The Bird and the Cage – Chapter 7:

Through the throbbing pain in her forehead, Anna stirred into consciousness. She was vaguely aware of the creaking of wooden wheels and the ever so slight rumble shaking her body. With bleary eyes, she tried to take in her surroundings. She could see a crimson curtain drawn above her head with grey light leaking in through the windows. She tried to move but was overcome with a sudden wave of nausea and decided it was best to remain still.

"So," said a sneering voice, "The elusive handmaid wakes. I thought you might sleep for the entire journey."

Even without seeing his face she knew this voice belonged to Hans. The mention of a journey allowed for her mind to click that she lay within a carriage. She considered whether her nausea was coming from her throbbing head or his mere proximity.

"Come now, your highness, didn't your parents tell you it's rude to ignore people?"

Anna remained silent, she had nothing to say to the likes of scum such as him.

Cold fingers that made her skin crawl tilted her head to face him. He was stretching from his seat opposite to her.

"Here I am taking a princess on a horse-drawn carriage ride around my magnificent kingdom, and how am I rewarded? By the sulking of a two-year-old." He slapped her harshly across the face. "Get up."

With her cheek stinging, she pushed herself up and leaned against the carriage wall, focusing all of her energy into the most vicious glare she could throw at him.

"Much better." He clapped his grey gloved hands together and sat back with a mocking smile stretched across his face. "Now, to business. You, my dear Princess, have caused quite a commotion as of late, as I'm sure you're aware. You see you should be thanking me, your highness! There were a fair few nasty fellows that were looking to do terrible things to you. It is lucky I found you when I did!"

"Where are you taking me?" said Anna. She was sick of playing games by this point.

"To a show, my dear Princess! Oh yes, a grand show for all to marvel at. Why, I dare say the whole Kingdom will be there to watch! All except my sister of course. I'm afraid she's being kept quite busy at the moment by some – how shall I say – unpleasantness back at the castle."

Anna was liking this conversation less the more it went on. If she was no longer within the castle grounds then where she being taken? She pulled back the curtain and caught a glimpse of a few rows of terraced houses in the distance before Hans snapped the curtains back together.

"Now, now, you highness, no peaking! You'll ruin the surprise otherwise."

"I don't care about your idiotic show or what game you're playing. Take me back to the castle. Now."

"Oh my dear Princess, don't be ridiculous. We can't go back to the castle and abandon the show! Not when you're the star," he said with a malicious glint in his green eyes.

A shiver went down Anna's spine. She knew that whatever this 'show' involved it wasn't going to end well for her. She looked toward the carriage door but Hans shifted down his seat towards it.

"No, no, it's not time to leave yet, my sweet Princess. We'll be there shortly, not to worry. In the meantime we can have a little chat. For instance, that's quite an ugly scar you've got there. It must be rather bothersome. Tell me, who gave you such a ghastly mark?" His features were alive with joy, like a cat toying with an injured mouse.

"Well," she said, using the most sweetly innocent voice she could muster, "I believe some poor deluded soul cut me while your dear sister was tearing apart your head guard."

Hans' face darkened, all traces of delight wiped away. "An interesting tale. Such a shame that my sister couldn't be here today for the show. I'm sure she would be rather intrigued by your performance." He pulled back the curtain slightly on his side of the carriage and his face lit up once more. "Never mind, I'll be sure to tell her all about it later on. We've arrived, my dear Princess!"

The carriage halted suddenly, jolting Anna forwards in her seat. From outside she could hear the curious whispers of many people. The moment that the carriage door opened a heavy silence fell upon the crowd. Hans stepped out onto the cobbled ground, his finely polished boots echoing throughout the large square of people. He looked round and flashed a smug smile at the two crowds of people either side of him.

The crowd had separated to leave a clear path to a set of rickety wooden stairs, which wound around a large wooden structure in the centre of the square. Her view from within the carriage cut off the top of the platform, but she had a strong feeling that that was where her fate resided. The people had their heads lowered obediently, not daring to meet Hans' gaze. Anna could feel the waves of fear emanating from the crowd.

She didn't move from the carriage until Hans leaned back in, reaching a grey, skin tight glove towards her. "Come on now, your highness, there's no need to be shy. I'm sure my fair citizens will receive you warmly. They're all just as eager to see your performance as I am!"

She stepped towards the carriage door, choosing the only fate she knew was available to her. She deliberately avoided Hans' touch, but he brought up a hand to rest on her shoulder when she descended.

"Princess Anna, I give you the city of my glorious Kingdom!" he said, sweeping a raised arm from left to right in front of her.

Anna had heard several people mention the city during her time in the castle, but she never pictured such a despairing place. While the castle had its looming towers and dark glass to give it a kind of eerie beauty, the city was quite the opposite. All around her lingered rows of terraced houses that might have once been white but were now grey from the years of dirt. The roofs were a faded red with numerous tiles stripped, along with the occasional hole. The battered shutters on the windows clung desperately to their hinges. Some of the doors had been knocked down, leaving gaping holes into what were likely empty residences. The doors that remained standing had a single triangle engraved upon them. Anna couldn't understand why the large number of citizens surrounding her had left their houses to fall into such disrepair.

There was a crack of a whip and the carriage behind Anna drew away, leaving her and Hans standing somewhat awkwardly in the centre of the crowd.

"Well?" Hans said, raising his voice to address the crowd, "The star of the show stands before you, you specks of grime! Clap!"

The crowd broke into a thunderous applause without a second's hesitation, though they didn't lift their gaze. The sudden sound made Anna jolt on the spot. As she looked at the furiously clapping people, she pitied them. She wondered what repercussions they had suffered before when they hadn't obeyed Hans.

"This way your highness!" Hans said with his hand still on her shoulder, guiding her towards the rickety stairs.

As they walked down the cleared path, the crowd continued to applaud. Anna tried to look at the faces of those she passed. Most were staring blankly at their feet with any spark of hope or defiance extinguished long ago. A few of the younger citizens however, shot quick glances at her with an odd expression upon their faces. It was only when she was at the base of the stairs did she realise the looks to be of pity.

She paused for a moment but Hans nudged her forward. As she climbed the creaking flights of stairs that wound around the large wooden structure, she frantically tried to formulate a means of escape. The chance of jumping over the edge wasn't an option with Hans directly behind and there would likely be guards all around to recapture her. Only then did it strike her that she hadn't seen many of Hans' guards around the square. She had witnessed the platoons under his command several times before, but it made no sense that so few of them would be around to protect their puppeteer. Something wasn't right. She looked out into the distance at the towering castle on top of the hill and her suspicions were confirmed. Jet black storm clouds enveloped the three towers and the orange glow of what could only be fire was reflecting off the glass at the base of the castle. The castle was clearly involved in some kind of assault, which explained Elsa's absence.

At the top of the stairs Anna froze once again. Five guards in grey awaited her on a large square platform with a pair at the east and west and one at the base of a set of smalls stairs. The stairs led to another platform with one of Hans' head guards standing next to a scaffold and with a hangman's noose at the end.

There was no escape and only one way forward. Rather than giving Hans the satisfaction of seeing her breaking down, she steeled herself and walked confidently to the top of the next platform. Her confidence faulted when she came face to face with the head guard. He seemed just as large as the other one she had come into contact with. He had the same heavy armour with two longswords inscribed on the chest but his face was much crueller. He had scruffy stubble covering the lower half of his face, a thin lipped, tightly set mouth and black bushy brows, giving the impression of a permanent scowl. His beady black eyes were fixed on her, unblinking. Beside him hung the hangman's noose which blew gently in the wind.

"Not long now, your highness," whispered Hans as he passed her and stood at the edge of the platform overlooking the downtrodden people of the Kingdom.

The guard came next to her and gripped her right upper arm tightly. She looked up into his beady black eyes and knew there was no trace of mercy within this man.

"My good people!" cried Hans with outstretched arms and a voice that echoed through the maze of streets below. "Behind me stands the very symbol of wretchedness. This girl, from a kingdom far away, has lied, cheated and murdered her way into a dangerous position of influence amongst my dear, beloved sister, your future Queen! Her crimes began the moment she set foot in our glorious Kingdom and soiled it with her filthy feet. But," he placed his palm on his chest, "I am a man of morals and I couldn't sleep at night if this vile wretch didn't get a fair trial. So, I leave it to my good people, my grand jury, to make the decision: Do you believe this lying murderess is guilty?"

"Aye," called the crowd in a joined, monotonous voice.

"And do you believe," he went on, "That she deserves a death with no right to the second glory?"

Anna thought she could see a small shudder run throughout the crowd.

"Aye," the crowd called again.

"I'm afraid, my princess," said Hans with a shrug and palms facing up, "That my hands are tied. The people have spoken. But don't worry, this is your moment to shine!"

The guard dragged her to the very edge of the platform, right next to the noose. The fall was far greater than she expected and she was overcome by a moment of vertigo, but the guard's hand permitted no freedom to sway.

"Please," she said in a small voice, feeling the pricks of tears in the corners of her eyes, her body trembling ever so slightly.

"Come now," said Hans with a triumphant smile, "There's no need for despair, your highness. There will be many to pass on the news of your performance to my sister. I might even give you the honour of preserving your body. My sweet sister would be ever so grateful. I hear she's so very fond of the curves of your body.

Anna started toward Hans, wanting to tear out his well kempt brown hair, scratch his smug features, make him suffer in every way possible. The head guard forced his huge palm into her chest before she could get close enough to him and the wind was taken out of her as she went to the floor.

"A wild one even to the end," said Hans, inspecting one of his grey gloved hands in an uninterested fashion. "Such a pity it's never done you any good."

Anna looked out at the noose while the guard reined it in. He pulled her to her feet and tied it tightly around her neck. She was still gasping from the blow to her chest. As the ordeal had gone on, Anna had reserved hope that Elsa would burst onto the scene and save her like she always did. But now, with the rough rope gripping her neck, she knew that there was no one here to save her. Her only protector was far away and if she wanted to see that flash of blonde hair, smell her sweet lavender scent, taste those soft lips again, then she would have to save herself. There was only one way to escape though and it was one she had being trying to avoid.

The guard made to push her off the edge of the platform but Hans held him back with his palm. "Remember your place, and it isn't the executioner." Hans put his hand on her back, making her skin crawl. If she was going down this way then she wasn't going to waste the opportunity. "On the count of three, your highness," he whispered in her ear. "One."

She stood firmly on the spot.

"Two."

Her heart pounded in her chest as she braced herself.

"Three!"

Anna spun on the spot as he pushed her and latched her hands around his neck. She bit her lip as hard as she could and the darkness began to spill forth from her chest. It took Hans less than a heartbeat to react, but his face remarked pure shock. The inscriptions on his blade bled with the darkness too as it ran up his arm, covering his body. He slashed outwards. The moment the blade touched the darkness of Anna's body there was a high pitched screech and the blade rebounded with tremendous force. The being of darkness that was Hans was thrown back onto the platform while Anna went over the edge. She passed through the rope and plummeted towards the crowd. For a moment things slowed down as the ground raced up to meet her and all she could do was pray.

She hit the ground with no force but a great cloud of black smoke spread away from around her as if she had been thrown into a mountain of black flour. When the smoke cleared she heard the sheer panic of the crowd. They screamed and shrieked, so frantic to escape that they took any route available, from trying to get down the tightly packed alleys and streets to breaking down the remaining doors of the houses in the square.

"I'm fine! Get after her, you imbeciles!" screamed Hans from the top of the tall wooden structure above.

Through the panicked crowd Anna could make out grey shapes struggling against the tide to get to her. The sight of Hans' guards sparked a new wave of fear and anger within her and the fading darkness soon coursed through her body intensely. She ran towards the nearest house, shielding her face with her arms in a futile attempt to prepare herself for the ice cold shoots that would strike her as she passed through objects. Several people fell over when they saw her coming and crawled away as quickly as possible. She passed through people, walls, doors and windows until she stood in the middle of a deserted alleyway. She resolved to continue her escape on the streets as her body couldn't take much more without collapsing.

The city was maze of terraced houses, narrow and wide streets and small squares. The more she ran the more she began to take in her surroundings. Nearly all the houses were old and somewhat derelict. She wondered what state the people of the Kingdom lived in. How did they cope day after day in an undying world with three glass towers glaring down on them?

After running through the never-ending maze for how long she could not say, the darkness slowly crept back into her scar. As it receded, the once covered body parts became heavy and lethargic. Her body ached painfully and her legs were giving way. She went from a run to a steady walk, to a crawl until finally she lay in the middle of a narrow cobbled street with several potholes. The rain had started to fall at some point, she realised as she lay on her back looking at the grey sky above, gasping for air. Perhaps the citizens in the area spotted her coming and fled like the others, she considered. Perhaps she could lay in peace while Hans and his guards got lost in the same maze, unable to find her. Just as she was thinking this, footsteps approached her from behind. Two men stood above her in shabby clothes with a thick layer of dirt upon their face. One was whispering to the other behind his hand, the other nodding every so often.

"Get her inside," said a raspy voice that didn't come from either of the men.

The two men picked her up at either end and carried her away.

Somewhere along the way Anna must have fallen asleep as she woke up in an unfamiliar, dimly lit room, atop a large wooden table. Her body still ached but her limbs responded much better than they had in the street. She slowly pushed herself to sit upright with a groan and dangled her legs over the side of the table.

"You should probably rest, child," said that same raspy voice from the street.

In a doorway to the left stood an old man with short grey hair and a thin, full face beard. He wore simple black trousers, a white shirt and a black waistcoat decorated with a golden pocket watch hanging from a pocket. Anna observed that of all the citizens she had seen, he looked the cleanest by far.

"Take a chair if you insist on sitting up," he said, scooting a chair next to her legs.

She took her seat in silence, unsure how to gauge what sort of situation she now resided in. Whoever this man was it was clear that he wasn't in league with Hans or she would have probably woken up next to the scaffold instead of on a table.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You probably have many questions, I'm sure," he said thumbing the gold chain on his watch, "But first I need to ask you something, if I may?"

Anna nodded uncertainly.

"Were you initiated as a member of the royals?"

"What? No. No, I was only a handmaiden for Els-, I mean, Princess Elsa."

"I see." He paced across the room stroking his thin grey beard. "Tell me, how is that you came to be with the darkness?"

"What do you know about the darkness?"

"My dear, I'm afraid everyone in this kingdom knows quite a bit about the darkness and how it can be wielded. No doubt you saw how scared the people were when you raced through the streets."

"I take it that it's uncommon to see it being used by someone who isn't a royal?"

"It's only been spotted being used by the royals and the head guards of the Shadow. Which begs the question then of how a handmaiden came to posses such a deadly thing?"

"I'm not just a handmaiden," she said hotly. "Besides, why should I tell you anything? I could let the darkness take me now and run straight to the castle."

"You could. Certainly you could, but something tells me that after your little adventure your limbs are probably aching from the withdrawal of the darkness," he said with a small mischievous smile lighting up his face. "I meant no offence. Please, sit a while, I'll get you some food. I'll tell you my tale and if you feel like it, you can tell me yours. If not, you can leave and return to the Princess. Agreed?"

"On one condition, you will answer any questions I have about your story."

"I will do my best to answer. Do we have a deal?"

Anna stretched out and shook the old man's hand. "Deal. I'm Anna."

"Pleasure to meet you, Anna. I'm Richard Gravel."

After a few minutes filled with the sounds of clanking plate from a distant room, Richard returned with some bread rolls, a large bowl of cold stew and a glass of water.

"Sorry the stew isn't heated," he said while setting it down next to her on the table, "I wasn't expecting to eat the rest of it so soon and I don't have much else."

"It's fine. Thank you very much."

Anna broke apart a roll and dipped it into the thick brown stew. Richard began rooting in a chest of drawers filled with notes while she hungrily devoured what turned out to be a rather delicious beef stew. Once the bowl was empty and the rolls laid half finished, she sat back in her chair with a full belly. He had arranged a pile of papers on the table next to her and took the seat next to her. On the top page were some scruffy notes with a sketched drawing of a triangle with a blade, crown and shard of glass at each of the points. She trawled through her memory, trying to remember where she had seen the triangle and handwriting before.

"I see you've taken an interest in the writings of our late Mr Moreau. Do you recognise this page?" he said pushing it towards her.

"I recognise the handwriting and the drawing, but I've not seen this page before."

"No surprises there. I expect the royals wouldn't want this information circulating throughout the castle halls."

"Who was he, this Mr Moreau?"

"James Moreau was French historian who lived in this kingdom for a good deal of time. He was well known in the city for documenting all the strange phenomena that started once the Kingdom was ripped from the living world. Unfortunately, he eventually went mad and started ranting and raving in the streets. I believe the Eloquent Executioner eventually put his blade through him. However, in the final year of his life he became very knowledgeable of the darkness and the royals. I'm sure you can appreciate how rare knowledge of the royals is in the city, so I asked him to document everything he knew in what turned out to be his final days. He wrote a good deal but I was only able to salvage so much from his house before it was raided after he was killed."

Anna remembered the unfinished French book she found in Elsa's chambers. It began with detailed illustrations and long paragraphs, but eventually devolved into hastily written notes and rough sketches about the darkness and Hans' blade. It was clear that the man who had written these notes on the table was the same one who wrote the book for Elsa. The only difference being that the notes on the table were in English.

"I've seen an unfinished book of his inside the castle," she said.

"And did this book also consist of what you see here?"

"Some of it, I think. It was in French so I could only make out so much. That and the writings weren't exactly coherent. He spoke of Hans' blade somewhat, among other subjects." She paused while she remembered the darkness pouring out of Hans' blade at the top of the wooden structure and fought to repress a chill. "What do his notes say of the blade?"

He eyed her curiously while he sifted through some of the sheets of paper. "He has dedicated a few pages to it, talking of how its changes are significant and that it's an important artefact of the Kingdom and the darkness. You came fairly close to the Executioner today, did you note anything?"

Anna held back from telling him about the darkness flowing through the blade. She was still unsure how much she should really disclose to someone she knew so little. "I know he has a different blade every day but with the same inscriptions. The blade is also shown as one of the points of a triangle. This one here," she said pointing at the one of the pages with the triangle on it. "It's often accompanied by the phrase 'The three control the Kingdom.'

The mischievous smile returned to the old man's face as he sat back in his chair and interlocked his fingers. "I believe it's time I told you my tale.

"I was born in this kingdom long ago, long before its fall, and was fortunate enough to be raised in some relative comfort. I went through many trades during my time but eventually sat as chief advisor to the mayor of the city. Back then there was a great amount of communication between the council and the royals of that day. However, the old King began to withdraw more as he aged, until our only point of contact was the Queen. At a council meeting one day she announced that the King was beginning excavations beneath the castle by way of an expansion and a great many workers were required from the city to help. The King was offering decent pay and the mayor was only too happy to provide the people with such an opportunity. I was suspicious of the King's intentions though. The Kingdom, you see, is one of the few originally built in this region, with Illustro being the first built. There was a great deal of respect associated with the castle and the royals rarely made changes to the structure, so the prospect of mass construction made me somewhat uneasy. I pleaded with the mayor to find out the extent these diggings to know how long our people would be employed for, at the least. The mayor wasn't keen on the idea but understood my reasoning and so requested a meeting with the King. At the first mention of the extent of the plans, the King became furious and threatened to have the mayor disposed of if he was to be questioned by peasants again.

"The King, you must understand, was never a pleasant man, nor was he cruel or aggressive. This reaction was then seen as quite out of the ordinary. With the fear of his head parting from his shoulders, the Mayor dropped the matter but I was by no means satisfied. I confided in the Queen that I had concerns with the diggings and asked if she could let in some light on the matter. She became very grave and told me that she herself did not know the extent of the King's plans and that she feared for his well-being, as each day he became increasingly paranoid. I was then in quite the predicament. There was no objection I could raise to the King's request, but there was still in my mind something that did not sit right with the matter.

"The necessary forms were signed without any quarrel on my part, but I was not beaten yet. I asked a few individuals to report back on their dealing within the castle. Weeks went by and I gained little information other than that the workers were digging under very strict instructions and in specific areas. After a few months however, the workers began to return to me confused and disorientated. When I asked for reports they could not account for the long hours they spent within the castle. Some were under the impression that they hadn't set foot in the castle at all despite being covered in dirt and rock. On top of this there were whispers around town of accidents in the site with no bodies recovered.

"I was on the very brink of putting on a pair of overalls myself and taking to the site when a strange thing happened. One day the city awoke to find the castle was shut to all. The workers were laid off and there was no information given to the council. Even the Queen was absent during the emergency meetings, despite her attending every meeting since the duty was placed upon her. The city was in an uproar and there were many speaking of marching on the castle. With a riot forming at the castle gates and the guards set to retaliate, the whole kingdom feared for the future. That was when everything stopped. There was a large black explosion from the top of the tallest tower of the castle, only what came from the blast appeared to be a dark fluid of sorts. The fluid ran down the tower's walls and eventually covered the entire castle. After a few moments the fluid turned into razor sharp black glass. The fluid didn't stop at the castle though, it spilled forth from behind the gates and towards the crowd at a monstrous speed. I myself was at the very back of the crowd outside the gates and watched as the people were covered by the black foulness. There were screams and many tried to run, but none made it far. The moment the liquid covered them they froze like featureless statues and melted into the ground. I was too stunned to move and the liquid was soon upon me. It hit me with considerable force and was bitterly cold. When I was completely covered I could neither move nor breath. Someone or something was screaming and for a time I believed I had been condemned to the deepest pits of hell.

"I awoke in my bed under the covers. At first I had thought it all to be some horrific dream, but when I went outside I knew that I was not so blessed. The streets were in chaos with some people running, some curled up on the ground shaking or crying while others were demanding answers from anyone they could get their hands on. Even the guards looked to be equally in shock. I looked to the hill where the mighty castle stood and my fears were confirmed. There stood the three towers, encased in the cruel black glass."

Anna sat there for a moment or two before realising that her mouth was wide open. She had no clue that the people of the Kingdom had experienced such a horrific event.

Richard had stopped talking and his eyes were unfocused and distant, as if he were lost in memories.

"So, what happened next?" said Anna. "How long was it before people realised they were... well, no longer alive?"

Richard looked back over at her in a way that suggested that he had only just remembered she was there. It was clear that this wasn't a tale he told often. He cleared his throat and gave his head a slight shake as if to clear some unwanted thought.

"Forgive me, an old man can often get lost in the past. No one really knew what had happened for some time. Everyone was in shock for a few days before we got organised. We held an emergency meeting at the town hall with a number of representatives to decide the best course of action. We agreed two things: Firstly, we needed to infiltrate the castle to find out the cause of the explosion and if any survivors remained within. Secondly, we needed to seek help from another kingdom. It was obvious that our own kingdom was in a state of turmoil and that our rulers were either dead or unwilling to assist their people. We sent out two parties, one of about twenty to scout out the castle and another of fifty to seek help from the nearest kingdom. Each party left almost as soon as it was formed, but the scouting party promptly returned in hysterics. They reported that a semi-transparent black film formed a barrier around the castle walls, stretching far up into the sky. When one fellow touched this barrier he was thrown back a good few feet with his heart stopped. His body sank into the ground after a few moments and no one could stop the force from dragging him under. Horrified and perplexed, I offered to go up to the castle to observe this barrier myself. Sure enough, I found the barrier which ran all the way round the castle walls. With no means of access I returned and confirmed what the party had seen. We decided to await the help of another kingdom before attempting to get into the castle again.

"After a day or so the other party returned, or ten of them at least. Each member was covered in a sort of bright red powder and were either gravely injured or severely shaken. It took much to calm them down and much more to get them into a state where they could report something intelligible. Each report carried the same disturbing tale. The party had travelled to the limits of the Kingdom and came across a thin black barrier much like the one I witnessed at the castle. After some debate, a few of the members offered to try and pierce the barrier and scout ahead. The barrier put up no resistance, on the contrary they passed straight through it. Despite being semi-transparent, the volunteers couldn't be seen when they passed through. Their screams, however, could be heard clearly and they began moments after a tremendous roar. The rest of the convoy charged through the barrier to help them, only the barrier wasn't what it appeared to be. It clung to their skin as they passed through it and covered them in the bright red powder. On the other side all signs of the trees, streams and wildlife which are common to the Kingdom were replaced by a barren desert with a blazing hot sun high above. The red powder had blinded some of the party or left them disorientated, but others pulled themselves together and sought out the volunteers, who were no where in sight, though their screams could still be heard. A deathly silence suddenly fell over the party and the sand beneath their boots began to shake. A huge creature erupted from beneath the sand along with the same tremendous roar they heard before. The details of this creature were sketchy but consisted of huge fangs, purple and green scales and great hulking muscles. One thing was clear, whatever this creature was, it made quick work of the convoy. The party sprinted for the barrier with only fifteen making it through to the other side, five of whom died and sank into the ground on the journey back to the city. If it hadn't been for the consistency of the details of the reports and the red powder, we would have declared the survivors quite mad. But as it stood we tried to make sense of the fact that we were now trapped within our kingdom with no sign of help.

"After a few weeks of several more parties reporting the presence of the barrier around the Kingdom's limits and some fools being lost to the creature on the other side, we were clueless as to how to get ourselves out of the situation we were in. The city stopped functioning completely and few left their houses. However, one morning I awoke to a strange sight. A young man and woman were strolling down the path which lead from the castle to the city centre. They were dressed in fine clothes and upon their heads were crowns of twisted glass with fluid dark shapes swirling inside them. They came to a stop in the middle of the city square and a crowd soon formed around them. The mayor and myself approached this strange couple and he asked who they were and whether they had come from the castle. They told the mayor that they had been appointed the new rulers of the Kingdom and that they had indeed come from the castle. When asked as to what happened to the old King and his family, the man with with the strange crown became irritated and said that any previous rulers were irrelevant.

"Some of the crowd were annoyed by these self-imposing rulers and started to shout obscenities at them. Despite the calls for calm, the situation soon got out of hand and one of the crowd stepped forward to strike the new King. The King knocked the assailant aside, drew an intricate blade and was about to cut them down when the Queen held him back. Other members of the crowd were now converging on them and when they grabbed the Queen she turned on the spot, screaming like a banshee, black smoke spilling from her hand, which covered and choked the attackers. Their skin clung to their skulls and eventually they evaporated into steam.

"The crowd fled in a state of terror, but the mayor and I remained behind until it was only us and the new King and and Queen. The Queen was on the ground shaking and the King looked furious. He took a few steps and drove his sword through the Mayor's body. His body had fallen and sunk through the ground before I registered what had happened. The King turned to me, his emerald eyes piercing, and said, 'We control this kingdom now and all its elements. Tell your people that if they serve earnestly we will have no need to repeat today's events. No one is to approach the castle without our permission, nor is anyone to leave this kingdom. Neither you nor any other here may die without our touch. This is our kingdom, and it is the Kingdom of Death.' He and the Queen walked back up to the castle and left me standing in the city square, coming to terms with our new rulers."

Richard pulled the paper with a picture of the triangle from the pile. "I told this tale to James Moreau and he suggested that the crown and blade wielded then by the King are what gave him control over the darkness."

"But Elsa doesn't have a blade or a crown like the King and Queen," said Anna.

"Precisely the point I put to him. He admitted that Elsa was the exception and pointed me towards this triangle here," he said, resting a finger on the triangle on the paper. "Each point of the triangle shows some form of control over the darkness. Hans has the blade, the King and the late Queen the crowns and Elsa the glass. Those who control the darkness, control the Kingdom. Therefore, the three control the Kingdom."

"But this still doesn't make sense. Why can I use the darkness? What about Elsa's high guards?"

"Questions I don't have answers to, I'm afraid. You can see, however, why I was eager to meet someone without one of the three but could wield the darkness."

Anna looked at the triangle on the paper and felt her scar on her chest and wondered what all of it meant. "What do you hope to learn from studying the darkness?"

"Honestly? A way to free the people of this kingdom. After the death of the mayor I was assigned the position. And though it has been many long years since that day, I still take my duty seriously. I will save these people."

At that moment there came a series of bangs upon a door a few rooms away. Richard stood immediately and hurried out of the room. Anna followed him into a hallway and hid round a corner to listen to the hurried whispers that were exchanged at the front door.

Richard came away and began pushing her back into the room they previously occupied. "There are guards in the area. There is no sign of Hans but I wouldn't place him far off. We have to get you out and back to the castle."

"The castle? But what about everything else? You can't expect me to go back there and ignore everything that's going on here."

They came to a stop in a pantry thickly layered with dust.

"Anna, believe me, the best thing you can do right now is return to the castle and speak with the Princess. I understand that you want to help, but there is little you can accomplish here. The biggest thing that will help us is to stay alive and find out what you can about the darkness."

Anna turned to look at the old man. Despite his height and commanding presence, she could sense the strain and desperation in his wrinkled features. "I promise I'll do everything I can to help you and your people."

"I have every bit of faith in you, Anna." He gestured to the back wall of the pantry. "I'm sorry but you're going to have to pass through the wall. Every exit could be watched. Pass through the wall and it will lead you down a hill into a alleyway which isn't commonly used. From there, head to the main street which should be in sight, turn right and head toward a large burned out building with its roof caved in, it is hard to miss. Someone will be inside the burned out building who will guide you safely back to the castle."

"And you trust this person not to have me surrounded by guards when I arrive?"

"I am only too sure of this one's loyalty. Before you go, take this," He handed over a yellowed envelope with 'Elsa' written on the front.

Anna stared at the name for a moment, confused as to what Richard could have to say to Elsa. "I thought there was no contact with the royals any more?"

Richard grinned and rubbed his beard. "Well, exceptions can always be made and I believe the rules are a little blurred at the moment for some royals."

"What?"

Another series of bangs came upon the front door within the house and a voice bellowed, "Open this door by order of Prince Hans!"

With a shove, a bite of the lip and the enveloping of the darkness, Anna passed through the wall, down a steep, overgrown hill and into an alley. She ran as fast as she could down the alleyway, only pausing to check that the coast was clear in the main street. Richard's directions were accurate and within a matter of minutes she stood in front of a large, burned out house with the letter for Elsa clenched tightly in her hand. The blackened door stood ajar and creaked as if it might snap from it's hinges when she pushed it open. There, sitting on a lonely stool, playing with what looked to be a marble, was a boy with blonde hair.

"Took your time didn't ya'? We've got to move fast otherwise the Mistress will be wondering where you are!" said Olaf.

The Bird and the Cage: With a flash of lightning the reflection can be seen and in it are fields of pain and misery. The bird calls out and its song is heard but the guard of the cage listens too.

Thank you so much for reading. Allow me to address the elephant in the room, so to speak. I've been on a bit of a hiatus since the last update, but this story has never strayed far from my mind. I want to truly thank each and every one of you for continuing to support me during my absence. I often worry about the quality of this story and whether people will continue to read, but many of you have shown immense kindness and put my mind at ease. I write this story for several reasons but you are the ones that keep my spirits burning.

A thank you to Rustythedragon for encouraging me to get this chapter out, among other things. She's currently taking part in NaNoWriMo so show her some support if you get a chance!

On a final note, be rest assured that our dear Mistress of Darkness will be returning next chapter.

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day. Stay strong and keep an eye out.

Umbra Mortis