Once Upon A [Stolen] Time - [Stolen] Series I

CHAPTER 6

"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye."

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

MYRA
APRIL 2015

I finally left my bed at six in the morning and went for a quick run.

It had been a sleepless night for me. Since my meeting with Steve, I was unable to rest for a second. I was too curious about going to Hue Castle. I wanted to scream and share this secret with Mum as I always had with her in the past, but Steve had threatened that if I ever thought of sharing it with anyone, he wouldn't take me there.

His parents knew about filming Hue Castle for his game prototype, but Steve hadn't mentioned to them the offer he'd made to me. After we'd made our agreement, we went back to the lunch party, where Caroline announced our engagement and told everyone the engagement party would be sometime in June, because she was planning a grand party and was also thinking of inviting the queen and the entire royal family.

Steve was quiet all afternoon because he didn't want to cause any hindrance in his work. And me? I still couldn't believe I was going to go behind those walls. It didn't even matter to me now that Caroline announced our engagement. Honestly, after hearing I was going to fulfil my biggest dream through Steve, I didn't even care that I would get engaged to a gay man who already had a boyfriend. I'd promised to keep his secret, as well as he would keep it in his heart. What he was giving me in return was something more precious than any crown in this world.

I was going to fulfil my deepest desire, to look behind the huge walls of the castle, and would have the privilege of going inside where no one in the past six centuries had dared or been allowed. The entire night I'd kept flipping back and forth on my bed—the thrill and fear didn't let me sleep at all. Still, when I got up in the morning, I was as fresh as if I'd slept for twelve hours. Before going to bed, I searched Wikipedia and even on the British Library website, but there was not much information on the castle, other than it being haunted. The reasons were not stated.

I'd told my parents last night that Steve and I were going to spend a day together, and surprisingly my parents were too excited about the idea that Steve and I had started liking each other after our first meeting to pay much attention. My mother finally seemed content. The smile she wore the whole day after Caroline's announcement was exceptional. I had never seen her so happy in my life. I didn't want to destroy her dream. Even if I had the courage to tell her the truth, I was bound to respect Steve's secret. I just wondered what kind of conversation Steve had with Tyler after he heard about Steve's engagement. Would he be jealous of me? But he shouldn't be. Steve was not my lover.

After my quick breakfast, I rushed to my room. Steve would be coming any minute. My parents had already left to open their café at seven. I took a quick shower and wore my comfiest jeans and cream-coloured top. It was supposed to be a long day, so I just used a gloss and a bit of mascara. I wasn't going there to impress anyone. Not that it was a filming day today. We were only going to visit the castle, and Steve planned to take some basic pictures.

He told me he still had no idea how to conceptualise the game. He said he'd decide after visiting the castle.

Steve picked me up exactly at eight in his black Audi SUV. He introduced me to Tyler—his African-American boyfriend, who had the physique of an athlete. But I'd still say Steve was much more handsome than Tyler. Though Steve was a city boy, there was something raw and rugged that was very sexy. Tyler, on the other hand, seemed like he'd worked all his life in a gym. Perhaps, in an alternate universe, I'd have been too excited about going out with Steve Bernard.