At least I knew a few people who would never try to hurt me. Blue, Jason, Daniel, and SJ were four pieces of my old life that I cherished more than anything. Their support gave me strength, their friendship gave me power, and having them by my side gave me hope.
At the end of the day, they were my greatest source of magic.
A charming clan of hummingbirds suddenly rushed past my window and zipped into the sky. Then, with a final turn in the road, the city streets and common buildings were left behind as our carriage followed others onto a long bridge that led to the castle. I could only partially make out the structure at this angle, but I could admire the intricate decoration of the bridge. Its base was stone, but the sides were encrusted with whimsically cut shards of mirrors, sea glass, and precious stones. Lanterns lit up both sides like a runway.
As this was the only way to reach the castle, the bridge was jammed with traffic, and we moved forward at a turtle’s pace. The bridge passed over a moat thirty feet below. The waters reflected the pinks and oranges of the sky, sloshing against a gravely shore that shot up into a steep embankment of jagged mountain stone on either side.
Finally we made it to the end of the bridge and passed through an open gate. Most of the carriages veered right toward the main entrance, dropping off royal passengers before moving on to the stables. However, several of the plainer vehicles (like ours) went straight to the stables to drop off deliveries for the party. As our carriage moved to the left, I got my first good look at the castle. I gestured for SJ, Jason, and Blue to come to my window and have a gander.
There it was—larger than life—built into the rock to loom over this side of the mountain. The compound was made of giant bricks of gray stone. The last of the sun’s rays were disappearing behind the tallest of the turrets that rose proudly from the front façade. Lit torches lined the outer curtain wall, which had cannons poking out at intervals just like the outer wall of the citadel. Far away on top of the curtain wall and by the castle’s main entrance innumerable guards patrolled the area.
Our carriage continued left and the castle’s grand intimidation went by in slow motion for extra dramatic effect. Soon we entered the stables and Daniel pulled on the reins. Ice sculptures were being unloaded from the carriage in front of us.
“Name?” I heard a woman with a deep voice ask Daniel.
“Yeah, I have a delivery for Ormé.”
“I’m Ormé,” the woman replied.
I leaned forward to see her through the window. She was a few inches over five feet tall. Her skin was dark, but her hair was light—a mixture of blonde and brown that blended together.
Daniel subtly reached into his jacket pocket and stretched out his hand. Concealed in a handshake, he transferred the card Jedidiah had given us into her palm. Ormé glanced at it before storing it shrewdly in her pocket.
“What can I help you with?” she asked.
“I have a delivery in the back that requires special care. Do you mind climbing inside to take a look?”
Ormé nodded. She walked around to the back of the carriage and pulled aside the tarp just enough to slip inside. She raised her eyebrows when she saw the four of us in our fancy outfits.
“Long story,” I said, holding up my hand before she could ask anything.
“That’s an understatement,” Blue huffed. “We have enough backstory to make up a book series.”
“The short version is that we helped your dad today and he said you might assist us in return,” I explained. “We need to get inside the castle, and we need to know how to find the Boar’s Mouth statue. If you could tell us anything you know about it, that would help too.”
“Of course,” Ormé replied. “I just met with my father at dinner. He told me everything and I am happy to be of service. I’ll get you inside in a moment. As for the Boar’s Mouth, it is housed in a temple within the heart of the castle beneath the Knights’ Room. Before one of the Knights of the Round Table goes on a quest, it is tradition that he goes into the temple and states his intentions while placing his hand within the Boar’s Mouth. The statue is enchanted. If the knight’s quest is worthy and his heart is strong enough to complete it, then he will receive a blessing from the statue. If not, the statue will bite off his hand.”
“Oh, is that all?” I scoffed.
“There’s more,” Ormé replied. “The temple is protected by a door made of Jacobee stone. And there are plenty of traps in place should anyone try to blast past it or pick the lock. The only way to gain access is with a gold key with a twisted handle. There are only two such keys. The king has one, and the second is rotated amongst his five most trusted knights. You’ll recognize them by the golden brooches on their shoulders; each is in the shape of a boar’s head. Alas, there is no way to tell which knight is in possession of the temple key at any given time.”
“And the news just keeps getting better.” Blue sighed and cracked her neck. “All right, let’s get this over with.”
Ormé hopped out of the carriage and pointed Daniel toward a loading bay. I heard Ormé talking with some people as we passed. A few seconds later, her head poked through the tarp of our carriage.
“Come quickly. There’s a secret passage behind the purple tapestry that leads to the castle gardens. I just sent the workers back to the kitchen with the ice sculpture deliveries. They’ve all gone so you must move now. You have about thirty seconds before they return.”
She didn’t have to tell us twice.
“Thank you,” I told Ormé as we scurried out.
“No. Thank you,” Ormé replied. “Even peasants have heard the Great Lights Prophecy. It is common knowledge across Camelot. I saw your name and picture in the paper this morning, and I have heard whispers throughout the castle. You could be the Knight of the prophecy we’ve been waiting for. So good luck, Crisanta Knight.”
My mouth dropped in surprise, but Ormé ducked around the side of the carriage before I could get any words out. With no time to say goodbye to Daniel, I dashed after my friends through the loading door.
It was obviously harder to run in heels than in boots, but like I said, I could handle it. I supposed I owed a thank you to our ballroom dancing professor at school for making us change into heels for every class. Those mandatory lessons had given me the strength and practice to stay on my feet.
We hurried down a stone corridor with tapestries lining the walls. When we came to a purple one embroidered in gold, Blue pulled it aside and sure enough, there was a door. We heard footsteps coming. Blue gave the door a solid shove and it popped open. We disappeared inside seconds before the workers returned.
The four of us were now in a stone tunnel. Only old, dim lanterns every twenty feet provided illumination, so we proceeded carefully.
“I know we talked about it earlier,” SJ commented as we walked. “And I know that this party is our best means for penetrating the castle. But I just want to say it again—are we certain waltzing into a room full of nobles and knights who could recognize us from those Wanted Ads is a foolproof plan?”
“A, there’s no such thing as a foolproof plan,” Blue responded. “B, like you said, we all agreed it’s our best and only means for getting in there. And C, relax. When you’re wanted by the man, the last thing people expect you to do is attend a party at his home. We’re being so bold we’ll be invisible. It’s literally the definition of hiding in plain sight.”
I agreed on all accounts but didn’t say so because we had arrived at a dead end—or so it seemed. I was familiar enough with secret passages around my own castle and knew there had to be a way out.
I felt around the stone wall until I found an indentation. I gave it a good push and heard something click. The wall rotated out and we emerged in the castle gardens exactly like Ormé had said we would. We checked to make sure the coast was clear then we slipped out. Jason shut the tunnel door behind us.
My friends and I dusted ourselves off then began to walk through the gardens. Rose bushes lining the pathw
ays filled the air with sweetness. The sky was fading from pink to reddish gray. I easily spotted the windows of the ballroom. Light spilled through a wall composed entirely of stained-glass windows.
“Okay, everyone. Look natural,” SJ said once we’d arrived at the end of the path.
“We’re a bunch of kids hopping from realm to realm on a quest to get a sword, save a Fairy Godmother’s memories, and stop a lot of villains,” I replied. “I don’t think I know what natural is anymore.”
“Fine, then look like a princess. You still know how to do that, right?”
“Did I ever know how to do that?”
Blue and Jason grinned in amusement. SJ rolled her eyes and proceeded inside the ballroom through an open iron doorway with an elaborate opaque design. We followed. My heels clicked against the cherry wood floor and I took in the sight of the party.
“Dude, this place is packed,” Blue commented.
“That’s good for us,” Jason said. “It means there’s less of a chance of being spotted.”
I nodded in agreement. There must’ve been close to two hundred noble guests in the ballroom, all of whom were dressed in gorgeous attire. I noticed a trend amongst the women in particular. Their outfits, like ours, were designed with high slits, cutouts, and metallic accessories. By luck we had picked a very in-fashion boutique to get our dresses from.
Iron chandeliers dangled from the ceiling of the ballroom. An enormous one with thorns like a deadly rose bush hung over the center of the dance floor. Guests in three interconnected dance circles were in the midst of a fast-paced number. The couples twisted and turned and dipped and spun. It was so mesmerizing that I couldn’t stop watching. Each pair kept perfect beat with the orchestra. The musicians that comprised it emitted such energy, you’d think their instruments were made of magic.
At the front of the ballroom was an elevated platform with three thrones. It was a little hard to see over the crowd, so I only caught a glimpse. In the center throne sat Rampart. To his left was a poised but sad-looking redheaded woman with a crown, who I imagined was his wife. And to his right sat the blonde, older woman with the levitation powers.
“There’s that knight from the marketplace,” Jason said. He pointed out Sir Gaheris, the jerk who’d robbed Jedidiah. He was on the right side of the ballroom where the stained-glass windows faced the garden. In front of the windows, a lavish buffet was spread out over nine silk-draped tables.
Sir Gaheris was talking with several courtiers and a petite woman in a crown. I narrowed in on the same golden brooch on his shoulder that I now knew marked him as one of the five knights that Ormé had mentioned. When he pushed back his navy cape and turned to serve himself from the buffet, I noticed a key ring poking out of his back pocket. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell if the gold, twisted key we sought was on it.
Okay, that’s one.
We slowly scanned the ballroom, eventually locating the other four knights with golden brooches. Three were dancing; a fourth was chatting with people by the orchestra. Their capes got in the way of a direct visual, but my friends and I confirmed that they all had key rings. We’d need to examine each one closer to find what we were looking for.
“Okay, chief,” Blue said. “What’s the plan?”
I nodded at the dance circles. “That’s our plan. Do you see the pattern?”
My friends stared at the couples. After a minute, Blue spoke. “Tango left, tango right, thrust, dip, salsa, salsa, turn around back, turn around forward, tango left, tango right, thrust, spin in, thrust, turn in, turn out, pull in for another dip, thrust, lift, fancy arm movement, assisted spring, toss, toss, tango right, repeat.”
“Very good,” I said.
“Blue, I am impressed,” SJ said, flabbergasted. “I never knew you had such an eye for picking up dance moves.”
“It’s no different than picking up fighting moves,” Blue replied with a shrug. “Ballroom dancing and combat are basically the same thing. It’s all about timing, agility, and precision. In ballroom dance, though, the guy is leading so he is always on offense and the girl is always on defense. He makes a move; she parries or counters.”
“I think you just found your senior thesis project for next year,” I said. I turned to the others. “Jason, SJ, do you follow?”
The current song began to fade into the next, but the same dance continued without missing a beat. Jason and SJ took another moment to memorize the movements.
“Yeah, I think I got it,” Jason replied. SJ nodded in agreement. All of us had years of ballroom dance training. We could do this.
“Good,” I said. “Everybody huddle in. I’ve got a plan.”
For the first time in my life, I approached a buffet with no intention of eating.
“How’s it going?” I said, abruptly stepping in front of the woman that Sir Gaheris had been talking to.
“Um, pardon me, but we were having a conversation,” protested the petite but pudgy woman wearing a crown.
“And now we’re having a conversation,” I said gesturing to Sir Gaheris and me. He looked me up and down and smiled.
“Miss,” one of the courtiers insisted. “Have you no decorum? This woman you just spurned is a princess.”
“Aren’t we all,” I responded with a confident smile. I turned back to Gaheris. “Princess Marie Sinclaire.” I stretched out my hand to shake his. “And yes, I am this assertive in real life. Wanna dance?”
“I would be honored,” he said, setting down his plate of food and taking my hand.
And SJ says my flirting style is too aggressive. So what if I’ve never had a boyfriend or been on a date? I’m a girl with confidence and a pretty dress. With those two factors alone, I could conquer worlds.
I walked slowly to the center of the room, pacing it out so that we would enter the desired dance circle in just the right place. Before I’d gone over to Gaheris, my friends and I had done the math to ascertain where we all needed to be in relation to one another.
Accordingly, Blue and SJ had already taken their partners and were in the dance circle. Blue had paired with the other knight with a golden brooch who hadn’t been dancing. SJ had taken a miscellaneous partner as an excuse to join the dance circle. With all five brooched knights now in play, we’d be able to reach each of them in the course of the dance. Once we did, it was only a matter of time before we collected what we came for.
Just one of the benefits of having a friend like Blue who has mad pickpocketing skills and taught me (and SJ against her will) how to master the ability too.
Gaheris and I entered the dance circle—one couple between us and another knight with a golden brooch who was enjoying the dance with his own partner. The three interconnected dance circles provided good cover and I felt certain that Rampart wouldn’t see us. It was beautiful, distracting chaos. Choreographed chaos, yes—but chaos nonetheless.
Gaheris pivoted me in front of him.
All right, let’s see how well I was paying attention.
In the heat of the dance circle the music felt louder, or maybe that was just my heart pounding. The exhilaration was powerful and visceral. Every beat was like another high—enticing, entrancing, invigorating.
I held Gaheris’s gaze. He smiled at me and I kept his attention through every twist, turn, and thrust.
That’s right, buddy. Eyes on me.
My moment was coming. He turned my hand and I spun behind him. In that split second, my free hand pulled the key ring from his back pocket. He turned me forward. I kept my eyes locked with his so he wouldn’t notice what was concealed within my fist.
Careful not to let him detect the key ring, my hand returned to his shoulder and we moved left then right. With that, he spun me out. As I spiraled away, I was able to check the contents of the key ring.
No gold key.
I whirled back into him, wrapping my left fist under my right arm as I came against his chest. As I spun out a couple more times, I kept my hand concealed and his attention focused elsewhe
re. It wasn’t hard. Remember: never underestimate a confident girl in a pretty dress.
When he pulled me in for a dip I slipped the key ring back into his pocket. Then he spun me out. I saw Jason patrolling the perimeter of the dance circles waiting for one of us to signal him. He made eye contact with me and I shook my head. No luck here.
Gaheris pulled me in for a lift. All the ladies in the dance were raised high above their partners. Blue, SJ, and I exchanged a glance from across our dance circle. Blue—who’d been dancing with one of the other brooched knights—shot me a look that said she hadn’t had any luck. I mirrored her expression.
Gaheris lowered me to the ground. When I landed, we went into this fancy arm movement timed perfectly with the music. My hands pressed over his and he thrust me to his left while I leapt in the air. I was thrown into the arms of the next man in the dance circle. Then this man launched me to the side, tossing me to my new partner.
Now I was dancing with the next brooched knight. The music did not hesitate and neither did we. The pattern repeated. I was disappointed to learn this partner did not have the correct key either. However, this time when I was lifted off the ground, SJ gave me and Blue a clear nod. The brooched knight she was dancing with had the key. She’d found it.
Having received the signal from SJ, Jason selected his own dance partner—a pretty blonde in a pink dress. He pulled her into the dance circle right beside the brooched knight we were after.
I did the math; Blue and SJ were no doubt doing the same. Based on the number of couples in our dance circle, it should’ve been Blue who reached our target first. However, several more couples suddenly joined the circle, throwing off our count. Recalculating, I soon realized Blue would be one partner change off. The next one of us who would land in the arms of our target was me.
The music seemed to move faster as my turn approached. And then—
Press, toss, hello there …
I stepped into the music and the line of sight of the target knight. Jason was right beside me. My handsome friend was now dancing with a dark-haired beauty in a mint dress. Her long legs swayed around his with such seductive grace it made me glad that Blue was not near enough to notice.
Crisanta Knight: To Death & Back Page 10