Day 336
Writing exercise – Everything she could see from the room she never left was beautiful.
…
It was Princess Elizabeth’s bright, sunny disposition that gave her the ability to see the good in everything.
Or so someone had said, a long time ago, so long she could not remember who said it or when it was.
What she did know was that it was good advice.
Why, when she knew that she might never leave that room, at the top of the north tower, the one that overlooked the gardens, the lake, the valley and then the sea.
On a good day, she thought, I could see forever.
On a bad day, not that there were many, she could just barely remember how she finished up in that room in the north tower.
But on the periphery of her memory was a story…
…
The Princess Matilda had arrived from a Kingdom across the ocean, a land they had never heard of before, seeking a Prince’s hand in marriage, and she was visiting the seven kingdoms that made up the realm.
Her kingdom was the last, and her brother Prince Joshua was seeking a Princess bride, and Matilda was perfect.
What they didn’t know was that Princess Matilda was not quite who she said she was. It was not long before her brother became ill, and when none of the healers in the kingdom could save him, Princess Matilda told them of a prophecy that foretold of a great sickness that would spread through the realm, and that the only way it could be stopped was to ensure that Princess Elizabeth never left the castle.
Of course, no one believed it, not until people in the kingdom succumbed to the same ailment that the Prince was suffering from.
So, when the people started to die, the King had no choice. The Princess Elizabeth was confined to a room in the north tower, and then people recovered. No one knew why it was, only that her confinement had saved the people.
…
Some years passed before one day the Princess Matilda came to visit her.
She came into her room and sat down. Elizabeth stayed by the windows. It was only the second time she had been face-to-face with Matilda, who had deliberately stayed away from her.
“Are you not afraid you will get sick?”
She knew the reason why she was confined, but never understood why she was not sick herself.
“No. It does not affect me. In fact, you are not the reason people are getting sick. That was just a spell I cast to make them believe you are the cause.”
Elizabeth did not understand why she would say that. “A spell?” She was equally unaware of witches and witchcraft, though it was said that witches once existed in the realm a very, very long time ago.
“Yes. A spell. It was necessary to do what I have done to make sure you do not cause trouble.”
“Why would you think that? I have no intention of doing anything except marrying a Prince and living happily ever after.”
“That’s the problem. If you marry a Prince and have children, they will become witches or warlocks, very powerful and dangerous sorcerers. You were the last of the line, and we have to contain your powers.”
“I have no powers.”
“Not in this room. It is a special room that keeps you from using any spells or exerting any influence.”
“Are you a witch?”
“A good witch, assigned by the Wizard to ensure we do not slip back into the old ways. You will be here until you die. So will I.”
“So I can never leave here?”
“No.”
Elizabeth thought that was harsh, and was going to say something, but then realised that a sudden, random thought just entered her head, one that told her there was a means to escape.
Not exactly how to, but that Princess Matilda knew, but wasn’t going to share.
“You cannot be killed, but you will eventually die. When that happens, I will be free. This is as much torture for me as it is for you.”
“It is not torture. I have a comfortable room and a splendid view. And I do not have to marry a horrible Prince. What more could a princess ask for?”
Her cheery manner was too much for Matilda, and she left in a grumpy mood.
…
Many years passed.
Elizabeth realised that she was not aging as fast as her family members, or Princess Matilda.
Something else she noticed was the fact that outside the door to her room, Princess Matilda looked quite old, as old as her brother, now the King of their kingdom, but inside the room, as old as her parents had been when she was first confined. Elizabeth herself had hardly aged at all.
It was as if she had eternal youth.
And she was sure that was what angered Matilda.
Over the years, she had been working on how she was going to get to the secrets locked away in Matilda’s head.
At first, when she tried to read her mind, Matilda knew straight away. Not that she said anything, so Elizabeth had to be smarter.
She practised reading the minds of those who walked in the gardens below, at first amazed that she could, considering Matilda told her her powers were useless in that room.
That wasn’t entirely true.
And as the years passed, she began to realise that she had some powers, and that it was possible to move objects, make objects appear or disappear, and make objects invisible.
She also realised that she could plant ideas into those people below, and get them to do her bidding. It was not horrible things, she could not and would not want to harm anyone, but she did want to stop whatever it was Matilda was going to do.
She had finally realised that Matilda was not the good witch that she portrayed herself as, bur a bad witch, who slowly, over time, was turning the people against her brother.
This culminated in Princess Matilda’s latest visit, the seventh anniversary of her confinement, the visits being once every ten years.
Matilda swept into the room and sat in her usual chair.
“You are looking old, Matilda,” she said, with no malice in her tone.
Her bright and cheerful disposition annoyed Matilda
“You are fortunate I cannot kill you.”
To Elizabeth, it seemed an odd thing to say. A clue perhaps that Matilda’s powers were waning. She had felt a shift in the atmosphere of her room.
“That would be the act of a bad witch, which you claim you are not.”
“That is true. Forget I said that. There’s a blizzard coming, and we did not get enough grain in storage to last the winter. It’s going to be hard.”
“You could use your powers to stop the storm.”
Matilda glared at her. “What would you know of such things?”
“Just random thoughts. My mother used to recite stories of the old days when a grand Wizard ruled the realm.”
“Fairytales. Of course. Did she tell you of the bad things that happened to the good witches and warlocks?”
“I don’t believe there was good and bad then. What there was, I believe, was greed, lust, and the desire for malevolent power. Instead of sharing the wealth and goodness, some people wanted it all for themselves and made the people their slaves. Is that not what is happening now?”
Matilda looked at her curiously. “You know this how?”
“I can see. I can hear the people who bring me things. I can feel a change in the atmosphere. It is hard not to feel the people’s pain. You are planning something evil. It is the only explanation.”
She stood suddenly, her cheeks flushed front anger.
“I am not. We are preparing for the winter solstice sacrifice to the Gods so that we will survive this harsh weather. Enough.”
She flounced out of the room, the door slammed shut, and the bolts were driven home.
Where Elizabeth should have been dismayed, she was not. Her plan had succeeded far beyond her expectations.
She knew how to defeat Princess Matilda.
…
Having the know-how and exercising it were two entirely different things.
Elizabeth had to assume that if anything about her changed, Matilda, as a witch, would know. After all, Elizabeth was now aware of Matilda, where she was, who she was with, and what she was doing.
More importantly, she now knew what she was thinking.
And that was what had her worried.
It had been a long, magical plan, because neither Matilda nor any of her fellow sorcerers were capable of killing, mailing, or stopping her except within the confines of a single room.
But what she discovered was that over time, the strength of the spell that kept her in that room weakened along with the caster.
Matilda had been relying on the fact that she would hold out longer than Elizabeth. Elizabeth had considered whether there was simply another witch, younger and more powerfu,l to take Matilda’s place.
It was surprising to discover that Matilda was the last of her line, any line of consequence, and that they were the last two genuine witches. There were others scattered throughout both kingdoms, but they were almost powerless, and more importantly, did not want to show their heritage.
So what was Matilda’s endgame? If she survived, would she become the next Wizard, for surely the Wizard who had sent her had to be dead?
Or did she need Elizabeth to die and then usurp her power to rule?
Elizabeth had not been able to get a sense of what Matila’s plan was, just the means to escape the room. After that, Elizabeth was not sure what she would or even could do. Just breathe in the fresh mountain air, walk alongside the lake, and bask in the rays of the sun.
Instead, when she looked out over the kingdom, it was bleak, cold and very miserable. It suddenly felt like everything had changed, and the realm, her realm, was different now.
She was suddenly tired and felt compelled to lie down and rest.
…
When she opened her eyes, she was not in her room, but in the middle of a field of flowers and grass, surrounded by the sounds and aromas of spring.
The sky was blue without a cloud, the sun shining but not too hot, the breeze gentle and soothing.
Was this the afterlife?
Had she died?
A child of about six or seven years old appeared, coming out of the grass, and seeing her, stopped and smiled.
“Hello, Elizabeth. You have come to us at last?”
“Come to whom?”
“Your true family. I am the youngest, you are the eldest. You are seeking guidance, no?”
She hesitated, suddenly realising the girl was herself at that age. “I think so.”
“Good. Then it is time. You cannot defeat the bad magic with good magic, as bad magic cannot defeat good. You cannot cast a spell to defeat a spell, for magic cannot achieve what must be done. You cannot go forward; you can only go back, but not as far as you might think. You must be polite, well-mannered, but firm. You cannot use force and involve anyone else; it must be you and you alone. It must be done at water’s edge when the skies are dark but aglow. You have everything you need now, go!”
…
When she opened her eyes again, she was in her bedroom in the castle.
It was a long time ago.
The door opened and Mary Anne, her younger sister, burst in, skipping across the stone floor and then leaping onto her bed.
She moved quickly before her sister landed on her. That she had not missed in all the years in the north tower.
Then she realised she was not confined, but was back before Matilda had arrived at the castle.
“Has Princess Matilda arrived?”
“Who?”
“A prospective bride for your brother.”
“No. Never heard of her. “
Elizabeth cast her mind back to the day Matilda arrived. She came with a party of guardsmen, a prince and several knights in escort.
“Are we expecting anyone?”
“No. Why would we?”
“A handsome prince may be coming to sweep me off my feet. A princess can always hope, can’t she?”
“I’m hoping you’ll come a play with me. I’d rather go pick flowers than learn how to use a longbow. I mean, girls do not go hunting; they fight in battles.”
“Are we going to war with anyone?”
“No. But that’s the point.”
“I will play with you after your lessons.”
Mary Anne made one of her many expressions, the one that said she was upset with her sister.
“I don’t like you any more.” She climbed off the bed and walked slowly towards the door, waiting for her sister to call her back.
Elizabeth didn’t. She was busy trying to remember the little girl’s riddle in her dream.
If it was a dream.
‘You can’t go forward, you can only go back, but not as far as you think’.
It was the time before Matilda’s arrival.
That meant she could stop her from coming. Except, she couldn’t use magic.
What magic?
She had no magic. She was not a witch, not like Matilda had kept telling her she was. A bad witch? She was not a bad person. She could never be a bad person.
She looked around her room, and it was missing something. Flowers. There were always flowers in a vase by the windows. Freshly picked and with the aromas of the gardens.
She closed her eyes, wished for flowers, opened her eyes and there was a vase of freshly picked flowers on the windowsill.
That was odd. She shook her head.
Her personal handmaiden knocked on the door and came in with a vase, identical to the one already on the sill.
“Sorry. Someone else has brought you flowers.”
“No. Please. Put them next to the others, and tell me, what day is it?”
The girl rearranged the two vases, then turned around. Four moons to your birthday, Princess. There is going to be a great celebration with people from all over the realm. Are you excited?”
She should be, but she wasn’t. She remembered that Matilda arrived the day before the celebration, and all but ruined it for her.
Two moons then to try and remember and figure out what the riddle meant.
“Thank you, yes. Very excited. I presume the dressmaker will be along shortly.”
“Indeed. We are all waiting anxiously to see it. It is going to be the talk of the banquet hall.”
Not if history repeats itself.
“Thank you, Louisa, that will be all for the time being.”
…
She had magic, but she could not use it. She had come back to the time before Matilda had arrived. She had to find some way of diverting her from coming to the kingdom, but she could not do it herself, because Matilda knew who she was. But she was the only one who could do it.
And what else was there? It must be when the sky is dark but aglow. What did that mean?
She was distracted the whole time the dressmakers were trying to finish fitting the dress. Louisa was right, it was going to be the highlight of the banquet, only this time she was not going to stumble on the bottom step.
Unless Matilda cast a spell and made her trip.
Used to sneaking out at night, Elizabeth waited until the castle was quiet and went to the stables, where her horse was saddled and ready.
The sky was cloudy, and the moon was hidden, making it very dark. Albert, the stable boy, was waiting and ready to go with her, even though she had asked him not to.
It was not worth the King’s wrath, so he rode with he,r or he followed her discreetly, but he was going.
She sighed. It took an hour to reach the waters edge, part of a cove that stretched as far as she could see, the moon having intermittently perked out to light the way.
It was a restricted area for the people, the King reserving it as a private bathing spot. No one knew how far the water spanned; some thought it was just a giant lake, and no one had the desire to find out
A previous King had sent a group of men on a floating platform to see how far it went, but they disappeared and never returned, thus giving rise you a legend that it was a lake that would swallow people up if they ventured too far from the shore.
Then, while standing just back from the water coming towards her in ripples, the moon came out and reflected off the water.
Aglow.
So she had to be here when the moon was out. Did that mean Matilda arrived here by following the moon glowing on the water?
“It’s an omen.” Albert appeared beside her.
“What is?”
“The moon on the water. It is said to happen when a disaster is about to strike.”
“What sort of disaster?”
“Well, if we fail to provide the Gods a proper sacrifice, they get angry and send a warning. We haven’t made a proper sacrifice for 99 moons, and it is said that on the 100th, failure to do so will bring on a severe punishment.”
“Where?”
“Here. This area is not usually covered in water; it is a dry, sandy area where nothing grows and smells very bad. It’s why no one comes here. You can see over there,” he was pointing to a flat rock formation at the base of a cliff, “the place where sacrifices are made. You don’t want to be there in two days.”
It didn’t make sense. If Matilda had been there at the time, why hadn’t she been at the mercy of the Gods?
“Doesn’t that make it dangerous for anyone?”
“No. Just the designated sacrifice, or a member of the Royal family, like yourself, who is why they are there for the ceremony, then move to higher ground.”
“So if I were there, then…”
“You would not want to be there. No one has ever survived a sacrifice, which is why it was stopped when the King ascended the throne. You’d best stay away from this place.”
She remained on the shore for a few minutes, looking out past the shoreline until the moon disappeared once again behind the clouds.
She was faced with a difficult decision. Stay in the castle and let the bad witch take control of her kingdom, or sacrifice herself to save it. Either way, her future was bleak.
She had a very difficult decision to make.
…
All day, she spent her time strolling around the gardens, drinking in the summery sounds and aromas. It was her most favourite season of the year.
In the castle, preparations were well underway for the banquet in her honour the following day, and she had just had the last fitting of the dress.
Just the oohs and aahs of the hand maidens were enough to know it would be memorable and talked about for a long time after the banquet.
If she survived the night’s adventure.
It was an agonising decision, but it was not worth the trouble to her brother, her people, or to accede to the bad witch’s whims.
It would end tonight, one way or another.
As she had two nights before, she got as far as the stable before she was joined by Albert. Predictably, he tried to convince her not to go to the Cove, but her mind was made up. He could come or stay, but she was not going to be responsible for what might happen to him.
He didn’t understand why she wanted to be at the sacrificial site, when it might cause her death, but it didn’t stop him from going with her.
They left the horses at the top of the cliff and headed towards the sacrificial rock.
When the clouds cleared, and the moon came out, its shimmering light on the water led straight to the rock. She took up a position near the rock and waited.
Then, after an hour or so, she saw a ship come into sight and sail slowly towards the rock. As it got closer, she could see people on the deck. Not far from shore, a boat was launched over the side, and a group climbed down into it.
Elizabeth could see one person covered in a robe, and guessed that it would be Princess Matilda.
When the boat reached the shore, men jumped out and pulled the boat closer. Another boat had been launched, and more people followed.
The robed person came ashore, and Elizabeth came down to greet them.
“This is a surprise. I did not expect there would be a reception party.” Matilda removed the bonnet of the cape she was wearing.
“This is not a welcoming party. It is a warning. You should leave now.”
In the distance, up in the sky from where the ship had come, forks of light lit up the sky, showing swirling clouds.
The men who had accompanied Matilda were looking at the sky apprehensively.
“What is happening?” Matilda asked.
“It is the 100th moon, after the last sacrifice. We did not perform the proper ritual, and I believe the Gods are angry with us. You must leave now if you wish to avoid the Gods’ punishment.”
“That is nonsense. You cannot still believe in pagan rituals, such as sacrificing anything for the so-called Gods’ favour.”
The forks of light came closer, this time bringing very loud noises. Elizabeth had heard these noises before, as had many odd the people of her kingdom, and they to be a sign of imminent danger.
She was glad Albert had gone back up the cliff face.
“You should leave now.”
“Don’t be silly. Who are you, anyway?”
Behind her, the rest of the landing party had come ashore. There were about 20 people or more. The same number as those who had arrived the last time, or was it the same time? Elizabeth was confused.
“I am Princess Elizabeth. I know who you are, and I know why you have come, and I have given you every opportunity to save yourselves, and you declined. I am no longer responsible for what happens next.”
As Matilda went to reply, a gust of wind came from the water and splashed everyone. The forks of light were much closer and were instantly followed by the loud noise.
The wind began to howl, and then, as Elisabeth looked out over the water, she could see a wall of water coming towards them.
Matilda had just seen the horrified expression on Elizabeth’s face and turned.
It was too late.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and moments later was swept into the wall, along with the ship, the boats, and everyone on the shore.
…
It was a new day, and when Elizabeth woke, she was in her bed.
Not long after, she heard soft footsteps coming across the stones and then being joined under the covers.
Mary Anne, her sister.
“It’s your big day, Lizzy.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. But just a little sad. There was a storm last night, the Gods’ wrath for disobeying their command for a sacrifice. They took away our lake and replaced it with rocks and sand.”
“That can’t be all that bad. No one ever visited it, not since Papa stopped the sacrifices.”
“That is true. Anyway, you have the banquet, and perhaps you may meet a nice Prince. Mama has invited at least three.”
Elizabeth sighed. It could be worse. She might still be locked up in the north tower. Now that was an odd thought. Whatever made her think of that?
…
© Charles Heath 2025
Thrills, Spills, and just a dash of Romance 