magic. Magic frightened me too much. And this, what happened here, that was magic. I began trembling. Closing my eyes hard, I hugged myself until it stopped.
"Fine!" I told myself. "Fine! This was no ordinary kidnapping; this one was done with the help of magic." Saying it aloud didn't help me much. I still didn't have a clue who had committed this vile crime and why. One thing was clear to me though, Eva was in grave danger. Of that much I was certain. I opened my eyes. Magic or not, I would not let anything happen to her. I would die first.
* * *
The following two days were spent wandering through the castle seeking clues, and the nights spent chasing the beast with the guards, as it kept returning to the castle and killing more people. The beast didn't seem to care who it killed: guards, servants, ladies, or noblemen. They were all slaughtered indiscriminately. However, the beast seemed to hunt only in one specific area of the castle, the maze of old corridors and narrow passageways near the big entrance. I found this odd—then again, one cannot find reason in an animal's behavior. But even though we were aware of the beast's habit, all our efforts to catch it remained unsuccessful.
On the morning of the third day after the twin princesses' disappearance, I stood once more over yet another dead body, with the captain of the guard at my side. The victim this time was a maid.
The captain kicked dust in frustration. "This is impossible. How can that beast escape being caught—or being seen? How can it come and go through the castle at will like this? It's like this damn animal knows the place."
I suspected that the "damn animal" might be able to smell its way through the place, yet I stayed mute, eyes fixed on the maid's body. At least tonight only one person had died. Unlucky girl, I thought. By the bundle of bed linen lying beside her, she was out to do laundry when she was attacked. Sad ending, I thought; she was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. I couldn't see any other explanation for her death. Feeling helpless, not to mention totally disheartened, I bid farewell to the captain of the guard and returned to my rooms.
Along the way, I met five of Countess Ivana's friends, all handsome young men with modest clothing and impeccable manners. I observed that they were hauling a huge rolled-up rug.
"We're redecorating," announced the blond youth holding the end of the roll. "It's a surprise for Ivana."
I offered them my help. They politely declined, but promised to invite me to see the final result.
"I would like that very much," I said before we parted ways. Not long after, I encountered Princess Thalia. The poor girl was once again searching for Diego. What a waste of time and energy, I thought; a wiser girl would have understood this and given up by now. Well, if nothing else, one had to admire Thalia's determination to find her prince. I could only wish Eva would be half as persistent in seeking me. I hadn't heard from her since the ball. In spite of her explanation, I found Eva's lack of interest hurtful, especially in view of Thalia's dedication. Feeling a dark cloud of melancholy gathering over my head, I hurried my pace in the direction of my rooms.
I was halfway there when Diego appeared from behind the bend. "Ah! There you are. I've been looking all over for you."
I winced. Right now, I feared I didn't possess the mental fortitude to suffer Diego's exuberant, yet aimless, blabbing without losing patience with him.
"I heard about your interest in this despicable affair and thought that perhaps I could be of some help to you."
I stared Diego up and down and tried to keep a straight face. Dressed as he was, in a vibrant blue-velvet ensemble, complete with white stockings and fancy high-heeled shoes, I had trouble imagining him running around with the guards as I'd been doing lately.
Noticing my scrutiny, Diego's left eyebrow rose. "You don't approve of my garment."
I was too tired to
"Fine!" I told myself. "Fine! This was no ordinary kidnapping; this one was done with the help of magic." Saying it aloud didn't help me much. I still didn't have a clue who had committed this vile crime and why. One thing was clear to me though, Eva was in grave danger. Of that much I was certain. I opened my eyes. Magic or not, I would not let anything happen to her. I would die first.
* * *
The following two days were spent wandering through the castle seeking clues, and the nights spent chasing the beast with the guards, as it kept returning to the castle and killing more people. The beast didn't seem to care who it killed: guards, servants, ladies, or noblemen. They were all slaughtered indiscriminately. However, the beast seemed to hunt only in one specific area of the castle, the maze of old corridors and narrow passageways near the big entrance. I found this odd—then again, one cannot find reason in an animal's behavior. But even though we were aware of the beast's habit, all our efforts to catch it remained unsuccessful.
On the morning of the third day after the twin princesses' disappearance, I stood once more over yet another dead body, with the captain of the guard at my side. The victim this time was a maid.
The captain kicked dust in frustration. "This is impossible. How can that beast escape being caught—or being seen? How can it come and go through the castle at will like this? It's like this damn animal knows the place."
I suspected that the "damn animal" might be able to smell its way through the place, yet I stayed mute, eyes fixed on the maid's body. At least tonight only one person had died. Unlucky girl, I thought. By the bundle of bed linen lying beside her, she was out to do laundry when she was attacked. Sad ending, I thought; she was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. I couldn't see any other explanation for her death. Feeling helpless, not to mention totally disheartened, I bid farewell to the captain of the guard and returned to my rooms.
Along the way, I met five of Countess Ivana's friends, all handsome young men with modest clothing and impeccable manners. I observed that they were hauling a huge rolled-up rug.
"We're redecorating," announced the blond youth holding the end of the roll. "It's a surprise for Ivana."
I offered them my help. They politely declined, but promised to invite me to see the final result.
"I would like that very much," I said before we parted ways. Not long after, I encountered Princess Thalia. The poor girl was once again searching for Diego. What a waste of time and energy, I thought; a wiser girl would have understood this and given up by now. Well, if nothing else, one had to admire Thalia's determination to find her prince. I could only wish Eva would be half as persistent in seeking me. I hadn't heard from her since the ball. In spite of her explanation, I found Eva's lack of interest hurtful, especially in view of Thalia's dedication. Feeling a dark cloud of melancholy gathering over my head, I hurried my pace in the direction of my rooms.
I was halfway there when Diego appeared from behind the bend. "Ah! There you are. I've been looking all over for you."
I winced. Right now, I feared I didn't possess the mental fortitude to suffer Diego's exuberant, yet aimless, blabbing without losing patience with him.
"I heard about your interest in this despicable affair and thought that perhaps I could be of some help to you."
I stared Diego up and down and tried to keep a straight face. Dressed as he was, in a vibrant blue-velvet ensemble, complete with white stockings and fancy high-heeled shoes, I had trouble imagining him running around with the guards as I'd been doing lately.
Noticing my scrutiny, Diego's left eyebrow rose. "You don't approve of my garment."
I was too tired to
Similar Books
