Casimir's Journey

by Lisa Manifold

  Hadden knew he had to get to the point quickly. “Sire, I could not always hear the princesses. When I did, however, I found that they were doing this most assuredly under duress. What duress that might be, I am unsure. But duress it was. That was very clear.”

  Aland whipped his head back and forth to glare at all of his daughters. His face was red, and Hadden was concerned that he’d really gone too far and the king would have an apoplectic fit. He held his breath, hoping sense would set in for the king.

  Finally, the king stood. “This is a most fantastic tale, Sir Hadden.”

  “If I may, Your Majesty, I also brought a cup from the ballroom of the underground castle. Perhaps one of your daughters could look at it and identify whether or not it looks the same as the cups they used below.” He held out the cup, which the herald hurried to take from him and hand to the king.

  The king took it, looking at it absently, and then he nearly dropped it. He sat back down on his throne looking as though someone had hit him.

  The queen leaned in.

  Aland leaned towards her, showing her the crest on the cup. Hadden had looked at it when he took it last night, but he hadn’t recognized it. Clearly, both the king and the queen did.

  Ceridwen turned red, then white, her hand creeping up to her mouth in horror, if Hadden was judging correctly.

  “Don’t say another word,” Roysten hissed. “Not. One. More.” He sounded as though his teeth were clenched. Hadden risked a look at him. They were.

  Aland turned back and forth, looking for someone. “Thea!” He barked.

  She came forward, slowly.

  “Is what Sir Hadden says true?”

  She didn’t answer immediately. Her sisters all had differing expressions on their faces. Some level of communication Hadden couldn’t see was passing between them. Finally, Thea heaved a sigh.

  “Yes, Father, it is.”

  The hall exploded in noise and shouts as people realized what had happened.

  Hadden could see Aland and Ceridwen. They were not moving, although at some point, her hand had crept into his. Aland must have made some sort of gesture, because the herald appeared in front of the king, and banged his staff loudly three times.

  The noise level fell, but didn’t subside. He banged three more times, and the noise quieted.

  The king stood. He’d aged in those few moments, Hadden saw.

  “This gathering in the great hall was requested by Sir Hadden. I will continue this discussion if the members of the court and our guests can maintain their silence and allow us to discover what is at work here.” He glared around at the hall at large.

  Silence fell.

  “Now, Thea, please tell me how this came to be.”

  Hadden could see that Aland was trying to keep his temper.

  Thea took a deep breath. “I angered a witch.”

  The crowd whispered. The queen looked around and the whispers faded.

  “I was out in the woods with Casimir. We came upon an elderly woman, and she threatened to tell you. I was upset, and I was…I was not composed. Before I knew it, I’d been taken.”

  “What do you mean, taken?” The king leaned forward.

  “It was a tower room, a room with no door.” Hadden could see that Thea was getting upset. Whatever had happened, she was still upset by. “The woman who was there told me her name was Catrin, and because I was just like you—” she spit this out at Aland, “She was cursing me. That I was to give up Casimir and free him, and if I did not I would bring a curse down upon all around me.”

  Ceridwen had her hands over her mouth, and she looked as though she might be ill.

  “You are sure her name was Catrin?” The king asked quietly. Too quietly, in Hadden’s thought. He felt a level of tension that hadn’t been there before.

  “Oh, I am sure. She hates you, Father. Despises you. If she were not so angry at you, perhaps she would have no been so harsh with me.” Thea’s voice rose, anger spilling out. This was not anger in just the moment, but a deep, deep hurt. “She said that Casimir was better than anyone in our family, and it would be the ruin of him to be aligned with us. So I must give him up. In spite of how afraid of her I was, I told her that I was a king’s daughter, and I would not be ordered by anyone other than my father and king. You know what she did, Father? She laughed! She laughed at me, and told me if I chose to ignore her, that I would see the results. And suddenly, I was back in the woods, as though I’d never left, with Casimir and the old woman.” Her head dropped and she began to cry.

  Hadden had to stop himself from going to comfort her. In spite of their earlier conversation, she was not yet promised to him, and going to her now would do nothing other than get him killed. If not by Sebastian, then by one of his men. With thoughts of Sebastian, Hadden looked around for him. He was sitting to the left, staring at Thea with an expression that he couldn’t decipher. He certainly didn’t look the concerned lover.

  “So I came back to the castle. I ignored her, and suddenly, all my sisters and I began to dream that we were dancing at night, and our dreams were so real that we were actually tired in the morning. Finally, one night I stayed awake, and I saw that we were all going to a stairway below my bed, and doing as Sir Hadden described. Gradually, all my sisters became aware of our nightly journey. I wasn’t sure what was going on until I saw Catrin one night in the castle underground.” She looked down, seemingly overcome.

  “She confirmed that this was the curse. To my shame and mistake, I asked her what sort of curse this was.”

  Hadden noticed that both the king and queen winced. Thea noticed it, because she stopped her story, but when neither spoke, she continued. “She said, ‘You’ll just have to wait and see’ and smiled at me in the most hateful, evil way…” Thea’s voice trailed off. Hadden looked at her more closely. She was angry, and she didn’t like Catrin.

  Catrin? He’d met a Catrin. He almost interrupted Thea to ask for more details, but he felt Roysten’s hand on his arm, and stopped himself. Nevertheless, his mind raced. It wasn’t a common name. His Catrin had saved him from the wound to his face. Surely, they couldn’t be the same person?.

  “She warned me, told me that if I mentioned the curse to anyone other than my sisters, they would suffer. And if I told anyone, she’d kill one of my sisters each time I did so. I couldn’t risk my sisters, so when you asked, I denied any knowledge. I was also afraid of what would happen to you if I told you. A few days later, I woke with my foot bleeding, and I blurted out my fears to Archibald. Within moments after I’d spoken, the chandelier fell on him.” She stopped again.

  “So Catrin cursed you to dance every night, and forbade you from telling anyone?” Hadden hadn’t heard Ceridwen speak up in the hall before.

  Thea nodded. “My sisters can confirm this. Once they were all awake, they all knew. We couldn’t tell. The one time I did, the person I told died. And if I told you, which I think was what Catrin was trying to prevent, she would have killed one of my sisters. I spoke with her several times when we were underground. She cared not that others died. She said I had to learn, as you had not, that actions have consequences.” She put her hands on her hips. “What is between you and her? Why has she killed off three people, two of whom I loved? What did you do that angered her so?” Her voice rose again, and she took several steps towards the king.

  “I bear responsibility for my actions, but this is not all on me, Father! What did you do? Why does she hate you, and why did I and others pay for that? Why did Casimir have to pay for that?” The last words were a shriek.

  The king didn’t answer. He turned to the queen, and she leaned into him. They looked as though they were unable to support themselves in that moment.

  “Why?” Thea was not deterred. “I’ve wanted to ask you since this began! The one time I asked about Catrin, you ended the conversation and wouldn’t speak of her! What did you do? What was so bad that people had to die? Archibald? Ulric? Casimir?”

  The court went silent
at her words. The small hum that had been steady until that moment stilled. When he’d thought on what to say to the king, this was nothing he’d considered.

  Her lady-in-waiting came forward and gently plucked at Thea’s arm. “No, Lisette, I must speak.” The woman backed away, but not before Hadden could see the anguish on her face.

  He looked around. Sebastian still had not moved. He turned abruptly and met Hadden’s eye. Then he looked back at Thea.

  “Your Majesty?” Hadden took a step closer to the throne. “I think we shall have a great deal of time to discuss this. There is, as I said, more at work here than a simple curse. If I may, Sire, I’d like to make my choice of bride.”

  He knew that he seemed pushy and completely callous, but he’d seen the look on Sebastian’s face. Sebastian was at war with himself. All this talk of Casimir couldn’t be comfortable, and he loved Adelaide. Hadden wanted to negate him as a problem, and he could see that Sebastian was on his way to becoming one. Not that he blamed the man. This was not a position that he wished on anyone, even as underhanded as Sebastian had initially been to him.

  The king looked up, tired. “Yes, Sir Hadden? What is it that cannot wait? There is time for you to make your choice, surely.” He had his head in his hand.

  “I choose your eldest daughter, Your Majesty. Thea is my choice for wife.”

  The court was silent for another heartbeat more, and then sound exploded like a catapult over the ramparts. The men with Sebastian were loudest, and some made for him, hands on their swords.

  Sebastian stood then. He said something that stopped them all. He walked towards Hadden and just as quickly as the room had gotten noisy, it went still. No one wanted to miss this.

  Hadden hoped Sebastian remembered their conversation—that he was helping him to achieve his real goal, which was to be with the woman he loved, who loved him. Sebastian walked past Hadden to Thea. He took her hand, and bowed low over it.

  “Madam,” he said clearly, so that all could hear. “I am honored that you agreed to marry me. However, Sir Hadden has a greater claim on your hand. He’s won it, and I graciously quit the field. You are released from your promise to me, my lady.” He kissed her hand, and then turned to Hadden, walking the few steps to stand in front of him.

  “Sir Hadden of Erimoor, I offer you my congratulations for your success in this quest. I offer my thanks to you for ending what is a truly horrific situation with no further loss of life. I am, as are we all,” he glared around the room, particularly at his men, “Indebted to you.” He looked directly at Hadden, and then bowed.

  Hadden was shocked. Nothing he’d seen had indicated that Sebastian knew to be gracious, but he was pleased. For Adelaide if nothing else. Thinking of her, it was hard not to find her and see what her reaction to this was.

  “Prince Sebastian, you are a credit to your kingdom. I thank you,” he said, and bowed, making sure to go lower than Sebastian had. The man had swallowed a great deal of pride just now; Hadden wanted to let everyone know he respected it.

  “Rise, knight. Gallivas is lucky to have you.” Sebastian’s voice was warm. He held out his hand, and Hadden took it. Sebastian clasped his forearm, and smiled. It was the most genuine smile Hadden had ever seen the man wear. He suspected that the possibilities had just opened up in front of the prince.

  Sebastian dropped his hand and turned to the king. “Your Majesty, I ask for your indulgence. I would like to retire along with my men.”

  The king still had the tired, stunned look about him. “You may indeed, Prince Sebastian, and Gallivas thanks you for your chivalrous behavior towards us.”

  Sebastian bowed, and turned quickly. His knights hurried to bow as they followed their prince out. Hadden could tell that they were flummoxed at why Sebastian had behaved as he had. However, once they learned, Hadden felt sure that the men would be happy for their future king.

  “Thea, do you accept the hand of Sir Hadden?” The king asked quietly.

  “I do, Sire, with my grateful thanks for all that he has risked for Gallivas, my sisters, and me.” Her voice was strong. Hadden was proud of her. She may not love him, but she would not shame him.

  “Then—” He began but he was cut off by the banging of the doors to the great hall. Along with everyone else he turned to see the reason for the disturbance.

  A woman strode in.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Very pretty, princess, but no, you shall not have him,” The woman said in a loud voice. “I’ve kept him from you and tried to keep him safe twice already. I shall not surrender to you now.”

  “What are you doing here?” Thea asked. Her voice was a horrified whisper.

  “You shall not have him. Not ever,” The woman came forward and stood between Hadden and Thea.

  Why none of the guards had leapt to remove her, Hadden couldn’t tell. The king and queen looked as though they’d seen a ghost.

  “What are you talking about?” Thea asked. She seemed the only person capable of speech.

  An old woman stood up in the crowd suddenly. “Princess Thea, what has—or rather, who has Catrin taken from you recently? Who has she kept from you? Think, girl!”

  Hadden stood on his toes to see who it was. It was Grizelle. What was she doing here, this far from Ethion? He turned to Roysten, who shrugged. This may have started out as his report to the king, but it had become something more, and was no longer his show at all.

  Thea looked as though she couldn’t breathe. She was gasping, trying to get the words out. “You, you…what do you mean you’ve kept him from me? Who is he?” She was on the verge of hysteria.

  Hadden thought he had better step in. She was now his betrothed, so he probably could get away with it.

  “Madam, I do not know you—”

  She laughed, and said, “Oh no, Hadden?” She waved a hand in front of her face, and he saw the older woman who’d healed him when his company had left him in her care.

  “You? The Catrin Thea speaks of and you are the same? But why? You were so kind to me!” He moved closer to Thea, reaching for her hand.

  Catrin waved her hand again, and was once again the woman who’d burst into the hall.

  “He is not yours and never will be.” She hissed at Thea. “I told you he was too good for you, and I was right. He still is far better than you, than any of the line of Gallivas,” she said scornfully, casting a scathing glance around the room.

  “What—what did you do? What have you done with Casimir?” Thea whispered. Hadden wasn’t sure that anyone else heard her.

  Catrin laughed, and it wasn’t a nice sound. She waved a hand at him, and while he felt nothing, Thea gasped when she looked at him. One of the princesses behind the king cried out.

  So did most of the court. There were shrieks, and Hadden could see that a few women had fainted, falling straight from the benches they sat on. His eyes flew to Roysten. His esquire looked shocked, and…afraid.

  He turned to Catrin. “What have you done to me? Who am I that everyone looks at me in this manner?”

  “Casimir…” whispered Thea. Tears streamed down her face. “How is this possible?” She reached for him, hand stretched to his cheek. She touched him, touched the scar. He reached his hand up to hers, glad to feel her touch. That didn’t answer to what was going on.

  “Who am I?” He said to Catrin. “What is the meaning of this? What have you done?”

  The mocking look of earlier was gone. Catrin looked at him with what looked like affection. “I have saved you, Hadden. I saved your life. This spoiled, selfish girl let you go to your death. I tried to warn her away, tried to save you, but no, you ran straight to her. And when I thought you were safe, you had to go and take up the challenge again!” She threw up her arms. “So I had to save you, once again, because of this…this…” She gestured at Thea, obviously too angry to speak.

  “You horrid, evil woman,” spat Thea. “He’s beaten your curse. You have nothing more to say on the matter. Be gone, you awful cro
ne! You have no place here!” She took a step towards Catrin as she spoke, and Hadden was afraid that she might try to strike Catrin. If Catrin really was a witch and as powerful as she sounded, this was not wise.

  He caught Thea around the waist. “This is probably not the best idea,” he whispered into her ear. “Be still. She will not trouble us for much longer.”

  “You think not, little Hadden? You are wrong. She will never have you. You are in my debt. You—”

  “If he is Hadden, why does he look like Casimir?” Thea screamed. “What have you done that you enchant him to look like Casimir?”

  There was a sudden crash as Catrin waved her hands and a number of the king’s guards went flying. “Do not test me, Aland. Or have you and Ceridwen forgotten what I am capable of?” She looked at all the princesses, and then at Thea, and laughed. “With all these reminders, how could you forget? But it seems you do, and if so, I shall be happy to remind you.”

  Aland had stood when Catrin threw his guards back. Now, he sat down slowly, with the guide of Ceridwen’s hand on his arm. “Have you not done enough?” He asked hoarsely.

  “What have you done to me?” Hadden asked. “Why do I not look myself?”

  “Hadden is not who you were born as,” came the soft tones of someone else. Grizelle came forward. Hadden was happy to see her, but surprised.

  Not more than Catrin, however.

  “Why are you here, old woman? This is not your concern.”

  “But it is, Catrin. This has gone on long enough.”

  “What did you do?” Hadden asked Catrin again. “Do not lie to me!”

  Amazingly, she flinched when he raised his voice. “I did what I had to in order to protect you. I have always protected you, and I shall do so to my end.”

  “Which will come quickly, if there is justice,” said Thea.

  Hadden stilled her again with a touch of his hand.

  “Does Grizelle speak true? Am I really Casimir?”

  Catrin didn’t answer. He stepped closer to her, putting Thea behind him. “Am I Casimir?”