King Charming
Chapter 21

Three hours later, a cranky, tired, thorn cut up Amy and an annoyed equally as torn up Michelle made it to the base of the castle. "These stairs should lead up to the castle." Michelle said looking up from the map to a set of spiral stairs leading directly north.

"That's nice," Amy grumbled slashing a bunch of dead thorny vines. "They left us stairs."

"Knock it off Amy, this is where things get serious."

"As if this whole experience hasn't been serious," Amy sighed patronizingly.

"Amy!" Michelle grabbed her and slapped a hand over her mouth.

"What?" Amy asked pulling Michelle's hand off from her mouth. She didn't hide her annoyance. They had gotten so little sleep and were in a strange place that Amy simply didn't care anymore. She was beginning to think she would wake up soon enough, that this had all been a wicked dream she would soon be rid of.

"Shhhh!" Michelle hissed placing a finger to lips.

Amy did, grudgingly, as she was told. Her eyes widened as a soft distant vibrating whine became audible. She was trying desperately to place the location of the sound as she strained to hear it. She looked down as to keep all distractions out when her eyes fell on the golden amulet around her neck. She grabbed up the item and held it close to her ear. "THIS IS IT! THIS IS IT! We're getting close!" She pointed at the object and the reached out and shook Michelle by the shoulder before pulling the amulet in again to have a listen.

"I know that," Michelle said pointing over to the stairs. "Hello, stairs!"

"Come on," Amy grabbed Michelle and drug her toward the stairs, almost at a run. Perhaps now they could glean some hope, hope that was already filling Amy up as the soft hum grew slightly louder.

"Why weren't you this excited five minutes ago when I noticed them?" Michelle asked. Amy couldn't bring herself to answer she just began to climb the stairs taking them two at a time until she tripped and nearly smacked her head off of them.

"Amy," Michelle hissed grabbing her belt in her carelessness and jerked her back.

"What?" Amy's eager eyes swiveled back around to look at her friend in excited child-like glee.

"We shouldn't just barge in there," Michelle frowned.

"Why? They're all asleep, I really don't think any of them will notice."

"All right." Michelle sighed, there was not fighting her in this state. "We should come up in the dungeons."

After several flights of stairs Michelle and Amy came to a solid wooden door. Michelle kicked it open a machete in one hand the light staff in the other. Amy raised her weapon as well preparing for something unexpected.

When nothing happened Michelle lowered her poise and grinned. She almost laughed if something hadn't distracted her. She pointed at the medallion. "You're ringing."

Amy looked down to the necklace. "It's in the dungeon?"

Michelle nodded, "Yes, it would seem so."

"Does that map say which room?"

Michelle shook her head. "No, we're going to have to trust the medallion."

"Alright. Hey," She shouldered her friend. "That was anticlimactic right? I mean what were we thinking?" She did laugh in retaliation. "A troll? A manticore? A dragon maybe?" She growled in faux imitation of a vicious beast and clawed at the air. The tire lingered behind Amy's excitement as she took the item off from her neck and held it out in front of her. The two were as quiet as possible Amy held the amulet to the right, when the hum dulled she turned it to the left. As predicted the sound increased. Amy waved Michelle over. Following the lead of the amulet the girls rounded a corner. Amy in the lead leapt back into Michelle who almost tumbled over.

"What?" Michelle asked in a whisper.

Amy looked over to Michelle. "There are four guards over there. They spooked me."

Michelle smiled and continued to whisper as she spoke. "No worries my friend. That must be where our orb is hiding."

Amy tapped Michelle lightly on the shoulder. "Oh and Michelle, you don't have to whisper…they're asleep." Amy's eyes were telling as she jabbed her in the ribs with a tip of her head.

Michelle chuckled in response. Both girls headed around the corner to see four guards. One was leaning on the wall his head leaned back resting on the wall. His mouth hanging open and a tendril of drool was hanging off his lip. Occasionally he would snore and the spit would suck back into his mouth only to slowly ooze back out. The second was leaning on his spear percariously balanced on it. The last two were using each other for support.

"At least their eyes are closed." Amy pointed out.

"Right you are." Michelle nodded.

One of the guards gave a loud snore and both girls started slightly. When the realization of what it was passed over them, they laughed rather helplessly at each other completely amused by their being startled by a room full of nappers. After edging around the guards, careful not to disrupt their slumber, Amy reached out and pulled the door open. Instantly she realized something was headed at her.

"Amy!" Michelle shrieked. Amy leapt out of the doorway narrowly missing the blade of an ax that fell followed by a sleeping soldier. She leaned forward bracing her hands on her kneecaps as she gulped the air.

"Woah. Guards on both sides of the doors." Amy said catching her breath after the sudden scare. She had caught a glimpse of a second man just inside when she bounced off to the side.

"Leaning on the door?" Michelle leaned over and looked at the guard. She reached out a shaky hand and tapped his helmet. "I'd say this one was sleeping before the spell was cast."

Amy gave a sharp bob of her head and stepped over the husky man. Michelle followed suit. Michelle tucked the staff under her arm and clapped her hands to the sides of her head as the medallion was nearly shrieking. Amy cringed from the racket. Both girls froze in their tracks. In front of them, in the musky dirtied dungeon, upon a pedestal was the brilliantly glowing white orb. It was larger than either had expected, nearing the size of a swollen watermelon.

"Michelle?" Amy asked in awe.

"No." Michelle shook her head staring bleakly at the orb. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It's so beautiful," Amy stepped toward it, a hand extended in front of her.

Michelle nodded though Amy could not see her. Finally Amy shook her head and looked back to Michelle. There was something ominous about the brilliantly striking object. Neither girl had ever seen magic, neither had witnessed it – though they'd both dreamed about it. It was rather obvious in that moment that they were in the presence of something truly magical.

Amy's attention was so focused on the thing she'd forgotten the amulet that was howling and almost missed Michelle's hands come into view. "MICHELLE NO!" Amy lashed out grabbed Michelle's wrist.

"What?" Michelle jumped slightly at her friend's sudden movement.

"Don't touch it," Amy scolded pushing the other's hands down by her sides.

"What do you mean?" Michelle asked helplessly.

Amy reached out and jerked the bag from Michelle's belt and opened it. Gingerly, being very careful not to touch the orb, she edged the bag over the orb. Though the massiveness of the actual object would suggest its weightiness, the thing was strangely light in the velvet bag. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's everything in this place is dangerous."

Fully understanding what Amy was doing she gave a knowing and thankful sigh. "Good thinking."

Amy grinned triumphantly. "I'll carry it, your arms are full. So where to next?"

"We have to go top side," Michelle said after drawing the map out and giving it a once over. "We'll need to get horses in the 2nd Kingdom and ride through the 4th to Snow White Falls. There will be another entrance to the 9th Kingdom there. We have a lot of ground to cover though. It'll take a few days."

"No problem." The taste of victory was still present in her looped the handles of the velvet bag through her belt and tied it securely opposite her crude weapon. "But let's get out of here, this place creeps me out."

"Well said my friend." Michelle grabbed Amy's arm ready to tug her out of there. The sleeping people, as if in permanent slumber or ever death made Michelle highly uneasy. "Hey, it stopped."

Amy looked over her shoulder. "What stopped?"

"The amulet. The moment you picked up the orb it stopped."

"Thank God, it was kind'a unnerving when I noticed it."

"Yeah it was." Michelle agreed. "Here, if we go back in the tunnel we will have to walk just a little further than we came and then we can go top side in a small village in the second Kingdom a little after dark."

Amy twisted the strings of the orb's bag in her hands. "Seriously now Michelle, what fun would that be?"

Michelle shrugged. "Not much, but I think in this case it would be the -"

Amy interrupted her hastily. "You are the one who's always saying that it's no good going back on the trail we came on. If I remember, you've actually said that you miss exactly half the adventure if you do that."

Michelle smiled at being cornered in this type of playful banter. "Yes, that's true, but we have an entire continent to cross. I don't think that a few miles of repeat trail will matter in the end. It's the safest way."

Amy stared at her friend in disbelief. "Now I know you're teasing me." Amy snickered and walking past her friend she headed out of the room and up the nearest staircase.

Michelle sighed; though if she had to she would admit to being happy to not be headed back into the tunnels but worrying that they were making a mistake. After a good deal of climbing Michelle pushed open one more bulky, creaky, wooden door and Amy walked out into an enormous, sun filled hall. They stood upon a large white marble floor. The walls were covered in vibrant ivy, the ceiling with drooping honeysuckle, but the windows remained clear of foliage, and the floor was spotless except for a small group of people huddled in the middle and fast asleep. Amy strolled over to the thrown set across the hall, it was the only thing sitting in the room. Michelle wandered to the window, and looking out, her breath caught in her throat. She had seen the world covered in darkness, blanketed in snow, even infused with fog, but she had never seen it smothered in briars. There was no telling what mounds might be buildings, which ones hills and she would not have even placed money on being certain that they currently stood in the first floor of the building; there was no way to tell.

After sometime Michelle finally tore her gaze from the wildly, unnatural scene outside and turning her attention back to the hall she saw Amy sitting on the elaborate, jeweled thrown, the bagged orb nestled in her lap and her eyes peacefully shut. Michelle crossed her arms over her chest and smiled as she sighed deeply. She too was tired from lack of sleep and their long walk. She shook her head at how not out of place Amy looked. Even dressed as a man, her hair back in a tight braid and fast asleep, there was something about her that simply looked right seated up on the thrown.

"Are you planning on standing still anytime soon?" Mathieu grumbled at Owen who had been pacing a small stretch of the tunnel for nearly half an hour.

"They're taking too long." Owen hissed. He was wearing a highly displeased face as he marched back and forth relentlessly. His massive arms were folded over his thick chest carrying the same amount of disdain he harbored for Amy and Michelle's speed.

"They're woman Owen, they take too long with everything." Mathieu sat on the ground, his back against the tunnel's wall. His mannerisms were more bored. He seemed to expect this.

"No, something is wrong. I should go after them."

Mathieu laughed heartily, throwing his head back and letting it echo through the tunnel. "Yes, Owen, you do that. Walk a few feet down that tunnel, lie down, fall asleep and then once the package is delivered and the adventure is through we'll stop back by here and pick you up."

"Well, we can't just stand here and wait." Owen argued as he dropped his arms, clinched his fists and flexed his huge forearms.

"You know the plan Owen. The queen gave us specific orders."

"Yes I know. But what if something goes wrong in there?" He said through grinding teeth.

Mathieu sighed. "Then things get a little more complicated." He then closed his eyes and leaned his head backwards against the rocky surface. "Now sit down and shut up so that we can hear them coming, unless of course you want them to know we're following them."

Thank you so much for reading. I do so appreciate it. And if you find it in your heart and time - I would really really love to hear anything words you might have about this story. I have posted chapters 20, 21 and 22 together. I thought it would be best to include them together for flow. I hope you enjoy them. Again,thank you for reading and please review if you have a moment.