But I'm Just a Boy // phan

(17)

We found Catherine quickly and pulled her as soon as we could from the ball. She was upset at first, but after we dunked her in the moat, she woke up, as if from a daze. We all sat on the steps of the castle, holding ourselves.

"That party is cursed." I tried to joke, but the second the words left my mouth I wanted to take them back. Phil smiled weakly.

"I actually think it is." He mumbled. "I've never seen anyone act like that." A voice from the dark startled all three of us, and we all jumped.

"It isn't." The guard said. We all turned to him, and I finally got to see him in the glowing moonlight. He was fairly young, with a head of childish curls that he revealed when he pushed his hood off. I translated this as "it is", and we all looked at each other. We know what curses are like.

"The entire kingdom." he said, his voice strangled.

"That's what makes everyone lie so much. They were cursed." And with an everlasting party with almost everyone in attendance, this curse must of been a terrible one. Phil's was bad, but at least it was curable.

"What about Saint Louise?" Catherine asked. She paused to make sure she phrased her question in a way that an opposite answer would make sense. "Didn't she kill some dragon?"

"Yes." The guard said, sadly.

"Have a seat." I offered, and he slumped onto the stairs next to us. Loud music was piping from inside, and loud footfalls and cheers were spilling from the hall.

"What... isn't your name?" I asked him. He smiled.

"Pasquale-Jordan. PJ." There was silence for a while. I sighed, and we all looked up to the sky.

"What now?" Catherine asked again. We stayed silent.

Then, as if answering our question, Mary appeared in the dark with a burst of smoke.

"Now for your third task!" She exclaimed. We all shouted in shock, and PJ, the guard, stood, drawing his sword and pointing it at her throat. She smiled, unflinchingly, and pushed the tip of it away.

She looked slightly older, more wrinkled, than she did before, and her hair was fairer and thinner. And she was significantly less beautiful, she looked more reptile like. Her truer form, perhaps? I drew my sword as well, pointing it at her. I couldn't let this PJ guy show me up like that. I was the knight here.

I was a knight. The thought still got me giddy.

"Aww, Pasquale-Jordan. I missed you too. How are you dealing with your curse?" he stayed silent, clenching his jaw. "Party's still going on?"

"What do you want?" Phil spat. She looked at him, her smile sickly sweet.

"Phillip, you've turned hostile so quickly? You used to love me, remember?" Phil scoffed, and I turned back to him, giving him a warning glance. But he shook his head.

"You've ruined so many people's lives, Mary." Phillip said. Before she could respond, I interjected.

"What's our next task, Witch?" She turned her gaze to me.

"All business, Howell? Fine by me." she examined her fingernails. "Your next task is to find the secret tomb of Louise the Great."

"That's impossible." I replied, my sword still poised to cut. She glanced up at me through her eyelashes. "No one knows anything about where she is. No one even knows if she's real." Phil was suddenly very close to me, his breath on my ear.

"Just let her finish and we can go." Mary grinned at him.

"Listen to your beau, Daniel." Mary said. Suddenly filled with anger, I lunged forward, slicing through her chest. She looked down as if I had simply poked her, and pulled the blade out, the hole healing before my eyes. She looked up at me, irked. "You don't want to play this game, Daniel. You're not in your best mind. You will lose." Phil put his hand on the small of my back, and I dropped my sword, giving PJ the sign to, too. He looked suspicious, but did as he was told.

"Once there, I will give you further instructions. This is, of course, assuming you survive." She cackled.

"Are you going to tell us where it is, or are we going to have to find it ourselves again?" Catherine interjected, crossing her arms. The women's eyes met, an equal fire burning within them.

"Watch your tongue, champion." She tisked, wagging her finger.

"Champion?" Catherine hissed. Mary looked up.

"That is what you are, is it not? Phillip's champion?"

"What are you talking about? I'm Phillip's... Phillip's true love. Daniel is the... the champion." Mary smirked, knowingly, as Phil cast questioning glances. She knew. She had to. Was she going to say something? Phil would hate me for lying to him.

"I won't tell you where it is. It's a secret." She sang, and, this time without the puff of smoke or spark of light, she vanished. I turned to my party with a long breath, and they all looked eagerly to me.

"Well..." I started, but realised I had nothing to say.

"I don't think I know where that might be." PJ whispered, almost to himself.

"What if you try to say the opposite of what you mean. That way, it's a double negative, which means you'll say what you actually mean." PJ creased his eyebrows, but nodded slowly.

"You said you know where it is?" Phil asked, PJ shook his head.

"Yes. Well, no. But I know someone who does."