Richard didn't appear on that day or the next day or the day after that. Fredrika became very worried for his safety but because of her pains she needed to consecrate only to her own wellbeing.
The worst part of her accident was over but her body needed still plenty of time to recover and only God knew what else she would have to face before she could finally be fully well again.
Days passed idly at the hospital and the soft humming of the air conditioner was driving her mad.
Her father had came to see her and it was nice to see him to be kind towards her mum for change.
Mutual worry for their child's health had narrowed the deep gap between of them and there was no room for quarrel.
Since the worst was now over the doctors were certain that Fredrika would go home but she needed to rest and use cast on her injured leg.
That cast would slow down her walking but it didn't matter she was no mood for running anymore.
The impact had also harmed her neck and head which have now endangered her to violent headache attacks. Even smallest things could trigger a massive migraine to her which wouldn't go away with normal painkillers she needed to have much more stronger stuff.
Her father wasn't too happy to see how strong medicine she used but since he never wasn't there to witness how sick she was in pain, he didn't understand.
And going back to school was no easier either.
On the very first day she was being accused for compromising the safety of the traffic by letting herself to hit by a school taxi. The accident was her fault and since there was no marks or bruisers on her body she was healthy enough to be bullied again.
There was not much sympathy from the teachers either. They also assumed that she was entirely alright and ready to take part to normal school activity like ski-race, that was a big mistake.
On the next day her head was about to explode for constant pain so she stayed at home.
Poor Fredrika wasn't able to consecrate on anything because of the constant pains and when she finally managed to go back to school she was now being accused for pretending.
She was a liar and a pretender who just begged for attention and sympathy when she didn't deserve it. The circle of hate was shrinking all around of her and her life was a living nightmare. At night she begged God to take her miserable life or at least give Richard back but neither happened.
Every morning she woke up for new day which was full of hate and loathing as the day before.
Then on one day she had it enough. After the day at school she walked to the kitchen's cupboard and took there a jar. That specific jar was full of strong sleeping pills which were not recommended to children to use but she didn't care.
She took one pill and flushed it down with a glass of water.
Then she lied down on her bed and when she closed her eyes she hoped for death or to find Richard.
Darkness took her soon and in her mind she returned back to that exact spot where she had seen her friend for the last time.
The scenery was dull and gloomy but the demons were gone which was a good thing.
Fredrika looked around her and tried to find even a little clue how to proceed.
She walked for awhile and after a moment she saw a piece of a black cloth on the ground.
She lowered herself down and examined the cloth more carefully. The fine texture of the material soon revealed that it was a part from Richard's cloak. Was this an evidence that he was in trouble?
When Fredrika took the cloth to her hand she saw a key lying under it.
The key was gold and beautifully made and it had to be Richard's also but where it could possibly belong to?
The key wasn't very big so it was possibly suitable to a chest or cabinet or some other small sized lock.
Fredrika tried to remember had she seen any object's of Richard's where this key might fit but she hadn't seen much of his belongings besides of his armor, horse and his castle.
His castle, of course there would surely be something which this key did belong to!
What was his castle been like, Fredrika tried to remember. It had been on other other side of a vast woods and it had been beautiful to look at.
Bit by bit the scene around her started to change and she felt that she was moving into another place although she just stood still.
The place where she ended up was not even close how she remembered it to be.
The grass carped under her feet was gray and dry, trees were bare and dead and howling wind danced with ash. Heavy clouds were hanging on the sky and the grand castle looked very miserable on the top of the hill. It seemed that the high towers were bent by the weight of their invisible sorrow and depression. All the windows were dark and there was nobody patrolling on the walls.
Fredrika looked at the sorrowful sight with heavy heart, somehow she felt that this was all her fault. Richard's kingdom was dying because he had protected her instead of his people.
She fully understood if the people inside of the castle would turn her away but she needed to do something to repair the damage she had done.
Soon she entered to the town which was as hopeless looking as the castle. Every house seemed to be deserted since there was nobody inside when Fredrika looked through a window.
She walked alone on the empty main street until she reached the gates of the royal palace.
There was no guards so she entered to the court yard without anyone to stop her.
The way to the keep was open and she walked through the doors, entering to the throne room.
Dust danced in the air and throne room was as silent as a tomb.
Empty throne ruled this deserted castle and it was somehow scary when the King was not sitting on it. Empty chair told that no one was in charge and the kingdom was in ruins and drifted aimlessly without of glorious future.
The scene was so painful to look at that it made Fredrika to cry but then she remembered the key and continued her search. Tears would not help her to find Richard she needed to be calm.
She left from the throne room and headed to the inner parts of the palace.
Since the key belonged to Richard she should go to his personal residence and search the lock which the key would open.
Fredrika climbed to the second floor and tried to find the most luxurious chamber which would definitely belong to the King himself.
Then she finally found a big chamber which seemed to be the right one.
Floor was covered with soft carpets, beautiful rugs were hanging on the walls and a massive four posted bed dominated the chamber.
Fredrika held her breath when she entered to the chamber. It was so beautifully decorated that she would have wanted to spent more time to looking at it but she was in hurry.
She looked all possible objects with locks but none of the chests or drawers was the right one. The key was always too small to those locks.
After awhile she was growing desperate, this palace was enormous so how could she find the right lock among of these countless others?
Then she looked at the royal bed. The counterpane was extremely long and broad so it reached the floor quite easily, could there be something under the bed?
Would Richard hide anything under his bed, wasn't that little bit cliché? There was only one option, she had to look.
Fredrika lifted up the cover and looked under the bed, she saw nothing.
Then she heard angry shouts and crushes from the down stairs. Her heart started to pound.
There was something at the down stairs and it was not a friendly being.
Suddenly she realized that it was coming towards Richard's chamber.
Alarmed she crawled quickly under the bed and was as silent as she could be.
The roaring creature entered to the chamber by breaking the door in pieces.
Fredrika held her breath and shut tightly her eyes.
She heard how the creature clawed and teared Richard's room and sniffed the air.
It had caught her scent!
Nevertheless the violent monster wasn't sure where she was hiding and it wasn't smart enough to look under the bed.
After it had messed up the chamber it roared in anger and left. Fredrika lied still like a puppet for several hours before she dared to breath freely. When the silence continued on and she opened her eyes and then she saw a tiny keyhole just on front of her eyes. There was a secret hide under the bed's base. Fredrika tested if the key fit in to that small keyhole and it did.
She twisted the key and the secret lid opened.