Shadow Cursed

Chapter 45: Gifted

Confused and alone, I stood there sword still in hand. What had happened to the dog? And how did I end up here. I removed the hood from my head and ran my fingers through my damp hair. I losened the sword in my right hand as no threat was coming at me, I figured I was safe now. Just now to figure out where I was.

Finding my way around the dungeon in the bright daylight was much easier than the dark gloominess of the abandoned left to rot. The cells I passed were mostly empty with a sleeping prisoner every few cells, but they were feed and not dying at least. They didn't look misrable. The halls were still confusing as ever, why didn't I steal a map of the dungeons before hand.

Upon reaching the door, I noticed how beautiful it was. It was a solid brown with a little sun painted in the center of the top half of the door. Turning the knob slowly had no effect since it was still locked. The key was missing. Where was the key if it wasn't hanging on the collar of a human eating dog? Abandoning the door, I procceded to explore.

The warmth from the sun made this place seem welcoming. It sounded strange to say that, after all I'm in a dungeon. Tracing my steps I found the door to the the staircase upstairs. The door was unlocked, as I tried to make as little noise as I could making my way up the stairs. The steps were newer and didn't have any cracks or broken pieces. The walls were cold to the touch, I glided my fingers over the stones.

Reaching the light above ground finally, I slowly closed the door behind me gently as possible. Taking a quick look around, the hallway had plants lined up against the wall along with paintings that would be hanging in a museum or sold for millions of dollars if this was our time. Walking down the hall looking at the valuable paintings, one caught my eye. I stepped closer to a smaller painting, his eyes had stood out from the others. I could do nothing but stare at it, trying to figure it out. The man in the painting looked like my father. I knew he still had his secrets from me, and I still trusted him with my life even after everything that had happened. Did he keep this from me on purpose, what could he not want to tell me. The shiny little plaque below the painting read, Prince of the Realms. My father was a prince? Did that make me a princess?

A mirror hung on the wall nearby the painting. Staring at my reflection, I started noticing the resemblance. My eyes had the same sharpness his carried, yet they could be soft. His skin was pale, not as pale as mine though, maybe having a human mother affected that. Stepping back from the mirror I tried to shake the feeling off. If he wanted to tell me he would of, there must of been a reason he kept that a secret.

Another painting was next to his, a young women. She had a dress that went down to the ground and dragged like all the royal princesses wore in the movies. She was standing infront of a tower window. My eyes traveled up, the necklace around her neck matched mine. Ethelyn, the Lady of the Realms. My fingers ran across the painting surface. So this was my mother, the women I had been dreaming of meeting. She was in this castle.

The clock struck noon throughout the castle midthought. Lost in the time I looked around me. Servants were rushing up and down the hallway to get to their destinations. Following the crowd I tried to blend in. At least my dress didn't stand out from the others rushing by me. The hall lead to a grand room, the floors shiny and banners hung from the ceiling. Women in fancy dresses were in groups chatting amound themselves.

"Excuse me," A male tapped my shoulder, "You should be getting ready."

I turned around to face a familliar face, I greeted him politely, "Hello."

"I'm so sorry, I thought you were someone else," he seemed to be in a hurry, "Forgive me, I mistaken you for someone I was looking for." It struck me as he was leaving that he was my father in his younger years. "Wait! Can I ask you something?"

After looking at his pocket watch, "I have a few minutes I guess."

"What is the year?"

He looked at me confused, "The year is 1996. Now I must get going." He rushed off in the direction he was heading.

The year was 1996, I'm at least 15 years into the past. I couldn't have used the gift, I never even discovered it yet. Unless I've had it this entire time and it was the reason I survived the car crash. The car crash, how did I miss one important detail from that unfateful day?