Curse of Enchanted Haven

Chapter 3

-Mystic Kingdom-

Merlin and Raven appeared in front of a castle with a dark wooden drawbridge, gates made of gold, large columns tower the castle's entrance, stucco and rough stone covering the exterior and doorways, beautiful ornate statues standing proudly along the double-slopped mansard rooftop, and angel statues surrounding the vaulted cupola of the castle's attached chapel. The outline of the roof and clock was also made of gold.

"Wow! This looks like the Palace of Versailles in France! Whose castle is this?"

Merlin smiled and stated, "This castle belongs to Evanya's parents, King Albert and Queen Alanna. Welcome to Northawhal castle."

"It's so beautiful." Raven admired and said, "I bet it looks just as beautiful on the inside!"

"The inside of the castle is just as exquisite as the outside. Beautifully painted ceilings that deceive the eye, beautiful sculptures throughout the palace, and lots of attention-grabbing features placed randomly that tend to spark conversations about them. The ballroom has a beautiful painted ceiling with angels flying in the heavens and a beautiful gold chandelier with crystals hanging from it. You should see the inside of the chapel where Evanya was christened. Marble altar, hardwood floors, beautiful sculptures of the archangels, a painted ceiling depicting God creating man, pews made of mahogany wood, red velvet upholstered kneelers, and gold upholstered seating on the pews."

"Sounds beautiful. Do they have beautiful gardens like the Palace of Versailles or a room like the Hall of Mirrors?"

"King Albert had beautiful gardens made for both the Queen and for Evanya. One is a garden with a beautiful fountain with angels in flight that sits in the middle and is full of Sunset Roses. That is Princess Evanya's favorite garden. Another garden has a beautiful fountain with a woman holding a jar in one arm and a little girl's hand in the other. That fountain sits in the middle of multicolored Cosmos flowers. That is Queen Alanna's favorite garden. The other gardens have Tulips, Wallflowers, Lilies, Irises, Yellow Daisies, and Tudor Roses. Why would anyone want a hallway full of mirrors? I do not understand the logic of that concept. I am not familiar with the Palace of Versailles or its gardens, so I cannot make any comparisons."

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Raven turned to Merlin to see that his attire matched his status in the Mystic Kingdom. She looked down at her clothing to see she was dressed like a princess with a yellow princess-style dress, matching high-heeled shoes, and a gold crown on her head.

"Nice, you like Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings, but without the staff and the pointed hat." Raven motioned on top of her head, outlining a wizard hat.

"What did I tell you about children's stories and fairytales, Detective White? All of what authors write are mere stereotypical perceptions of what wizards, witches, sorcerers, and sorceresses look like. None of which actually describe how we look or how our clothing looks and feels."

"I, on the other hand," she looked down at her attire and continued, "I am also dressed like the stereotypical princess in any children's book or fairytale."

"Oh contraire," Merlin said, "If you look in history books, you will see how kings, queens, princes, and princesses dressed in days of old. The women are all dressed like you are currently. No stereotyping whatsoever."

Raven rolled her eyes and questioned, "I thought we were coming here to see how you all got to Enchanted Haven and where I came from?"

"We're here to do just that; however, we need to start here, and you will see why shortly. Now, let's go inside."

The wizard waved his hands, and they disappeared in a white cloud of smoke.

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