Chapter 8

The next day, I went back to the shop to tell her what had happened and to finish the story.

From where I’d left off, there was a young man named Christian who came to the king’s city looking for work. Local soldiers got the man drunk enough to agree to be the princess’s guard and left him there. Someone came and warned him what would happen and told him where to hide.

The princess woke from her coffin at midnight and tried to devour Christian, but she could not reach him. When the clock struck one, she had to go back into the coffin and locked herself away.

But the story carried on beyond that.

Christian agreed to stay the next night too for a much higher reward than what was originally promised and the same thing happened again, proclaiming disease and war would come but still she could not reach him.

Christian was convinced to stay a third night, both through alcohol and being promised half the king’s kingdom, and he managed to trick the princess by hiding inside her own coffin.

It was only then she disappeared, except it turned out that she hadn’t.

The curse placed upon her had broken and they married.

It was only years later that the bodies of the missing sentries had been discovered, and they learnt of what she’d done to each.

“Three drops of blood and then she just kills them by breaking their necks?” I nodded as she repeated my words. “That seems…a lot. Why just three drops?”

“Aren’t you the expert?”

“Normally, yes. Most species that need blood to survive are usually quite gluttonous in nature, especially vampires, but the princess just needed a handful of drops. Hmm, maybe they were meant to be like the berries her mother ate.”

“But the book said the queen only ate a single bud. How could-?”

“Maybe that was the price to be paid.”

“What do you mean?”

“The king was offered three choices, right? Pestilence, war or the death of his daughter.

“One drop to prevent the outbreak of disease.

“One drop to stop wars being waged.

“One to ensure the princess would see the light of day again.”

“But that’s such a tall price to pay.”

“Maybe for an entire kingdom but, for you, three drops of blood is nothing. All you’d have to do is just make sure you’ve got a needle, prick yourself with it before she gets out the box but no so early it dries up, she tastes the blood and then she just gets back in the box. Just do that for a year and you’ll be fine.”

“Assuming you’re right.”

“I’d rather assume we are than assume we aren’t,” she countered. “Anyway, from the sounds of things, the princess in the chest has gone now.”

“…Seems that way.”

I’d checked again that morning, every room, every nook and cranny, and found no trace of it.

The door was still broken, as was the cabinet, but those were acceptable losses.

Drake’s Drum hadn’t played anywhere whilst I was checking - I’d refused to let go of it as I’d searched, so I was somewhat inclined to believe I’d won very easily over the princess and her curse.

But I felt anxious.

If all it took was that, then it wouldn’t be a powerful curse befitting the Chained Witch.

“And you didn’t find anything else in your house either?”

“Not a thing.”

“Not in your pockets?” I shook my head. “Huh, how strange. Well, maybe because you technically overcame the curse in the early hours of the morning, Alice’s newest present won’t reach you until midnight tonight at the earliest.”

“Maybe.”

“You don’t sound too happy about that.”

“Ah, no, it’s not that, I am, it’s just…if that’s the case, I don’t really know what to do with myself.”

“Well, you could stay here and help me with my work if you want, but I also imagine you’d rather be as far away from all this nonsense for the time being, right?”

“…Yeah,” I said with a weak nod.

“Then, by all means, head out, head home, do something fun, lighten your load, loosen up, do…whatever the hell it is you used to do.”

What I used to do, huh?

It’s been so long I don’t even know what that is.

The park didn’t help, even though the weather was quite nice.

…Did I just come here from her shop?

No, no, that can’t be it. I went to the bookstore, then to the café and…

Didn’t I?

I shook my head and sighed. “Maybe I should just have a goodnight’s sleep for once.”

God knows when the last time that was.

It was clearly messing with my head.

Sleep deprivation was an awful thing, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy, except for maybe Alice.

It was hard to relax at home and, given that no one else was in the park, I decided to nap on one of the benches.

I managed to get comfortable surprisingly quickly and-

When I woke up, it was late at night.

The moon was in full bloom tonight, hanging right above my head, eclipsed only by the clocktower.

I hadn’t been up there in some time, though I imagined it was closed for the day.

Still, I wanted to see what the night’s sky would look like at the height of such a tall structure, so I went.

Luckily, there was no one else there, so I snuck in over the barriers and through the suspiciously unlocked entrance.

Oh well, the incompetence of the night staff is something I shall gladly take advantage off.

God, I sound like a deviant youth out to loiter or make mischief.

The tower steps were steeper than I remembered them being and they were far more terrifying to traverse at night.

Well, that was an obvious risk I’d chosen to overlook.

I felt the wall as I climbed up the spiral, ascending ever upwards towards the heavens for what I believed to be a few hours though it was probably just a few minutes in reality.

Once at the top, I passed around the ominous bell itself that, like Drake’s Drum, I had only come to associate with the worst of the world’s greatest evils and demons.

I then remembered that Alice mentioned mares and the fact that I could be visited by them at some point, though I almost laughed that off.

A cat demon felt like a peaceful weekend break compared to the Glass Coffin or the Princess in the Chest.

Still, it was good to be out of the house.

It had been way too long since I’d properly let loose and where better to do so, all alone at the top of the tallest building in the city.

I’d never heard someone say how big it was, but it must have at least been a hundred and twelve metres tall, maybe a bit more. It was all made in a time where big machines didn’t exist and its maintenance was no doubt a source of pride for those who worked here.

After all, it wasn’t every day you got to work in such a historical marvel.

I went out onto the rooftop balcony and nearly danced with joy off the roof, only just catching myself before my left foot sauntered over the edge.

I laughed and sat down, stretching out and gazing up at the stars.

At this height, the streetlamps couldn’t block my view of the glorious painting hanging above me.

So many lights of all shapes and sizes, all twinkling brightly and all beautiful beyond measure.

I wish I’d studied astrology at school when I was younger; the stars always fascinated me.

They were so close, yet so far.

So beautiful, yet so tragic.

So bright, yet so dark.

Honestly, if I could, I think I could stay like this forever, just watching them.

“Why don’t you?”

I almost turned but just sighed. “Not even a moment’s peace from the chained witch.”

But strangely, no metals clinked near me.

Actually, thinking on it, that wasn’t a woman’s voice, was it?

I turned around but saw no one.

So, I stood up and looked around the rooftop; it was small and just about big enough for me, so there’s no way I could’ve missed someone else being up here.

So, whose voice was that?

“I probably just imagined it.”

“Hearing voices is rarely a good sign.” Wings flapped. “Especially not when it comes to witches.”

Before my feet a little crow had landed, and it was looking up right at me.

“What the-?” I tilted my head and it mimicked me. “You can talk?”

“I can,” said the bird as it took a few little jumps towards me. “Don’t mind me though. Please, feel free to sit and star gaze again. I won’t interrupt.”

“…Right.”

I was a little freaked out, but I took the crow up on its word and sat down again; they danced over to me and stood on my left.

“You know about Alice?”

“The Chained Witch? Of course. I imagine there’s no one in this world who doesn’t know about her, and her accursed Wonderland.”

“Yeah, horrible thing, isn’t it?”

“Well, you should know.”

I laughed a little too harshly at myself. “Probably better than anyone alive.”

“Except for the witch herself.”

“How can a bird speak and know of witches?”

“Because the crow was once a man who knew them, although that was a long time ago, though I no longer remember just how long.”

I almost wanted to hug him. “Were you one of her victims?”

“That’s a strange question to ask, especially when you yourself have the chains around you.”

“Thankfully, she seems to be away at the moment.”

“Ha, away,” scoffed the crow. “The Chained Witch only pretends to leave you, like that trick she pulled inside the library.”

“You know of that?” The crow nodded. “How?”

“Do not underestimate the intellect I possess.”

I nearly let out a genuine laugh at the bird but elected to hold it in and bury it.

It was the first time I’d had someone else to talk to about Alice and her curses. “You were cursed to become a bird?”

“It was a bit more complex than that. You see, I used to be a handsome prince of a grand nation, though sadly my homeland fell into difficult times. Desperate as I was, I sought the aid of a witch who agreed to restore my kingdom’s wealth and fertile lands and trades, but only if I found true love.

“For seven years, I lived as a bird, searching for the woman to call my bride and one day I found her. A princess, youngest of three sisters, who was wounded. I aided her and told her of my plight but with more persuasive words.”

“How do you mean?”

“In order to make the girl fall for me, I told her that she needed to live with me in the one remaining room of my royal castle and sleep on a golden bed each night without making a sound. If she didn’t obey, my suffering would increase and all she had to do was endure the terrors the night brought. Well.” The crow scoffed. “That the witch brought.

“The young girl did well for two years and never uttered a word. All that was left for her to find work as a servant for a year, a stipulation of the witch, and then I would be freed and we would be happy together.

“Alas, her master beat her and just three days before the year’s end, he killed her.”

“…I’m so sorry.”

The crow sighed and stared at the distant moon. “I truly loved that girl, and she didn’t deserve to live through such torment. The king was beside himself when he learnt, and wars were waged. I brought my suffering to thousands of others and condemned myself to Wonderland as a result.”

Like I thought, it was Alice whom he made the deal with.

“Why did you trust the Chained Witch of all people?”

“She wasn’t called by such things when I met her. She was just Alice, and just like any other with you would find anywhere, if one can even find another witch these days outside of Wonderland.”

“So, if you’re bound to Wonderland, does that mean you are one of her curses? Are you the next one I need to beat?”

The crow shook his head. “If that was her intention, then her plan has failed. I can never love another person again, no matter what. I shall never betray the intentions and honest love my lady felt for me. Who I was before my lands fell would have frolicked and fawned over anything and anyone, but…” The crow almost looked as if they were smiling. “She showed me a much better side of myself I never knew existed.”

I wish there was something I could do for the crow, even if it was just giving them a bit of closure, but that would be impossible, no?

Words of comfort would be meaningless, as would pointless speculations.

I didn’t know her, the crow did, and they loved her.

But-

“Want to try this?” I pulled the watch out of my pocket and put it down between us.

“This is-?”

“A wish granter of sorts.”

“Of sorts?”

“There’s an equal but opposite reaction that comes with it I’d wager, but if you wanted to give your life for hers, then I think it’d be doable.”

“…A tempting offer, but I know it wouldn’t work.”

“…Why not?”

The crow laughed a little happily. “Because when she learns that I am no longer in the world of the living, she will rush to return to whence she came.”

“…Why not wish to go to where she is?”

“Opposite and equal, forget not, my new friend.” The bird pecked the back of my hand with a tiny amount of force, enough that I felt it, but not enough that it hurt. “If only life was that easy.”

“And Alice would never let you go, would she?”

The crow laughed. “Not even death would be enough to break her chains. Not even Wonderland itself would be strong enough to sever the link.”

“…Maybe you can help me with that, and it could benefit the both of us.”

The crow looked at me quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Wonderland, her ultimate curse, is the strongest one she possesses, right? What if we could use that on her, trap her inside it and you and I escape? Break the chains at the base, links and all, and then laugh in her face as she realises she’s-”

“…Friend.”

The crow’s tonal shift shut me down. “What is it?”

“What do you mean, if we trapped her inside Wonderland?”

I stared back at the crow. “Well, just that, isn’t it? We trap her and-”

“Do you…not know…oh no.” The crow took a few steps away from me, shaking its head. “Oh, my friend, oh how I pity you.”

“…What are you on about?”

“Friend.” The crow prepared to take flight. “We’re already inside Wonderland.”

And it flew away, just as the bell tolled midnight.