The passing night was an uncomfortable one for the both of them.

The floor was uneven; doughy in some places and jagged in others, while the damp seemed to permeate into all their objects. The cold meal gave no comfort to Jade's grumbling stomach and she cursed out lightly at the lack of a proper laterine. If Luke heard her mutterings after she came back from her efforts to relieve herself he did not show it.

Jade placed the tarp on the floor and then opened her bedroll with a vicious thwap. The Prince stared at her and she stared him down. There was no escaping her antagonised presence.

"Get some sleep, if you are to be agile when we wake up," Jade was unnecessarily patronising. She placed her head on arm and closed her eyes. She wanted to pretend she was asleep but the anticipation of upcoming events robbed her sense of calm. She tossed and turned until her aching limbs burned away the last fragments of energy.

Jade roused minutely due to a light tap on her face. She brushed it aside and felt another tap which she groaned against. Finally a light flick of the fingers gave her the jolt she needed. Her brown eyes snapped open.

Luke was looming above her with his unbound face framing his face. She stared back and wondered if she was still dreaming when the man snapped his fingers near her nose, breaking the trance.

"It's time we made our move."

The pair efficiently rounded up their belongings and packed them up in their rucksacks. They headed out with determination chalked all over their faces.

"You can still turn around. It is much too dangerous," Luke uttered, softly. He gave a brief glance behind at her whilst continuing his solid march onwards. In front of them remained darkness. Only their match lit torch light allowed them some visibility.

Jade had no answer. She had exhausted all her words and found action to be of more use. She trailed after him like the devoted servant she was. She truly meant it that she follow him to the ends of the earth if he bid her to do so.

The sounds of a thunderstorm steadily increased in crescendo as the pair walked on. Flashes of light were becoming more visible. The sounds of a nearby river also reached their ears.

"We are coming to an end of the tunnel," The man explained redundantly.

They crouched near the exit and observed their surroundings. The churning river next to them was not as ferocious the main shaft of the water body. The river that divided the castle in two was wider and deeper.

"Before we go, have this!" Jade thrust out the last remaining beans in front of the Prince.

"Why?" The man scrunched his nose.

Jade pulled him closer and whispered in his ear, "I'm running out of beans. I don't know if it'll work or not but I remember Francis was fed the beans and so was I. These beans might help us if ingested. They are an antidote to magic."

The Prince still stared at her palm. It was no time for indecision. The secretary suddenly popped them in his half open mouth. The Prince couldn't even protest for whatever sound that might come out might be too loud. He gave her a horrified look before swallowing audibly.

Jade brushed her palm against her side. The tingling sensation of his lips was utterly uninvited but it was all her fault for daring to get too close. The girl quickly swallowed the beans to avoid her distracting thoughts.

They unlit their light sources and hid behind a steady line of bushes next to the main river. In the frantic lightning, a covered corridor, that crossed over the river, was visible as per the map.

Jade tried to jump upwards to get to the bridge's abutment. The tips of her fingers just reached the stone's edge. If she had been an inch taller she could have easily caught on the railing and used her strength to haul herself over. Suddenly hands gripped around her gave her extra push she needed. Her hands gripped the coarse stone tightly and tumbled into the bridge. Behind her the Prince landed on his feet smoothly.

The pair crossed the stone archway and found a door that led them indoor. The sounds of the river and the brewing thunderstorm all dissolved into nothingness. The silence was deafening.

The castle room was abandoned. The blue, silk wallpaper was torn and the intricate plaster on the ceiling was peeling. The half missing wooden floor creaked under their feet. They trudged forward through the faded, grand rooms in search for some signs of life.

One of the interesting rooms was the observatory which contained overgrown plants. A resilient rose bush grew right in the middle giving the Prince a reason to pause.

Jade tugged the sleeve of his coat hoping to maintain the pace but the man continued to stare at the flowers until they were out the other door.

"Those roses were in her hair," He whispered and Jade was certain it was not the magic speaking. He had ingested the beans, after all.

"She did? I suppose that's another clue she was here at some point," Jade hoped to show him the bright side of their discovery.

The next room they barged into was empty barring one object. Jade's heart plunged into desolation to see the mystery girl lying on the stone alter, unconscious. Her elegant gown was reminiscent to the ones she had worn to the previous balls. It shimmered with a mythical light as it draped down the sides of her resting place.

Jade visually scanned the beauty, not daring to touch her and announced, "She's not dead. She seems to be sleeping. We should find a way to wake her up."

"Yes, you're correct," The hooded woman walked out of the darkness giving the pair a start but they were quick thinking in their defense. Luke pulled out his crossbow while Jade curled her fists around the dynamite.

"Let her leave with us and we will do you no harm," Jade lied.

"This beautiful maiden can only be woken up by her one true love. Are you it, Prince charming?" The hooded figure addressed the Prince and ignored the brown haired girl.

"I love her," The Prince stood firm with his hand ready to unleash the violence of the crossbow.

"The question remains does she love you," The older woman sighed as if he was too dim to converse with.

Just as her sentence ended the doors on the other end of the room slammed open and a young looking boy appeared, quite out of breath. His clothing was simple, nothing like the luxurious material adorned by the Prince and his servant. His brown eyes searched the room and his lips upturned as he found the person he sought; the mystery girl.

"Who're you lot and what have you done with my Eleanor?" He asked as his stocky feet led him to the girl still lying motionless, despite the commotion.

"Ah, the man of the hour appears. How were the thorns?"

"It was better than the dragon," The plain faced boy bit out sarcastically, "Now, explain yourselves."

"Hey, we're here to confront the bitch. Don't add her sins on our doorstep," Jade who was feeling mouthy said.

"I think you meant witch," The older woman corrected.

"No, I meant bitch, thank you very much," The secretary replied breezily.

"Ah, where have the manners gone in the young generation. In my days..." The golden woman shook her fist and Jade felt the air run out of her lungs. She wheezed momentarily but regained her breath immediately. The Prince hadn't realised what had happened for his eyes were firmly stuck on the newcomer.

"I too have come for the beauty's hand. What is she to you?" Prince Luke's speech was very stilted as if we're having trouble formulating words.

"Beauty? Call her Eleanor if you're going to refer to her. Anything else is just odd," The young boy gave the Royal a very judgemental look.

"Just one kiss and she's all yours," The witch's words were ambiguous. It couldn't be said whom she was referring to.

"Stop this farce," Jade croaked as if her voice had been lost along with her breath.

"You weren't supposed to be here," The hooded witch hissed and looked at the village boy and the girl, "But then neither were you!"

Both the younger boy and Jade flew into the air and crashed into the peeling walls. Jade felt her elbow crush against her ribs. She felt another bout of coughing hit her as she tried to stand.

No!" Luke roared, "Don't you dare harm a single hair on her head."

"You were very foolish when you decided to enter the castle with a witch at its helm," The woman cooed, losing her agitated tone of voice.

Luke helped Jade up with gentle fingers as if was made of spun glass. The girl tried to dissuade him but his grip on her shoulder remained firm. Instead of taking time to examine the damage on her body she threw the dynamite in her hand after striking it against the flint in the other. The explosion overwhelmed their senses and their ears rang in the aftermath.

Jade saw the maiden was still unconscious. The boy had shielded her from the falling plaster. The witch stood in her corner unimpressed by the secretary's actions.

"Why do want him here? Why do your want him to kiss her?" The taller girl asked a very pertinent question.

Luke's grey eyes were fixed on the boy who held the beauty's hand. He had blood running down his face and looked close to tears as the girl refused to wake up from his fervent whispering. The boy made the bold move to kiss the fingers joined to his.

The maiden woke up and even Jade repositioned herself against the wall to take a look..

"Attington?" Eleanor breathed softly but the silence ensured her voice reached all the occupants of the room.

"I thought I lost you," The boys wailed with his hands covering his face.

"I'm sorry I let the witch fool me. She told me she was my fairy godmother and would grant me all my wishes," Eleanor explained, her tearful eyes only for her friend.

"Ah, young love. Your secretary is correct; the reasons you're here isn't the young girl. She was never yours. I just needed a beautiful face to entice you here," The witch interrupted the reunion.

"Why me? Why did you torture me thus," Luke was stonefaced with the new development.

"Because you were weak," The older woman was brutally honest, "I chose your sister first because she was the nearest but her castle was difficult to infiltrate."

Jade recalled the drawbridge and the moat around Princess Delilah's castle. She turned to watch the Prince's reaction to the speech. His face was contorted as if he were in pain.

"All was lost when she became pregnant the first time. Her mind was not susceptible to my whispers. The miscarriage I invoked still could not cause the love of a child to leave her," The witch continued her foul speech and Jade loathed her to the very core. She snuck her hand inside her pocket and found the last line of defence against the witch: Mr Gepetto's gift.

"I then decided to tackle your fickle brother, in the form of a beautiful maiden. I found the perfect girl right at my door step who wished to attend the royal ball just once in her lifetime," The woman laughed at Eleanor's stupidity.

"Then why isn't he here? Why didn't you ensnare him?" Jade asked. She could see the man next to her trembling with rage.

"I tried but I couldn't. His heart was already caught by someone else. Prince Luke was instantly charmed by the beauty instead. What more could I want. It didn't matter to me which sibling I got," The hooded figured ran her fingers over her staff as she spoke.

"What do you want from the Royal family. Why are you targeting them?" Jade implored.

"Come with me," The woman beckoned. The rest of the occupants filed out of the room. Attington soothed Eleanor's sobbing figure while Jade glanced at Luke's stern face in an attempt to guage the pain he was feeling. The other room, despite the decay, was even grander.

There stood a statue near the throne which held a sword in her hand. The female statue had a crown atop her head indicating she was the queen of her time. Jade could sense the power radiating from the figure despite it being a stone likeness of someone who lived and died a long time ago.

"Your family is the last known link to King Galios. His sword has seen many battles and not just at his hands. Each time it saw battle in his bloodline's hands it has grown stronger and stronger. I need someone to lift it. I need someone to give it to me so I can attain all its power," The witch explained even though none of it made sense to the non magic users, "This is the witching hour but I cannot perform solid magic outside the castle. I cannot even teleport after the clock strikes twelve. That is how much my influence has weakened to the outside world."

"Why don't you pick up the sword yourself," Luke finally spoke. His long hair hid his expressions in the shadows.

"One unnamed queen, who's name is lost in the parchment of time, left a spell upon it the last time she held the sword. None but her bloodline can hold it. Far too much time has passed for there to be a direct heir but the King has an ancestor or two who make him her blood," The Witch took a step towards the sword. She curled her hands towards the Prince who stalked forward and came to a halt in front of the statue.

"What are you doing?" Jade shrieked but was utterly ignored. Luke placed a hand on the sword's handle and pulled it out from the statue's grip.

"You will do as I bid," Their foe made a hand signal but Luke looked at her with calm eyes.

"No, I will dismember you from head to limb," He gave the witch a venomous smile. Luke made a slashing movement with the sword but the witch disappeared. She reappeared with Eleanor's neck in her hand.

"You will give me the sword or else never see her again," The older woman hissed and both her and her captive's body flickered and then vanished. Attington's cried out but Eleanor was gone.

The trio broke out into a run as they searched the empty castle. The witch had given them a useful hint that she could not perform strong magic outside the castle walls. They came out to the corridor above the river to examine the other half of the fortress but found their opponent standing on the stone railing with the screaming captive. Jade threw half of the powder in her fist into the woman and she screamed as if it was acid.

"I tried so hard to get rid of you girl. Not even your big secret could throw you out," The woman jeered.

"I was just as susceptible as he was. You should have finished me a long while ago. Your weakness are not my fault," Jade taunted fully prepared to be assaulted.

"Yes, but your heart was divided. You were steadily falling in love," The woman's voice was singsongy.

"What? Don't be absurd. I'm not flippery type," Jade was just as confused as the rest of the occupants. In the background Attington was making promises to his beloved.

"Poor little miss Jade Durnn. One look at the lovely Prince and she fell so badly she scarcely even noticed she was falling in love," The witch taunted.

"You're lying," The secretary growled even through she had made the realisation there was truth in the woman's account, "Leave the girl alone. Take me with you instead if you must!"

"I never lie and why not both," The hooded figure uttered and she made a grasping motion which led Jade into her captivity. The witch held the secretary by the nape of her neck with her putrid free hand. Her fingers dug into the soft flesh making Jade scream in agony.

"Who will you decide Prince? The love of your life or your silly little secretary who fell in love with you and didn't even know it?" The woman presented the terrified man his two options.

Jade could feel the slice of the long nails, leaving blood down her neck but Eleanor's shrieks took all the attention. All eyes, even the witch's, were upon the terrified young girl knowing the Prince would choose her.

The brown haired girl suddenly knew what she had to do. She slammed her knee in the leg the witch favoured and pulled her back with her. Eleanor, already straining against the witch's hold, jumped foward into the Prince's arms. Jade used this opportunity to rub Mr. Gepetto's concoction into the witch's face.

The witch forced herself out of Jade's pinching grip but the intensity of her actions pulled them backwards. Jade grabbed onto a bulstrade and teetered tottered backwards and forwards. The witch fell but her rotted fingers grabbed onto Jade's leg.

Luke shoved Eleanor aside and raced towards the unsteady pair but his arm barely reached hers before they fell. The Prince's firm grip was on her forearm as Jade dangled from the bridge.

"Come on, haul yourself upwards!" Luke ordered, hoarsely.

Jade looked down at the witch clinging onto her foot and her real face was revealed from underneath the hood. The secretary had no clue whether her face had already been disfigured or it was due to Mr. Gepetto's protective powder.

"If you want to get rid of the witch. You must let me go," Jade answered calmly as she felt the minute changes in the Prince's grip. His hand couldn't hold onto her for much longer.

Jade slid down from his grasp and the tightly wounded fingers glided over her wrist. He would have held onto her fingers if he could but the weight was too much.

The last thing Jade saw before she hit the water were Luke's terrified grey eyes and his arm hanging uselessly in the air. If he made a sound, she did not hear for the river that bubbled around her was far too loud.