Chapter 19: The Ancient Guardian

As the light faded, the four of them found themselves standing in a large, dimly lit chamber. The room was filled with rows of ancient stone pedestals, each one topped with a large, leather-bound book.

But it was what stood at the far end of the room that caught their attention. A massive, stone statue of an ancient warrior towered over them, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy.

"Whoa," Antorn breathed. "What is that?"

Lady Victoria's eyes were locked onto the statue. "That is the ancient guardian of the castle's secrets," she said. "It has been charged with protecting the knowledge contained within these walls for centuries."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "And what does it want from us?" he asked.

The statue spoke in a voice that was both ancient and timeless. "You have disturbed the balance of the castle's secrets," it said. "You must now prove your worth to access the knowledge contained within these walls."

Gedeon's face was set in a determined expression. "We're not afraid of a challenge," he said. "What do we need to do?"

The statue regarded them for a moment before speaking. "You must answer three riddles," it said. "Each riddle will test your wisdom, courage, and wits. If you succeed, the knowledge of the castle will be yours to claim. But if you fail, you will never leave this place alive."

Antorn gulped. "That's a pretty steep penalty," he said.

But Arthur was undaunted. "We're not going to back down now," he said. "We'll answer the riddles and claim the knowledge of the castle."

Lady Victoria smiled. "I knew I could count on you, princes," she said.

And with that, the ancient guardian presented them with the first riddle.

"What can be broken, but never held?" it asked. "What can be given, but never sold?"

The four of them thought deeply, trying to come up with an answer. But it wasn't until Arthur had a sudden flash of insight that they realized the answer.

"The answer is a promise," Arthur said confidently.

The ancient guardian regarded them for a moment before nodding its head. "You are correct, Prince Arthur," it said. "A promise is indeed something that can be broken, but never held. And it is something that can be given, but never sold. Well done."

The four of them breathed a sigh of relief as the ancient guardian presented them with the second riddle.

"What is it that is always coming but never arrives?" it asked.

This time, it was Gedeon who came up with the answer.

"The answer is tomorrow," Antorn said confidently.

The ancient guardian nodded its head again. "You are correct, Prince Gedeon ," it said. "Tomorrow is indeed always coming, but never actually arrives. Well done."

The four of them were feeling more confident now, but they knew that the third riddle would be the most challenging of all.

And they were right.

The ancient guardian presented them with the final riddle.

"What is it that is blind, yet sees?" it asked. "What is it that is silent, yet speaks?"

The four of them thought deeply, trying to come up with an answer. But no matter how hard they thought, they couldn't seem to come up with a solution.

It wasn't until Lady Victoria spoke up that they realized the answer.

"The answer is the heart," Lady Victoria said confidently. "The heart is blind, yet it sees the truth. And it is silent, yet it speaks the language of love."

The ancient guardian regarded them for a moment before nodding its head. "You are correct, Lady Victoria," it said. "The heart is indeed blind, yet it sees. And it is silent, yet it speaks. Well done."

The four of them cheered as the ancient guardian stepped aside, revealing a hidden door behind it.

"The knowledge of the castle is yours to claim," the ancient guardian said. "But remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Use the knowledge wisely."

And with that, the four of them stepped through the hidden door, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.