by Jenni James
“Are you mad? Look around you. There is absolutely nothing here to see. It is a barren wasteland.”
“Come on, you ol’ spoilsport, and let us have a look,” exclaimed George as he headed down the slope toward the village.
Humphrey was quick to follow. “Perhaps we will find something of worth.”
George laughed. “A treasure!”
“Or a skeleton,” answered Humphrey.
“Or a ghost,” mumbled the king quietly under his breath.
“I heard that.” Darién shifted in the saddle and sighed as he watched the other two bound their way into the mayhem.
Michael glanced over at the prince. “Well, we might as well join them before one or the other loses a limb.”
“I am afraid they have already lost their minds.”
“Come now; tell me you are not just a bit curious as to what we may find down there.”
“I cannot begin to fathom what we would find.” Darién shook his head and smirked. “And you believe there is some sleeping queen in the midst of this all. Honestly, perhaps your head has gone missing as well.”
Michael pursed his lips and took in the horrific scene surrounding them. “She is said to be a spirit that wanders the halls of that castle. Stories of her tell of a beauty unmatched. Queen Aleyna is supposedly the most breathtaking woman ever to behold.”
“Yes. I am sure many a man has lost his breath over the sight of her gruesome ghoulish form coming upon them.” Darién folded his arms, the reins tightly within his grasp. “And what is this nonsense anyway? Why must people cling to the hope that she is still living, that she is under some sort of spell? It is clear by these ruins what has happened here. And it only proves the point more she has been killed along with the rest, as there are those who have seen her ghost. Sincerely I ask, why are we here again? To what purpose does this verify anything to scamper about through charred remains and release a sleeping queen who is already dead?”
Michael grinned and nudged his horse forward. “Because it is fun, boy. Relax a little and enjoy the moment. Have an adventure. Who knows, once you prove to us all you are not reluctant to go down because of the spirit and you are brave enough to meet her, you might very well fall in love with the phantom.”
“Yes, because that is so evidently practical. Falling in love with some specter is definitely what I have dreamed about since I was a wee lad.”
Michael did not answer him, nor did he turn back. Darién watched in growing frustration as his friend’s horse slowly picked its way down the side of the hill and into the ruins below.
“Am I the only one who is somewhat sane around here?” he mumbled out loud. He sat for a minute in the silence pondering his unfortunate luck, then groaned when he saw Humphrey burst out of a charred house, sans his horse, waving a large blackened stick and beginning to chase George who had just happened past. Lord Hadden was quick to defend himself with a metal tool of some kind. The men hooted and hollered and continued to playfully dodge and escape the other crunching on fragile remnants until the king slipped off his horse and approached. He could not understand the words he spoke to them, but he watched the other two sober up and glance his way.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake,” he muttered. “If I do not join them soon, they will all persuade themselves it is because I am too fearful.” With a sigh and a nudge he tugged his horse’s reins to convince the beast to slowly make its way down the hill.
“So, the great prince has finally mustered up the courage to come!” shouted Lord Taltson.
Darién could not hear their sniggering, but he could see it. He waited until he drew within earshot before he calmly stated, “Someone had to come and make sure you fools did not damage yourselves and cause more mischief than needed right now.”
“That is what his Majesty is here for.” George nudged the king and then grinned up at Darién, his blond hair haphazardly blowing in the wind. He already had bits of soot tingeing the ends.
The prince shook his head and prodded his horse forward. “Well, you three can pursue yourselves around the village all you want. I’m going to make my way up to the castle and get this nonsense over with.” With those words, he pressed the horse to pick up speed. By the time they had made it out of the village and away from the splintered ruins and onto the more cleared winding path leading to the castle, the other three had mounted their steeds and were close behind.
The group approached the large fortress in reverent silence. Even the horses’ hooves clomped softer upon the cobblestone as they entered the great courtyard. The shredded fabric waving creepily in the breeze and the shattered multi-colored glass beneath them was too ominous for words.
This had been a grand palace at one time, full of vibrant beauty and life and happiness. You could see traces of its former life everywhere—from the once elaborate walking garden, which was now overgrown and wild, to the finely chiseled stone archways and window casings, and the many statues and fountains now covered with clinging vines and dried moss. The rich fabric of the torn textiles, now faded to muted colors, spoke of a kingdom handsomely blessed and full of magnificence.
“What happened here?” Darién whispered as he slid from his horse. He walked the beast to a tie post and looped his reins within the carved ring.
Michael and Humphrey followed suit, while George meandered with his steed through the gardens at a much slower pace.
“It is said that the whole family was bound to a dark sorceress. And in exchange for her protection and the prosperity she would bring, she had them pledge to give her whatever it was she desired for compensation.”
“And what was that?” asked Humphrey, his eyes scanning up the stone walls of the many-floored edifice.
“I am not sure what it is she demanded,” stated the king. “But whatever it was, they obviously told her no.” He held his arms out. “This was supposedly her payment for such disobedience. They say that the only one of the royal family who survived the ordeal was the Sleeping Queen.”
Darién walked up to the large wooden double door before them. “Not one of the queen’s children made it?”
“You misunderstand,” Michael clarified, “the queen was merely seventeen or eighteen at the time, only a princess. She supposedly inherited the title and throne when her family was executed.”
Lord Taltson approached as Darién tried the black metal handle. “Humphrey, it looks as though this is moving—however it is quite rusted through. Will you push against the door, while I turn the handle to attempt to open the thing?”
With a shove and a loud screech the door swung wide open. Before them was a very filthy grand hall with a large unusable fireplace—the floor was littered with piles of leaves, inches of dirt and debris of all sorts and the fire grate looked to have caught the most of the dead foliage throughout the years. Trails of dust streamed from the windows enshrouding the room with its only source of light. Two great hulking chandeliers hung from the rafters and were bedecked with countless cobwebs, most of them empty and hanging in wisps, long forgotten from years past.
It was quite simply the most spine-chilling scene any of them had beheld. And they were just getting their bearings and about to step into the room, when George announced loud enough behind them to make the group jump, “Incredible! I have never seen anything so remarkable in all my life!”
He pushed his way past them into the grand hall heading straight for the wall where an old sword was mounted upon—his feet leaving marked footprints through the dust and grime. “Do you see that?” he asked no one in particular. “I have not seen one of these since my great-grandfather had shown me a painting years ago. He had inherited the picture from his own grandfather when he was a small boy.” Lord Hadden reached up and lovingly stroked the blade. “She’s stunning, is she not?” he whispered.
Just as he was about to unlatch the sword and pull it off the wall another voice could be heard loud and clear and decidedly feminine.
“Please do not touch. It is a relic
of sorts in our family and my father has specifically asked that no one handle it.”
CHAPTER FIVE
DARIÉN GASPED AS HE took in the girl’s pale features and transparent figure. The colors of her dress were muted into soft pastel outlines. His heart chilled and for a moment he forgot to breathe altogether. It had been ages since he was next to something as appalling as this. As a matter of fact he would have simply ran, as he did years ago, but his companions would have never allowed him to live such actions down.
As she glided toward them, he took a step back, fully conscious he was playing the coward. But what else should he do? What was the woman capable of doing to them? She was not real. She did not exist. And yet, here she was walking toward them as if it was an everyday common occurrence to do so.
Thankfully, Lord Hadden kept his wits about him and quickly lowered his hands from the sword apologizing. “Forgive me, I did not mean to offend you.” Sweeping a low bow he continued, “Are you perchance Queen Aleyna?”
“I am.” She smiled a rather beautiful translucent smile. “We do not get very many visitors here.” Glancing around the room, her brow furrowed and she asked, “Did not one of the servants attend you?”
Michael stepped forward. “Forgive us, we thought the castle was empty, or we would have never presumed to have helped ourselves into your home.”
“Empty?” She flinched slightly. “How odd. Why would you believe my home to be empty?”
“I—uh, we…” Michael glanced at Darién hoping for some assistance.
He was just as lost for words as the king. How does one go about rectifying bad manners and barging into a home to a ghost who lives in her own created world? Not wanting to offend the apparition, he cleared his throat hoping to find his voice and swept a bow of his own—the other men following suit. “Your Majesty, forgive our intrusion, we meant no harm. But where are our manners? Let me introduce our party properly. We come from kingdoms several hours’ ride south of here.” He pointed to the king. “This is His Royal Majesty, King Michael of Alemade, and Lord Taltson and Lord Hadden are part of his court. I, myself, am Prince Darién of the Lybrooke Court, which borders their kingdom. Please accept our humble apologies for intruding and allow us to offer you whatever assistance you may require.”
Darién quickly hid his trembling hand behind his back and prayed the other men did not notice how alarmed he truly was.
“Thank you,” the queen smiled and tilted her head slightly forward in acknowledgement. “I thank you immensely for the offer, but I fear I am not the one in need of assistance at the moment.” She caught her bottom lip with her ghostly teeth and despite her efforts grinned quite charmingly at them all before she was able to contain her mirth and elaborate. “I am assuming you will need a place to stay for the evening. If you will follow me, I will be certain to introduce Lord Sanders who will be happy to show you to the guest wing where you can freshen up and find quarters to your liking.
The men looked questioningly at each other as Darién took another step back and hissed, “Oh, not on my life. I will not stay in this deserted ruin of a castle—”
Instantly Michael grabbed the prince’s arm and propelled him forward, his mouth terse as he replied to the girl, “We would be happy and grateful to join you, dear Queen, if you would be so willing and gracious to have us.”
“Of course. You are all welcome at Calistairs.” She smiled again and turned elegantly around, her transparent skirts swirling above the debris and dirt upon the floor. The leaves skittered at her movement, but apart from that the room remained disturbingly still as she walked out of the adjoining doorway and up a grand staircase—her form only slightly unsettling the view of the door and stairway before her.
“Well, gentlemen, what say you?” asked Humphrey with a wink in her direction. “Are you ready to have a bit of fun?”
“I would not miss this for anything,” stated George with a look that promised a little horseplay and tomfoolery.
The king grinned. “This is much better than the alternative of sleeping amongst the ruins of the village.”
“Are you all mad?” asked Darién. “Wait. Do not answer that question; frankly, I believe I have become exceedingly tired of asking it.” He threw an arm out in frustration. “Of course you’re mad! Of course you are. For what human beings in their right mind would go traipsing up a rickety old staircase following after some apparition who has promised you a room for the night, in a place that is clearly haunted?! You are all insanely, wildly, unfathomably mad!”
“Darién, dear boy,” Michael said with a mock yawn, “you have really got to loosen up a bit. You will work yourself into a tizzy at this rate and then how will we be able to save the poor girl with you in such a state?”
The prince shook his head and smirked. “How does one even go about helping her? As far as I can see she seems healthy and happy enough. Let us leave and be done with this nonsense.”
Lord Hadden ran his fingers through his blond hair. “Honestly you would wish to escape this great mystery, rather than solving what no one else has dared to do?”
“Yes.”
Humphrey looked knowingly at him. “Of course and we all know why.” He turned to George and the king and asked while grinning, “Shall we leave him to sulk perhaps? We do have a beautiful sleeping queen awaiting us and I for one would not like to make her wait overly long.” He straightened his coat and cheekily waggled his eyebrows. “Ghost or not, she is quite possibly the most exquisite thing I have ever laid eyes.”
George laughed and thumped Humphrey on the back. “I think the longer she sleeps the better for us, don’t you?”
The lords hooted.
Darién’s brow furled slightly and his eyes tightened just a tad as he glanced between the two before pulling Michael aside to another portion of the room and addressing him quietly. “You will not let these buffoons harm her, will you? She must be protected at all times.”
The king’s eyes warily skimmed the face he knew so well. Darién looked ready to throttle one if not both of them—and it was never a good idea to get the prince truly upset. They all knew he had his limits of chastising and playfulness before he snapped. However, there was an underlying tremor of steel behind the words now.
Michael also had been concerned by the discredit and joviality the two lords presented when discussing the young queen and was just about to thump them himself if they did not straighten up, but with Darién so concerned, it did open up a solution that could possibly help them all in the end. With a look of surprise he contemplated the issue, feigning ignorance. “Do you honestly believe they will harm her? I am sure she is quite fine on her own.”
The prince’s jaw dropped slightly before he answered, “Yes. At the rate those two are going, by sunrise they’ll be flirting with her and treating the gel like she’s a barmaid, or worse.”
“Hmm…” Michael stroked his red beard for a bit watching the antics and laughter of the men across the room. “I do not believe I will be able to stop them from attempting whatever they wish. You are planning to stay, are you not? I will need someone to help me protect her.”
Darién grinned. “You are a monster.”
“Mayhap, but you need this, as much as she needs you.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, the pretty spirit queen needs a dashing young prince to save her from her tormented sleep.”
“And since you are the only prince present—”
“I must be the one to suffer?” He chuckled. “As far as I can see, she is quite content and happy just as she is. Why disrupt her life?”
“You mean, why give her another chance at life?”
“Pshaw.” Darién turned toward the open doorway where she had disappeared. “Do you really believe she’s still alive? Perhaps the folklore may have been fantasized a bit.” He glanced back at Michael. “I simply cannot accept as truth she would become whole again if a prince broke the spell.”
“There is only one way to find out.�
�� The king clapped him on the shoulder and began to propel him toward the door. “And you are just the man for the job.”
Darién’s feet scuffled in their haste to follow. “How does one go about releasing an enchanted maiden anyway?”
“Whoa, wait for us!” shouted Humphrey.
Michael paused. “Your guess is as good as mine, but I have an odd suspicion this is going to become a much more intriguing game than any of us ascertained when we first set off this morning.” He glanced back as the men approached and whispered to Darién, “And I fully trust you will come to immensely enjoy every single moment of it.”
CHAPTER SIX
“WELL, THERE YOU ARE.” Aleyna tut-tutted at the men as she came back into the room. “My goodness, you gave me a fright when I realized you had not followed.” She had just found Lord Sanders and had been ready to turn them over to him, when she saw they were not with her. Immediately she had begun to doubt herself and her actions. Had she come across too forward? Was she boorish or unbearable in demanding they stay with her? Perhaps they wished themselves miles from her and were only being polite to humor her.
Concerned, she walked closer and scanned each of their faces settling on the prince’s odd expression and asked, “Would you rather not stay, then? I will not be offended if you choose to find lodging elsewhere. Perhaps the village inn would be able to accommodate you.”
The prince’s eyebrows rose thinking of the charred ruins, and one of the lords coughed as the king quickly stepped forward. “We are more than happy to stay here in your lovely home. Forgive us for our tardiness, we were—we were discussing our travel needs.”
“Oh!” She placed a hand to her cheek. “Do you mean your horses? How could I have been so thoughtless? I will have the stable hands attend to them immediately. Your coming has been quite the surprise and has caused my mind to flee.” Aleyna walked over to a small table and rang the bell sitting upon it. She smiled at the men and then was satisfied to see a footman approach almost instantly.
