Silenced Memory (Jelsa)

12 The Empty Castle

POV Elsa

My stomach growled for a slight moment when we got into the castle yard. The place was like in sleep, no one around and the garden seemed unattended. I wished that he wouldn't have heard my stomach but as if.

"We could get some soup later if you're hungry," Jack sounded a bit amused and I pull my hand away from his.

"I'm not hungry," I lied. It had been ages from breakfast.

"Hmm... well then I'm going to take some soup – but... I feel like someone else might finish it for me," he grinned.

I groaned and he dodged the pebble which I picked from the ground and threw at him. He kept laughing, his voice echoed in the empty yard and I rubbed my arms nervously as if I was feeling cold.

"To be honest I can't order a soup in the town anyway. Better get this over with, it seems that the servants have left from here so there's no need to sneak in," he shrugged and turned around.

We went straight to the huge heavy looking wooden double doors.

"S-should we knock?" I gulped but he rolled his eyes with a devious smile when he pushed the door open.

The whole castle was dark. The walls were covered by cob webs which went as high as the roof. The dust in the floor was untouched and I could see my foot prints in it after we lit a torch which I carried.

"The whole place seems abandoned... I doubt that there is anyone in here," I cheered after we arrived to a big staircase.

"Keep it down will you," Jack whispered when my voice echoed around.

"It seems like this kingdom has gone to a democracy," I shrugged while I followed him to the staircase. My hand touched the railing and I quickly pulled it back when the thick dust layered over my fingers in nasty way.

I wiped my hand to his back which caused him to startle and turn around.

"Hey!" He shrieked and when he saw my hand still being up and after glancing at the railing he laughed.

His laughter filled the empty halls and was filled with so much warmth that it made my heart feel like it was being squeezed tightly.

"Come on then," he chuckled and nodded towards upstairs, "—the family portrait is right from the top of the stairs after couple corridors. And don't use me like a napkin again, please." He cleared his throat afterwards.

"Can't we just call this off and you get me back to Anna," I mumbled.

"Let do it quickly and get out from here," he said and almost ignored my question.

We arrived to the top of the stairs. When I lifted the torch up I saw a three times the height of an average height man sized portrait hang up. It had a thick cover of dust in it but apparently they were the king and queen of this country.

"Your parents," Jack hummed and glanced at me with a cocky smile.

"Perhaps someone's but I can't recognize them from the dust layer and since I can't use you as the wipe to clean it off--," I gave him a cocky response when I headed towards the corridor which he mentioned.

When I got out from the wider space into the corridor a sudden gush of wind caused the light of the torch to fade. I noticed a shadow moving in the end of the corridor just a moment before the light returned to the former glory and lighted the whole corridor down to the end.

"Stop fooling around," I groaned, "no playing with that wind of yours."

I look over my shoulder and I see him being turned with his back at me. He is looking at the high ceilings and I roll my eyes before I go forward.