Forced Into Tyranny

12: The Soul's Journey

Thevalon Castle,
Lady Lyra's Chambers.

          The last rays of the setting sun cast a warm glow over the horizon, bathing the sky in shades of orange and pink. The evening was drawing near, and the sky was slowly turning a deep indigo, dotted with stars that were beginning to appear. Lyra stood by the window to feel the air still warm, though the heat of the day was fading, giving way to a gentle evening breeze. The tree shadows stretched, and the world seemed to drift into a peaceful sleep. She captured the perfect picture on her canvas. As she gazed at it now, she nodded in satisfaction, as if her painting nodded back.
          All of a sudden, her door swung open. To her surprise, it was not the queen. The queen hadn't come to check on her today, which was quite normal since Lyra had seen the royal carriage depart with her and her son before the sun grew scorching, but she hadn't witnessed its return. She hoped they were safe, but that concern swiftly faded as Hecuba's face conveyed a sense of urgency that couldn't be delayed for another moment.
          "You found something?"
          "Plenty!" Monima hurried in, averting her gaze from the smudged colors that stained her lady's dress and fingers. Breathless with curiosity, she attempted to steady her breathing before turning her attention back to Lyra.
          "Hecuba had interrogated every guard in the castle, not just those stationed along their paths. It was a simple task since the king and queen had been absent all day. Some men spoke out of fear, while others seemed indifferent, but Hecuba had amassed a wealth of stories to support her theory. She couldn't wait another moment to share them.
          "Every six fortnights, the king gathers the regal guards and rearranges them," she began her explanation, marching back and forth before Lyra. Lyra hadn't been aware of this information until now, so she felt a sense of accomplishment for sending Hecuba on this mission. "I questioned a total of one hundred and twelve guards."
          "What?!" Lyra was taken aback. She hadn't expected Hecuba to go to such lengths, but it demonstrated the depth of her care. All she had done was mention jumping off a window, and Hecuba had actually spoken to that many people? She was truly relentless, and Lyra could not resist admiring it. "I mean, how did she accomplish that in just one day?"
          "I wandered with provisions, eating and drinking the stress away until I no longer felt it." She returned Lyra's smile and continued, "Anyways, one out of five of the guards had a unique story to tell. I cannot remember all twenty two of them, but I have a lot you'd need a seat to hear!"
          Two wing chairs were near Lyra's window, she gestured for both of them to head there. Even when Lyra sat and told Hecuba to do the same, the maiden shook her head and insisted on remaining on her feet.
          "Please, Hecuba. I'm dying to know."
          Hecuba started, "Those who hold belief claim that it commenced a few days following the demise of King Deiotarus. Certain guards assert that his spirit lingers within these walls, but I remain skeptical, for others present a more compelling theory to refute it. The chambers of King Deiotarus do not directly lie above yours; instead, it is Prince Teresson's chamber floor that serves as your ceiling. I shall return to that point..."
          Lyra's heart raced with unease. King Deiotarus. His haunting presence had infiltrated her dreams, revealing his demise. Now, these superstitious souls connected his death to the enigma of the room. Their notion held some validity, but they had yet to strike the sword with the hammer.
          Hecuba's voice trembled as she continued, "The inaugural woman to occupy this chamber was Sibila Caesonia, Milady. She resided here during the solemn rites of the king's burial." Hecuba's words carried a chilling undertone, "Before the morning of the ceremony, she inflicted upon herself the ghastly act of gouging out her own eyes."
          Lyra's mouth grew dry, leaving behind a bitter taste and a lump in her throat. "And what of the next occupant?" she asked, her voice filled with terror.
          Hecuba's expression turned somber as she replied, "I cannot recall her name, but she arrived from Asheville with her father, seeking an audience with the current king. Unfortunately, she, too, met her tragic end. She sliced her own neck using shards from the East window that she had broken herself."
          Hecuba, sensing Lyra's growing distress, continued her unsettling revelations, for she had a darker destination in mind. "Since the king's passing a year ago, nine women have occupied this chamber, Milady. All but one chose to end their own lives."
          Lyra's feet turned as cold as ice, and her stomach burned with fear. She managed to find her voice amidst the suffocating air. "This cannot be true! Why would the queen subject me to a room with such a haunting history?"
          Hecuba raised an eyebrow and replied, "Who knows? Maybe that's why the queen specifically instructed you to avoid the East window."
          True. Lyra had been explicitly warned about the window, and now she had no one to blame but her rebellious self for the haunting that now plagued her.
          Hecuba's voice trembled with a sense of necessity. "You must leave this room, I beg you. The guards say that every lady who stayed here met a mysterious demise. Only one managed to escape the fate of the others. Some died in their sleep, while others jumped, fell, or were pushed out of the window. There was even one who hung herself and another stabbed herself right in the heart with a kitchen—"
          "Stop. Talking. Hecuba." Lyra breathed. Hecuba fell silent, sensing Lyra's panic. Taking a deep breath, Lyra asked with urgency, "You mentioned one woman escaped this fate. Who was she?"
          "Yes, Imma Crobán, and her reputation has been sullied by the scandalous rumors that circulated through court during her stay here."
          Lyra shook her head, tolerably mollified. "And she is where now?"
          "Well, I was told she now stays in the Holy Oak Institute, under the care of one—"
          "Is that not the house for lunatics?"
          "That is so, Milady."
          "And where might this place be?" Standing up, Lyra went and gathered her brushes herself, placing them in a drawer she had made out for them.
          "Northeast of Rusthelm, the guards told me."
          Over her shoulder, Lyra asked, "What is your point about the chambers above mine?"
          "Ah, yes." Hecuba remembered telling Lyra she would revisit that theory. "It is just that, since the demise of the king, no one has seen Prince Teresson. The person who sleeps just above your bed."
          Lyra's fear intensified, her stomach tying itself into knots. She tried to conceal her unease, but her heart raced and her palms grew clammy. Each breath became a struggle as her chest tightened. Hecuba's words weighed heavily on her, enveloping her in a cloud of dread. It was difficult to concentrate, as dark thoughts consumed her mind, replaying like a broken lute strings.
          Lyra spread her hands in an inconsolable gesture. "One whole season, you say?"
          "One whole season, Milady," Hecuba agreed. Her voice trembled as she responded to the silent question on Lyra's face. "No, he is not deceased, for his voice resonates from behind the closed door of his chambers. Only the queen attends to his needs, providing sustenance and bathing him at her whim. He adamantly refuses to emerge. Some claim his father's spirit has taken hold of him, while others believe he is aggrieved."
          "What do you say, Hecuba. You have been talking a great deal about some and others. Let me know your belief."
          "Milady, if I may speak fre—"
          "You may speak freely, Hecuba."
          Hecuba's voice wavered with a hint of dismay. "I believe he has succumbed to madness. The queen, however, keeps this distressing truth hidden from the courtiers. No mother would be happy to disclose such dreadful tidings."
          After a heartbeat, Lyra curled her lips in thought. "Perhaps you're right. But I myself would only be at peace when I know the truth." Realizing the urgency of the situation, she wasted no time. "Tell the coachman to ready my carriage. We depart in a minute. We must visit Imma in Holy Oak. She might be the only one who knows farther than we do of this mystery."
          Startled by the sudden shift in her lady's demeanor, Hecuba said, "Milady, it is getting late. The night is dark and full of—"
          "Oh, fear not the night, Hecuba, but that which it hides." She held Hecuba's hand in a consoling gesture. "You either come with me or you don't. But as for Holy Oak, I must visit. Tonight."
          Hecuba pursed her lip for a moment. "Then we shall journey together." Lyra couldn't resist smiling. "I would never let you go into the night alone, unless I am too weak or too dead to accompany you."