Chapter 2: Exposition
Soul awoke to the sound of humming. At least, he wished he could call it humming. It was a kind of off tune warbling that he couldn't quite find a way to appreciate. The knight tried not to cringe as he looked about the room for its source, his neck sore and protesting. His muscles ached and itched to be stretched. A deep breath filled his nostrils with the scent of fresh flowers, something he'd never expected in an underground labyrinth. His throat, parched and irritated, sent him into a coughing fit when he tried to speak, skewing his view of the room.
The humming stopped and one of the princesses were soon at his side. "Greetings, Knight Soul," she greeted, tipping a cup of water to his mouth.
"Thank you, Lady Kim." He took a deep breath in to settle himself. "Have you been here with me long?"
"A few days. It wasn't safe to leave your side and Jacqueline would have had my head if you died," she said and tucked some pink hair behind her ear.
"This place is an infirmary, is it not?"
"It is. Made many years ago, might I add, so the preserved herbs are not as fresh as they could be, but that's what gardens are for, I suppose. I'll have to go and replenish our stores later today."
Gardens? In a stone labyrinth? "If I can be of any assistance, Lady Kim, I-"
"Oh, think nothing of it." Kim pushed Soul back into the cot when he tried to sit up. "You're not well enough to be helping anyone, let alone me. You need to rest up and heal before you return Jackie to her father. Take your time though." Her mouth curved as a bitterness inched into her voice. "We wouldn't want you leaving before we could say goodbye."
"I feel like you will have a great deal of time to say goodbye, my lady. My body feels as though a pack of horses trampled on it."
"Fighting dragons will do that. It has been years since I've had to treat someone with wounds as bad as your own."
"Years? I don't mean to sound too abrupt, my lady, but how long have you been trapped in your tower?"
"Hmm, I'm relatively new, so I've been here almost thirty years."
"Thirty years?" choked Soul. "How is that recent?"
"Because Tsugumi and Jacqueline have only been in here for ten. Other princesses have been trapped longer than I."
"That is amazing."
"Would you like to try standing?" she offered.
"Certainly." The princesses helped him up and he realized the distinct lack of metal along his body. "Ah, my armour-"
"It was moved to another room." Kim gave him a keen look. "Your battle with the dragon was certainly fierce."
"He was difficult to defeat, but I managed." He paused as they got to their feet, testing his limbs. His legs hurt, but were functional. Kim had put a brace on his left arm, leaving the right free from any restraint. The gauze that she had wrapped around his wounded chest was tight and stung a bit, a side effect, she insisted, of the medicinal herbs she had smeared there to keep out infection. She had him test out his body parts to ensure their mobility, and he thought her a diligent doctor. Relatively diligent, at least.
"Soul, you are a knight, yes?"
"I am."
"You wouldn't happen to also be a prince, would you?"
Soul raised an eyebrow. "I fear not, my lady. My parents are but merchants, travelers who sell their wares to knights and noblemen of other kingdoms."
"So you are not rich?"
"I am not as rich as a prince," he said instead. "Why do you ask?"
Kim shrugged. "It would be nice to know who Jacqueline would be marrying is all."
"We're not getting married." Soul did not like the idea of marrying the princess. Or any princess for that matter. A quick rescue had been the goal. In and out and off he would be, free to travel the lands on his own. "May I ask you something?"
"Of course," she said, adjusting the sling's knot by the base of his neck.
"You wish to be rescued?"
"Of course I do."
"Before I met you all, Lady Maka insisted that you needed no help."
Kim's hands stopped fussing with the cloth. "She has lost hope and believes us better here, most days. I once heard that she was not always like that. Once, she was as optimistic as we are. The rest of us are quite eager to escape."
"Then why give knights gold upon slaying dragons? Why fake your deaths?"
"It is complicated," Kim admitted, moving Soul towards the door. "We will take a walk to discuss it, yes?"
"Indeed. You can show me where you all live."
"Yes." They opened it into the hall which seemed much brighter than he remembered. Perhaps his injuries had weakened his eyesight for now, well rested and bandaged, he saw things with more accuracy. Kim led him through the halls, pointing to different doors and denoting their use verbally to him. It was very detailed. The girls all slept in their towers but chose to spend time together under the labyrinth's torchlight by day.
"Lady Kim?"
"Yes?"
"What kingdom are you from?"
"Glysomer. It's one of the more prestigious kingdoms, as far as I'm concerned."
"Was that one of kingdoms in the curse? There are far more maidens trapped here than I thought."
"Indeed," she said, sobering quickly. "What you must understand is that the sorceress took out her anger on the daughters of all her enemies; she believed that if it did not alleviate their hatred for magic, then it would at the very least cause them to treat any future daughter with a great deal of love and respect, or so she claimed. Many people came to the sorceress for help, begging for aid or potions or remedies or curses. If the sorceress did not get her payment or felt slighted, she cursed the person or their children without any hesitation. None of the maidens here were here because they needed protecting. Locking children up in towers is rarely for their protection. They are all here because their parents did something foolish and there was a price they could not pay.
"Still, no curse is the same. Some maidens can break their own curses, either by solving riddles or journeying for ingredients to brew a potion that shall wipe their curses away. But those of us here are all cursed by that sorceress, that witch." Kim's voice grew sharp. "Those that are cursed to our towers must rely on the help of knights, knights that, in her time, were corrupt and dishonorable."
"And the gold?"
Lady Kim gave a very unlady-like snort. "You could not have expected that the sorceress would make our lives easy. We are decedents of the men that persecuted her, after all. The gold is merely a way to judge if the kingdoms deserve to have their princesses return. She wanted our kingdoms to suffer just as we did, and knew how torturous it would be to watch a knight come for a princess but leave with a satchel full of gold instead. Though we are considered knights of Gorgon, we are truly no such thing. Some of the girls have adopted that name to regain some semblance of control but there is nothing in us in her letters. Knights who manage to slay the dragon are offered two original fates: the first, that the kingdom imparts worthy compensation and rewards upon him; the second, to be abused by the king and killed so as to hide the truth."
"Kings would do such things?"
"She assumed that they would. To hide the truth of their disappearance and make it seem as though the princess had always been in the castle., they would do anything."
"Would not the princess know the truth as well?"
"As part of the labyrinth's spell, we forget all memories of this place upon exit. It is a cruel fate, but one that, at the same time, protects us. Regardless, knights are offered a third, guiltless option in which they may start a new life elsewhere with the money provided. Knights reflect the kingdom's status and your existence was proof enough to Jacqueline that her kingdom has returned to its good state. You even rejected the gold, which no man has done in a very long time."
"Will I forget as well?"
"I do not know." A frown worked its way onto her face. "We haven't had a knight here in a very long time; one hundred years according to Lady Elizabeth. Once the knight and the maiden left the labyrinth, her tower imploded and the magic she carried returned to the labyrinth."
"One hundred years… I was unaware that she had lived that long?"
"Her? No, but the meeting room's wall painting automatically recalls all great events, and that knight was definitely one of them. He, like you, rejected the satchel of gold and sought out the true princess, who, at the time, had not yet died. You are a painting as well."
"I am?"
"You are. Tsugumi came by to tell me this morning about the addition. It looks lovely."
"Can I see it?"
"Of course. You are a guest, the first man among women in two hundred years. It is an honour."
"You are honoured yet you are all nobility, princesses, future queens in your own right. It is I who is honoured by your presence."
"We are not queens yet," Kim reminded him, the pink of her cheeks revealing that his flattery had impressed her.
"Your parents worry about you," mused Soul. "I do not understand why you do not go back the instant an opportunity shows itself."
"It is our duty to ensure that our kingdoms follow a righteous path. The curse binds us here until that quality has been achieved, by our desire or otherwise." Kim sighed. "Truthfully, the whole story is exhausting to tell and even more exhausting to comprehend. You are in a whole other world here, Knight Soul. Feel free to learn of it at your own pace."
"I see." He paused as they began to climb a small set of stairs. "This must be far more exhausting for you, Lady Kim."
"Dreadful," the princess agreed. "I just hope that my parents haven't forgotten about me yet. It's been thirty years, after all."
When the pair arrived at the meeting room, they were accosted by a group of young maidens, fluttering about him as he stood in the doorway. He noticed the Lady Maka standing with Tsugumi at the painting that decorated the door. She smiled, the first kind look he has seen on her face since their unexpected meeting mere hours ago. He glanced up to where they stood, at the art before him to find his form bowing as if to swear allegiance. It was before Lady Jacqueline, her white dress pooling around her with a veil hiding her hair. If Soul didn't recognize the knightly allegiance position, he would have mistaken it for a proposal of marriage. He noticed that he was depicted without armour either, merely his pants and pale tunic accompanied by his weapon; close to how he was now with the exception that he was not armed.
Unprofessional, his parents would have call it.
"Would you like to eat now that you have seen it?" asked Kim, knowing just as he did that studying it would have to be done when there was considerably less people.
"Indeed."
"Ladies?" asked Kim aloud, "shall we eat in the dining hall with the knight?" A group affirming chorus of giggles could be heard from them. Tsugumi and Maka noticed and the smaller of the two gauging the blonde's reaction for permission to join them. Once granted, Kim opened up a portal and ushered them all into it. The image on the other side was that of a large room, rivaling that of a true castle sized hall. it was huge and although Soul was struck by it and he lingered so as to wait for Maka to step in before he did.
She did not.
Kim pulled him through regardless, his eyes still locked with fair green as the portal shut. The girls set to preparing the table and he stood, perplexed within the light scent of the dining room. "Is there a problem?"
"The Lady Maka," he began, "she has already eaten?"
"I do not know. The Lady is not fond of men, knights and the like."
"Why not?"
"Her business is her own. I respect her privacy and she respects mine." Kim shuffled away uncomfortably, leading him to a seat and leaving his side to help dole out food. "If you desire answers, you will have to speak to her yourself."
The entire meal was spent trying to figure out the cold princess. Why would she hate him? He had not gone through knight training without a fair share of enemies, of course, but being disliked for simply being male was something strange. It was unprecedented. He hoped that he'd be able to resolve it before his departure. Then again, their first meeting had included her knife at his throat, so maybe it would be better to avoid her entirely.
"Lady Kim?"
"Hmm?"
"How long will I remain here until I can leave for Elderheim?"
She paused mid-bite. "You are eager to return home?"
"Well, I am, but I should think that Lady Jacqueline is more eager."
"I am," agreed Jacquline from down the table, "but your injuries need to heal fully before we travel. It will not be an easy trip."
"I agree. My horse fled at the sight of the dragon. On foot, the travel will be-"
"We can call your horse back!" chirped Tsugumi, grinning over a cup of what looked to be ale.
"You can?"
"It is not impossible." She shrugged. "We can try it."
"Ah, alright." Soul swallowed. "So how long do you think?"
"A few weeks?" Kim frowned. "Your left arm is broken, and your legs are still weak." Soul nodded his understanding. "We'll try to do our best but we cannot heal you like a true sorcerer could."
"I thank you." The knight tried not to cringe as the maidens broke out into soft smiles and whispers. He attempted to down his soup as fast as possible. "Lady Kim?"
"Yes, Soul?" He sincerely hoped he wasn't bothering her too much with the questions. She seemed relatively annoyed by his curiousity.
"What time is it?"
"In which kingdom?"
"In Elderheim, I suppose."
She glanced at Jacqueline who surprised him by opening a small rimmed portal into her bedroom. "Dawn has just arrived," she reported. Soul could see some new sun swarm across the skeleton that lay along Jacqueline's bed.
"My ladies, may I ask another question?"
"If you must," allowed Jacqueline.
"Who are the Knights of Gorgon?"
"Why, we are," Tsugumi said with a smile. "The sorceress created that name to seduce knights into taking the gold instead of the princesses. But now that it's just us, we adopted the name. We exist now to help guard the labyrinth for the princesses of the future that may or may not be forced to come here."
"Couldn't you get rid of the gold and wait for the knights to appear?"
"The dragons kill foolish knights and weak men. No matter how many times we throw away the gold, it always returns to the tower. And even if a knight has miraculously slain the dragon, the curse forces us out of our towers or we are made invisible to any man who steps foot into the room so they may make their choice themselves." Princess Jacqueline sighed. "I would have been returned to my tower the next day had you not found my portal instead."
"I see."
Maka's words lingered in his head. She'd mentioned a guardian and a prisoner; cursed and duty bound to the place that held her hostage. The thought of her brought back questions he knew they could not answer.
"Lady Kim? May I return to the meeting room?" He tried to whisper it as quietly as possible. Kim seemed to catch on and relayed that she had opened the desired portal just outside the dining hall. With thanks, he excused himself and hobbled over to the door. Once out in the hall, Soul watched a portal bubble to life before him. He had been too preoccupied with Maka and Tsugumi to notice Kim's tear the first time. Now, seeing the golden purple ripple into a large circular portal, he was in awe. This was true magic, kinds he had heard of in legends and folktales. Many sorcerers still existed, certainly, but they were difficult to get along with if there wasn't enough gold in your satchel. He stepped through it more confidently than before and appreciated the change of air as its strange freshness flooded through him.
A glance behind him told him that the tear had vanished and he surveyed the new room with a partial hope that Lady Maka was still present. A few hours had passed, certainly, but perhaps she had taken a similar interest in the paintings as he had. There was nobody else in the room, however. He was alone with only the company of dim, burning candles. Their light flickered weakly over wax and Soul cast another look at the painting in the hopes that he might truly understand it all.
The first segment, on closer inspection, depicted a scene that Jacqueline had described upon his arrival. The witch stood in the middle with menacing blonde hair, lightning crackling through the air as five tall towers were created from the ruins of old and forgotten kingdoms. He could barely see anything save knights situated at every tower, fighting and failing against the winged serpents that guarded them with limitless stress.
The next distinct scene was an image of a sleeping princess. She was by beautiful, with raven hair and skin as pale as his hair. The maiden was surrounded by flowers, like she had dozed off in a garden but upon closer inspection, he could see markings along her bare arms and a dark bruising ring around her neck.
The chill alone from the realization burned in his veins. "She's dead," he breathed and staggered back to fall into a chair. She must have been the first to end her life, for she was surely not the last. Knowing she was dead made Soul uneasy and he turned to the next few images with the same anxiousness. More dead princesses adorned the wall, not nearly as big an image as the first maiden but none the less chilling. How many had died? How many more would take their lives?
He thought of cheery Tsugumi, full of life and hope. The knight struggled to imagine her dead, pale and lifeless. He thought of Kim, bright and dreaming of an escape despite being duty-bound to her new role, or Jacqueline, so close to freedom but unable to leave due to his injuries.
A guardian and a prisoner.
Maka came to mind, all ashen hair and green eyes and what felt like endless bitterness. Would she lose her life to the curse as well? Grimly, he wondered if she'd ever tried.
"Soul?" He looked up from his cot blearily. Lady Kim of Glysomer still lay snugly wrapped on her own cot, asleep and lost to the world. She did not seem affected by the disembodied voice and he sat up slowly, searching in the dim light for the source. Kim had left her candle burning, the wax pooling at the bottom with a weak light remaining. Another, brighter glow emanated to his left and when he turned to stare at it, he was surprised to see the fair visage of Lady Maka, a candle in her hand. Their eyes locked for a moment and her haunting beauty struck him, tightening his insides and stealing his words. Shadows swept over the planes of her face and her paleness was instead a weak golden hue. Her hair crinkled and folded in on itself, rippling over her shoulders without the cords of a traditional braid to hold it in place. The white of her nightgown, flowing and ethereal, reminded him of ghosts he had heard of in fairy tales.
"Ah, my apologies," she spluttered, drawing away and allowing the door to shut. The instant her face vanished, he scrambled to his feet, slipping on a pair of shoes Kim had prepared earlier. In a mad dash for the door, he neglected the blankets that had fallen in his haste and tried to slip out after her.
"Lady Maka," he hissed, instantly stumbling at the sight before him. He faced the large portal admirably, he thought, as it was larger than anything he'd ever seen. What it was a portal to, he was terribly unsure of. It showed a big window, a bed styled similar to that of Lady Jacqueline, however the sheer curtains were viciously torn and the bed sheets, a fair pink under the moonlight, had rips and tears in it as well with small white patches sewn in at odd intervals. The jagged shadows worked its way across the stone floor, a splintered bed frame leaving pronged wood splayed and dangerously open. The whole thing looked so strange the more he thought about it.
"Lady Maka!" he tried again and attempted to step into it only to find himself pushed back by an unseen force. "What the-" Before his eyes, the portal shrunk and disappeared from sight. He sat in the hall for a few more moments in awe of what had just occurred. The fair Lady had inquired after him and, upon realizing his consciousness, fled? Such a thing was odd…
Upon returning to his room of sorts (for the medical room was his only lodging place at the moment), he proceeded to ponder on her, blowing the candle out and lying in the dark until Kim was waking him up again, a fresh candle in her hand.
"Good morning," she said.
"What time is it?"
"It is hard to say. The sun has not been in the sky long and on a summer day such as this, it means that dawn has just recently come to pass."
"Do you have a plan for me today?"
"Today? Jackie wanted to explore her dragonless prison with you and plan your departure and though the other girls wished to join, I am afraid they cannot."
"Why is that?"
"The portals only respond to the ladies themselves. Within the labyrinths there is free reign, but to another tower? It would be too easy to escape. No other maidens can travel to Jacqueline's tower. It is impossible."
"But I can?"
"You came from her kingdom therefore you are allowed to travel to and from her tower at will. Perhaps after your talk with her, you will return here. The girls wish to have you tell stories in the courtyard."
Soul looked up sharply. "You have a courtyard?"
"We found it in the labyrinth many years ago. It is linked to a doorway here that transports one to the forgotten Gardens of Avena." The Garden of Avena was something Soul had heard about in fairy tales. It was said to be guarded by angels, tended to by fairy women that maintained the flora and kept it alive even when harsh winters threatened the life of the garden. Never had he thought that the rumours would be linked back to the maidens in the labyrinth, the Knights of Gorgon. Although, how that rumour had come about, even he did not know.
"Finally." Resolutely, Soul stretched, sat up, and pulled his shirt over his head. "I have missed the look of the sky."