The Phantom wailed and whined blowing freezing wind everywhere, permeating my room, my skin, choking the life out of me. It followed me everywhere, never shutting up, distracting me, destroying me.

No one else saw the wraith, not my family, not my friends, not the wizards, witches, or warlocks. No one saw it but me. No one felt it but me. And no one ever heard it but me. It frightened me but I couldn't tell anyone or they'd say I was mad. They all looked at me funny anyway.

The Phantom whirled faster and faster. The mist tightened around my neck, choking me. I recoiled into a corner, pulling as far away from the Shade as I could, whimpering all the while.

"M'lady Karyn?" a voice called. The Phantom whirled ever faster, closer and closer to me. Its maniacal laughter filled my ears. "M'lady Karyn, are you in there?" I stared in terror as the Specter came still closer. The door creaked open.

"Princess, learn to answer to your elders," a woman said querulously. "Your lady Mother bids that you attend her at once. Lady Karyn, are you listening to me?"

She stood in front of me, the Phantom hovering over her head. Its mist did not touch her, even though It looked upon her in hatred. I looked at her, trying to focus on her and not the wild wraith. Mother's maid Helene stood there tapping her foot impatiently.

"Mother wants me?"

"Yes, M'lady, immediately. You aren't even dressed properly, Lady Karyn. Whatever is wrong with you?" I remained silent my eyes drifting up to my unwelcome companion. Helene swung around and went to the closet. "Sapphire, I think," she muttered pulling out a long satin gown, "and a white undertunic. Come here, My Lady."

I approached her slowly, staying close to the wall, staying as far from the Phantom as I could. "Hurry up M'lady. Your mother is waiting." Impatiently Helene stalked over to me and jerked the simple bliaut that I was wearing off. And just as swiftly slipped on the tunic and gown. "Button yourself up, please."

Helene rushed across the room and grabbed the matching blue slippers, my hairbrush, and a white hair ribbon. She thrust the slippers at me, and after I stepped into them, she turned me around so that I faced the wall, and the gibbering, screaming Revenant.

She began to briskly brush my hair. I whimpered as the Phantom reached for my throat.

"Don't whine M'lady, I hardly pulled your hair," Helene snapped. She was not being gentle but I scarcely noticed. She tied my hair back in a tail with the ribbon. "You'll do," she sniffed, "barely."

Helene dragged me from the wall and across the room. The Phantom cried out gleefully and darted after us.

The halls were crowded but all the people parted like the Shalil Sea and dropped into deep bows and curtsies. The court wizard, Zarnin, approached and the Phantom hissed balefully, its hands flexing hungrily.

"Princess," Zarnin said, "you are looking well." I did not answer. Instead I watched the Phantom warily. Its mist was floating wildly everywhere as It seethed in anger.

"All give way before Prince Kyvron," a voice bellowed. Helene jerked me out of the way of my brothers guards, and straight into the wraith's transparent body. My breath choked off and I began to fall. Zarnin caught me and made it look as if I'd just been curtsying to my younger brother, the Crown Prince. I still could not breathe and Zarnin's spell infuriated the Spirit.

"Helene," Kyvron's petulant, spoiled voice rang out, "why are you not with my Lady Mother, the Queen, your mistress?"

"Her Majesty has sent for your Lady Sister, the Princess Karyn."

He snorted. "Walk on, guards." The Phantom glared and cried out in frustration as my brother walked off ignoring me. It howled for reparation ending in a wordless shriek. The scent of madness and of rotting flesh roiled from Its incorporeal body.

Again Helene pulled me across the castle to my Mother's apartments. Zarnin accompanied us. I did not know why, nor did I really care.

Cold hands trailed over my shoulders. "You will pay. You'll all pay," the voice hissed as it always did. What did It want us to pay for? Why did It haunt me? It never said. It was as mad as some people in the palace said I was.

We left Zarnin outside the door. Helene jerked me into Mother's apartments and sank to the floor pulling me with her.

"Helene, what took you so long?" Mother whined, sounding very much like Kyvron. "You left ages ago and I need my fan and they've been bringing me the wrong ones. And they are simply incapable of bringing proper food and drink, and then they don't serve it properly. Have them whipped, immediately. Have yourself whipped too, for not training them properly. Where have you been?"

"My apologies, My Queen. I have been getting your daughter, the Princess Karyn. She was not in a fit state to approach Your Majesty's most august presence. I had to make her presentable. Would Your Majesty care for me to fetch the correct fan and suitable food and drink before the whipping?"

"Yes, do that. And I want the whipping done in here."

"Of course Your Majesty."

"You may go." Helene rose from the floor and scurried to do Mother's bidding. "Karyn, approach." I rose, pulled away from the Phantom, and approached Mother's throne. She languidly held out one pale hand for me to kiss. I carefully avoided Mother's voluminous skirts. I sank back into the curtsy and kissed her hand.

The Phantom howled in anger and thrashed reaching for her. A murderous wave of emotion poured from It. I trembled and it swung on me reaching out, a deadly cold pouring over me. The Wraith stopped as if it recognized something. It began to laugh insanely. "It's not time yet," The Phantom bowed mockingly to Mother and glared upon her in hatred. Then, for no reason at all that I could see, and to my shock, my tormentor smiled knowingly and vanished.

"Why were you not dressed and ready to attend upon me, you worthless chit?!" Mother said icily, angrily, in the tone that has always led to my being punished, ever since Kyvron was born ten years ago, when I was seven.

"I did not know that you wanted me so early, Your Majesty," I said hesitantly.

"Early. Did I hear you say early, you ungrateful creature? I gave you life. You should wait upon me at all times. You should bring my food and drink, you should taste it to see that I do not get poisoned. But no, you are an ungrateful thing who abuses her position as Princess of the land." I could see that Mother had had to much to drink last night, she was in mild form. Her ravings were usually much worse, more evil. "Helene!"

"My Queen."

"Karyn is to be punished immediately."

"Yes, My Queen." Helene left the room again and Mother continued to rave. I prepared myself for another vicious beating. Anger and despair flowed through my veins, suffocating me. Never had they accepted me for who I was. They were furious that I was not a boy, that I was never feminine enough, never beautiful enough for them to feel I was worth anything. They swore I would never catch a good husband. Then Kyvron was born. I became excess, worse than the worthless thing Mother and Father had always sworn I was. Before Kyvron was born they had kept the frequent punishments they gave me light, so that I would be able to catch a good husband. After Kyvron's birth it didn't matter anymore. There were far too many princesses in the world for me to ever catch one and get married. Besides I was not worthy enough to marry anyone.

Zarnin knocked on the door and at Mother's command he entered and bowed. "Your Majesty. His Royal Majesty the King has asked me to give his regards to you and to inform you that the King of Atralan has offered the hand of his daughter to Crown Prince Kyvron." Mother smiled.

"How very suitable," she breathed. "Please stay, Zarnin." Mother said as he was about to bow his way out. "Karyn needs to be punished, and I'd like you to augment her whipping with your pain spell."

"Of course, My Queen." Zarnin smiled viciously and finally revealed without a doubt that he is a practitioner of the Black Arts that are given no name. The whipping man entered carrying a leather whip with metal studs in it.

"Strip Karyn," Mother ordered. I did as she said. I could do it myself or have it done for me and have the punishment made worse.

Afterwards, I went back to my room, blood making my clothes stick to my back, my skin hanging in shreds under it. The pain was beyond describing. And I knew the Phantom was wrong. It was past time. I shut the bed chamber door behind me.

Despair flowed through my veins like ice and I began to cry. Things were only going to get worse and I knew it. Life had been horrible from the start with all of the abuse I suffered. There had been nothing wonderful in it for me as there had been for the servants. And I had never felt any joy in it as I had seen other people do. I could not take it anymore. I looked around my room and smiled through my tears when I saw the bed hangings. I walked over to the small writing desk on the wall across from the bed. I picked up the pen and wrote one sentence.

"I can't take this anymore, and I'm not going to."

I unhooked the bed hangings and strung them from the chandelier suspended on the arched ceiling of my room. I hanged myself.

A new maid named Marlene found me. I am sorry about that for she has never gotten over it.

I watch myself as I was. Terrified of what I was to become, what I am now, a Phantom, a Revenant. I watch myself through a time portal, a mirror of what I was when I was a mortal, when I had gone slightly mad. My death had heightened that madness. But now my mind has cleared and I must plan my revenge. I will have vengeance against my family and those who helped them. No one is ever going to be hurt as I was in this castle again. Therefore, I warn you. Beware of me. Beware of the Revenant of Castle Karynkanalan.

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