GISELLE

Amalia's chambers had two enters, the main one and the one through the bathroom. Giselle went in through the bathroom, while Jorge was guarding the hallway. If someone entered, she would still have the safe exit. Luckily for Giselle, everyone decided they deserved a part in forging her destiny, so the hallways were empty.

Amalia's room smelt of soup and children, it was comforting. A storm was raging outside, but the inside of her room was incredibly peaceful. Giselle approached two cradles situated next to a large bed, wondering why Amalia left her children alone. The darkness ruled the room and Giselle didn't see much. But she did see the babies, sleeping, not knowing something menacing came for them.

Giselle couldn't recognize herself. She was lots of things, but she wasn't this person. Her goal wasn't to hurt anyone, especially not little babies. Convincing herself the old witch was telling the truth and wouldn't hurt them, Giselle cut her finger on a small pocket knife she had on her. It was wrong, it was twisted and malicious. And wicked, she thought. And so, so incredibly selfish. Giselle chose a cradle, not knowing whether she chose a boy or a girl, but when she looked at the baby, for the first time in her life she actually thought she could have one of those. Perhaps it wasn't the worst thing in the world. But Giselle hated herself more than she loved anything else, and that was the awful truth.

Giselle put her finger into the baby's mouth and stood very still. There were some things you cannot go back from; some deeds are way too wrong to ever be righted. As her finger bled into the baby's mouth, Giselle's tear went in as well.

"There, little thing, maybe my ruined soul can save yours from the pains of this world."

Giselle doubted her words as she exited safely. Wanting to cry on the floor in the middle of the hallway, Giselle tried to sit down. But her head suddenly hurt. A sharp, tingling pain went through her head and her spine. Giselle couldn't breathe in or breathe out. Collapsing on the floor, she screamed. The sound was deafening and animalistic. Hearing nothing but her own damn voice, Giselle lost consciousness.

She has been losing days sleeping like this, Giselle thought as soon as she woke up. The strange feeling rested on her tongue, almost bitter. And when something tastes bitter, you should be careful, because bitter is poison. But Giselle felt no pain in her body, she felt only bliss of being able to move her limbs without hurting.

When she opened her eyes, Giselle saw her husband. His eyes were wet with tears and his face looked sad and in pain. Giselle had to keep her face straight, because she would smile. Her body was strong, her head was light, she could've done anything. She could've climbed the highest wall and swim the deepest ocean. Giselle was healthy.

"Why did you do it, Giselle?" Adam asked. He looked disappointed and helpless sitting on her bed, staring at her. Does this man deserve the truth?

"I truly am sorry, Adam. But I crave a different world, one you cannot offer me." Giselle said, sitting up.

"You never asked, little angel. Never. I would've given you anything your heart desired, but you never talked to me." His voice was cold and broken.

"Would you have taken me away?" Giselle asked, knowing that if he'd offered before she would've never gone with him. But right now, she would. Giselle would take his hand and they would run.

"I would've taken you to the eternity, but it's too late now." He said right as Giselle heard murmurs somewhere down the hallway. Oh, for the love of God.

"Let me go, Adam. Please. I know you're a good man and I know you feel my pain. Just let me go." Giselle was begging him, her voice stuttering. This was it. If he'd kept her here now, she would die. Now that her body was healthy and all she had to do was leave. Slowly, Giselle got off the bed, approaching her mother's chest on the floor. Plenty of gold was in there, it was all she needed. Staring straight at Adam, Giselle jammed some of Rosa's dresses into the chest, hiding the gold.

"I always knew you were a bad apple, Giselle. Ever since I married you. But I promised myself I would try." He talked as Giselle gathered her stuff. The sky outside was pitch black, the only light being literal lightning.

"You deserve love, Adam. And I do hope you find it." With those words Giselle left the room, Adam still sitting on her bed, not even looking at her one last time.

Giselle went straight to Jack's chambers, she hasn't thought any of it through. Gathering everything dark inside of her on her way there, Giselle felt tears rolling down her face.

"Giselle!" It was Rosa. Giselle turned around to face her only friend in this world. She was unrecognizable, she looked distant and Giselle realised she had lost her only friend in this world. Feeling suddenly utterly alone, Giselle stopped.

"I told them you were in your room, they are heading there now. Leave, leave while you still have time. A trial is to be held at dawn." She said nodding towards the hallway.

"I'm sorry, Rosa." Giselle said lamely.

"You better find your happiness, you stupid cow. I will haunt you beyond my grave if you don't." She said. Right before she turned away, Giselle looked at her eyes. Through the window, the wild, raging storm was reflected in Rosa's black eyes. The lighting, the clouds, the darkness and Giselle's own reflection.

"Come with me." Giselle whispered reluctantly. Rosa shook her head and smiled lightly.

"You are a warrior, my friend. Our paths were never meant to cross."

Giselle ran down the hallway, not needing to fake her tears anymore for they were splattered all over her face now. The fear was real, the danger was here. Throwing herself on the door to Jack O'Neal's room, Giselle prayed to anyone who would listen for him to be there.

"Amalia accused me of witchcraft, they are after me! I need to leave, now! Right now!" Giselle screamed at his back the moment she caught a glimpse of him. Expecting him to immediately reach for her, pack his things and get them out of here, Giselle stared at his back.

"I'll die if I stay here, they're going to destroy me." Giselle added, scared he wouldn't take her with him, scared that this was all for nothing.

Jack finally turned around. He was different. The warm, bearlike face was gone and all Giselle saw before her, was a harsh man, toughened by life and misfortune. And for a moment, she liked him.

"I'm not a good man, Giselle. Never have been, never have even tried to be." He said, coming closer.

"Well, I'll burn at a stake whether you're a good or a bad man."

Jack looked genuinely surprised as he stood in front of Giselle. She wasn't tired anymore, in fact, she felt as if she had slept for years and finally woken up. He was ready, the spark in his eyes told her so.

"I cannot take you to Cardona like this." Jack simply said.

As Giselle was walking out of the castle, she threw a glance at her father's window. Perhaps she should have visited, to see him one last time, say goodbye, or perhaps that would mean nothing in the sea of moments they had spent together.
Giselle pulled the robes Jack's given her over her head and hid under them. Her heart was beating as if it was trying to jump out of her chest. Every step was heavier than the first. Jack warned her to go slow, because people would notice somebody running out of the castle, but every part of her body wanted to leave faster. Wind was whistling through the robes over her head making her shiver anxiously.

They had to go through the town which meant Giselle had to hide longer. The fort was almost behind her, its higher towers cutting low clouds. Giselle threw a glance at it and thought what on earth had made her leave this place, why leave her home? Because it wasn't a home, whispered a voice in her head. Her father and Giselle were always strangers in this place, not fully understanding their rules and customs.

Nobody was out on the streets, the wind threatened to blow them away. Some houses were barely standing, keeping their ground despite the ruthless wind. Thunder was beating like war drums, the only thing keeping the lightning away being the tall trees of the deep forest.

That's where they were going, to the south. Fear crept through Giselle as she finally realised, she is leaving Carcassonne. Jack's steps seemed more determined than hers and maybe if he went slower, Giselle would've stopped him. Perhaps the only thing keeping her from turning around and going back to her room was the fact that she couldn't catch up with Jack to explain. The carriage was waiting outside the city walls. The rain has just started falling when they've reached it. It was all black, with wood covered in black paint and metal wheels shining when the lightning struck. Jorge was waiting in the shadow by the carriage with all of Giselle's bags, surprise ran through her.

"He told me you'd be coming." Jack said while throwing all of her stuff in the carriage. Giselle looked at Jorge. His eyes were shining almost wickedly and something in Giselle shivered.

"He told you? Jorge doesn't speak." Giselle said, watching Jorge carefully.

"You understand him, don't you?" Jack seemed like he thought it was a perfectly normal thing to do, understand Jorge. Giselle shook it all off.

The inside of the carriage was larger than it looked from the outside, seats where made of fur, comfortable and soft. The feeling of sitting in that carriage made Giselle's heart beat with anticipation. It felt real, unchangeable, different than anything that had ever happened to her. From this moment on, she was only ever going forward. Jorge sat next to her.

Giselle knew this was a dangerous night to travel, no matter how close your destination was. Even Catholics admit some things like to come out when the fierce rage is coming from the sky. If you hear thunder roaring, rest assure someone is dancing to the beat. For there are dark, dark things roaming in the depths of forests, waiting patiently for you to look away. Giselle remembered her mother's words.

"We must go. This storm doesn't seem to have any intention of passing and I wish not to get stuck in the mountains." Jack said as he entered the carriage.

Giselle looked through the window at the mighty sight of Carcassonne and wondered if she would ever see this place again.

"Where is Cardona?" Giselle asked, trying to think about anything else only to keep herself from crying.

"In Catalonia, near Barcelona." He answered.

"Why are we going there?" Giselle asked again.

"Because there is a war coming and I must declare whose side I'm on."

"Who's fighting?"

"Everybody."

Giselle felt the need to know as much as she could. She had to learn what was going on quickly because she was certain real danger awaits ahead.

"So, you're on Cardona side." Giselle stated.

"These forests are not a good place to mention any of that, we're still in Capet territory. Once we cross the Border, I'll tell you what you want to know." Jack said.

"Who's ruling Cardona?" Giselle asked ignoring him and Jack sighed.

"I cannot speak a name, but she calls herself The Queen." A shadow fell on Jack's face, he stared through the window even though a curtain blocked his view.

"Why can't you speak a name?"

"Because there are things in this forest bound to come running if they hear that name spoken."

Jack looked at her, with eyes full of rage and deep sorrow, like he's struggling with his own thoughts unable to tell anyone how he feels.

"And do you know where your loyalties lie?" Giselle asked, noticing the spark of anger in his eyes the moment words came out of her mouth. God, she knew nothing of this and yet she pretended to know everything, maybe behaving like that will kill her one day.

"You're joining a world where everybody plays their own game, child. Sometimes, it's hard to understand any of the rules." Jack sounded irritated, probably already regretting taking Giselle with him.

"You said there will be war, I thought there are no rules in war." Giselle said. Jack smiled softly, mockingly.

"There are always rules, little girl. What changes is who sets them and who obeys them."

"And what game are you playing?" Giselle asked. Suddenly, he seemed interesting, dangerous even.

"Just trying to make the world a better place for people like you and me, full of potential and strength." He said, the eye that gleamed with anger moments ago, sparkling with excitement now.

"What about other people?"

"Why are you burdening yourself with other people? You left other people. I am here now and I will give you life without end." That spark turned into something deeper and even though Giselle didn't want him to notice, the seat ate her up a bit.

"What does that mean?" She asked. Jack leaned forward.

"Those people you left in that castle; they couldn't have given you what I can. Somebody of your heritage and potential..."

"Heritage?" Giselle asked, "what do you know of my heritage?"

For a moment he seemed stunned, perhaps because she interrupted him, or perhaps because she asked questions. Quickly he gathered himself and looked at her with mischief in his eyes.

"You're not the only one talking to tricksters in the middle of the night."

"Tricksters?"

"Witches, mages."

Giselle stared at Jack trying to read anything from his eyes, but all she saw was knowledge far beyond hers.

"I went to see a witch." Giselle admitted. 

"And what did you learn?"

"She didn't mention you, what do you know about my heritage?"

Jack leaned back and Giselle didn't see the red glow around his pupils anymore. Outside, thunder was still roaring but the carriage was still, probably because they were already deep in the woods.

"Your mother was very much appreciated in our circles and dangerous times have come, it was time to call for help from old friends."

"But she's been dead for fifteen years." Giselle said.

"Yes, but she had three children, one of them just agreed to leave town with me."

An unsettling feeling surged through Giselle. Perhaps she didn't know Jack well enough to ride off into the night with him. What a dumb, dumb girl, she thought to herself.

"What does that mean, Jack?"

"If you are anything like your mother, the Madame will let you live. What we need to do is get you there soon as possible. You are new, unspoilt, not yet entirely forged. Perhaps she will decide to keep you, bring you up, educate you." Jack's eyes danced around the carriage, probably seeing it all in his head. Giselle looked at Jorge sitting next to her, simply watching.

"You're brining me to Cardona to get me killed." Giselle realised. Fear and anger waltzed together in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't far from Carcassonne, Giselle thought, she could turn around, go back, blame it all on Jack.

Or she could kill him.

Oh, now that was a new thought. Something animalistic woke up in Giselle, an old mechanism, ready to claw her way out of that carriage.

"I'll make sure you don't die." Jack said, that red circle in his eyes becoming a bit redder as he looked at Giselle, her eyes, face, her neck. He was much bigger than her, Giselle remembered how Adam seemed short next to him. He looked at Giselle like she was something to eat. She had to gather herself before fear took over her completely.

"I had to leave! They would've burnt me at the stake eventually, accused me of witchcraft!" Giselle shouted.

"You've gone and talked to a trickster, of course they would've burnt you at the stake."

"No, before you came. I was a young, beautiful woman unable to bear a child. What do you think, how long would I have lasted?" That got Jack's attention, something close to compassion shone in his gaze. He forgot about it, about the first thing she had told him, how she had wanted to have a child. Giselle forgot about my own upper hand. Thank God for the witch and taking mercury out of her blood.

"I'm sorry, that is a cruel fate." He said, calmly and kindly. Jack's eyes were gleaming with kindness now. Giselle almost saw herself through his eyes – poor, beautiful girl, married to a man too old to give her a baby, faced with a cruel fate of being wrongly accused of witchcraft, running towards safety, straight to his arms. Maybe she wasn't bad at this game after all.

"I should've told you my plans, maybe this would've gone easier." Giselle said and Jack's eyebrows went up in surprise

"I should've told you my plans. You needn't have talked to that old hag, expose yourself to danger. I came for you, my Queen sent me to get you, because of your mother." Jack said. He moved the curtain to his right and looked outside. The storm was raging, but somehow, they felt little of it in the carriage.

"Why?" Giselle dared to ask. My Queen, Giselle thought, he said she calls herself the Queen and before he called her the Madame. Jack sighed, still looking through the window.

"I also came for Adamov, he wants to become the member of the Monarchy, but he's no Night-Child yet," this other part he whispered as if it's a gossip, "he wanted to continue his bloodline and Adamovs are in feud with tricksters."

Giselle heard many words that she didn't understand and she had to find an answer to why he came for her. Did Adam now something of this? Why hasn't he ever told her? If he'd included her in this, perhaps she would've given him a child.

"What's a Night-Child?" Giselle's question was quiet and brisk, she half wished he wouldn't hear her. Giselle could always count on her bones telling her that her mind was wondering in the wrong places. Jack laughed and looked straight into Giselle's eyes.

"Don't you know I am a Night-Child, girl? Don't you know I am a vampire?"

Giselle heard nothing except her own heart, beating very loudly and slowly and felt nothing but Jorge's hand slipping into hers. Of course, Giselle thought. If there was a witch in her backyard, perhaps she should've known a vampire in her room. Before she came up with anything close to a reaction, something hit the right side of their carriage. The carriage shook and the horse neighed.

"Shit," Jack swore under his breath, "we crossed the Border."

"What's the Border?" Giselle asked, panic creeping through her bones.

"A magical wall keeping bad things out of towns that are under Monarchy's jurisdiction. Now, be quiet!" Jack said hastily and Giselle listened straight away.

They weren't moving anymore; everything went very quiet. Jack stared into her eyes and Jorge was holding her hand. Giselle became restless, every single muscle in her body telling me it's time to run, run like she had never run before. Air became thick, sticky and sort of moist, it was hard to breathe in. Suddenly, Jack grabbed Giselle's other hand. The horse was roaring, neighing, pawing at the ground. His screaming attracted something and Giselle could feel the horse trying to run, break himself free from the carriage, pulling and yanking.

The saddest thing in that moment was that he was distracting whatever was outside. Then the horse roared so loud that the sound pierced Giselle's ears and she knew it was its last cry, the most horrible sound she had ever heard. Horse's body hit the ground and Giselle couldn't help but shake, her eyes filling with tears. The need to run clawed at her, her blood pumping so hard that she felt it in her ears, her hands, her legs.

"You need to calm down, human, they can hear your heart." Jack whispered. His hand was cold to the touch, compared to Jorge's warm, sweaty hand. Jack and Giselle stared at each other, waiting. Staring and waiting. Then there was another blow, so hard the carriage started to flip over. Both Jorge and Jack were holding Giselle as she was biting her tongue, trying not to scream. They fell over, Giselle's head colliding with the doorjamb of the carriage. Pain surged through her and she let out a quiet cry. Jorge landed straight on her, which pressed her even more.

"We will have to run." Jack said.

"Where?" Giselle asked.

"South, we need to enter the Border again, there they can't get to us."

"What are they?"

"Something the Monarchy doesn't want you to believe in. They are the fourth figure."

Giselle remembered suddenly what the witch told her. Four figures came through the sky. Why did she tell her that? She took mercury out of Giselle's blood, she wanted Giselle to leave with Jack. Then again, Giselle's mother sent her to the witch, has she planned all of this?

Everything around them went quiet, even the storm wasn't raging anymore.

"We have to go, now." Jack said, he got up. One part of the carriage was completely blocked and they had to climb out another way. Jack opened the door that was now above us. He peeked outside and a few moments later climbed up. He did it swiftly, like he weighed nothing. He offered Giselle a hand, but she sent Jorge first. He was smaller than her and Giselle was afraid he wouldn't be able to reach Jack in time.

"Giselle, the servant will survive, climb up, now!" Jack yelled somewhere above her head. Giselle rushed Jorge and he got out. When she peeked out, Giselle realised it was extremely, almost unnaturally dark, as if light escaped. Jack offered her a hand and pulled her up, Giselle didn't even have to use her muscles. Jorge was wandering around the small clearing they were in.

"Jesus, why did you bring him?" Jack whispered. The carriage started shaking, no person, no force was moving it, it was shaking on its own. Something hit the carriage and Giselle fell down on her back, while Jack ended up on the other side. For a moment, Gisell couldn't breathe because of the blow on her back.

"Run!" She heard Jack screaming. Towards what? She cannot run forever. When Giselle lifted her gaze, all she saw was Jack running in the opposite direction and some sort of darkness following him. It didn't have a body, it didn't have substance. It simply looked as if a shadow fell on everything. The last moment Giselle saw Jack, he was covering his eyes and running, fast as the wind.

And then Giselle was alone in the clearing. Jorge was nowhere to be found and she couldn't hear Jack's footsteps anymore. The horse lay dead next to the carriage, a beautiful black stallion, now completely grey, thin, like all the fat and muscle have been taken out of his body. Where there should've been eyes, only black bottomless pits stared. And, next to the horse, a carter in the exact same state lay.

Giselle shook with horror, her eyes burning and her heart beating. She got up slowly, as quietly as possible. Nothing around her was moving, there was no sound, not even wind, or animals. Oh, how happy she would have been if she heard an owl or a bat. With no other option, Giselle got into the woods.

Technically, she knew where she was, they had to cross the Pyrenees to get to Cardona. Giselle also knew, they couldn't have gone far because they weren't high up and it crossed her mind, she had no idea how Jack planned to cross Pyrenees at all. Giselle also couldn't wrap her mind around the choice of the road, they should've gone to the coast and reached Barcelona by sea, that would've been easier and less dangerous, apparently. It was easier to think about that than what next to do, as well.

Giselle reached the woods and started walking parallel with the road they came from. Is she going back to Carcassonne now? What happened to Jack? Where's Jorge? Giselle wandered through the woods her entire life, why hasn't she stumbled upon a monster before?

Something rustled next to her and sheer panic washed over her. Giselle walked a little faster not really knowing where she's going or what is she supposed to reach. She felt surrounded, watched, she had no chance of escaping. If whatever was crawling through these woods wanted her dead, she'd be dead.

Instead of foolishly thinking it was letting her go, Giselle figured it was probably playing with its food. Fear most likely tastes better when it's fresh. So Giselle moved faster, getting hit by branches while walking by. The ground was moist, muddy, soaked with rain from the storm, it made it hard to walk. Giselle needed a plan, fast. She almost burst out laughing when she realised how pathetic that thought was, no plan will get her out of here.

Everything got darker and Giselle stopped dead. Shadows fell all over the place and they felt wet, like they were licking her skin as they moved. Giselle stared straight forward not moving her glance no matter what happened next to her. Branches were breaking, moving, leaves rustling and Giselle knew something was coming to get her. Something that didn't seem like it cared for pleas and explanations. Giselle remembered the horse, the grey, bloodless, ashy horse, its very soul was taken from it. And the carter, unrecognisable, not even resembling a human being. Maybe it's better to simply die than be eaten by whatever was crawling towards her.

Giselle ran, pouring that feeling of having to move her muscles into her strength. Branches hit her face, her arms and legs, but she ran. Her heart was about to give out, but she ran. And whatever was behind her, it was following her. Giselle knew it was letting her think she would escape, but she couldn't give up.

So Giselle ran as fast as she could, up until her leg slipped and she fell. Giselle rolled through the bushes down the hill, her head hitting every stone on the way. She tried to grab on a root sticking out of the ground, but it was slippery and not very strong. Sharp pain went through her back and she couldn't feel her legs anymore. Fast glances exchanged in front of her eyes, glances of rock, ground and blood, swirling before her. Finally, Giselle hit the ground. She could see the sky, the storm had passed. Her body was weak and crushed. Warm liquid reached her hand which was lying right next to her thigh.

Giselle wasn't strong enough to lift her head, or to move that arm, or to move anything. So she stared at the sky, stared and thought. One thing running through her mind was that slip, that simple little leg slip that was so easily avoided, as was every other thing in this lifetime done wrong. So easily changed, so easily done differently, but no, we choose a path and we swear we would've done it better next time. But we are all liars, because there is no next time. And even if there was, we wouldn't've done it differently.

Lying on those hard rocks, Giselle saw every mistake that she had ever made, every pointless anger, and every wasted laughter, and every bottomless sorrow now seemed so pointless, as shallow as a puddle. The last thing Giselle did was swear that she would've done it better next time around.

She swore. And she died.