Chapter Two "The Mix-Up"

CHAPTER TWO

“The Mix-Up”

She stared at a beautifully designed white castle, with one tower for each corner of it, of which there were four. There was one quite tall, wide, round tower in the very center of the structure. Each of the four cornered towers had a pointed roof, and at the top of the roof was a waving flag with a shield cut into four sections on it. The upper left and lower right of the shield held a tiger, and the upper right and lower left of the shield held an eye. Trigg
On the pointed roof of the middle tower there was a large, quite visible iron cross. There was a moat surrounding the castle, and a drawbridge was in plain view, but it wasn’t lowered. In between the middle tower and the walls were two more towers, but the top was flat. There was one terrace for each tower, which was situated towards the top, with a red vale covering the entrance. Below these were many balconies with blue vales covering the entrances, waving in the wind as the sea on a windy day. The waste-high concrete railing was lined with gold, and so were the walls surrounding the castle, and the tips of the towers.
The Castle seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and it was staring at Rose so welcomingly that she almost wished she could fly, if only to get there quicker.
As Rose and Joseph approached the castle, the drawbridge was lowered, and the horses galloped on through. Once inside, they were greeted by a cheering crowd. The noise was almost unbearable, and Rose wondered why they were yelling so loudly, and for what? Surely it couldn’t be for them. Roses were being thrown at the two riders as they trotted down the street towards where a man wearing a crown and many guards were standing up on a balcony strait ahead.
Is that a king? Once again, Joseph answered Rose’s thoughts. “Aye, it is.” Rose was starting to get used to Joseph’s sudden answers when she had not even spoken. This time she only moved her head just enough to get Joseph’s body, silhouetted against the setting sun, into her mind.
As the two approached the king, the royal man lifted his hand, and the crowd stopped their cheering, and Joseph leaned his head back ever so slightly, making the horses stop. He whispered to Rose to get off of the horses in such a way that the king could not see that he spoke. “I have found her, my Lord.” Joseph spoke in a deep voice after the king motioned for them to come forward and kneel.
“Do you know who I am, child?” The man spoke very dignified as he stood, shoulders back, head held high, as a king’s should be, in a long, red robe with white fur lining. A gold sash lay across his chest, and a huge sword dangled at his waste. There were jewels of all kinds on his gold vest, that with the sun shinning upon it shone like a glimmering rainbow. The man had a small beard, only an inch or two long, but thick. It was brown, showing no signs of old age, and his eyes gave away nothing they shouldn’t. But the few wrinkles that Rose could scarcely see on his face told her that he was no younger then fifty years.
Rose wondered how to answer the king’s question, when suddenly a name popped into her mind.
“You are King Sermyan, my lord.” Rose dipped her head down slowly as she spoke, placing her hands together as a sign of recognition. She had no idea how she had come up with that name, but apparently she was right, for the king nodded and gave a satisfied “Hmm.” Then he turned to Rose’s captor and said, “Joseph, I would prefer it if you would not interfere with this girl’s mind, for I know that she did not know who I was, let alone my name.” Joseph smiled slightly.
“Yes my Lord.” And then added, “I apologize.” The king nodded in exception, then continued.
“Rosell,” the king said, and Rose wondered how he came to know her full name, which she hated, and so had always only wanted to be called ‘Rose’. The king continued. “You do not know what you are doing here, but we all know full-well. All will be explained to you in due-time. It seems there has been a miss-hap, it was not you who we were searching for. But you are as close to she as any.” Suddenly, she heard whispers among the villagers - something about a prophecy. She heard “The prophecy, the prophecy has come true” and “I knew the prophecy would come true when we needed it.”
“What…” Rose choked, and she coughed to clear her throat, “What is this prophecy?”
“You very well may ask,” replied the king, “for I expect that you have many questions for myself, which I will leave to Joseph, including the one that you have just asked me now.” The king then whispered something into a man’s ear to his left, this man then bowing and leaving the king’s presence, disappeared behind a dark violet veil, only to re-appear a minute later, this time before Joseph and Rose. He commanded them to come with him, and then led them back through the doorway of which he had come.
Ever since the king had told her that she must have questions, Rose’s mind had been swarming with them, and apparently, Joseph was listening, for he turned to Rose, motioned for her to be quiet, and then whispered in her ear in the softest of voices, “All in good time.” Then, still walking, he grabbed her hand and kissed it.
Rose did find Joseph slightly attractive. His features were no doubt lovely, and, Rose guessed, he was probably not much older then she, or would have been if it weren’t for whatever magic was keeping him alive to be one hundred and sixty seven years old; but he was a wizard, she was somewhere she wasn’t even sure existed, and at the moment, she could not trouble herself with a boyfriend, especially, she thought, since she had been kidnapped and taken to a foreign land against her will.
But as they continued to walk, she could not keep her cheeks from blushing.
Along the way, Rose decided to ask Joseph some of the questions she thought must need answers.
“My Lord Joseph?” she asked, thinking that it sounded strange to call somebody “my lord”, but thought it only polite to do so. He replied to her with a nod.
“What is the prophecy, of which I’ve been hearing so much tell about?” Rose had never spoken this way before, and she wondered what had come over her. Then, in a hushed tone, Joseph answered her.
“Did you know, milady, that there used to be a princess living right here in this castle?” Rose shook her head, thinking that was a stupid question, for how could she know? Joseph continued.
“There was once a prophecy, of which had two parts. The first part came true one hundred years ago. It said this:
There will be a time where nobility shall rule,
A peaceful time until nobility dies,
To be resurrected with the century,
When Lords and Masters shall be defied,

This part we have already seen come true, but the second is yet to be fulfilled. It says this:

A great time of darkness shall arise,
A time of death, mourning, and sorrow,
But there is hope when time lies still,
And peace shall come with the ‘morrow.

“All our best scholars, including myself, have tried to decipher this prophecy, but none can figure it. The first part we have seen come true, but we are dreading the second, whatever it may be. We hope that it does not have anything to do with you, milady.” Rose thought this would answer her question, but rather then answering it, it just caused more questions to fill her head.
“But what does this have to do with me?” she asked.
“That princess I was telling you about, she is the ‘nobility’ in the first line of the first part of the prophecy. There is a portal that opens every three hundred years.”
“Where does it lead?”
“Patience, milady. It leads to your world. There is our world, your world, heaven, and hell. Of course we are not allowed to go to heaven or hell, so the portal must lead to your world. Three hundred years ago the princess ran away.”
“Why?”
“So many questions.” Joseph smiled at her. “We do not know why the princess left our world, but when she went to yours, she disappeared, and there was no way to go and get her, for, as I said, the portal can only open once every three hundred years.”
“So it has been three hundred years, and when you went into my world to get the princess,” rose concluded, “you took me. But how could you have missed her?”
“You’ve almost got it right. We thought you were the princess, milady.”
“Me? Why?”
“Because you look astonishingly like her. We were so stupid. There is no way that she could have survived in your world for three hundred years, and still look the same that she did. You see, in our world, the people here are able to live much longer then the people in your world. It is as if time goes slower here, to enable us to live longer.”
“But why did you take me then, if you knew that I was not the princess?”
“Well, I did not know then. You see, we have friends in the birds. Once we came back, the birds told me that I had the wrong girl, and that the wizards and scholars of this land had been watching me. Milady, you are a re-incarnation of our dear princess Rosell. But I did not know this until I had brought you back here.”
“This is ridiculous. Talking birds? Re-incarnation? Wizards, portals, everything! It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! And you expect me to believe this? Seriously, where are the cameras?”
“Cameras?”
“Yeah, cameras. I’m on TV right now, aren’t I?”
“I’m afraid you’re talking riddles, milady.”
“And would you please cut the ‘milady’ crap?! I know what you’re up to, and the jig is up! You can stop your joke! I’ve had enough.”
“So that’s it? You think this is a joke? Milady, this is no joke, I can assure you of that.”
“Oh really? You can? How? How can you ‘assure’ me that this isn’t a joke? I don’t believe this.” Suddenly she turned and started to run, but Joseph grabbed her by the arm and stopped her.
“What are you doing?” she exclaimed. “Let me go! Let me go!” She tried to fight Joseph, scratching at him, trying to hit him with her other arm, but he remained calm.
“Milady, please stop, or I shall take drastic measures.” But she would not stop. She kept fighting, and fighting, and so Joseph laid his hand on her forehead, closed his eyes, and mumbled a few words. Suddenly, she fell limp in his arms. He picked her up and carried her down the hall, the man in front of him still leading the way.
What are you doing? Put me down! Rose tried to speak, but she couldn’t. She was completely paralyzed. Her eyes could still move, but that was the only part of her body that would. She simply sat there, waiting for them to take her to the dungeon, or the torture room, or wherever it was that they were going.
As the three approached the end of the hallway, Rose could see that it did not curve around as she thought it might, but it was a dead end. And as they kept walking, closer and closer to the blank, gray, stonewall, she wondered why they were still moving toward it.
The man in front of them, leading the way, wore a purple, silk, long sleeved shirt, which was tucked into raven-black pants. He also wore a large gold and red and purple embroidered vest, which, at the shoulders, bent upwards. The coat went down to a few inches above his knees, and had buttons going all up it, none of which were buttoned together. The sleeves of his silk shirt ended by being tied off around his middle fingers, ending in a diamond-shaped fashion. On the end of the sleeve was a small, beautiful round ruby.
Once to the end of the hall the man stopped, put his hand in a fist shape and held his arm out strait towards the wall. Rose was now asking Joseph in her mind what was happening, knowing that he heard her, and wondering why he didn’t answer. But she soon found out the answer to her question anyway.
Suddenly, a light appearing from nowhere and coming from nothing, shone down from what appeared to be the ceiling, onto the Ruby; the Ruby then reflected the light onto the wall in front of him. Then the man quickly stretched out his hand, seeming to spread their fingers farther then they ought to go. After a few moments of wondering silence, the wall began to simmer. The man then very slowly started raising his hand, but keeping his arm fixed as it was, until his arm was in a diagonal position. And as the man was raising his hand, the cherry-blossom-pink-red light became a fire-red, and the color spread from the small diamond-made circle, to getting larger and larger and larger, until it finally covered the entire wall, at which point the man’s hand was now as erect as it could be. Then, in a flash of lightning, his arm was back at his side again, and, to Rose’s amazement, he began to walk through the wall. Her eyes widened, and she inhaled deeply through her nose for the spell fixed upon her would still have her paralyzed. After the man disappeared behind the red ‘vale’, Joseph took the girls hand and whispered, still looking forward, “You needn’t be afraid.” And then started walking forward, carrying Rose, who would not have been able to move if it weren’t for him carrying her, along with him.
As Joseph, still holding Rose, walked through the wall, Rose felt as if there were no wall at all; as if she were simply still walking down the hall, through open air.
Joseph felt bad for having to make Rose paralyzed, but he did not want to admit it, so he just thought to himself that she must not be in the best sense possible, and so he put these words in her head:

Be not afraid,
Do not fret,
I’ll be with you always,
My heart is set,

To keeping you well,
From danger and harm,
With love and affection,
And heart-felt charm,

May you never tremble,
May you never grow weary,
Though this path is hard,
Do not tarry,

You need not be afraid,
I’ll keep you safe,
For I’m here with you,
And will be always,

This must have touched Rose in some way, for she was not as mad at Joseph as she had been before, but she was still quite mad at him for kidnapping her and then lying to her. As she came out of her daze, she looked into his eyes, and they locked, but only for a brief moment; just enough time for her to realize that she could not be falling for him. She had known him for hardly any time, he had kidnapped her, but then she remembered he had rescued her from danger. But he had been quite secretive, but she could tell he cared about her. She didn’t know what to do, whether to share his feelings or to be kind, or go her separate way. She had to choose one, she knew, and she thought herself silly to even be thinking these things.
She had been asked to a dance by the boy of her dreams; this man, this Joseph, he would never be that man, he couldn’t, for he was a wizard, she was a simple girl… and she wasn’t even sure of that.
Rose led her mind on to wonder… about anything other than this man holding her. She wondered where she was going, what the rest of the castle looked like, what and who she was, or was supposed to be, or who people thought she was. But no matter how hard she tried, Joseph still lingered in the back of her mind.
Suddenly, Rose was in a room of such great beauty she could hardly believe her eyes. Her mind was no longer on Joseph, in fact her mind could hardly keep her on one subject at a time. Her eyes moved from the golden walls, to the tiled floors, to the beautiful bed, to the mural ceiling. Joseph set her down, and she found out that she was able to walk.
She took a few steps forward, letting go of Joseph’s hand, her arm falling limply at her side. Joseph stood, smiling, an unnoticeable smile, and yet there was a soft, sweet charm in it that was unforgettable.
“The walls are white ivory, with gold laid in at the border of the ceiling.” He said softly. Rose gazed at the beautiful artwork used. The glimmering gold was amazingly detailed, and Rose wasn’t even sure what they were; mythical beasts she’d never heard of, words inscribed that she could not translate, or just simply some designs that her eyes mistook for anything but what they were. Suddenly her ear twitched as Joseph spoke again.
“The painting on the ceiling, as you will see used in many of the other rooms here, are of past battles, scenes of love, betrayal, peace. Each room has a different painting, of which there is no likeness. Each painting represents the room in which holds it; this painting is of Isaella and Sian; two great known lovers, but their love was forbidden.” Joseph walked up to stand next to Rose, who still did not look down from her gaze at the ceiling. “Tell me the story.” Rose said.
“It would take time,” Joseph replied, “and you are probably very tired.”
“I don’t care.”
“Very well then…. Now, let me see. Isaella was a princess, and Sian a prince. They were from two different lands, both of which were warring against one another. The fathers of Isaella and Sian found out about their secret engagements, and each one planned to murder the other’s child by a trap.
“One night Sian’s father sent twenty soldiers to follow Sian on one of his nightly meetings with Isaella. Coincidentally, Isaella’s father had sent twenty soldiers to follow his daughter, planning on murdering Sian. Unfortunately, once the two met, the soldiers sped out of the bushes where they were hiding and attacked the opposite side. But Isaella and Sian would not hear of it. They protected each other with their love, and Sian turned to his father’s soldiers, and Isaella to hers, and told them that if they were to harm either child, that they would in turn kill themselves. The guards did not know what to do, and they stood there blindly for a few moments. Then suddenly, one of the guards on Isaella’s side put an arrow to his quiver, and sent the arrow flying toward Sian. But Isaella flung herself in front of Sian’s body. Her body fell limply to the ground, an arrow in her heart. Sian knelt beside her, and Isaella lifted her arm with all the strength left in her, and put her hand on the side of Sian’s face, then she died. Sian cried out in pain. He took the arrow from Isaella’s heart, and thrust it in his own. The soldiers gasped in horror and surprise.
“When they returned the bodies of the princess and prince to the kings, and told them of what had happened, the kings wept bitterly for days. Isaella’s father sent a letter to Sian’s, saying that he wanted to end this war, for Isaella’s love for Sian, and his love for her, was so great, that no country should war for such a low cause. Sian’s father agreed, and the war was over. They had been allies ever since, and won many great battles, fighting side by side. They died of old age, and the story of Isaella and Sian lives on to this day as a sign of peace and comfort and love.” There was silence as Joseph stopped speaking.
The story reminded Rose a great deal of that of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It brought tears to her eyes.
“Why were the fathers of Isaella and Sian warring against one another?” She asked.
“After the deaths of their son and daughter, they forgot. Some say it was for land, others because of a long lost quarrel they had had, but I don’t think it was either. I believe they were fighting about something deep within their hearts, to settle something unforgotten, that lived within their spirits. I believe it was the cause of hatred and anger, of frustration and revenge. Now you see what can become of such things. That guard was wrong to shoot the arrow, although he did it out of duty to his king, but what came out of it was his life. He was sentenced to death when Isaella’s father found out he had caused the death of his daughter.” One small tear rolled down the side of Rose’s face. She would never forget that story, and it would come of great help to her later, in her time of need.
Joseph sensed how Rose felt, as he did with all others who he had told the story to, which were few. He decided to move on to a more cheerful subject. “The bed is very comfortable, I assure you.” His voice cut the silence unexpectedly and Rose gasped, but did not open her mouth, so she was really breathing in deeply through her nose.
Joseph continued speaking. “The sheets are made of Egyptian Cotton, the finest in the world, or of which has yet been discovered. I trust you will find them exceptionally to your liking. The comforter on top is embroidered by the best seamstresses in the land, the finest we have come across in over a decade. The beads you see sewn in are cut from jewels: rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and the rarest of all- the canary diamond. The design which is on the bed tells a tale, like that of the wall. These floors, the tiles… they are white marble. The rarest of white; the silver crested marble. There is actually white gold sprinkled in the marble, creating a silvery tone.”
As Joseph was talking, Rose observed that there were no windows in the room, and yet there was a flow of light, streaming in from an unknown area. Try as she might, Rose could not find a crevice, or light from anywhere; not candles, or a fire, but simply light, sitting there, in the open air.
The fragrant smell was lovely, and Rose couldn’t help but inhale the scented aroma that filled the air. It smelled of a garden of roses, over taken by a second garden of lilacs, and atop that… the glorious smell of wildflowers of all kinds. “I shall leave you now to rest.” Said Joseph, as he backed out of the room, and as he closed the double doors, he gave a slight bow.
When he had left, Rose let out a loud sigh, and smiled the largest smile you had ever seen. She spun around a bit, arms flung out into the open air, and then landed down on her bed, which was already waste high to her. She sat up, looked around, and as she thought, there was a stool, leaned up against the wall to her right. She pulled it over to the bed. To Rose’s surprise, it made no screeching sound as it ran across the floor. She stepped on it, and plopped down on the bed once more, this time fully lying down, stretched out. It was the most comfortable bed she had ever laid down on; like lying on a cloud. She thought. She closed her eyes, and was asleep in a matter of moments.