Once Upon A [Fallen] Time

by Samreen Ahsan

  Tyler placed his hand on my shoulder. “Steve, please,”

  “No… he has to listen. He has to know what his daughter has chosen over me. Me, the heir of the Bernard Empire, and she bloody chose a fucking ghost,” I pointed at my chest, “over me—one of the richest men in London?” My voice was getting louder. Mrs Farrow was still sobbing, but I knew she was listening to every word. “Tell you what, Mr Farrow.” I looked him in the eye. “Your daughter is one crazy woman!” I walked closer to him. “The entire world strives for innovative technology, but your daughter always desired to live in a time when the electricity wasn’t even invented. You know why?” I glanced at Mrs Farrow who knew all the answers. “Because she wanted to spend nights under stars… yes, under the fucking stars with no light pollution at all. She wished never to have slept with modern lights—only the candles and oil lamps should be there. She desired everything beyond this century and guess what! She has got everything she ever wanted. So stop blaming me for her disappearance; because it was her very own decision to live in that haunted castle.”

  It seemed like my blunt words had frozen Mr Farrow; he kept staring at me like a statue. I looked around at everyone; they were all flabbergasted because no one said anything in return. I felt lighter after releasing all the emotions that had pent up in me since she disappeared. I had enough already on my plate and I just couldn’t take her parents blaming me this entire time. I had to. I checked the time and realized the hour had already passed. It was time to meet Bakr again.

  “I’m going back to that bookstore. If you want to come along and convince that man to bring your daughter back… you’re welcome.” Without waiting for anyone’s reaction, I stepped out of the room.

  She has to come back… she bloody has to come home.

  The Farrows and Julia Watson finally joined us to visit Bakr. He asked me to wait in the same blue room. I wondered what he did for living besides selling books. He is a sorcerer! I reminded myself. Was he the one to cast the spell on Hue Castle? We’d never know because the man was a mystery, just like the castle.

  On our way there, I recounted everything that Bakr had told me about the dimensions. They were equally shocked to hear this new theory as I was, as I noticed their facing turning as white as ghosts. So apparently, Edward was dead but still existed in another dimension, where everything was alive. What did this even mean, exactly? Bakr was right—it was beyond my understanding.

  Once we met up with him, he didn’t ask who the Farrows were, but by the look of their wrought expressions, he probably guessed they were Myra’s parents.

  He sat across me and placed a piece of paper on the table.

  I picked up the paper and unfolded it. The world around me started to spin. Shit! He had gone back and met her.

  Dear Steve,

  I’m fine and it felt good that you still care about me

  despite all my nonsense. Please, don’t be concerned. I’m

  very happy here. Everything is just as I imagined—no

  cars, no highways, no light pollution. It’s so calm and

  serene here. I visited the medieval town too. I’m safe here;

  Edward will always keep me safe. He is treating

  me well. Thanks for caring so much. You’re in my

  thoughts—always.

  Xoxo,

  Myra

  Shit! That asshole had completely brainwashed her. Before I could let my letter sink in, Bakr took out another paper and handed it to Paula Farrow. “This one is for you.”

  Myra’s mother read the letter and started crying once again. I took the paper from her and read it without her permission. I didn’t care if she thought I was rude.

  Dear Mom,

  I know you’re worried about me, but you should be happy

  because I’m happy. I found my knight after all. He is

  everything I could ever wish for. Please stop asking Steve

  about my disappearance. There’s nothing he can do. Fate

  has tied me to Edward—and brought me into his world.

  I have everything I’ve ever wanted. He is my world now. You

  always wanted a perfect man for me—what would be

  more perfect than Edward—the future king of England.

  Love you always,

  Myra

  “What the hell!” I looked at Bakr. “She can’t just walk out of our lives like that and ask us to forget her. You need to tell her to come back.”

  Mrs Farrow’s cries grew louder, and her poor husband kept trying to comfort her. At least, now they would stop asking me about her absence.

  “How can she be so selfish?” I barked at Bakr.

  “Mr Bernard, even if she wants to come back—there is no way. I warned her it was a one-way route for her. Edward’s desire is much stronger than the gravity that pulled her into his world.”

  “I don’t believe you,” I grumbled. “There must be some way to bring her back.”

  “If…” he thought for a second. “If there is an equivalent or more powerful force than Edward’s—there are chances she may be able to come back.”

  “What does that mean?” I knitted my eyebrows.

  “It means one timeless love changed her present and pulled her into one dimension. If there is a more powerful love to pull her back to this dimension—there are chances she could travel. But for now, there is no love equivalent to Edward’s.”

  I kept staring at him. “What about her parents’ love?”

  “We are talking about courtly love here, Mr Bernard. You can never match a parents’ love, but that doesn’t win a woman’s heart.”

  “So now it’s a war between Edward and me?”

  He smiled. “He doesn’t even know you exist.” I stiffened. She never told him? “There is no competition here. The truth is you want her because she was your key to unearth the history.”

  “And what about him? Doesn’t he want her for his desires?”

  “Indeed,” he replied, “but he would kill in order to protect her. Can you do it?”

  “I’m not a killer or barbaric like him.” I was actually jealous of that dead man because he had her undivided attention, which I never had.

  “Call him barbaric or a killer… but he would move heaven and earth to keep her safe,” he replied, not a grain of doubt in his voice.

  “How do you know all this?”

  “Because I can see the future, Mr Bernard,” he explained.

  “How accurate is your prediction?”

  He smiled. “As accurate as the darkness in Hue Castle.”

  “What does the future tell you?”

  He looked straight into my eyes. “They belong together—in the past—in the present and—in the future.”

  What he meant to say was—I should shut the fuck up and stop trying.

  “The very essence of romance is uncertainty.”

  ― Oscar Wilde

  CHAPTER 12

  MYRA

  JUNE 12th 1415

  What an arse!

  That I was furious was an understatement. I was beyond furious. Every time I tried to break his barricade, he put another brick on top of it and made it impossible for me to enter his life. If he carried on like that, it would be impossible for me to live with him. This wasn’t going anywhere.

  Calm down, Myra! It’s been only one day.

  One moment, he brought me to the edge of losing myself and then—in the blink of an eye— he snapped and turned my world upside down. I wondered if he was bipolar. I knew he wanted to touch me. The way he had unhooked my dress… did he think I was naïve that I didn’t know he couldn’t arrange a servant for me? He was a goddamn future king of England and the servants would not serve on his command at this hour? Ha!

  Still, I stayed quiet. I knew he had wanted to unhook my dress ever since he had seen the illusion lace racerback. He had been desperate to touch me and then his touch… oh my! I had lost all my sanity at that moment. Each loop he’d unhooked had been equally as painf
ul as it had been pleasurable. I knew damn well he wanted me but why was he so afraid to touch me? I wouldn’t bite him. I’d have to break his shell and I’d have to create a drama to gain his attention. Silence and naivety wouldn’t work in this case. I’d have to be diligent if I wanted to win him, and I’d have to be strong enough to break him into pieces. Reciting Dante as a warning… he had thought I wouldn’t understand the words. Think again, Edward. In a few verses, he warned me of everything that could possibly happen. This might take me to hell.

  I had visited many royal chambers during my trips, but never in my dreams had I imagined living with a real prince or a king in his own chamber. There was the inviting canopy bed with its deep blue velvet bedding, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling red velvet curtains that were always drawn apart. Royals certainly had a thing for velvet. There were high windows on both sides of the bed, which opened to the east side of the courtyard. I loved those wide windowsills where one could sit, relax and gaze outside but unfortunately, there was nothing to look at. It was too deserted. The structure of this castle was entirely like a palace but later on, as Miss Watson had explained to us, they had turned it into a castle, adding tower and arrow slits. They didn’t shorten the size of the windows though. Still, too barren.

  Beside the bed was the wooden sideboard where Edward kept my silver belt. There were half a dozen candlestands on the sideboard to light up the room, though the candles weren’t lit right now. The beige walls were adorned with deep maroon wainscots and crown moulding. Other than that, there was nothing fancy in this room. There were no paintings on the walls, nor was there anything painted on the ceiling. It was not as gaudy as the Great Hall. I hadn’t had the chance to explore other chambers yet, but Edward’s chamber was quite simple when compared to other palaces and castles around Europe. The ceiling would be about thirty feet high, almost all across this upper floor. And with this size of the room, it could easily fit ten more beds of the same size. I wondered what King Stefan’s room looked like. It sure looked like a grave when I had seen it in Edward’s book.

  On the other side of the bed, beside the second window, was Edward’s desk. I would love to see him reading or writing on this desk. Adjacent to the desk were two armchairs, upholstered with blue velvet, and a small wooden side table in between them. On the other side of the wall was a long chaise, upholstered in dark blue velvet, which matched the sheets and pillows of the bed. The entire room was a combination of regal red and blue. The opposite side of the bed led to the wide dressing area, which was even larger than my room. Behind the dressing room was the door to the bath, which was a room of its own. The bathtub was made of wood, surrounded by white lace curtains to maintain privacy. I doubted that Edward often drew the curtains while taking a bath. It would have been used for Veronica and Emma since they had barely used their chamber. Edward had always slept on the chaise, letting his sister and niece sleep on his bed. I wondered why they hadn’t kept more beds in this room when there was so much space. Perhaps, Emma and Veronica sharing a chamber with Edward hadn’t been an official arrangement? In any case, now that they both were gone, he should use his bed.

  I looked at the bed and thought maybe he’d never sleep on it. This would haunt him, thinking the sister who had used this bed was no longer in this world and the child had who filled this chamber with her sweet laughter was left unattended. There was so much tragedy around here that unless I brought Emma back, nothing would be the same again.

  Earlier, before Edward approached me, he blew the candles on the right side of the room, where the mirror was placed. The chamber was comfortably warm with the heat coming from the large hearth. Perhaps, he was avoiding the reflection to been seen in the mirror. My back was bare and I felt the night going chilly as the time passed by. I walked into the dressing room. King Stefan was a man of his word. He had arranged unique and exquisite dresses for me. Even the nightdresses were too fancy for me. I didn’t know where to start. They were all lovely, but all I wanted and needed in this moment were my M&S’s PJs to relax in. But of course, this was impossible.

  Ignoring the fancy nightdresses, I pulled out a underdress to check if this could be used, but it was too sheer to wear during a night in Edward’s company. I opened Edward’s chest of drawers and thought of digging through the clothes to see if I might find something of Veronica—anything practical. I knew her chamber had been shut down after her death, but there had to be something of hers in his dressing room since I used her cloak and shoes this morning.

  After digging through the entire chest of drawers, I finally opted for something in soft linen, which Edward usually wore at night. I didn’t care if he got angry because I’d invaded his drawers without his permission. He should know that if he was keeping me in his chamber, I would share everything fifty-fifty.

  The white tunic was quite sheer and loose but better than my underdress. Besides, he never wore anything than a white shirt, white breeches, and a black cape. I would have to convince him to wear other colours. Dark blue would definitely suit him. I fancied the idea of Edward wearing a suit. How would he look in a midnight-blue Armani suit, with a white shirt and blue tie? The foolish thought put a smile on my face.

  Despite all our arguments, I was still drawn to him. I had been dreaming to meet a real prince from the medieval era since my childhood, and now that my prayer had finally been heard, I shouldn’t give up on him. I knew he was a stubborn arse, but I would mend him according to my whims. He would have to change.

  The way he had come running after me—he was truly my knight. I didn’t know where King Stefan had planned to take me. As soon as I had left the room after our argument, I had gone down to go out for a walk on the barren grounds. But as soon as I’d reached the Great Hall, King Stefan had caught me, asking where I was going. I’d engaged him in a discussion about my fake teaching career instead. And just then, before I could say anything, Edward had come for my rescue.

  Ever since reading Edward’s book, I had desired to enter his world and meet him. But I had never thought his world would come with the dirty baggage—King Stefan. I had never thought the pervert, instead of punishing me, would fall for me. I knew he was attracted to me but that attraction came with danger only Edward and I could see. Neither Edward nor me could know the true motive behind Stefan’s generosity towards me.

  I shook off the thought and picked up Edward’s shirt, which would be way too large for my petite body. I took off my lilac dress and folded it neatly to place it back in the new golden armoire Stefan had gifted me, and put on Edward’s shirt straight away. I didn’t want him to catch me naked in his dressing room.

  When I came out of the dressing area, the room was still empty. He had not returned. Where was he? Why was he afraid of touching me? Was he afraid his beast would kill me? I had so many questions.

  I picked up Veronica’s black cloak and covered my body with it. I wasn’t wearing any bra and the shirt was too sheer. His shirt went down to my knees, which was still unacceptable in this era as women were supposed to wear long dresses—but to hell with their customs. I couldn’t sleep in all those fancy clothes.

  I looked out the window, mesmerized by the starry night. I could never get bored of looking at the blanket of diamonds in the sky. How could one sleep in the night knowing what the sky held at this hour for us to see? I forgot everything at this moment—the castle’s mystery, Stefan’s motives, Edward’s annoyance—the only thing that mattered was this star-filled sky.

  The window was quite big but still not big enough for me to spend hours here. I couldn’t sit by the windowsill and stare at the sky all night. I decided to go out and view the stars in an open sky. I didn’t care if Edward got upset for leaving the room again without his permission. I was not his servant that needed his permission every time I moved.

  I fixed my cloak and walked out into the corridor. It seemed like the entire castle was sleeping since they had cancelled the late supper. I hoped King Stefan was sleeping by now and wished I knew
why he had wanted to speak to Edward earlier. If only Edward would talk to me!

  He’d never spoken more than when he’d undressed me earlier. I knew from his book that he hardly spoke to anyone—even to his sister. He revealed his dark side to me but was afraid to push me into his darkness. I knew he had desired me for longer than he could even remember. I had been in his dreams since his childhood, and now—all of a sudden—I was in his life when he had lost all the hope to linger on.

  He thought I didn’t understand his pain, but he didn’t know that no one in this world understood him as much as I did. I had read his past, invaded his present, and I had sworn to change his future.

  I had decided not to wear any shoes so I wouldn’t make any sound in the barren corridors. The portraits of the deceased kings looked haunted at this hour. I looked straight, trying to avoid their horrific and domineering eyes on me.

  I tried to make out the signature at the bottom of one the paintings. Who had painted them? Some famous painter? It was... Haakon. Was there anything that man couldn’t do? Royal advisor, time traveller, painter...

  I still didn’t understand how that man was capable of travelling through one time to another. Did he have another mirror? And how was he able to survive for so many centuries? What did he eat or drink to stop ageing? Was he really a human? What was his relationship with this castle? I was sure he was not just a sorcerer or a royal wizard to the Hue family. To find out more about Haakon and his powers was my other mission while staying in this castle, besides tearing down Edward’s tomb.