Burntout

Witchcraft

Andromeda Claire Holloway

The grandeur of the outside of the castle was an understatement for how the inside would look. My memory of this place, while still there, had faded over time. Pillars of white alabaster lined the entrance hallway and a golden chandelier hung from the ceiling's alcove. Beautiful carvings were set in the stones of the alcove and ceilings, swirling designs of perfection. Windows flooded the space with natural light, enhancing the beauty. Grand sets of stairs marched away from the middle with statues lining the sides, gold welded in.

"It's simply stunning, isn't it?" Cassie asked, turning to me with a light smile on her face. I couldn't say anything as I slowly turned in a circle. I couldn't comprehend all of the almost, ethereal castle.

Theodore walked in, his arms spread out as he walked backward with a foolish grin on his face. For once, I wasn't able to make a snarky remark, too stunned. He cocked his head to the side and looked right at me, "You can't tell me you're not impressed."

I glared at him, "Maybe if this castle weren't so nice I would be able to."

"Everything in my life has to be nice," he said cockily.

Cassie rolled her eyes and looked at me, "As you can tell, our king is a very humble man." I was surprised she could talk about him like that like he wasn't the king, more of a person playing the role. I was also astonished that Theodore allowed her to joke and make those kinds of comments and that he allowed me to do it as well.

"Are you going to keep staring at everything or do you want me to take you on a tour of the castle?" she asked, locking her arm with mine.

I joked, "How long is that going to take?"

"With all the rooms and stairs we'll have to climb," Cassie stopped and thought about it for a few moments before concluding, "Forever but, we have till dinner so we can at least cover some ground!"

She began pulling me away as Theodore called out, "Remember to show her to a room, Cassandra!"

"Which one?"

"One of the rooms on the 2nd floor."

"Yes, sir." With that, Cassie made her way toward the set of stairs on the right. Yanking me along with her, our arms were still locked, up the set of stairs. I grabbed the gilded railing and our footsteps made a quite tip-tapping on the marble floor. White marble floor to be exact, the same kind that I stood on as I watched Callahan die. The bloodstains were probably still there.

"Where do you want to go first?" she asked, looking back at me.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Can we visit the library?" I still remembered how it looked, very vividly because I had spent many winter days sitting in the leather chairs surrounding the fire. The geography books weren't particularly interesting but I had enjoyed reading the history books, especially the ones concerning wars. Delicately bound covers could not hide all of the gruesome battles won and lost.

When we reached the tops of the steps we headed across the balcony overlooking the lower level. Another large window was set, intricate designs in gold curving around the frame. The castle was truly a work of art and I remembered that the ceiling in the ballroom was painted with a mural of some sort. Every place in this castle was like a hidden gem, each room being artistically constructed. 

No place was left untouched and I grew more sure of it as we ventured deeper into the heart of it. Glistening chandeliers dripping with diamonds and precious metals, some I was sure weren't in the other world, and hanging tapestries with woven, glittering threads.

Large oak doors came into view and Cassie gestured down the rest of the hallway, "All of the rooms on this side of the 2nd floor are for those rainy afternoons and seating rooms for a cup of tea."

"Is this the library?" I questioned, grasping the ivory handle. She nodded and I pulled it open.

It was just as I remembered it, glorious shelves of leather-bound books with gilded edges and lettering. I stepped in and gazed at the seemingly endless rows of words. The letters on the spine shone from the late evening light. It all looked untouched and as I touched one of the shelves I noted all of the dust gathered around and on the books. I looked back at Cassie and asked, "When was the last time someone was in here?"

She looked around, "No one comes in here anymore except for the days one of the staff is assigned to dust. I did it 2 months ago."

"Not even the king?"

"Not that I know of. The only person who used to come here often was the duke and he's long left this place."

The duke? I stared at Cassie, "By that, you mean my father right?"

"Oh, yes, the Duke of Lumar was your father. I completely forgot about that. He stayed in the castle for about a year after you disappeared but I haven't seen-"

"Do you know where he may have gone?"

She gave me a sympathetic look, "No, a search was set out for him but they were never able to figure out anything about where he had gone. They gave up 2 years ago."

I sunk to the floor, shock rolling over me. My mother was dead. My father was gone to who knows where. He was as good as gone now because in the months following my mother's death, he had lost himself, listening to what he consumed from the bottle. I was alone now and had no idea why I was even here.

I felt tears escaping now, silver streaks running down my face. I wiped my eyes on my shirt. I couldn't shed tears over a lost cause, no, the pain would change into a motive to continue living like it had done when my mother had died.

Cassie knelt down beside me and whispered, "I'm sorry, Andromeda. You've been through a lot today and it may have not been the right time to bring that up."

"When my mother had died," I couldn't meet her gaze as I continued speaking, "he had told me something that kept me going as Theodore and I sought out the killer. He had said, 'Hurt and grieve but don't suffer alone. Engage with the pain like it's a motive. See how you will heal and you'll rise above.'"

She nodded her head thoughtfully, "My parent's told me something similar when my sister died. She died in a rebellion against the kingdom."

"This kingdom?"

"The one across the Duridrar Mountains, the Kingdom of Thalor." I had been there once when the royal family had visited the other kingdoms. Something about that place had forced us to leave earlier than what they had planned. My mother, who had still been alive at the time, had told me to be very careful about what I said. She had said that I wouldn't be protected there. I hadn't understood what she had meant by that. As if reading my thoughts, Cassie leaned in and said, "The kingdom that is known for using witchcraft."

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A/N:

Witchcraft? Duh, duh, duh. What did Andromeda's mother mean? Does this mean the other kingdoms may be also using some form of magic?

Also, I wonder if you can spot some of the song lyrics I snuck in from one of my favorite songs, "Achilles Come Down." 

Plus, I want to include a thank you to @theleahfisher for her continued support of this story! Thank you for voting on every. single. part.

As always, remember to vote, comment, and read! Recommend this story to anyone you know! #VOCOR

-Rae