

  “Pallu!” yelled Zander, shaking his head.

  As Pallu approached, Zander grabbed him by the shoulders.

  “Your peaches are wonderful? Really? That’s the best line you could come up with?”

  “Well they were,” said Pallu. “It’s hard to get those this time of year. And—”

  Lanzzie grabbed them both. “We need to go in now,” she said.

  Ezstasia took a deep breath as she followed the knight, the others tagging closely behind her.

  * * * *

  Ezstasia couldn’t believe she was about to see Prince Alazar again. The butterflies in her stomach were so powerful that, she thought they might flutter right out. On one hand, she was excited to see him. After all, everything paled in comparison to spending the day with a prince in a regal castle. She was reminded of that incomparable feeling as they entered through the intricately carved front doors into a sprawling, tapestry-lined breezeway. On the other hand, she had to remember that she was a cottage girl. She couldn’t afford to get too enamored with a prince, of all people.

  The knight led them down a familiar, well-appointed corridor and into the magnificent dining room.

  “Please be seated,” said the knight. “The prince shall arrive shortly.”

  Ezstasia took a seat on one of the long benches that lined the endless wooden dining table. Lanzzie and the others were still marveling at the elegant tree-themed frescoes and tapestries on the walls. And the imposing architecture with its carved statues and elaborate designs.

  “They sure love trees here,” said Pallu.

  “You have no idea,” said Ezstasia.

  Just then, footsteps could be heard beyond the room. And like a bunch of schoolchildren who suddenly behaved when they were aware that the headmistress was coming, everyone rushed to the dining room table and took their seats in preparation for the prince.

  Ezstasia could feel her heart pounding through her chest as the footsteps grew closer. Prince Alazar entered the room.

  The prince gave her a quick, polite smile as he approached and stood at the head of the table.

  “Lady Arrow,” he said. “Or I suppose I should call you Miss Ezstasia, at least in front of your friends?”

  Lanzzie elbowed her.

  “Stop,” whispered Ezstasia to her sister, “this is awkward enough.”

  “Either is fine, Your Grace,” she said to the prince, composing herself.

  His eyes scanned the group. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  His voice seemed friendly, but more formal than it had been before.

  “Thank you for receiving us.” She tried to keep her voice as controlled and calm as possible, even though she felt like jumping out of her skin. She hadn’t realized until now how strong her feelings truly were for the prince. “While Your Grace was tending to my injuries, my sister and my friends experienced some terrible things in the forest. I know you’re concerned about the forest, so we thought you should be made aware of their stories.”

  The prince’s face grew more serious.

  “Go on,” he said.

  Ezstasia looked over at Fin and nodded.

  “Your Grace,” said Fin, “when Ezstasia was in your care, we searched the forest for days, not realizing that she was safe in your castle. Some of us had… I suppose I would call them… bad experiences. It could only be explained by one thing, really.”

  “Yes, yes, well what’s the one thing?” said the prince, growing impatient.

  “What he means to say,” said Lanzzie, “is that we think someone is using forbidden magic in that forest, and not just forbidden, but, well… dark magic.”

  The prince raised an eyebrow.

  Ezstasia tried to gauge the prince’s reaction to their news, but his face was unreadable. She wondered if he was thinking of something else entirely. Then he glanced up at a portrait displayed above the fireplace mantel opposite him on the other end of the table.

  “Prince Alazar,” said Fin, “some of us experienced frightening things in that forest. And some of us didn’t see or personally experience anything. We can tell you the stories. I think you’ll find them quite peculiar.”

  “Perhaps later,” said the prince, seeming only mildly interested.

  “Later?” said Ezstasia, slightly annoyed at the prince’s indifference, and more than a little surprised.

  “Tell me,” said the prince, “did any of you tell anyone else of these… stories?” He said the word stories as if he was searching for the right word.

  They all shook their heads.

  “Does anyone know about your journey here?”

  Once again, they shook their heads, though Ezstasia could see the others were as confused as she was.

  “But you’re all witnesses to these events, by your own word?”

  “We are, Your Grace,” said Fin. The others nodded.

  “Good,” said the prince, glancing once more at the portrait. “You will all remain here in the castle until further notice. You’ll be well cared for and Miss Tee will summon you for dinner. Meanwhile, I’ll have my servants show you to your rooms. Your rabbits will do quite nicely in our stables.”

  The prince bowed his head to Ezstasia and smiled, then turned to leave.

  “Prince Alazar?” said Ezstasia.

  The prince turned around.

  “Did you know something like this was happening in the forest? You seem to have many more knights on alert, and—”

  “You’ll be staying in the same room as you did last time. Miss Tee will attend to you and your friends shortly.” He grimaced slightly.

  “But what about—”

  “There are plans afoot, Lady Arrow. That’s all you need to know for now. As I’ve said, Miss Tee will make sure you’re all taken care of. For now, my steward, Veterus, will have the servants show you to your rooms.”r />
  He spoke in a patronizing, faux-happy voice that didn’t seem at all sincere. Then he left the room.

  Within moments, a number of servants entered and stood at attention while the steward, Veterus, walked in to give direction.

  “Our esteemed guests!” said Veterus, with a flamboyant tone. “Allow us to escort you to your rooms.” He was a skinny man with prominent cheekbones. He stood tall, adorned in a plush, burgundy jacket that complemented his silver hair rather nicely. “Prince Alazar requests that you stay only in the areas of the castle that you’ve already seen. Exploring beyond those points is, shall we say, forbidden.”

  “Even the kitchen?” said Pallu.

  “Especially the kitchen. The cooks are terrible gossips.”

  “Are we allowed outside?” said Pallu, no doubt anxious to meet his new girlfriend.

  “Never again, I’m afraid,” said the steward. “You shall be condemned to darkness for all the days of eternity.”

  Ezstasia couldn’t believe what she heard, and Pallu looked mortified. Then Veterus offered a sly smile.

  “Of course you can go outside,” he said. “You’re not prisoners here. The prince simply asks that you respect the boundaries of his home. And, of course, that you do not share your stories around the village. But I’m sure you already knew that. For now, the guards have been made aware of your status as our guests. If there are no further questions, the servants will take you to your rooms.”

  “Whoa, things get done rather quickly around here,” whispered Zander to Pallu. “Maybe you can learn a thing or two.”

  “Shhh,” said Ezstasia, unable to hold in her chuckle.

  Ezstasia and the group followed two of the servants out of the dining room and up the large, spiral staircase.

  “I think I could get used to this place,” said Zander.

  “Yeah, well don’t,” said Randin.

  Halfway up the steps, Lanzzie grabbed Ezstasia’s arm.

  “I don’t get it,” said Lanzzie. “Why did the prince respond like that?”

  “I’m wondering that myself.” Actually, she was more than wondering. She was furious that the prince was so dismissive.

  “It sure wasn’t what I expected,” said Lanzzie. “I mean, he didn’t directly answer your question about the knights, and he didn’t even seem to want to know exactly what happened to us. Why? Do you think he already knows something about the forest?”