Cursed: The Legend of Sleeping Beauty

Chapter Thirteen - Merlins Keep

CopyrightⒸ 2019 by B. R. Bailey All Rights Reserved

Empty houses and stores lined the streets as Briar Rose walked up to the castle, her footsteps echoing the entire way. The courtyard was overgrown, with hedges that reached tangled tendrils into the sky.

Shadows loomed in every corner, breaking goosebumps out over her arms underneath her cloak, which she was suddenly very happy to have kept on despite the heat of the day on her ride towards town.

Stepping onto the overgrown pavers and into the shadow of the first unkept tree, the temperature dropped twenty degrees. Shivering, she pulled her cloak closed over her riding clothes.

Energy crackled in the air, whispering over her exposed skin. If she hadn't known the town was Cursed beforehand, the force gliding over her protective magical barrier would have been evidence enough.

Warring magic filled the courtyard as ancient and new spells clashed. Merlins Keep was fighting to destroy the spell hanging overhead.

Cobwebs shrouded statues that might have once been beautiful. Now the appeared haunted, their dark eyes tracking visitors who dared cross into their silent domain.

Taking a deep breath, Briar Rose prepared herself for what to expect once she entered the castle, each step ratcheting her apprehension.

Ahead was a wide carved stone door as wide as three people were tall. Whistling through her teeth, she couldn't help but be impressed by the grandeur of the stonework. As she neared it opened, revealing a gaping black hole.

Not allowing herself to chicken out, she stepped forward, hopping over the threshold.

"Jumping right on in then? Must be inexperienced." a high pitch mussed, sounding interested in the visitor.

"Hello. I'm Briar Rose, a Curse Breaker." She stated, dropping into a curtsey as her Godmothers instructed her to do when meeting Royalty from other lands, searching for the owner of the voice.

A dark brown ferret stood beside the door on its back feet, it's head reaching just up to her knees.

"Pleased to make your acquittance Curse Breaker," it squeaked. "I am Sir Leonard."

With impressive strength, it pushed it's little arms forward, shutting the door. Before she could comment she noticed a snake coiled along the top of the arch over the doorway. As thick as a tree trunk, it wrung itself around a wheel, spinning silently on perfectly greased parts.

Realizing that it was the snake and not the Sir Leonard the Ferret who was shutting the massive stone door, she opened her mouth to comment, only to shut it again as the snake shook its head slightly.

On the ground, by her feet, Sir Leonard was panting, pushing with all of his strength until the entry hall echoed with the click of the huge stone lock sliding home.

"Welcome, welcome," Sir Leonard bowed, using the action to subtly catch his breath in the most charming manner Briar Rose had ever seen.

"May I take your Cloak, my Lady?" he asked, his pink nose snuffling the air as he held out his little paws.

Not sure how to respond, Briar Rose decided that the castle wasn't so cold that she required it. Slipping it off of her shoulders, she rolled it up into a tidy bundle, tying the drawstring around it in a neat bow so it wouldn't unroll.

"It'sss been a long time sssince we've had a visssitor," the snake hissed, dropping her head down to meet Briar Roses gaze. "You'll have to excussse or mannersss. My name isss Maddie. I'm the Gatekeeper. I would have met you earlier but you were impatient with the Front Gate."