Shadow Cursed

Chapter 26: Marqued

I sat in the hospital room next to Damien, he was still unconscious. I held his hand in mine and lay it back down. He was stable but for how long I wouldn't know. I had failed to find out how to access my gift to save him, there had to be another way. Maybe there was an elixir left and I could find it in time before it was used. I looked outside the window, it was dark. I left the apartment shortly after I talked with Alric and left without an explanation.

It was uneasy to watch him suffering while I couldn't do anything to help. I took the blanket from the chair they left me and decided to relax. I was sleep deprived from everything that had been happening. I pulled the blanket over me and stared at the ceiling.

I ended up drifting away and found myself in the Celestial Realm once more.

The floor was stone with ancient patterns in them, faded and covered with a layer of dust from the lack of care over the years. I wasn't in a cloak, but in a heavy dress and heels. I felt on my head and there was a crystal tiara. The light bounced off the the crystal shards used to make the tiara forming fun patterns on the floor. I returned the tiara to where it was sitting on my head.

I decided to explore the place a bit, it was new to me, and so beautiful. Some rooms had paintings on the walls, the most majestic paintings I've ever seen. The rooms had been abandoned, no one slept in them.

The only sounds in the hallways was from the echo of my heels walking. It must of been an abandoned castle, no other living soul was seen. Long scratch marks covered the walls in some areas. I ran my fingers over them shivering at the thought of what creature could of make them.

I came upon a big set of doors, with a once beautiful painted design on them. The door wouldn't move. I tried and tried, until I managed to push it open using magik and found myself in an open room flooded with moonlight. I stared in wonder and awe. The ceiling was almost entirely open and the moonlight shone in illuminating the room. I explored taking each step slowly to look at all the objects in the room. They consisted of jewels of all colors and sizes, and crowns and tiaras locked away in glass cases on pillows. There was one empty pillow, I looked closer, the label said the Tiara of the Celestial Daughter. I looked at the tiara on my head, did that mean I'm the Daughter?

A little golden vial caught my sight. I reached for it, but it was over my head. I sighed, not tall enough even in heels. I tried reaching again with no success.

A voice from across the room frightened me, "Your royal highness." I turned around to see a young servant, but a ghost.

I stuttered, "Are you talking to me?"

"Who else is the Daughter, no one is left to hold the throne after they attacked leaving the castle in ruins." The young boy laughed and then gave me a warm smile.

"Is this a castle?" I looked at the high ceiling and looked back down at the fancy floor. "This really is a castle."

"This is home. Don't you remember?"

I shook my head, "No. I'm sorry." I looked at the ruins of a once beautiful room, "What happened here?"

"They attacked and looted that Christmas, only leaving the most valuable belongings to the Royal Family behind." The boy looked the glass cases with sadness in his eyes, "These cases are enchanted so that only a royal may open them."

"A royal..." My hand by instinct went to the handle and tried to open the case. "Nothing." The handle stayed put.

"Your highness, where is your key?"

"Just call me Isabella please," my head was spinning, "And I don't know where my key is."

The young servant was curious, "Isabella, what a pretty name, did you come up with it?"

"My father did." I responded.

"The King must of found that name during his many journeys." He smiled at me again, "I like it."

A sound from outside the room caught our attention, shouting and footsteps followed. Fear and panic filled his face, "Daughter, you must go."

"To where?" I stood there confused.

"Anywhere but here, anywhere you will be safe. They must not find you here." He was pushing me toward the balcony door.

I asked in concern, "What about you?"

"You are the one they want, not me. I insist you escape to safety." Outside was a teleporter set to go. "Have a safe journey, and what ever do do don't come back for me." He ran off back inside as the doors busted open and the soldiers came running in. "GO!"

In a panic and run I did as I was told and ran into the teleporter as a soldier reached me and tried to attack but was too late. I heard a scream from the young servant as I was taken away. The darkness swallowed me whole.

I awoke back in the bed and the blanket was spread over my body. I sat up and turned the light next to me on. I looked at my hands, they were marqued. There was nothing on them minutes ago. The marques looked like flames. They felt warm, a strange feeling. They faded away after a few seconds of noticing them, the warmth left with them. I flipped my palms over and looked again, nothing. Probably an illusion, playing a trick on my mind.

I got out of bed and wandered into the hallway. The other rooms had their lights off. Everyone was sound alseep. I headed back to the room and sat in the bed. The dream, was I the Daughter of the Celestial Realm?

My body was heavy with sleep. My eyelids closed and didn't open until many hours later when the sun came up.