ROLL FOR STORY!
Hi guys! Today I posted a Tik Tok on me rolling some dice to create a short story. Here is what that story ended up being! I hope you enjoy it.
THE CROWN’S SHADOW
By Bridget Messi
The rain pounded and the wind howled as Fern huddled against the far wall of the damp, cool cave she had found. Her gown was torn and soaked with rain water, but that was the least of her worries—although she did mourn for the gorgeous lacework and fabrics that had been ruined from the rain and mud. But sadly she had no choice in the matter of the state of her dress, in fact, it had been a necessity.
Fern had been out gathering blueberries with one of her handmaidens in a nearby field and the day had been warm with golden sunlight peering between the thick clouds that now held the rain that pounded outside her cave. Her maid let out a cry and as Fern turned she was confronted with the sight of a burly man, his eyes wide and his arm was above him, a knife plunging toward her heart. She dropped to the ground in time for the blade to narrowly miss her skin, but the fabric of her custom gown was not so fortunate.
Her maid had run into the assassin, trying to bring him to the ground and as she did, Fern leaped up and ran. If she had been on palace grounds, guards would have overheard the screaming and come to her aid. But alas, Fern and her maid had been alone in a field not far from town. They had ventured out to that field various times before, all of them making her feel safe enough not to travel with guards—a decision she was regretting as she shivered in her hiding place.
How long till someone found her only the gods knew. Fern had bolted into the thick forest and ran for what seemed like hours before coming to a stop. The problem now was that she was alone and now lost in a forest with an assassin out on the loose. At least that’s what she assumed, maybe some guard had come and taken care of him earlier, but there was no way of Fern knowing that she was safe and with no idea where she was and how to get back, she had found this cave where she now sheltered from the storm.
Her teeth chattered and tears sprung to her eyes. It had been such a lousy day and she felt utterly defeated. How was she ever going to get home to the palace where she was sure her father and mother were worried sick about her?
As her eyes drooped shut, she hoped someone would find her and not the one who wished her dead.
Fern opened her green eyes to see the welcomed early morning sun and heard the chirping of robins in nearby trees. She stretched, her muscles aching from the hard stone she had used as her bed and her gown was still damp from the day before. She sighed and stared out into the forest. It was lush and green, and a sense of calm surrounded it in a way making her feel less afraid. She had made it through the night miraculously, maybe that meant there was hope after all.
She stretched out her sore limbs and stared out into the forest. Her stomach growled loudly and she chewed her bottom lip. Food—something else she hadn’t needed to think about. Thankfully she was pretty confident in her gathering abilities since picking blueberries was a weekly activity for her.
So taking a deep breath she stood and wandered out into the lush greenery. In the light, it looked so much more inviting than it had when the thick storm clouds darkened everything.
Timidly, she stepped from the cavern and onto the lush ground still wet and muddy from the earlier storm. Removing her slippers, which just got caught in the mud, Fern walked around and finally found a small bush with raspberries. She picked a skirt full of them and headed back to her cave to enjoy a light breakfast.
As she ate her berries, her mind wandered. How in the world was she to get back to the castle? The forest seemed to go on for miles and she couldn’t see any sign of civilization from her little spot in the vast woodland. What was she to do? Head back in the direction she assumed the town was? She shook her head at that thought. Fern had made so many twists and turns in an attempt to confuse any attacker following her, she doubted the direction she would head in would get her anywhere but more lost.
Bored and hopeless, Fern turned her attention to the cave she might now have to call home. The thought made her eyes water, but she blinked them away. She couldn’t be sad now, there was still hope that she would find her way back. At the very least, the palace guards would be searching high and low for her soon if they weren’t already. She would not stay here.
No, she had too much still to do in this life for her to end up trapped and lost in the wilderness. This cave was just a temporary setback.
Speaking of the cave, Fern turned her attention to the alcove that would be her makeshift home till she was either rescued or found a way back without being killed by a wild animal or assassins.
It was a damp cavern that was about twenty feet by ten feet. She could hear the faint noise of dripping water from the back, but even upon narrowing her gaze, she was unable to see any source of the drip. She frowned. Her mouth was watering since finishing the tart berries and nothing sounded better than some freshwater right about now.
Fern rose from where she sat and made her way towards the back of the cave, an arm on the wall leading deeper into shadow. After around a minute or two Fern paused and glanced back at the wide entrance that was now behind her. She should have been at the back of the cavern by now. Had she mistaken where the back of the cave was?
At this point, the shadows had darkened and it was growing ever more difficult to see what was before her.
She had indeed been wrong.
Taking a steady breath, Fern continued into the darkness of the cave and toward the nearing splatting sound of water onto rock.
Deeper and deeper she traveled into the cave, the light of the outside world growing dimmer with each step forward. She was beginning to fear she would be lost and contemplated turning back while a glimmer of sunlight was still visible behind her when a fat drop of water landed on her head.
Fern nearly burst out laughing with joy. Finally, she had found it!
She threw her head back and let the water drip right into her mouth before cupping her hands into a makeshift bowl and drinking that way. The water was fresh and clean and tasted divine. There must be some well above somewhere as its source.
After getting her fill, Fern wiped her mouth on her sleeve and turned back to the entrance of the cave which was now only a sliver of light. How far had she gone into this cave? Just how deep did it go she wondered almost aloud to herself. There was no hope of exploring further until she had a proper light source with her. The cavern seemed to be made of darkness the deeper she went into its halls where one couldn’t make out anything even if it were a mere inch in front of them.
Well, thought Fern to herself, she had nothing better to do. So she went back to the cave's entrance and searched for a thick branch in the wooded area. Once she found one she ripped a long piece of her dress off the bottom of her skirt. The deed of destroying such a pretty and not to mention expensive gown made her heartbreak, but there was no other way.
Fern wrapped the cloth around the top of the branch and then lit it on fire. It took her a try or two but it finally lit with a brilliant blaze.
Turning back towards the cave, she smiled, it was time for her to go exploring.
When she was young, Fern’s father always delighted her with bedtime stories after dinner with some hot chocolate by the fireplace. The stories always consisted of an adventure in some form or another, for those were her favorite.
Fern had always dreamed of going on adventures as a little girl and it had always been her favorite make-believe game around the gardens of the castle. She probably drove the gardeners mad with all of her trampling over the freshly manicured lawns and lush greenery. Going down the dark and dank cave tunnels reminded her of her younger self's dreams and it opened her eyes to just how different adventures were in fiction than they were in reality.
In her head, adventures were fun and exciting, but right now she didn’t feel all that excited and was sure as hell not having any fun. She suppressed a shiver down her spine as the cavern's temperature dropped and strange noises surrounded her. Fern didn’t even think she would be able to make it back to the cave's entrance, she had lost all sense of direction, so she continued, for it was the only thing to do.
Fern walked for what seemed like ages before suddenly she spotted something odd on the cave's wall. Throughout her exploration, the walls had been rough and jagged as stone naturally was, but now, it was much smoother and almost completely flat like a proper wall.
She blinked slowly and ran her fingers across the stone that was indeed so smooth it was almost polished. Taking a few steps forward she also came across an ornate iron sconce mounted on the wall with an unlit torch covered in cobwebs.
Fern furrowed her brow. What on earth was this doing here? Where was she?
Continuing on, she came to a tall stone staircase with a thick and ancient-looking oak door waiting at the top.
Timidly, she began up the stairs, her head swiveling searching for any sign that there was anyone else in the cave but none was seen. Fern reached the door and pushed. The door budged a mere inch.
Fern sighed and then shoved with all her might until the door budged suddenly and she ended up sprawled on the ground, her makeshift torch’s light extinguished on the floor next to her.
Taking in her surroundings, Fern came to the conclusion she was in some sort of storeroom. There were various barrels of wine and ale along with bags overflowing with grains and in-season vegetables.
She rose from the floor and dusted herself off the best she could as she walked toward the hallway lit with torches. Where was she and why was there a door leading to a cave in the middle of the forest from here?
Peaking around the corner, Fern saw the long hallway was empty as far as she could tell and went on a while in both directions. Unsure of which direction to take, she decided on heading right down the stone corridor. The floor was simple dirt tightly packed onto the earth from years of people walking on it and there was a slight draft. She passed room after room, all full of different miscellaneous things like animal feed, writing supplies, and one even held old books that looked like they would turn to dust if one were to touch their leather covers.
Fern finally came to a door, one much more ornate than the previous, and slowly pushed it open so she could peek through a small sliver between the door and the wall.
Her eyes widened as she recognized the windows of the hall and the lush gardens that lay outside them. By some miracle from the gods above Fern had made it back to the castle.
She was home!
Fern loosed a breath and entered the gallery hall. Finally, she could relax, she didn’t have to worry anymore about assassins in the woods, and she was safe inside the palace walls with guards to spare. Fern couldn’t wait to change into a new clean gown and not to mention take a nice hot soak in the tub full of scented oils that reminded her of the summer garden.
But, alas, before she could do any of that she needed to inform her parents she was safely back and inform them of what happened.
Fern reached the end of the hall, and a guard was stationed there. When he saw the princess he blinked a few times.
She gave a sheepish grin and raised her hand in a small wave. “Hi.”
“Princess!” He exclaimed. “How—when did you—do your parents know?”
Fern laughed. Of course, everyone would have heard about her disappearance and her being back out of the blue had to be a shock.
“I wasn’t told of your arrival, we’ve had search parties out for you since yesterday’s sunrise.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t have heard of it.” Fern informed him. “I actually just kind of . . .found my way home all on my own.”
“But how princess Fern?”
Fern gestured down the carpeted hall. “The door to the storerooms under the castle. I found an entrance to them from a cave I was exploring in the wood when I fled my attacker.”
His eyes widened. “A cave leading to the store rooms . . . dear gods, are you telling me your parents aren’t even aware you are home right now?
“Nope,” she said. “You are the first person I’ve seen since arriving in this hall. If you could take me to them I would greatly appreciate it.”
“Of course your highness.”
He pivoted stiffly and began leading her to the King and Queen.
***
“I want the guards around her wing doubled.” Ordered the King who was stomping around his study.
Fern had been led to her father who had been working in his study among a group of his closest advisors. When she walked in and the guard announced her presence her father had practically trampled anyone who had been in between him and his daughter.
The queen was informed and she came racing to Fern's side which she hadn’t left since they had been reunited. The king dismissed half of his audience and kept the captain of the guard, his advisor and castle’s resident wizard, Elerieth the Enchanter, along with a few other guards. Fern had recalled all that had happened to her in the whirlwind of the past two days and how she had made her way by some miracle back to the safety of the castle.
Her parents let her in on how they knew about the cave. The passage had been constructed in case there was a need to flee and Fern had found it in a time of need.
“Does that mean the assassin has access to our castle then too?” she asked, her heart rate spiking. “If he were searching for me still in the woods and tracked me there it begs the question of how would he not eventually come across the entrance as I had?”
The queen sent a worried look to the king who was frowning deeply. “You make an excellent point. I need the door locked tightly and guarded until further notice. We can not take any risks.”
“If I may sire,” Elerieth said. “Perhaps we may need to refocus our attention. Yes, the added security would be wise, but the threat is still out there and unless we find out who sent the assassin—well they may just send more in the near future.”
“Wise Elerieth, very wise indeed.” Nodded the king.
The wizard bowed.
“Did you happen to see any striking details of the man Fern?” Asked her father.
She shook her head. “Only that he was large with dark hair and eyes. There were no markings of identity.”
“He wouldn’t have your highness,” assured Elerieth. “Any good assassin knows they need to be discrete and blend in with their surroundings.”
“Yes, yes,” agreed the king quietly “Blending in . . .”
Fern focused her attention on her father who was now lost in thought. “How was he to blend in father if it was just me and my maid? Wouldn’t he have wanted to have more people around so that they could hide better?”
“What was he wearing my dear?” Asked the wizard.
She shrugged. “I can’t remember anything specific—just simple clothes. I remember his shirt being white cotton and I think his trousers were beige. Pardon my recollection of his appearance, I was focused on the knife he was wielding toward me.”
“It is alright princess, but how about the blade he carried? I am sure you would remember it if you saw it again.”
“I assure you Elerieth,” snapped the king. “That my daughter will never be in its presence again.”
The wizard put his hands up. “Of course not your Majesty. I am simply trying to see if she would be able to describe the dagger and if it had anything prominent that we could identify it by.”
“Do you my daughter?”
Fern sighed but did as was asked of her and traced her memory back to that frightful few moments. She watched again and again as the blade tiled towards her, the sun glinting off its polished metal and her twisting away from it just in time for it to barely miss her skin.
“The blade was a silver make, and beautiful in a horrifying way. It wasn’t just a simple smooth blade like a common knife, but serrated in an ornate jagged design.”
“Jagged?” The king asked suddenly.
Fern nodded.
The room fell silent and the air became more charged than ever. The king and Elerieth exchanged a worried glance.
“I warned you that this would happen.” Said Elerieth.
“And I, a fool, didn’t believe you.”
Fern’s eyes flicked between the two men before she began to chew the inside of her cheek.
“We must not dwell on past mistakes your majesty. We can only move forward. I see this as an act of war. They didn’t go after you, but your daughter. It is much more personal now.”
“War?” exclaimed Fern. “On who?”
“Valtara my dear.” stated the king. “But that is nothing for you to worry about. My council and I will handle it. In fact, I think it is time for you to be going, I will have two guards escort you to your chambers.”
Fern's mouth dropped. Valtrara was their neighboring country with who they had good relations—Fern's best friend was the princess of that country. There had to be some mistake in this idea that they could have sent an assassin.
“I refuse to believe that war is needed over this. What proof do we have that they sent the man and what motive? They have never been anything but kind to us and our country.”
Elerieth waved her protests aside. “The politics do not concern you, princess. You should let your father deal with this.”
Fern's nostrils flared and she resisted the urge to stomp her foot like a child. “Do not dismiss me like a child Elerieth, you forget your place.”
“My place? Perhaps you need to be reminded of yours. You are a princess of only sixteen years. You have no proper experience in war or politics. This is not a place for you.”
It was as if he wanted her to hit him. Fern resisted the urge. “My place is here in this room. I may not have the experience but I am the sole heir to this country father and one day I will need to make these decisions. What better time to start including me in the politics than right now? Valtara is a county that houses my best friend and I refuse to believe she would be happy with me dead.”
“It was not your friend's decision to send the assassin.” snapped the wizard
“Then what proof do we have it was their kingdom?”
Her father spoke now. “It was the blade used Fern. There are only a few people who have access to a blade of that design. They were made only for the royal family and not even the royal guards of Valtara have access to them.”
Fern went still, the news sinking in.
“The assassin would have had to have been given the blade from none other than the king himself. There is no other possibility they would just have that sort of weapon.” Elerieth said quietly.
“Did we do something horribly offensive?” she asked looking at her stone-faced father.
He shrugged. “Not that I am aware of, but sometimes people can harbor hate behind a friendly facade. Elerieth told me a few months ago how we should have taken action against them. Forgive me for not listening then, but hear me now when I say I would love to hear your ideas on how to proceed.”
Yes, Fern remembered not all that long ago she had walked into a meeting between the two, and had overheard Elerieth speaking of war with their neighbors. Fern had convinced her father it was a terrible idea.
The déjà vu was dizzying.
It also made her pause.
This conversation was familiar—and something about it was making her hair stand up.
“Dear,” cooed her mother rubbing her shoulder while she was lost in thought. “Why don’t we go to tea.”
Fern brushed her mother away. Her mind was racing with her thoughts, her chest tightening.
This was all too . . . convenient in Fern’s opinion.
“You did speak of raging war a few months ago didn’t you Elerieth.” She said turning her focus to the wizard who nodded.
“I am sorry we didn’t decide to back then. Perhaps this whole ordeal could have been avoided if we had. Your safety and the safety of the royal family are of utmost importance.”
“I’m sure it is. . .” Fern tilted her head. Something was still gnawing at her. Like an itch, she couldn’t quite reach. There was something here, but what was it? What was she missing?
She blinked. Then blinked again and her heart began to race.
“Father,” she said. Do you remember when I was a little girl and Princess Vivian and her family had come to visit us?”
The king nodded.
She swallowed and tried to calm her heart which was beating like crazy. “If I recall correctly there was a state dinner that we hosted. At that dinner, King Halcyon stood up and gave a toast, but it wasn’t just any toast. In his speech, he presented you with their family’s blade as a sign of unity between our countries.”
The king blinked and rubbed his beard. “He did. How did I forget that.”
“So if their blade is in our possession how could they have sent someone to kill me with it?”
“They probably gave us a fake blade Princess,” Elerieth said.
Fern’s head snapped in his direction. “I highly doubt that to be the case. Father, where is that blade?”
“In our armory vault,” He said looking to his captain of the guard. “Fetch it for us will you?”
The captain bowed and exited the room as the wizard spoke. “That's hardly necessary sire. No one knows how to enter those vaults except the most high-ranking officials.”
“Well, I would still like to see the blade again to see if it indeed might be a fake as you have suggested.”
Fern could see the wizard swallow hard and sweat began to bead on his brow. She narrowed her gaze at him.
“Yes, Elerieth,” she said sweetly keeping her eyes locked on him. “What’s the harm in studying it once more.”
“I only have concern for you and your mental state. It might send you into a panic if you were to see it again. We do not need to scar you any more than you have been.”
Fern smiled tightly at him. “I can handle seeing a blade Elerieth. It’s the one who was yielding it I wish not to see again. But thank you for your concern.”
The wizard just stared hard back at her. Something was going on here and Elerieth was at the source of it, Fern could feel the tension beginning to brew like a summer rain storm.
“That man you will never see again.” Her father snapped. “But I do agree, you are getting older and I won’t be able to live forever. It is time to include you in a few meetings and such.”
“Are you sure about that Simon?” The queen asked looking at her husband.
The king nodded. “It is time. She needs to know if she is to be queen.”
Fern had to physically stop herself from bouncing on her feet. She was going to be included! “Father, thank you. Thank you so much!”
Before he could answer, the office doors opened and the Captain walked in with a trail of guards his jaw was clenched and eyes hard. Fern’s stomach twisted.
“It’s gone, your majesty.” The words were blunt and harsh on his lips.
Gone?
The king stumbled back as if he had been hit, Fern’s mouth dropped open in shock and Elerieth fidgeted with his robes.
“That’s not possible. There is no way for anyone to slip past the guards let alone break the lock without being noticed. The lock was intact still yes?”
The captain nodded. “I have no idea how it was taken, but one thing is for sure—whoever did this wanted to know that the Valtara had something to do with it.”
“But why go to so much trouble of getting the blade back that was given as a gift if to use it to start a war?”
“The minds of men are difficult to understand,” Elerieth said.
The king remained solemn. “There is obviously a traitor among us. No one could have done such a thing without our notice.”
“I agree your highness.” The captain nodded.
Elerieth took a step forward. “Simply looking at the amount of trouble they went through to hurt you your majesty is astounding. I would advise you to have the army march on them this instant. King Simon needs to pay for his theft. Once he is captured, cut his hands off so he may never take what doesn’t belong to him ever again.”
Fern furrowed her brow. The blade had belonged to King Simon. If anything he had only stolen back what was rightfully his all along. Fern tilted her head in thought—that itch growing stronger and stronger.
“Yes,” said the King. “We must make haste!”
There was a traitor in their midst, thought Fern while plans for the invasion were quickly being made.
She had been down to the vaults, which was an impressive room that was full of treasures and everything was on tight watch. Each item was placed in a locked container that was then placed on a shelf that had been cut out of black granite. Six guards stood watching inside the vault and another six lined the hallway and entrance. There is no room for someone to slip by them, the only way would be if someone of high enough rank went down and took that item. But that wasn’t plausible either. There were only a few who were allowed in such a space—those included were the royal family which consisted of herself and her parents, The guards and their captain, and then Elerieth.
Fern sucked in a breath.
“Father, wait a moment.”
“Do not interrupt his majesty,” growled the wizard.
“Watch your tongue Elerieth,” snapped the king who had paused his conversation with the captain and was now staring daggers at the wizard.
“Yes Elerieth,” agreed Fern. “Watch your tongue. Speaking of tongue, yours talks about how our neighbors have betrayed us, but how would you explain that idea further when the only ones who are aware of the location of our vault and the gift they gave are those in this room right now?”
The wizard opened his mouth and then shut it.
“In fact,” she continued. “If I remember correctly it was you who convinced me to head out without a guard that day. You told me of how it was such a calm and beautiful day, and that the guards were out on patrol in that area anyway so why take more security away from the castle.”
The silence in the room was deafening. The king stood up straighter, his eyes locked on Elerieth.
“Now I don’t recall seeing any guards on our walk to the fields nor any in them to begin with. Interesting isn’t it?”
“You wouldn’t have seen any of my men out on your stroll your highness. There were no such orders to do so.” The captain chimed, his jaw hard.
Fern tilted her head. “And if I am not mistaken, it is you and you alone who have been quick to blame our neighbors. You already wished to see them invaded and simply needed a motive for my father—whether it be fake or not.”
Elerieth was sweating now and Fern held back a smile. She had him right where she wanted him.
A snake caught in a trap.
The guards began to close in on the wizard, their hands finding their blades.
“Fine.” Elerieth snapped suddenly. “It was me. I stole the dagger myself to frame the horrible king of Valtara. He never should have had the throne, to begin with. He’s a horrid man who thinks anything is his just because he was birthed into power. He needed to be checked.”
Blades were drawn.
“Elerieth.” said the king. “How could you? How could you betray your king and steal from him? You are the one needing to be checked, you are the one with no honor.”
The wizard began to laugh and Fern began to think he had gone mad.
“You put my daughters' life at risk, was it truly your intention to see her dead? Why do you go to such lengths?”
“Fern needed to die because she was standing in my way of revenge. Halcyon took what was mine!” He shouted
Her eyes went wide and Fern’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She had been right, and the confession hit her so much stronger than she had imagined it would. This man had wanted—plotted—to have her killed. Her death was to solve his revenge against King Halcyon. Men truly had minds that didn’t make sense in her opinion.
“Guards seize him!” shouted king Simon and they leaped into gear. The wizard tried to run, but they had him on the floor and bound within what seemed like seconds.
“Elerieth the Enchanter you are hereby sentenced to imprisonment on the grounds of attempted murder of her royal highness Princess Fern along with the betrayal of his Majesty King Simon.”
“How could you do this Elerieth?” the king asked as the prisoner was being dragged toward the doors. “I have trusted you and given you everything imaginable. What else did you want that would have warranted this behavior?”
Elerieth spat on the polished marble floor. “I never wanted to be your adviser and deal with these stupid politics. I only wanted the woman I loved—the woman that bastard Halcyon stole from me.”
Now, this was riveting.
Fern rolled her eyes. Could women please be considered people instead of property? “The queen can make her own decisions Elerieth. I doubt the king did anything that she didn’t wish to happen.”
“There was no love for him in her heart. I know this like I know my own mind. I left for a month and when I returned I heard the news that she was to be married days later. I tried to speak with her on several occasions, but she never accepted.”
“Then it is you who she despised.” Snarled King Simon. “Get him out of my sight.”
The guards dragged the wizard away and the heavy oak doors slammed shut behind them. The king slumped into his chair with a heavy sigh.
Silence stretched in the room. Fern didn’t know what to do, so much had just happened, and all so fast. Her head began to throb. Maybe she needed to take her mother up on her offer for some tea—and a bath—a bath would be delightful right now.
“I am so terribly sorry Fern.” her father said softly. “I put my trust in someone who only wished harm upon us and I put us all in grave danger. I can’t help but feel responsible for what happened the other day.”
“Father it is alright, I should have known better than to go out without guards as an escort.”
The king sighed again. “Let’s not dwell in the past, we can only move forward. The guards are still going to be doubled around your quarters and you are not to go anywhere without at least one guard as an escort. Is that understood?”
“Yes, father.”
“Good,” he said. “Now, why don’t you head to tea with your mother? I will see you at supper tonight.”
Weariness and hunger finally setting in, Fern was happy to oblige. So her mother and she headed to the tea room for cake and tea and didn’t have a care in the world from then out.
THE END.