The Curse of Windsor Castle

Chapter Twenty-eight

The next day, the girls met in front of the London International Airport. "Wow," Amy began to say. "Can you believe we're almost done? And so much has changed. Miss Lawson is Vesterka, the two of you actually get along, and we can all sit in a car without murdering each other. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm going to miss the two of you when it's over."

"That's what I was saying." Rose hugged her friend. "I will dream-call you everyday, if I have to."

"You better," Tamara glared at her playfully.

"Yeah, about dream-calling," Amy said. "how does it work."

"No idea." Rose shrugged. "But I'll probably figure it out."

After the girls landed in Lisbon Airport, they drove straight to a five star hotel. "This is our last stop. We might as well make the best of it. Besides, I don't want another Spain," was Tamara's explanation.

"As long as this hotel has free wifi, I'm good," said Amy.

"Only the best for you, mademoiselle," Tamara bowed.

"And we probably won't even get to use the wifi, Amy." Rose shook her head. 

The girls got straight to work after a quick lunch. It turned out that they did use the wifi, after all. After connecting to the wifi, Amy searched, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "Done," she said with finality as she clicked one last key. "Florbela Espanca."

"She's a feminist," Tamara said after squinting hard at the screen. "I like her."

"Are you sure it's her?" Rose asked. 'Where is she from?"

"Vila Viçosa. Apparently, it's a municipality in the District of Évora. Population of about ten thousand people. Small enough for the Chair," Amy read aloud. 

"But are you sure?" Rose repeated. "The last thing we need is another Hungary."

"Well if we don't move, we're going to get another Hungary," Tamara huffed. 

"I'm hungry," Amy muttered.

Rose exhaled sharply. "Fine. Let's go."

Tamara booked a hotel just outside of the city center of Lisbon. According to the front desk manager it would take about two hours to get to Vila Viçosa."

"That's not so bad is it?" Tamara asked the two girls."

"Speak for yourself," Rose muttered.

Much to their surprise, the drive proceeded with no arguments, tears, or loss of hearing. The girls got off near Castelo Vila Viçosa. "Any chance the chair is here?" Tamara asked.

Amy shook her head. "No, I can hear a ringing sound, but barely. I don't think the chair is here."

"Then where else would it be?" Rose asked. 

Amy shrugged. "Is there any other obnoxiously large castle in the area?"

"I think we should do more research," Tamara said. "Why don't we go back to the hotel, where there is actually air conditioning and check?"

Instead of going back to the hotel, however, Tara found a small cafe, which promised fast service and free wifi. The girls, who no longer made the mistake of leaving their important belongings in a hotel (no matter how good it was), brought their weapons and devices. The only things that were left at the hotel were suitcases filled with a few clothes. Before leaving, Tamara made the girls bring most of their clothes with them. Something they all regretted later.

"Why, Tara?" Amy groaned. "My bookbag feels like it's full of bricks. I wouldn't be surprised if it suddenly split open."

"Shut up, Amy," Tamara seethed.

"Okay, so the other obnoxiously large palace here is Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa," Rose read from Tamara's laptop.

"I wanted obnoxiously large castles, but I guess a palace will do," Amy sighed.

"The overuse of the word obnoxious is getting obnoxious," Tamara said. 

Rose rolled her eyes and continued to say, "It can't be a coincidence that the Ducal Palace is just off of Florbela Espanca Road. The Chair has to be here."

"Only Amy'll be able to say for sure," Tamara said.

Because of the heavy traffic that occupied Vila Viçosa that day, Rose, Amy and Tamara decided to walk to the Ducal Palace. When they got there, Rose gasped. "It's so big. We'll never find the Chair."

"That would only be true if I wasn't here." Amy nudged Rose.

"At least the Chair is scaring away the tourists," Tamara said. "No one's here."

"Even the guards," Rose observed. "The Chair must have convinced them to take a well deserved break."

Amy led the way with Rose and Tamara following. They passed room after room, but without success. "I think it's on the next level," Amy said. The girls took the stairs up to the next floor, which had equally grand rooms.

"Is it here?" Rose asked to which Amy shook her head.

"The ringing my ears is getting louder, but it's not here. Next level, I hope."

The girls slowly made their way to the top of the Ducal Palace. "If the Chair isn't here, I'm going to scream," Tamara fumed.

"You won't be the only one," Rose said.

The top of the palace was probably the most extravagant. "Of course, the Chair picked this floor," Amy muttered.

At last, the girls found the Chair in a chamber that was far removed from the rest of the palace. Just like the Chair in Greece, this one was grand and richly decorated.

"Wow," Rose gasped. "It's beautiful."

Tamara raised an eyebrow. "Are we seeing the same thing, Rose? Because to me, it looks like a piece of crap."

Amy had a thoughtful look on her face. "Rose did you see the Chair the way I did, in Greece

Rose nodded. "That was the first time I saw the Chair for what it really is."

"I think the Chairs only reveal themselves to the people of Kalaad. You are the heir to Maagiline. As for me," Amy frowned. "I've been having weird dreams lately. I don't know what they mean. I can't remember much either. Only that they are strange and there's a man named Fidelus."

Rose did a double take at the name Fidelus. The name sounded so familiar yet she couldn't remember where she heard it.

"Come on," Tamara urged them. "Let's go."

She held Rose's hand tightly and gripped the Chair. For the seventh and final time, the girls vanished.