The Witch and the Half-Angel Prince

Chapter 3

“We need to see Edmund, now!” Henry quite literally growled at his cousin. Prince Henry Leonidas Triton was not always short-tempered. He had always been a well mannered boy growing up. His mother, Queen Yer Ana, was the daughter of a Chinese princess, Yicheng. All she knew was her mother gave her to her handmaid to save her life from her husbands tyranny. It was said that her father didn’t want another female child, her mother though heart broken named her ‘Yer Ana’ which meant ‘yellow maiden’ before giving her up to Qingli, her handmaid. One day, when Yer Ana was eighteen, Qingli decided to bring Yer Ana to a different city, far from the eastern provinces after seeking the advice of a local soothsayer who told her that Yer Ana would live a long life and be throned a queen if she moved across the seas, and so she did, except calamity befell the ship, and everyone drowned to the bottom of the sea, but not Yer Ana. She was saved by King Triton himself. He found her floating on a slab of wood, unconscious, and brought her to the bottom of the ocean, to his world, where he married her and made her queen. 

King Triton himself fathered six princesses from his late wife who was previously killed by a sea demon, but through his wife Queen Yer Ana, she gave him an heir, their son, Prince Henry. It was said that King Triton was so enchanted by Yer Ana’s beauty that he fell in love within a day, that he prayed to God that his beloved was bestowed the gift of the half-angels, and so his prayers was answered, and Yer Ana became his Queen they lived happily in his oceanic kingdom. This happened more than a millennia ago - when people had faith.

As opposed to the usual folklore about people who lived in the sea, their legs don’t turn into fishtail once they submerge themselves into the water. Their physique however, due to centuries being underwater have become more muscular, and larger than the average human being, their skin even paler, and their eyes turn brighter - usually bright green or bright amber underwater. Other than those minute differences, everything else was pretty much the same.

Eric and Henry were completely quiet on the way to Edmunds office which nested right in the middle of town.  Their driver stopped right in front of the building which had the initials in a small tiny gold plaque, S.P.I. 

“Ahh, don’t you reckon that Edmunds a smart man for having his headquarters amidst all these humans?” Said Eric amused.

“I could not care less for Edmund, nor his craft, nor do I care for his people. I only wish that he would not draw too much attention to himself and risk exposing us all,” Henry replied with a condescending sneer. Henry disagreed with the whole modernisation of witchcraft and how they were initiated, legally (which meant that if there were any problems, they could possibly sort it out in human courts) which meant some humans knew of them, and of the existence of other beings. 

They were greeted by a small pixie like creature with silvery blonde hair and pink highlights in an oversized suit who was apparently his secretary. 

“Hhhello....your royal highnessessss.. I’m Miranda Bloom, Mr. Edmund Vonfeldt’s secretary,” she said as she curtsied, albeit wrongly. Miranda looked highly nervous as she lead them through the front door and into a lift, which was the only thing over there anyway. They went all the way up to the last level, and were lead through what seemed like a maze of pictures. Old pictures of famous warlocks and witches dating back hundreds of years and stopped when finally they reached a door whereby stood a short, stout old man with silver long hair and an equally silver goatee. 

“Hello your royal highnesses. We meet again, and that too, so soon!” Edmund said as he smiled crookedly. The last time they had met, Edmund had helped the two of them strike a deal with another half-angel, Cassiel who in turned helped them with King Tritons imprisonment terms and hence were banished to live on land, and guard and help vanquish demons as well as other kinds monsters, dangerous monsters who have no qualms causing an imbalance in the realm of humans.  

“We’re not here for fun and games, Edmund,” Henry said as he unbutton his checked green shirt to show him the ‘W’ that had etched onto his skin. It was glowing. 

“Well..well… well, what do we have here? This is going to be expensive for you, Henry” said Edmund as he inspected Henry’s chest.

“What do you mean? What is it? How do I get it off?” Henry said. His voice hinted desperation, a tone Edmund loved most. The last time Henry came to him, Henry had agreed to give up one of his fathers precious seashell. The seashell had magical properties. Anyone who owns it will own unimaginable wealth, or so it was said. 

“It’s an obedience bondage. I’ve never seen this being done to someones heart though. Who did this? Who could be powerful enough to perform such a spell on you?” Edmund asked curiously while examining it. Edmund was an avid collector of witches and wizards. He loved having powerful ‘comrades’ as he imagined them to be by his side working for him, when Eric interrupted his train of thought.

“Erm, it was a random lady performing CPR. We do not know who she is, only that she did it and then called an ambulance,” said Eric as he looked at his cousin. He didn’t want his cousin to so easily give Claire up. Also, he was with the opinion that if Claire could perform such a spell, then surely she would be able to remove it. 

“CPR? Absurd! Random? This most certainly is not! Do I look stupid to you? This spell was performed by a very powerful witch.. why powerful? Because you’re not just anybody, Prince Henry. You’re not a human being who can so easily be subjugated to the will and powers of a nobody. You must find her, or perhaps not, because this spell that she has put on you will in turn make you want to find her, protect her, and to serve her every need even if it’s not in line with what you want. Do you know what being a slave means? This, my boy, is IT! Now be on your merry ways now, your highnesses, and good evening,” Edmund said with a long hiss, and that too in one breath. Miranda remained statue-like at the corner of the room. Edmund knew he was being fooled by these them, but he couldn’t be sure for what reason they could possibly have to protect the person who put that spell on Henry? 

Edmund Vonfeldt was a sixty-three year old man who headed the reorganisation and revamping of the witching community by incorporating their witching laws and turning it into a business that provides certain kinds of services. He is the reason why Saturns Predicament Inc. exists.  He was sharp, shrewd and was always conscious about the way he appeared. He was never seen in other then pinstripe suits though occasionally he draped himself with a velvet cape.

Both Henry and Eric left SPI feeling dumbfounded. This revelation was obviously shocking. Henry was a powerful half-angel born to be a king, and not to be enslaved by a human witch after all. It was almost dawn, and Henry had stayed up all night thinking about what Edmund had said, though what bothered him more was this sudden feeling of hopelessness. His heart was aching, and he did not understand the reason. 

After finally appeasing Matt for going missing the whole day (and part of the night), Claire related the whole story including the part where Henry and Eric wanted her to help out in their monster hunting mission to her grandmother. Claire had questions, naturally. She wanted to know whether if she had hurt Henry with that spell.

“So, is the spell reversible, grandmother?” Asked Claire eagerly.

“Claire, you saved that mans life. Whatever that had hurt him, could have killed him, but as for the obedience bondage spell you put on him, and that is the spell that you’ve put on him from what I gather, I’ve seen it done only one other time, and it was placed at the back of his neck, the ‘W’ was. It was as punishment for transgressing our laws. In his case, he was a terribly crafty warlock who went around creating lots of mischief, and by putting the spell closer to his head, that warlock became obedient to the family he wronged, and when his time of service was up, the spell cast was reversed, but I can’t be sure what would the effects be on your friend Henry as it was done to his heart, plus it was done to save him. I will need to see him, and as for the whole vanquishing monsters nonsense, I think you should help him.. and Peter Parkers uncle once said, with great powers come great responsibility,” said her grandmother with a laugh.

“Does this mean he’s been enslaved to me?” Claire asked shocked.

“Well, I’ll really need to see him, Claire.. but yes, if he won’t be able to do anything that causes you harm, and that he will have to obey your every wish, truthfully speaking, or he would be in great pain,” her grandmother replied. 

“Now, it’s almost 2 in the morn’ Claire. Get some rest,” she continued. 

Whatever her grandmother had said wasn’t what Claire wanted to hear, obviously. Claire didn’t want to get involved or sucked into things that had nothing to do with her world. Fair enough, she was only twenty, and planned on living a long productive life. If she went accompanying them in their expeditions, what if she did not live longer than her current age? That night she went to bed, but didn’t get any sleep. All she could think about was Henry, and what she has done.