The Curse of the Lost Forest

By Catherine Santa Gadd

What would you do if your eighteenth birthday turns into an adventure beyond your wildest imagination ? In the far-off Kingdom of the Orchids, Princess Callista is waking up on the morning of her birthday. She has no idea that before the day is done she will be swept away on an unexpected journey to the Lost Forest where danger and magic lurks around every corner and where she will ultimately come face to face with an age-old curse. She will have to choose between love and loyalty as she tries to find out what secret a mysterious witch is hiding.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781626758575

Book preview

9781626758575

Part One

A long time ago, in a land far beyond the furthest ice-capped mountains, royal families and other aspiring folk ruled their dominions. Often times, they were assisted in their very important duties by spellcasters and witches, whom, unbeknownst to the rulers, sometimes wielded their own selfish control over the kingdoms with their spells, secret potions and ointments. In this land, there was a vast overgrown region with huge trees, thick underbrush and foreboding places known as The Lost Forest. It was on the eastern edge of this forest where the Gomgon tribes settled and precious little was known of their origins or their traditions except that they were a crude and violent people. Their dwellings and villages were scattered amongst the hills in a haphazard way, which reflected their way of life. The Gomgons disliked the Kingdom of the Orchids, which lay just to the north of The Lost Forest. They had bustling markets where all sorts of fresh fruit, flowers and other goods were enthusiastically traded. The people loved their King Qunar for he was a good and kind ruler. Deep in the forest to the south was the mysterious Kingdom of the Lost Forest where, it was believed, a frightful curse engulfed the entire kingdom.

The beautiful old palace was halfway up the Mountain of Dreams, its white roofed towers rose high in the sky and massive redwood trees surrounded it, shielding the colourful garden from bright sunlight in the mornings and afternoons. Green lawns covered most of the grounds and the cheerful sound of bubbling waters came from several small streams and waterfalls flowing down the mountain. Potted flowers and ferns adorned the many terraces. The birds happily twittered and a wholesome peace lay on the Kingdom of the Orchids.

A large variety of birds and small animals came there to enjoy the tranquil surroundings. Princess Callista took it upon herself to care for the animals at a young age. She made sure she fed them daily and proclaimed herself their protector. She had long talks with the animals, imagining that there was a mutual understanding and she enjoyed cantering through the woods on horseback for hours on end.

Her father warned her, though, not to venture too far from the palace. He explained to her that there were wicked people who would abduct her and take her far from their kingdom. The only one who dared to see what was going on beyond the mountain was her brother Edwin. He used to spend hours on end just sitting on the rocks near the peak with his spyglass and observing the world on the other side. Then he would tell his sister thrilling stories that made icy chills run down her spine. That was before he set off on an adventure many months ago and he has not been seen since.

The morning of the l8th birthday of the princess broke with delightfully bright sunshine that shone through the big windows and painted her bedroom in rich, golden hues. She woke up, stretched her arms, then jumped out of bed and ran to the window. Her hair tumbled down her back and her big brown eyes shone with anticipation. She welcomed the beautiful day with outstretched arms and a song in her heart.

She was so afraid that the weather might spoil that wonderful day, but there was not a cloud in the blue sky. A servant entered her chambers with her breakfast, but the princess was so excited she could not eat. She danced around in the room and her lady-in-waiting found it difficult to help her get dressed. With another look at the stunning green, birthday gown made of the most luxurious, exotic silk, she ran out of the room in search of her beloved parents.

As she ran down the stairs, the fragrance of the different flowers that decorated the long corridors was almost overwhelming. From time to time, she took a moment to stop and look at the beautiful flowers and inhaled deeply. Then she took a bunch of violets and put it unceremoniously under the band in her hair. She could not help but wonder if anyone ever thought of putting the floral fragrance in a bottle and seal it, only to open it on very special occasions.

Callista ran out a door and into the bright sunlight, which enveloped her like a soft, warm blanket. For a moment, she shielded her eyes wondering where her parents could possibly be.

The bells of the little chapel next to one of the waterfalls started chiming and she knew that was where her parents were. Once a day they visited the chapel for their daily prayers, where sometimes the palace staff joined them.

Early sunlight danced around in the falling water and the dew on the green leaves was glimmering.

A smile lit up her face as she walked up the old cobblestone path to the church, partially concealed behind trees. A small forest antelope was watching her as she approached. The animal stood perfectly still as she lightly touched its head and then it curiously watched as she bounced up the stairs to the door of the chapel.

Inside she found her parents sitting on a bench. The smell of old wood, mingled with the sweet scent of fresh roses, filled the air. To her astonishment, her brother Edward was sitting with them.

For the princess, it was a wonderful surprise to see her brother after such a long time. He must have arrived sometime during the night. He stood up and picked her up in his arms. His tall frame engulfed her completely. His dark hair was long and unkempt and his grey eyes laughed down at her. She embraced him lovingly and then sat down beside him. She wanted to know all the news at once. It seems to her that she and her family talked for hours on end.

The palace was abuzz with activity and excitement. People were working hard to get everything ready before the guests arrived. In the dining room, the finest linen cloths covered the tables and heavy blue velvet curtains kept the sunlight out. Rooms were prepared for the guests and mouth-watering aromas drifted from the kitchen.

The princess and her family were on their way back to the palace when the first guests started arriving. It sounded like an old waltz as the horses’ hooves ticked out music on the cobble stones pulling the beautiful coaches that filled the main courtyard.

The women were walking around in their splendid dresses. Valets helped them from their fine coaches and into the coolness of the palace. Instead of resting before the party, most of the guests walked through the palace, enjoying the splendour of the different halls and the beauty of the age-old oil paintings decorating the walls.

The remainder of the day passed quickly with all the preparations and as the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the trees, it was finally time for the long anticipated party to start. Each one of the women wanted to be the most beautiful in the evening.

It was a magical night that seemed as though even the stars were shining brighter than usual. All the candles and lanterns in and outside the palace were alight and flickered lazily in the fresh summer breeze.

The sound of laughter and snippets of conversation drifted over the garden to the figure of a Bear Man and a huge guard dog standing in the shadows under an old oak tree. The Bear Man and his companions had waited out of sight until darkness fell for they had urgent things to attend to before they could announce their presence. He tried to look into the darkness for any movement. Why were his men taking so long? What if the palace guards had caught them and locked them up? That would be a disaster. On his own he would not be able to do what had to be done, and to return to the Kingdom of the Lost Forest without being able to complete the mission was not even an option.

Nothing could go wrong. They had planned this down to the finest detail. He knew their resident palace witch had her crooked hand in getting them invited to the birthday party of Princess Callista, but what she actually did remain a mystery. She was a character who knew everything about anything.

Again, he wondered what was delaying his four soldiers. For a moment, his attention shifted to the big dog that was sitting quietly at his