A Murky Past

The vicious witch

One of the guards of our castle approached father.

“Your highness, I have some misfortunate news, the lords of Windsor have become insurgent and are marching towards the castle.

“How dare they do it! What could possibly happen that they take such a step.” exclaimed father rising from his throne. “My lady, kindly maintain the festive atmosphere in the castle, I will attend to the lords and attempt to end to their revolt and after I have done so, I’ll join you back in the castle as briskly as my legs can get me to” he said to my step-mother with a bow and left.

“With pleasure, my lord.” she replied.

Meanwhile, my eyes searched desperately for Gerald all over the castle. The young gentleman had played some serious magic over me such that, I felt, that I had fallen for him; love at first dance. My heart began craving for his masked face such that, I sort of felt betrayed by him. “Coward! I scoffed under my breath, with clenched teeth as a tiny tear escaped my left eye, leaving me broken-hearted.

The masquerade ended, and I sauntered towards my step-mother’s chamber, my heart still loitering around Gerald and anguished at his abandonment of me. Just as I was a few steps away from her chamber, a series of spine-chilling screams echoed from outside the castle.

My heart thumped vigorously at the cry and that instant, the chamber door clicked open.

“Ah my love come in.” said my stepmother silkily. Unnerved, I entered her chamber, I wasn’t quite fond of her. Father had married her when I was ten, shortly after my mother’s death due to small pox. Although she seemed rather amiable, I felt an inexplicably creepy aura whenever she was around me. She had her back on me as I entered. “Talia, my sweet innocent damsel, she exclaimed, with slight spookiness. As you have finally reached adulthood, I, being your mother, would have the greatest pleasure in handing you the ultimate gift preserved by me particularly for this occasion ……. of isolating you from your soul” she hissed turning towards me and lifting her hands, and due to some unknown power, I was raised in the air, as if someone had clutched my throat and lifted me up.

Immense pressure started to build up all over my throat that began to gag me inexorably. I started screeching like a bird in distress, unable to release myself from its clutches.

“Open your mouth, Talia, and present me your soul which promises me eternal youth and beauty.” hissed the witch. Then suddenly, I experienced excruciating pain throughout my body, as though my insides were being ripped apart. I let out a scream of agony which filled the chamber. Just as my stepmother opened her jaw to suck my soul, the door burst open, and a white spark was shot towards the witch who was slammed out of the window while I, almost subconscious due to the substantial pressure applied on my throat which nearly suffocated me, felt myself being dragged away.

It was my childhood nurse, who was rushing me from harm’s way. At the entrance of the castle, she urged me to run away. “Talia my child, go away from here. That witch is going to do something to you which is far worse than death.” she commanded hurriedly. “But nurse, what is happening?” I cried, tears brimming through my eyes. “There is no time for explanation, just know that your father unknowingly married a witch, and one of the most vicious kind ever. I breastfed you and brought you up my child, I would never let her hurt a hair on your head, now go!” she ordered. “But how do you know so much about her?” I asked anxiously. “That’s because I am one myself, now off you go-” she broke off as a lightning spark slammed her in the heart and she was blasted off her feet.

The witch returned, gliding in mid-air, her eyes bloody, and seeming extraordinarily powerful and more sinister than ever. I made a step towards nurse to assist her, “go!” she bellowed in agony, clutching the spot where the witch had struck her. However, I was rooted to the spot out of intense fear as the vicious figure advanced towards me at towering height. The witch drew out a wand out of her cloak; a most powerful and enchanting object used by wizards and other magical beings in the world and lethal in the wrong hands, I had been enlightened about this object by nurse during her bed time stories. Ironically, I was petrified to view this object when I was so awestruck to hear about it all those years ago. She flicked her wand directing it towards me which lifted me up to an extent in the air but fell instantly, as her magic was counteracted by nurse who had withdrawn her own death stick. She restricted the witch’s movement with her magic.

“With all the power of goodness inside me, I curse you to be restricted to this castle for eternity!” nurse chanted, simultaneously rising her empty hand which caused me to get lifted in air as I was flown outside the castle and dropped on the ground gently, while the doors of the castle slammed shut.

I sprinted, with all the energy I could muster, unaware where life was leading me to, weeping all the way. I took refuge under a massive tree in the forest, aghast at the events of the night, I sat there weeping my heart out and yearning to see father. As the thought of father hit me, I felt drops of warm liquid dripping over my head with an abrupt shiver I looked up and my insides got torn apart as what came into view was a bearding human head with a golden crown on it, dangling from the tree’s branches. ….it was all that was left of King Eric.

Nearby, I noticed a pack of wolves preying on some kill. I couldn’t figure what it was…… my eyes froze as they recognized the wolves prey ….. a torso draped in royal robes…..with a face I hadn’t seen before, but a silver mask in the shape of a vulture’s beak lying by his side. There was a gruesome hole in Gerald’s chest as he lied in a pool of blood, being feasted on by the famished creatures. Several bodies of our guards in similar state were scattered across the ground like insects crushed by giants. The ground beneath my feet vanished, I felt lifeless, as if the witch had already siphoned my soul. A tiny bubble of relief tried to escape inside me; my love hadn’t abandoned me. However, what chance did that petty bubble have against the mountain of sorrow that had collapsed over me. With no tears left in my eyes to spill and carrying the consciousness of a zombie, I lifted my father’s dagger (lying beneath the tree where his head dangled) and pierced it in my heart…..and felt not a sting.

My eyes opened almost instantaneously, the blood trickling across my cheek had soaked but my head still throbbed abysmally. My hands and legs felt numb and immovable as I had been tied against the great hall wall, except that no ropes were used. Malena stood facing me, right underneath the chandelier.

“Well, well, well. Looks like little Ellie has woken up from a deep slumber….or should I say….little Princess Talia?” she hissed in her dangerously silky voice. I was tied against the wall by Malena’s magic which felt tighter than ropes.

“You! You ruined my life, you murdered my father in cold-blood you bloody witch!” I howled, fury and exasperation building up inside me.

“Yes, Talia I did, and I am glad your memories have surfaced! Didn’t had to do much did I, just tricked my dear king husband and his men into believing that a revolt had broken out. And as that old fool nincompoop rushed with bravery outside to guard the castle, my lovely magic was there expecting them impatiently. Mind you I sliced his head personally, all I had to do give him a taste of his own sword! Malena chortled. Which raised the blood to my head and I struggled furiously to free myself.

“You ruddy piece of evil.” I swore with pure poison in my words and spat at her. This rose her temper for the first time as she short a tiny bolt of lightning at my shoulder which burnt fiercely as I uttered an agonizing squeal.

“Insolent brat, I think you better be shown what destiny lies ahead of you. Let me provide you with a glimpse of what fate had in store for the one who brought you in this world.” she yelled furiously, and placed a finger near her earlobe.

A sort of liquidised vapour emerged out. She held it her palm and with a blow of air, it came flying towards me as I closed my eyes and moved my head aside, expecting it to be another tormenting blow from her. On the contrary, the vapour just splattered over my face…..and I fell into blackness.

After, what felt like about fifteen minutes, my body hit soft ground. Raising up to stand, I discovered myself standing in exactly opposite to the gates of the castle. It was night time. At that moment, an army of armoured and equipped men arrived, led by a figure with a crown on his head. I glowed with immense jubilation at having noticed my father that I ran insanely to hug him but, ended up moving through him. With the anguishing realization hitting hard that this was merely a memory from Malena’s mind. Moreover, I also discerned the fact that this was the night of my, as in, Talia’s birthday celebrations when the guard had informed King Eric about an insurgency by the land lords.

It was all tranquil, as my father and his army of knights waited for the supposedly barging land owners, as I watched from the sidelines, but none came. “You will not find anyone here beloved king,” a dangerously silky voice which could never forget, spoke from the shadows, as the horribly sinister figure of Malena emerged draped in the royal attire she had worn that dreaded night. “My lady, what are you doing out here?” asked father with a baffled and anxious look.

“My dearest king, I am here as the fates have brought me here, she laughed viciously. To end your time in this world!” and with a gut-wrenching roar she withdrew her wand from within her cloak and with one firework of red light she blasted the entire army into smithereens. She let out a howl of vicious laughter, rejoicing at her triumph.

However, the laughter evaporated and took the form of a thunderstruck look instantaneously, as King Eric appeared out of the smoke standing on his feet, unharmed.

“This is impossible!” roared the witch aghast.

“Sorceress…addressed my father calmly, there is power of goodness in this world which defies all evil.”

“Ah, yes, of course, your ancestors’ shield is impregnable. How foolish of me, I should’ve known. But that’s not going to protect you for long.” she said firing jolts of lightning towards him who managed to deflect it successfully with his shied which rebounded and hit the witch who tumbled backwards.