The Forgotten Princess

°•○Five○•°

Ines and Hans nodded in unison.

"Fine. I can't call off the night guard, but he mostly stays in his office and relies on what he sees through the security cameras and movement sensors. I can tell you which rooms to avoid," Hans proposed. "The old tower actually isn't covered at all; there's nothing valuable in there, and it's closed to visitors. It's scheduled for reconstruction. I'm also staying, so I'll keep the guard off your back personally should the need be," he added, making Leon look at him in surprise.

"Yes," the police officer replied to his unasked question. "Ever since the painting was stolen, there is one of us on watch. I'll take the shift tonight. Whenever you'll need anything or decide to leave, just call me," he muttered, scribbling a number on a piece of paper. "You can walk around without worrying that you'll get lost. Wherever you'll go, I'll find you within minutes, I know the castle well."

"Thank you. I... have no words. You are both so kind..." Leon said, his voice breaking like his train of thought; he couldn't think about anything else but Lis.

"Please, help her find happiness," Ines said, walking towards Leon even as he stood up and slung his backpack over his shoulder, all his documents back in his vallet, his tablet safely inside.

"I'll do my best," Leon said, taking a step away from the couple and towards the door. "May I just... go?" he demanded, looking over his shoulder, his hand hovering above the door handle.

"Yes," Ines replied. "The last tour had already begun the round. You can either stroll behind them or walk wherever you wish. We'll see you at intervals through the cameras, and Hans has your phone number from the hotel. We'll let you know if anything happens and we need you to leave. But apart from that..." she frowned in thought as if she was forgetting something. "Aah, yes! I'm going to leave this office unlocked. Should you feel hungry, there's some food in the fridge, and water. You already skipped lunch, there is no need for you to be hungry the whole night. And I'll see you in the morning, I'll be here by seven."

Leon nodded, then slipped silently through the door. Food was the last thing on his mind as he walked down the ill lit corridor, shutting his sight to the present castle surrounding him and allowing his sixth sense, his long gone, medieval self, to navigate him into the past.

Even before he reached and carefully avoided the group of tourists, he realised that the layout, if not the walls and the decor of the corridors, halls and chambers, was almost the same as that of the old castle. How he knew it was beyond him, but now wasn't the time to puzzle about it; he had another mystery to solve. He needed to find Lis.

Leon allowed his legs to wander blindly, without the slightest direction from his mind, throughout the fairytale-like building, the numerous rooms blinking into life for him once it got dark outside, and even darker inside, in the wan lights reacting to his movement.

It was enough for him, he didn't need light to guide him to his beloved ghost, it was her scent that he suddenly caught in the air as he approached the old tower, the scent of lilies-of-the-valley. Leon's breath caught as he recalled the countless occasions on which he brought them to her from the sloping meadows ending in the deep forest surrounding the castle, and she would always pin them into her hair, the sight of their tiny, fragile, white bells warming his heart when they had to pretend they weren't on speaking terms at her husband's dinners and parties.

He almost ran into the tower through its ancient arched door, ducking under the tape that sealed it off to the potential lost or adventurous tourist. The air around him change immediately-- the scent of the lilies became stronger and the air itself felt more ancient. It carried more memories he struggled to sort through and so he pushed them all into the back of his mind.

There will be time later, Leon reasoned with himself, focusing only on ascending the precarious staircase made of time worn stone, then, higher up, threadbare wood.

And then he finally found her.

Waiting for him in the middle of the only circular room of the topmost floor of the tower, she glowed in her human beauty which he remembered so well, heighten by the otherworldly glow surrounding her like a coat of moonlight.

The apparition only smiled in greeting, the simple gesture filling Leon's heart with elation he had never felt before. He dropped to his knee in front of her, reaching out for the hem of her white dress looking sky blue in her ghostly light, bringing it to his lips when she didn't stop him.

She put her ethereal hands on his shoulders then, obliging him to stand up. "You took your time, Leon du Lac. I've been waiting for you for so long. I... missed you." She smiled again, tilting her face up, offering her lips for a kiss just like she used to do once.

With bated breath, Leon obliged, and to him, she felt just as she used to feel before-- warm, loving, kind, and gorgeous. She had been waiting for him for centuries... He wrapped her in his arms, first gently, carefully, then strengthening his hold when she didn't protest. He would never let go of her again.

"I can not stay here, Lis, but... Can you come away with me? Can you leave this place? Do you want to?"

She nodded, making his heart soar. "I believe I can, now, with you. But do you want me to? No one else can see me but you..."

"I don't mind, I want us to be together. I love you, Lis, and you love me; nothing else matters," he said, pulling her towards the door, impatient to take her home with him. This wasn't their castle anyway. Their reality had been gone for a long time.

"Wait," she said, taking him with her in the opposite direction, towards the long curtain hiding the window.

The sun was about to rise, Leon noticed as his eyes strolled to the world outside, lying in the misty depths below the tower.

"I should give this back, now," Lis muttered, pointing at the 'stolen' portrait partially hidden by the dusty, dark velvet of the curtain. "I took it because you didn't come even after I sent you so many clues. The images of this castle, my likeness, some memories... I was hoping you'd hear about the theft and recognise yourself in the picture, and finally figure it out and come for me... I was starting to think that maybe... you didn't want me anymore, in your new life..."

Leon's eyes filled with tears as he cuped her face and kissed her. "You are everything to me, Lis, just like you were then. Let me take you home... let us only meet Hans, and wait for Ines, I want to say goodbye. They'll be happy to meet you. And I must tell them about the portrait; they've been looking for it everywhere," Leon smiled.

"Where is home?" Lis asked, her hand closed tightly around his as she followed him down the stairs.

"France," he said, casting her a sideways glance. It was incredible that he found her, that they were given another chance...

"Ooh, I always wanted to travel..." she whispered, walking silently, invisible to anyone but him, through the empty castle at his side.