“MATTHEW told me this chapel hasn’t been used since it was blocked off years ago,” Chris explained. His hand rested on the unkempt door, its old paint chipped and peeling.
The chapel was built in the southernmost part of the castle. Located on the first floor, it stood in the most desirable of places. But, sealed shut with a large bolt, it barred entry from one and all.
“As I recall...my mother told me we ‘closed this one because we built a new chapel in the ward.’ I never thought much of it since this has been closed off for as long as I can remember,” Sonia said.
There was indeed an adorable chapel with white walls built off in a corner of the inner bailey. Back when Sonia had lived here as a child, that was where she always went to pray.
“According to Matthew, your grandfather was the one who blocked this chapel off. Apparently he did it right after the priest who held services here passed away.”
“Why would he do that?” Sonia asked, tilting her head in surprise. Normally the death of a priest didn’t warrant building a completely new chapel.
“Would you mind if I opened the door? I’d like to look inside.”
Sonia nodded to indicate she didn’t mind. In reality, she herself had never been inside of this chapel. Back when she was still little, she and her brothers had once gotten caught before they could go in for one of their make-believe adventures. The scolding she had received from her parents was so harsh it crushed any further interest in venturing inside; her mother had wept bitterly and her father had flown into a fury as he chastised them.
As young as she was, even Sonia had picked up from the way their admonishment continued until late into the night that entering that chapel was dangerous. Thinking back on that incident, she couldn’t help but hesitate over what they were doing, despite how far they had come.
“...Do you really think this is wise? What if the ceiling is rotten and collapses on us...?”
“I’m just going to take a peek. If it looks dangerous, we won’t go in, so please don’t worry,” Chris answered as he removed the thick bolt.
CREAK... The door opened with a rusty cry. Only stepping partway in, Chris scanned the interior with sharp eyes. He proceeded to push open one of the double doors. With the bar he had just removed, he propped the door open to keep it from closing behind him.
“About the only thing I can say for sure at the moment is that it’s musty.”
“May I come in...?” Sonia asked.
“Give me a second,” Chris said. He proceeded to enter alone to look around. A look of concern came over Sonia’s face as she watched him from a distance. “It should be safe, but watch your step.”
Chris came back to offer Sonia a hand, leading her inside. As expected of a facility connected to part of the castle, it was spacious with high, vaulted ceilings. The stained glass decorating the wall directly across from the entrance was transparent against the sun, making the room quite bright overall.
The chapel had been used a great deal as a ceremony hall for a variety of events. It was easy to see that great expense had gone into making the interior beautiful, since it was also a piece of the castle belonging to the highly influential Clare family.
So why did my family abandon it to build another chapel on our castle grounds? Sonia asked herself, adding to the endless list of questions. Not to mention...
It was so cold, she had wrapped her arms around herself without realizing it. Despite all of the light shining through the stained glass, it still felt oddly dim.
“Sir Chris...I don’t feel comfortable here,” she said while tightly squeezing the rosary dangling down her chest.
“Understood...” Chris must have sensed something, for the reply he gave was unusually concise.
After the two hurried out of the chapel, Chris put the bar back in place.
“Let’s keep this place barred off until an exorcist comes. This bar is pretty old, so it might be wise to have a new one made in the meantime,” he said.
“Absolutely,” she agreed. After a pause, Sonia continued, “I hope he comes soon.” Concerned, she heaved a heavy sigh.
“We’ll be at the capital in ten days or so. Why don’t you seek advice from the Pope while we’re there? I’m sure he will dispatch someone else for you,” Chris suggested.
“It’s worth a try... Why don’t we leave for the capital a little early? I imagine he’s only going to get busier the closer it gets to the birthday celebration.”
It was normal to leave well in advance whenever an engagement in the capital featured someone from the countryside. There was always the chance of running into bad weather or the possibility of getting caught in unfortunate accidents, such as encountering bandits.
Sonia made preparations to arrive at the capital five days before the birthday celebration, but an accident was waiting right around the corner.