The Twilight Star

by Laura E. Collins

  “Miss Evelyn,” a voice I loved said from behind me. I turned and curtsied instinctively at my handsome prince.

  “Good evening, Your Highness,” I said somewhat nervously. These half-vampires and vampires are way too efficient at sneaking up on people.

  “I am glad you have come. The princess and I have discussed some of your ideas regarding our . . . dilemma,” he glanced around the room, to indicate the matter was private. I knew he was speaking of Queen Hadreah. “I must say, you are very creative,” he said with a smile.

  “I will do my best to assist you, my lord,” I said softly, my hand holding the cup trembled a little. I don’t know why I was so nervous all of a sudden. I quickly set it down on the table next to me. I had almost drank two glasses. I forgot how much the wine punch could sneak up on me.

  “Are you finished with your drink?” he inquired.

  “Yes,” I said honestly, beginning to feel a little buzzed.

  “Then perhaps you would join me in a dance?”

  As if on cue, the court musicians struck up their music and courtiers began herding to the dance floor.

  “I would love to, Your Highness,” I said softly.

  The prince led me over to the floor and gracefully maneuvered us into position. After a brief pause, the music began. I silently thanked my lucky stars that I knew this one, having performed it with Lord Thornton recently. It was a Basse, a slow dance just like the one we did in the gardens no so long ago. Of all the dances I had practiced, this was definitely the most intimate one, requiring a couple to grasp hands and twirling in time to the music slowly, wrapping our arms around one another. I knew the prince possessed strength somewhat equivalent to my definition of a superhero, but his hands were gentle as he led me through the sequence of steps. I don’t know if it was the two drinks I just had or his presence, but I felt myself falling under his spell again. I completely tuned out everyone else in the room, even the jealous Lady Bluteau and rotten Lord Crievan.

  As the song ended and we broke contact to bow and curtsy to one another, he offered me his arm to escort me from the dance floor. As the next dance began, the attention of the room turned back to the participants, but Prince Eythan continued to lead me from the room out onto the balcony. My heart started to pound at the thought of being alone with him. I wondered if he could hear it.

  “It is a pleasant evening, is it not, Miss Evelyn?”

  “Yes, Your Highness. The view from here is so beautiful overlooking the mountains,” I commented, observing the last bit of sunlight retreating on the horizon. It was almost the beginning of winter, but surprisingly wasn’t freezing cold yet.

  “It seems like no matter what happens in this world the sun continues to rise and set each day.” I detected a note of sadness in his voice. “You must miss your world a great deal,” he said softly.

  “Yes . . . I miss my family,” I said looking down. “They must be so worried about me. They’ve probably assumed that I’m dead.” Prince Eythan gently squeezed my hand and my heart practically somersaulted.

  “Their love will be with you always and yours with them. Try to take some comfort knowing that,” he sympathized.

  I nodded looking directly into his eyes. I could swear there was emotion there that he was holding back. I looked down again feeling lost. I wanted to tell him how I felt about him but I didn’t know how. I’m not sure if I had too much to drink or if I simply just wanted so desperately to touch him. A breeze swept past us, disheveling his beautiful blonde hair so that a lock of it fell over his eyes. Without thinking, I reached up and smoothed it back letting my fingers trail lightly in a caress down the right side of his cheek. At first he seemed pleased but as I watched him, his face hardened and he grasped my hand and gently pushed it away as he stepped back from me. I immediately felt my cheeks flush with fear.

  “I’m . . . I’m sorry, Your Highness. I did not mean to . . .”

  “Do not ever presume to be so familiar with me, Miss. This is not your world, it is mine and I am your sovereign prince!” he reprimanded sharply.

  “I apologize, Your Highness . . . I was out of line,” I was doing my best to fight back tears. I could not describe how embarrassed I felt.

  “What would a royal prince want with a common wayfarer servant?” his voice had gone cold and demanding.

  “Nothing, Your Highness,” I said slowly staring at the ground. He said no more but his glower told me everything I needed to know. My heart felt like it had been wrenched right out of my chest as he turned and marched off without another glance.

  Numbly, I stood there watching as he quickly disappeared. What had I just done? I must be crazy. It was so stupid of me to come on to him like that. A royal prince from this strange world would never want someone like me. He made me say it. A servant. A nothing. That’s all I would ever be. I should have known this; maybe deep down inside I did. Then why would I have tried? It seemed like he cared for me . . . I don’t think I imagined it. I couldn’t explain it. I had never been so bold with a man before, even in my own world. I need to get out of here, I thought. Standing there, I knew the tears were coming, I could feel it. I needed to get home before someone saw me.

  Quickly, I left the balcony, heading straight for the doors staying close to the walls. I scarcely breathed as I walked, hoping no one would notice me and my face, which was surely flushed. I tried to focus and keep a grip on my raw emotions as I left, forcing my face into a neutral expression. Almost to the door. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Paul look in my direction but I did not stop. Thankfully I made it out without being detained. I walked at a very clipped pace, keeping my face set in stone. Out one corridor and through the next. Down one flight of stairs, and another hallway. When I finally burst through the doors that led to the terrace, I sucked in a deep breath. I was alone and it was past twilight. I paused at the top of the stairs that led down to the paved streets that would take me back to the village. I decided to walk alone in the dark. I didn’t care if I had an escort or not.

  There is nothing for me here in this world. I knew better than to trust strangers. That instinct has been with me ever since my mother abandoned my sister and I when we were children. I cannot explain my attraction to the prince, or why I feel so heartbroken at his rejection. It all makes no sense. I felt as though he had torn a gaping hole in my chest. Silent tears slipped down my cheeks and I couldn’t hold them back anymore. I wanted to go home. I needed to go home. Whether or not there is an impending war, I’ve been delusional to think that that I could belong here. I just had a nice hard wake-up call. I am no warrior and I don’t believe in magic. It’s not my problem if they have an evil, power-hungry witch for an enemy. I felt my feelings for the royals harden and turn cold. The next time the twilight star shines, I will be ready. We will be ready. If it opened a portal to bring us here, then it can open a portal to send us home. One way or another I will go home, even if I have to die trying.

  Chapter 17

  A week dragged by and my mood didn’t improve. I could not explain my sadness over the prince’s rejection. It should have come as no surprise that he did not care for me. How could I have ever let myself believe that he did? It was foolish of me. He was royalty, and I was not. I was just an outsider, a wayfarer, a servant. I should never have allowed myself to dream and set myself up for this. I mistook his politeness for caring. It shouldn’t hurt the way that it did. It devastated me, but it shouldn’t have. I had no rationale for it and I couldn’t escape it. At times the only thing that carried me through the day were my intermittent thoughts of finding a way to open the portal with the next twilight star. I swore I would find a way home if it was the last thing that I did.

  ∞

  Thankfully our clinic finally became busier again the following week as the villagers reluctantly started to trust Sam and I to take care of them without Dr. Thorpe. I needed to keep my mind occupied and stop dwelling on my rejection from the prince. My patient left and Sam and I cleaned up after her when S
ir William’s carriage pulled up outside. I looked at Sam, who brightened a little. This is a surprise, I thought and went back to my work. Sir William’s servant opened the door and the man himself marched in. His eyes immediately went to Sam and he gave her a brief smile and greeted her. I turned and curtsied politely. “Good afternoon, Sir William,” I said.

  “Good afternoon, ladies,” he replied politely.

  I remained silent, unsure as to why he had come. It wasn’t like him to visit Sam in the middle of the day. He glanced at Sam and then walked over to me.

  “Miss Evelyn, I need you to don your cloak please,” he said softly.

  What? “Is there someone in need of care?” I asked as I walked over and plucked it off of the peg on the wall.

  “No. I have just come from the castle and have received orders to escort you to Ironhaven now.”

  “Ironhaven . . . the prison?” I asked bewildered.

  “Yes, Miss.”

  “But why? What did I do?” I asked with my voice rising into a panic.

  “Sir William, what is this about?” Sam blurted out coming to stand next to me. He glanced at her briefly.

  “It is not my place to question the monarchs. Their will is law.”

  “What are they going to do to me there?” I asked on the verge of tears. My emotions were already a mess.

  “I am sorry . . . but I do not know what their intentions are.”

  I stood there numbly with tears in my eyes. Sarah and Sean were right. I should have stayed away from the royals. Could Prince Eythan be so unkind that he would send me to prison or execute me for expressing to him how I felt? For touching him?

  “There must be something you can do!” Sam pleaded.

  He shook his head. “Please come with me peacefully, Miss. I will make inquiries on your behalf but I cannot promise anything.”

  I suddenly wanted to run; run far far away from this. I wanted to be back home. Betrayal cut deep down inside me from the royals. I thought Princess Emeley was my friend. If I ran, they would hunt me down and kill me for sure. Sir William was a half-vampire, he could overpower me easily. I had no choice.

  Placing a hand on my shoulder, he led the way out to his carriage. The servant opened the door for us and Sir William assisted me inside. He followed and the door shut. I couldn’t look at him so I just stared of the small window at Sam as we drove off. The familiar scene of the village faded behind us as we drew closer to the massive lake and mountains. Off in the distance I could see the looming eerie stone tower prison known as Ironhaven. It jutted up several hundred feet in the lake away from the shore, connected by a solitary stone drawbridge. As the carriage approached the draw bridge, it lowered as if it were expecting us. After we passed through the mist over to the other side we stopped at the entrance and a few guards appeared. They were all dressed in royal black and silver uniforms.

  Sir William’s servant opened the door to the coach and he got out, helping me after him. I stopped and looked up at the massive structure. Peering up at it almost made me dizzy. It was cold and had dingy moss clinging to it from constantly being bathed in spray from the lake.

  “This is where I must leave you,” Sir William said softly. He apparently disliked being here also. “I promise I will make inquiries,” was all he said before he climbed back into his carriage, leaving me with three human guards.

  “Come this way, Miss,” the lead guard said gesturing to the entrance.

  I obediently followed him as the other two guards closed in behind me. I cringed when the door slammed shut behind us, encasing us in a large, dimly lit depressing entryway. The silent somber environment gave me the creeps. I followed my guard through a few passageways to a stairwell and we began to ascend the spiral stone steps. Instinctively, I counted the floors as we passed them. I was out of breath as we stopped on number ten. Breathing heavily, I followed the guard down another hallway to an open room. We stepped inside and the guard used his torch to light a candle for me. There was a small barred window on one side, letting chilly air in. One of the other guards went to the hearth with bars over it, no doubt to prevent escape, and lit a fire. There was a small bundle of firewood present. One side of the chamber had a stone ledge with a wooden wash basin containing water and a wooden cup as well as a pitcher of ale. There was a basic latrine on one side and a few small bales of hay on the other . . . I guess that was to be my bed.

  The guards turned to leave. “Wait!” I pleaded. “Why am I being held here? What is going to happen to me?”

  “We do not know, Miss,” was all he said before he securely shut me in and twisted the key in the lock. All I could do was stand there in shock and worry over my situation. Were they going to kill me? Had I really offended the prince that badly? I could hardly imagine he could be that cruel, but perhaps I was wrong about him. I ran to the small window and pressed on the bars. They were solid. Looking out, all I saw was water as far as they eye could see. I ran back to the door and pushed. It was thick, heavy wood and didn’t budge. There was a small rectangular opening near the top with bars on it. Standing on my tiptoes, I could manage to peer out, but all I saw was a different guard slowly pacing up and down the hallway. There was no way out of here. If the royals wanted me dead, surely I was doomed.

  After thoroughly inspecting my cell for any means of possible escape, I sat down on one of the bales of hay. I tried to keep it together, but the tears came. I don’t know how many hours passed. I occasionally got up to put another log into the fire and take a sip of ale, not knowing what I would do if I ran out of both. My stomach rumbled with hunger as the sun began to set. I thought of my friends. I wondered what they would think after Sam tells them what happened to me. I hoped they wouldn’t try anything stupid.

  Suddenly, there was a key clanking in the lock to my door. I shot to my feet. A guard with a lit torch walked in and held the door open as a young servant girl followed with a tray. She walked over to the stone ledge and set it down. It was covered with a white cloth so I could not see what it was, but it smelled like dinner.

  “Your supper, Miss,” she said gently before she walked back towards the door.

  “Thank you,” I said as she reached the door. I thought that would be it, but she returned two more times. Once with a large quilt for my apparent bed of hay, and again with more firewood. Then she and the guard disappeared and the key turned in the lock again.

  I hurried over to the tray and lifted the cloth off. I was surprised to see a large dinner roll with a deep wooden bowl of stew. But that was not all that was on the tray. A small book was tucked into the side. Picking it up, I noticed it seemed worn, like it had been read many times. Surprisingly, the text was in English. It appeared to be some hand written collection of fairy tales. Why a book? I set it down and returned my attention to the food. After a detailed inspection, I decided the contents of the tray were safe to eat and practically inhaled all of it, drinking the ale along with it.

  In this lighting it was difficult to read the book so I set it aside. With my stomach full and the stress of the day, I decided to get some rest. I pulled hay from two of the bales to create a softer place to sleep, leaving one bale intact to serve as a place to sit. I unfolded and inspected the quilt. It appeared clean so I folded it in half and laid it on the hay. Pulling a few more logs from the stack, I pushed them through the bars to burn while I slept. I kept my cloak on as I slipped in between the layers of the folded quilt like a sleeping bag and tried to rest.

  Ironhaven was eerily quiet. I could occasionally hear the crashing of the waves ten stories below me. But what really freaked me out were the infrequent screams, wails, and sometimes sinister laughter that drifted up to me. I hardly slept because of the constant worry that I might be executed in the morning. Bitter thoughts of the prince I once cared so deeply for spun in my mind all night until finally the sun rose.

  December had come and it grew colder by the day. The logs had burned down leaving only glowing embers behind. I tossed a few more on
to take the morning chill away. Fortunately after a few minutes, they caught fire. I dipped a corner of my cloak in the water basin and sponged my face off, wishing I had saved some of the bread from last night to snack on. Not having anything else to do, I picked up the book and pulled the hay bale over to the fire to read.

  It was indeed a book of Eteryn fairytales. Some were of demon-like monsters attacking a village, and others were about evil sprites. Most, but not all, had somewhat happy endings. After a while I shut the book to give my eyes a break. It must be mid-morning, I thought. So far, nobody had come to kill me. For a prison, Ironhaven seemed tame to me . . . at least the cell that I was in. I wondered why they would give me firewood and fire. Weren’t they afraid I could use one of the logs to try to club and attack the guards when they opened the door? What about the fire and the hay? I could easily use any of that to set the whole room on fire as well as the door and even myself if I wanted to. Then there was the food. It wasn’t stale or gross and it was even warm. The book in my hands was also another curiosity. If the royals wanted me to be locked up, it seemed as if they didn’t want me to starve, be cold, or bored.

  After reading another story, the door unlocked and a new guard appeared with a different young servant girl. I stood up as they entered. She carried a new tray and set it down next to the old one from last night and carried that to a cart in the hallway. Next, she replenished the firewood.

  “Excuse me?” I said softly to the guard. “Do you know why I am being held here? What are the plans for me?”

  “They never tell us these things, Miss,” was all he said before they left and the key turned in the lock, shutting me in again. I went to the tray and uncovered it. More bread and some porridge as well as cheese and an apple. They were giving a prisoner fruit? This made no sense at all. I ate and then decided to use one of the burnt pieces of wood to make a vertical hash mark on the back of the door to start marking the days. Isn’t that what they did in the movies?