24 Trouble

The sun had long set and the sky was turning a dark shade of blue. Soon, it began to get darker and darker, the light slowly fading away into the horizon. The people in the kingdom of Valtoria began to retire to their several resting places, closing up their shops and putting out their fires.

Rhiannon, stood by the side of her window taking in the cool fresh night air and admiring the peaceful view. She could hear the hushed voices of the maids as they prepared for bed and saw a few of them staying back to light all the corridors with fire torches.

With an umpteenth sigh, Rhiannon turned to go to her bed. But just as she took a step, she felt the candles in her room begin to flicker uneasily. Her heart stilled for a second before she turned to tin the direction of the flickering candles that were threatening to go off. Dread seeped into her bones at the thought of having to sleep in the darkness.

"Oh no," she whispered under her breath, watching as the candles continued to flicker though there was no wind blowing. Just as she thought that this torture would last for eternity, she saw how all the candles steadily steadied and she let out a long sigh of relief.

Quickly going over to her bed, Rhiannon picked up the amulet under her bed and put it around her neck before letting out another sigh. Just as she was about to lie down in bed, she heard her vase wobble for no apparent reason. Rhiannon whipped her head towards it but there was nobody there.

"Who's there?" Rhiannon called out nervously but nobody replied. She tried to calm herself down by telling herself that it was just her illusions playing tricks on her again, but then something moved from the corner of her eyes and she jumped in fright.

There stood her dead mother, bloodied like the way she had died at the door, staring right at her. It was as though she was boring right into her soul, searching for something or perhaps trying to tell her something.

"Mother?" Rhiannon called out shakily, but no reply came from the apparition.

Rhiannon felt her legs go jelly and her head felt so light as she slowly slid down to the ground, tears rolling from her eyes. She knew that this was an illusion. Looking up, she saw her mother still staring right at her. Rhiannon wanted to scream or speak but no words left her mouth.

But no matter how long her dead mother stood there, she wouldn't speak. And then, to Rhiannon's dismay, she saw her mother slowly turn to leave the door.

"No, wait!" Rhiannon panicked, crawling towards the door but lacking the strength to chase after her. She began to feel trapped and helpless when suddenly, the door slowly creaked shut, leaving Rhiannon feeling as though she had been trapped inside. It was then that Rhiannon let out a bloodcurdling scream.

The sound echoed throughout the silent corridors of the castle, sending shivers down the spines of anyone who heard it. The maids whispered to each other, wondering if Rhiannon's mental issue was acting up.

"Did you hear that?" Amelia who was about to retire but on the word of the old nanny who requested for Rhiannon to take some milk before going to bed, asked nervously. "What could be wrong this time?"

"I don't know," Another maid who was accompanying her replied. "But I think we should go and check on her."

With that, the two maids set off toward Rhiannon's quarters, their hearts pounding in their chests as they feared the worst. When they arrived at her door, they knocked hesitantly, afraid of what they might find on the other side.

"Your Highness?" One of them called out softly. "Are you alright?"

There was no reply.

After a few moments of hesitation, one of the maids gathered up enough courage to push open the door, revealing Rhiannon lying on the ground in a heap.

"Your Highness!" They cried out in alarm as they rushed over to check on her. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Rhiannon slowly lifted her head, wiping away the tears from her eyes as she tried to compose herself.

"It was my mother," she said weakly. "I saw her... She was standing right there." looked at each other in confusion, not quite sure how to respond to such an outlandish claim.

"Your mother, Your Highness?" One of them asked worriedly. "But she has been gone for many years now."

"I know," Rhiannon replied shakily. "But I saw her. She was real."

The maids exchanged concerned glances, unsure of what to make of this situation. They knew that something must be done to help the princess, but they were at a loss as to what that something might be.

As they stood there in silence, trying to figure out their next move, Rhiannon looked up at them with tears still in her eyes.

"Please," she begged. "Stay with me. I don't want to be alone."

And so the maids nodded their heads in agreement, settling down on the ground beside Rhiannon and comforting her until she fell asleep once again. They would sort out what had happened in the morning, but for now, all that mattered was ensuring that the princess felt safe and secure.

~ ~ ~ ~

King Roderick, who had just finished his routine night stroll, was about to head to his chambers when a blood-curdling scream echoed through the halls. He paused in his tracks, and with a shocked expression, turned to move towards the source of the sound.

As he was about to approach the corridor of the chamber, from where the scream seemed to have come, King Roderick's legs felt glued to the ground. His breaths became slow, and his heart raced as he stared at something that made him question his sanity.

There stood Rhiannon's mother – or rather, her ghostly form – standing before him with an eerie and sinister look on her face. Her body was bloody and decaying flesh dripped onto the floor.

"No, no... please no," the king stammered. "You are not real."

Rhiannon's mother took a step nearer, making King Roderick feel paralyzed and immobile. The ghostly figure snarled as she raised a bloodied hand to descend upon him.

With fear gripping him like a vice, King Roderick fell hard onto the ground and began shaking like a leaf. He pleaded with the spirit, making incoherent statements like, "Please don't kill me; I didn't intend to.."

But before the ghostly hand could strike him down completely, approaching footsteps were heard. Two maids and a guard alongside Lilith rushed in to find their king trembling and pleading for mercy.

"Please don't hurt me," King Roderick cried out again.

Lilith's eyes widened in shock as she realized that her husband was about to give away one of her terrible secrets. She hurried over to cover King Roderick's mouth before he could say anything more.

Terrified and assuming that the ghost was about to strangle him, he yelled hysterically until he recognized Lilith's familiar voice commanding someone to help lift him. He opened his eyes to find Lilith staring down at him with a grim expression.

The hall became silent, and the only sounds were King Roderick's heavy breathing and Lilith's hushed whispers. Both of them knew that this was a secret that could never be shared, not even with the dead former queen.