Chapter 2

As they got closer to the castle, Kaida and Drake noticed a couple things that were actually different about the castle for what they could remember. The Gate was actually rusted and stuck half way up; which you could actually see the rust that was caused by the weather. The car stopped in front of the steps to the castle, and Kaida could almost picture the young King walking down the steps towards them, and all the fear that she had felt.

Drake had noticed the weird look in his loves eyes and ran his fingers through her hair. Kaida looked back at him, and she smiled to him, and gave him a quick hug. Drake gladly returned the hug, holding her tight for a second. They were instructed to stay in the court yard, while they went and got the current own, or caretaker of the castle. They were welcome to look around if they wished.

When the people went into the castle, Kaida, couldn't help, but head back to the castle Gates. Getting there, she could see a lot of cracks in the white washed brick, as well as a couple deserted birds' nests in a couple of the slits in the walls where archers would take their play and fire. Kaida could never remember the names of the parts of the castle, but she knew most of what they were used for.

Kaida stood under the solid rock that made up of the Castle Walls. The First Gate was stuck half way up, the chains too rusted to make it move. There was a second Gate, and it was stuck all the way up. She could actually picture the war from here. Both Gates closed and barricaded. The enemy soldiers stuck here, and the Knights of the realm she came to know, spilling some unknown blistering hot liquid on top of them. The painful screams that would follow the burns… Kaida shook her head. Her imagination was never that vivid. She didn't know the sound of screams caused by that. Was that all in her head, or was it the ghosts of the past?

"Kai, are you alright?" came Drake's voice from behind her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kaida answered, walking over to him.

"Are you sure?" Drake asked, as she got to him. "I mean, you look kind of pale suddenly."

"I swear, I'll be fine," Kaida answered, smiling up at him. "Maybe I just need to eat something."
"Well, if you're hungry," A strange female voice sounded from behind Drake. "I'll have lunch ready in no time!"

Drake and Kaida turned around, to look at the woman. She looked about middle aged, with graying hair. She was a little taller than Kaida, standing about five feet and nine inches. Her smile was warm and welcoming.

"That sounds great," Drake replied walking over to the woman, Kaida right beside him. "I'm that contest winner."
"Oh, great!" The woman exclaimed, smiling even brighter "So, you're Drake huh? And who's this lovely lady?"
"Kaida, it's nice to meet you… um…," Kaida trailed off a little.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my names Gesine," she answered, taking and shaking Kaida's hand. "I know it's not from this area, but my father was of that nationality."

"It's nice to meet you Gesine," Kaida and Drake said together, smiling.

"And it's great to meet you two!" Gesine exclaimed again. It seemed this woman was very busy, and loud. "Now, come along, and let's feed you two!" Gesine turned around and walked quickly back towards the doors.

"Drake," Kaida spoke just above a whisper

"What is it? Are you not feeling well?" Drake asked, moving to stand in front of her.

"No, I feel fine," Kaida answered, shaking her head a little. "But Gesine, she seems very familiar to me."
"So you felt it too huh?" Drake asked and Kaida nodded. "Who do you think she might've been related too?"

"I don't know, I don't think it was Adeline. She looks like someone we've seen before, that's all I know."

"Don't worry about it though, alright?" Drake suggested, rubbing Kaida's cheeks, and she nodded.

They followed Gesine, into the castle, and though Kaida knew her way around, she acted like she didn't know. Drake had really only seen the outside of the castle, being the size that he had been. Gesine, showed them to their room, and it had been the same one that Kaida had used when Vasska had brought her there.

"Nice Room!" Drake yelled after Gesine left after saying, that she'd come and get them when lunch was ready.

"It was! Though imagine using a bed-pan instead of a bathroom?" Kaida pointed out, opening a door revealing a big bathroom with a tub, separate shower and thankfully a toilet. Which she started to laugh at the horrified look on Drake's face, when she looked back at him. For someone who was a Dragon in a past live, they sure became modernized very quickly. "It really wasn't all that bad, really!"

"I'm glad you think so," Drake retorted. "I couldn't imagine doing that."
"Well, in some places they still only have a hole in the floor and they have to squat over the hole." Kaida informed the past Dragon, with a small shrug. "So I think a bed-pan was pretty luchsueouse at that time."

"You're well versed in how things worked in the past hm?" Gesine's voice rang out, from the door.

"We're doing some of that in my History Class at the collage I was going too," Kaida smiled a little sheepishly.

"Ah, going to be a History Major are we?" Gesine asked, with a wink.

"I'm not too sure, just yet actually," Kaida answered with a small shrug. "I just like ancient History and I wanted to get into something to do with it."
"Well, it's a very good thing to get into," Gesine answered with a smile. "History is very important, but you'll find something you'll like sooner or later. Anyway! Lunch is ready, when you are."

"Okay, we'll be right there," Drake answered, waving to her as she left.

A couple minutes later, Kaida and Drake were heading towards the dinning room. Everything was still the same. The tapestries were still there, even though they were old, faded and looking like they were about to fall apart.

On the way to the Dinning Hall Kaida realized that the feeling of the Castle hadn't changed that much either. It still felt cold, but it was a little more inviting now that many of the torches had been replaced by actual working lights. Also Gesine seemed like a really caring woman, and it was probably her warm and friendly heart that had seeped into the castle

When they finally got to their destination, Gesine was waiting for them, outside the room. She then opened the door for them and they all walked inside,

The Dinning Room had changed a lot since kaida had seen it. For one it was actually clean, and didn't have food and other things on the floor. There was also a big red carpet that was set under the stable. The table was still in the middle of the room, but it looked… newer?

"This is a replica, of the original that once stood here," Gesine said, as she sat down Kaida and Drake sat down beside her.

The table was still huge. Though when Kaida last seen it, it wasn't so empty. On the table was a tray of finger sandwiches, and a large pot of soup. Gesine explained that her usual server was of sick and the Cook had just brought it out, so he didn't have to serve them. Lunch was eaten mostly in silence, except for a couple questions that Gesine would ask.

The Sandwiches comprised of white and brown breads, with all kinds of different fillings. Like cheese and butter. Sometimes, ham, salmon, or tuna. Others just had cucumber. The soup was a chunky vegetable soup, with seashell pasta. To drink there was what seemed like a carbonated drink that tasted fruity. It wasn't soda pop. Thought it reminded the couple of more like a Wine Cooler that you could buy at the local Grocery Store.

After lunch, Kaida and Drake were given permission to walk around the Castle, and they were given a map, so they wouldn't get lost.

The Castle was huge, and all the corridors with the twists and turns would disorient anyone, but since the couple had a map, it really wasn't all that hard to navigate. The stone work of the castle on the inside had been very well, kept. There were no signs of cracking anywhere. There were no holes and the carpets where clean. Though some things were rather dusty, but it had to be hard to keep a place this size spotlessly clean.

Most of the rooms were literally empty, or locked tight. Drake and Kaida walked through the Castle until supper, when a servant was sent to look for them

When the got back to the Dinning Room, Gesine was already sitting at the table, but someone new was with her.

"Oh good!" Gesine smiled at them. "You managed to find your way back. Here I'd like to introduce you to my son.

The young man turned around and Kaida's heart stopped. She clutched Drake's hand tightly.

Staring back at them, smiling were those same chocolate brown eyes that had hypnotized Kaida, not that long ago.

"Kaida, Drake," Gesine said, still smiling. "This is my son Vasska. Vasska, this is the contest winner and his lovely friend."

Vasska, stood up. He shook Drake's hand, and kissed the back of Kaida's "it's good to meet you…"