A Fool's Tale

Chapter 30 - The Castle Town

I stood in front of the tall mirror and sighed. My face was gaunt and my clothes hung from me like laundry drying on a line. The overuse of mind magic continued to take a toll on my body. I tried to eat as much as possible, but my appetite was small, for even chewing food made my head ache.

As I looked in the mirror, a square panel in the wall behind me slid open. I jerked around in surprise. A head with long brown hair poked through the opening. Talia.

She looked up at me. "Oops, I thought you'd be asleep. Next time I'll knock." She crawled into the room, sliding the panel shut behind her.

"What in all of Brimstone. Where did you come from?"

Talia grinned. "Don't you know? Every castle has secret passages. I've been exploring them since I was little."

"Wow, really. How'd you find them?"

"It was a fluke. I was playing 'find the princess' with my brothers, and I was hiding under my bed. Against the wall was a strange colored knob of wood. Naturally, I pushed it. There was a clicking noise, and when I emerged from my hiding spot, a dark vertical crack had opened in the wall. I pulled on it and discovered my first secret passage."

She smiled. "I'll tell you one thing. I never lost another game of 'find the princess' again. It drove my brothers mad."

"Where do they lead? Can you get anywhere in the castle?" I asked excitedly.

"Well, mostly, they run along the back wall. The passages stretch all the way from the entertainer's hall to the guest quarters. There are tiny peepholes along the way, and I've even found a few entrances into other rooms, but I don't think I've discovered them all. The latches are camouflaged.

"Does anyone else know about them?"

Talia grinned. "No, well, at least I don't think so. I've kept them a secret, and I've never seen anyone else in them. I think they're really old. I even found ancient pennies with images of King Byron, the Third on the floor. He was my great, great grandfather."

"Amazing. I wish you'd told me sooner." There was nothing I enjoyed more than discovering the things I'd read about in our stories were actually true.

"Sorry, I hadn't even thought about them until you were put in this room, but it's perfect now. We can visit each other whenever we want'"

"Yeah, well, at least until Silver reclaims her chamber."

"Oh, she's not coming back. Silver decided to move into a house of her own in town. When my dad found out, he spoke with Gilles to ensure the chamber wasn't given to anyone else after you recovered. I think Gilles was confused, seeing as you're so new here, but he wasn't about to question my dad."

"So it's mine now," I spoke quietly. I'd never had a place of my own, and it seemed surreal, like it would be taken away if I were overheard.

"Sure, as long as you stick around."

I smiled happily. "Oh, I'm not going anywhere." It was a kind gesture and I felt even more strongly indebted to King Roland and the Brimstones.

"I should probably tell you the real reason I'm here. I've been instructed by my mother to bring you to the castle town. You need new clothes, and I'm to be your guide."

"Oh, okay." I was embarrassed that my ragged appearance had drawn Queen Vivien's attention. I felt around my pockets. My mother's necklace was there, and underneath it, a handful of pennies. I clenched my hand around them and pulled them out. "Will this be enough money? It's everything I've earned."

Talia closed my hand in hers. "Save your pennies. My mother's given me plenty."

"What? She did. Oh, I'd rather pay for myself."