nowhere else. I was master of this castle.
But what if the maiden did not come? What if all the flurry of preparation was all for naught? What if her father decided to do the noble and stupid thing and sacrifice himself for his daughter? It would be the bitterest of pills to lock him up and let him rot away in my dungeon while I slowly faded away, knowing that I had come so close to holding the key to breaking this wretched curse.
However, in moments of utter honesty, I knew that I feared the possibility of the maiden's coming far more than I feared the possibility of her not coming. If she arrived, how could I fail to feel a glimmer of hope, after centuries of despair? And how terrible would the devastation be if the maiden failed to deliver me from my torment? The thought that she might destroy what little peace I had managed to obtain almost made me wish her father would return and she would remain in her home.
At night, when all the servants had disappeared into their quarters, I silently stole through the corridors and into the chamber that the maiden would occupy, if she did come. The door was pure white, gleaming with a fresh coat of paint. A highly polished, elegant silver handle graced its surface. I stood before that door for some time until I finally summoned the courage to seize the handle and open it.
Carefully, I stepped inside and drew a deep breath before allowing my gaze to travel the length of the chamber. I had to admit that my servants had worked wonders, and being inside the chamber caused me severe pangs, for it reminded me of what the castle had once been, hundreds of years ago, before that accursed enchantress had destroyed my life.
The servants had covered the floor with thick, plush rugs in soothing shades of tender green and pale blue, and the walls were clean and white, hung with richly detailed tapestries woven in spring colors. Elaborately worked silver sconces were spaced along the walls, tall pure white tapers arranged in them. To the left of the bedchamber door stood an imposing desk and a delicate chair with a blue silk cushion. Upon the surface of the desk, my servants had left a neat stack of parchment, an assortment of quills, and several silver ink pots.
Floor to ceiling windows across from the door created the illusion that there were only three walls in the chamber. Gauzy curtains covered the glass, but I caught glimpses of it gleaming in its silver frames. A sudden remembrance of the scrolled accents of the window frames' startled me with its clarity. In the midst of the windows were two matching doors that opened out onto a balcony. I stepped out onto it and saw that, though its white marble surface had been cleaned and polished until it gleamed, the prospect was most dismal, for it overlooked the ruined garden. In spite of this, my servants had placed two outdoor chairs with soft lavender cushions and a small table on the balcony. The jarring contrast of the inviting balcony against the bleak view made me avert my gaze.
I turned and stepped back inside the chamber. To my left was an enormous canopied bed, its carved headboard flush with the wall. The bed was hung with pale blue curtains that matched the canopy. My servants had made the bed with a lavender and green silk coverlet that was nearly concealed by a mound of pillows in blue, lavender, and green silk. On the left side of the bed was a beautiful table with delicately carved legs, upon which stood a silver pitcher and goblet. On the right side of the bed was an elegant dressing table of highly polished wood, its surface covered with cut crystal scent bottles and a silver brush and comb.
Directly across from the bed stood an enormous marble fireplace with a carved mantle upon which my servants had placed many beautiful objects. It puzzled me to see such lovely objects, for I was certain I had destroyed almost everything of beauty within the castle, and I realized with a combination of surprise and displeasure that the
But what if the maiden did not come? What if all the flurry of preparation was all for naught? What if her father decided to do the noble and stupid thing and sacrifice himself for his daughter? It would be the bitterest of pills to lock him up and let him rot away in my dungeon while I slowly faded away, knowing that I had come so close to holding the key to breaking this wretched curse.
However, in moments of utter honesty, I knew that I feared the possibility of the maiden's coming far more than I feared the possibility of her not coming. If she arrived, how could I fail to feel a glimmer of hope, after centuries of despair? And how terrible would the devastation be if the maiden failed to deliver me from my torment? The thought that she might destroy what little peace I had managed to obtain almost made me wish her father would return and she would remain in her home.
At night, when all the servants had disappeared into their quarters, I silently stole through the corridors and into the chamber that the maiden would occupy, if she did come. The door was pure white, gleaming with a fresh coat of paint. A highly polished, elegant silver handle graced its surface. I stood before that door for some time until I finally summoned the courage to seize the handle and open it.
Carefully, I stepped inside and drew a deep breath before allowing my gaze to travel the length of the chamber. I had to admit that my servants had worked wonders, and being inside the chamber caused me severe pangs, for it reminded me of what the castle had once been, hundreds of years ago, before that accursed enchantress had destroyed my life.
The servants had covered the floor with thick, plush rugs in soothing shades of tender green and pale blue, and the walls were clean and white, hung with richly detailed tapestries woven in spring colors. Elaborately worked silver sconces were spaced along the walls, tall pure white tapers arranged in them. To the left of the bedchamber door stood an imposing desk and a delicate chair with a blue silk cushion. Upon the surface of the desk, my servants had left a neat stack of parchment, an assortment of quills, and several silver ink pots.
Floor to ceiling windows across from the door created the illusion that there were only three walls in the chamber. Gauzy curtains covered the glass, but I caught glimpses of it gleaming in its silver frames. A sudden remembrance of the scrolled accents of the window frames' startled me with its clarity. In the midst of the windows were two matching doors that opened out onto a balcony. I stepped out onto it and saw that, though its white marble surface had been cleaned and polished until it gleamed, the prospect was most dismal, for it overlooked the ruined garden. In spite of this, my servants had placed two outdoor chairs with soft lavender cushions and a small table on the balcony. The jarring contrast of the inviting balcony against the bleak view made me avert my gaze.
I turned and stepped back inside the chamber. To my left was an enormous canopied bed, its carved headboard flush with the wall. The bed was hung with pale blue curtains that matched the canopy. My servants had made the bed with a lavender and green silk coverlet that was nearly concealed by a mound of pillows in blue, lavender, and green silk. On the left side of the bed was a beautiful table with delicately carved legs, upon which stood a silver pitcher and goblet. On the right side of the bed was an elegant dressing table of highly polished wood, its surface covered with cut crystal scent bottles and a silver brush and comb.
Directly across from the bed stood an enormous marble fireplace with a carved mantle upon which my servants had placed many beautiful objects. It puzzled me to see such lovely objects, for I was certain I had destroyed almost everything of beauty within the castle, and I realized with a combination of surprise and displeasure that the
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