A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories, #3)(63)

When they got to the middle of the bridge they looked out and saw Neuschwanstein Castle in its entirety for the first time.

“Oh my gosh,” Bree gasped, and put her hands over her mouth.

“I can’t… I can’t… I c-c-can’t believe I’m seeing this right now,” Conner stuttered.

It was easy to believe Neuschwanstein Castle was referred to as one of the wonders of Europe. It was a massive white structure with thousands of windows, dozens of tall towers, pointed roofs, and sharp spirals the color of the night sky. The castle sat on a stone base surrounded by trees at the peak of the hill, which made it look like it was growing out of the mountainside.

Conner had seen many impressive structures in the Land of Stories but never in his own world. Neuschwanstein Castle had been built brick by brick with the hands of man, using no magic whatsoever.

“I would say this is amazing but that would be an understatement,” he said.

“You’re right, there really are no words,” Bree said. “It’s funny that we’re the only ones who know there’s a portal into the fairy-tale world inside—you would think it’s obvious.”

Conner couldn’t agree more. The luscious green mountains surrounding it, the clear lakes reflecting the thick gray clouds in the sky, and the small villages miles into the horizon made him feel like he was looking at something otherworldly. It was as if a piece of the fairy-tale world had penetrated through the seam of the Otherworld and had been named Bavaria.

The few short hours they waited for Emmerich to arrive went by quickly as they took in the sights around them. Night had fallen over the German countryside and the tourists slowly disappeared until Conner and Bree were the last ones on the bridge. They saw a small light in the trees and soon Emmerich emerged, walking toward them with a flashlight in his hand.

“Guten Abend,” Emmerich said. “Are you ready to explore the castle?”

Emmerich led them to a path that crisscrossed down the hillside to an observation deck near the waterfall. They crawled over the railing of the deck and then followed the stream all the way down to the bottom of the hill the castle was perched on.

“Careful, don’t get your shoes wet,” Emmerich warned them. The closer they got to the hill, the farther the stream flowed into the land beside it, like an overflowing bathtub.

The bridge, the castle, and the mountains disappeared from view behind the thick trees that surrounded the base of the hill. Built into the side of the hill, disguised by a layer of dirt and rocks, was a round door. Emmerich felt around for its steel handle and then heaved the door open.

“This way,” Emmerich said happily.

Conner and Bree crawled through the door after him and into a long stone tunnel. The tunnel twisted and turned for what felt like miles under the castle. Without Emmerich’s flashlight, it would have been pitch-black. Eventually the three arrived at the end of the tunnel and Emmerich pushed through another circular door and into the small storage room of a gift shop.

“This used to be the servants’ quarters,” Emmerich said. “Now stay close behind me, I just have to go punch in the code before the alarm goes off.”

They went past the gift shop and into a hall dedicated to the history of the castle’s construction and design. A large replica of the castle sat in the middle of the hall and the walls were covered with photos of the castle being built and illustrations of its early concept art.

Emmerich found a keypad behind one of the photos and typed in a long code. A green light blinked when he was finished.

“Neuschwanstein is ours!” Emmerich said.

“All right, Emmerich, take us on a tour,” Conner said. “We want to see everything.”

Emmerich marched them down the hall and up a spiral staircase, and the lavishness of the castle began. The circular walls around the staircase were covered in wallpaper patterned with dragons and symbols they didn’t recognize.

“This place gives me the creeps,” Conner said.

“Me too,” Bree said. “I love it!”

“A lot of people think it’s haunted,” Emmerich said. “Many visitors have claimed to see ghosts moving past the windows at night or hear sounds coming from inside when it’s completely empty.”

Conner gulped and Bree grinned. At the top of the stairs they passed a statue of a dragon standing like an overgrown watchdog guarding the hallway.

“I’ll show you the throne room first,” Emmerich said, and guided them down the hallway.

Every inch of the hallway was decorated in wallpaper of diamond, checkered, or floral design. Pillars with animal carvings sat in the arches of the windows and each window was lined with gold. The colors may have faded over the years, but the castle remained a spectacle even more than a century later.

Emmerich escorted them through an open doorway and into the throne room. It had a towering domed ceiling. A gigantic chandelier hung from the ceiling and was rimmed with hundreds of wax candles. The walls were covered in beautiful paintings of mythological and religious figures. Every species of the animal kingdom appeared in the mosaic floor as if the circle of life was right under their feet.

Colorful arches and pillars surrounded the throne room. Balconies wrapped around the top of the room, facing a high platform under a large mural of Jesus Christ. The platform was the perfect place for a throne, but it was empty.