Chapter 18

Jasmine/ Olivia

One moment the air was light, filled with music and laughter, I was getting lost in the eyes of a stranger and the next minute there is chaos and I'm being tossed over a man's shoulder hastily led to safety from the menacing creatures that had shattered the serenity of the moment.

The thought crossed my mind: those things couldn't be dogs, could they? Towering at almost imposing four feet, those creatures were grotesquely larger than any average dogs. The sight of them sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered.

Struggling to comprehend the nightmare that had unfolded, I turned to Martha, seeking answers in the aftermath of the chaos. "What kind of dogs were those?" I queried, my voice laden with a mix of bewilderment and fear.

Martha's response carried a weight of understanding, her sigh betraying the gravity of the situation. "I'm sorry. You must have been really frightened out of your mind," she empathetically acknowledged. Frightened? It was an understatement. I had stood frozen, paralyzed by fear, as one of those monstrous creatures stalked ominously towards me. Gratitude flooded my senses for the masked knight who intervened, sparing me from potential harm.

Nightfall has some peculiar creatures," Martha explained gently, her voice trembling with an unspoken tension. "I see," I replied, absorbing the gravity of the situation. "They were not supposed to be out there. They'll be taken care of," she assured me, attempting to pacify my lingering unease.

"Did anyone get hurt?" I asked further.

Relief washed over me as Martha responded, "No. No one was injured." The reassurance provided a momentary respite from the lingering fear.

And what of that knight, the one in the mask?" I queried, realizing that he had still stood there amidst the tumult as I was carried out of the hall.

Martha stared back for a while without answering, her expression that of puzzlement.

"The knight in the mask?" I questioned slowly, my gaze lingering on her.

"He's fine." She said finally with a forced smile.

"Those wild dogs can't do much harm to him," she assured, though the stiffness in her smile betrayed an underlying tension.

Anyway, get to bed. You must be really exhausted after such a long day." Martha said turning to leave.

"And the guests?" I asked curious on how they would return home that night amidst the lingering chaos.

Martha, the embodiment of composed reassurance, calmly responded, "The castle can accommodate over a thousand people all at once. They'll be fine."

Before Martha could make her exit, a soft call escaped my lips, drawing her attention back.

"Martha." I called softly.

She had tried to sound brave but the fear etched on her features didn't escape my notice; her trembling fingers betrayed the facade of composure she wore.

Despite her evident own apprehension, she had taken the time to assure me that everything was under control.

"Thank you," I expressed, genuine gratitude infusing my words. In response, Martha offered a small, genuine smile before turning to leave.

Wait," I called out once more, my hand outstretched in a beckoning gesture. A subtle tension hung in the air as Martha hesitated and turned back towards me. With a gentle touch, I inspected her arm, expecting to find the aftermath of the scalding tea. To my surprise, her skin bore no blemish or sign of injury, as if the incident had never occurred.

"Martha?" I questioned, my tone laced with curiosity and disbelief. She responded promptly, a hurried explanation escaping her lips, "I happen to heal very fast, ma'am. It's nothing," she reassured, adjusting her sleeve nonchalantly before swiftly leaving the room.

As night descended, sleep enveloped me, yet my dreams were haunted by the grotesque visage of those otherworldly creatures, the menacing dogs.

Waking up I heaved a sigh of relief as dawn approached, the comfort of daylight quelled the shadows of the nightmarish visions.

Summoning my maids with a pull of the bell rope, I embraced the prospect of a new day. Martha shared the news that the guests had been safely escorted home, leaving the castle once again in quiet repose.

Following a leisurely breakfast, I descended the grand staircase, heading to the pantry to get some gossip, or something, anything. I was right on time; the kitchen staff had settled and as expected, were immersed in animated discussions. I discreetly nestled into my preferred eavesdropping spot to glean the unfolding tales.

"Yesterday, a new maid was sent to arrange the prince's bath," a vivacious kitchen maid took the spotlight. I recognized her because she stood out more — she had bunny-like teeth, really pouty lips, and she was always talking.

"Which prince?" another asked.

"The second prince, of course." Oh good, This was a golden opportunity to learn more about the man I was destined to marry.

"She had to be sent instead because all of us were, you know, busy getting ready for the party."

"She came out of the room in tears; she still hasn't spoken to anyone till this morning." The room drew a sharp intake of breath.Gasps echoed, punctuating the air with a collective disapproval of his actions.

"The crude!" one inhaled sharply.

"Also," she continued, "he got really mad and sent the stablehand yelping out of the barn this morning also. And just now, the servant Mallory quit this morning!" she yelled.

"The one who is instructed to give the prince his breakfast?" another asked.

"Yes! That one!" she cried.

The room collectively sighed at the litany of transgressions committed by the prince within a single day.

"The prince must really be awful to have done all of these things in one day. Why has he returned?" another asked.

"I really can't wait for him to be gone back to the outlands. He's seriously scary."lamented another, echoing the sentiments of fear circulating among the staff.

"He hasn't even been back for forty-eight hours, but he's already unleashing his demons. No wonder the king..."

"You three!" a lady I recognized as Lady Sophia's right hand yelled. Oh no, their gossip had been interrupted yet again.

"Skipping your chores and gossiping again, aren't you!" she yelled.

"We weren't," the girl with the bunny teeth immediately denied.

"You are even worse, Joy!" Amelia said, giving her a knock on the head. "If the king didn't enjoy your special broth soup, we would have sent you out of the palace long ago. You would have worked at the stables!"

"But lady..." Joy made to talk.

"Enough!" Amelia yelled. "Just hurry up and serve the king's brunch." Stifling my laughter, I walked away.

"So the king's favorite food was broth Soup. At least I knew that now," I thought with a sigh. That and my soon-to-be husband was a terrifying man in every sense. Lucky me.

I had also observed an unusual pattern. Night time came almost too quickly. The sun went down really early here.

When I mentioned it Martha had laughed.

"Night. Fall." She stated.

"It's practically in its name. It could be afternoon in other places but here on some days the night came really early." She explained.

It made sense, that was why it's called Nightfall.

Some days were normal, some weren't.

Some the sun stayed up for long. Sometimes the sun went down to early.

Looking at the sun I figured it would be past noon