Quest For The Key

Chapter 34: Celebration

Although the children were very sad they had much to be thankful for and were indeed happy that they had survived and succeeded and were now an honour to their village. As thanks there family was moved into the castle.

“ I was thinking” pondered Centra to Jack who he found reading in the library. “We should throw a party. A big one in celebration”. Jack who was not much of apartier but was so lost in his book shook his head yes and Centra giggled and left excited already. 

That night at dinner Centra announced the ball and claimed it was Jacks’ idea to which he got death starres from his whole family. They just wanted everything to be normal again but the next days flew by and were anything but ordinary. It was as if the party was organizing itself the movers came and went so fast . The children returned to school and were shown off like trophies for the next week. Finally the night of the ball came. Centra that sly dog, hadn’t told the gang that he had invited the whole village.

Maids picked and prodded at maple. The king and queen had a dress made for her just for the ball. The top part was white, white as snow but the long skirt part that covered her ankles and toes was a sort of spring green. The sort of green, you might find in flower stems and tree buds, or fresh leaves, and dew wet grass. Simple as it was, a distinct and detailed green stitching ran like a road from the green to the white. The way it swirled and curved the stitching looked like a vine crawling up a wall. The dress had no straps what so ever, but fit snug. Maple did her hair up in a high bun and kept it in place with a thick pin.

Maple walked with some maids who carried her long skirt down the twisting staircases into the ballroom. She had never been in that part of the castle before. The ceiling was high and the walls and roof curved in an ark shape. There was a balcony that was a floor higher then the dance floor and was flooded with people talking. When she arrived trumpets played and she walked slowly down the carpet. Everyone watched silently and she saw some mothers of her old village friends shed a tear. Now she saw the dirty, yet round and smiling faces as she passed. Her friends eyes almost pleated her to come back home and look at their prize pig, or help with the farm chores, or play in the mud like they use to but now she couldn’t. Maple walked with her head held high and flat with perfect poster. Over the week they had taught her and her brother proper adequate but Jack seemed to suddenly have caught a continuese cold.

Maple caught sight of Jack hiding at the punch bow and managed to some how get him to come out and come stand by her. In the next few minutes people from all over who had come asked her questions about her adventures. Jack and Maple answered them as truthfully as they could. Some villagers wondered if the rumours about the evil fairy being dead and after explaining to everyone there practically, she told them yes. 

The evening was getting on great. Soon guests stopped show up, and  dinner was only 30 minutes away. All the bellies of the villagers rumbled like always, as they weren’t use to being pampered like this. Their mouths drooled at the thought of what they might be eating in less the an hour. 

As Maple walked around the room admiring the amazing dresses she saw one that stood out. It wasn’t because of the dress so much, but was the young girl that wore it. Maïa!

“How had she gotten here” thought Maple as she watched her friends hide behind the crowd. “ We will talk later but first things first. I need to get her to Jack. I know she loves him.” 

Maïa hopped foot to foot, twirling her hair, uncomfortable under Maple’s stern eyes. Maple dragged her over to where Jack stood.

The two looked lost in each other’s eyes as Jack dropped his glass of punch which smashed on the ground. He didn’t here it, his body moved beside hers.

“ My dream boy” whispered Maïa so only Jack could here.

“ I thought it was you” he whispered back “ I had a dream when I was in my coma I think, and you where there. I remember! Yes, my dream girl how we talked and talked , then we kissed and you left me.”

Maïa objected but instead she took the lead. She was tired of waiting for that kiss. The two shared one big passionate kiss and this time Maïa held on to him for dear life. Now she would never lose him. Together holding hands the love birds walked out onto the balcony for some more privacy. 

Maple grinning brightly met eye to eye across the room with Centra and he winked. Just then the doors slammed open. The music stopped, people stopped dancing and talking and gasped as they took in the bloody figure that ran through. Wherever he ran the crowd backed away. From what Maple could see he was missing an eye and most of his hair had been torn out. He was bleeding from head to toe and his clothes were ripped apart, barely concealing  him. 

“There Here! “ was all he managed to get out before he collapsed to the ground dead.

In the silence of the room you could hear Centra as he drew in a sharp breath and whispered “ I didn’t think it would happen so soon”.

                                                                                   THE END

Now we have reached thee tales final finish,

but two heros from the dark will come back and flourish,

the dark sides conjure, and kill, and blister,

in tongues of flaming, fiery, whispers,

By which craft trying, the DEAD are DYING ,

a treaty, a covenant,

split into two,

a war now raging, raging between man and creatures few,

and oh above  earth’s crust, in space’s light,

the beasts wage war,

will man expire in the fight?

***In the final update I have included a sneak peek to the next book