You really need to work on your Divination skills. Of all days, it just had to rain today, when you’re traveling through the Northern Forest, and of course you just had to get lost.

You shield your eyes as you look up, trying to see if there’s any indication of where you are. It’s getting dark, and wolves inhabit these areas. Even with your spells, there’s no way you can make it out scot-free. Still, if it’s night, there may be a chance for stars to appear, and you can use them to find your way out—hopefully.

You sigh as you trudge on, trees stretching as far as you can see into the distance. You’re shivering, clothes soaked through and your old suitcase heavy in your hand.

There's a large silhouette up ahead. A castle, you assume, stretching tall above the trees, overlooking the woods. A castle out here in the middle of nowhere means there's a high chance it's been here for centuries—also probably abandoned. But it doesn't matter, as you quicken your pace, near sprinting as you approach the old structure. Even if it's abandoned, you can use it as shelter until the rain passes. You'll need a dry place to send the other witches a message anyways, so this is a of luck at least. Every cloud has a silver lining, right?

As you get closer to the castle, you begin to see lights. Only a few rooms have their lights on, and it's not very bright, but that's a good sign. There must be people here.

The castle gates loom into view, standing tall and menacing. The lions etched into the iron handles seem to sneer at you. Gulping, you push the gates open, hearing it creak from age, cutting through the sound of the constant rain. You wince, wondering if someone heard. The garden and courtyard seem untended to, weeds growing haphazardly and wilted plants littering the area. They droop in creepy tendrils, tree branches like claws, seeming to disuade you from entering.

You pull your cloak closer to yourself, a protective shield as you trudge forward. You mentally recite the defensive spells you know, in case of any danger. You stand in front of the giant double doored entrance now. More lions are etched into the ancient wood, curling in elegant yet fierce designs. You reach for the knocker, feeling like the lion will unhinge its jaws and bite you. It doesn't, and your knocks echo into the forest.

Silence.

You frown, looking up to find lights flickering through the windows. There must be someone in there. You knock again, putting more strength into it, hoping someone would hear. Still silence. You press your ears against the door, muttering a spell to increase your hearing. Still nothing.

You decide to knock one last time, disheartened that you can't get in despite it being right in front of you. You would have forced yourself in had it been abandoned, but you don't want to get in trouble if people really are living here. Finally, you hear footsteps and the doors swing open.

An old woman holding a candelabrum greets you, her face sunken and wrinkled, but her eyes twinkle at you. The flickering flames cast dancing shadows across her face. She seems friendly enough. 

"Hello." You manage a smile, trying to be polite. "Sorry to bother you. May I please stay here until the storm passes? It's raining quite hard."

She glances at your soaking clothes and the suitcase by your side. She smiles kindly, eyes crinkling. "Yes, of course. Come on in. Let me take you to the guest room and you can change out of your wet clothes."

"Thank you very much." You humbly follow her through the lobby, looking surprisingly clean and polished compared to how the castle looks on the outside. Despite that, shelves and tabletops are practically empty, showing no signs of usage or life. You wonder if this old lady lives here alone. Based on her reserved appearance and simple dress, it seems like she must be a maid or caretaker of some sort. But caretaker of what?

Her candelabrum makes the hallways look eerie as you pass. Rooms and decorations are empty. Paintings are covered with dark cloths. It makes you shiver, and you hurry to stay closer to the old lady.

"May I ask for your name?" You say, voice ringing in the silence of the castle. Outside, the storm rages.

"It's Mary, dear." She says. "And you? Why are you traveling through the Nothern Forest alone?"

"I'm heading to a gathering." A witch's gathering, more precisely. "It's on the other side of the forest. I guess I was unlucky to get caught up in this storm."

"Indeed." She says as she finally stops at a room. She holds the door open for me, offering me a smile. "Here's your room. Feel free to call me whenever you need anything. You can go ahead and use the bathroom to warm up. I'll go get you some clothes."

"Oh, thank you very much." You offer as she closes the door behind her. You place your suitcase by the foot of the queen-sized canopy bed, sighing. You peel off your clothes, shivering as the cool air hits your bare skin. Stepping into the bathroom, the extravagance awes you. The bathtub is huge, the white porcelain polished until you can see your reflection in it. You turn on the hot water, eager to get some warmth back into your body.

Once you've thoroughly warmed and cleaned yourself, you step out the bathroom to find Mary had folded and placed a set of clothes on the bed. It's a nightgown; classy, loose and comfortable. It falls down almost to your ankles, the silky material flowing as you move.

You want to thank Mary, but it's late and you're tired from your journey. You glance at your suitcase and decide to contact the other witches tomorrow. They can surely wait, because the bed cannot. You jump onto the soft bed, the mattress bouncing underneath you and you sigh in contentment, burying your face into a fluffy pillow. How lucky for you to come across this castle. The alternative would be to continue your journey in the pouring rain or to hide in an abandoned castle. You prefer this much, much more.

It isn't long before you fall into a peaceful slumber as the storm continues to drone outside.

It's still raining the next day. You couldn't even tell it was morning from how dark it is outside, making the castle dreary and gloomy. Mary had come in to wake you up, bringing fresh clothes and told you the directions to the dining room where breakfast is prepared.

You feel really bad to intrude like this. You would've been fine if they just let you sleep on the floor, honestly. You've freshened up and changed into the dress she gave you, much more elegant and Renaissance-inspired than the nightgown. It made you uncomfortable to wear something that seems so expensive, so you tried to be extra careful so you don't ruin it.

You make your way down the hall, the stairs, and towards the left as per Mary's instructions. You push open the double-doors that lead to the dining room, a long, rectangular table in the center decorated with candelabra and all kinds of exquisite food. The smell hits you hard, making you remember just how hungry you are (you'd eaten the bread you packed a day or two ago and haven't eaten since). You sit down almost too quickly, the chair scraping against the floor and making an ugly, screeching sound. But you don't care as you begin to help yourself with the food, forgetting all about table manners or whatever. It didn't matter, since you're alone here anyway.

Except you're not.

Someone clears their throat, making you freeze with a hand outstretched towards the hors d'oeuvres. You swallow thickly, turning your head to find a man sitting at the head of the table. His figure had been hidden by the food towers and candelabra. Your cheeks flush as you fall back into your seat, eyes wide with embarrassment. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't notice you."

The man smiles. "No worries. I heard you were traveling through the Northern Forest?"

"Ah, yes." You try your best to keep your eyes on him and not the food. "I'm heading towards a gathering outside the woods but it started to rain so heavily."

"Indeed." He muses, turning to stare out the window. You gulp down the saliva that builds your mouth, your stomach growling. The man swivels back towards you. "Oh, please forgive me. Go ahead and eat."

Finally! You try to control yourself from devouring the table, acting as civil as possible. The first bite into the warm bread practically made you moan in delight, the soup hot and creamy.

The man chuckles, and this time you finally notice his features. He's beautiful; brown hair that curls over his forehead, sharp jaw, and bright amber eyes. He's so ethereal you almost choke on your food. His smile is breathtaking, slightly childish and filled with mirth as he props his chin up with a fist. He wears extravagant clothes, golden rim and detailing sewn into the light fabric.

"Um," you start shyly, now realizing you've made a fool of yourself in front of such a handsome man. "Are you perhaps the owner of this castle?"

He still smiles pleasantly and you're entranced. "Yes, you can say that. I'm Prince Byun Baekhyun, but please, call me Baekhyun."

You choke for the second time.

Prince!?

Suddenly your hands start to tremble, eyes wide with panic. "Oh gosh—I-I'm so sorry Your Highness, I—"

"Like I said," he cuts your blabbering off smoothly. "Just Baekhyun."

"Baekhyun." You breathe out his name, feeling the pressure on your tongue by the weight of it. This is absurd! You're dining with an extremely gorgeous prince! A real life prince! And you're calling him by first name!

He beams, seemingly pleased by that. He seems friendly at least, not stuck up at all and seems down-to-earth.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay here." You say, feeling too shy to continue eating like a beast. "I'll go as soon as the rain lets up."

"No worries." He waves his hand carelessly. "Stay as long as you want. The castle is pretty empty and I don't get visitors often. This is a nice change of pace."

You have noticed before, but you really haven't seen anyone in the castle other than Mary. Surely there must be other servants to maintain such a big castle. But the empty halls and rooms makes it feel very lonely, especially with the rain pouring outside. "Do you live here alone?"

His eyes dim for a moment. "Yes...my parents died a while ago so it's just me and the servants." Then he lets out a lighthearted laugh. "But they are like family to me so it's not too bad."

You feel bad for him. What must it feel like living in such a big, empty place? You nod, poking at your plate and suddenly losing your appetite. He smiles apologetically.

"I'm sorry, please don't mind me and eat. You must be hungry after traveling so far."

His expression is gentle and kind, and despite being a prince he doesn't put on any airs. You decide that you like him; he seems like a nice guy.

As you eat, the conversation shifts to a much more lighthearted one, where you tell him of all the places you've been to and the interesting things you've experienced. His eyes were wide like a child, filled with so much wonder and curiosity.

"I'll take you somewhere one day." You say, swallowing a piece of chicken. "How about that?"

His smile is still there, but it's sad now. His eyes are downcast, and he looks almost sheepish. "Maybe." He says.

"Miss, I'd like to ask you to please not leave your room during the night." Mary says to you as she leads you back to your room. There are so many hallways and rooms that you'd easily get lost without a guide.

You frown at that, wondering why that is. Still, you're intruding on them, so you should at least follow the rules they give you. Besides, it's nothing outrageous.

Once you enter your room, you quickly open your suitcase, searching through the contents. You dig out a golden hand mirror, gold roses embezzled with rubies decorate the rim. You touch your fingers to the cool surface, murmuring a spell. The mirror ripples like silver water, and soon you see the familiar face of the head witch. Her striking red lips are pulled into a frown, her green eyes piercing as she looks at you disapprovingly. "Finally decide to call? You're very late. Where the hell are you?"

"Sorry." You let out a sheepish smile, hoping it'll quell her anger. It did not. "I got lost through the forest and stuck in the storm. I'm now taking shelter at a castle nearby."

Her eyebrows shoot up. "Castle?"

"Yeah." You say. "There's a castle in the middle of the forest, apparently."

"You should be careful." She says, her voice dropping and her expression suddenly serious. "It's a cursed castle."

You frown, tilting your head at her. "What do you mean?"

"You see, the prince—"

She gets cut off by a loud roar coming from outside your door. You freeze, eyes wide as you stare at the head witch who looks equally shocked. "What was that?"

"Listen to me." The head witch says lowly, her words quick. "The castle is cursed. The prince—"

Something rams into your door, another roar resounding, making your skin crawl. "I'm sorry, I'll get back to you." You ignore the head witch's calls as you let go of your communication spell, the mirror returning to its original state. Something rams against your door again, an alarming crack! in the wood. 

Alarmed, you back away against the opposite wall, muttering a spell to swing the doors open. A growling beast stands outside, its form resembling a lion but at least twice as big, orange-brown fur spiked out threateningly. It looks rather disoriented, shaking its head rapidly and ramming into walls, as if it can't see properly and is very agitated. 

A growl rumbles through its throat, its eyes glowing a molten amber. Upon the doors opening, its ears perk up, turning its giant head towards you, who is left cowering in your room. Its eyes scan about, nostrils flared. You're pretty sure it can snap your body in half with those terrifying fangs and could crush your skull with its claws. 

A low grumble resounds throughout your room, and you can feel the vibrations through the floor where your hands are splayed. The beast approaches you slowly, its mane ruffling and ears twitching. You hold your breath, hoping it'll move on and not find you. Mentally, you run through the spells you know in case it attacks. Lucky for you, you're great with animals. Never one like this though.

The beast stops right in front of you, its nostrils flaring again. You're sure it can smell you, there's no hiding from this. You have a defensive spell on the tip of your tongue, ready whenever it decides to attack.

But it doesn't.

Rather it begins to lower itself on its hind legs as if bowing, then it lets out a soft whine. You exhale slightly to catch your breath, feeling your heart pound and palms sweat, wondering what's happening. You don't dare move a muscle, it's terrifying to even breathe. But it doesn't do anything even after a long pause, then it whines again, sounding pained and scared.

Seeing that it doesn't have any intent to harm you, you begin to slowly relax. You raise your hand carefully, making sure not to move too quickly in case you agitate it. You place your hand in front of the beast's muzzle, waiting for it to come to you. It does, nudging your head with the crown of his head. Its fur is surprisingly soft, and it also starts to flatten against its body rather than frizzle out in agitation. 

Quietly, it begins to purr.

"Hi." You whisper, patting it gently. It lies down flat on its belly now, seemingly enjoying being pet. "Where did you come from?"

The purring drones on steadily. You smile, shifting so its head is resting on your lap. At least it's not aggressive. It is strange that there would be a beast like this in the castle, but you don't dwell on that for now. Tomorrow you'll ask Mary or Prince Baekhyun about it. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to think this might be a pet of the prince, especially in the mysterious Northern Forest.

The rain still pours, lulling you to sleep just like that.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter