A few deep breaths later, she felt a little more herself and swung a leg up over the ledge. Climbing out onto a parapet outside her window. The narrow overhang was enough to move one foot in front of the other.
Swallowing, Maezy tried to stop shaking and took a tentative step forward. Grasping the sill, then the edge of the window, she found any part of the house she could hang onto and gripped it tight. Pausing at the last step before she had to let go of the window, fear spiraled through her.
It was another five feet to the next window. There wasn’t anything but the wall. She would have nothing but the rocky wall to hold onto. Would she be able to stay steady and get there?
Her knees still clanked together, and she stiffened them. Hugging the rocks, she found a crevice for her left hand to tuck into before letting the right release the edge of the window. Finding a grip for the right hand, she began moving forward. One breath in and out for each step. Several exhales later, she was a step away from the window.
Afraid they’d discover her disappearance any moment, Maezy glanced through the glass-free window. It overlooked a hallway, but it couldn’t be the one outside her door. Slowly sticking her head through, she heaved herself over the edge and fell to the floor. Her descent was quiet enough since no one came running.
To the right, the hall veered to the left. That was the direction she’d come. To the right, a long stretch of hallway lined with open windows and doors. Brandalfr might be in one of them.
Pulling herself to a stand, she waited out the shakes. It occurred to her hunger might be an issue. She couldn’t recall when she last ate.
Straightening, Maezy pictured finding Brandalfr. She had to get to him. She had to make sure he was still – No, she couldn’t think such a thing. Wouldn’t think it.
Determined, Maezy turned and looked up the hallway. Which door? He had to be close, right? Closing her eyes, she tried to picture where he was. Calling out to him, she slipped into an immobile state to picture where he might be.
The answer came to her within a few seconds. The dungeon.
Her father wouldn’t – Never mind. Sliding to the floor, she didn’t know if she’d make it. Leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes, Maezy allowed herself to slip back into the dark. The shaking had to stop. There would be no attempting rescue if she couldn’t even walk.
The dark welcomed her.
She was alone. Still sitting in the hallway. The light was dim coming in from the window and showed some time had passed. Blinking and cleaning her eyes, Maezy registered that fate had smiled down on her. No one had found her.
Wiping her eyelids a third time, she shook her head. A hollow, empty feeling in her stomach and a slight shake to her hand told her she wasn’t 100% yet. However, she knew she’d wasted too much time already. Making her way to the dungeon would take enough effort, and she could be found out at any moment.
Great. She just noticed her sword was gone. How did she not notice that sooner?
“They always have to take my swords,” she muttered.
It was time to get up. Climbing to her feet, she moved up the hall with slow, deliberate steps. Keeping a lookout, she counted.
“One, two, one, two,” she repeated to herself.
She could do it. She would make it.
The lack of sound made her pause. Something wasn’t right. No one had realized she was gone from her room yet. She’d sat in the hall for at least an hour, and no one had found her.
There were no posted guards anywhere. She didn’t hear or see anyone. It was as if they had all disappeared. This couldn’t be right.
Quickening her speed, ignoring the feeling of wanting to faint, Maezy wondered why she was still so weak after such a long sleep. Rest was rejuvenating. Yet, she still felt incapacitated.
“What’s going on?” she whispered.
Sprinting, she tried not to fall flat on her face as she made it to the end of the corridor and came to a right. Making the turn, she found a staircase in front of her and a balustrade overlooking the floor below. Coming to an abrupt stop, she spied over the side.
She recognized the area. It was where she’d walked inside with Brandalfr hours ago. Looking down, she spied him still on the ground. He was stretched out on his back, and he appeared dead. Hand to mouth, her father’s voice carried up to her.
“We need to make sure he lives. Her life depends on it,” he told the others.
He isn’t dead? Her heart leaped. Her life? Me? What does he mean?
Observing those gathered beneath, Maezy saw her father was talking to thirteen men. The Seekers. They had to be, and she saw Brandalfr was right. They were spine-chilling.
Where they should have eyes, there was nothing but black. She didn’t want to ask what had happened. They heard and understood her father, gathering in a circle around Brandalfr.
She didn’t even bother to hide her presence. Instead, she began walking down the stairs. Elves surrounded her from out of nowhere. They followed her down.
One attempted to take her arm. Thinking he was going to take her back to the bedroom or even the dungeon, she reacted. He was on the floor, out cold, and the others closed ranks on her. She couldn’t fight them all off, but she noticed they didn’t touch her.
“Let her through,” her father said.
“What’s going on?” she whispered, walking forward.
Stopping beside Brandalfr, her father stood to her right. He took her arm and held onto it, but Maezy knew it was to keep her upright and not imprison her. Legs shaking, she allowed him to help her.
Surprised, she wondered where his sudden compassion came from, but figured he needed her alive to complete his plans. Confused, she couldn’t understand why Brandalfr wasn’t in the dungeon. Hadn’t she pictured him there?
“We’re trying to save him,” her father told her.
She looked to the floor. Brandalfr seemed even paler than normal. His skin had a chalky, paste-like quality to it. He looked dead. “He isn’t dead?”
“No. Not yet.”
Maezy nodded. Unable to do anything else, she took her father’s hand from her arm and sank to the floor. “Maezy…” his voice was very far away.
“Brandalfr,” she murmured. “You have to wake up. Wake up, please.”
Resting her head against his chest, she didn’t care who watched from above. She was just too tired. His heart pulsed against her ear.
“Brandalfr.” His name felt heavy on her tongue.
What was going on?
Eyes leaden, she blinked and tried to stay awake. A thought occurred to her. A stupid thought. Perhaps an embarrassing one, if she gave it too much consideration. However, common sense was outweighed at the moment by a recurring idea.
Without hesitating, Maezy raised herself on her elbow. Blinking, the room wavered for a second before coming back into focus. Swallowing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She leaned over and kissed Brandalfr on the lips before whispering, “Now we’re even.”
Lying her head back on his chest, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The rise and fall of his chest comforted her. She could feel his breathing through her body. It felt like home.
A strange weight began to fall from her, and her limbs didn’t feel as shaky. A blissful and intoxicating peace settled over her. Almost as if she were cocooned in a plush blanket.
Relaxing into sleep, she thought she heard Brandalfr announce, “I guess we are.” But she wasn’t sure and fell asleep before she could investigate.
21
“You almost died, Princess. Your companion as well,” according to the servant who set a cup of tea on her nightstand said, and added, “The king feared for your life.”
“More like the destruction of his plans,” Maezy muttered, as she sat up.
“What, miss?”
“Nothing,” she replied. “How is my, uh, Brandalfr? Is he alive?”
“Yes, miss. He pulled through after you kissed him.”
So, people saw it. She thought maybe she had imagined it all.
“There are new clothes over on the chair, miss. If you need anything, ring the bell.” She indicated a long rope hanging beside the bed. Maezy didn’t recall seeing it the last time she woke up in here.
“Thank you,” she said. Her mother had taught her to be polite.
Nodding, curtsying, the maid left the room.
“This is a weird turn of events,” she muttered.
Feeling much more awake than before, and her body not shaking, Maezy stood off the bed and stretched. She had to check on Brandalfr. Walking to the door and ignoring the tea, she grasped the knob and turned.
Nothing. It wouldn’t open. Trying again rendered the same result. Remembering her previous escape, she went to the window and tried to open it. The lock wouldn’t budge. Another window resulted in the same.
She was trapped. Again.
Picking up a vase, she hurled it at the door and watched with satisfaction as it smashed into tiny pieces. So much for thinking her father was taking a step forward in trusting her. He’d fought to keep Brandalfr alive. For her.
“Yet, he went right back to his old ways the second I passed out again,” she growled.
Turning, she found the clothes in the chair were similar to the ones she usually wore. Black leather pants, a black shirt, black vest, and her own black boots. If she was being locked in, she might as well get cleaned up and changed. She would need her strength, and a fresh pair of clothing would make her feel better and give her something to do.
Investigating two other doors in the room, she found the bathroom and stepped inside with her new wardrobe in hand. Taking a quick shower, she dressed, and wrapped her waist-length hair in a new bun. Her cuts were healed.
“What in the world,” she gasped.
No marks covered her body. She didn’t have a scar or one bloody opening. Wondering if the elves had healed her and in such a short period of time, Maezy felt her eyes widen.
“Wonders never cease.”
Pacing into her room, she picked up the tea and drank it straight down. “Yuck,” she stuck her tongue out and shook her head.
She ate the breakfast the maid had brought as well. Toast and fresh fruit filled the plate. It wasn’t dula, but she scarfed it down anyway.
Afterward, she paced in front of the hall door. She knew the girl would have to come back at some time to get the plates, and she wanted to be ready. Finding Brandalfr was the only thing that mattered to her. He was alive, and she needed to see him.
“Where is she?” Maezy groaned, after a half-hour.
Arms crossed, she patrolled the patch of carpet in front of the door for another thirty minutes. Walking to the window to see what was happening outside and give herself a break, she looked below. No one and nothing appeared. Sighing, she walked back to the door and pressed her ear against the door.
No sound.
Huffing, she continued to stalk back and forth in front of the door. She picked up a candle stick and twirled it through her fingers. She started to walk away and stopped midstride.
“Wait.” Maezy turned back and picked up the heavy, silver pillar that the candle had sat upon and smiled.
Two hours and forty-seven seconds later, she counted because elves didn’t seem to believe in clocks, the maid came back. Opening the door just a few inches, the girl attempted to squeeze through the opening, but Maezy decided to wrench the door open and threw the girl back against the wall.
“Sorry!” she shouted and took off.
She didn’t get far. She didn’t suspect she would. Although, she was ready. Guards grabbed at her but kept their weapons tucked safely into their sheaths and quivers. She made the most of it.
She slammed the pillar into one elf’s shoulder. Another came closer, and she popped him in the lip with it next. A third grabbed her only weapon out of her hand and threw it across the hall.
When a second came closer, the other two groaned on the ground. Number Three and Four tried to grab at her arms at the same time. Bashing their heads together, they dropped to the floor in no time.
Not expecting the maid to tackle her, she almost went down but rallied and knocked the maid out with one blow. Shaking out her fist, she winced. She stepped over the maid.
“Sorry,” she told her again, before going after the weapons.
Tucking a few knives away, she stole a belt and placed both swords on it. Since only one quiver and bow could fit over her back, she threw the second pair into the empty room next to hers. Next, she dragged their bodies into her room and closed the door on them. Unable to lock the doors without a key, Maezy decided it was enough for now.
Turning on her heel, she walked down the hall and to the front staircase. Sword ready in her hand, she took the stairs two at a time and met with no one until the bottom.
The clash of metal on metal was loud. Punching the elf in the stomach, she ignored his, “I won’t hurt you!” and slammed her foot down on his. Using every tactic she could, he was on the floor in seconds.
Three more came at her. None of them pulled their weapons, and she knew they were taking their orders seriously. Forgetting about being fair, she right-hooked one across the mouth and sent him spiraling backward before tripping another and hitting him on the back of the head with her sword hilt. The third attempted to take her sword and was rewarded with an arm to the stomach and a palm to the nose.
Moving on, she made her way to the back of the castle where the dungeon stairs were kept. She knew Brandalfr had to be down there. If he was alive, her father wouldn’t take any chances.
“What?”
She punched the elf before he could say another word. She made it to the door and down the stone steps before she met anyone else.
“Father’s getting a bit lax,” she quipped.
One grabbed her arm and almost got the other, but his companion was too eager, and Maezy only had to step backward to let them bump into each other. Both went backward. Racing ahead, she found what she was looking for. Another elf stood at attention before a cell, and he didn’t even have time to pull his sword before she slammed his head against the door.
“Brandalfr, are you in there?”
“Yes! Maezy is that you?”
“Who else would it be?” She unhooked the keys from the guard’s belt and opened the cell door. Before she could say a word, Brandalfr had her wrapped in a hug.
“You’re alive!” he exclaimed.
“I hope so,” she hugged him back. “You are too!”
“It was a close call.” His eyes were amber again, and his cheeks looked less white than they had.
“What happened?” She started dragging the guard’s body into Brandalfr’s cell.
He took over for her as he began to explain. “Too much magic. I drained myself with all of those incantations. Trying to keep them up almost killed me because of the force used by the Seekers to break through. The energy was unbalanced, and it cost me too much.”
“You should have stopped! Why didn’t you?” Hands on her hips, she looked at him and waited for a response.
Closing the door, Brandalfr leaned a hand against the frame. From his stance, she deduced he wasn’t one hundred percent yet. She worried he might not be able to make it out of here.
“Because I was protecting you.”
His words surprised her and brought her back to what they were discussing. Wanting to punch and hug him at the same time, Maezy did neither. Ignoring the warm feeling his words caused, she stuffed the emotion down and considered the empty hallway.
“Next time, stop. You can’t do that to me again.” Turning, she led the way to the exit she’d used with her mother.
“I know. Literally, I can’t. It seems the whole True Love’s Kiss was more than just a kiss.”
“What do you mean?” She listened as they continued.
“It means, there’s a reason I was your True Love’s Kiss. We’re linked.”
“What?” She stopped to face
him. “You’re not making any sense.”
“We’re linked. Whatever happens to me, happens to you.”
Shaking her head, she told him, “That doesn’t make sense. I died. Remember? You didn’t. We can’t be linked. Wouldn’t you have died too, if that were the case?”
“Not necessarily. First, I’m your True Love’s Kiss. Second, you were more in limbo than dead. I could have ended up dying, if you hadn’t been sent back to your body so quickly. Third, you reacted to what my body was going through. I shut down, and you started to do the same. My life is now linked to yours.”
Maezy kept shaking her head. She didn’t want to believe such an odd story. “Listen, we have to get out of here. We’ll talk this over later.”
“Fine,” he agreed.
Hearing his breath come out in short spurts, she hurried them along. The faster they got out of here, the better. Her worry for Brandalfr’s health was heightened by the perspiration she spotted on his forehead, when she turned back to assess how he was doing. Being an elf, he was athletic and light on his feet. His lethargy concerned her.
They continued on and were able to find the same gated exit Maleficent had shown her. It seemed like ages ago since they’d been caught together. Pausing at the door, Maezy took a deep breath and put a finger to her lips.
Brandalfr nodded at her. She waited a second before slowly pushing the door open and stepping out into the bright sunshine. No one attacked them, and as her eyes adjusted to the blinding light, she thought they were safe.
Once outside, they found themselves surrounded by guards. Bows and arrows at the ready, swords poised, and her father standing in the middle of it all. Blinking at them, she hoped they’d vanish, but it wasn’t to be.
“I learned from the last time,” he mentioned to them.
“I see,” Maezy responded.
“This hurts me, daughter. I wanted us to work together for the good of all living creatures. You escaping, after the lovely room I placed you in, gives me less hope for our future.”
The Four Tales Page 86