Amelia - Myth of the Cursed Child

Chapter twenty-eight

Pic: Madelyn, Queen of the Cold

I started following the carpet through the room. My hands caught something really soft. It was a big, white bathrobe made of cotton. Multiple of them were hanging on hooks by the stairs. I immediately put one on and felt myself getting warmer by the second. It seemed strange to have bathrobes in a ballroom, but I did not question it. I was cold and thankful for the robe. 

I saw a large shadow on the wall at the corner of my eye and let out a surprised squeal. The shadow disappeared. I walked closer to the place, where the shadow had been. 

As I got closer it reappeared. This time I got a closer look.

I was close enough to touch the wall now, so I did. When I removed my hand, it was like my hand had smelted some of it.

The wall was ice cold. Soon I realised it was made of that exact thing.

Ice.

On the other side of the wall, there was an ocean. I suddenly understood why I could see less and less the further I walked down the stairs. I was on the bottom of the ocean. The thing I saw was not a shadow. No, it was a fish.

I looked at the floor and under the ice I could see sand. I must have been deep down, due to the never-ending stairs I had walked down. I did not understand how no one hadn't found this place. It was lit up like a Christmas tree. There must have been a long way to the surface.

The thought of the ice-walls breaking while I was inside, scared the life out of me. I would drown in a matter of second.

It suddenly made sense why the torches were fake, but I could not comprehend how there could be electricity down here. Maybe cables had been pulled down here or something?

I continued walking on the carpet, occasionally seeing a fish. I thought it was a sad that this place was so far down. You could not see a lot trough the walls and it was so dark outside. It would have been amazing if the water surrounding this place was turquoise blue.

I let out a sigh, it would have been beautiful if you could see different animals swim on the other side of the wall. Maybe you could see turtles, octopuses, or maybe a stingray.

I walked past the round tables. I was still walking on the red carpet and I almost felt royal.

I looked to my left where I saw a beautiful painting. It was an oil painting of a woman. Her hair was short and bright white. It stopped by her shoulders, which made her look a bit old, but wise at the same time. She was sitting down in a Mona Lisa pose.

Her hands were folded in her lap, which showed of her long nails. They were painted in an almost completely white colour.

She was wearing all white and she almost looked like a princess.

I walked closer, trying to read the little sign beneath the big painting. I read it out loud: "Madelyn, Queen of the Cold."

I got a strange feeling suddenly. I felt like I knew this name and meanwhile I felt kind of proud. It was as if I was proud of building this place.

I was almost at the end of the ballroom, when I noticed a pedestal. A large book was placed neatly on it. There was spotlight on the book. I touched the surface of the book and opened it.

There was no title on its cover, so I hoped to find one inside. I did, and it said: 'Queen of the Cold. Madelyn's story.'

There was a foreword under the title, which I read.