Chapter 8 - The King of Phantom Castle

The King of Phantom Castle
For the next few days we searched for Archie. We were having no luck. Ever since our attempted escape the guards had been watching us like hawks. David and I were growing closer and closer. I often caught him trying to keep in step with me when I walked across the room. He always had a hand on me ready to catch me if I should trip over my feet.
One day the guards came into the room. They said that the king wanted to see us in person. They lead us to the throne room at sword point. Sammy and Daniel were also there. The king was tall and thin. He wore the same kind of outfit as the princes but he had a long red cape. A hood and a net covered his head and face.
“Emma and Sammy, I’m glad you could come,” he said taking off the net mask and the hood.
I froze when I saw his face. The king looked so familiar. His black hair in his eyes and the little ponytail in the back belonged to “that” person. It was him. His emerald eyes looked at me and only me. I looked over at Sammy and the look of surprise on her face confirmed that it was really him.
“Victor!” we shouted at the same time.
“Emma, you seem so very happy to see me and Sammy, I’m flattered that you feel the same way,” he said with a suspicious grin.
“Wait a minute, Victor is the son of Simon?” Sammy asked.
“Victor is alive?” I asked half dazed.
“Please allow me to explain. Simon adopted me. Wait…there’s something else I have to tell you first. Guards!”
At his command the guards standing on the side of the room got out bows and arrows. The arrows were pointed at us. I glanced down at the hand that was resting on my hip. The arrows weren’t pointed at us. They were pointed at Daniel and David.
Victor’s words burned in my mind, “Kill the Cookies!”
“NO!” Sammy and I screamed in unison.
I pushed my body up against David’s so that no matter how good their aim was they would have to kill me too. Victor stopped the guards and looked at me with pleading eyes. My eyes gave him a silent no.
“Alright Emma, I’ll try giving you a deal that you can live with. If you agree to be my second captive, my guards will return David to your room unscathed,” his voice was firm.
“Your second captive?” I asked curiously.
“Well, what is your choice?”
“Give me a minute.”
I turned around and buried my face in David’s chest. He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me until it hurt but I didn’t care. My bad arm was burning with pain but I didn’t stop to wonder why. I had something important that I needed to say.
“David, I won’t let you die,” his chest muffled my voice.
“But Emma, he could kill you,” he said softly.
“No, I don’t think he will.”
“Alright, I’m fine with it if you really trust him.”
“I know this will sound ridiculous because I know you will come for me. I have something I want to give to you just in case we never see each other again. It’s a gift that you can give to the same person many times. I want to have a chance to give it to you at least once.”
“What is it?”
“I’m going to show you.”
I forced my head up to gaze longingly into his eyes and my hands were touching his face. My head moved closer to his. Then I gave him the most passionate kiss I had ever given. His lips quivered beneath mine. I had forgotten that this was the first time I had ever kissed him. He tried to follow me when I left his embrace but he knew it would do no good. I turned back to Victor and let out a long, loud sigh.
“So I take it you’re going to cooperate?” Victor asked happily.
I nodded slowly. Suddenly the guards grabbed my arms. They led me to a double door sized curtain. One of them pulled a string and the curtain moved to the side revealing yet another prison cell. One of the guards opened the cell and the other one shoved me inside. Before I was able to comprehend what was going on a chain attached to one of my legs and the curtain dropped.
I sensed another person in the cell with me. This person must have been his first captive. I couldn’t see his face because it was pitch dark but I could pretty much make out his outline. He looked strangely familiar.
“Emma, is that you?” he asked weakly.
“How did you know it was me?” I asked.
“I saw your red and black dress.”
“Who are you?”
“I am a friend.”

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