by V F Sharp
“Sir, what’s your name?” said one of the new guards.
“We need you to remove your mask,” said the first guard.
Ezstasia took a deep breath and began pulling up the mask, starting near her left jaw. Before she was about to reveal her eyes, she was startled by a loud horn. It was the same sound she’d heard earlier, the one that had alerted the knights about the breach.
“We found evidence of the breach!” yelled a guard from the entrance. “The woman’s in here. All hands inside the castle!”
The guards left her and ran toward the castle. Unsure of what was happening or what kind of evidence they found, she took the opportunity to run across the bridge, quickly ducking behind a large boxwood shrub on the other side. Once her breathing had calmed, she pulled off her mask and uniform and pushed it deep underneath the shrub.
She knelt beside the bush as she glanced around. Once she felt it was safe, she stood up and moved as nonchalantly as she could toward the prince’s castle. Going to the prince was her only option. Even though she was unsure about his exact role in everything, she had to beg him to let her friends out of the dungeons. She knew without a shadow of a doubt, that it was her fault that they were in there in the first place. She also wanted to confront him alone. She felt that something about him trusted her, or possibly even liked her. Regardless, she needed to find him and speak with him quickly.
Just as she emerged from the Road of Sorrow, she saw two knights standing guard along the right. Ezstasia tried to appear completely aloof. She walked forward and looked to the left to prevent them from seeing her face.
She held her breath as she walked past, and didn’t look back. She walked as cautiously as she could, all the way back to the castle.
Before long, she was nearing the castle’s entrance. Two knights stood by, appearing to observe everyone that approached the area.
She spotted two horses tied up by the trees straight ahead. They belonged to the knights. She picked up a medium-sized rock and threw it at the trees. Spooked, the horses both jumped up and began whinnying.
As the knights ran to the horses, she darted into the castle.
Once inside, a young servant saw her. He had been carrying a tray with a silver pitcher on it, but he immediately dropped the tray and ran away. His reaction told her all she needed to know. They were looking for her.
She ran up a few flights of stairs toward the prince’s study when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned but didn’t see anyone, so she ducked behind a large suit of armor on display in the large hallway.
She heard a knock coming from a nearby door, followed by the creaks of the door opening.
“Lady Arrow is back,” said a male voice. “Inside the castle, I hear.”
“Okay, please alert the prince,” said another man. “Is she the last of them?”
“Well, there are four in the dungeon and four still in the village, but yes. They are all accounted for.” Even though Ezstasia had already confirmed in her mind that her friends had been locked up, hearing those words made her blood boil, knowing the prince was allowing them to be put away.
Ezstasia waited a moment and then peeked out from behind the armor as the footsteps grew further away. She removed her shoes to carry them and ran quietly to follow the man who had just divulged that horrific information.
She remained at a careful distance, hiding as best she could. Once she descended the stairs, she thought she had lost him, but then spotted him walking up one of the adjoining halls. She followed him through a number of corridors until the man had approached three large, ornate doors, side by side. He knocked on the middle door and a servant opened it from inside.
Ezstasia hid along a recession in the wall.
“Sire,” said the man, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Lady Arrow has returned and has been seen inside the castle.”
The prince appeared at the door.
“I thought my knights had instructions to bring her to me as soon as she returned.”
“We believe she snuck in, sire.”
“Snuck in?”
“I’ll have everyone search the castle immediately for her. And as a precaution, we shall have your door guarded, just to be—”
“That won’t be necessary,” said the prince, chuckling. “Just bring her to me when you find her.”
“Yes, sire.”
Just as the man was closing the door, Ezstasia saw his face grow pale as he noticed her step out from her hiding spot. For a brief second, he made no movement whatsoever, but then gently knocked back on the prince’s door. He continued staring at Ezstasia and didn’t blink an eye. The door slowly creaked open.
“Yes?”
“So sorry to interrupt—again, sire,” said the man, still staring at her, “but the woman, is here. Lady Arrow is, uh… well, she’s right here, my lord.”
The prince stepped out of the room and gazed at her, seemingly at a loss for words. He made a hand gesture for Ezstasia to enter the room.
This was it. She had a chance to get her friends out and one way or another, she’d find out just whose side the prince was on. It wasn’t lost on her that her fate—and that of her friends—hung in the balance.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ezstasia entered the prince’s library which was a different room from his study. She gazed up at the huge bookshelves. There must’ve been hundreds of books in there. She was almost afraid to look at him.
“You’re quite the busy bee,” said the prince, breaking the awkward silence. He stood by a massive armchair in front of a fire place while he stared at her intently. It made her extremely nervous. She felt her courage and anger become quickly replaced with anxiousness.
“I’d like to know what you’re up to,” she blurted out. She couldn’t believe those words came out of her mouth.
“What am I up to? I believe I should be asking you that. I assume you somehow snuck your way into the Black Castle with your friends.”
“Are they in the dungeons?”
“They’re unharmed. Why did you go to the Black Castle? You were specifically told that private places were off limits.”
“What we were told was to respect the boundaries of this castle, which we did.”
“So you were there. You all knew the Black Castle was off limits. The only way to get in is to sneak in. What were you looking for?”
As she contemplated her response, a knock on the door caused her to jump back.
“Can this wait?” yelled the prince. The door creaked open slightly. “I’m in the middle of a—”
“I apologize, sire,” said a servant’s voice outside the door. “This cannot wait. It’s quite urgent and will only take but a moment.”
“Come in,” said the prince.
The door opened and the servant introduced a castle guard, who came walking in with a sense of purpose. Ezstasia didn’t recognize him.
The guard bowed and then handed something to the prince. She couldn’t see what it was.
“We found this near Trycernius,” said the guard. “The woman hasn’t been found, but this proves she was there.” The guard looked at Ezstasia, apparently confused as to whether or not she was the one they were looking for.
“You can call off the search,” said the prince. He nodded toward Ezstasia. “She’s right here.”
“Shall I—”
“It won’t be necessary, I’ll handle it from here.”
“As you wish, sire,” said the guard, before turning and leaving the room.
The prince handed her the object the guard had given him. “I believe this is yours,” he said, smirking. “Miss Tee had shown it to me after I first found you.”
Her mouth twisted in embarrassment as she examined the delicate piece of jewelry he’d dropped into her palm. It was her silver necklace that her mother had given her. She must’ve dropped it as she scurried to put the uniform on.
“Anyway, you were saying?” said the prince.
“I don’t know how this got…”
She saw him fold his arms with a disappointed look on his face. She stopped as she clearly saw his distrust.
“Okay,” she said. “Yes, I was in the castle. I wanted to see if my friends were right.”
“Right?” he echoed. “About what, exactly?”
“They thought you might be behind the dark magic, and I needed to see for myself. It looks like I got my answer.”
“And your answer is?”
“You’re raising a three-headed dragon. A man lit up in flames under the supervision of your kingdom. It isn’t hard to figure out. His body will be scarred for life, and—”
“He’s dead, Ezstasia. The man died.”
“He what!? He died!?” Ezstasia felt the sting of tears return, but she pushed them back as intently as she could. She refused to display any weakness in front of the prince. “His poor family. And to think I defended you against my friends. They almost died, too, you know. Wait. What am I saying? Of course, you didn’t know. You didn’t ask or care to hear their stories. They almost died from the magic in that forest. Your magic. I hope you know that his blood is on your hands!”
“How dare you!” said the prince, his face growing red. “He was one of the bravest knights I’ve ever met and a very dear friend! I’ve known his family for years. I’m appalled by your accusations!”
Ezstasia didn’t know how to respond. She began to doubt her plan to speak with the prince, and even more, having brought her friends here in the first place.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… I mean, I know—”
“What do you know?” said the prince. “You know nothing.” He paused and covered his eyes with his hand as he shook his head. Then he looked back up at her and sighed.
She saw his broken-hearted reaction and felt like her gut hit the floor. A wave of deep regret enveloped her.
“Come,” he said, taking her arm, a bit too tight for her liking.
As soon as he took her out into the corridor, two guards came running toward them.
“Sire, we’ll take her to the dungeon for you,” said one of the guards.
“Back away,” he growled. They scattered to let him pass, with her in tow. She’d never seen him so agitated.
“You’re hurting me,” she said.
“You’ll live.”
The prince had never seemed frightening to her, but in this moment, she was afraid.
He led her down one hall after the other, not uttering a word the rest of the way. They passed through a massive room with paintings from floor to ceiling on all sides, and then through another long hallway. Eventually, they approached two enormous iron double doors.
The prince took a large skeleton key from his holster and placed it in the keyhole, turning the lock slowly. After a loud click echoed through the room, he pushed the doors open and ushered her into a cavernous stone hall. It was cool and damp, and its grey walls rose toward an arched ceiling. Thin tree branches and vines peeked out from the stone slabs on the walls from the floor all the way up to the ceiling, some of them even sprouting real, dark green leaves.
He led her to another thick stone door at the far end of the hall. The door was well hidden, behind the ancient vines. It was chained and locked, and even the chains blended in with the surroundings. The prince let go of her arm, giving her a bit of relief. He took out another skeleton key and placed it into the keyhole. She stood there in compliance and silently watched him turn the key.
“It looks like nobody’s been here in ages,” she said, observing some of the exposed dead roots on the floor.
He glanced at her. She wondered if he could sense the sinking feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach. In that moment, she could only think of being lost forever, imprisoned in a hidden room.
“Is this where the rest of the dungeons are?” she said, a bead of sweat dripping down her forehead, despite the cool temperature.
The prince remained focused on the lock until it clicked. He pulled down the chain and with one big push, opened the large heavy door, causing some of the roots that had grown on it to crack off. He nodded and gave her a little nudge to indicate that she needed to go in.
At first everything was dark, but he pulled a lever by the door that set off a chain reaction of illuminated candles, revealing an enormous rectangular hall that went as far as the eye could see. An enormous red runner extended along the grey, stone floor. The walls to her left and right were covered from floor to ceiling in bookshelves, also extending as far and high as she could see. The books looked dusty and ancient.
A noise startled her. It was the prince closing the large heavy door behind them. Then he locked it.
“Are my friends in here?” she said.
Instead of answering, he looked into her eyes with a deep sadness. Not in anger, but more so in defeat, which made her feel horrible for the things she’d said earlier.
“I’ve already told you they’re safe,” he said. “Just follow me.”
They walked down the long hall while she observed the tall wooden ladders that slid on tracks along both walls. This was the largest room she had ever laid eyes on. She felt like an insect in comparison.
The prince approached a bookshelf and slid a ladder aside that was in his way. She wondered how he even knew which bookshelf to stop at, but then noticed some odd markings carved into the floor, unusual shapes she’d never seen before.
The prince pulled several books halfway out of the shelf, then stepped a few feet to his left and pulled out two more. Then he removed another book completely and handed it to her. It was old and dusty, with no writing on the cover. She looked at it, not knowing what to make of it, but then watched as he reached his hand inside the bookshelf where the book had been. He appeared to be manipulating something with his hand. He startled her by grabbing her arm and pulling her next to him. Immediately, she heard a loud rumbling that sounded all too familiar. She dropped the book.
“There isn’t a dragon here too, is there?” she said, as he turned her around to face the center of the room.
He smiled slightly, for the first time.
“No. Just be patient,” he said. He picked up the book she had dropped and put it back in its place.
Several stone blocks on the other side of the red carpet began to rise slowly from the floor. As the stone blocks rose higher, she saw that they formed a pedestal. Resting on top of the pedestal was a single book, bigger than any book she had ever seen, with its cover peeling and faded and gold inscription on the spine. He stepped up to it, opened the book, and began rotating an iron crank that was inside of it. He turned the crank with great pressure and its noisy creaking echoed throughout the hall. He closed the book and stepped back. At once, the stone pedestal began to lower back into the ground, making even more noise than before.
The section of the wall behind her, where he’d pulled out the random books halfway earlier, began to slowly swing open. It revealed a light grey set of steps spiraling upward, accompanied by an ornate, silver bannister. Ezstasia realized that the pedestal was a key to open up this secret passageway.
The prince motioned for her to go through the doorway.
“You’re coming, too, right?” she said.
“I am.”
Relieved to hear it, she entered and began to climb the spiral staircase. The prince entered behind her and closed the door.
Once at the top of the stairs, she saw an arched entrance to a large, square room ahead. The prince entered first and she followed him.
The room was extremely cluttered and dusty, with no adornments or tapestries that had been so prevalent in the other rooms in the castle. Its walls and tables were made of plain, dark wood. She could tell that they hadn’t been touched up in centuries. Plain, wooden shelves haphazardly adorned the walls carrying a variety of oddities. A few shelves to her right contained oddly-shaped glass bottles filled with brightly colored liquids. She wondered if they were magic potions.
Ezstasia’s eyes scanned the room. Some of the shelves held bulky, glas
s containers with lids, each filled with different colored powders. They also housed unusual iron gadgets, tin cups, and wooden bowls with faded inscriptions on the sides. Nearly all of the books around the room were dusty and covered in thick spider webs that she could barely see through. She shuddered remembering the sticky webs and furry creatures that lived among them in the Black Castle.
Three large tables had been arranged around the room, each one covered in books, metal gadgets, and a wide assortment of unusual objects. At the far end of the room lay a wooden chest with heavy, gold padlocks guarding whatever secrets it held. She spotted another chest in a small alcove in the back, all by itself, with even more padlocks guarding its contents.
She realized the prince had silently been analyzing her reaction and curiosity since they had first stepped inside the hidden room.
“So this is where you keep your magic?” said Ezstasia.
“There is indeed magic here,” said the prince. “I inherited the items in this room when I became owner of the castle.”
“I don’t understand. Why show me this?”
“There’s something I’d like you to see. Go look on that table,” he said, nodding toward the table in the center of the room.
She walked to the table and examined it. All she could see were more artifacts and a bulky, old book. She picked up a few of the strange tools and tried to determine exactly what they were. One had a series of ancient dials on it. Then she opened the book and flipped through it as the dust rose to invade her senses. She waved the cloud of dust away so that she could breathe. All the pages included ancient mathematical calculations, accompanied by old script that she couldn’t read.
As she closed the book with a thud, she noticed something glisten in the air, a colorful sparkle that looked all too familiar. She traced it downward and saw its source, partially hidden underneath the book. She’d recognize those feathers anywhere.
It was her arrow.
“Lady… Arrow,” said the prince, with a touch of irony. “It seems I’m not the only one with a secret.”
“You’ve known about our magic all this time?” she said, her head suddenly swirling with memories of her conversations with him.
