That afternoon, everyone in the castle, from the king to the stable hands to the servants, gathered in the Great Hall.
"My friends," began the king. "It is with great sorrow that I must announce that the curse bestowed upon a great friend of ours has come into effect. Lady Corin, wife-I mean husband, of Sir Kate, has pricked his finger on a needle. And we all know what happened. It is my wish, however, that until our good friend revives, that the Lone Tower, which we all know of, shall be his resting place until such a time comes that he shall be able to leave. In half an hour, all those who wish to witness the placing of Lady Corin in the Lone Tower may join the group of those who shall perform the ceremony. Wait near the stables. That is all for now. Good day."
At the king's words, Kate gave a huge sob, and pressed her face into the kerchief Corin had given her on her last birthday.
A half hour later, the king, the queen, Kate, and pretty much everyone else who had known Corin set off for the Lone Tower. It took them only fifteen minutes, so everyone was still fresh in mourning, and wasn't getting bored yet.
The Lone Tower was a single tower, which had been built long ago, so long ago indeed that Master Peridan, the oldest person in England, being a hundred and two years old, could remember that it had been old even when he had been a young boy. The Lone Tower seemed to have a strange enchantment, for it let few people in, and it always looked different. It seemed to have a mind, almost, and it seemed also to have feelings, much like a person, for anyone could tell when it was happy or sad.
Kate remembered going inside it once, when she was a girl, young, carefree, and innocent-well, maybe not too innocent, because when she had gone inside it, she had been running away from her mother, who had been chasing her around the house with a broom because she had poured thick, golden pancake syrup onto a chair that her old, fat granny used. The problem was that Kate's granny had lowered her rather large rear end onto it (which is to say she sat down on it), and when she started to rise, the chair got a little stuck onto her bottom. It stayed stuck for a full minute until it had to say its sad farewell, and slowly, with a large squelch, resumed its normal position. The tower had seemed to enjoy having Kate occupy it, because it had provided Kate with many amusements, including indoor fireworks and a whoopee cushion to keep.
But now the tower had itself decorated perfectly. It had turned its stones black, and large wreaths of mournful looking flowers hung from its walls. From the spire on the tower roof fluttered a black banner, on which was written in gold letters, "Farewell, Lady Corin, for now."
It opened its door wide to the mourning group, and allowed them use of its large, hidden elevator (though of course they didn't know what it was called). Inside, too was perfectly arranged. There was only one room, and it, too was hung with flowers and black banners. A large four-poster bed, with black linen sheets, a black quilt, and a black pillow, was in the middle of the room. As soon as they lay Corin in the bed, a bouquet of thornless white roses appeared in his folded hands. Coming from nowhere, the mournful music of harps swirled around them. Then, gently, the tower pushed them out. It allowed Kate one more glance at her slumbering husband, but then she, too, was pushed out.
Yeah, short chapter, I know, but this is the second-to-last chapter! Review!