A very dear friend of mine, Kate, once told me, "never be sorry for making the reader cry." I don't know if she took the other side of human tears into account. I always try to draw emotion out of the readers, but in one chapter, I made someone remember lost loves, for that, I am truly sorry. My stories are meant to inspire others to be more than they can be; to overcome odds – sometimes against all odds. There was one person in the world that proved that statement. This chapter is humbly dedicated to the loving memory of Brett Hill; a man who defied odds, who fought to survive – if not for himself, then for those around him. A beacon of hope for all to follow.
Kristine and Laura approached what was thought to have been the living quarters of a woman named Cilka. It was said she was the caretaker of the castle when Baldomr and Nevanka were alive. Kristine stopped short of the room they now occupied during the stay at the castle, and stood next to a small wooden door that had a red rope placed in front of it.
Laura watched as her friend unclipped the end and laid it to the side. "Is this another bedroom?"
"This, my dear, is the entrance to the upper floors. The only servant we know of, Cilka, stayed on this level with Baldomr."
After opening the door, Laura peeked in and saw a tunnel with rough-hewn stone steps that led upward. The tunnel looked like a natural opening in the living stone of the cliff, but the steps had definitely been hand carved. Kristine stepped in and turned on an old looking switch and soon the stone steps were bathed in a soft yellow light.
The experienced woman began climbing the stairs with Laura following just behind her. The walls of the tunnel were slick with condensation and a metal pole had been attached to one side of the tunnel to act as a handrail. "Please hold on to the handrail, Laura. The steps can be very slippery."
The two women continued their ascent and soon reached a level platform and an open entrance. There was no door and Laura peeked in to see a long stone hallway with numerous rooms. "This is amazing. Are these all bedrooms too?"
Kristine laughed at her astonishment. "Some of them are small bedrooms and some are storage space. We'll come back down here later. I think it will be more memorable for you if we get to the upper room and then work our way back down."
The pair continued upward and as they passed the opening to the next level, Laura couldn't help but steal another look. Kristine smiled and held her hand out as if she was once again the tour guide. "Fourth floor; kitchen appliances, bedroom furnishings, lingerie." Her tone took on the sound of someone working the elevator in a large department store.
Laura laughed at her and then began to follow once again. As they approached what looked like the end of the stairs, the soon to be wife of a Navy SEAL passed one of the small lights attached to the wall. Suddenly it grew brighter and the young woman thought it would explode. Laura shielded her face as she backed down a few steps.
Kristine also saw the now extremely bright light and turned to see Laura cringing in protection. "Something else I forgot to tell you, Laura; the castle is haunted and the lights sometimes do that."
Laura lowered her arm and stared in shock and fear at her smiling friend. "Haunted! Like redrum, redrum haunted? Like there's a dark hole in the basement and an evil voice makes a kid kill his family, haunted?" Her voice was shaking as the images of old horror movies flashed through her mind.
"Oh my God, Laura, no! It's believed that it's Baldomr and Nevanka just having fun with the tourists. I've lived here a lot of years and they have never done anything to harm me. Maybe they're just saying, 'welcome to the family, Laura, and we wish you all the best'.
Laura started to walk back up the stairs slowly as she turned her face away from the beaming light. "That's all fine and dandy, but could they say that with a more quiet voice?" As if on cue, the light returned to a normal soft glow. "Oh my God, this place is amazing!"
The two women continued a few more steps to a small room. Laura looked around and saw that the only exit was the stairway they had just come from. Looking up, she saw a low flat ceiling, which was unlike any of the previous rooms she'd visited.
Kristine walked over to a small wooden door set in the wall and slowly pulled it open. Laura had to squint her eyes against the bright sunlight streaming into the small room. "Welcome to the upper most part of the castle." She stepped aside and held her hand out. "Why don't you have a look at the view?"
With cautious steps, Laura moved forward and looked out at the view of Predjama. From her vantage point she could see miles of the surrounding countryside. Her mouth gaped open in awe at the sight before her. The view was so breathtaking that the young woman was at a loss for words.
Kristine could see the wonder on her face. She looked like a small child on Christmas morning; awakening to a room full of presents all of which had her name on them. "You remind me of me when I first came up here and looked out."
Laura turned to face her dear friend as a small tear rolled down her tender cheek. She turned back to the outside world and looked down at the castle grounds below her. She saw two men walking outside talking to each other. A large smile crossed her face and she placed two fingers in her mouth, releasing a shrill whistle.
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Kevin handed his best man for the wedding a piece of paper. "I was thinking of using this for my vows today. I'm pretty sure Laura will just say what's in her heart."
Adam began to unfold it, but stopped short when he saw Kevin turn suddenly and look up at the top of the castle. He followed Kevin's gaze and saw Laura leaning out of the upper most window of the castle waving her hand franticly.
Kevin waved back at his lover and then turned to his friend. "That girl is like a kid in a candy store with a pocket full of cash."
"I have a feeling you are going to have a very hard time getting her back to Virginia Beach, my friend."
**********
Laura spun quickly around to face the happy Mrs. Dawson. "They saw me! They saw me through the window!"
"Honey, with that whistle, the whole town of Predjama was looking at you," Kristine said as she played with her ear.
Kristine and Laura began making their way back down to the lower levels. Each time Laura passed one of the lights, she cringed slightly in case one of the softly glowing bulbs brightened again. Upon reaching the third floor, Kristine stepped into the stone hallway and waited for Laura.
The young woman soon entered and looked around. "Is this where all the treasure is kept?"
Kristine laughed at her excitement. "Yes dear, but before we go any further, I want you to promise not to play with the artifacts too much. There are items up here that are worth a lot of money; some are priceless and irreplaceable."
The petite female nodded her head as she looked up and down the hall. When she saw Kristine move to a nearby room, she scampered after her. She stood beside Kristine and watched as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. Laura could see that the door was made of heavy steel and reinforced with metal bands for added security.
Kristine unlocked it, pushed the door open gently, and turned to Laura. "Your family treasures, my dear. Here, put on these gloves to protect them from the oil in your hands."
Laura slowly stepped into the make shift vault and gasped in surprise as she looked upon the room filled with Kevin's family heirlooms. On the floor, along all four walls, were precious artifacts of various shapes and sizes. There were bracketed shelves on the walls that secured smaller pieces much too delicate to be placed with the other items.
Standing in the center of the room, she spun around trying to drink in everything at once. The fascinated young woman felt weak in the knees with the realization of the depth of Kevin's heritage. "I can't – is this all – can this be – there's so many..."
"These are the items that have been found during the years. Some of them have been donated from the town's people who had them and some have been found in the castle. A very impressive collection if I do say so myself." Kristine placed her hands on her hips and looked around in admiration.
Laura walked carefully around the room. She stopped every few feet to examine a particular artifact. When she came upon an ornately carved walnut box, she went to her knees and looked back at Kristine for approval. Kristine gave a quick nod and Laura opened the chest revealing a royal blue velvet lining covered with glittering sliver knives, forks, and spoons. The light in the room bounced off the lavishly engraved silver handles making the light of the room flash with bright fairy-like spots.
Laura ran her fingertips over the large silverware, amazed at the much larger size than modern day place settings. "They're beautiful," she said in a whisper.
Kristine clasped her hands in front of her as she looked upon the wondrous woman. "I hope we're not going to spend the rest of the time looking at forks my dear. This room is full of marvels that other people only dream about."
Laura closed the lid with care and stood up. She continued moving around the room, stopping to study an item here and there and being careful not to damage the precious pieces with her trembling hands.
She pushed a small, lacquered box aside to discover a beautifully carved hairpin hidden behind it. It had three long tortoise shell spikes topped with an intricate 18k gold floral cluster. She ran her slender fingers through her hair and then turned to Kristine. "When my hair grows out more, I'm going to use something like this to make myself pretty."
Kristine choked up with emotion as she moved toward her friend. She was overcome as she realized the effect of today's event that would change her forever. "Laura, true beauty does not come from the way we present ourselves." Kristine placed her fingers over Laura's heart and smiled. "It comes from within our very being."
Laura hugged her dear friend and held her close as she thought about her life. So many heartaches, so many people making fun of her because of the way she looked. As she squeezed even tighter, she knew in her heart that she had a friend forever in Kristine Dawson.
The two women released each other and Laura continued to look around as Kristine moved toward the doorway. When she turned to watch her friend, she noticed a large chest that she was unfamiliar with partially hidden in a corner. With her head cocked to one side, she studied it and couldn't recall ever seeing it in her early stay at the castle.
Kristine approached the chest and knelt before it. On the front of the cedar chest was a small brass button. She was about to push it when Laura knelt down beside her. Laura eyes were large with intrigue, and she reached up and pushed the button inward. The two women heard a catch being released inside the chest and the lid popped loose. "I bet there are all kinds of wonderful things inside."
Carefully, Kristine lifted the lid and peered inside. The chest was filled with a hodge-podge of items. With the lid now resting against the stone wall, the two women were free to explore the newly discovered treasures.
Laura pulled out two silver candlesticks. She studied their weight and turned to Kristine. "These have to be pure silver. They're so heavy," she said as she lightly bounced them in her hands.
