The Lady in White

Orlando shivered as she came closer, singing the same melody as she always did. The melody that always mesmerized him and left him speechless, he wanted to be with her, to touch her but he wasn’t able to move. He felt as if everything, including moment was under her control now and he was just at her mercy.1

He simply stared at her admiring her beauty, her silky blonde hair, her beautiful innocent face, her amazing white dress but the feature in which he was lost in was her sea green eyes, they were so deep that it was like looking in the vast ocean, knowing that you will be able to see how deep it is.2

Her melody ended, a chill emitted through Orlando’s body. Then she spoke to him for the first time.3

“Come to me.”4

The request was so unexpected that Orlando was startled.5

“Where?” He asked in amazement.6

“Seek me,”7

“Seek you where?” He asked as his excitement and confusion rose.8

“Across the ocean, at an unknown place, the same place that is darker than night yet brighter than day, the same place where no man dares venture, the same place where true love was once killed.”9

With that she disappeared. Orlando immediately woke up troubled by the dream.10

‘I need to find her,’ he said to himself.11

With that thought in mind he tried to sleep again. But now no sleep would come to him for he couldn’t rest until he found her.12

At dawn there was a knock at his door, he got up and opened the door to find and agitated Andrea there.13

“What?” He asked her,14

“We need to start work early today that’s what.”15

‘Why does she always have to be the bearer of bad news?’ He said to himself.16

“So?” She said still waiting for a response.17

He scanned her before answering, she was surely a fine looking girl but she was in miserable condition, her black looked like they had not be washed in weeks, her face had hard work written all over it and her cloths were shabby and patched.18

“Hello! Are with me? I said we need to start work early today. Now I want you in the workshop in 15 minutes, otherwise I will send Mr.Gromit to wake you up.” She said a little annoyed by his attitude.19

Orlando watched her march away and reached the decision that with some proper clean cloths she would look better.20

After some time Orlando went downstairs to find Andrea had already started work.21

“Are you going somewhere?” She asked seeing that he was carrying large leather bag.22

“Yes.”23

“Where are you going?”24

“To find the girl that I always see in my dreams,”25

“Orlando, have you gone mad? She exists only in your imagination!”26

“Today she spoke to me, she is calling me right now and I known where to find her.”27

“You do?” She asked amazed.28

“Yes I do. Have you ever heard of the Legend the Lady in white?”29

“Yes, it was my favorite bedtime story.”30

“Today she repeated the same verses from the Legend. Across the ocean, at an unknown place, the same place that is darker than night yet brighter than day, the same place where no man dare venture, the same place where true love was once killed.”31

Andrea watched him disbelievingly.32

“She…. she has chosen you. You must have imagined all this,”33

“I have not imagined anything, I know what I need to do and I will do it.”34

“Take me with you then,” Andrea said before realizing what she was saying.35

“Take you with me. Why?”36

“For I have always dreamed of seeing the great castle of Maggot,” She said making it up at the spur of the moment37

“Very well then, we will leave as soon as you’re ready.”38

Andrea immediately rushed inside to get ready.39

When she came, Orlando was waiting for her outside. When his eyes fell on her at first he couldn’t recognize her but then eventually he realized it was Andrea. He always though she would look beautiful in better condition but he didn’t realize that she would look that beautiful.40

“I have talked to Mr. Gromit and he has given his permission for us to leave.” He said breathlessly.41

“Let’s go then.” She replied with a grin.42

From the blacksmith’s shop where they worked they walked up to the near by inn where they had breakfast afterwards they rented a carriage to take them to the dock which were at Far East of the city.43

Finally having got used to Andrea new appearance, Orlando’s thought had drifted and had taken him to the girl of his dreams again.44

Meanwhile a battle was raging inside Andrea. Why couldn’t she have told him earlier? She always though he was right there and she could tell him any time, time! There was no time left now. Now he was going, leaving her, to be with someone else. How could he love her? He doesn’t even know her. That’s just a infatuation because she so beautiful, men always like women that are hard to get and this one is said to be impossible to acquire.45

Andrea was still lost in her thought, when Orlando shook her.46

“What?” she said expecting to be attacked,47

“It’s fine, just me.” He said reassuring her “And we are here,”48

“Where, where are we?”49

“The Dock Andrea that was where we were going right.”50

“Oh! Yes,” She said just remembering what had happened earlier that morning.51

“Now come on, we need to find someone who can take us to Maggot.”52

“Oh! Yes!” She said still in shock.53

“You’re behaving strangely Andrea,”54

“Well I am tired.” She said making it up.55

“Tired! you didn’t even work today.”56

“Well I am mentally tired.”57

“You sound like mentally disturbed to me,” 58

“Your no gentleman, I already know that, you needn’t show it to me,” She said haughtily. 59

Orlando tried approaching one merchant, after another. No one was ready to go there.60

“It haunted,” ” that place is cursed,” “that place is unlucky for those who dwell in it.” Orlando and Andrea heard different variations of this from everyone.61

Finally Orlando was able to make a deal. It was an old man in terrible condition but with a beautiful board62

It was large wooden fishing boat. Susanne Sea Queen was the boat’s name.63

“Come in sir, come in my lady.” Said the old man helping Andrea climb the deck, as his hand touched Andrea’s Orlando felt annoyed for a reason that he couldn’t explain to himself.64

But to his delight he let it go just as quickly as he had gotten a hold of it.65

“And how much did this ship cost?” Andrea directed his question to Orlando, but it was the old man that answered.66

“Two thousand Ducats,”67

Andrea was dumbfounded. “Two thousand Ducats! How are you going to afford that?”68

“My father left me a small fortune and then I took all my life saving from Mr. Gromit,” 69

“You spent all your life’s saving on this!”70

“Yes because this is my life.” He said with a smile,71

Andrea didn’t know how best to reply to this. He was so madly in love with her that he was ready to gamble on everything. No, no! He doesn’t love her, he just think he does. In reality he’s just infatuated towards her. She tried very hard to convince herself. The ship started to move, gaining speed.72

She looked at Orlando. Wasn’t she also gambling everything for this man and she has known him for ages now, she always knew she loved him. This is true love she said to herself.73

Suddenly she lost all thought of what was going on and what she was thinking. She started to stare at him with blank expressions.74

She studied his features. His small short black hair, his rigid face and……….75

Without realizing what she was doing she slid of the deck into the ocean with a might splash,76

“What the… Andrea!” Screamed Orlando,77

“Stop screaming and get me out of here!” She yelled on top of her lungs!78

“I can’t swim!” She added79

“Stop the ship! Stop the ship!” Shouted Orlando,80

One of the sailors heard him and immediately went down to stop the ship.81

All the sailors and the old man gathered around the deck, watching Andrea with blank expressions. Apparently they were hoping that some how Andrea would magically come out of the ocean and back on the ship. 82

Without giving much thought to it, Orlando jumped into the ocean after her. 83

He grabbed her and tried to swim back towards the ship but the currents were to strong, about that time the old man came to retrieve them in a small fishing boat and soon they were back at the deck. 84

Orlando was pretty angry at Andrea’s carelessness but she didn’t mind it the slightest because she considered it to be a part of his love.85

The next seven passed very quickly for Andrea who was considering any moment she didn’t confess her love as moment wasted. The Sailors and the Old man whose name was Aloq were planning how they would spend their share from the 2000 Ducats they received. Meanwhile Orlando didn’t spare anyone much thought, he would spend most of his time mediating lost in thought her thoughts.86

Then at the seventh night, there was a huge shout from the crow nest.87

“Land!”88

Everyone rushed to catch a glimpse of it89

“That’s Maggot Island for sure, we will get there in a couple of hours,” Said Aloq looking through the binoculars.90

Time was running out for Andrea, she had to tell him now or she will never have the chance. Andrea planned on how she was going to tell him that she loved him, though she didn’t had much time to practice. I took them about half a day to get there but Andrea had never knew that time could pass so quickly91

When they finally halted, finding the courage Andrea cornered him.92

“I have to talk to you.”93

“Talk to me about what?”94

“I wanted to say that…that I…that I wanted to say…. that…. that.”95

But when words failed her, she got closer to him, without thinking, without planning it she kissed him.96

After they broke apart, Orlando was looking at her, Flabbergasted.97

“I love you Orlando, I loved you from the moment I saw you, I love you more than anything in this world,”98

For sometime Orlando didn’t reply.99

“Andrea, you’re a very nice girl and I like you very much but I could never love you because I love her. She has waited for me, for centuries now. I need to be with her. I belong to her and her alone,”100

“Then what about me?” She said through her tears, “Am I nothing?”101

“You’re a friend, a valued friend.”102

“Just a friend?”103

“Yes, just a friend.”104

With that he removed her hand from his shoulder and went towards the direction of Castle Maggot.105

He reached there quite quick but it seem to him that the road was never ending and each second was greater that millions of years, she had waited so long for him!106

When reached there, he could hardly see anything. Then suddenly a light came stretching a path in the dark.107

There was the Great Castle Maggot right in front of him; troches were lit all around it. It was made of white sandstone. It didn’t look like that it hasn’t been used for years but it gave the look as if the great Kings still dwelled in it.108

He enter it was as him something was navigating his path, he reached her quite quick109

It was the lady in white, right before him. All thoughts of Andrea left his mind. He was here with his eternal love.110

“You came.” She said.111

“Yes my lady, I came for you crossing the ocean leaving everything behind. I came for you.”112

“Do you remember?”113

“Remember what my lady?”114

“What you did to me?” There was some harshness is her voice which scared him.115

“I don’t know what you’re talking about my lady,” he said talking some steps back,116

“Let me show you.”117

Suddenly Orlando felt the earth under his feet moving and he was going into hollowness. He landed on hard ground, where was he? He didn’t know, suddenly he saw it. It was her, lady in white, she looked the same as she did now but she didn’t notice him there.118

There was another guy, black with broad shoulder. There were covered in sweat, it looked that had been running for hours. The black man closed the door and locked it. I was a small adobe.119

“You need to get out here, I have a backdoor,” He said.120

“I won’t leave you.” Said The Lady in White through her tears,121

“Please listen to….”122

Suddenly there was a tremendous knock at the door. Orlando was surprised to see that it was he that came through the gate or whoever he was he looked same as Orlando.123

“Get him.” He ordered the guards around him. Immediately they grabbed the boy and then right in front of the girl’s eyes they cut his head separating from the rest of his body.124

“Ankara, I can’t allow my mistress to run of with slaves now, Can I?” Orlando said to the lady, with the deft move she took out a knife from one of the guard’s waist and brandished it in the air towards Orlando.125

“You can’t kill me, Ankara! Resistance is futile, I will have you one way or the other,” Said Orlando.126

“Yes, Count Lwelight, I cannot kill but you will never have me .”127

Orlando and Count Lewlight watched as she stabbed herself in the stomach, the count rushed to catch her,128

“What a waste?” he said it disgust.129

While dying, Ankara grabbed his face, trying somehow to take his life as well.130

Suddenly Orlando started to shake voliently, he was back in the castle, back to the present.131

“I came back, but not to find love, I came back for you Count! You ruined me, I defied God! To get you I made pact with the devil.”132

Then Orlando saw the lady in white as she turned from a beauty into a hell spawn of terrible appearance. Her white skin turned coal black and her hair in to snakes.133

Orlando let out a loud scream.134

Andrea was still wiping her tears sitting outside the castle when she heard his scream. Without wasting a second she rushed toward the castle to find a Medusa like creature on top of a life less body of Orlando.135

Seeing her Medusa let out poison from of the snake on her head, Andrea was only able to escape from it by hiding behind the pillar.136

“Quick! Smash the orb!” Someone yelled from behind. Aloq had just entered the scene.137

Medusa let out more poison it caught Aloq in the face. He fell down, dead.138

Now Andrea knew what she had to do. Smash the orb. But what orb?139

Suddenly her eyes fell on a crystal ball, near the wall. Surely that must be the orb. She ran for it, seeing this, the medusa let out a horrible scream. Andrea covered her ears trashing in pain, blood started to come out of her mouth and nose. She wouldn’t be able to get to it, they will both die together.140

Then the medusa abruptly stopped. Andrea scanned the room to find out what had happened. There was Orlando on his feet and around him were shards of glass. He had smashed the orb.141

Light came out the medusa’s body and she screamed one last time then she disappeared. Orlando fell on the floor again, unconscious.142

He woke up later, to find himself back on the ship. He saw there were black sails on the ship143

“Who died?” Orlando asked one of the sailors.144

“Captain,” he replied grimly145

“Where’s Andrea?146

“She’s not here.”147

“Then where she is?”148

“We dropped her somewhere she asked not to tell you where we dropped her but she left this for you.” He said giving him an envelope.149

Orlando opened it to find a letter inside.150

He read it,151

Dear Orlando,152

I am going, off to follow my dreams. The only thing that kept me to that Blacksmith’s job was you. But now that I know that you don’t love me there no use staying there. I still love you, but you don’t love me, its fine. We all have our choices and I discovered that I couldn’t force you to love me. Now you might think that you made a mistake in choosing, that you love me. You don’t Orlando, and one day you will discover that you don’t. You’re just infatuated towards my love for you, like you were infatuated toward lady in the white’s beauty, you are stupid Orlando. May be someday I will come back to meet you. I have only one request never forget me.153

Yours forever, Andrea154

Orlando read it again; a tear came in his eye. He wiped it then he smiled because life goes on.155