A Tale of Two Daggers

Chapter 18 : The Red Castle

"OH GOSH.." Louis couldn't believe his ears.

"OH MY..." Marigold eyes widened. They both exchanged terrified looks.

The Red Castle. Of all places...the place where the devil sleeps within its habitant's twisted souls.

Astonishment was visible on both the woman and the prince, and to be fully sated... someone began to knock on the house door.

Louis swallowed hard "Alright, who is gonna tell her?"

"No one. This is a secret till I say otherwise". Alfred commanded with his familiar leader voice.

The three shared fearsome looks. They wished that that knocker would just leave them in peace already.

When Louis opened the door, he tried to hide his fright behind a smile.

"Darn it, Diana. You are late!" Louis smiled and was met by another pretty but exhausted smile from the returning Diana.

"Missed you too, hon". She greeted him with a hug.

"You must be starving, I will prepare you a dish right away" smiled Marigold while heading to the kitchen.

Everyone was playing their role except for the pioneer.

"What's with that face, uncle?". She said.

"Just a little tired, dear. How about you? tell me about your day inst---"

Suddenly another incident happened, as the man was interrupted by his necklace. Alfred's necklace turned to red colour, shining in faint wine-like rays. Exposing his lies to the open.

Alfred cursed trying to cover the necklace with his arm to Hide its brightness.

but it was too late. Diana eye's were all over in less than a second.

"Why red?" She asked with narrowed eyebrows. What are you hiding!?"

"Hide what exactly? Have you forgotten that I am a bandit. I kill for my living!"

"Wrong answer. I have been living here for 5 weeks now. None of the times you have left to do your dir- *Ahem* unusual work did you come with that face or with a shining necklace!"

He raised a challenging eyebrow. "You are overlooking something. This necklace shines with red rays. Red refers to blood. Do you see any of it around you?!"

She stared at him. Trying to figure him out. She wasn't buying any of his non-existent excuses.

"When my necklace shone red in that forest. I thought of everything except for that wolf. Uncle, if it's about my father. I will never forgive your secrecy!"

He remained silent but the necklace spoke higher than any words.

"Do you know about the red castle?"

Louis suddenly asked her out of nowhere without revealing the intention behind the question.

Diana looked with an exclaiming look. "Never heard of it, should I ?" Diana said pointing her eyes towards Alfred. She cornered him tight, just the same moment when Marigold approached the table with a plate full of delicate soup.

The three people (Louis, Marigold, and Alfred) began to exchange a hesitant look around each other as if they were about to wake a sleeping lion.

"Fine, I have both pieces of news for you" Alfred declared

"I knew it! Tell me then. Is it about my father". Said Diana standing with top-tensed nerves.

Alfred frowned.