Once Upon A Tale (Published Amazon)

Chapter Four

Part I

Scottish Highlands - 1864

Patrick sat in the vast library with its floor to ceiling books gazing out the window. It was a beautiful day, the sun shone high in the sky and he realized it would probably be one of the last sun filled days in a while. Winter was on the horizon, which meant long boring days locked inside the castle. For a ten-year-old boy, this was agonizing. His tutor droned on and on about mathematical equations that bored his witless.

"Master Patrick, am I boring you?" She asked him. Hmm how to answer that he thought.

"Yes." He answered. She pursed her lips at him and frowned. "What? You asked me a question and I told you the truth." His tutor shook her head and placed the book down on the table.

"Well what pray tell do you think you should be studying then?" He had a choice? This was different. He looked up into her face and found she was actually rather cross. He shrugged his shoulders and she huffed.

"Maybe we could study something interesting like treasures and adventures." He asked her. She steepled her fingers in front of her and thought for a minute.

"So you want to study history then?" Patrick frowned, he didn't know about that. Dates and countries with old dead people. She got up walked over to the book shelves and began climbing the ladder till she got to the second level and began looking for a particular book. After ten minutes of looking, she finally found it and came back down. She placed it on the table in front of him and smiled.

"Why don't you read this?" Patrick looked down at the book she had placed in front of him. Great Castles of the Scottish Highlands. He looked back at his tutor quizzically.

"Turn to the chapter about this castle. I am sure you will find something of interest you did not know. There are secrets hidden in lots of castles around the world, this one apparently has a grand one." She left the library smiling knowing this would keep him busy for months, maybe even years. Patrick huffed and opened the book up to the chapter about the Lacairtam Tower Castle.

"Lacairtam Tower Castle was originally built as an artillery fort in 1580. It's costal location allowed views to protect against invasions from the English. Its stunningly yet dramatic location, caught the eye of Queen Victoria Matriacal in the 1700's, thus becoming the Royal families home.  Lacairtam is an anagram for the Royal family who reside within its walls. There are many legends about the Matriacal family and their castle and one is called, 'The Fountain of Love'. Supposedly, a labyrinthine network of tunnels, were discovered running underneath the castle. There is a story that, two hundred years ago, a maids young son witnessed Prince Frederick taken from his crib by masked men. He called out to alert guards, but when they entered the room, it was empty. The castle was searched thoroughly, but the Prince was nowhere to be found. To cover up the tragedy, a child of another lady at the court was substituted to stop scandal. All were told Prince Frederick had been found. If this far-fetched story is true, what does that say about the legitimacy of Scotland's Royal Family?

Minutes later, Patrick was running through the halls searching for his teacher, but she was nowhere to be found. He raced into his father's study out of breath.

"Patrick, why are you breathing like that?" His father asked him slightly amused. Patrick had always been full of so much energy and it delighted his father to see his son so happy and healthy.

"Father, I just read this book in the library about our castle and about Prince Frederick." He took a deep breath and looked at his father to see his reaction.

"Ah, I see you found 'Great Castles of the Scottish Highlands.'" His father began to chuckle. "I suppose you want to know where the entrance to the tunnels, caves and labyrinths are under the castle?" He spoke with a mysterious voice.