by Walleye
It was colored a dirty yellow and its claws at the ends of its six-foot-long arms were six inches in length. It had a wedge-shaped body and teeth almost as long as its claws projected from its jaws as it screamed at them. Its nose was shaped like a gorilla’s and its yellow eyes were round like marbles.
“Orc!” Thistledown shouted. This was so bad. This adventure might well be over before it had really begun. Now the bond between the wielder and the sword would truly be tested.
At the same time Maryellen found herself being forced by the sword to draw it. With the sword hilt in her hand she eyed the brutish orc as it advanced on them. She’d never seen anything like this creature in all her years under the sea. She felt her body forced to go into a crouch as she brought the sword into a guard position.
The orc hooted at her with what sounded suspiciously like laughter to her. It took a step towards her and growled threateningly. She realized that it was trying to spook her into running like the barracudas did when they were attacking schools of sardines.
Enough. She would be the barracuda this time and not the sardine. She charged, wishing she could yell at it and raised the sword over her head.
The orc’s jaw dropped at the sight of a weak human daring to attack it. This angered it and it screamed and lunged with both sets of razor-sharp claws extended, reaching for her very vulnerable throat.
The sword came down and chopped both hands off at the wrists, sending green blood spraying everywhere. The orc slid to a sudden stop and stared in disbelief at its two stumps spurting green blood. Maryellen raised the sword again and at its sight the orc’s spirit broke.
Maryellen watched as the orc turned and ran hooting in fear. She felt the sword pulling at her arm, wanting to pursue and hunt the orc down. It resisted as she attempted to sheath it. ‘I’m in charge, not you.’ She thought and felt the sword reluctantly yield to her will and slip back into its sheath. She could almost hear it grumble at her.
As she watched the orc fell to his knees, swayed and fell on his face dead. As soon as the dead orc was still, four more orcs stepped out of the brush and gathered around him. The leader glared at her and shouted something as he shook his fist at her.
She realized that her instincts had been right. If she had followed the sword’s urgings she would’ve run right into an ambush. The sword might enable her to fight but she was the one who would have to do the thinking.
The orcs picked up the body of their dead companion and carried him away. The lead orc shouted something angrily at her and followed his companions.
‘Whew.’ The fairy thought. ‘That was a close one.’ Out loud she projected confidence she didn’t quite feel. “You did very well, my friend.”
Maryellen nodded and began walking again. Now that the fight was over she could feel the pain radiating up her legs. She shoved it into the back of her mind and strode on. She had the one she loved to save.
Arrivals
As Maryellen approached the drawbridge of the prince’s castle the former mermaid found the entrance to the castle looked very strange to her. It was very different from what she was used to. As a mermaid the castles she had known had several entrances at different levels and often visitors swam in and out the windows quite freely. If you had an evil intent, then her father’s magic wouldn’t allow the evil one entry and only in times of war were all the windows and entrances closed up tightly leaving only a single guarded entrance.
Did this mean that this country was at war since there was only one entrance? She rejected that idea as with the moat around the walls it looked like there would always be only the one entrance. She glanced at the windows and saw most of them were shuttered and suddenly everything made sense to her.
There were dark-magic creatures roaming these lands and some were capable of flying. Open windows would then be a very bad idea. That was why there was a moat and a single drawbridge which made for a very well-defended single entrance.
Thistledown whispered in her ear. “You’ll have to get permission from the gate keeper to enter the castle. He’s in the little house at the end of the bridge. Follow his instructions but write this on the slate. Sanctuary.”
Maryellen did so and the fairy said. “When he asks why you’re here, show it to him. If it is granted, you’ll be let inside the castle.”
The fairy felt the tug of the magic of the fairytale and sighed with regret. “I must leave you for now. But you’ll see me later inside the castle.” She sped away trailing a sparkle of magic dust.
Maryellen started walking down the drawbridge. It was strange to hear the sounds of the wooden structure echoing with each of her steps and to see water below her. It wasn’t the cleanest water she’d ever seen as its surface was covered with what looked like green scum and lily pads with a frog or two sitting on them.
When she was nearly across the span, the man in the guardhouse called out. “Who are you and what is your business here?”
Maryellen held up the slate so that he could see it. He peered at it as he tried to make out what was written on it. Finally with a puzzled expression he asked her. “Why can’t you speak? Are you a mute?”
When she nodded her head, he sighed and beckoned to her. “Please lay the sword down and then come closer so that I can see more clearly what you’ve written there.”
She did as he asked and stepped forward hiding her wince from the pains shooting up her legs and only stopped when he held his hand up. He leaned forward to peer at what was written on the slate. “Sanctuary, eh? I’ll have to call the Marshall as this is above my station.” He jerked a rope beside him and a bell tolled deep inside the castle.
He did this two more times and got up from his chair. She could now see that he was a middle-aged grey-haired man with a very noticeable limp. “I have to have a name to give the Marshall when he gets here.” He told her.
She took the slate and considered what to write on it. She did not want to claim she was a princess as that would be very hard to prove. She decided to claim to be an unspecified member of the nobility. This would be backed up by the fact that she could write.
She erased the slate and wrote on it. Lady Maryellen.
He peered at it a moment before he nodded and made a short bow to her. After she acknowledged it with a nod of her head he said. “Welcome to Castle Harkins, Lady Maryellen. My name is Stanley Roberts and as you can see I’m the Gate Keeper here.”
She forced herself to smile at him as her legs were throbbing as she wrote. Thank you. They both fell silent after this exchange.
A couple of minutes later the Marshal, a heavy-set man with a grey handlebar mustache, came through the main door to the castle. He had a Roman nose and grey hair streaked with white on his head and there was a zigzag scar on his left cheek. He was wearing a leather shirt and pants. Two armed guards in light chain mail with swords and short spears accompanied him and stood alertly at his back.
He looked over expectantly at the gate keeper and asked in a deep resonant voice used to command. “Who do we have here, Stanley?”
“Begging your pardon, Marshal Falk.” The gate keeper said as he gestured towards the waiting woman who nodded at him. “This woman here says she’s a Lady Maryellen. She’s claiming sanctuary from us.”
“Very well.” Marshal Falk said as he turned his gaze on her. “Why do you want sanctuary here, my lady?”
Stanley since he’d been at the castle nearly as long as Falk and as a soldier had fought beside him before he’d gotten his leg injury, was allowed to interrupt the Marshall without being disrespectful. “Begging your pardon, your lordship. I forgot to mention that she’s apparently mute and has to write her answers out on that chalk board that she’s carrying.”
Marshal Falk ran his hand across his forehead to wipe the sweat off as he had just come from drilling and nodded his thanks to the Gate Keeper. “Then I am afraid that this is going to take some time.”
He looked back at her and began to suspect her claim to nobility would
be proven true just from the way she carried herself. “Is what he said true?” Maryellen raised an eyebrow.
The Marshal realized what her actions meant. ‘Oh she’s a royal all right.’ He thought to himself. ‘With the way she’s acting.’
He continued in deference. “I mean that you cannot speak at all?”
Maryellen erased her slate with one hand and wrote on it with the other grasping the chalk. She held it up as she nodded her head. The word on the slate read. Yes.
“Thank you, my lady, for confirming that.” The Marshall gave her a bow which she returned.
He turned to the two soldiers standing right behind him. The two soldiers stiffened to attention. “Jackson.” The Marshal ordered the man on his right. “Go and tell Wizard Garland that we need to see him in the gate guardroom as soon as possible.” Jackson saluted and left quickly.
The Marshal turned back and gave her another bow. “Lady Maryellen, please follow me inside the castle and we’ll get this straightened out as quickly as we can.”
He paused. “Excuse me for a moment, my lady.” She nodded and he looked over at the Gate Keeper. “Stanley, has that shipping merchant who arrived late last night seeking shelter left the grounds yet?”
“Not yet, your Lordship.” Stanley replied just before he hacked and spit in the moat. “Gregory who had the post before me said he hadn’t made an appearance yet.”
“Well, let me know when he has left.” He turned to Maryellen. “Come, my Lady, the sooner we get this over with the sooner you can be enjoying the hospitality of Castle Harkins.”
He turned and started walking beside her and the other guard fell in behind her. Maryellen realized that they had essentially boxed her in so that they could contain her if she was really trying to sneak in. It was a behavior a lot like the guards had done at her Father’s castle. She realized that this meant that Prince Johnathan was being served by very well-trained people.
Twenty steps from the entrance they turned into a guard room where three soldiers were waiting at attention. Maryellen realized either the soldier he’d sent to get the wizard must’ve alerted them or they had heard them coming. Still, it indicated an alert force serving the Prince and it gave a clue to his organizational abilities and capability of creating loyalty in his subordinates.
Marshal Falk indicated that she should take a seat on one of the chairs which she did. A few minute after she had seated herself the guard named Jackson returned with a tall, partly bald man with brown hair in his early fifties. He had a large nose and a small mustache and he had on a white shirt, a brown vest and black pants. A black cloak flapped about his ankles as he strode into the room with a bored look on his face.
The only thing that indicated that he was the wizard was the glowing yellow wand that he held in his right hand. He looked at her without smiling. “So this is the young lady?”
“Yes, Wizard Garland.” Marshal Falk made a nod in her direction. “She claims to be a Lady Maryellen. I warn you she is apparently mute.”
“I see.” The wizard said with a slight frown. He lifted his wand. “Pardon me for the intrusion, Lady Maryellen, but first I need to establish your veracity.”
She realized he was using magic to look for the truth about her and she hoped she’d pass his scrutiny for if she didn’t she had no idea how she’d be able to help Johnathan with his curse if they banned her from the castle.
The wizard continued. “Now I want you to think about yourself and your life before you came to Castle Harkins when I ask you if you are Lady Maryellen.” He raised his wand and it began to glow brightly. “Are you indeed Lady Maryellen?”
She nodded her head and thought. ‘My name is Maryellen, a princess of the oceanid mermaids and I guess that makes me a lady.’
Small gold sparks streaked from the wand, touched her forehead once before returning to his wand which glowed blue. Wizard Garland nodded as he saw the color change. “You and your men may relax, Marshal. The young woman is telling the truth. She is in fact a high-born lady.”
The Marshal nodded and made a gesture. There was the sounds of weapons being sheathed and a couple of sighs as the soldiers did as he told them to.
The wizard looked at his wand again and the tip glowed green and pulsed three times. He looked up at the Marshal with a frown. “I am having a difficult time reading her history as she is under a spell.” The soldiers tensed again. They relaxed when he said. “Like our Prince’s spell it is meant to harm her and not us.”
He continued as purple rings appeared between the green one on the tip of the wand. “I’m really puzzled now. I see Sidhe magic in the original spell that was laid on her but I also see changes in that spell which look like they were constructed by the wizard Toby of the Magic Council. His spell signature comes through quite clearly.”
“I also see from this that she belongs in this fairytale and her purpose is associated with white magic and not dark.” He declared and the soldiers all smiled in relief.
He frowned again as he consulted the results from his wand. “In fact she’s tied directly up in the curse that the Master is under and so tightly that my magic is going to have little effect on it.”
He turned to the Marshal. “I think that it is safe for her to enter the castle and stay here. In fact to deny her entrance could make the magic even more determined to get her inside in any way that it could and I don’t think you want a wall falling into the moat.”
The Marshal frowned. “Pardon me, wizard. Does your magic tell you where she’s from and what her true rank is?” The Marshal asked this as in the medieval world the rank of a person and their privileges were all consuming.
“At least as high as a duchess but that’s all I can say. As to where she’s from, I get the impression of the seacoast and an association with the Oceanids but nothing more. I’m sorry but I can’t see it any clearer than that.” The wizard replied.
“Well then, Lady she shall remain.” The Marshal frowned as he looked at the silent young woman wondering what could be done for her. “Can your magic enable her to speak?”
The wizard regretfully shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s part of the spell that has been laid on her by the Sidhe. I can do no more for it than I can for the curse they put on our poor Duke. Both of their curses will have to play out to their endings.”
The Marshal said with a sigh. “I hope both their endings are happy.” He bowed deeply this time to her. “Lady Maryellen, I shall take you to meet Prince Johnathan. If it meets his approval, then you can stay here and have sanctuary indefinitely.”
She felt her heart beat speed up. She had made it inside and she was finally going to see Johnathan, the person she now knew she cared for more than anyone else in the world.
The Marshall held his hand out to her and assisted her to rise from her chair. Unknown to her he detected the slight grimace of pain that crossed her face as her feet touched the floor but decided to say nothing about it for now.
Maryellen wondered what John was doing right now? Would he have any memory of her? She was afraid that she knew the answer to that question. The Sidhe would never be that careless and let him recognize her immediately.
In the meantime Johnathan had come to his rose garden to check on whether his bushes needed watering. But when he got there, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Here in his precious rose garden the merchant whom he’d generously given overnight lodging to was using a blunt-looking knife and was at that very moment cutting one of his prize rose bushes to shreds.
With a roar he became fully the beast and sprang on the man, sending cut roses flying. He grabbed the miscreant by his collar and slammed the man up against the courtyard wall. As the man stared at him in growing horror, he shouted “Whoever you arrrr, you’rrrrr a dead man! I gave you hospitality and fed you and now I find you desecrating my prize roses.”
“Please.” The blonde-haired chubby man begged him as he futilely pawed at the imprisoning claws about his neck. “Spare me.
I only meant to bring my youngest daughter roses like she requested before I left to pick up a shipment of goods.”
“Her request is going to be yourrrr death.” The Beast growled.
“Please.” The old man pleaded. Your roses were so beautiful all I could think of was how they matched her beauty and how happy she would be. She is as beautiful as any princess.”
The Beast frowned. “Your daughterrrr is beautiful and a princess?”
“Yes. Yes. She is the most beautiful and sweetest of my three daughters. Her very name means Beauty. Everyone calls her Belle as she appears and acts so beautiful and gracious to everyone she meets. Everyone says she’s a princess in heart as well as fact.”
“Your daughter is really a princess?” The Beast asked.
“She is related to Princess Snow White.” The old man proclaimed, knowing it was only very distantly.
This made a big difference to the Beast as his Mother wanted a princess to break the spell and time was getting short before the curse could never be lifted. Maybe she was the solution to his problem.
Previously he had forced women to spend a day here but they had always left without spending the night as he had no way that he would stoop to and force them to stay. Now he had a hold over one of them that would force her to stay at his bidding.
Deep inside his conscience nagged at him that this was no way to win a young lady’s love. He was essentially kidnapping her and keeping her as a prisoner. No woman would ever fall in love with a man who was truly acting like he was, a savage beast.
He crushed the thoughts down as he remembered the last lady driving away after just one glimpse of him and his ugliness. In this way he would have a measure of revenge on all the women who had insulted him.
He glared at the man. “I will release you on one condition. Your daughter Belle must come here to be my prisonerrrrr for one whole year.”
“I, I, I can’t do that to my daughter.” The poor man protested as he was drawn down until he was head to head with the monster holding him in its hairy grip.