Monsters Beneath Our Beds

viii. Hall of the Monster King

The uppermost floor of the Monster King's tower was bustling with activity. With my disguise, though, I was able to reach the Great Hall without much trouble. Barely any guards looked in my direction and none thought to challenge me though I was shorter than most.

Finally, I arrived at a set of huge oak doors. Staring at them, I felt a little overwhelmed. The palms of my hands were clammy with sweat and my heart was beating a thousand miles a minute. From what the elf had told me and the signs plastered on the walls, the cells would be just beyond where the Monster King held court over his subjects. My parents could possibly be waiting just on the other side of the doors. I had to climb up onto the roof. Why they were so high instead of down below, like all the video games I played, was a mystery. Maybe the Monster King thought it would be more terrifying if his prisoners were locked up in dangling cages.

I shivered at the thought. Mandy fluttered against my chest. She always knew just how to comfort me, even if she was a lot smaller now and had wings. It was a good thing, too, that she knew to keep hidden. Jester or Teddy would have broken our cover as soon as we walked through the entrance of the tower.

After taking in a deep breath and warming my cheeks with a firm slap, I pushed my way through the doors. My left hand gripped the sword by my side. If the Monster King was here, I would slay him where he stood. It was time for the final boss. And I refused to be afraid.

The hall was all but deserted. Only a few courtiers and their retinues remained inside. They all looked at me with a mixture of surprise and disdain. Just as I reached the side door next to the Monster King's throne, a tall and elegant looking knight stopped me. His gauntleted hand was like a vice as he squeezed my shoulder.

"You don't look familiar. Are you one of the new aides? Truly, the Monster King thinks we are fools. Should you be going to attend that scaly fiend, tell him that his guests are growing impatient with these delays. We demanded an audience two weeks ago. This shan't go on for much longer. We will not stand for it. Do you hear?"

I nodded mutely, unable to find the words to quell the knight's anger. It was enough. With a resolute nod, he let go and I stumbled toward the side door.

A long and narrow hallway greeted me on the other side. It was lit only by torches that were placed in every second sconce. Sensing, perhaps, that I was alone, Mandy flew out from her hiding spot.

"Did you hear that guy?" she said, insulted on my behalf. "I thought he was so rude, talking to you like that. If we ever meet him again, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind, Evie. Just you watch."

"Only if you promise not to take it too far. And to be careful," I said, worry tinging my voice. "Mandy? Did you hear me? You're like a smidgeon of his size. If you aren't careful, you'll be swatted like a fly." I placed my hands on my hips, just like mum did when she was hoping to extract a promise from me.

She zipped in front of me, arms crossed. "You don't really believe that, do you Evie? I may be small but I'm deadly fast," boasted Mandy. "He wouldn't even see me coming when I give him a proper smack on the chin. Just you wait and see."

I couldn't help it. Mandy looked so serious. But trying to imagine her duking it out with the knight brought tears to my eyes as I doubled over with laughter. Mandy seemed taken aback. She stared, eyes wide and mouth open, at me for several moments before breaking into her own round of giggles.

"Thank you, Mandy. You always know just want to say. And honestly, I think you would win even with both hands tied behind your back."

"Now you're just humouring me. I'll still take it, Evie. One of these days, I'll prove you wrong."

We turned a corner and had it not been for Mandy's quick reflexes, I might have stepped out into nothing. The passageway broke off into a deep pit. It was dark and deep. If I squinted, I could make out the far side where several lit torches danced merrily in view. My parents were on the other side. I could feel how close they were now. How was I ever going to make it across?

And then I spotted my answer off to the side.

The ladder looked as old as my grandpa, the wood all rotted through. Would it hold my weight? What about my parents when we came back this way? Not for the first time, I wondered if I could do what I had set out to do. The fear came back, a thousand times worse. It whispered bad things in my ears and questioned my plans.

It took several minutes for me to heave the ladder into place. Sweat soaked through my shirt. I had worried that when I moved it over the chasm, it would have tumbled into the abyss, too short to serve as a bridge. When I heard the thump of the ladder as it reached the other side, relief flooded my system. I could do this.

That didn't mean, of course, that I would be running across the thing. I wasn't stupid and well...heights had never been my thing. One wrong step and I would fall. The thought alone was terrifying.

Steeling my courage, I took one cautious step forward. The ladder creaked ominously underneath me, seeming to sway. Immediately, I was on my hands and knees, crawling to the end. By the time I clambered off the ladder, my hands were shaking terribly and my chest was tight.

For what felt like an hour, I sat on the other side. It was hard, trying to stop the screams or the urge to curl up in a ball. Sternly, I commanded myself to breathe slowly. Just like mum used to when I had a nightmare or one of my rare panic attacks. Deep breath in. Hold. And...breathe out. Deep breath in. Hold. And...breathe out.

Mandy stayed by my side. As a fairy, she felt as light as air, perched on my shoulder. Yet her presence was a comfort. "I'm here, Evie. You're not alone. You never will be. Not when I'm here."

I felt the edge of my lips tug themselves into a wide grin at her words. Reaching up, I patted her gently on the head. "What would I ever do without you, my little shiny knight?"

When I was finally ready, I rose on jelly legs. I kept one hand on the stone wall for support, the other on my sword. Deep breath in. Hold. And...breathe out.

It was not long before we reached a flight ofstairs that spiralled all the way up. Darkness loomed ahead. With it came thepromise of an arduous battle. Always, in the stories my mum told me, therewould be a mighty clash between the hero and the dastardly villain. I bracedmyself for what was to come and began the long climb to the tippy top of theMonster King's tower.