Princess Arlena lay awake in bed that night trying to sleep. It had been a month since the funeral of her brother Hans but the whole castle was still gloomy. The cooks looked sad, the guards talked in hushed whispers and her great-aunt cried frequently, though it looked silly. Even the palace cats looked rather mournful. But most of all, her father the King of Silesia looked like a shadow. He barely did anything other than to stare into space day after day. Even she couldn't console him. He couldn't perform many of his kingly functions leaving her great-uncle to run the kingdom. A position he seemed to enjoy.
But above all she missed Hans. Even though he was always sick they did a lot together. Like sending frogs all over the castle. Or disturbing Sir Cruz with farting noises. Or playing lord and peasant. She missed going to his room to hear his laughter or watch him drink what the doctors made for him from their herbs. But now he was gone leaving her as the only child.
She threw on her clothes and took a candle from her nightstand. She decided to take a walk around the castle. Then she opened her bed quarters door quietly and crept out.
Arlena crept quietly not wanting to wake the sleeping castle. She then went into the courtyard under the dull moon heading towards the crypts.
The crypts were dark and bleary when she got there. It was the part of the castle that everyone dreaded. Here no one would find her.
But as Arlena headed to her brother's tomb, she heard a whisper at the far end of the crypt. Was it a ghost? One of her father's guards?
She then heard footsteps coming in her direction. And two shadows passed by.
Arlena nearly jumped but she saw that the shadows were two people. They were talking and she could hear them faintly. She calmed herself and listened.
"....today and I think they are starting to like me." A man's voice said.
"Don't think so much of yourself." the second person, a woman replied.
"At least I'm at work while you waste your time in this damned castle watching a weak king." The man answered.
Arlena held a gasp. He called her father weak.
"But not for long." The woman said "He has to sign a treaty with the other Forofan kingdoms against the Foldan raiders and the Confederation. We'll be ready before then."
The strangers were moving and Arlena followed them quietly. They kept talking heading further into the crypt carrying a burning torch.
".....no kingdom would sign a treaty with Silesia. Eared has made it weaker after the Circadian war." The man said.
"More reason why Silesia needs the treaty. Eared wouldn't rule forever you know that."
"That daughter of his might threaten this scheme." The man replied.
Arlena began to get frightened. She didn't know who the strangers were or what their scheme was.
"Keep down your voice," said the woman.
"You don't want me to wake the ghosts," The man said laughing.
"The princess is just a mouse. She has nothing to do with the scheme."
"Suit yourself. She's eleven. I had accomplished a lot at that age." The cruel man boasted.
"Like what?" The woman mocked. "Outrunning snakes?, Swimming the Borealis?"
Arlena heard them stopping. She heard a rusty door opening. The two strangers went through it and shut it.
Arlena waited a little. Then she ran to the rusty door.
The door was sealed and wouldn't open. It appeared to be shut from the other end. Arlena studied the metal door. On the center was a banner of an X on a brown background. Arlena had seen it before.
She turned away wondering what part of the castle it led to. It was getting darker since her candle was dimming. She knew she had to leave the crypts before her candle went out.
As Arlena turned to go she stepped on something. She then bent and picked it. It was a silver brooch. She knew it belonged to one of the strangers. She planned to use it the next day to find out who they are and what their scheme is.
