The Lullaby of Treble Castle - part 8

"The Lullaby of Treble Castle"
part 8

Even though she was going against her friends' wishes, Rachel didn't care. She continued to wander the halls of the castle, determined to find something to strengthen her resolve that much more. Lucien walked with her, though since they made the bet, both of them had been silent. It was awkward. He was going to make her happy by trying to figure out how to break the curse, but at the same time, he wanted to make her fall in love with him? Rachel couldn't help but feel things were going to backfire somehow. She was afraid of so much going wrong. The worst part was she was expected at that concert in Frankfurt that very night, and she was nowhere near solving this puzzle.

Rachel didn't even bother heading to the eastern side. She found nothing of use over there before. She wondered if the Queen had any other personal items still in tact somewhere, but she wasn't sure where she'd find it.

Hours passed as they walked, looking in each room they found. The skies were turning purple outside when Rachel came to the ballroom. The windows inside were so tall that she could see the beautiful sunset in progress. She noticed there was a stage on the far wall.

"Funny," Rachel said sadly, walking over to the stage. She broke the silence between the two of them, but she was hoping that Lucien wouldn't say anything to her right then. "It only serves to remind me of what I should be doing. Where I should be." Rachel climbed up on that stage, then turned to face the way she would be if she were a part of the choir. "Even if I'm not there, I will stand on a stage anyway." She put her hands at her side, closed her eyes, and began to sing her part in the first song that she would have been singing if she were there with the main group.

Lucien smiled. He loved the sound of her voice, even if it was somber. He didn't understand the language she was singing in, and he had his doubts about whether Rachel truly understood them. It was a sad, lonely sounding melody. Lucien could not take his eyes off of her. She should be on a stage. He agreed with that whole-heartedly. It was just troubling how a voice like that was singing on its own.

Soon, Arianna came in, hearing the soprano that she was used to harmonizing with. Her singing voice was low enough to be a tenor. She was also sad to hear it, but she didn't say anything. It struck a chord in her heart. Arianna also knew where she was supposed to be. She climbed onto the stage next to Rachel and added her voice to the melody. They harmonized perfectly, even though Lucien believed that they sounded incomplete.

"They need to be together," Florence whispered as he approached Lucien. "Talking of separating them completely isn't good for morale. No matter how true it is, there's no reason to make them think they can't be as close as they always have."

"Sadly, it's only a matter of time," Lucien whispered in return, putting his hands in his pockets. "I thought I would just give a friendly warning."

"You shouldn't. It might be a driving force for Rachel to break the curse as soon as possible." His words were like striking an arrow through Lucien's heart.  Perhaps his entire approach had been off.

Alyssa came through the door, and Severin apparated through the wall. She walked between Lucien and Florence, giving them both a very disappointed stare. "It's rude to talk while someone is performing, you know," she said quietly, trying to resist elbowing them both in the stomach. "For high class guys, you forget your manners easily." She also went onto the stage, taking her place in the melody as Arianna had before her. Her alto voice fit right between Rachel and Arianna's, bringing the song to a very equal sound.

"We've never had guests who are so well bonded together," Severin said, crossing his arms. "It really is a different game than usual."

"None of our guests have ever been 'usual'."  Florence always had a retort on hand. "The game changes every round. This time, I don't want it to change. If I have to be cursed for eternity in this castle, I want someone I don't mind sharing that eternity with." He watched Arianna sing her heart out. He was proud. "Lucien, it's almost time."

"I know, but... there's a part of me that doesn't want to break this up," Lucien replied.

Severin grunted. "Then I hope you're as good with your sword as you used to be, Sir Lucien." He shrugged. "I'm gonna stop them."

"Don't," Linda said as she walked in. "You haven't heard the full thing yet." She didn't bother to say anything else. She just went onto the stage and joined in the song, while Karoly floated into the ballroom the same way he floated everywhere else. Her high soprano range carried the overall sound further.

"My, my," Karoly said, laying down where he was floating. "They're quite the little chorus together."

All four layers were present, and the song felt whole. Together, their voices seemed to activate a power within the castle, because the four waiters started to feel different. Lavish decorations fitting an opera house were appearing all around them, especially on the walls. There was an audience sitting in chairs lined up on the ballroom floor, but when Lucien tried to touch them, his hands ran through them. On the stage, the ladies were standing in their assigned places, however, everyone could see the rest of the choir on the stage, too. The images of the concert being held right that very moment were almost holographic. The moment their song ended and their eyes opened again, the illusions of the concert faded.

The four young men applauded, and the ladies on stage curtsied, not knowing about what happened there because of their singing together.

"It hurts not being there right now," Rachel said, wiping her eyes.

"You don't have to say that," Lucien replied. "We know."

The ladies eventually hopped down from the stage to stand together on the ballroom floor. While the discussion earlier was tense, they came together for a group hug. Rachel needed it, as she felt like she was separating from her friends the more time passed. Perhaps, letting them have their way would be best? She loved them like family, and it hurt to see them hurt. She was confused as to what to do. Rachel wanted them to be happy. She wanted to do the right thing, and at the moment, she wasn't sure what the right thing really was.

"Hey," Alyssa said. "Didn't you guys say something about their being a curfiew after dark?"

"We did," Severin answered. "You don't have to sleep, but you'd better start heading to your rooms." He looked outside. The sun was about to set, and he feared the moment when the light no longer streaked across the sky. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Karoly picked Linda up into his arms and floated out. "Catch you in the morning," he called from the hallway. "If you survive!"

"That's uncalled for," Severin grunted, taking Alyssa's hand. "Close your eyes, Angel, otherwise, this might scare you." He concentrated his power, and within a few seconds, they had faded away.

Florence pointed at a nearby mirror on the wall. "Come on, Rosebud, we don't have long!" His finger caused the mirror to ripple on the surface, and he took Arianna through it.

Lucien shook his head. "Climb on my back, Princess."

"But you don't have a magical way to travel, do you?" Rachel asked.

"I cannot allow you to walk on your own. We don't have much time. Do not argue with me." She did as requested, and he held her up piggyback style. "Hold on tight!"  Lucien ran at full speed out of the ballroom, heading to the eastern hall.

Rachel could feel something in the shadows. If there was a place in the castle she could not see because it was so dark, there was something in that spot. They screeched when she looked around, they squirmed when she panicked. She had no idea what they could be. All she knew was they were not natural. Some kind of creature with an animal instinct was all she could really guess. Lucien dodged them as they lunged at Rachel. It was clear they were not after him the way they were attacking.

"You must not fear the shadow creatures," Lucien said. "They can smell when you're afraid."

"What are they?!" She asked, doing her best not to fear them. Hearing that she wasn't supposed to only made that a bit more difficult than it would have been otherwise.

"Blind creatures of the night who are just as bitter as the Queen who cursed the castle," Lucien replied, jumping over one who was starting to reach for his legs in an attempt to slow him down. "We who are bound to the castle exist to keep these creatures from multiplying."

"Do you have to exterminate them?"

"It's not that simple." When he reached the east hall, he put Rachel next to their door. Then he snapped once. The candles lit instantly, and little voices in the shadows wailed in response. "Go in, while I'm keeping them at bay."

Rachel opened the door. "Lucien, what about you?"

"They don't want me, princess. When they realize they can't touch you, they'll stop," Lucien said. "Go in and shut the door. The only other person who can enter is me."

She did as she was told. The little creatures started to bite angrily at Lucien's feet, but he pointed at them.

"Stop it, you idiots. I don't know if you've gotten the same crazy idea that Karoly has, but it's not going to happen. The way we used to do things only made the situation worse, if you remember. Carrying out the Queen's will doesn't mean spreading the darkness to every new soul we come across," Lucien said sternly. "I refuse to let you consume her. This one is mine. Any new ones come in, they're rightfully yours if they're outside after dark. I've never asked to make an agreement with you sniveling beasts before, so I have this right. I will do as I please with this one."

"Will you consume her yourself?" a very dark voice asked from the shadows. "When will the gentle facade of the brave and handsome Lucien finally crack? I've seen you struggle against your nature."

"I'm not a demon like you."

"Still believing that a mortal man under a curse is still a mere mortal man?" the voice asked. "You know the truth, Lucien. You know who you are. What you want, what you need. If you need this one for yourself to satisfy your cravings of a few hundred years, be my guest! Show some selfishness for once. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!"

"No! I will not consume her, ever! Get back, Achille! I won't fight you for any other soul that comes to this castle, but this one is mine." Lucien hardly felt angry, but this incident brought it out of him at full force. "I am still the swordsman I was when I took my vows. It is not wise to cross me."

"She is your chevaleresse?" Achille asked, amused by this turn of events. "Sir Lucien, I will allow this once and only once. The next time we find her outside the area we are not permitted after dark, we will not stop. Even for you. Besides, old friend, a sword will not longer cut me. Come, little ones, we will have to feed in the dungeon again."

Lucien could not believe himself. He never stood up to Achille before. His heart was racing. Hopefully, Rachel would never stay out past sunset again. He would not give into this. The thought of Rachel being taken advantage of by a group of demonic creatures made his blood boil. Hell, her going through any pain. It was proof enough for him that he'd fallen for her. Lucien loved Rachel to death, and he would do anything for her. He turned around and pushed against the door, opening it to find that Rachel was sitting on the bed, writing in the book he gave her earlier that day. When he came in, he closed the door again.

"Are they gone?" Rachel asked, looking up.

"They are indeed," Lucien replied, sitting next to her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm as safe as ever, thanks to you," she said, going back to her book. "But you have to tell me exactly what those are."

"You must promise me, princess, you must promise me that you'll never kill yourself," he said bluntly, pulling her quill out of her hand. "And that you'll never stay out so long that you could be caught by them. Between sunset and sunrise, this castle is their feeding ground, save for the four rooms here." He clasped her hands together in his. "Promise me, please."

"I promise, I promise." Rachel said, put off by how he approached her so worriedly. "So, please, Lucien, I'd like to know what was trying to kill me out there."

"The first traveler we ever had become a guest here in our castle did not fall asleep here in one of our rooms. He was a man who came looking for the Queen and didn't find out until a month being here that the Queen was dead. Every night, he would dream of her and her fall into further and further depression. He went insane." Lucien hugged around her more tightly than he ever had before. "Ever since he went insane, he's preyed upon the bodies and the souls of the ones who aren't protected by the four of us. The more bodies he consumed, the darker and more evil he became. Sometimes, he'd wait until they were losing it, but particularly innocent ones, he would break the first moment he had the opportunity. You're all very lucky that on the first night, you fell in to our beds. He also claims the bodies of the ones who kill themselves, and those souls are forced to join in his demonic army. They lose all sense of who they were as a human. The only person they listen to is him. This man's name is Achille."

"His name sounds like Achilles from Greek Mythology. The hero who died in battle because of his one weak point on his heel," Rachel thought aloud.

"Where do you think he got the name from? In my mother tongue, it means 'pain'. Pain, both his and conveying that pain onto others, is what he lives for. Living in the same castle as that despot for so long, I learned to just accept what he calls himself as his name and let it go." Lucien added, snuggling his cheek into her hair. "He was after you. Taking you from me would be like a grand victory to him. I imagine he'd not even turn you into one of those little demons if he had the chance. He'd rather you be his instead."

"It's not like I'm that much freer being with you instead, though. I'm still trapped in this castle." Rachel said, trying to ignore Lucien's affection. "Stop it. I'm having a hard enough time not looking into your eyes, Lucien."

"We made a bet, princess. You will fall in love with me before this curse is broken. And when you do, you will be mine for all eternity."  He leaned his head down to whisper in her ear. "Why don't you lie under me?"

Rachel blushed upon hearing that. "I don't believe that's very fair. I thought I was supposed to get a fair shot at breaking the curse before you started pulling moves like this."

"Why is your heart racing? Are you nervous? Perhaps you've never been in this kind of situation?" He kissed her ear slowly before biting it just enough to get a reaction. "So fragile. So tender. I understand. I am here to serve you, after all." Lucien snuggled closer to her, caressing her cheeks. "Relax, my princess, I won't let anyone hurt you. I love you. Fighting against Achille made me realize it. Rachel, I don't ever want to let you go."

She pushed his hands away. "Lucien, I can't... I can't give in. There's a part of me that would love to, but I'm not going to. You can hold me, just don't-"

He put his hand over her mouth. "Then I can't stay in here with you for the night."

Rachel removed the hand from her face and said, "We've not known each other more than a day. It's hard to believe you could feel this way about me all ready. Or... is it the link between us that makes you believe you're in love with me?"

"The other three are happy with their partners, and they've only known each other for the same amount of time," Lucien said with a slight shrug. "Why not you?"

"I think it's because on the outside, those three have lives that aren't really perfect. They don't want to go back because of circumstances outside of their control. They're afraid to face the truth of who they are and what's become of them," Rachel replied.

"And your life? Is it perfect outside?"

"Hell no," she retorted instantly. "Heartbreak isn't easy to get over. It's devestating on every level for a woman. Don't know about it from a man's prospective, because I'm not one. It happened twice and I..." she trailed off, looking away. "...I swore to endure the heartbreak and live my life anyway. I decided that I would never, ever let myself fall in love again. I kept myself busy with anything I could. Hobbies, friends, family, school, whatever came up. I never let myself feel lonely, and except for Ally, Lynn, and Arian, I didn't bother making friends. Betrayal is the worst thing in the world. So, Lucien, when you say that you love me and that you want to keep me for eternity, it's hard to believe, based on my experience."

"What can I do to make you feel safer with me?"

"...It's not you, Lucien. It's me. I like you. You are perfect for me in every way I can think of. We match so well, but I don't want love."

He sighed. "Fine then." He let her go and stood up, giving her a gentle smile. "Sleep well, my beloved princess. If you need me, all you need to do is call my name. I will be here." Lucien stood up and started walking to the door. "In the closet, there is a set of clothes that will fit you. The bed knows your exact measurements because you've slept in it. Good night."

Rachel couldn't watch him leave. When she heard the door shut, she teared up. She knew she broke his heart saying that, but she wasn't going to lie to him. She picked up a pillow and shoved her face into it, trying to hide her wails from anyone who might have been able to hear them. She wanted to go home, but she liked Lucien. No, there was something more. He wasn't just a friend. Her heart ached as she thought about it. His offering to lie underneath him was such a turn-on, and she told him 'no'. He was the gentlest man she'd ever known, and she pushed him away. Meanwhile, the guys she used to care for were total jerks. What was wrong with this picture? Was it just too good to be true? Rachel could have called for him, to tell him she was wrong, to tell him to claim her, to apologize for being such a bitch, but she didn't. She cried, and she felt awful about it.