The Princess Of Death

The year is 1016 AD, its known as the Dark Ages or the medieval times. Walking up the street covered in thick snow, the sky is blanketed with thick layers of grey clouds. Snowflakes keeps falling down more heavier than earlier, as I walked my feet crunching and sinking deeper into the icy snow with every step. My breath fogged in front of my face. As I walked passed a couple walking towards the same destination, their noses are red and rubbing their hands to keep warm. Up ahead I can see the tall thick metal gate pulled up halfway to let the horse carriages pass through. Passing through the castle main entrance, the guards bows and nods at the guests. The opened thick main wooden door leads up a flight of stairs to the first floor towards the long brightly lit hallway leading to the Great Hall. As I walked passed through the dark wooden door, my sight falls on the wall ahead decorated with shiny swords and shields. Two long wooden tables on each side was filled with food, fruits and wine glasses. The main table separate at the head of the hall filled with food, four wine glasses and a goblet. Four chairs and one large throne covered in leather and fur. Three large windows on the other side of the wall letting natural light in. Countless of big tall white candles are lit up to brighten up the whole tables and hall. Soon all seats are occupied by high official and merchants. Chattering and laughter sounds fills up the hall. Suddenly the door toward the head of the hall opens and everyone stands with their head bows down and silently wait for the Lord family to be seated. Walks in twins sons Knights Fraden and Philip, their younger sister Lady Agatha. After a brief moment Lord Simon Hanchard Golding II, his wife Lady Mary walks in and take their seats. His children and guests only seated once the Lord have taken his seat. Soon the maids come in and pour wines for everyone. Lord Simon picks up his silver goblet encrusted with gems with his right hand, stands up and make a welcome toast to everyone along with his short speech. From the corner of my eye I caught the Lord wife was staring at me, she whispered something into her daughter ear and she looked towards me with wide eyes. After a short while Lady Mary walks up toward me and says, May I know who you are as I have never seen you here before? Milady, My name is Lord Daniel Thomas Saxon of Brittany. I bow my head and neck down to her. Lord Saxon, Welcome to our castle and please walk with me, I would like to introduce my family to you says Mary. She lightly tapped her husband arm to get his attention, with a warm smile on her face and says Milord, may I introduce to you the New Lord of Brittany, this is Lord Daniel Thomas Saxon. Simon stood up from his throne and shook my hand tightly and said Welcome to our castle and what brings you here to our land? I was traveling to further north but my carriage tyres broke apart and my mens are fixing it nearby your castle. I saw many horse carriages arriving at your castle so I thought why not see what the occasion is and also introduce myself. I heard a lot of things about you but I've never got the chance to meet you in person says Simon. Please don't stand there and have a seat, I just nods and said, I hope you heard good things about me. Yes, we heard many good things about your kingdom and your reputation precedes you young Lord, Simon continue to say, my eldest son Fraden heard many rumors that the knights in your kingdom are the bravest and strongest among the other kingdoms near by and also your knights aid to the Royal family. I proudly acknowledged it with a smirk and said I don't believe in rumors, only in the facts what I see before me that my kingdom is indeed one of the strongest that's why many lords near by seeks alliances from me. Our conversation was interrupted by his son Philip as he noticed that I was sitting at Fraden seat. Father, I don't believe I have seen or know who this man is, says Philip with a raised eyebrow and arrogant in his tone. Standing up and patted his son on his shoulder and said, This is the New Lord of Brittany, Lord Daniel Thomas Saxon says Simon. Philip was shocked and speechless, he felt his eyes betrays him at this very moment. With a hysterical laugh Simon says, what happened son, did the cat caught your tongue? Philip mind was still absorbing the new information and couldn't utter a single word, all he could do was stare at me in disbelief and blinked his eyes countless times. He yelled out loudly for Fraden to come quickly and pinch him hard to wake him up from this unbelievable day dream. Simon looks at me, with an embarrassing look written all over his red face and said, sorry for my son odd behavior because he wishes to travel to your kingdom to learn how to master the skills of knighthood, he believes in learning from the best knights on the your lands. Grabbing Fraden shoulders, my brother you won't believe who this is says Philip with full of excitement in his voice. This is The Lord Saxon of Brittany!! Fraden couldn't believe his ears and eyes either but quickly regains his composure and shook my hand strongly with both hands, soon the twins joined in the conversation and started talking about random things. Mary POV Meanwhile on the other side of the hall, Agatha whispers in my ear, I can sense his powers and auras. Do you think he is a Sage? (Sage is known as a male witch) mother, do you feel and sense his powers as well or is it just me? Yes, I sense it too my dear child and looked straight ahead towards the talking lords. Suddenly my eyes sparkled and I whispered into her ear. Her face brighten up after she listens to my plans. Do you think it will work mother? I nod with an evil grins on my face. Grabbing her soft hand in mine, come with me now and we walks up to the new Lord. Hem, Hem... as I clears my throat. Agatha curtsy and introduce her to Daniel, he stood up and bow his neck to her. He compliments how beautiful Agatha looks. I moved my gaze and looked straight into Simon eyes without blinking my, slowly I lower my head and whispered into his ear. "Insist Lord Saxon and his mens to stay back for the night. Bid them all farewell and go to our chamber to sleep now, dear husband." Simon suddenly stood up from his throne with a blank expression on his face and immediately insisted Daniel and his mens to stay back for the night in the guest's chambers in the castle. As for you Fraden, make sure you go and inform Lord Saxon guards to come and stay in the warm castle for the night. After he bid everyone a pleasant evening and he left with his wife leaving the grown up children behind to entertain the guests. Mmmh... That was odd said the twins, looking at each other. Father always enjoyed till late in the evening when we have guests here. Daniel just raised one of his eyebrow looking at the couple leaving towards the door. He sensed some witchcraft was happening here but seems like someone with strong magical powers was controlling Simon mind. Walking up the staircase with gentle footsteps and I looked around before entering the guest chamber that Daniel was going to spend the night in. I kept chanting out my spells in a language that is forgotten by man, the room soon became cold and was filled up with dark grey fogs, I started to paced around the room and held up my index finger and moved my hand in circular motions then clapped my hands five times. The thick fogs soon dispersed when the spells was done, I looked one more time around the room before leaving for my chamber. Later that night when Daniel walked in his chamber he felt something immediately and he conjured his own spell using his power. He just smirked, his eyes glowed and then went completely black, knowing well what was happening here however he did nothing about it, he left that weird lingering sensation in the room as it was. He walked out and went to his guards chambers next to his room but felt nothing out of place and no witchcraft presence here. After some small talks about their forward journey he bid them goodnight and left. His body left tired and lie down on the bed, covered himself in the blanket, his eyelids became heavy and soon he welcomed the darkness. Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle. While Simon was in deep sleep, Mary and her daughter softly sneaked out of their chambers and headed down towards the storeroom. There she met an old woman who was holding a wooden box. In a trance like state the woman bows her head and handed over the box to Mary and without a single word she started walking into the dark street. Mary and Agatha cautiously looked around the street before softly walking back towards the dungeons and further down to their secret workplace. She waves both her hands in circular motion and recites, "APERIRE OSTIUM OCCULTATUM" Suddenly the castle walls opens and the door opens up for them to enter inside, once inside the room the castle walls closed by itself leaving no trace of the door behind it. Little does Simon knows that his wife is an old dark witch, who worships, practices the dark magic and witch crafts. She is over 220 years old. Two weeks prior to this evening, she have hypnotised and put spells on countless people to bring her new born babies for sacrifice. She needed eight innocent souls who recently entered into the world. The babies were brought to her from around the neighboring areas and including around the castle boundaries. These eight souls were going to give her more power to live longer. She sacrificed a baby every night The last sacrifice was tonight on the full blood moon, the timing had to be perfect to carry out the rituals. Agatha got busy with her white chalk, drawing a big round circle with a star in the middle, the tips of the star touching the circle. Five white candlesticks were lit at the tip of each star corners. Mary took the innocent crying baby out of the small wooden box and placed the baby girl in the middle of the circle. She told her daughter to hurry up and bring the silver knife and the black cloth to be placed under her dark spells book as they shouldn't missed out the time to carry out the sacrifice. Both mother and daughter stood opposite the circle and started to reciting the dark spells. Their hands were up in the air, soon one by one all five candlesticks sparked up high and lit up the gloomy room and dark fogs lingered inside the circle and around the baby. The innocent baby cried out loudly and their kept chanting and reciting the spells. Soon both mother and daughter had their eyes rolls back and turned white. They both did two steps inside the circle and took the knife and cut their right hand palms. Blood oozing out of their palms and dripping on the naked baby lying down on the cold floor. Mary took the knife and kneeled down on the cold floor and held the baby up and stabbed her on the chest, her crying stopped and she placed the baby back on the cold floor again pulling the blooded knife out and both took a step out of the circle. The poor baby blood flowed on the star, now the white star slowly turning red and the dying baby body start to float up in the air. Slowly the blood covered star and circle caught fire and they both took two steps into the burning circle and placed their cut palms on her dying heart. They both began to recite spells again this time they combined two spells together, one for offering the sacrifice and the other to give them eternal life. They held the baby with both hands, soon they saw the red glowing waves creeping up into the arms and travelling to their hearts. That was went they noticed the baby was dead and the fire once lit was extinguished and the fog have lifted. They both shared the blood sacrificed offering to the dark book. Agatha placed the lifeless body back into the box to dispose of it later, she started to pick up the burned out candles and wiped clean of the drawn markings on the floor. While her mother undo all the spell she put on the people who kidnapped the babies for them. When the people wake up in the morning they won't remember anything they did in the past two weeks, their memories wiped out completely. After everything is cleaned up and things are back into its place, they both listen carefully to see if they can hear any sound outside behind the wall. Upon silence Mary waves her hands and they walk out. Mary turn around and says, "IUXTA OSTIUM ET SIGNANTES". They both can feel their new energy flowing inside them, they are more powerful than before. Suddenly Agatha grab hold of her mother arms while walking up the staircase and said mother I need you to do something for me please. I need you to put a very powerful love spell on Daniel, I want him to fall in love with me, only listens to what I say and what I command him to do. Her mother on the other hand was skeptical about it, Okay I see what I can do about my dear. But Agatha was adamant about it and she doesn't takes No for an answer. Mother you must try your best and use all of your powers if you must because I want him and only you can give me what I want. Her mother just stares at her and nods her head in agreement. Its getting very late now my dear says her mother, it's time to go back to our chambers and rest for the night. I see what I can do about it tomorrow. Her mother bids her goodnight and quietly they both headed back into the chambers and rest for the night. However Agatha didn't fall asleep as she sat on her bed thinking for a long time. An evil smile creeps up her lips and cracked up a genius plan for herself. Thinking to herself, if mother really does successfully put the love spells on Damien than one day she doesn't need her mother anymore. She will just get far away from her mother and no need to follow after her. But first they need to figure out who Damien really is and till then she will obey all her mother commands and requests. With another unspeakable idea comes on her mind, she had a sinister smirk appears on her lips, she lays her head on her pillow and let sleep takes over her. The following morning in Agatha chamber... Thump, Thump, Thump... go away I said. Again Thump, Thump, Thump... knocks sounded on my door and the new maid came inside my chamber. Good morning My Lady, my apologies for waking you up but your father have summoned for you down at the dinning hall. And your mother has requested that you wear something nice for breakfast. Are you sure my mother said that? I questioned her with one of my eyebrow raised. Yes she did, my Lady. Mmmmmhh... That's odd, mother have never made such request before but why now? Is the new Lord of Brittany joining my father for breakfast? Oh yes my lady, I saw him speaking to your father when I was coming to fetch you. Is that so, Agatha said. Well then what are you doing standing there and looking at me, hurry go on now and bring my new green silk dress with embroidery and gemstones. This new dress will match perfectly with my eyes color. Thump, Thump... Who is it now? I yelled out. My old maid entered and she brings in a big bowl with warm water and place it on it table that is adjacent to the wall for me to washed my face. I quickly dried off my face with a cotton cloth. My Lady, your mother is getting anxious and requested that you hurry up and join them, said the old woman. Soon the maids helped me to get dress and tied the silk waistband at my back and braided my thick blonde hair. I sat down at my bed while they fixed my leather sandals and tie it for me around my calf. Walking down the staircase to the dining hall, I walked in and curtsy in front of my father, mother and Damien. Good morning my lords and mother. My apologies for being late. My father just nods and waves his hand for me to sit down but Damien stood up and bow his neck and greeted me. Mother, are my brothers not joining us for breakfast? I asked. She gave a warm motherly smile and said No dear, they left early morning to carry out some work on behalf of your father. They will be back after three days. Oh, was all I could say. I felt sad that I couldn't bid them farewell before they left on their journey. Mary rubbed my arm and said Don't worry Agatha, they will be back soon, now eat up. We both ate in silence and observing the two lords were in deep conversation, not noticing how we were watching them. Mother was staring at Damien and not even blinking her eyes, she was watching him like a hawk eyeing her prey while I watch her every move. I could tell something was on her mind but her blank expression can fool anyone else but not me. Mary stood up and asked for us to be excused. My father looked up at her with concern look on his face and asked if something was wrong. Mother just smiled softly, it's nothing is wrong my love, just some daily errands to done, that's all and I will join you later. He held her soft hands and kissed it, you are excused my love. Once we were further down the hallway, I stopped and looked straight at her with a furious face, my foot stomping and my voice laced with anger. Mother, can you tell me why you drag me out to do daily chores? She just smiled at me, not saying anything which made me more annoyed at her strange behavior. Oh Agatha, my child, you are so naive. that was just an excuse to get us out of there to talk about something important. She looked around to see if we were alone and asked how was I feeling, do I feel any changes in myself. Rolling my eyes at her, of course mother I'm absolutely fine, why do you ask such question and why are you acting so strangely today? Instead of getting an answer, she quickly questioned me if I was honestly telling her the truth. Are you sure you are absolutely fine Agatha? Looking down at my clutching fists, she said, Have you noticed your cut palm? No I totally forgotten about it, I opened my palm and I grasped, to my surprised that my palm is completely healed. No sign of cut mark at all.