The night was as cold as bitter ice and dark, as if a great shadow had
covered the earth, plunging it into a thick black blanket. Celeste was
scared, but the thought of returning to that dark shadowy place that she
had once called her home scared her even more. She didn't know where she
was going, but she knew it would be somewhere where Ivan would no longer be
able to treat her the way that he had.
The rain continued to hit hard, lashing at her drenching her from head to foot. She screamed as the crashing sound of thunder surrounded her. She had no idea where she was and she was so far from home, that even if she wanted to go back she had no hope of finding the way.
After running for miles the poor girl was exhausted. Her whole body dripping, her hair soaked and sprawling across her face. The once beautiful girl was ruined. Each step she took brought her closer to the ground. Until her body finally hit the soggy mud and grass. There she remained, as if her body was enveloped in the grass and weeds. The darkness thickened and soon nothing could be seen.
Celeste's eyes fluttered open to the flickering of candle flames dancing in a dark room. She jolted up in shock. She was sprawled across the cold stone floor of an unfamiliar room. From what she saw it did not appear very welcoming. She jumped again at the crashing sound of heavy boots hitting the hard stone floor. She glanced up through her silvery hair, still damp from the rain, to see a large figure in black armour standing above her. She could not see him properly as her vision had not yet returned to normal. Celeste began to tremble as she could be sure that she was not in good company. She lowered her head squinting from her blurred vision. Celeste groaned softly as she dragged herself up to her knees. She screamed at the pain from her bruises and soars. Chelsea winced. Blinking back tears she forced herself to stop shaking. She brought herself to her feet and headed for the window. By the view she knew she was far from home. She could only see an ocean of black knights on dark horses. The unicorns! What had this monster done to them? The poor creatures. The figure came towards her. Celeste turns at his approach.
'Don't!' she muttered. 'Don't you dare touch me.' Celeste's threat affected the stranger, in some way unknown to her.
'I will not touch you.' he said blankly. 'What are you looking at?' Celeste took her time to reply to his question.
'Them.' She whispered.
'Ah, yes. They are my darkness.' he said. 'There is nothing that I can look at for very long, except them, that is.' The stranger stares into her eyes and sees in them a forest, full of animals and flowers…and unicorns.
'What is the matter with your eyes?' he shouts suddenly. 'Why can I not see myself in your eyes?' Celeste does not answer, mainly because she didn't know. The stranger turned from her in the hurry.
'No matter,' he mutters, 'you are here now. You are all here, and whether you mean my doom or not. Go as you please. My secrets guard themselves. Will yours do the same?'
'Your majesty?' Celeste questions, as he remains stood with her. The stranger laughs.
'Correct. What is slowing you down, my lady?' he said, walking towards her. 'I will catch you at last.' Celeste gives him a perplexed stare.
'Do not mock me. I know very well what you have come for, and you know very well that I have them; try to take them if you can, but do not mock me!' he said in a menacing voice.
'My lord, in all your castle, in all your realm, there is nothing of yours that I desire. Good day, your majesty.' Celeste said, turning to leave.
'I know you! I almost knew you as soon as I saw you coming on the road, with your companion since then, there is no movement of yours that has not betrayed you! A pace, a glance, a turn of the head, the flash of your throat as you breathe, even your way of standing perfectly still, they were all my spies! ...You made me wonder for a while. But your time is done. There they are. There they are! They are mine! They belong to me! My minions gathered them for me one by one, and I bade them drive each one into darkness! They are always within one easy step of freedom, but they dare not! I like to watch them. They fill me with joy. ...The first time I felt it I thought I was going to die.' He shouted as she left. His arrogance sicken her she was not the unicorn he was searching for.
'You and your companion are the last.' He laughed. Celeste was puzzled still Giselle had not come with her.
'My lord, I-I do not understand. I am not the one you seek.' She said.
'Do you still deny yourself? Do you dare still pretend to be human? I'll hurl you down to the others with my own hands if you dare deny yourself!' he shouted. He looks deeply into her eyes, and he sees only his reflection. It makes no difference. I can wait. The end will be the same. I can wait. He leaves her standing alone.' Celeste put her head into her arms and begins to sob.
The door burst open and in marched another figure in armour. Celeste would know him anywhere. Ivan, why was he here.
'My Lady, please hurry the castle is under attack.' He gasped. 'Please come home.' Celeste turned away from him.
The ground suddenly shook. Ivan threw Celeste onto his back and carried her away kicking and screaming.
The rain continued to hit hard, lashing at her drenching her from head to foot. She screamed as the crashing sound of thunder surrounded her. She had no idea where she was and she was so far from home, that even if she wanted to go back she had no hope of finding the way.
After running for miles the poor girl was exhausted. Her whole body dripping, her hair soaked and sprawling across her face. The once beautiful girl was ruined. Each step she took brought her closer to the ground. Until her body finally hit the soggy mud and grass. There she remained, as if her body was enveloped in the grass and weeds. The darkness thickened and soon nothing could be seen.
Celeste's eyes fluttered open to the flickering of candle flames dancing in a dark room. She jolted up in shock. She was sprawled across the cold stone floor of an unfamiliar room. From what she saw it did not appear very welcoming. She jumped again at the crashing sound of heavy boots hitting the hard stone floor. She glanced up through her silvery hair, still damp from the rain, to see a large figure in black armour standing above her. She could not see him properly as her vision had not yet returned to normal. Celeste began to tremble as she could be sure that she was not in good company. She lowered her head squinting from her blurred vision. Celeste groaned softly as she dragged herself up to her knees. She screamed at the pain from her bruises and soars. Chelsea winced. Blinking back tears she forced herself to stop shaking. She brought herself to her feet and headed for the window. By the view she knew she was far from home. She could only see an ocean of black knights on dark horses. The unicorns! What had this monster done to them? The poor creatures. The figure came towards her. Celeste turns at his approach.
'Don't!' she muttered. 'Don't you dare touch me.' Celeste's threat affected the stranger, in some way unknown to her.
'I will not touch you.' he said blankly. 'What are you looking at?' Celeste took her time to reply to his question.
'Them.' She whispered.
'Ah, yes. They are my darkness.' he said. 'There is nothing that I can look at for very long, except them, that is.' The stranger stares into her eyes and sees in them a forest, full of animals and flowers…and unicorns.
'What is the matter with your eyes?' he shouts suddenly. 'Why can I not see myself in your eyes?' Celeste does not answer, mainly because she didn't know. The stranger turned from her in the hurry.
'No matter,' he mutters, 'you are here now. You are all here, and whether you mean my doom or not. Go as you please. My secrets guard themselves. Will yours do the same?'
'Your majesty?' Celeste questions, as he remains stood with her. The stranger laughs.
'Correct. What is slowing you down, my lady?' he said, walking towards her. 'I will catch you at last.' Celeste gives him a perplexed stare.
'Do not mock me. I know very well what you have come for, and you know very well that I have them; try to take them if you can, but do not mock me!' he said in a menacing voice.
'My lord, in all your castle, in all your realm, there is nothing of yours that I desire. Good day, your majesty.' Celeste said, turning to leave.
'I know you! I almost knew you as soon as I saw you coming on the road, with your companion since then, there is no movement of yours that has not betrayed you! A pace, a glance, a turn of the head, the flash of your throat as you breathe, even your way of standing perfectly still, they were all my spies! ...You made me wonder for a while. But your time is done. There they are. There they are! They are mine! They belong to me! My minions gathered them for me one by one, and I bade them drive each one into darkness! They are always within one easy step of freedom, but they dare not! I like to watch them. They fill me with joy. ...The first time I felt it I thought I was going to die.' He shouted as she left. His arrogance sicken her she was not the unicorn he was searching for.
'You and your companion are the last.' He laughed. Celeste was puzzled still Giselle had not come with her.
'My lord, I-I do not understand. I am not the one you seek.' She said.
'Do you still deny yourself? Do you dare still pretend to be human? I'll hurl you down to the others with my own hands if you dare deny yourself!' he shouted. He looks deeply into her eyes, and he sees only his reflection. It makes no difference. I can wait. The end will be the same. I can wait. He leaves her standing alone.' Celeste put her head into her arms and begins to sob.
The door burst open and in marched another figure in armour. Celeste would know him anywhere. Ivan, why was he here.
'My Lady, please hurry the castle is under attack.' He gasped. 'Please come home.' Celeste turned away from him.
The ground suddenly shook. Ivan threw Celeste onto his back and carried her away kicking and screaming.