Queen of Rosewood Forest (On Hold)

Chapter 9

"Alun! Great to see you buddy," Neven said trying to sound friendly, "I have a fun story for you." It was obvious he was trying to get himself out of trouble.

"You brought a girl into an area that's forbidden, the azaleas start blooming for the first time in 60 years, and you think it's a fun story?" Alun rubs his eyebrows together as if exasperated.

I step in front of Neven before speaking up. "I found my own way here. Neven found me here after I was exiled from my village. He had nothing to do with this."

"Well, I guess that changes things," he sounded shocked but still quite tired of dealing with situations like this, "but you're still in trouble with the elders."

"I'm sorry," I say, pushing my blonde hair behind my ears to look up into the man named Alun. He had blue eyes and a stern look as he looked down at me. He was easily six foot something if I had to guess. "He was just protecting me from the animals."

"What is that smell?" He suddenly asks, sniffing the air and Neven beamed.

"She cooked!" He sounds almost proud of me. "Try this!"

"Not now," he glares, "we still need to discuss this. How could you allow a girl here of all places, Neven? It's forbidden!"

"I found this place, it was on my father's map," I try to diffuse the situation. He glares at me and I wince, immediately dropping my gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry."

"What do you mean your father's map?" He asks, ignoring the glare Neven shoots him.

"My...my," I bite my lip and start wringing my hands together refusing to look him in the eyes.

"Who is your father?" His tone is ice cold and sends shivers over my body.

I let out a faint whimper as I blink back tears and look up at the ceiling to make sure they don't fall. "His name was Jacob. He died..." I whisper, wanting to get away from them before I incur his wrath.

"I told her I would take her to the village. We can continue this conversation there," Neven says as he puts his arm around my shoulder. Shockingly the gesture calms my nerves. "Let's let her go get her things and then we can all go back to the village and get this sorted out."

"That's fine. At least now this can be over with, and I can go back to more important things." Alun begins to walk out the door and as he does the water recedes. "Neven come to the throne room with me, and the girl can meet us there."

I wait for them to leave and then I go get my things from around the castle. I end up back in the prince's bedroom gathering the last of my things when I hear yelling in the distance. I track the noise through the secret passage and into the throne room. I pause at the small door behind the statue and listen.

"What do you mean she doesn't know how her powers work?" Alun sighs.

"She didn't know she had powers and then she healed someone." Neven explains excitedly. "She didn't even try to make the azaleas bloom, and I don't even think she's fully aware of the fact that she did it."

"So, what are we supposed to tell everyone? That a strange girl wandered into a forbidden castle that's been erased from all maps for 60 years and somehow, she heals the azaleas and the plum tree that represent the tyrannical royal family that tried to put a child on the throne?" Alun sounds like he's exasperated. "You know that poor girl would end up in a cell rather than being saved."

"So, what do we tell them? We can't just leave her here. What happens if someone else already knows she's here? The scouts spotted her already." Neven's concern comforts me but knowing I've already done something wrong scares me. I don't want to end up arrested like I was last time, but I can't stay here if they already know where I am.

I go back through the bedroom and into the king's chambers. Looking out past the castle walls, I see 5 riders on horses, and one horse that I assume is Alun's. I go through the halls until I reach the garden and sneak out into the cathedral. Peeking out through the window I see two more riders, so I know they probably have the castle surrounded. When I try to leave the chapel, I step on a piece of broken glass which gets the attention of one of the riders. As I see him dismount, I run and duck behind a pew and wait until I know he's walking back to his horse. Going as quietly as I can, I sneak up to the stage and hide behind the podium. As I slouch against the wooden stand, it moves slightly which makes me jump. Underneath is an opening with a ladder going down into a dark room. I still have the matches in my bag, so I climb down the ladder and slide the podium back over the opening as best as possible. Once I reach the bottom, I light a match and find two lanterns on the walls. I light the lanterns and it illuminates a wall with a mural painted on it and a door on the side wall. The mural depicts a woman sitting on a throne of purple azaleas with four men bowing to her each with a circlet on their heads. I hear someone enter the cathedral from above me, so I open the door, snuff out the lanterns and begin to run.