The Rose Chateau

by Rebecca Monaco

  “Simple,” Niviene said. She stepped up and took Corinna’s wrist in her hands. She looked down at Morgana’s band and grinned as though she found it funny. “Child’s play,” she scoffed and ran her fingertips over the gold. It opened and fell to the ground.

  Niviene lifted it up and held it daintily in the fingers of her right hand. With her left hand, she licked her fingertips and then dragged them around the outside of the gold. As they passed over it, Corinna saw an inscription burn brightly into the band, but it faded away long before she could hope to read it. The symbol for slumber vanished and was replaced by the word ‘vigilance’.

  “Here.” Niviene took the band and hooked it back on Corinna’s wrist. “If you want it off, merely touch it and order it to open. Although, I don’t know why you’d want it off. It is your new alarm system.”

  “I don’t understand. This is Morgana’s sleeping bracelet.” Corinna turned the band around her wrist but all evidence of the inscriptions were gone save for the symbol replacing Morgana’s.

  “Correction. It was Morgana’s sleeping bracelet. In truth it is a simple golden bracelet with a spell attached. I just removed hers and replaced it with my own. Now it will act as a magical alarm. Should another witch or warlock attempt to target you from a distance or sneak up on you at all, the bracelet will shiver. If you were still working in the gardens, the bracelet would constantly shiver whenever Morgana watched you work,” Niviene explained, tapping it.

  “But it’s shivering now,” Corinna said with a frown. Niviene let out a single laugh.

  “Well it would be, wouldn’t it? You’re standing next to me,” she said. “I’m of magic, and so it reacts to me. I didn’t say it only reacted to negative intent.”

  “Oh right. Sorry,” Corinna murmured, flexing her fingers and dropping her hand back to her side. “Thank you.”

  “No, thank you,” Niviene said. “You may yet free us from our curses.”

  “Us?”

  Niviene shook her head and turned away from her. She seemed distracted now, as though she couldn’t rightly remember what they had been discussing. Her silence was like a clue for Corinna to leave, and she bowed her head to Niviene before making her way up the large stairs. She was at the top, her hand on the door, when she heard Niviene speak again.

  “Corinna,” she called, and was suddenly only a step below her. “Take this as well.”

  “A mirror?” Corinna asked.

  It was a grand, old mirror made of brass and gold plating that was chipping in places. It appeared to Corinna as if it had been pulled from an old, tangled sycamore tree. The handle was twisted, and vine-like tendrils decorated the outside of the mirror, which was the clearest and newest looking part. It was clean and unbroken, with no sign of any kind of use. Niviene waved her hand over the surface of the mirror and suddenly it showed Corinna’s mother, asleep in her bed, instead of Corinna’s reflection.

  “This is a mirror of desire,” Niviene explained. “Whoever your heart should long to see, this glass will show them. You may have heard of such objects in your classroom fairytales, but let me assure you, this mirror is the upgraded version.”

  “How do you mean?” Corinna asked. She held the mirror close to herself, taking in every detail of her mother’s sleeping form.

  “This mirror can let you hear as well as see. Should you desire it, not only would you see your mother sleeping, you would hear the sounds of her breathing and of the wildlife stirring outside of her open window,” Niviene said. She watched Corinna, the way her eyes hungrily ate up the image in the mirror, and then she placed her hand over the glass, obscuring it and causing the image to vanish.

  “Hey,” Corinna complained, ripping the mirror away and glaring at her. Niviene frowned.

  “I give this mirror to you to bring you comfort and hope, Corinna, not for you to waste away your time dreaming with it. They will always be simple images until the day you break Alexander’s curse and free yourself from this place. Never forget that. It is not your destiny to waste away in your sitting room, admiring an old mirror.”

  “How do you know I’d be in my sitting room?”

  “You have never slept in your bed, Corinna. Is there something wrong with it?” Niviene asked, and she seemed much younger and slightly subservient as she did. Corinna held the mirror closely to her chest and regarded her suspiciously.

  “I don’t like the color,” she admitted. Niviene smiled.

  “Consider it changed. Now it’s late. You should be going to bed… and I meant it, Corinna. Put the mirror away and sleep in your bed. Trust me. That will help you sleep even more than Morgana’s juvenile bracelet,” she said.

  Corinna watched Niviene for some time before the witch nodded and backed away down the stairs. Corinna found herself nodding back, and then she was inside and hurrying up the stairs. The bracelet no longer shivered, and she forced herself not to look into the depths of the mirror. Niviene was right. She could use the mirror, but she had to control herself. One day soon, she would be out of this place and back with her family. She would have no use for a magic mirror. And as for now, she was tired and needed to sleep.

  Corinna stopped in her sitting room to grab her bag and then quickly moved through the empty display room. She didn’t think Niviene could really change anything about her room so fast, but when she walked in, she found herself greatly mistaken. The walls had been stained blue instead of red. It was a calming, wooing color that made her much more comfortable and relaxed than the bright yellow of her sitting room or the blood red that used to inhabit this room.

  Awestruck, she dropped her bag by the foot of the bed and let herself collapse onto it. It was soft, like reclining on a pile of clouds. She scrambled up under the covers and let their warmth encompass her. Before she let herself enjoy her much more accommodating bedroom, she reached back and slid her new mirror under the pillows. It should be safe there. And then, with her peace of mind tucked away under the feathers and her body surrounded by a warm embrace, Corinna let herself slide off into the best non-magical sleep she had ever experienced in her small village life. And with a sigh, the bright, roaring fire went out.

  Chapter 16 – Birthday Bittersweets

  With a resounding, satisfying click, Corinna’s bedroom door snapped into place. She released the handle and rubbed her hands together. There was a draft in the hall, some warning that the season was growing chilly. It was still more to the beginning of fall, but the temperature didn’t seem to care. Corinna blew air into her hands and smiled. It would be a beautiful winter at this rate.

  Corinna pat her jacket pockets comfortingly, feeling the weight in each one. A single apple rested in each, waiting to be eaten. Since her talk with Niviene the other night, Corinna had taken to carrying the magical fruits with her. If magic got stronger by eating magical food, she was going to be eating a lot of apples. They were the only food she knew to possess the qualities. She would ask Belle what the others were, but she didn’t want to raise suspicion. If Morgana got wind of her plan, she would no doubt put a stop to it.

  Dinner would be soon, but Corinna wanted to check on Alexander first. She put her hand into her pocket to grab her first apple and turned toward the stairs at the same time. A woman gasped and Corinna froze, fingers releasing their grip on the fruit. Belle was standing not two inches away from her, hands up in preparation to block herself from harm. Corinna pulled her hand out of her pocket, empty, and high fived both of Belle’s raised hands. Then she cleared her throat.

  “Belle,” she said, taking a step back from the other girl to clear some space. “Sorry. Did you need something?”

  “Oh, I was just coming to see if you wanted to help me make Alexander’s dinner,” the dark skinned girl answered, putting her hands down. “What do you think? We can make his favorite.”

  “What’s his favorite?” Corinna asked. Her mind was stuck on the apples, but she tried to image what kind of food Alexander would enjoy most. Thinking of the beast, Corinna ima
gined it huddled over a steak the size of a helpless calf, snarling and tearing into it with its destructive teeth.

  But then Corinna stopped herself and she thought only of Alexander. What would Alexander enjoy the most? And then she saw the dining room, all lit up and decorated with landscape paintings. Alexander sat at the head of the table. Corinna and the servants sat at the closest chairs. Alexander was less beastly and clumsily eating an average sized steak in larger than average bites, but still using a fork. Corinna smiled at the idea, and the servants disappeared from her mental image.

  “Oh,” Belle said with a conniving chuckle. “And what is that smile for?”

  “What? Nothing. I was just imagining Alexander going out and hunting his own dinner,” Corinna lied. Belle rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly, but she was smiling with those plump lips of hers.

  “You can’t tell me you honestly still believe Alexander’s an actual monster. Corinna, you spend every waking moment either trimming bushes or lounging in his room,” she pointed out. “Only someone suicidal would spend all day with someone they believed to be a monster…. Oh dear. You’re not suicidal, are you?”

  Corinna chuckled at the servant’s aghast expression and pat her on the head in a friendly manner. “No, Isabelle. I am not suicidal. And no. No, I don’t think Alexander is a true beast anymore. Now what is his favorite dinner?”

  Belle smiled and seemed to bounce in her excitement over cooking. She opened her mouth to speak, but they were interrupted by an unusually loud knocking at the door. Both occupants of the small chateau stopped their current trains of thought and walked to the top of the staircase to stare down toward the door. Corinna looked over at Belle, who looked confused. The dark skinned girl directed her eyes up toward the ceiling and held her hand up, counting on her fingers.

  “Odd,” she finally spoke, beginning to descend. “We don’t have another delivery scheduled to arrive for another two weeks. No one else is allowed through the gate… I wonder who could be knocking.”

  “Maybe Morgana lost her key,” Corinna suggested as they walked. It was a jest, but her voice was so serious it was almost missed. Belle started to smile and respond, but the knocking came again, more urgent and quick this time, and drew her curious attention toward it.

  As they came to the final set of stairs, Veronica appeared from the area closest to the kitchen entrance and made her way to the door. Belle and Corinna froze on the top stair and watched intently. Corinna took another step down, prepared to hurry to Veronica’s aid should she need it. The two of them watched as Veronica grabbed the handle and hefted the large door open.

  Standing in the doorway was a large man, not nearly as large as Alexander but definitely bigger than Corinna. He was a buff sort of man, built for fights. He had a slight fuzzy beard and matching fuzzy hair. It looked as if someone had found a way to grow yarn naturally out of a human body. It was sun-dried yellow, like straw, and looked severely windblown. His beard looked new grown, as though he had been traveling for two days and had not yet been given the chance to shave it off. He also had a bit of a mustache growing in. His clothes were the obnoxious blood red of Corinna’s old bedroom, and Corinna could spot the ends of chainmail poking out through the cuffs of the long sleeves. On the chest and shoulders was the proud, official symbol of the great kingdom of Paesaggia – a battle ready knight spun of golden thread.

  “Oh, it’s Sir Ellis,” Belle sighed out in relief. She descended the stairs quickly, with a bounce in her step, and Corinna started to follow in surprise, her steps more clumsy and not as surefooted.

  “Who’s Sir Ellis?” she whispered as she caught up at the bottom of the stairs. Sir Ellis was conversing softly with Veronica by the door.

  “He’s a knight of Paesaggia. He is the one who brings our stock refills every month along with any letters or news from the capital,” Belle explained. Then she turned all her attention to the door, where the knight finally took notice of her and stood up tall just so he could bow low to her.

  “Isabelle,” he said and stood tall once again. Belle stopped five feet from him and curtsied politely.

  “Sir Ellis,” she greeted. “You’re early. This is rather unexpected. Has something happened in the city?”

  Sir Ellis turned to Veronica instead and bowed his head. She lowered into a small curtsy in reply and then nodded her head in Belle’s direction. Sir Ellis sighed and faced the dark, head servant again. He shrugged his shoulders, then changed his mind and began to shake his head.

  “Not really, but these are matters best discussed in private with Pr…. with your master,” he said. His eyes flickered to Corinna, the unfamiliar face in the room. “I’m sorry. Who might you be?”

  “I’m Corinna,” the raven haired, fair eyed peasant replied.

  “Morgana has a covenant with her,” Belle spoke up quickly. “She’s from an outlying village of Paesaggia. She’s helping out here in the manor. I hope you noticed her handiwork in the front yard with those unruly bushes.” It was only partially a lie, since Corinna was in no way a citizen of Paesaggia.

  “I…,” Sir Ellis began and seemed to stumble over whether or not he wanted to comment on or question the story. He looked between Corinna and Belle several times before he finally sighed again and nodded. A small, weak smile adorned his face. “Yes. Actually, I did notice. Fine work, young miss. Now, Isabelle, I must speak with Alexander as soon as possible.”

  “Of course. Did you bring supplies this time or will that come at the usually scheduled time?” she asked as she turned and began to head up the stairs again, leading the way.

  “Um. I’m afraid I won’t be returning for the scheduled meeting this time. I brought all the usual provisions and a bit extra to last the extent of time until I can next return. It’s out in the front yard in my cart. I hope the three of you will be able to handle it. If not, I’ll lend you a hand when I return from my talks with Alexander,” the knight said and quickly climbed the stairs, following behind Belle and taking two at a time.

  He loomed over her like a friendly giant, and Corinna wondered in shock if that’s how she appeared when she stood beside Belle. She was rather tall too, even if she wasn’t as tall as Sir Ellis. Belle stopped on the third floor landing and motioned for Sir Ellis to continue up to Alexander’s room, but she turned and came back to the first floor. She nodded encouragingly to Corinna, but said nothing, and stepped through the doorway and out toward the cart. Corinna watched her go and then glanced up to where Ellis was standing, preparing himself to knock on Alexander’s door. When Corinna looked back to find Belle, Veronica stood beside her, assessing her with her eyes.

  “You can go, you know. You’re not one of us servants. You aren’t required to help bring in the stores,” she said. Corinna smiled and opened her mouth to assure her friend that she wanted to help, but Veronica shook her head. “Go on, Corinna. At least one of us should know what happens up there.”

  “Thanks, Veronica,” Corinna said. She smiled lightly. “I’ll be sure to let you know what I find out.”

  That made Veronica smile too, and then Corinna was dashing up the stairs, doing her best not to trip over her own feet. She was just reaching the third floor landing when Ellis knocked on the door. There was a grunt of something beyond the door that Ellis must have understood but Corinna couldn’t from this distance. Then Ellis opened the door and stepped through, but he didn’t push the door shut and it hung open an inch. Corinna took a spot behind it, so that even if the two men were to barge out of it, they wouldn’t spot her, and listened through the crack at the hinges.

  “Prince Alexander,” Sir Ellis was saying.

  “Ellis,” Alexander growled. “I thought you might be Corinna.”

  “That new girl who’s working here?” Ellis asked. “Yes, how long has she been here? I’ve never noticed her before. She seems awfully well kept for a serving girl.”

  Alexander snarled. “What does it matter how long? And of course she looks well kept. She’s a per
son, not an animal.” The words cut off abruptly, as though Alexander was sucking them back into his mouth. There was a pause and then Alexander sighed loudly. “I’m sorry. She’s been here for… I’m not sure. Three and a half months, I think.”

  “That’s quite a long time,” Ellis said. He took a moment to ponder, probably wondering how he hadn’t seen Corinna in all that time, like Corinna was wondering about Ellis. Three months? Three months and she’d never seen Ellis drop off the supplies. Were they early morning drop offs before she woke up? “Well, that’s not important. You’re looking better than average, my lord. Have you changed something in your routine since my last visit?”

  “You’re early, Ellis. What brings you here?” Alexander asked, and despite his growl of a voice, he sounded more regal than Corinna ever remembered him being during their one on one conversations.