The Secret Realm

Chapter Eleven

Celeste saw a huge castle on the highest point of the kingdom. It was kind of far away but she could still make out some of the details. It was a large stone building with three towers coming out of the top, the middle tower being the tallest. It had many windows covering its surface. Around the castle were stone buildings in rows, creating the kingdom. All the stone buildings looked very similar to each other. There were some bigger ones in random areas around the kingdom.
"It's like nothing I've ever seen before," Celeste said in awe.
"This is my home," Blaze said, smiling at Celeste's excitement.
He took her hand again and led her through the stone buildings and to the center of the kingdom, where there was a market with merchants. There were shops selling all sorts of things, like fruit, meat, vegetables, crystals, weapons, armor and more.
"How are we planning on getting in the castle?" Celeste asked Blaze. He looked around in thought and then spotted something that made his eyes light up as if a lightbulb went off in his head.
"Follow me," he said, leading her towards a small group of faeries standing around talking.
"I'll be right back, stay here," he said as he let go of her hand and went up to the group. He got a hug or two, so it was most likely people he knew. Suddenly they were walking away towards a house very close to the castle entrance. Celeste looked at the door to the castle and saw guards standing out front, like at the front gate by the wall.
She waited for a while and was tempted to explore around herself. Her hood still covered her head and kept her identity safe. She was about to walk over to the merchants' stands when Blaze came back from a different direction he had gone. He had a bag in his hand, and he took her hand when he got to her.
"I got what we need from some old friends that work in the castle, follow me," he said, now leading her towards a small house in the direction he had come from before. They went inside the house and it was a little dark so Celeste couldn't make out any details. She was handed a dress that was earthy colors, an apron and a bandana headband. She put everything on and looked down at herself, realizing she was wearing a maid's dress. She looked at blaze and he was wearing a loose white shirt and light earthy brown colored pants. He looked like a servant.
"This is how we're sneaking into the castle? I'm not covered anymore, what if someone notices who I am?" she asked, worried.
"Let's hope someone notices you. It would make it a lot easier if you were recognized inside the castle," Blaze responded. He beckoned her to follow him out of the house. They walked side by side, past the castle's main entrance and to the side where there was a special hidden door for the servants. The door was located behind a huge shrub that you had to slide past in order to get through the door.
Once they were inside, they could see the grand entrance with a red carpet leading to a large archway that went somewhere Celeste couldn't see. There was a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling and it was made of crystals of all different kinds.
"Now what?" Celeste said, looking up at Blaze. She looked into his eyes and thought about how soft his lips were. She blushed quickly, trying to hide it by looking away.
"Do you trust me?" he asked her.
"Yes, I do," she rescinded thinking of everything blaze had done for her up to this point. He smiled and leaned down, gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead and grabbed her hand.
"I'm bringing you to the King, but first we have to find him."
Celeste felt anxiety in her stomach, almost like his idea didn't feel right. Or maybe she was nervous to meet her father. She hadn't thought about it until now, but this is her first time seeing him since she was younger. She has her memories back from when she lived here before but she was so little and that was so long ago it was hard for her to remember anything.
Blaze pulled her towards the archway she had seen earlier. When she was walking though it she could see a throne down a large, wide hallway. There wasn't anyone sitting on it and there were only two guards on either side standing in the otherwise empty room.
The guards didn't give them a second glance as they walked by the throne and through a door. When they opened the door, there was a staircase going up. Blaze went first and Celeste followed, slowly climbing the stairs. When they got to the second floor there was a large main hallway with many doors leading to different places.
"Are we going through every door until we find him? What's the plan?" Celeste asked nervously, now realizing there was none. Blaze pulled her towards a door and opened it quietly, slipping inside. It was a room full of amazingly beautiful clothing. There were exquisite dresses with lace and bows and velvet. Celeste saw one in particular, a light blue dress that was lower cut in the front and long sleeved. It had sparkles on the bottom and it was a longer dress that went to the floor. Celeste walked over and was touching it and looking at the gorgeous dress when Blaze said "put it on, we're going to try something."
Celeste nodded her head and made him turn around. She took off the servant's clothing and gently put on the baby blue dress. She went over to Blaze to get the abc tied tightly into a bow. He looked at her up and down hungrily, smirking.
"Ready? I have a plan," he said.
"I guess so," Celeste said, too busy looking in the mirror at herself. He grabbed her hand and led her back out to the large hallway. Blaze noticed a group of guards walking with someone in the middle in majestic robes that were vibrantly colored. It must be the king!
"I have her! I found the lost princess!" Blaze yelled as if he was an excited child who just got a new toy. The group of guards parted and the man with the vibrant robes came into sight. He had a crown and looked very elegant.
"Lost princess you say?" he said looking over to Celeste. She looked back at him in shock and couldn't find words to say. She waited for him to recognize her but he just stared as if she was a stranger, almost in a melancholy way. Celeste was confused and didn't know what to do.
"Guards, take them to jail," the king said, a sad tone in his voice, unable to make eye contact with Celeste.