Page 43 of Closer than Ever

“Yeah,” Anna said, flustered now.

“Ooh. There it is,” Hayley said, pointing out of the window.

“What?”

“The castle. Wow! Would you look at that. It’s just like sitting there in the middle of nowhere.”

The stoic castle was almost sitting on the water. It rose high into the air. “I know what you mean. It’s like, ‘look at me’,” Anna said.

“It’s enchanting.”

“Always makes me wonder how they built something like that.”

“It looks like it just magically appeared.”

Anna laughed. “It does.”

A few minutes later they parked in the visitor car park. Anna had barely switched the engine off, taking the music with it, and put the handbrake on before Hayley was jumping out of the campervan and setting off towards the castle esplanade. She looked back and waved at Anna to come on. Smiling, Anna locked up and watched as Hayley got her phone out and started taking pictures, moving to different parts of the esplanade for more angles of the castle.

“Here,” Anna said, when she caught up with her. “Let me get one of you.”

“Let’s get one of both of us.”

“Okay.” Anna stepped beside Hayley and got close enough so they could both fit on the screen. Hayley smelled of fresh air and coffee.

Hayley turned towards Anna, her face almost touching hers. “Smile.”

Anna tilted her head towards Hayley and smiled, vaguely aware she was meant to be looking at the camera or the views instead of thinking about her fluttering heart and her senses going into overdrive.

After far too many photos later, Hayley declared she was satisfied with what she’d got and was now ready to go in. “Let’s get our castle on.”

They crossed a moat and entered through the oversized castle doors. Hayley paid for them to go in despite Anna’s protests. They strolled around, winding through the historical structure which was like a maze. Thick tapestries and faded flags hung in different rooms. It was dark, with thick stone walls and paved floors. Hayley stopped to read the small information signs scattered throughout the castle beside points of interest. Anna couldn’t believe she’d never visited this one before.

“Hey Anna,” Hayley pointed towards a narrow corridor which was cordoned off by a red rope. “A secret passage.” Hayley chuckled. “I wonder what goes on down there?”

“Why do I get the feeling you are making some weird innuendo or something.”

“Because I am.”

Anna shook her head, hiding her smile, and walked past Hayley. They ended up high in the castle at an outside lookout. Anna rested her elbows on the castle wall, enjoying the view towards the islands.

Hayley joined her by the wall. “If you were alive hundreds of years ago, would you have preferred to live inside the castle or outside?”

“Inside. You’d have been much more protected in a place like this. Outside would have been way more dangerous with wolves and rival clans and all that. What about you?”

“Outside. I think it would have been seriously claustrophobic being trapped in here. Can you imagine?” Hayley shuddered. “It’s like a prison. I’d have hated not having the freedom to come and go as I pleased.”

Anna looked sideways at her friend. Hayley was such a free spirit. But that desire of Hayley’s to never be attached to anything or be tied down made Anna sad. Hayley would never be happy unless she was doing new things and going to new places all the time. Anna wanted the opposite – routine and building a life in one place. Ultimately, they weren’t suited to each other. Anna knew this. It wasn’t news. So why did each reminder make her feel so disappointed?

Hayley leant over the edge of the castle wall, a little too far over it for Anna’s liking. “Have you seen the size of the moat?”

Anna had a low-key fear of heights so seeing Hayley hanging over the wall caused her nails to dig into her palms. Anna consciously unballed her fists and cautiously reached for the wall. “It goes all around.”

“Talk about a giant prison.”

“I’m sure it was for their protection from invaders rather than to keep the inhabitants in.”

“They say that.” Hayley faced Anna, thankfully having slid back down off the wall. “But we all know the women of this joint weren’t calling the shots. It kind of gives me the creeps.”

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