Inside the Hollow Tree

by Laurel Veil

  I shook my head.

  “Go shower, let me help you get dressed and I will show you something on the way.”

  I was relieved to find that I was still in my same clothes from the night before. That meant no one had seen me naked—I shuttered at the thought. I quickly showered in a rather primitive, yet elegant bathroom. There was running water, but it was nothing more sophisticated than a warm waterfall flowing from a boulder-like wall.

  Glass decanters held rose scented shampoo, conditioner and honeysuckle fragranced soap. The scents had an intoxicating effect on me, much like the bed had. As I relaxed my mind went straight to Ty. I didn’t try to fight back my tears and let them flow away with the water.

  When I stepped out of the shower, Maggie brushed my hair and twisted it up and away from my face. She then helped me button myself into a long, teal gown. I eased my feet into what reminded me of ballet slippers. They were quite comfortable and felt surprisingly durable. I could run through the woods in these.

  “This way, ma’am.” Maggie held a French door open and I stepped out onto a balcony. The view took my breath. We were extremely high up and there were beautiful snowcapped mountains in the distance.

  “Sit,” she said as she offered a patio chair. “This wind will dry your hair nicely,” she said as she brushed it again.

  Maggie was kind. I could see us being friends, but I wasn’t up for small talk.

  Maggie applied cosmetics to my face with soft brushes with long wooden handles and pulled my hair up into a loose bun. A few minutes later she stepped back to admire her work.

  “Oh, my.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Come see.” She offered her hand and pulled me to my feet. She led me out the door, down several flights of stairs into a grand hallway with high ceilings.

  She put her hands on my shoulders and gently spun me around to face a giant mirror that was in an ornate, golden frame.

  I didn’t realize it was me at first. The gown was gorgeous and the way Maggie had done my makeup and hair was exquisite. I reached up and felt the sparkly tiara she had pinned to my head.

  “Come this way, Princess Falon,” said Maggie.

  I followed her down the hall, my shoes padded softly with every step against the marble.

  “In there,” she pointed. “Go on.”

  I stepped into a brightly lit sunroom, whose French doors opened into a lush garden of green. A waterfall was in the center and it was surrounded by flowers with brightly colored blooms.

  “What a beautiful garden,” I whispered with awe.

  “It is. But, I brought you in here to see a painting.”

  I turned and stared in disbelief. “Is that me?” I asked.

  She smiled. “It is your mother, Queen Mary Fawlstar.”

  I felt as though the floor was slipping out from beneath me. “My mother?”

  “Yes, but look at you. It might as well be you. It seems the Seers were correct.”

  “Seers?”

  “The wise women of the forest, who people seek out when they have a question.” Maggie looked behind her to make sure no one was listening and then leaned in closer to me. “Word is, King Landon asked the Seers what you looked like before searching for you. They told him you where the spitting image of your mother.”

  “But…why—”

  “Maggie.” A stiff butler’s voice echoed sternly from the doorway. “I need to escort Princess Falon to King Landon.”

  I tried to steady my breathing as my legs, mindlessly walked me toward the butler. I followed him down a long hall. My brain was reeling. If Mary was my real mother, who was Sandra Miller? If Sandra Miller wasn’t my mother, it sure would explain a lot about how she had always treated me.

  The butler turned to me and gave me a weak smile before stepping into another room. “King Landon, Princess Falon is here.” He stepped to the side and allowed me to pass, then closed the door as he left.

  I felt comforted when I realized I was standing inside the palace library. Books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of old paper.

  “Do you like to read?”

  I turned and saw King Landon, standing near a window. He was the young man who had approached me on the steps last night. He was tall and lean, but the military jacket he was wearing made him seem bigger than he was. When he stepped away from the window, his hair no longer seemed as blond as it had in the sun’s light.

  I ignored his question. “My friend, how is he?”

  He looked down at the floor. “I’m so sorry, Falon.”

  I stopped breathing.

  “I didn't want to upset you anymore than you already were last night, but Dirk told me that he saw the injury. And, there was no way your friend could have survived.”

  I went numb. “Was it your men that shot him?” I demanded.

  “No. They were there to get you and bring you here safely. My men were ambushed by someone else. That’s who shot your friend. And, they got away.”

  I remembered hearing a commotion outside of the garden before Ty was shot. Maybe he was telling the truth.

  Landon stepped closer and motioned toward a sofa that sat in front of an enormous fireplace.

  I sat down at the far end. He seated himself sideways in the middle, so he could face me. I pressed myself against the arm of the sofa to try and distance myself even more.

  I'd just learned the love of my life was dead and he wanted to make small talk. I couldn’t believe how insensitive he was being. How clueless he was to my grief. His lips were moving, but I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. I was going into shock.

  “What happened?” I interrupted him.

  He paused. “What exactly do you mean?”

  “Evidently, I am from here. But, I have no memory of this place.”

  He was noticeably uncomfortable. “I suppose the best thing to do is simply come out and say it.” He sighed deeply. “It was believed your father, King Frederick Fawlstar murdered your mother, Queen Mary.”

  I was being told for the second time that Queen Mary was my mother. My dad’s name was Fred. Had he been King Frederick?

  He continued. “With the help of a single soldier, he fled with you and your mother’s servant.” He paused and looked at me with concern. “Are you alright? I knew it. I shouldn’t have told you. It’s too much for you all at once.”

  “No. No, you did the right thing. It’s just hard for me to wrap my brain around. I—I mean, I grew up believing someone else was my mother—Who was Queen Mary’s servant? What was her name?”

  “Ms. Sandra Miller.”

  "What?" I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I had a million questions, but I suddenly felt dizzy and everything went black.

  11.

  I ran through the castle for what felt like an eternity. The hallways were never ending, and doors only led to rooms with more doors. Nothing led me outside. I was out of breath and about to give up when I noticed a curtain move. The window was up! As I ran to it, soldiers came out of nowhere and chased me.

  I escaped through another window and raced to the forest. Its inky darkness consumed me. I ran until I could barely walk and then stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a silhouette. It stood there for a moment and then slowly stepped into the moonbeam that slipped through the trees.

  “Ty!” I gasped. And he was holding Jackson.

  I ran to them and we embraced. I could feel them. I could smell them. They were real. Tears filled my eyes. I could feel my heart mending. I dared to squeeze them even tighter and then immediately regretted my greed as I felt them begin to slip away.

  “No. No. No.” I didn’t recognize my own voice. The desperation disguised it.

  “Please, Princess Falon, wake up.”

  Princess? My eyes popped open. “Don’t call me that!” I snapped. My voice was hoarse. I had been crying in my sleep.

  “Sorry,” said Maggie in a soft tone that matched her mousy hair.

 
I instantly regretted being ugly with her. “I didn’t mean to yell. I just had a bad dream.”

  “That’s OK. Would you like a drink of water?”

  I hadn’t had anything to drink or eat in a while. “Yes, please. That’s sounds wonderful.”

  She returned shortly with a small, brass chalice and handed it to me. It was so cold and refreshing I couldn’t stop drinking.

  “So, who’s Ty?”

  I choked for a moment and then caught my breath.

  “Sorry, miss. Are you alright?” she patted my back.

  “I’m fine. How did you know about Ty?”

  “You said his name, just now, in your sleep.”

  My shoulders slouched as I exhaled. For a moment, I had hoped that by some miracle, she was going to tell me, Ty was here and that he was OK.

  Someone knocked on the door and Maggie went and retrieved a serving tray. Several cinnamon rolls were sitting on a plate and next to them stood a tall glass of apple juice. “I asked the kitchen staff to bring you some breakfast when I went to get your water. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “This looks delicious,” I said as I reached for a cinnamon roll. In no time, my plate was empty and I drank all the juice too. “Thanks, Maggie.”

  “You’re very welcome.” She smiled. “Glad you liked it.”

  “Where are my old clothes?”

  “Over there, in the closet. Why?”

  “Because I need to go home. I can’t do that wearing this.” I held out the skirt of my dress and rolled my eyes.

  “But, miss.” She giggled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You are home.” She closed the door behind her as she stepped out of the room with my tray.

  I stood there, frozen. No, I wasn’t…or was I? The truth was I didn’t know. I didn’t know anything. If I left, would my mom—uh, Sandra Miller be there, or would she still be gone? Was Queen Mary really my mom? She definitely looked like me. Part of me wanted to stay and get to the bottom of things. But, I had to go. I didn’t belong here.

  I took a deep breath. What was I thinking? If I left, I was probably going to end up back in high school, dodging Daisy and Jacob. And what if I wound up back with Ms. Alice? I couldn’t bear the thought and squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to push their images away. That’s when Ty slipped into my thoughts. I began to relax as I saw us standing in the garden with the ribbon wrapped snugly around our hands. I replayed what he’d said to me over and over. I could almost feel his mouth on mine.

  I swallowed and pushed my pain back down as I felt a lump rise in my throat. Ty wouldn’t be back there, in my old life. This was the last place we were together. That alone was enough to make me want to stay. Just when I thought I had made up my mind, a memory of Jackson smiling up at me tugged at my heart. I was holding him at bed time, reading his favorite story, Mister Dog . I had told him that even though we were orphans like the characters in the book, also like them, we now had each other. I was going back for him. I would get him and bring him here to live with me.

  The idea made me feel alive again. I quickly slipped on my jeans and my jacket over my T-shirt. As soon as I tied my shoes, I raced out the door. When I finished descending the last staircase I headed as briskly as I could without running, to the large wooden doors at the end of the entry hall. I wanted to thank Maggie for all that she had done, but decided against it. I was too eager to find Jackson and there was no telling how long it would take to even locate Maggie in this gigantic place. Besides, there would be plenty of time to thank her when I returned.

  I was only a few feet from the door when someone called my name. I turned around.

  “Maggie! Oh, good, I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to say thank you before I left.”

  “Thank you?”

  “Yes. For taking care of me."

  She looked uncomfortable and her eyes drifted behind me. I turned around to see Dirk now standing in front of the doors.

  My knees tried to wobble, but I refused to let them give away that I was terrified. I looked back at Maggie and she looked down at the ground. It was a look of guilt. I turned back and stepped toward the door. “Excuse me,” I said as sternly as I could as I reached for the handle.

  He shook his head. I wanted to take hold of his bushy, black beard and pull him out of the way.

  “I’m leaving now. You need to move,” I said.

  “Falon.”

  I turned. “Landon! He won’t let me leave. Please tell him to move. Please.”

  “Falon. I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s dangerous out there. You’re not used to how it is around here. And, you could get lost.”

  “I don’t care. I will decide for myself what is good for me.” I turned to go, but Dirk still wouldn’t budge. He was a mountain of a man.

  “Would you consider letting me or Dirk go with you?” asked Landon.

  “No.” I didn’t want a babysitter. And, I didn’t think for one minute, Landon would let me leave if he knew where I wanted to go.

  “I’m afraid I can’t let you go then.”

  “What?” I barked. “You can’t let me? Are you kidding me?”

  “You are behaving like an irrational child and I will not continue this conversation. And for goodness sake, Falon, you’re a princess. Put some clothes on.”

  It was a good thing he walked away because I wanted to punch him so badly it hurt. What was the penalty for hitting a king anyway, a one-way ticket to the guillotine? I looked back at Dirk and weighed my options. It only took a second though, because I didn’t have any.

  I gave Maggie my best evil eye, but it was a wasted effort because she wouldn’t look at me. I stormed past her, and wondered where in the world I was going to go—Back upstairs to my room like a scolded child? Landon had called me a child. There was no way I was going to go back up there.

  When I reached the end of the hall, I remembered the sunroom and headed straight for it. I threw myself down on a lounging chair that was covered in bright yellow pillows and listened to the waterfall. The garden! I wondered if there was a way to escape through it.

  “Ma’am?”

  I turned to see Maggie standing in the doorway.

  “You told him I was leaving. I thought we were friends. Just go away, please.”

  When she didn’t leave I turned back to look at her. She looked stunned.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “You thought we were friends?” Her voice caught and, I instantly regretted having been so angry with her.

  “I know we just met, but yes. I like you. I thought you liked me too.”

  “I do, miss. You don’t understand. It’s my job to look out for you. The forest is dangerous. And King Landon—I don’t know what he would’ve done to me if he knew I let you go.”

  “What he would have done to you? Is Landon, not a good man?”

  She looked down.

  “Maggie?”

  “He doesn’t look kindly on those who do not follow orders.”

  I sighed as I looked back out into the garden. I could have used Maggie’s help. I wasn’t going to be able to trust her now though. But, maybe she could give me information.

  “So, why was Landon searching for me? I don’t even know him. Why does he care about me?”

  Maggie looked at me funny. “Because, you are to be his wife.”

  “What?”

  “You are betrothed to him. You two are to be married.”

  12.

  From my balcony, I looked out across the overwhelming vastness of the forest. I was still reeling from having just been told I was supposed to marry Landon. My mind hadn’t even begun to process that I would never see Ty again. I felt hollow, and for a brief moment, I contemplated jumping. Of course, I would never. I couldn’t. Jackson needed me.

  I knew now, I couldn’t simply leave through the front door. And, the tower I was in was much too high to scale down. That just left the garden in the sunroom. I would climb over the wall and make my way throu
gh the kingdom and eventually out into the forest.

  “Falon.”

  I flinched when I heard Landon call my name from the doorway.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  I turned back around and tried my best to ignore him. He didn’t take my hint, and instead, joined me on the balcony.

  “It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it?” he said in a soft voice.

  “I hadn’t noticed.”

  “Oh, come now. You would have to be blind not to.”

  I snapped my head in his direction. “Are you kidding me? I’m being held her against my will. You’ll have to forgive me for not admiring the view from my prison.”

  “Prison? That’s a bit melodramatic, don’t you think?”

  “So, I’m free to go then?”

  “I’m trying to have a conversation with you. Can you be nice?”

  “Am—I—free—to—go?”

  The kindness he was showing me abruptly evaporated and blew away with the gust of wind that swirled about us. He stepped closer to me. The look in his eyes was evil. My heart pounded and for a moment I thought he was going to hurt me, maybe even throw me from the balcony.

  “I wish you were happy with your situation,” he hissed just inches from my face. His hot breath repulsed me. “It would make things easier. But, whether you like it or not. You are to be my wife. I will not allow anything to happen to you and—”

  His words became incoherent, but I was determined not to let him know how much he’d just shaken me. I steadied myself, but I felt like I was treading water and it was only a matter of time before I went under. “I won’t marry you,” I finally said. My voice was weak and not at all convincing. I didn’t even believe me.

  “You’ll do as you’re told.”

  I felt sick.

  “See to her,” he said to Maggie who was now standing in the room. “Get her dressed into something proper.”

  She nodded as she curtsied, then rushed to my side. I shrugged away from her in disgust. I didn’t want her to touch me. I didn’t even want to look at her.

  “Please, Falon. Let me help you.”

  I whipped around. “Help me? You want to help me? You’re the reason I’m still in this mess.”