I blinked, and then blinked again. I was standing in front of a beautiful
palace. It seemed to glow like the morning sun. Surrounding it were many gardens filled with vibrant flowers and trickling
fountains. Bees and butterflies flitted from flower to flower. I walked, as if in a trance, to a nearby rosebush. The roses
were blood-red, without a brown spot on them. I bent down and sniffed one.
"They smell so wonderful..." I stood up and looked at the boy. He never
had told me his name.
"My name is Will." I was shocked. "Can you read minds?"
"No, but I can read faces," He said with a grin. I smiled and
then faced the palace. It looked to have been built with a very light-colored stone, almost white. It was covered in lush
green ivy with red, purple and yellow flowers dotted here and there. Will led me up to the large, stone doors.
"After you," He said, holding the door open for me.
I had entered the most beautiful room I had ever seen. None of the fairy
tales I had ever read could have prepared me for what I now saw. The floor was a shiny, cream colored marble with veins of
white running through it. There were elaborate Corinthian columns lining either side of the entranceway. I looked up. The
high ceiling beheld a beautiful mural of fairies and mermaids and ogres and castles. I was captivated by how lifelike the
ogre seemed, as he leered down at me from his eternal resting spot high above me. The fairies seemed to dance in the green
and flowery fields, singing and laughing and being merry. I looked closer and saw a dark-haired, fair-skinned girl-a princess
perhaps-leaning out of a window in the castle. Her chin was propped up in her hand, and she looked faintly bored by the constant
scenery.
"Do you like it?" I jumped. I had forgotten where I was. Will was right
next to me, with laughter in his eyes. He always seemed to be laughing-be it with his eyes or his vocal chords.
"Come, we must move on." He took my hand in his and pulled me to the end
of the hall to another set of stone doors. He pushed the doors open, and allowed me to go first. The second I set foot in
that room, my body was filled with warmth. The room had a lot of marble in it, like the last room, but this one had streams
and fountains, and a giant glass dome in the middle of the high arched ceiling. In the middle of the room, directly beneath
the dome, was a huge, seven-tiered fountain. The edge of each tier was rounded, so that the water flowed gently from one to
the other. The bottom tier had a small waterfall on either side, which flowed down into it's own stream below. The streams
then flowed to the perimeter of the room, and went all the way around. I walked to the edge of it, and peered into the clear,
sparkling water. There were glittering white and silver fish, swimming among small plants and flowers. I couldn't stop staring.
Finally, Will pulled me further into the room and across an arched bridge, which went over the stream. Once I was across,
I looked around. Against the wall was a white and gold throne. Seated upon it was a woman. She had hair like gold, and skin
like porcelain. She was clad richly in a long, white dress with gold detail at the neck, wrists, and waist. The gown had a
small train that flowed smoothly behind her. The neckline was square, and the sleeves flared out at the wrists. She stood
as we approached.
"Welcome. My name is Adelina. I am the queen's maid and most trusted friend."
Adelina's voice was smooth and calming. I wondered why a maid was dressed in so fine a gown and seated on so grand a throne.
"Adelina, this is Meryll. She has finally come, and will save us." I started
to shake at Will's words. It hit me that everyone in this realm was depending on me to save them. Me? I don't know any magic!
An hour ago, I was just Meryll! I didn't have the weight of an entire realm resting on my shoulders. Will must have read the
expression on my face, or else he lied and really can read minds, because he looked at me worriedly and said,
"I think I'll take Meryll to her room now. She must be tired." He took my hand, muttered something indistinct, and we disappeared
in the blink of an eye, once again.
