Chapter 5: Underneath The Castle III

It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness as well as the putrid odour coming from the room.

And when it did, she found that she stood in a lonely space, it seemed to be constructed completely with concrete.

There were desks, aligned by the wall, opposite from where she stood with cages and wooden boxes on top of it.

At the wall adjacent to where she stood rooted to the ground, there were beds aligned. Taking a step closer, she could make out the white tarps spread out atop the beds, covering whatever was beneath.

"What is this place?," she questioned herself and a gutty rumble in the pit of her stomach told her she would not like the answer.

She stepped towards the desk, slowly and warily. And what she saw made her stomach lurch in disgust.

Right there on the table, in the cages were what seemed to be human hearts tagged and labelled.

Specimen A, B, C, and D.

Those were the labels of the hearts in the cages, lined in a straight, linear line. And at the end of the table was the wooden box, a pool of thick, metal chains lying at the bottom as though it had been loosened from the box.

Lily suspected that what ever was in that box, they had kept it very tightly locked and secure until now.

She inched towards the box and with every step, it almost seemed like she could hear whispers.

But she pushed the thoughts away, convincing herself it was her paranoid mind.

On top of the lid of the box was a note, or perhaps, a letter?

The letter was rather old as it was difficult to read its contents as the ink was already fading and even botched at some lines.

My liege,

I suspect this is as far as I can aid you. I found this buried deep in the soil far into the woods.

What ever haunts these grounds has been following me since I stepped foot here. It promises me, it lures me. I know that I must remain strong but it is difficult and i-

I fear that whatever is here is something more formidable than we imagined. I don't evæ...

I may not make it back alive, that is why I write this letter to you and truly if I do not make it, bury me here.

Philip.

Philip?

As in Philip Burgess, the Viscount of Meriwess? Her father's close friend?

Where had he been that he had uncovered this strange box? And why had he spoken as though he strongly believed he was going to perish there?

Placing the letter aside, she made to open the wooden box and discover what the viscount had discovered. But before she could, she heard the scratch of the stone door rub against the stone floor.

Frantically and in a panic, she searched for a place to hide, so as to not be caught. But she found no place that would not immediately give away her presence.

Her scanning, frantic, grey eyes found a door, hidden in the darkness, just beside the table where she stood before.

And immediately she rushed to open it, her heart pounding viciously against her chest. The door was a little more difficult to open as it seemed the stone was heavier or there was something behind it.

The room behind the door was even darker than the one where Lily had previously stood. But she couldn't wait for her eyes to adjust as she heard footsteps walk up the stairs she had walked up to get here.

Feeling around, she came across what felt like a box and conveniently, there was a sheet over it, which felt like it draped to the floor. And deciding that was her hiding spot, without a second thought, she dove underneath.

Silence enveloped the place, layering the air like a blanket. The muffled voices that reached her ears clarified the closer they got.

"See? There is no one here, my love! You are merely paranoid."

There was a tense quiet, then Lily heard a deep sigh. "Perhaps you are right. I thought I heard door screech open."

"It must have been your imagination," the Queen placated. "You have been rather more stressed than usual lately, my king."

"We do not have much time left, Alexandria," King George sighed again.

"It doesn't mean you should kill yourself over it!," Queen Alexandria retorted. "It is difficult for me, watching you tire yourself out, kill yourself..."

"My love....I will be alright," the king replied. "What is important is that we get Gilbert to do as asked, he has been becoming rather insolent these days."

Lily listened intently and was shocked when she heard another voice. A man's. But it was not the king's.

It was much deeper. Much closer.

"My rosebud."