In contrast, a few dozen of the staff had gathered in the dimly lit rotunda of the stone catacombs that lay underneath the castle. On a nondescript rock slab, the body of Catherine Brown lay covered with a white cloth shroud. Rapunzel stood by Patience, providing a supportive arm around the shoulders of the solemn young girl who had lost her mother. The majordomo, Henry, spoke a few words, recalling Catherine Brown’s service and duty; and her eternal optimism that things would get better. The vindication of her faith was the return of her daughter, Patience. A mother, whose child had gone missing for years, had never given up hope and in the end her faith was rewarded. Patience was numb as the staff placed small flowers and other tokens around the slab and about the cloth covered body. Many of the staff stopped in front of Patience and gave words of condolence and sympathy. Then it was over. Patience, Rapunzel and Henry stood alone in the entrance to the royal catacombs. The staff had nervously returned to their duties, since rumor whispered that a war was coming.
“I am deeply sorry for your loss, dear Patience,” said Henry. “Your mother was very brave. It is a parent’s ultimate sacrifice to give their life to save their child.”
He took Rapunzel to the side to speak with her privately. “I will need time to make arrangements for her in the castle; it’s proving difficult to find the girl a new family here. It seems no one wants to take in the guardian of the Shards of the Glass Slipper. They are afraid of her.”
“Afraid of Patience? But she’s a hero,” Rapunzel said, surprised at such news.
“The staff is a somewhat superstitious lot.” Henry replied apologetically.
“I will care for the girl then,” said Rapunzel. “Until we get out of this mess and she can find a place to stay with people who will appreciate what she’s done.”
“You are the second in command of a rogue rebellion movement tasked with the overwhelming odds of defending a castle in a time of war. Hardly qualifications I look for in guardianship.”
Rapunzel fumed.
“I can take care of myself, Henry, thank you,” said Patience. “I’m not planning on staying at the castle. I’m leaving as soon as my mother is buried, or at least as soon as I can.”
Patience looked back at the body of her mother and recalled the fateful events of the night.
***
From the wall behind the Maldame, a small panel door opened silently. The Maldame did not notice until a dinner knife was pressing into her neck.
“Let my child go,” Catherine said sternly. She had come back to the room through one of the many hidden servant passages. The Maldame relaxed her grip on the girl, allowing Patience to run free. Patience quickly ran to Rapunzel, who wrapped her arms around the terrified girl.
But the Maldame was desperate. In an angry burst, she grabbed the surprised servant’s wrist and forced her to drop the knife, painfully twisting Catherine’s arm and causing the woman to scream out. Untrained in combat or deception, Catherine was no match for the wicked stepmother; then with a quick motion, the Maldame drove her sword forcefully up into the servant’s stomach, letting the woman fall to the floor.
Patience ran to her fallen mother, tears falling free from her cheeks as she sobbed. Her mother managed a weak smile. “Patience, I am so proud of you. Your father would have been so proud.” She started to lift her hand to touch her daughter’s face. “So happy to know you are alive—”Her mother’s eyes became fixed and dull, and her head went slack. Her bloodied hand that tried to caress her daughter’s cheek fell away limply. One final breath left her body, and Patience’s mother lay still.
***
Patience placed a final kiss on her mother’s shrouded face.
Henry cleared his throat to get Rapunzel’s attention. “There is a matter of concern that I feel I must explain. Unfortunately, this area is only for the burial and entombment of royalty and their family. It is against protocol for staff to be buried here. In years past, when the castle wasn’t surrounded by Bloodthorns, any staff that had family outside was granted permission to return with the body. For those that are under the ward of the throne, as is the case with Catherine Brown, cremation is preferred, as it reduces risk of disease and land is not wasted on the dead. It isn’t up to me. That’s been the castle rule for generations. I am honor bound to uphold them, the only other option is to release the body to the underground river. I leave the choice up to Patience.”
“Her mother deserves better,” Rapunzel said.
“Every mother does,” replied Henry. “Patience, take the time you need to say your final words and prayers. And think about what you would like to do with your mother’s remains.”
Patience stood next to the body, adjusted the flowers, waiting for tears that never came. She had cried too much already. She was numb now but there was a feeling growing inside her, a shift that told her childhood was now behind her.
Patience turned to join Rapunzel’s side but only to interrupt. “I wish it were possible to have my mother buried at the willow tree, where Cinderella’s mother was buried.”
Rapunzel pleaded with Henry. “See, it would just be temporary burial here until she could be buried there. For all Patience has endured and served this kingdom. I won’t tell,” she said. “Just bend the rules a little is all. Is it that hard?”
“Why is this so important for you?” asked Henry.
“My mother’s body was thrown to the Bloodthorns. She wasn’t the best mother, but she was my mother and she did not deserve to be thrown away like trash. All of those wonderful things you said about Catherine Brown before… she should have a better resting place.”
“I am sorry for that,” Henry answered, masking his frustration with a sigh. “Very well, until a more suitable burial place can be found, her body shall remain here,” Henry reaffirmed his decision with a nod. “On a different subject since we are all down here, I would like to show you the underground river since it’s nearby.” Henry indicated with a gesture of his hand toward one of the dimly lit tunnels. Then, with the slightest grin and a wink he said, “And there’s a matter of an escape tunnel to show you.”
Grabbing a small lantern, Henry led Rapunzel and Patience through a series of hallways and rooms in the lowest parts of the castle. Rapunzel pressed her hand to the cool wet stone as they went, trying to ease her feelings of claustrophobia. For Patience however, this was a path she was familiar with. And though it had been many years since she was last down here, Patience welcomed the familiar surroundings of the places she used to explore. They arrived at a walled area stacked with old wooden crates.
“Was this some forgotten room or some offshoot of a dead hallway? I can see how Queen Cinder’s court would not have known about this place,” Rapunzel remarked. “This is pretty out of the way.”
“There was always the chance of the queen’s guards following us down here,” Patience explained. “We used the crates to block and help hide the entrance.”
Near the crates there was a large, man-sized hole in the wall. Stone bricks had been carefully removed leaving the edges of a hole in a jagged outline, like a puzzle with pieces missing from the center. In the darkness beyond, there was a low and constant roar. The underground river was close.
“This is the tunnel? Doesn’t seem so bad,” said Rapunzel.
“No, this is the way to the underground river,” said Patience.
“The tunnel is in the same cavern. This way please,” directed Henry.
As he stepped within, the lantern cast a soft warm glow against the rocks on the other side. Rapunzel stepped over the jagged threshold. The brick work gave way to cavern of smooth stone. It was spacious enough, like a large room, but not overly cavernous, much smaller than the castle’s throne room where they had fought that creature from Wonderland. Henry led them down a series of rock ledges that had formed a natural stairway down to the floor of the cavern. Stalagmites jutted up along the floor, like a matching railing of stone for the staircase. The wet rocks sparkled with crystalline glitter, illumin
ated by the lantern’s glow. In the shadowy corners, larger rock formations let their eerie presence be felt. The sound of the river was further off in the darkness, a never-ending noise that echoed in the cave and loud enough that Rapunzel had to raise her voice to be heard. “These rocks are water worn. Was this whole cavern part of the river?”
“Yes, at one point. I believe so,” answered Henry. “Seems this underground river has carved out a lot down here. That’s why we attempted the tunnel down here at all. It would have been impossible to dig through the solid bedrock. This is the largest chamber but as it turns out, there were enough other open pockets like this that we encountered as we dug. Always hoping to dig through to the next one, thinking it would lead us out somewhere. Plus, it made hiding all of the dirt, tools and supplies a little easier. The river runs across the back of the cavern. So we started looking for a place along a wall where we could follow the river downstream.”
They had reached the floor of the cavern now and Henry stopped quickly, throwing his arm back, gesturing to Rapunzel and patience to stop as well.
“What’s wrong?” asked Patience.
“There’s someone in the tunnel,” Henry whispered, the sound of the river almost drowning out the concern his words.
Then Rapunzel saw it too, a flickering of orange light reflecting on the rock within the crack-like shape of the escape tunnel.
“Wouldn’t it be some of your staff?” Rapunzel asked.
“No one is scheduled to be in the tunnel. I’m in charge of everyone who goes in there,” replied Henry.
“Maybe scouts from the Wonderland army?” suggested Rapunzel quietly. She held her arm defensively across Patience’s body. “Maybe they found the tunnel exit and are working their way in.”
“Or more likely,” said Henry, “it could be the some of the queen’s guards. Loyalties to the throne aside, they are still a dangerous lot. Nevertheless, I am the steward of this castle,” Henry said. “I will engage them. If it’s indeed my staff, all the better; I will reprimand them on the spot. If it is one of the queen’s guards snooping around, I have dealt with them before; I doubt I will be considered a threat even now. But you,” Henry reminded Rapunzel, “are still a wanted outlaw. Stay back and guard the child.”
“I thought I was not qualified to do that, Henry? “ Rapunzel quipped.
“Touché, Miss Rapunzel.” Henry said. “I see your point. But this is not the time. Stay here, just in case.”
Rapunzel and Patience knelt down behind a group of stalagmites near the naturally formed stone steps. Peering out with concern, they watched carefully as the elderly steward crossed the cavern floor in a stern pace, directly toward the tunnel’s entrance.
Henry stood in front of the escape tunnel’s opening, holding the lantern out in front of him stiffly. Despite his age, his voice still boomed with authority when he needed it to.
“You there in the tunnel, you are trespassing!” he shouted. “Hold where you are and state your name.”
There was no immediate reply to Henry’s demand, an uneasy feeling knotted in Rapunzel’s stomach as Henry repeated himself.
“Hold where you are and state your name, I will not ask again,” Henry peered down the tunnel as far as he could see up until it made a sharp bend, but he could only see reflected light on the wall.
There was more silence. Henry glanced over nervously at Rapunzel. Then a voice shouted out from the tunnel.
“Henry, is that you?”
“Who is it this?” He asked sternly.
From within the tunnel a figure with long black hair, dressed in a muddied white robe emerged from the entrance of the escape tunnel, holding a small lit torch.
“You didn’t tell me your staff dug an escape tunnel, Henry.”
“Lady Snow,” Henry lowered his lantern, giving a slight sigh of relief. “I haven’t had the chance I’m afraid.”
“General,” Rapunzel shouted happily from behind the stalagmites. She and Patience rushed out to greet Snow White.
“Your handmaidens told me about it, so I went to check it out for myself,” Snow White explained.
“You’ve been down here all night?” Henry asked.
“Yes, the whole length of it and beyond the exit to the outside. Do you know what is on the other side of this escape tunnel?” A hint of excitement floated on General White’s words.
“Lake Vasilisa?” replied Patience; the young girl was caught up in the general’s enthusiasm.
From within the tunnel a gruff male voice boomed loudly in response. “A dwarven army camped out by Lake Vasilisa!”
The gruff, unexpected voice from the tunnel startled everyone, except Snow White. Everyone looked towards the tunnel’s opening where a dwarven king emerged dressed in a regal looking maroon tabard and covered head-to-toe in a finely meshed chainmail armor, a long grey beard sticking out from the armored chainmail coif he wore. “We can get this tunnel shored up; we already have crews working on widening some spots.”
Rapunzel brightened the light from her lantern and held it up to see a continuing line of dwarven soldiers stream into the room from the tunnel, many carrying large boxes and satchels of food and other supplies.
“Indeed, the reinforcements have arrived!” announced the Dwarven King with a robust laugh.
“I was able to connect with the dwarves,” Snow White explained hurriedly. “And finally, some good news; we have a dwarven army again, with reinforcements from the dwarven kingdom led by the seven kings themselves.”
“We’ve bought some food and some supplies. When we heard you were captured and there was another army about, we marched down to Lake Vasilisa with intent to get you out – brick by brick, if we had to.”
“Lake Vasilisa? That’s where the dwarves were supposed to meet up to work with Syrenka in navigating the underground river,” Patience recalled.
“And that’s where the army was setting up a camp, Lass,” replied the dwarven king. “But we did not know about the tunnel until Snow’s friend with the bears told us. Nothing gets past her. And Goldenhair is on a mission I tell ya’. Seems like every animal in the forest is on the move, she has quite an efficient messaging system. We would not have heard about the royal army’s defeat on the beach or your capture if it wasn’t for her.”
“I had no idea she could keep everyone that informed like that,” Rapunzel said, then recalled Goldenhair working with the animals back at the safe house.
Then in a more serious tone, Snow White turned to her lieutenant. “Rapunzel, I need you to stay with the dwarves and help them get things organized down here.”
Rapunzel’s jaw clenched as she rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.
“Something wrong, lieutenant?” Snow White asked noticing Rapunzel’s expression. “I need your help with this ‘punzel.”
Rapunzel shook her head. “The dwarves know what they are doing; they don’t need me down here. I should be working with you, General.”
Snow White’s demeanor melted quickly into a burst of annoyance. “Honestly, Rapunzel, your constant challenging of my orders is becoming frustrating. I need to be in several places at once. You help me do that. But anytime I give you a task that you can be left in charge of, it’s never good enough. Almost every time— taking out the dam support upstream from Gruff’s bridge, you wanted to fight. I asked you to escort the group to the safe house, you wanted to fight. I ask you to stay here with the dwarves, that’s apparently not good enough either.”
“You never let me be at the frontline,” growled Rapunzel. “I want to fight for our cause, but you’d have me mopping the floors instead. We had a chance to take out Dendroba on the beach if we had been fighting together—”
“But I had to risk everything to save you from him, because you disobeyed orders!” Snow answered back with a raised voice. She saw Rapunzel glaring angrily back at her and continued in a more constrained tone. “That skirmish on the beach was a curse as much as a blessing,” admitted Snow White. “Wit
h this new army bent on invading; well, if all of the queen’s forces were available that might have been enough to defend the castle. Dendroba says there’s not much of the army left; combined with the dwarves, I’m afraid it still won’t be enough. Dendroba thinks—”
Rapunzel was only growing angrier. “Oh! Dendroba thinks! What about what Rapunzel thinks? All of the time we spent together, haven’t I earned maybe that at least? But along comes Dendroba and it’s no problem!” Rapunzel shouted, gesturing with her arms, the lantern swung wildly, casting frantic shadows about walls
“He has very valuable information about our current situation—” Snow White started to explain. “Lieutenant, can we discuss this at a later time, please?” she asked, suddenly aware that this exchange was growing out of hand.
“And weren’t you a little quick to accept his surrender in the first place?” Rapunzel added, her anger fully manifesting itself. “Like nothing had ever happened between the feared general of Cinder’s army and the heroic rebel leader… who happens to also be a princess who had a perfect life!”
“Lieutenant!” Snow White yelled. “I need you to work with the dwarves down here, that’s an order.”
“That’s me, isn’t? Lieutenant Babysitter!” Rapunzel continued her outburst, “Just a babysitter for a bunch of dwarves!”
“Excuse me, Lass?” The Dwarven King interjected, about to take offense to Rapunzel’s insult.
“You are relieved of your duties, Rapunzel!” General White screamed over her. So loud it echoed in the cavern.
“Good!” Rapunzel yelled, her face flushed with anger. She turned and stormed towards the entrance. Leaving Snow White and the others stunned into silence by the exchange.
Then there came an excited shout from the top of the steps near the broken walled entrance to the cavern.
“Snow!” Both Prince Phillip and General Dendroba stood there with several others of the castle staff. Rapunzel shoved past Prince Phillip and the others and left the cavern. Phillip paused for a moment to look at Rapunzel, noticing briefly that she was crying.
Shards Of The Glass Slipper: Queen Alice Page 5
