The Castle of Gregorath stood on the top of the hill surrounded by a small village at its foot. It was not so welcoming, and the murkier sky made it worse. Inside, the halls, however, were illuminated by the torches hanging from the walls. The bloodied walls made the castle even more gruesome and terrifying. It was home to the Creffins, infamous for their hatred and torturing of the Men. However, not a single life has seen a walking Creffin in about two decades. But, the villagers near the castle were always afraid of going near the castle. During the rise of the Elves, it served as a prison… a prison to hold men who lead rebellions against them. The Elves brought new toys every week for them to play with. None of the villagers witnessed their barbarism but can imagine how tormented the Creffins were from the excruciating screams heard from the castle at nights. However, the elves didn’t mind their cruelty as long as they were not torturing their kind.
The Creffins, were also humans, cannibals – as they were rumoured to be, sworn their allegiance to the Elves because of their natural hatred of their own kind. They didn’t have any militia to offer the Elves but were incredibly rich. But, the downfall of the elves brought an end to their regime. They were shunted in their castle and never been seen since then. It was rumoured that they ended up feeding on each other. Even these rumours didn’t help the villagers to get near the castle. So, the Castle of Gregorath was unvisited by the villagers
Down the hill, at the centre of the village there was a pub and an argument broke out between two boys. It was about the castle. Every now and then, the teenagers in the village tend to challenge each other about getting inside but not one of them dared to do it. So, the onlookers left them to it. One of the boys threw a jug of mead aiming at the head of the other, the other ducked under the table and the jug shattered on the wall spilling mead on everyone near it. This latest commotion attracted the attention of the others and now everyone was on their feet watching the row. The boy who threw the jug was shaking with rage, his face glowered red when he spoke, “I don’t give a damn about what you say, Mullian, I am getting into that castle tonight and prove that I am not a coward like you who just sits and boasts about doing it a thousand times.” The crowd around realizing what the boys were fighting about went on with their own business. The boy called Mullian, equally angry as the other, “Fine! Get on with it then. I will be outside this very pub to appreciate your valour”, said sarcastically and left laughing at his earnest. The other boy gave a contemptuous look at the place where Mullian had been standing and left at a pace.
Thoughts flooded his brain engulfing his anger and then what he told to Mullian came to his mind, fresh and clear. He told he will be reaching the moon or the equivalent. What were you thinking promising to go into the castle, you idiot, Fabian? He didn’t know what to do or how to do, but he had to do it otherwise he would be bullied for a long time. His legs brought him to the end of the village; he turned around and stared at the village. The nearest candle illuminated him revealing a handsome young face, with some gashes across, nearing adulthood. His long blonde hair fell to his shoulders covering his ears. He would have looked better if he had worn his usual smile. He is skinny but the cuts across his hands and face shows that he was brave.
Somewhere it thundered and began to rain. Fabian breathed in petrichor, made his mind and started climbing the hill. His hike was smooth and easy until the castle came into view. The forest seemed to be darkened itself near the castle. He couldn’t hear the twigs breaking under his feet by the sound of the rain. Occasionally the lightning illuminated the castle, making the scene a bit more sinister. Finally, he reached the castle, drenched, panting and had a stitch in his stomach. He took the support of the gate to catch his breath but was startled because at the mere touch of his hand the gate dissolved into nothing. He had made it to the castle, but he must take a souvenir to prove his word. So, he made up his courage and walked towards the front doors and rapped three times. The sound echoed through the castle. The rain stopped, but the clouds didn’t budge for the moon to shine. So, he stood there in complete darkness and silence. When he got bored of waiting and decided to poke around the windows, he heard a muffled sound of footsteps. They grew louder and louder as the owner of the steps walked towards the door. There was a clink, a clank and a clunk, then the door opened.
There stood a skinny girl, covered with dust and soot, looking alarmed at the unexpected intrusion. She was shorter than him but looked older. She stood there gazing at his intruder. He didn’t know what to say or what to do for he hasn’t seen a girl in his life more beautiful than she is. His mouth went dry, his lips trembled, his nervous eyes moved from side to side, his chest moved up and down as he took deep breaths. He could make out a word as his heart was trying to leap out of his mouth, so he kept it shut. They both stood there staring at each other for long. Somewhere in the night an owl hooted, and Fabian spoke, “Whoru?” The words came out so fast that even he couldn’t make them out. She looked more puzzled than ever.
He wondered whether she could understand him or not for the next words he spoke clearly and loudly, “Who are you?” She smiled and said, “My name is Hilary Creffin, and you are?” So, she can speak, he thought. “I am Fabian Quinan, you can call me Fabian. I am from the village. Can I come in?” he asked the question hesitantly because he didn’t like the idea of standing outside anymore and felt that the castle was a safer place than he thought. She pulled the door open and allowed him to enter. She didn’t stop gazing at him all the time. When Fabian entered the castle, his mouth fell open. He imagined a sinister looking place, but the walls were all draped with coloured wallpaper that matched the ceiling, there was a beautiful chandelier flooding the hall with light. He can tell that the paintings hanging on the walls were old, but the frames were neatly polished to look new. When he admired the hall enough, his eyes fell upon Hilary who was still not blinking her eyes from him.
He saw that she was wearing an apron and holding a ragged cloth in her hand. And his mouth fell even more, she has done this place this mesmerizing? He racked his brain to say something to her, “Er – do you work here?” He felt stupid to hear the words that came out. But, felt okay when she smiled and nodded her head in a ‘No’. Unable to think what to talk, he walked around the hall examining the paintings. She was at his heel all the time and was now gawking at him.
“Er – why are you following me?” he asked. The words echoed through the hall, they came out louder than he intended to. She placed a finger on his lips and shushed him. “Shhh… They will hear you. They won’t like you being here. So, be quiet”, she said. All the fear that had vanished at the sight of here came gushing in again. She is not alone here, there are others, and they won’t want him inside. He remembered all the legends he heard about this castle, the man eaters, the torturers. But, wondered if she was like them. She couldn’t be bad, she seems so nice, answered someone in his head. He pulled up his courage and asked, “Who are they, Hilary?” It must have been her name on his lips that made her so elated that she jumped up and down when she said, “My father…, mother…, uncle…, aunt…, brother… They are all sleeping upstairs.” She pointed a finger up and asked, “Do you want to see them, Fabian?”
Do I? he thought. She was smiling so broadly and looking more beautiful than before that he didn’t want her to look glum. So, he waved his hand and asked her to lead the way. Her mood elated, and she went up the stairs hopping from one foot to other. She took a right, tiptoed to a room at the end of the corridor and asked him to do the same. She pushed the door ajar and peered inside. The room was empty except for the furniture and portraits of some royal looking people. She dragged him in and stood facing the portraits. There were six portraits in two columns and three rows. She pointed to the topmost and said, “He is my father and my mother”, the portrait next to it. “Down to them are my uncle and aunt.” She went close to the portrait in the last row, touched the cheek of a gaunt looking boy and said, “He is my brother and that’s me”, the one next to it.
A grim look mapped her ever smiling face. He knew what was behind that sorrow. But, he had to ask to be sure, “Where are they?” She looked square at his eyes, puzzled. “They are here”, she said showing the paintings of her family.
“Er – are they dead?”
Her chest fell, tears trickled down her cheeks. She wiped them with her sleeve and said, “They are. My Uncle and Aunt died before I was born. Father and Mother died when I was five. My brother took care of me, but he succumbed to my ancestors’ ideals, beliefs and trails and lost his life.” More tears fell when she started to talk about her brother. She sat on the bed, took a deep breath and continued, “I think you know what my family used to do.” This was not a question or an opinion, she impressed her disgust at what her family were to him. “It was later that I understood what they were and what they did. I tried moulding my brother away from their practices. He couldn’t help… he wasn’t in his right mind… but I had to do it…”
The next words were muffled as she sobbed hard into her apron. Fabian sat beside her and patted on her shoulder. She jerked a little at his touch and continued, “He came onto me with a knife in his hand. But, he was tired and weak. The quarrel ended with knife stuck between his ribs.” Her eyes became red from crying. She spoke so fast that she seemed to be waiting to tell this to someone… waiting to let go of the guilt in her… waiting to be rescued from this deranged place. “I am all alone. I am scared. I am weak, and I think I will go mad sitting and talking with these portraits all day.” He only looked at her once or twice after coming inside, but now as he looked at her it dawned on him that how thin she was. Her cheeks and eyes were sunken, her hair was sticking at different ends. But, all and the same she looked pretty. He couldn’t help but notice that she was even more beautiful in her sobs.
“There is nothing to feel guilty about that, it was an accident. You did your best to protect your brother, you loved him, you cared him. But, in the end he cracked. There is nothing wrong from your side and if you think you are guilty about his death then it was loving him that you made a mistake, caring for him you made a mistake. And, by the way you told me about him they were never your wrongdoings. You loved him by your heart. This is just survivor’s guilt”, said Fabian looking straight into Hilary’s eyes for the first time. He could swear he had seen a sparkle of hope in her eyes. She lowered her eyes and rested her head on his chest, where silent tears fell. She waited a long time, twenty years, for someone that could make her feel loved and her prayers got answered in the way of Fabian. “Fabian, will you take me with you, away from here?” she asked looking at him with her teary eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then grinned and said, “Of course, you will come with me wherever I go.” She hugged him very tight and fell asleep. He planned to take a souvenir with him, instead he will be taking a prize.
He wondered when the last time was she had a good night’s sleep and didn’t want to wake her up. So, he sat there comforting her in his arms and just looking at her pretty, soot filled, sleeping face for how long, he didn’t know and didn’t care. Twilight crept in, Fabian’s head drooped on to Hilary’s and they were asleep soundlessly.
The clouds have cleared the sky overnight and the sun blazoned the castle in its warm light. With the slightest lick of the sunlight, they both woke up and found themselves in each other’s arms. Embarrassed, they were not. Affectionate, they were. Remembering the promise, he made to her last night, he took her by his side towards the front door. He heaved the door open and stepped out, but she couldn’t. She could feel an invisible barrier stopping her. He stepped inside and closed the door. Instantly, a cloaked figure of an old man with long grey hair and grey beard rose from the dust and spoke in a high-pitched voice, “I curse your family of man eaters to live a life of solitude and never set foot out of this heinous place unless a Man can find a place for you in his heart.” The figure rose high and turned to dust leaving the both to thoughts.
Fabian looked worried, but Hilary didn’t. In fact, she was grinning looking at Fabian. He, however, turned his gloomy looking face to her and said, “Listen, I have something to tell you…” But his words went untold because she started kissing him. It seemed after an hour or so, she withdrew from kissing, looked into his eyes and said, “I know I met you last night, and I haven’t met a man other than my brother before, but I felt saved when I laid my eyes on you. I felt the warmth in your touch when you comforted me in my despair. I have never felt this alive in all my life. When I was in your arms I couldn’t help but stay there forever. I kiss you to show my gratitude, my care, my love towards you. I have never loved someone more than you and I will never love anyone else. I love you, Fabian.”
His face turned gleeful on hearing those words. He forgot the words of the old man and the curse. He had never been this happy. He thought happiness, sorrow, pain, emotions can be contained but this proved otherwise. If there is anything that cannot be counted that was his happiness for he has found true love. He looked at her joyous face and said the words she wanted to hear, “I fell in love with you the moment you opened the door for me. I was lost and distraught, and you brought the sunshine in my life. I am, indeed, madly, deeply, awfully, terribly in love with you”, and kissed her again.
There was someone watching them both for a long time from the outside window without their knowing. The man was wiping tears from his cheek looking at them. Happy, he was for them. Mullian sniffed hard and his appearance started to change. His face turned gaunt, he stretched to become tall and flattened to a thinner body. Where there was Mullian standing and watching, there was Hilary’s brother. He looked at them both for one last time and vaporized into thin air.
“So, shall we go out?” said Hilary.
“I don’t think you can”, said Fabian, his gleeful face turning worried again. She chuckled, “Why, Fabian?” and brushed his long hair behind his ear. Now, she knew why. “Fabian, you are an Elf”, she said looked surprised. “I am”, he said without any taste to his voice. “But… but… but… that means…”, she started to say. “That means you and I will have to stay here for our lives, together”, he completed the sentence for her. And they lived happily ever after.