Thronegarden

it had taken all of Gregorian’s willpower to stand by and watch as the princess was marched up to the castle like a prisoner. Ever since Gregorian’s first encounter with Damselfly at the very beginning of her journey, he had been struggling with the revelations she had brought him. The song about Death’s right-hand man had struck a chord with the gatekeeper, and he could no longer simply forget his past. So, abandoning his post, Gregorian had travelled up to the castle where he had watched with horrid fascination as Princess Damselfly was exiled. No one in the courtroom had ever suspected the sentence would be so harsh. Even Judge Vale seemed surprised at Luyna’s request for such a brutal punishment. In the aftermath, Gregorian had carried an unconscious Old Nana from the room after she fainted. Her husband, Pilgrim, had soon become a friend and the trio had arisen as unofficial leaders of the rebellion. Gregorian had been blessed and cursed with an incredible memory. He had made a deal with Death to have his worst memories taken away in exchange for a life of servitude. This had ended prematurely when the Fairy King had stolen Death’s timepiece and the old king had fled. Without a master, Gregorian had lived a quiet existence guarding Thronegarden’s gate, until Princess Damselfly had entered his life and washed away all the ignorance. Old Nana and Pilgrim loved Damselfly like a granddaughter. Even Old Nana’s name came from the princess although the nanny was no older than middle age. She had sacrificed a life with her husband to watch over Damselfly. In the fleeting moments the couple managed to spend together, there was always an unspoken realisation that they would have to part, and so Pilgrim would tell stories to avoid the dreaded silences. Old Nana would then impart these stories to her young charge and inspire Damselfly’s love of fairy tales. Gregorian realised that he owed his new enlightenment indirectly to the couple and was eager to repay his appreciation by helping with the current injustice. Everyone knew that no one returned from the Evergarden. That is why the Fairy King had been exiled there for eternity and why the residents of Thronegarden could not find a way to fight back.

This did not decrease the level of emotion that continued to weigh heavily on the castle, and tension only seemed to be growing when Luyna announced that any mention of Damselfly was prohibited. This news was met with a fresh wave of anger. How could speaking about the princess be a crime? What had she done that was so reprehensible? Pilgrim who had been retelling Damselfly’s stories from the courtroom in greater and greater detail to growing audiences was the first to fall foul of this new legislation. While speaking of Damselfly’s adventure in the Lavagarden to a group of willing listeners, Pilgrim was detained by a group of Tyten’s guards who declared the bard guilty of breaching the new proclamation. Gregorian was again helpless to defend his friend, and much of the fight went out of the residents who began to accept that Damselfly would never return.

Knowing that he could not forget even for a moment this loss, Gregorian decided with a heavy heart to leave the castle and return to his post. A feeling of defeat dragged at the gatekeeper’s heels and he kept his eyes demurely on the ground so when he finally raised them, he was astonished to discover people exiting the Garden Gate. It had been so long since anyone had arrived in Thronegarden from Fable that Gregorian was stunned. The travellers were equally astonishing in their own right. An unmistakable warrior sat astride a beautiful white horse leading the group. He was followed by a group of rough-looking fellows who were all dwarfed by an enormous beast that looked like it could eat the white horse whole. Gregorian, in his state of surprise, did not consider any danger to himself and went to greet the new arrivals.

“My name is Gregorian the gatekeeper. Welcome to Thronegarden.”

The warrior leapt down from the saddle gracefully and accepted the warm welcome. “I am Delridden. It is good to meet you.”

“What a spectacular horse,” Gregorian commented.

“Thank you,” Delridden replied. “Winter is one of a kind.”

The horse swished his pure white tail in agreement and pawed at the ground.

“These are our friends: villagers from Wintergarden, Shades from Shadowgarden and, of course, the unforgettable Peritwinkle.”

Gregorian was once again staggered by the sheer size of this monster. Although the creature showed no signs of aggression, the gatekeeper wondered what anyone could do if the Peritwinkle attacked.

“We are looking for a girl,” Delridden explained.

Suddenly, Gregorian remembered Damselfly’s stories of facing down a mighty Peritwinkle who helped save the villagers of Wintergarden from a Sprite army. He recalled the princess’s adventures in Shadowgarden and how she had stood up for the Shades against the vengeful Scorj. Then Gregorian realised that they had travelled all this way for nothing and his excitement at meeting new visitors disappeared. As if events were not strange enough, an owl began circling overhead before falling from the sky, and only Delridden’s sharp reflexes stopped the bird from crashing into the hard ground.

“I am sure there used to be a river here,” the owl squawked.

“Many years ago, there was,” Gregorian corrected.

“I do hate it when things change,” the owl spoke indignantly.

“Who are you and where did you come from?” Delridden asked.

“My name is…” The owl stopped, clicking his beak in agitation. “I am sure there used to be a river here,” he repeated.

“Perhaps he hurt himself during the fall,” Delridden ventured.

Gregorian, with his impressive memory, felt especially sympathetic towards the forgetful owl, and they were all wondering how to help the creature when further guests arrived. The latest arrivals did not emerge from the Garden Gate but walked up from the barren outer edges