1 The castle

Standing proud on the hill ,its imposing presence overlooks the tiny village in the valley below. Many local people have heard stories about this place. Many have heard stories of terror , of nightmares , of ghosts and ghouls .it has a reputation of being a place of fear , of somewhere you should never go alone , unless you want to remain terrified for eternity. King castle has sat on the hilltop for almost 900 years. It was once the home to kings and queens , lords and ladies , counts and countesses. Now ,it is nothing but an empty shell. There are no more exquisite banquets or gatherings. There are no more ginormous open fires or four poster beds. All that remains of the castle is the remnants of what was there before.

On stormy evenings , the wind whistles around its ruins as the mist falls upon its turrets. It is on night like this , the villagers start to tell their stories. They gather around their kitchen tables and tell tales about the past. Their children quiver in their boots as the adults laugh and joke. They are stories which have been passed down from generation to generation , becoming more exaggerated and dramatic each time they're recited. There is one tale that the villagers know very well. They have told it to many people. And today , they tell it again.....

Lady king lived at King Castle from its fruition. Her mother and father were the rightful owners of the land and supervised the construction of their fortification. It took years for it to be ready for habitation but finally it was suitable. As the years went by , they built additional wings, extra fireplaces, stables, cottages, and huts for their animals and workers. The castle was surrounded by a two-mile wall and, below it, a deep moat. No one could get in or out unless they entered or left through the main archway entrance and made their way across the drawbridge. Here there were always four knights who were armed with swords, ready to kill if you didn't obey the rules.

Lady king often liked to take a stroll along the castle walls. She would meander along them and greet each guard she passed. Whenever she arrived at the grand main archway, she would look out and imagine herself running across the drawbridge to freedom. She felt copped up and alone in the castle. She dreamed of roaming through the woods and villages that surrounded the castle. She longed to be a normal girl. Lady king was known for her intelligence and sporting skills. She was an excellent sword fighter and loved to practice archery in the main castle courtyard. She also excelled at reading and writing. She loved to learn new skills; it distracted her from her imprisonment. Of course, she knew if she were allowed into the outside world that she might be in danger, but she longed to see more than what was within the castle grounds. The world was a scary place as wars were rampaging their way across the country. Her family were trying to keep her safe, but she was plotting to escape.

One peaceful September evening , Lady king was laid in bed listening to her parents talking in the hallway. She could hear voices were urgent and stressed and so she went to see what was wrong. They told her to stay in her room and not to come out until she was told to do so. Lady king didn't like that at all. She already felt cooped up in the castle. There was no way she was going to stay trapped in her room. As the hours went by, Lady king could hear more noise from outside the castle walls. When she reached up to look out of her window, she saw fires and groups of people gathering at the castle. As she watched, she started to feel excited. Perhaps this could be her chance to escape and find her own life. But then again, she didn't know how to fend for herself. Her parents and assistants had always done everything for her. As a lady , they even helped her to get washed and dressed every day! She jumped from the window and checked her door - she hadn't been locked in. She stood for a moment and contemplated her options. She walked up and down the room as she went through the pros and cons of escape.

Her father's army could ward off the villagers , or they could get in and kill her! She could risk it all and escape for a better life. She slumped down onto her bed, thought for a few more moments, and decided to put on her warmest dress and make her way, quietly, to the drawbridge. Luckily, noise echoed around the castle, so whenever someone was approaching her in the vast corridors, she would hide behind a corner , or open door. She was quick and light on her feet; she knew how to make herself disappear. She finally made it to the courtyard. Unfortunately, for lady king, it was thriving. She had never seen so many people, and they were all armed with swords and bows and arrows. Why was this happening now? She had heard tales that her father was in formal talks with another lord about land and cattle. Surely, they could solve their issues in some other way, rather than trying to hurt each other. As lady king sighed, she saw a cloak which had been left close by. Normally, she wouldn't touch anyone's belongings, but it was now or never. She took the cloak and lifted the hood over her head. Hopefully now she would be more inconspicuous.

She looked out over the vast courtyard and planned her route to escape. As she did, she heard cheers from men below. She could see her father giving them a speech. She didn't approve of this, but she was only fifteen and did not yet have any power. She ran around the gallery overlooking the courtyard so she could see over the castle walls. The crowds of villagers had quadrupled. She could see flames and fire and people brandishing swords, javelins, bows and arrows. Something bad was about to happen. She ran down the closest steps to the courtyard and walked with the cloak covering her face and clothes as much as she could. She was getting pushed and shoved by the crowds, but luckily no one recognized her. Why would they? she was never allowed in this part of the castle! if her had knew she was there, he would definitely lock her away in her room, for her own safety. Enough was enough, she wanted to be free.

Suddenly, there was an incredible roar from the crowd and a lot of commotion. The drawbridge was lowered, and the angry crowds gathered and made their way to the exit. Lady king was pushed along with them. At times, her feet didn't even touch the ground as she was dragged with the masses. she started to panic, she couldn't breathe or move. Her arms were trapped, and cloak was obscuring her face so much that she was disorientated. She caught glimpses of the bridges, of the moat, and of the sky. The sky she so desperately wanted to see from outside the castle walls. Suddenly, the intensity stopped, and all was still in air. She realized she was surrounded by hundreds of people brandishing swords. When she turned around, she saw the villagers with their weapons, shouting about how furious they were with her father. She started to panic. She shouldn't be there. And there was no escape or anywhere to rub to as all she could see was a plethora of faces. The silence felt never-ending. Then suddenly, there was the sound of a piercing horn and all the crowds screamed and started running towards each other. Lady king was pushed and thrown around. She screamed and shouted but no one could hear.

She tried to escape and run back to the drawbridge but, as she ran closer, the drawbridge was slowly lifted. She screamed and pleaded for them to lower it, for them to let her in, but the cloak made her look like a villager and so she blended in with the crowds. All of sudden, the sound of the horn sliced through the air again and a sea of arrows flew through the air and down onto the crowds. There was nowhere to escape, even if she ran, she wouldn't be fast enough to find shelter. As she made her way to a tree, she felt the arrows hit her and she fell with a thump to the ground. As she laid there, she looked up at the blue sky. she had made it to the other side of the castle walls. She had made it to freedom to only taste it for a few minutes. But she smiled as she knew she had done it, if only for a fleeting moment. Lady king glanced up one last time at her home, King castle, took a deep breathe and closed her eyes.

Hours later, after the battle, her father and mother were anxiously looking for her when a guard brought her body to them. They both collapsed in shock. Their lives were ruined, all over a petty argument with a local lord.

It is said that when you hear the wind whistling around the old king castle ruins, its Lady king calling out to her family to help her. On stormy nights, people have said you can see her on the castle walls, looking out to the village and the drawbridge where she fell.