One Hundred Tears In The Sunset

Chapter Nine

Under the cold grips of a midnight moon,

Where the wind circles and embraces you,

Beside the rings of cracked tower trees from a winters loom,

She calls to you,

And her voice is pure sunlight,

The note from a hallowed angel,

The sweet call of a burning phoenix,

She calls to you,

Sings for you,

With long hair that kisses her toes,

Grey eyes round as bowls,

A purple dress which slowly flows,

She longs for you,

But your heart wavers,

Split in two,

Deep in your soul I think you always knew,

Your feet would never join hers,

And under the leaves of cold night trees,

She turns to ash,

In the winters ghost moon,

Inside the dark shadows of gloom,

The silent song in the loom,

The piercing notes of EverBloom.

*

The dining table had never been so full since Teyha had been in her Uncle's castle. Chickens, pigeons, pheasants, and even a huge pig laid on a platter surrounded by golden turnips and carrots. The warm homely smell of freshly cooked food only made the Princess feel more sick. Her bowl of pea soup had gone ice cold. A thin layer of green skin was slowly forming with each passing minute,

"You look just like her, dear." The soft voice across the table spoke gently and Teyha rose her grey eyes from the gooey green soup. The lady who had spoken was old. Wrinkles of age surrounded a pair of brilliant green eyes, her hair was elegantly swirled into a small pure white knot. White gloved that matched the large white pearls sat proudly on her neck,

"I look like who, Mrs Drumond?" She managed to keep her voice even. It was not Arthur's mothers fault Teyha hated her, hated all of them. No, that was down to Mr Blairs, this was all his fault. Arthur and her Uncle were talking loudly about their latest hunt whilst stuffing rum and food down their throats. She watched as a piece chicken spat from Arthur's lips and landed on her wine glass,

"Your Aunt Jenna of course! You have her eyes! I remember her wedding. Oh, it was splendid. I never saw her look so happy or your Uncle." Mrs Drumond smiled and lowered her eyes, "When I found out about the incident in the woodland I hardly believed it. You see Teyha, your aunt was so happy! The fact she hung herself is almost too shocking to believe." The Princess stared at her in amazement yet the old lady didn't even seem to notice. Look at her! Gossiping about my family, about my aunt as if I am the neighbour next door!

"Yes, yes I suppose it was." She muttered weakly,

"Oh it was indeed, and they say that man found her. Oh Christ I forgot his name." Mrs Drumond frowned for a moment, "...anyway he found her and went mad! They had too take him to the metal ward in London and in the end he killed himself as well! I heard rumours he loved your aunt even though he was just a boy!"

"Really? How fascinating!" Teyha was only half listening to her but the old lady carried on regardless not seeming to notice,

"The man lived here in the castle you see? I never did find out why but I think your Uncle knew that he loved Jenna because they had a fight at the winters ball! It was most shocking! But that was the last of Mr Heathingdale I saw. It was such a shame because he really was a charming...." Teyha frowned and looked at the old lady,

"Who?" She interrupted, "The last of who you saw?"

"Oh yes! I remembered his name! The young mad man...Mr Brooke Heathingdale was his whole title I believe."

"Brooke?" She whispered, "Lived in the castle?"

"Oh yes! For as long as I can remember! I use to visit your uncle's mother and see him playing in the garden! Black hair he had and the bluest of eyes!"

"I say Teyha, are you ok? You've gone as pale as a ghost!" Arthur said across the table,

"No. No I am not ok. I have a rather bad headache." She muttered softly and rose gently from her chair, "I am sorry to leave but perhaps I should lay down."

"Teyha sit!" Her Uncle hissed,

"Ah Thomas! Let her rest, she does look ill." Arthur chuckled, "I will see you in the morning Princess." He smiled and for the first time Teyha felt a wave of gratitude towards him,

"Yes, in the morning"

*****

Rose fiddled with the hood of her coat as she waited inside the dark. The blackness was complete with only the stars gazing down to light the shadows. It was a warm night and insects sang softly to rustling leaves, the river rumbled in the distance. By Rose's old patched shoes a small bag sat,everything she owned in the world sat in that bag. It wasn't much for sixteen years of life. The crunch of footsteps awoke in the air and the girl held her breath waiting to see the grey eyes of the Princess but instead large blue eyes met hers,

"You're escaping then." The man grunted. She thought about running but there was no where to go, "Don't worry yourself. I heard you and Teyha talking in the gardens." He limped beside her,

"Did you hear everything, Sir?"

"I heard enough..." A softer crunching of footsteps on leaves rang out again,

"Rose?" The Princess whispered appearing in the doorway.

*

Teyha stepped inside the stone stables and saw the two figures in the shadows. For a heart gripping moment she thought that her Uncle was there but when he turned blue eyes greeted hers,

"Brooke." She whispered and felt herself tremble. Who was Brooke really? A man who had loved her aunt and killed himself? Was he a ghost? Of course not. She thought angrily, There are no such things. Brooke stepped from the shadows and grabbed her gently on the arm,

"What the hell are you doing?" He hissed softly in her ear,

"I am helping Rose." The Princess muttered back,

"And when your Uncle finds out? Because he will Teyha, he probably already knows. He knows everything,"

"Like he knew you loved my aunt?" The Princess snapped the words before she could stop them. Shock filled his blue eyes and then a second later a mask filled his emotions,

"You have to go back to the castle. I will help her escape."

"I promised her I would help." Teyha pulled from his grip, "I have as much money as I could take without Uncle noticing and food to last you a week or so." She handed the maid a fat bundle of fabric,

"Oh thank you Princess. I have nothing to give you in return."

"I do not need anything." She smiled, "We'll have to go now...."

"How?" Brooke had blocked her path and Teyha sighed,

"How what?"

"How will you get passed the guards?" He smirked and folded his arms. Blue eyes taunting hers in the dark shadows,

"I will find a way." Teyha muttered and stepped out into the woodland. She could feel the heat of Brooke's body as he limped behind her. The Princess's breath caught as he breathed softly on her neck. She couldn't explain it, a warmth had thickened inside her chest swirling around and making her almost dizzy. It had nothing to do with fever,

"Fine. You will not go back to the castle." He hissed, "But at least let me help."

"Oh Princess let him. I fear I will not get from these walls else." Rose cried softly,

"Very well, lead the way then." Teyha managed to say without stuttering over her words.

*****

"It is a small gap but you're small." Brooke eyed the maid with his deep blue humoured eyes and watched as she bit her lip,

"I will never be able to thank you enough." Rose's eyes were filled with tears as she scrambled through the tiny crack under the castle wall,

"I can not let her travel from here alone." Teyha hissed to Brooke, "She will be killed by hunters, or bandits." She muttered,

"Teyha," His hand touched her shoulder, "She'll be alright, you can not go with her."

"Well why can you not go?" Teyha grumbled and he shook his head,

"I can't leave here." Before the Princess had chance to argue Rose's head peaked back through the gap,

"Thank you so much! I hope we'll see each other again Miss!"

"Oh Rose, please do be careful out there." Teyha bit her lip but the maid's eyes were shining in happiness,

"Don't threat about me! I shall be quick and invisible!" And then the small maid was gone in a flash of black tumbling hair,

"You 'eard her she'll be quick." Brooke mumbled and turned away limping slowly back through the shadows,

"Wait!" Teyha hesitated at the wall for a moment and quickly darted after him, "We need to talk!"

"About what?"

"About you and my Aunt Jenna." There she had said it. The words hung in the air between them and for a long time Brooke didn't answer,

"What about her?" His voice was cold and guarded,

"Is it true? Mrs Drumound told me..."

"Oh I understand now, you've been gossiping." Brooke stopped walking under the large branches of a low hanging willow tree. Her cheeks flushed,

"I have not! She was gossiping and I had no choice but to listen to her and..."

"Believe every word she spoke?" He cut into her sentence and shook his head, "I don't want to talk about this Teyha"

"But I must...."

"No Teyha. We all have secrets." His blue eyes drifted to her arm and turned away, "Follow the path to the castle and for heavens sake do not wander in the woods again." He snapped and limped into the darkness,

"Did you love her?" Teyha asked. She didn't know how the words had jumped from her lips but they made Brooke stop, his back still to her,

"Go home Teyha." He whispered and then the shadows swallowed him through the trees.

****

He hadn't know where he was going until his feet had brought him there. It had been awhile since Brooke had thought of his past. He was tormented by it in his dreams, but he never thought of before, when he was awake. The stars shone down on the old thick branches of the huge rose wood tree; Old cracks in the brittle bark lined the trunk, soft green vines and damp cushions of moss clung deeply to the wood. A hundred leaves brown and orange littered the woodland floor, mushrooms with red spotted rooftops squelched under his shoes as he stepped under the leaves. If he looked up on the lowest branch, a patch of brown rope was still be tied there. it still swung in the gentle breeze. Brooke could try to forget, but the rose tree would always remember.

He had found her here.

Jenna. Princess Jenna. The Queens sister. Teyha's aunt. He let his hand reach up and grab the rotting rope. Her neck had once laid in it's embrace, her grey eyes had once stared off lifelessly into the deep shadows. Her chocolate brown hair had rippled out behind her in the moonlight as she swung from the branch. He remembered her bare toes, swollen and purple, and the way her skin had seemed to turn yellow like butter.

He had loved her. She had been more of a mother to him than anyone in the world. Brooke remembered how he use to pretend Jenna was his mum. She would have been too young of course, but a boy can pretend and play games. Mr Blairs had hated it, hated how a boy had got more attention than her own husband. A soft snap of a twig brought Brooke from his thoughts. He let his hand fall from the rope and took a small measured step forwards staring into the trees, a white shadow seemed to flint between the darkness. He frowned and waited in silence. The wind whirled loudly for a moment, a hurricane of dead leaves swirling in the current and then the air was still. Brooke felt the coldness fall upon him, for a moment he couldn't breath and instead stared at the woodland floor waiting. The air burned his lungs and frost coated the tips of his fingers. A soft chuckle pierced the darkness and the cold disappeared. Brooke lifted his head and stared at the white misty figure of a lady. She wore a long dirty dress and her hair was in a thick plait. Her eyes were wide open in sadness and suffering, a smile of pure pain etched on her face. The neckline of the lady's was bruised and deep drops of black rolled down her white skin. The tear rolled from Brooke's eye before he could stop it,

"Hello Jenna" He whispered to the ghost.