Frontiers

A Story by Nell

A short story I had to write for my Advanced English class, the teacher gave me the starter "Back then it was a frontier"

“Back then it was a frontier, it was visited by kings and nobles…”

“Would King Archibald have visited here?” The boy asked. The docent sighed. This boy was turning into a real pest.

“Not during the war,” He snapped. Seeing the school children were totally engaged with the models of the castle he lowered the microphone and stood the speaker up, resting his weary arms. He noticed that the boy stood a little apart from his peers, as he read each of the signs carefully.

“I’m sorry about Henry, he can be a little troublesome at times, but he means well!” The young teacher assured the man.

“A little troublesome?! Means well?!” The older teacher asked shrilly. “The boy’s chthonic! A right devil!” She snapped.

“He’s just interested in his family history!” The younger soothed.

“His family history?” The guide asked.

“Yes, he’s supposedly descended from King Archibald and Queen Claudia, one way or another. He just loves history. I’m Melissa by the way,” She said, extending a hand.

“Jackson,” He grunted, shaking her hand.

“Excuse me Sir,” Henry said politely, approaching the two women and the man as the teachers rushed off to save the models from destruction by over eager ten year olds. “It says on that sign that when Princess Astryd, Queen Claudia and King Archibald’s daughter, was given this castle by her parents after the war she built magnificent gardens and used them to meet her lover here,” The docent looked down on the boy again, this time with something approaching awe in his eyes.

“Well, yes. Do you have a particular interest in Princess Astryd?” When the boy nodded but said nothing he continued, “Well have you heard the rumour that she could see ghosts and now walks the walls of this castle, with her lover, as a ghost herself?”

“Oh yes. I know that one,” Henry said nodding.

“Did you know that it is also said that the Princess had a second child, the twin of the first, who survived the brutal slaughter of their older sibling and parents? And so to this day there are descendants of Astryd and her lover walking among us today?” Jackson heard a giggle, it was oddly familiar; he could almost remember hearing it every time he had told a joke on his tours. When he looked up though the only two adult women were both looking rather severe. Then the boy laughed.

“What?” The guide asked. The boy looked up at him,

“Oh, I can’t tell you, it’s our secret!”

“Whose secret?”

“Ours!” Henry said, pointing to what appeared to be empty air. As the boy looked over at the princess who he pointed at, she raised a finger to her lips. “They say that her descendants would have inherited her gift to see ghosts you know!” The boy muttered as he walked away. Jackson gazed after the boy.

‘You can never quite tell,’ He thought.