The Song Of The Wolf (Edited & Rewritten)

Chapter Twelve, Part One

Maebh spent the following days exploring the castle. She started from the lowest level, in the bowels of the earth, and worked her way up. Claudie had given her a fob bracelet to operate the network of elevators with. Naturally, Maebh tried to open doors with it too. A quest that proved futile.

It took a full five minutes to reach the bottommost level. A man-made cavern welcomed her, along with a man in an orange vest who seemed to have been expecting her. He offered her a set of safety earmuffs, with a clever protruding bit that let them converse amidst the cacophony of machinery. The man explained how their operation harnessed the power of nature to sustain every household in the valley. He detailed a process of ingenuity and resourcefulness, by which glacial water was collected and filtered, and waste water was pumped back to be purified and repurposed. To illustrate this cycle, he pointed to a stone partition separating them from where food production was in full swing.

The man led her out of the darkness and into a flourishing haven, where rows of crops and lush greenery thrived. Exiting the dimly lit cavern, Maebh had to blink a couple of times for her eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness.

The overhead bulbs cast such a convincing imitation of sunlight that Maebh questioned whether they had stepped outside. The facility was alive with activity, chatter and laughter filled the air. Workers clad in short-sleeved attire and sunhats bustled about, bronzed skin and glistening with sweat as if they were toiling under the Mediterranean sun.

According to a lady with cloudy grey hair, the carefully controlled conditions allowed them to harvest fruits and vegetables all year around, enough to feed fifty thousand people. Some plants were tended to by dedicated gardeners, their green fingers ensuring optimal growth. Others were left to their own devices. The berry bushes, rhubarb and herbs ran wild and free.

The more Maebh explored, the more she saw a resemblance to a self-sufficient community rather than a royal residence. Perhaps it was both? The second week came around, and Maebh decided exploring the stronghold in its entirety was a monumental task that would take months, and she had not planned on staying that long.

Hours turned into days as she wandered from level to level, barely making a dent. From commercially sized cinemas where movies played to empty seats, to gyms with the newest fitness equipment, wine and whisky cellars and a bowling alley. She stumbled upon less glamorous infrastructures too, advanced air filtration and ventilation systems, boiler rooms and another cavern that housed a hydroelectric power plant.

With each discovery, the enigma deepened. Why did the valley contain a castellated microcosm of society, and regardless of its royal character, how had it not become a tourist trap yet?

The theme of unanswered questions continued. With conversations often leading to deflected remarks and vague half-truths, creating an atmosphere steeped in secrecy. Fear took root at the heart of this place, a fear that burrowed deeper than the simple desire to keep your job. As if one wrong word would cost them their lives.

If Maebh wanted answers, she would have to look beyond the castle's employees. But Maccon's mere presence made her want to dig a shallow grave and lie in it, hoping he would not see her. Marrok ignored her of his own accord, and Fillin had not been sighted since her arrival, leaving Hèmène as her most likely source of clarity. That is, until she conveniently vanished as well. Her office door had been locked for days, her seat unoccupied during dinner.

Maebh ate breakfast in the dining hall, prepared a wee backpack with water, snacks, and lunch for her day of exploring, and returned to the dining hall for dinner, before retreating to the tower. Day in, day out. Repeat.

Without the queen there to pretend Maebh was actually participating in the social entertainment of the guests, dinner had become an even more uncomfortable affair. Maebh could think of better ways to spend her captivity than by listening to bigoted men with deep pockets and a weak grasp of humour. And so, since it did not aid her escape and Claudie brought her the same meals if she took them in the tower, she stopped going altogether.