“Back so soon my lady?” Holly enquired politely. “You can stay a little longer if you’d like. The men will be training for awhile yet. No one will come to this area anytime soon.”

“Uh… yes uh… no it’s alright,” I said, as I hurried down the stairs, gripping tightly to the wobbly handrail, trying to take care not to fall in the process. “I didn’t want to waste too much time, and I saw everything that needs to be seen. Now, we should probably hurry out, in case... we uh, get caught. Wouldn’t want that now would we? Ha.. ha ha.”

Holly looked at me quizzically but dutifully led the way out without questioning me. I looked behind me a few times to make sure we weren’t followed. Luckily no one caught us before we left the training hall, and I could breathe a sigh of relief.  

I can still feel my heart beating in my chest. But he didn’t see me did he? He couldn’t have. It must have been something else. Yes. Something else. Of course he’s allowed to go where he wants. There was no way that he was going to go look for me.

But… What else would be up there aside from me?

“Then we shall go onwards towards the Main Garden, my lady,” Holly said.

“Uh- What? Oh. Yes, thank you Holly. Let us… carry on.”

We walked in silence, along the pathways until we finally reached the garden.

“Here we are my lady. It is through this archway.”

In front of us stood a large flowery archway. Wrapped all around the large garden was a rather impressive hedge. I could only see the strange glass tower peeking out from deep within. I wondered if it was similar to the hedge that guarded the Thorn Manor, but I knew it could not be the same. For it did not whisper to me as I approached it. It did not ask for my blood.

“The late evenings can get rather chilly in this time of the year my lady,” Holly advised. “So it is best you don’t stay out for too long. The gardens are very large my lady. Many a guest has wandered in and found themselves lost. So if possible, please refrain from wandering too far into the garden.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said with a nod.

Not convinced, Holly continued on. “The glass maze is deep within the garden. While it is sealed up until the final trial begins, there have been cases where people have somehow… accidentally made it into the maze, and ended up in… unfortunate situations.”

“Accidentally?”

She paused for a moment, as though she wasn’t sure she wanted to say, before shaking her head. “I do not know the exact causes my lady, all I know is the stories that I’ve been told by maids working here longer than I. They say that they were looking at the glass walls, and then they suddenly heard a call. There are many different stories for what the call is like. Some say they thought they heard the noise of a bell in the distance, or a strange screeching noise, unlike they’ve ever heard before and others have said that they hear a voice calling their name. But all of them have mentioned the call fills up their hearts with an unexplained yearning. And before they know it, they find themselves trapped within the glass maze. At least, that is what we’ve been told by the ones that… managed to make their escape.”

Mother had told me of the strange monsters that roamed the glass maze. Somehow they could not leave. Luckily contestants witness only a few of them when undergoing the final trail. It was why the trail was held on the first day of winter. The creatures within the maze are said to disappear during the wintertime. At the start of the cold season, most of them are sluggish but are still able to move about.

We couldn’t have a trial without monsters after all. It wouldn’t be as… entertaining.

“Thank you Holly. I’ll take that into consideration.”

“Would you like me to return to pick you up at an appointed time my lady? Or shall I wait here for you?”

“Oh. Can you not come in?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No my lady. I’m afraid not. There are occasions where we are allowed to visit as residents of the Palace, but during the trial, the garden has been restricted to guests, their knights, and the gardeners only.”

I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head. “I don’t know what time I will finish with my walk, and I couldn’t ask you to wait, when you probably have better things to do. Besides, it’s nearly dinner time. I suppose you’ll want your rest and some time to yourself. So it’s alright. I don’t suppose I’ll be in any harm when none of the contestants are here yet, and I memorised the way back to my room. If I get lost I will be sure to ask someone. Oh, and I won’t be having dinner, so no need to prepare for that. The meal I had was plenty enough. Go back and take the rest of the night off, you have my permission. Thank you for escorting me here. I’m very grateful.”

She looked a little surprised at my words. “Oh. Um.. Yes. Of course. Thank you, my lady” she said with a bow. Then she turned and left, with a few looks over her shoulder as she did just in case she changed her mind. I stood and awkwardly waved her off. I only turned to the garden once she was out of sight. 

I wonder if the impression they have of me is anything like the me that I actually am. I wonder myself if I know who that me is.

I looked up at the glass tower. It was beautiful from up close. For some reason, it made my heart ache. A strange yearning, for something I did not understand.

I brushed the thought away and stepped into the garden.

Several large manicured lawns, dotted with plenty of different coloured flowers, lined well maintained paths that spread out before me. Trees and bushes trimmed with shapes of all kinds were positioned so beautifully that nothing looked out of place. The colours of each of the flowers were chosen to compliment the one next to them. Many benches were placed strategically underneath arches and in pavilions, forming nice cool places to rest.  

This is amazing! The gardens in the Thorn estate are lovely, but I’ve never seen anything on this scale. How magnificent. I could spend ages here.

I wanted to admire the garden, but I came here for a singular purpose. I had to see if I could break into the glass maze before the trial actually began.

I made my way through the garden, passing various sections and corners that were filled to the brim with all sorts of flowers and many different statues. The garden seemed to be a maze in its own right. Mother said they cultivated it to look beautiful to disguise the maze that lay inside.

I walked quickly until I finally found myself looking at a glass wall. Hedges and tall climbing plants were growing against it, almost disguising the wall. But patches of the wall shone through.

It looks like what mother said.

The translucent wall seemed to have an odd light that radiated from within it. It felt cool and pleasant to the touch. Like a nice cool drink on a warm summer’s day. It conjured up memories of playing in the forest with my mother and sister.

How interesting.

I did not hear a call or a ringing, but I could certainly feel a yearning. A strange yearning, that gripped at my heart, and called me towards it. It grew stronger when I touched the walls of the maze.

What is this? What’s causing this? Why do I feel like this? Like I’m so desperately longing for something. Like… I’m so lonely.

I needed to get inside the walls.

If mother is right, one of the ingredients I need to make the potion to free Dusk and I from this curse has already bloomed within. If I could just get it before the trial starts, I’m sure I can get the other ingredients without too much of a hassle. Then I could send word to Dusk and we can escape much faster than we intended.

I followed the wall, touching it ever so often, trying to see if I could somehow find my way in. I wished it was as easy as Holly seemed to make it out to be. That I would somehow be magically transported once I hear a noise. I walked until I saw a little wooden door.

Huh? Strange. This can’t be the entrance can it? No. I’m pretty sure the real entrance is guarded.

It was a small door. Small enough that even I would have to crouch to enter. The door was a solid dark brown wood, with wrought iron hinges, designed to look like blooming flowers and leaves.

My heart began to pound.

Is this it? Is this my way in? But… there’s no door handle.

There was however, a little wooden sliding flap at the top. Tentatively I pulled back the flap. Only to be greeted by a giant yellow eye that blinked back at me.

My eyes widened as I stared at it. We held each other’s gaze, until the creature started to move, banging against the door.

Fear suddenly gripped me. I screamed and tumbled backwards, and would have fallen, if not for a pair of hands which held me up from behind.