The Shadow Crown - chapter four

📝 CHAPTER FOUR

The moon was high in the sky, shining down on the gloomy castle. Deianara had already changed back into her ordinary attire - a high collar blouse with a velvet coat over it and a pair of plain pants. She couldn’t sleep so she decided to roam the castle halls for a bit. She hasn’t been here in a while and had forgotten how lonely she had always felt here.

She tried to stay out of sight of the few guests who were still chatting and drinking downstairs. Her footsteps echoed slightly against the marble walls as she made way to the east wing which was mostly empty, abandoned even. No one was really allowed there but Deianara had always slipped into it for some private time. As she entered yet another corridor she took notice of the window frames, once bright, new and freshly painted, now were shattered and overgrown with vines that clawed their way through the cracks of the glass. Specs of dust danced in the dim moonlight and cast weird patterns on the cracked floors. The air was thick with the musty scents of decay and mould.

As Deianara turned a corner she came across a chamber that once was bustling with life. A dilapidated library with shelves that have surrendered to the weight of time, their contents now reduced to decaying manuscripts and faded parchments. Deianara strolled through this chamber with a pained look on her face. There was a recognisable pit in her stomach. The young princess moved closer to the windows that overlooked a beautiful landscape ahead of her. Nature has begun to reclaim its territory, with ivy and moss creeping in from the outside, weaving a tapestry of green that contrasts with the stone walls.

The eerie silence was broken by the faint whisper of the wind as the window that led to a balcony in one of the bedrooms was wide open. A silhouette of a young man was visible from where Deianara was standing. She was slightly surprised to recognise the man. She stepped over some debris that had fallen from the ceiling. Her boots had not made a sound as she swiftly positioned herself next to the balustrade. The man didn’t bother to acknowledge her as she leaned on her side, facing him.

“Hello, Sylvan,’’ Her voice was soft and quiet.

The young prince moved his head towards her with no surprise on his face as if he had heard her coming long before.

“Sister,’’ He nodded. ‘’What are you doing here at such a late hour?’’ He sounded worn out.

‘’I could ask you the same question,’’ Deianara replied, studying her brother’s face, as if she had sensed a certain sadness.

‘’I came here to clear my mind. It is quiet and peaceful here.’’

His head dropped a little and he angled it so that Deianara wouldn’t see his face. She noticed the movement but didn’t push. She moved so that she was also facing the land ahead of them. The siblings' shoulders were so close now, however they never touched. Both of them were gazing into the night as if trying to find an answer to their problems.

‘’You are leaving tomorrow?’’ Sylvan broke the unbearable silence. Deianara nodded. ‘’With your new friends I presume?’’ He winked at her.

‘’How observant of you,’’ Deianara mocked him, smiling a little.

Sylvan shaked his head. ‘’Father favours you and even trusts you, but don’t think for a second he will stop to think to harm you if you-’’

‘’If I what?’’ Deianara cut him off sharply. ‘’Don’t go around talking about things you don’t understand.’’

‘’I am not a fool, you know?’’ He angled his head to look at his sister. His face was filled with genuine worry. ‘’I may pretend to be one to get out of work because I don’t want any of this,’’ He waved his hand around the castle grounds, ‘’But that doesn’t mean I don’t understand when something is going on. I know you, Dei.’’

‘’Everything is fine.’’ Her answer was short and cold.

They both went silent for a while again, gazing up at the moon and the stars that started appearing in the night sky. The night cold breeze picked up Deianara’s hair and played with it.

‘’You know father only favours me because of what I can do, right?’’ Deianara spoke so quietly, the words almost came out as a whisper.

‘’We all know, we hear the rumours. People start saying you are stronger than him.’’

Deianara let out a low chuckle.

‘’But don’t let that get to your head. He has hundreds of years of being a cunning bastard.’’

Deianara burst out laughing. After a second Sylvan joined her. Just for those few moments they were alright, they were just brother and sister in a cruel world. A wave of wind came over them, making them lose their laugh slowly.

‘’I promise I am not going to drag you into anything you don’t want to,’’ Deianara spoke again. ‘’ Even if you behave like a total ass most of the time.’’

Sylvan gave her an understanding nod. ‘’I’m going to bed and so should you.’’

With that he was gone and Deianara was left standing in the cold wind alone. She didn’t move for hours and only left her post as soon as she felt the first rays of sunshine on her face.

—

Reyna was standing next to her horse that was kindly provided from the royal stables. She was waiting for Caerwyn, who was chatting with one of the stable boys. She wrapped her brown cloak tightly around herself as it was a very cold morning. Earlier today, Caerwyn had woken her up in a haste, telling her they should get on moving, as they were losing time because of this detour.

Just as Caerwyn started walking towards her, she suddenly heard a commotion in the stables and focused her attention there. She could hear a few loud voices.

A beautiful horse strode out of the stables followed closely by Deianara. She looked more regal as ever as she walked gracefully towards them. A white, high-neck blouse concealed her neck and arms. A coat of black velvet, with silver embroidering woven into it covered her body, however Reyna spotted a silver dagger hanging on the princesses’ waist. A glint of red on the pommel of the dagger.

“I do hope you lot were not trying to leave without me.” Deianara’s voice sounded unusually cheerful. Caerwyn forced a grimace. Scanning his face for any positive reaction and finding none of it, Deianara shrugged as if to tell herself she didn’t care. With ease she mounted her gorgeous black horse.

“Well then, what are you waiting for? You seemed to be in such a hurry and I, myself, can’t wait to leave this place.” She waited patiently for her two newly acquired companions to jump into their saddles and waited for them to start moving. Being the last, she looked back at the castle, wondering how long since she would be back here again. Lost in thought, she almost didn’t notice her brother perched on a balcony, watching. He seemed to give her a small nod. Deianara didn’t nod back. Her brother, however lightheaded and not serious he might seem - was not stupid. Deianara had always known he knew, or at least suspected more than he ever led on and she never knew, never was sure if she could trust him. She wanted to but her entire nature seemed to fight against it, as if invisible forces possessed her mind as a child, not allowing to let anyone in.

“You coming?” Reyna’s voice broke the monologue in the princesses head. She quickly turned and stared back at the blonde girl. She grinned at her, baring her teeth. Reyna seemed to shudder and just nudged her horse to move faster. Deianara proceeded to do the same. Soon the three riders were galloping through the wilderness.

As they rode, the landscape around them transformed from lush green forests to rocky terrain. The horses' hooves clattered against the rocks as they made their way up a steep incline, the wind whipping through their hair.

Just as they reached the top of the hill, they were greeted by a stunning view of a vast valley stretching out before them. The sun was just starting to set, casting a warm golden light over the landscape. A strong smell of blossoming flowers hit them.

Reyna couldn't help but gasp at the incredible sight before her. "It's beautiful," she whispered, her eyes scanning the valley below.

Deianara simply nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. “We must continue, it’s getting dark and I would like for us to leave this forest before night falls completely.”

“Why?” Reyna’s voice sounded a little scared.

“Because of the nightmare demons?” Caerwyn spoke up, looking around warily.

Deianara let out a chuckle. “Partially yes, but to be fair, they are not demons, just some lost souls that were corrupted by some dark power ages ago. No one really knows the story or has ever been bothered enough to figure it out.”

Reyna went pale. Deianara noticed the sudden change in her face colour and assured, rather smoothly, “Do not worry, I have met only a few in my life and on their own they are…well, not harmless, but you mustn’t worry, you’ve got me. I can handle them.”

With that the journey continued as they entered the deeper part of the forest.

Reyna couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as they rode deeper. The sound of leaves rustling in the wind seemed to take on a sinister tone and shadows danced menacingly in the fading light. The sun was now barely visible and getting lower by the minute. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. As they continued on, the trees grew thicker and the darkness deepened.

Deianara’s face became more serious as she too had noticed that the sun was almost down and they were still in the forest. After being plunged into almost complete darkness, Caerwyn suddenly held the reins back and stopped.

“The horses are tired, we can barely see where to go, it would be wiser to find shelter here for the night.”

“What about the demon, not demons, the nightmare ones!” Reyna exclaimed, shifting in her saddle.

A harsh laugh escaped Deianara, so she covered her mouth with her hand. “Sweetheart, they are practically a myth. I agree, we should stay.” So what if she had to exaggerate a little, it was for the better.

When Reyna seemed to not be so keen to get off her horse Deianara moved closer. “Seriously, I travel through these woods all the time, alone and during the night.” Reyna gave a nod of appreciation. It didn’t bring her much comfort, but at least she saw that Deianara maybe cared a little.

They dismounted their horses and Caerwyn proceeded to tie them to the nearest tree. Deianara looked cautiously around, checking for anything out of the ordinary. When everything seemed to satisfy her, she leaned on a tree and let out a deep sigh. Reyna watched her closely. Pretending to not notice the obvious gaping at her, Deianara focused her attention on Caerwyn, who seemed to be deliberately averting his gaze. Picking of a spider that has crawled onto her shoulder, Deianara pushed forward.

“You should light a fire, it will keep us warm,” she marked a place on the ground, right in the middle of the trees that were surrounding them. “Ah, yes, this will do.” She glanced around. “There is little wood here, I will go to search for more.”

“Is it wise to wander alone, it is almost dark.” Reyna pitched in, furrowing her brows.

“Oh you mustn’t worry,” Deianara let out a small chuckle. She still seemed to be amused whenever Reyna spoke to her. Caerwyn still would not seem to look in her direction. Giving him a weird glance, Deianara strode off deeper into the forest.

She walked for a while, until her companions were out of sight and she couldn’t hear any longer the conversation they started when she left. She wasn’t particularly interested in what they were talking about, so she didn’t stay to eavesdrop.

She hummed to herself while picking up a few twigs from the ground. There seemed to still be so few, so the young princess found herself wandering further and further. The world around her was getting darker, but it did not prevent her from seeing clearly, being so used to always being in the dark.

A sudden sound made her come to a halt. She sniffed. A weird smell entered her nostrils. It was a rotting, mix of dirt and dead flesh smell that almost made her wince. Dropping all the wood she had collected, Deianara turned only to see nothing but trees behind her.

A sudden, sharp pain in her head made her let out a cry. It did not stop and every second made it more unbearable. She clutched both of her hands to her face, wincing. Another wave of pain hit her, making her drop to her knees. Her thoughts were racing, she couldn’t think, couldn’t fight it and then she heard it. Whispers, all around her, surrounding her. Inaudible whispers that made all the hairs at the back of her head stand. Whispers of the dead. She couldn’t make out the words, as the whispers were faint which made her panic even more.

She was scared, a feeling she did not like. She felt helpless, couldn’t move, couldn’t even lift her head to face the monsters she knew were all around her. The pain became excruciating and she just couldn’t bear it anymore, as she fell on her face and the world became dark.

The pain seemed to be gone. Deianara slowly opened her eyes. She was sprawled on the ground of the forest, a full moon high in the sky above her. She moved her limbs, as if to check if they still were there. Slowly, as if in a trance she rose to her feet. She swayed a little on her feet and touched her hands, as if getting the sensation in them only now. She had felt heavy, as she had been hit.

The forest seemed the same, however she could not shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. She looked around focusing on the details. The trees. They were not right. Something was not right, Deianara was sure of it. They were different, this was not the place she was before. The trees seemed to reach high in the sky, higher than normal and there was a weird mist surrounding her, coming closer as if wanting to swallow her. She waved her hand and the mist followed her movement. It felt cold to her touch and Deianara felt curious, as she has never seen or felt a mist like this before.

She took a wobbling step forward. She felt weird, as if drugged. Swaying on her feet she tried clearing her mind to assess the situation. Before waking up, she was surrounded by the very creatures she told Reyna not to worry about and now she could not see them, nor smell them. They wouldn’t just disappear.

Deinara took a deep breath, oxygen filling her lungs, however it did not sober her up from whatever she was on. She needed to get her usual state back, to get the strength to figure out what was happening. She shook her head, as if trying to shake that ill feeling off. She wanted to be prepared to fight whatever was coming for her.

“Deianara!” the voice made her jump. It was a faint, but clear whisper. “Deianara!” The whisper called her name again, this time closer. It sounded soothing and playful, as if Deianara was prey that the voice wanted to play with. She stood frozen in one spot. As a girl, she had been taught never to answer to her name when alone in a forest. She tried holding her composure and not letting herself show any signs of fear.

“Deianara!” The third time, this time more demanding, angry at no reaction from the princess. Deianara couldn’t compose herself any longer, she decided to face whatever it was, so she turned, only to find no one there. Instead, she saw something she could swear was not there before. Where once trees were, was now a clearing of a sort. As if conditioned to go, the princess approached. As she came closer, the clearing ahead appeared bigger and bigger and once she reached it, it looked like a vast amount of land with the forest continuing only on the horizon.

She blinked. A figure stood far in the distance. It was too far for her to see who or what it was and as every bone in her body screamed not to move, she took another step forward. Her limbs felt heavy, and each step she took drained her. Her vision started to blur, but she was determined to push through the discomfort and continue moving. She had been trained in worse conditions than this, had been prepared to fight, even when wounded, tired or drugged. She knew she had to keep moving.

Fighting the urge to sit down, to rest, she went on. As if in a dream, she focused her attention on the figure that still seemed to be standing on the same spot. Soft wind was now blowing on her face, pushing the hair back. A strong flower smell hit her nostrils. The smell was sweet and so familiar, but she couldn’t place in her memory where she had smelled them before. Her father has never kept many flowers around.

Deciding that now was not the time to focus on flower smells, she looked at the figure again. She could make out a silhouette now. The figure was tall, male perhaps, the posture was static. She could feel his gaze upon her, he was waiting. Deianara’s breathing became shallow, she was tired, so tired. But she pushed through, she needed answers.

The male was standing, not moving, like a statue, yet his eyes gave away that he was a living creature. Those eyes were focused on the stumbling princess that was moving closer and closer. His piercing gaze didn’t have any hint of emotion. Deianara found herself not being able to speak, as she opened her mouth to call out to the creature in front of her. She could not tell if that was from pure exhaustion or was something taking away her ability to speak.

The world around her was spinning, spinning so violently that she could no longer see clearly ahead of her. She let out a soft whining noise, as if begging this nightmare to stop. And it did. As if someone had heard her plea, the world regained its natural course. Deianara could see again and yet, what she saw sent shivers down her spine. She was no longer in the forest, but standing on a hill, facing an old castle. No longer trying to hide her despair and horror she let out a cry. She recognised the castle. She remembered all the horrors that had happened to her here all those years ago.

“NO!” Her voice came out hoarse and filled with anger. She did not want to be here, she had promised herself never to think of this place. Why was she here? She tried facing away but something was not letting her, forcing her to look, to relive it all. She shut her eyes closed, but the memories kept flooding back. The castle, the dark and gloomy hallways, all the people looking at her as if she was some monster. Someone grabbing her hand, yanking her away, the familiar voices. Those wretched stairs that let down into the dungeon. She was a child, getting pushed to the ground…

Deianara opened her eyes again, she couldn’t bear to relive that memory. It was dark again, only a small light coming from somewhere above. The walls seemed to be so tightly around her now, she could barely move. There was that damp smell and the sound of water dripping.

“Gods,” Deianara whispered to herself. “It can’t be.” She tried moving, but a clunk of metal stopped her. Something was restricting her movement. She was in chains. They were around both of her wrists and attached to the stone walls. She tried looking up, but felt something on her neck. A collar of silver, also chained to the wall, was making it impossible for her to move. A wave of panic filled her as she tried drawing a breath. She had been here before once again, but she had escaped. How can she be here again? Thoughts racing, Deianara tried yanking the chains again, trying to get free, but there was no strength left.

She needed to get out of here. But what was “here”, she asked herself. She was not here, she was in the forest, with Caerwyn. She needed to get a grip of herself. Slowly, she tried controlling her breath, shutting her eyes, calming herself down. Once her breathing stabilised, she opened her eyes again assessing how bad the situation was. The water drips were making a perfect rhythm. She focused on the stone wall in front of her. Thinking seemed hard, and her thoughts were all over the place. She found it difficult remembering where she was before.

“The castle, the figure, the forest,” She whispered to herself, trying to trace back to where it had all started. She drew a sharp breath. As if something had magically cleared in her head, she understood. ”This is not real.”

She remembered now. She was wondering in the forest, where the nightmare demons dwell. She kicked her foot as if slightly irritated. It took her this long to realise that she was trapped in her own nightmare by the demons. Her eyes became cold with rage. She hated when someone messed with her mind.

She was furious, her hands forming into fists as she closed her eyes once more. Taking a deep breath she went deep into her mind, trying to free herself of the mental shackles. She heard a rumbling noise, and then a shriek so terrifying, of someone in excruciating pain. Deianara smiled.

“That is what you get, you filthy creature.”

More senses were now coming back, she felt solid ground beneath her, regaining the reality around her.

Opening her eyes, Deianara saw the forest she was in the whole time, still lying on the ground. She heard movement all around her, but she wasn’t in any pain anymore. She wasn’t scared now, only rage filled her and it was the demons who now had to be in fear. She rose from the ground with zero effort and in a swift movement pulled the dagger from her belt. Clutching it hard, she faced the demons who had wronged her.

“No one messes with my mind and lives.” Those words sounded lethal and anyone in their right mind would start running away. Deianara held her chin up high as she stood up straight and faced the three demons in front of her. One of them seemed to be already fainting away, and Deianara assumed it was the one who was the deepest in her mind, the one she practically burned away.

Deianara pounced, in a flash, her dagger went straight through one of the demons closest to her, it let out a sound, so faint, as if a breath of air escaped it. Then it just vanished, faded away completely, as if he didn’t exist. A vicious smile appeared on Deianara’s face, a smile of a predator, who had finally captured its prey. She tilted her head to the side and faced the only demon left standing. It hesitated on the attack, but Deianara didn’t care that it was scared, didn’t care that it might have gone away. She lunged at him. The demon met the same fate as it too vanished into oblivion.

The last demon standing was making weird noises. It sounded like a plea for help.

“You are dying, well, dying again, I guess. I know where you are going, so would you be so kind and send a message there. Do not mess with me, or I will take the time out of my day and pay you all a little visit and all your feeble existence will come to an end.” Her voice was cold and sharp with no compassion in it. In this moment she truly lived up to what she was known as - a heartless, machiavellian shadow princess.

Once alone at last, she let out a breath. After what she had just experienced she would have thought to be more shaken, however this small fight brought her back to this world completely. She felt steady on her feet and her vision was back to normal. She looked at the places where the demons had just been.

“That’s what you get,” She said, more to herself. What still made her feel slightly uneasy, was the fact that she was sure that they wouldn’t meet the demons here. And what struck her even more is that she had never heard of these demons teaming up. All three of them in one place, at once, attacking her together.

A sudden shriek from the distance brought her from deep thought. She recognised the voice.

“Reyna.”