Page 16 of Slippers and Thorns
A few days ago, Ella would have been tempted to brush Katy’s comment from her mind. However, dissatisfied with Katy’s explanation about the castle, Ella had spent a little bit of time in the Himmelsburg royal library trying to find answers.
And Katy was right. There was nothing to explain what had happened at Reineggburg to cause its abandonment.
Or at least, nothing that was in any public records.
Did the royal family have something to hide? Or was Katy right?
But even if magic could make people forget, could it really erase records?
“Here we are!” Axel announced with false cheer. Just ahead of him, the path was brighter where it finally reached the end of the forest.
Following Michael out from under the arch of the trees, Ella was greeted with her first view of the mysterious castle. Where once there had been a tall stone wall surrounding the buildings and courtyard, there were now piles of broken stone covered in creeping vines. Beyond that was a small castle, big enough to house a respectable number of servants for a royal home, but small enough that only a smattering of guests could be accommodated at any one time. The gray stone was covered in moss and climbing ivy, but it seemed fairly intact still, unlike the outer wall. Four towers stood at the corners of the building. One of the towers on the far side was completely covered by dark vines.
As they moved into the open space beyond the forest, they fell back into their pairs. No one spoke as they urged their horses through the open gates. The horses tossed their heads and pranced, but they could have been reacting to the emotions of their riders as easily as to the heaviness in the air.
Once on the broken stones of the courtyard, the party began to dismount. A few of the guards remained on their horses, scanning their surroundings, but the rest moved up to join their charges. Only a few grooms had accompanied them to care for the horses during the midday break at the castle; one went to scout out the condition of the stables, while the others silently offered to take the reins from the princes and princesses.
Ella noticed that while Axel still seemed nervous, Michael appeared absorbed as he absently passed off the reins to the boy in front of him. Glancing around, she realized that most of the men were similarly distracted, moving as if in a daze as they stared in the direction of the far tower. Even Charlie, her normally alert guard, had distant eyes as if seeing something beyond the castle. The men that weren’t in thrall shifted uneasily and glanced around as if expecting to see a dangerous animal creeping up behind them.
Forgetting her anger in the face of the unnerving situation, Ella crept closer to Michael and leaned against him as she wrapped her hands around his arm, seeking comfort in his nearness. Immediately, his eyes returned to focus as he looked down at her. “Are you all right?” he asked softly, laying his other hand on top of hers.
Resting her head on his shoulder, she nodded. “Yes. But something isn’t quite right.”
“What do you mean?”
She removed one of her hands to gesture around them. Katy had huddled against Axel, who looked at peace now that he had his arms wrapped around her, but the rest of the group remained as before, split between those who gazed listlessly at the far tower and those who were restless and uncomfortable. “Just look.”
Scanning the group, Michael frowned. “Hmm. I see your point.” He turned towards the mounted guards. “Oliver,” he called, “what is our status?”
Up to that point, they had been speaking in hushed tones. When Michael raised his voice, it felt like something snapped, and everyone woke up.
“My apologies, Your Highness,” Michael’s guard captain replied with a slight bow. “There is no obvious danger, but I’ll have some men sweep the area and the castle to verify.”
Michael waved him off. “I don’t believe that will be necessary. They can simply accompany us.”
Katy looked at him with wide eyes as she tightened her grip on Axel’s arms. “You mean you still want to explore the castle?”
“Of course,” Michael replied, raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t that why we’re here?”
“Well, yes,” Katy stammered, her usually outgoing personality subdued. “But that was before—I mean, didn’t you feel it?”
“Feel what?”
Ella decided to rescue her floundering friend. “The air. It was heavy with something when we arrived. But it seems clearer now.” Although remembering the odd behavior of her companions earlier made her shudder, she felt lighter since the snap and rather unwilling to part from Michael now that she was snuggled against him. She could feel the hurt and anger still simmering in her heart, but the physical contact made her feel much less alone than she had before. “So surely, we could wander around a little. As long as we stick together,” she hastily added.
A little of Katy’s spice returned as she smirked at Ella. Ella blushed slightly but didn’t let go. If anything, she held on a little tighter. “I suppose you’re right,” Katy said. She brushed a loose lock of curly hair behind her ear. “As long as westick together.” With a wink, she slipped her arm through Axel’s and led the way towards the castle.
“Shall we?” Michael asked, smiling down at her.
His brown eyes were warmer than she had seen them in a long time. Ella straightened, maintaining her grip on his arm, and nodded. Leaving his hand on hers, Michael followed after the other couple.
This, Ella thought as she walked by his side, focusing on the pleasantness of his company and telling her anger to take a hike.If I could just stay in this moment forever, I would be happy.
She knew she couldn’t, of course. They had too many duties, too many responsibilities that would draw them away. From the place. From each other.
But perhaps if she could manage to recapture the essence of this moment at intervals along the way, it would be enough.
Considering the condition of the surrounding wall and the length of time since anyone had been there, the interior of the castle was in surprisingly decent shape. Thick layers of dust covered everything, moths had eaten holes in most of the tapestries and seat cushions, and there was a musty smell, but the structure was mostly intact.
