The Tale Of Three Sisters

Chapter 22 - Absolute Delight



Kate leaped into the ground and went inside the wagon to get the colorful bag — her present for her sister Ivy.

Ramza was already waiting for her in the ground.

"I\'m ready to go up to the castle on the hill," she said.

Ramza was misty-eyed while looking at his beloved woman. He had a hard time accepting the harsh reality that they will never see each other again, a few hours from now, and it\'s killing him inside.

"Eh? Why you looked so sad?" she asked after noticing his gloomy expression.

Ramza suddenly hugged Kate tightly and kissed her head, then her lips.

They locked lips intensely for a few minutes.

Then Kate disengaged from his sweet embrace. "It\'s now time for me to go," she said a bit sadly.

"I love you," he said softly.

Kate smiled. "I love you too!" she replied blushing, her heart was overflowing with happiness upon hearing his declaration of love. She kissed his lips one more time and then turned around to start walking on the path towards the castle on the hill.

While Kate was walking away...

Ramza stood frozen on the spot, with every step that Kate took, his heart was breaking inside. He lost her already, with her every step, she was fading away from him and their ties severed for eternity.

A tear fell from his eye.

He felt an invisible hand patting his shoulder.

"Sad—isn\'t it?" Zemeth\'s voice floated in the air. "What happens to me and Ivy is even more tragic, we didn\'t have the chance to bond together even for one day. She didn\'t even know I existed," he let out a dry chuckle.

Once again, he gripped his buddy\'s shoulder in sympathy.

Ramza released a deep sigh. "I\'m dying inside..." he said with a glum expression on his face.

"Yeah, it looks like you are," Zemeth responded.

They watched apprehensively as Kate was now getting closer to the gate of the castle.

"The moment Kate entered the gate, it\'s over. We should head back to our hideout in the Browncliffe village," Zemeth said.

Ramza didn\'t reply. His heart was aching inside while watching his beloved woman getting closer to her death. It\'s the kind of torture that he can never get over with as long as he lives.

Up in the hill.

Kate stared at the imposing gate in front of her, she feels like an invisible eye was lurking somewhere... looking at her.

She turned around and waved at Ramza at the base of the hill. He was still watching her and he waves back at her. She smiled and blew him a kiss, he did the same, and she was grinning silly.

Then all of a sudden...

The gate opened wide, she saw and an old man in his 70\'s, wearing plain clothes and looking at her face intently.

"Why are you here, lady?" the old man asked.

"Hello, good morning, grandpa! I want to visit my sister who works as a housekeeper here in the castle. She hasn\'t visited us for two months already, her name is Ivy. We\'re worried about her. Can I see her, please? Even for a few minutes," she begged.

The old man smiled. "Sure, come inside!" he said gleefully.

Kate followed him inside.

The lawn is wide and well taken care of. She was greeted with multitudes of beautiful blooming flowers growing everywhere. The stunning garden was stretched wide and far as her eyes can see.

She stood still and was completely enamored by the splendor of the surroundings encompassing her. She took a few moments of absolute delight admiring the flower garden around her.

"Come, follow me inside the castle, young lady!" the old man said excitedly.

They come upon a massive wooden door. The old man pushed the wooden door with his frail hands, to her amazement, it open easily and they entered inside.

What Kate saw inside took her breath away.

The old man smiled broadly and push Kate into the pit below...

"Noooooooooooooooo!" Kate screamed in panic. "Helpppppppppppppppppp!" her spine-chilling voice bounced on the walls.

So loud was her scream that it traveled outside the castle and carried by the wind to where Zemeth and Ramza were standing on the foot of the hill.

Then utter silence followed.

"That blood-curling scream means—it\'s over," Zemeth declared sadly.

"I\'m waiting for her to come out of the gate and come back to me," Ramza said in a wretched voice.

"She\'s not coming out," Zemeth said softly.

"I will wait..." Ramza said, still in the denial stage.

"Okay fine, we will wait here until midnight. I\'ll keep you company, buddy," Zemeth said, sighing.

"I would like to go up there, to rescue her!" Ramza exclaimed in desperation.

Zemeth was shaking his head vigorously. "No! That\'s one thing you can\'t do. What happens inside the castle is their business. Going up there and create chaos will only provoke them and we will be punished severely when we will go back home. So, control yourself and don\'t make any stupid mistake," he warned him.

"My heart is bleeding inside!" Ramza winced in pain.

"I know, it shows by the distraught expression on your face," Zemeth replied in a compassionate voice.

Ramza took a deep breath, he\'s getting anxious, he just can\'t stay idle outside not knowing what happened to his woman inside the castle. He wanted to invade the castle and rescue Kate!

Zemeth watched the display of emotions flickering on his buddy\'s face. To make sure, Ramza won\'t do anything stupid out of grief...he waved his hand...putting them inside a translucent orb. This way his friend can\'t leave without his permission.

He chose to stay by his buddy\'s side even though he knows that Kate will never get out alive of that gate ever again. He wants to share his burden and sadness. His friend was heartbroken and he looks awful right now.

He patted Ramza\'s hunch shoulder, consoling him. "Don\'t worry, once we come back to our realm, you\'ll forget Kate easily. The pain in your heart will lessen as the years goes by," he said with a gloomy sigh.