Introduction
By the shores of Loch Ness, a majestic castle ruin stands, gracing a rocky outcrop. The castle, known as Urquhart, clamours to tell her tales. The past of this place with its legends of mystery and conflict has been concealed, as the bricks and centuries disappeared. For hundreds of years it has been the home of warring clans and unseen kingdoms but as we shall discover, the ruin is at last about to find peace with itself. On a sunny day, the clarity of the views looking from the castle in all directions is breathtaking, as striking mountains proudly frame the site. A path leads from the north to an arched gateway, which welcomes visitors in to explore the mysterious battlements. Looking to the west a solitary tower stands tall looking out over the furtive waters of the Ness.
All is not as it seems.
Lurking under the deep dark waters, full of peat and plankton, a shadowy creature patrols back and forth. It constantly keeps the ruin within its inner vision. Throughout the centuries, this creature has been heralded both as a monster and as a myth. From everywhere the curious flock to the shores of the Ness, in anticipation of catching a glimpse of this elusive inhabitant of the loch. They are mindful of the danger the creature may pose if challenged. Imagine being the one to explain what lies beneath the water. Various descriptions and photographs have appeared over many years in newspapers, from stories of normally sober citizens who are convinced they have seen the inhabitant of the deep. It has been seen to have one hump, two humps even three humps. It has also been described as having a long slender neck ending in a small head. However, until this tale unfolds no one knows what lies beneath the water.
In an earlier part of last century, some schoolchildren told tales of a most peculiar and horrifying animal they had see in a busy swamp in Urquhart Bay. They fled to their homes and refused to leave, unless accompanied by a strong and well-armed protector. Through the years, these tales have been handed down and embroiled, and thus the legend has grown, of the Monster who patrols the loch and frightens those who get too close. But too close to what? What lies behind the tales and why should such a creature be living in the waters by Castle Urquhart? The secret is hidden in deep dark caves right beneath the ruins. The importance of the secret is so precious that the Monster will stop at nothing to protect it.
It is now time for our story to begin to unfold.
Chapter One: The Christening.
It had been ten years since Queen Aurora and King Colin, rulers of Inverness - shire had given birth to their twin princesses, Olivia and Shona.
This part of the land of the Scots had always been different, because their unusual neighbours, the fairies, enchanted it. The Kingdom in this story is where the tale of the beautiful, curious, and kind “Sleeping Beauty” occurred. This particular piece of land, water and people had been continuously touched by the unexplained and the often “unseen” powers of the fairies.
Indeed, for our modern world we find it difficult to understand how such tales could be more than myth. Therefore, through the passage of time the story of Sleeping Beauty has transformed into a mere fable. However, this was a place where both good and evil have met and fought, both on the land (the reality) and in the minds of its people (the unseen).
We all remember the fateful day of Aurora’s Christening. The day the good Fairy Godmothers and the evil Shadow Fairy met in battle over the future of the baby. It was Aurora and her people who suffered by having to sleep for 100 years, because of the wounded ego of the Shadow Fairy. Imagine feeling so keenly the rejection of the exclusion from the invitation list of such a very important event. This wound was so deep that it made her easily inflict harm on an innocent baby, without a shred of remorse.
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