Chapter Text
Around me the courtyard, of weathered stone walls with leafy, emerald green vines snaking up them. A ginormous, striking tree centered on the wall to my right, with many smaller, child-like, trees circling around the courtyard, all the way to my left. With the castle looming right in front of me, taller than anything for miles. It overlooks the courtyard with a critical eye. To my back a huge oak door, guarding the entrance to the courtyard. Peppered with silver dots as reinforcement or decoration, I am unsure. A majestic image this was, a fairytale, a dream.
Soldiers fill my view, big and small, tall and short, all training in one big organized class, as disciplined as always. Clad in leather, imitation armor, with wooden swords to match. Dueling one on one with each other as their commander gave advice, commands and instructions while pacing along the edge of the courtyard. This was quite a surprise, considering the time of peace the kingdom of the Fairfolk was currently in. Dust began to settle back onto the rocky, grey, ground as break time commenced. The guards lining the barracks turned away and went back to their duties, seeing as their favourite show was on hold. It was always exciting watching all the new recruits, so many hopeful eyes glistening in the crowd, much like the sweat that rolled down their faces. All the enthusiasm and confidence, it’s admirable!
The clearing is now empty, short of a few stragglers. I make my way through the clearing towards the castle towering over my head. My hair scattering from a gust as I close the grand doors behind me, I am now faced with the entrance hallway. Decorated with plants, paintings and other picturesque things, with a red carpet spilling over the sturdy stone steps in front of me. Petit oak doors to either side of me, mostly for servant access, never to be noticed. As I make my way down the corridor I wonder why my father had called me to the throne room. I don’t think I did anything wrong, lately..
Wandering the corridors is something awfully familiar to me, it’s so lonely and cold in these stone walls. I have friends, sure, but royal duties and lessons usually keep me away from them. I feel so isolated, captured between a rock and a hard place. My father, King Dalgorel, won't budge about me exploring past the town underneath us, he doesn’t even like it when I leave the castle grounds! He’s so strict. It irks me, having to day-in and day-out stay stuck to a certain schedule and (usually) stuck in this cage of a castle.
Now in front of the regal throne room doors, I take a deep breath and push them open. Ahead of me, clad in royal purple robes with a stereotypical kingly, golden crown on his head, and a long brown beard that has streaks of silver decorating it from age, sits my father. Surprisingly, there are no guards lining the walls, father most likely wanted privacy whilst speaking with me. On his throne he holds out his hand and beckons me forward. Down the long, ruby red carpet I walk, until he holds out his hand for me to stop.
“Good afternoon father, may I ask why I was summoned?” I said
“You were summoned because I wish to speak to you regarding your recent.. Excursions.” he said plainly
Sweat trickled down my back, I can’t believe I forgot so soon that I had recently snuck out of the castle for the hundredth time. I was already warned about going outside the village, past the places where I am safe. The next time I was caught breaking this rule I would have to do extra chores, usually reserved for the maids. I’ve done it before and it’s mostly cleaning, dusting and polishing things around the castle. It was dreadfully boring. It usually took hours to do the maids work, they had a whole crew whereas I’m just me! Pretty unfair if you ask me.
“What do you mean by that Father?” I inquired innocently
“Eve, go start your chores.” he said frankly
I sighed, slumped, and walked back down the red carpet. If anyone had witnessed that, they would have applauded me on how badly I handled the situation. I didn't even try to sweet talk my way out of it, just great, I’m going to be cleaning for the next month. I would do it again though, it’s worth it to taste the freedom, the feel of the wind blowing through my hair, the sight of the luscious meadows that lie beyond the walls, the feel of the soft grass underneath my feet and the cooling shade of the tall, leafy, emerald green trees. Yep, nothing better.
I continued walking down the winding, cold hallways, to the servants quarters where I would collect the proper tools and materials for my chores. I’m a regular there. The servants greeted me warmly, they always loved having a chatty, easygoing person to talk to while they did their cleaning. It helped that I was constantly with them because of certain habits of mine.
“Hello Miss Eve!” said a servant with red hair, “Good to see you again, what is it this time? Will you polish the silverware? Or dust the tables?”
“I’m doing all of it, I’ve gotten caught one too many times, I think my father is terribly worried I will get into some form of trouble…” I explained
“Oh dear, that's quite a lot of work for a young lady, a princess nonetheless, are you sure?” she answered
“Yes, I want to get started on them immediately, the sooner they are done, the sooner I can escape back into the wilderness.” I say with a mischievous grin
“My oh my, Miss Eve, you really should listen to your father.” another servant close by, with dark brown hair exclaimed
“You know he loves you and only wants the utmost best for you, the forest is wild and savage at dark and dangerous in the daytime. We want nothing more than your safety.” said the red head
“Alright, you have convinced me, I shall heed my fathers warnings, at least for a little while.” I sigh
“Well that’s good to hear Miss Eve.” the red head replied once more, “Good-day, I wish you the best with your cleaning!”
Off I go, to a mundane task that I would do a hundred-times over again just to be outside once more. They never really understood, they are good to me and give profound guidance, but the maids are allowed outside the castle walls, they are free to go wherever they please. They do not understand the feeling of being trapped in the same dull, dark place for all your days. Enough moping, time to get mopping!
I start with my own room of course, making it spick and span, the floor becomes clean enough to eat off of, not that I would ever do that. Then, I move on to the rest of the castle. The dining room, the study, the library, the hallways, the great hall and the chapel, to name a few places. The chapel was beautiful, its grandiose structure of stone, with stained glass windows on every wall, depicting important events in our history, a ceiling that reaches thirty feet into the air with wooden arches supporting and reaching out across the roof. As I was cleaning inside the chapel, through the corner of my eye, a door, not one I’ve seen before, was hidden almost in plain sight. It gave me much delight to see something new. Soon I found myself in front of the door, my hand slowly creeping up towards the handle, a tiny bit afraid but mostly excited at the prospect of this new adventure. But then I stopped, footsteps could be heard, approaching the chapel. I am not sure if I am allowed to enter this unknown room, thus I resume my chores, as if I had always been cleaning.
A shadow emerges from the courtyard, a person attached to it. It was a holy person, no doubt coming to check on the chapel. They most likely heard noises that I made while cleaning and wondered who was occupying the chapel at this moment. Once they saw me, the crown princess, they realized that again, I had snuck outside to enjoy a slice of freedom and was now being punished. Have I mentioned this happens practically every month, if not every week? I’m usually better at avoiding being caught sneaking outside, but lately I feel as though I have lost my edge.
Anyways, they left me alone, sweet, innocent, little ol’ me, by myself, in the plain old, full of breakable things chapel. I’m sure they thought that through very thoroughly. Once their shadow and footsteps had faded into nothing, I bolted for the door and pulled it open.
Beyond the door, was an ominous looking staircase that led down, down and down some more. Moreover, it was pitch black, lined with cobblestone and the stony steps seemed a little damp oddly enough. A single, lit torch stood beside, I took it and continued onward, determined to feel the thrill of adventure once more.
Down I went, further and further into the inky nothingness, pitch black ichor threatening to swallow me whole. The torch in my hand was only illuminating enough to see the next step I needed to take. I just hoped and prayed it didn’t burn out on me while I was exploring, the darkness doesn’t sit right with me. On and on, step after step, down and down some more, my stomach went with my feet. Finally, I reached the bottom, the stone flattened out ahead of me and expanded into a decently sized room with another high ceiling, though this one had no pictures adorning it. The floor was flooded, for some creepy unknown reason. The room was bare, except for a well, really just a box with a lid on it, in the middle. It really wasn’t anything special, weathered oak in the formation of a square, with a flimsy oak lid on it (literally a slab of wood). This adventure wasn’t an adventure at all! I came all the way down here to see a rotten old well that probably does nothing!
So why is it down here then?
“Huh, how curious.” I mutter
My curiosity got the best of me and I opened the lid…
Nothing happened
So I turned around, my disappointment immeasurable, to climb up the long, winding stairs. Until a brilliant flash of lavender light engulfed the room. I spun around to see the lid of the well ajar with that same lavender light shining brightly from the well. It blinded me, then as quickly as it came, it fled.
“How creepy…” I mutter to myself, “But so cool at the same time!!” I exclaim, “This well must be magical! Did it react to my presence? Or did it just activate on its own? Or maybe someone used it?? I can’t believe a worn down, rotten old well like this would be magical!”
I quickly run over to the well and peer over the edge. Inside I see a boy, with unruly brown hair and the cutest brown eyes looking up at me absolutely flabbergasted. He’s sporting this strange clothing, beige pantaloons with all sorts of pockets on them and a very short, dark forest green surcoat with no crest.
“How strange…” I mutter
“Mind getting me outta this hole?” the boy asked
“May I ask how you ended up in this well?” I reply
“Wellll”, he says while scratching his neck.”It’s kinda a long story, oh and my name is Seth Sorenson by the way.”
“I don’t mind sitting around and listening to a long story Seth, and my name is Eve.”
“First though, can you help me outta this well, hole, or whatever it is. Please?”
I laughed a little and said “Of course”