The Ghost of Winterlove Castle

Chapter Six

The ghost dissipates, and Orphelia and Edmund are left alone in the corridor. A chill intrudes the air, probably from a window Edmund forgot to latch when he made his rounds before he readied for bed. Gooseflesh formed on Orphelia's and Edmund's skin, traces of the presence that was once there. Edmund sat on the piano bench with the most solemn look Orphelia had ever seen on a person. Orphelia took a step forward. Then another. And another. She stood just one step away from him when she asked, "Are you okay? What can I do to help you?"
Edmund wiped his nose with his shirt sleeve and dried his tears. He looked toward Orphelia. "Hold me," he uttered. And Orphelia did just that. Edmund made room for Orphelia on the piano bench. She sat down and stroked his dark locks with one hand and rubbed his arm with the other. This happened for a few minutes, an hour. Edmund stopped Orphelia's movements. "I have to tell you a story." Edmund moves to get up and offered his hand to Orphelia. "But, let's move somewhere more comfortable. If I sit here any longer, I'll regret it. My back's aching."

Orphelia let out a laugh. "Okay. Where should we go?"

"The sitting room, in the tower. It's my favorite place to go when I need to hide from my past demons."

Orphelia didn't know what to say, so she just nodded. Edmund wrapped Orphelia's arm around his and led her to the highest tower in the castle. They walked through portrait-lined hallways. They walked under vaulted ceilings and past long unopened rooms until they reached a black door. From the looks of it, Orphelia could cross under it with no problem, but Edmund on the other hand. . . his height would force him duck under the doorframe. Orphelia could imagine as a boy, that Edmund would spend hours in this tower, pretending to be a king to a foreign land. She smiled at the thought, and Edmund led the way.
The stairs seemed endless. Orphelia wasn't counting, but if she had to guess, there were over a hundred, maybe even thousand. The walls were grey stone, same as the steps. Timeworn with cracks in some places. This stairway probably wasn't used much. Edmund seemed to be the only one who ever used it.
By the time Edmund and Orphelia reached the top, Orphelia's legs were burning. If she didn't sit down soon, she was going to riot. Orphelia looked toward Edmund to see if he was suffering as well, but his face contained not one ounce of pain or even discomfort. Orphelia guessed that if he climbed the stairs every day, his legs would get used to the rhythm and the unwelcome burn.
Edmund stepped up to the door leading into the sitting room and grasped the ornate silver handle. It held the appearance of a sorcerer's orb, in which they dictate the future. Winterlove Castle was full of mystery and unknown objects one would not usually find in a castle. Most castles across Europe were inspired by their country's religion and cultural aspects. Winterlove was a wholly different narrative. Winterlove was beautiful in the way nature was. It became whatever it wanted and let no one rule it. It was what it was and made no apology. Beauty is subjective, and Winterlove took that statement to heart. Everywhere Orphelia looked, the castle became more than just a castle, it became a thing of life. It showed its most profound and darkest desires and made them a reality. Winterlove hid nothing, and Orphelia was jealous yet intrigued. If she were just a little more like Winterlove, she would not be in her ordeal. She would not be courted to Lord Ezra Burton. She would be happy.

But at the same time, she was glad she was the way she was. Because if she wasn't, she would not have ended up here. She would not have seen how impressive Winterlove was or how great and attentive Edmund was to her. She was grateful. But she was also sad. She never wanted to leave here. She desired to be one with the castle as Edmund was. But that was something she would have to ponder later.

Edmund grasped the door handle and turned it. The tower door opened, and Edmund spoke with a soft, raspy voice. "Welcome to my safe space from the world. It's protected me from a lot of bad things." He extended his arm out in the room and let Orphelia walk in. Orphelia began to walk the perimeter of the sitting room, and Edmund shut and locked the door. He took a deep breath. "I've never shown anyone this room before."