I tilt her chin up with my fingertips. “Have I really been that terrible?”
“Yes.”
I slide a hand inside my coat, plucking a few more blooms from a stem before handing them to her.
“You should’ve told me that sooner,” I say. “I would’ve given you something else on that day as well.”
“Manners, right?” She smiles. “Submission?”
“If you’re secretly the submissive type, you should let me know now…” I watch as a blush creeps across her cheeks. “I was referring to an actual gift.”
“Well, whenever we find my sister, you can give me a goodbye one before you let me go. That’ll make things right, I think.”
“Belle…”
“Gabriel.” She forces a smile and steps back. “Sola is waiting for me near the back. Goodbye.”
“Goodnight.”
A Hidden Kingdom
Belle
I’ve always been taught that our world only has seven kingdoms, but there have always been rumors about an undisputed eighth. Through folktales I’ve gathered through the villagers’ gossip, they mused about an “awful, forgotten place” and made up stories about a hostile beast who devoured anyone who dared to visit.
The stories ranged from the unbelievable to the truly absurd, but as I stand in the middle of an abandoned causeway, I’m determined to spend my night writing down all the tales I remembered.
Not because they were right, but because they were wrong.
Dead-ass wrong.
The golden gate ahead of me bears the words, “The Ninth Kingdom,” and the imposing castle behind it is far more threatening and gloomy than anything I’ve ever heard about the abandoned one in the eighth.
Sheathed in dark grey stone, its walls are covered in overgrown ivy, and the inside holds no light.
A faint layer of fog floats over its towers.
My borrowed horse whines and stomps his hooves against the cobblestone, begging to be led away from this place, but I can only stroke his mane.
“There, there,” I whisper. “I don’t like this place either…”
“This is where we’ll strategize our attack on the Eighth Kingdom for the next two weeks,” Gabriel stands in front of us. “If you’re not prepared to die to bring this kingdom back to life, to restore things as they should be, leave now and don’t ever come back.”
Silence.
No one retreats.
“Good,” he says. “There’s a village of Forgetful Maidens over the yellow hill. Each man can invite up to two each as long as you vow to take them back in the morning.”
“Hoorah!” “Fuck yes!” “Finally!”
As if that’s all they need to hear, the entire troop turns around with glee and rushes away.
Lafayette and Sola move past us toward the castle, keeping their whispered conversation private. My horse abandons me and follows them.
Gabriel’s eyes meet mine, and he reaches for my hand.
“I’ll show you to your room,” he says.
The interior of the castle is trapped in a distant, faraway time. With all its windows covered in dark, floor length drapes, the flickering candelabras that hang on the walls offer the only light.
Marble dragons, gargoyles, and beasts, guard the entrance of every corridor, and if it weren’t for Gabriel leading the way, I’d feel unwelcome stepping any further.
The regal and plush furniture that fills every sitting room is in perfect condition, without the slightest hint of dust clinging to their fabrics.
It’s as if the owner walked away yesterday, leaving everything behind.
Desperate for conversation as we descend the grand staircase, I rack my brain for a question.
“Do you know the person who lives here?” I ask.
He looks down at me, a slight smile on his lips. “I do.”
“Should we worry about him being upset that we’re staying for such a long time?”
“He’s more than okay with it, trust me.” He tightens his grip on my hand. “You can venture anywhere you like on these grounds, except for the north wing.”
“What’s in the north wing?”
“Death.” He narrows his eyes. “Don’t go there. Ever.”
I nod and he waits a few moments before resuming the tour.
“Four men will remain under your window at all times,” he says. “Two will guard the door and follow any move you wish to make, but they’ll keep as much distance as they can.”
“I see. So, you won’t be talking to me anymore while we’re here?”
He doesn’t answer, and it slowly settles in that I’m officially here as his prisoner, not a guest.
“Sola will attend to your needs as usual,” he says. “She’ll probably give you a better tour than I ever could. That’s the one thing she used to do for me when I…”
His voice trails off and he doesn’t finish that sentence. Instead, he leads me over to the bed and finally lets go of my hand. “Do you have any more questions?”
“Am I allowed to venture outside?”
“No,” he says, his voice firm. “You can only roam the castle, and you’re only allowed to visit the gardens and outside areas during the daylight.”
“Could you at least give me a few books to read since it sounds like I’ll be stuck here for a while?”