Golden: A Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin

Chapter 5

After an hour, Lora realized it didn't matter how comfortable the bed was, there was no way she was falling asleep. She tossed and turned. Flipped the pillows. Laid with her feet facing the headboard. Nothing. It was cliche, but she couldn't sleep after the events of that night.

The music had died down. Lora couldn't even hear the guests drunkenly walking through the halls anymore. The Lady Hawlwin's soprano screeching that had filled the hall half an hour ago was not missed.

Now, the palace was dead quiet.

Lora finally rolled out of the bed and grabbed a velvet robe to put on over her silky nightgown. She made her way over to the large windowed doors, shoving aside the organza curtains to let in the moonlight. She could make out every single star that dotted the night sky. Lora grabbed some slippers and walked onto the terrace.

It wasn't much of a terrace because her suite was only on the second floor. But still, she had a lovely view. The late queen's expansive gardens, protected by a cobblestone border, behind sat the Enchanted forest.

Looking down the side of her terrace's wall, Lora found ivy crawling up the side. She gripped some of the vines and gave them a yank. It sat unmoved. Lora smiled and bit her lip before swinging her leg so she sat straddled on the ledge. She swiftly swung her other leg over and laid on her stomach before easing herself down.

Halfway down the wall, Lora chose to blame her bad decision on the lack of sleep. (After she nearly fell at least five times.) She finally managed her way to the grassy floor and figured she'd have to find a door to get back inside. The garden was dark, only illuminated by the moon. Lora would only make out the shadows of plants and she wandered blindly toward the gate of the garden.

The breeze picked up as Lora neared the forest. A sudden desire to go into the woods overcame Lora. She left the palace grounds and entered the forest. The winds whistled through the trees, lifting loose leaves from their branches. Lora reached out to pick a flower from one of the blossoming trees. But as she brought down her hand to view the white blossom she gasped as the flower disintegrated into black ash before drifting into the wind.

The breeze carried what was once a beautiful flower deeper into the forest's shadow. Lora followed. She zig-zagged through the trees still following the floating ash. Lora only halted at a new strange sight.

Before the forest had seemed perfectly fine, with tall trees, and green leaves. But now the trunks are covered in black with ashy leaves. They shed a cloud of strange dust with every movement from the wind. Lora crouched down and shifted through the ashy dust that sat at the bottom of the tree. It didn't smell like burning, but it didn't smell pleasant. Lora gasped and shook her hand wildly freeing her hand from the substance.

Suddenly a cackle sounded through the wood. A howl followed right after, and footsteps echoed. They were all coming closer to her. In a panic, Lora pulled herself into the tree, which she feared would crumble under her at any minute. She crawled through the branches into the black leaves to hide.

The strange sounds grew louder and with it, Lora's heartbeat. Lora sucked in a deep breath, easing herself into a sitting position. The tree creaked just as the shadowy figure crept underneath. Lora gasped suddenly, eyes as wide as saucers. A hand flew over her mouth, and not her own.

She was not alone in that dying tree.

Whoever was attached to the hand pressed over her mouth sat unmoved as the figure below stalked away. "You nearly killed us both right there," hissed the stranger as they pulled away their hand.

It was a man, but he was taking extraordinary precautions to deepen his voice. Lora went to turn to see this mystery man before he dropped from the tree. Lora tried to do the same, but less gracefully, as she dangled from the branch, before surveying it was safe.

"Hey," Lora called after the man. "What was that?"

The man stopped walking away but didn't turn toward her yet. "I'm afraid I have no clue. Strange things have been happening in the forest for the past few days. I don't like it and have no intention of finding out."

Lora ran up to the man but before she could get within a few feet of him she turned and held a loaded bow and arrow towards her. His face was concealed by the shadow from the dark green hood he wore over his head, which was probably better camouflage when the forest wasn't black and dead.

Lora lifted her hands defensively. "Listen, I don't mean any harm."

"You came from the palace?" The hooded man asked, coughing slightly from deepening his voice still.

"Yes. Do I know you?"

"No!" He barked.

Lora couldn't help but smile. So she definitely knew this man. "Well, I'm Lora. and you are?"

"None of your business."

"Okay, my apologies," Lora laughed. She turned to make her way back to the palace but had no clue which way she had entered this circle of dead trees. "You wouldn't know the way back to the palace, would you?"

"I do," the man responded plainly.

Lora huffed, "Would you mind directing me in the general direction?"

"Fine," the hooded man sighed. He pushed past her and Lora jogged to follow him.

They snaked through the trees, finally making it back into the alive part of the forest. "You have no idea what is going on with the forest?" She called after the man.

"Nothing good. It's called the Enchanted forest, isn't it? My guess is dark magic. And I prefer to stay as far away from that as I can."

"That's understandable," Lora said with a smile. Even though she couldn't see his face, Lora knew he wasn't sharing this smile.

They approached the end of the forest. The hooded man made an extravagant gesture towards the palace. "We have arrived."

"I can see that," Lora said, looking back towards the forest. "You don't want to know what is going on in the forest?"

"No. It's dangerous. Now leave." The man said curtly.

"But you're going back in there. Isn't it dangerous for you too?"

"Yes. But the thing is I don't care. But I care if someone stumbles upon some lady's body lying in the forest."

"I assume that's supposed to be my body," Lora said, crossing her arms.

"Correct."

"Alright, well I wish you the best, sir," Lora sighed and rolled her eyes.

She only heard the rustling of leaves to signal the hooded man ran back into the woods. Lora shook her head before going back into the garden gate. After much investigation, and a few rose thorn scratches, Lora concluded that none of the plants in the garden had been infected by the same black ash that sat in the Enchanted Forest.

Lora scaled up the ivy back into her room. As she lay in bed, she thought over all the mysteries of tonight. Was it dark magic in the Enchanted Forest? If it was what was causing the sudden outbreak? Was the forest dying?

Who was the laughing person she had heard? Why was the hooded man so concerned about it?

Why did the hooded man have such a terrible attitude?

Lora was plagued by these thoughts until she finally was given the sweet release of sleep. 

Thank you all for reading! Sorry, I have updated in a while, I have been busy with my summer job and getting ready for college!

Hopefully, I'll be able to update soon after this busy week.

xoxo Canary