The Witches Brew

The Meeting

    The clash of swords resounded as the young men locked in a lethal dance. No hostility was evident.  As they blocked and attacked, they traded a parry of strikes. Prince Leon Dragonheart removed his shirt because of the searing heat. His short chestnut hair shined with perspiration and his brilliant green eyes gleamed like emeralds under the harsh sun. The smooth olive skin, strong jawline and high cheekbones had women fanning themselves at his exotic beauty as they walked by. The other man, Prince Leon's best friend and trainee for Captain of the Guard, was named Boris Bosworth Junior. He had lighter skin, tanned from working in the sun. His hair brushed over his ears and the white locks gave him a mysterious look. His features were sharper than the princes's, except his soft amber eyes. The longer their dance went on, the more  guards watched. It was a welcome interruption in the training regime, everyone holding their breath for the mistake that would end the match. Heat beat down on the men, coating them in a sheen of sweat, as practice got more intense. 

    Suddenly a blade missed it's cue and flew out of Junior's hand. Leon smiled, his defined chest heaving from the exertion. "Getting a little slow there, Junior," he chuckled. Leon ran his fingers through his slick locks as he reached out to help up his friend back up. Both young men were laughing as they picked up their shirts, and put them on. A young servant came up with water for the two young men. "Some water your Highness?"

    "Leon, you are getting better. Soon you might beat me every time." Junior said after he finished his water and shielded his eyes from the sun. "Don't you have that council meeting in an hour? Going to skip it again?" 

     Prince Leon shook his head no. Sighing, he recalled the last time he skipped a meeting. His father threatened to give the throne to his conniving brother Conrad. "Not this time. The old man doesn't want me to skip them anymore. You will let me know if you're going hunting tonight, right?" Leon said as he started to sprint towards his room. Junior watched his friend leave, nodding at him and laughing as the young prince ran to get ready for the meeting. These meetings always required a certain level of finesse, and one always had to look the part. 

    Leon cleaned up nicely and as he looked in the mirror, he was pleased with what he saw. He let out a heavy sigh. He hated the pomp and circumstance and the clothing that went with it. He very much looked the part of the prince in his embroidered blue and silver doublet.Grabbing his crown,  he placed it on and headed towards the meeting. 

    To Leon, these meetings seemed petty, an trivial exercise by old men talking endlessly about money or land. All these men allowed greed to override their responsibilities to the common people. As he came into the war room, Leon bowed to his father and sat next to him. Leon tried not to look bored as he listened to one noble talk about the witch problem their kingdom faced.

    "...just today I was informed that three more witches were burned. Slowly but surely we are being rid of this problem," Sir Reginald, Duke of Valencia said proudly.  Leon pulled himself out of his thoughts. 

    Nobles began to talk over one another, each trying to one-up the other. Leon bristled listening to them, thinking about the innocent women who were being hunted and killed. Sir Borris, Junior's father, and Junior had taught Leon about what was happening and he knew the women being burned frequently weren't witches. "Since when does this kingdom burn innocent women? A real witch isn't easy to catch not to mention contain..."

    Just then, Sir Borris strode quickly into the room, stopping at the King's side. He leaned toward the King and whispered that Nia had been spotted near the castle in a town just north of them. King Marcus stood up and looked at the nobles. "I apologize. This meeting is over for now. Excuse me." Everyone stood as King Marcus got up. Leon followed his father and Sir Boris into the corridor. The older gentlemen were discussing things quietly, with brief glances towards Leon. Noticing that the two men were keeping something from him, Leon asked, "Is there something I should know?"  

    "Maybe it's time to tell him. If we don't get her this time then we may never find her," Borris sighed and looked at Leon. This would be their last chance before the blood moon to defeat Nia. After the blood moon the young princess would be no more, and Nia would be unstoppable. The king looked forlorn; clearly many thoughts weighed heavily on his mind. King Marcus sighed, "You're right as always, my friend. Leon we need to talk."

    King Marcus lead them to his study. The room was decorated in deep red,  complimented by the wood furniture. A servant had come in and was lighting the fireplace. Roaring to life, the room became bathed in a soft glow. Seeing his work done, the servant bowed to the family and quickly left. Leon's eyes traveled to the arched window behind his father's ornate mahogany desk. The pink and orange hues that painted the sky always managed to distract him. The day was almost over. King Marcus cleared his throat, drawing Leon's attention towards him. "You may want to have a seat."

    Leon was confused but he sat in the red leather chair in front of the fireplace. "Father, what is this about?"

    "The throne. I planned to crown you prince after you met your betrothed." The king watched Leon's eyes widen but he didn't stop talking. "Unfortunately, your betrothed, a princess, has been lost for seventeen years. She was kidnapped shortly after she was born, by Nia, as revenge against the princess's mother,  Maria Blevin. 

    Leon was staring at his father and Borris. "Why can't we wait?"

    It was Borris who spoke next. "It doesn't matter why the King waited. You will be the next king and you need to start acting like it."

    Leon showed no emotion as he stood up and bowed to his father. He could tell by looking at his father and Borris that there was more information to share, but he couldn't process any more. "Excuse me. Thank you for telling me, I just need some time to process it all." Leaving the room and the older men, Leon seemed slightly out of it. 

    Borris and King Marcus looked at each other and shook their heads. It was Borris who spoke to his old friend. "Wanna bet he won't be here for dinner? I'll tell Junior and make sure they are prepared." 

    "Thank you my friend. That boy does hate to be tied down." The king stared out the window and sighed remembering a past that could no longer fill the void she had left. "You know, I think about her from time to time. Everything is filled with what if's." 

    Borris nodded as he got up and left to find his son. Wandering the elegant halls of the extravagant castle, his mind wandered to a dark haired beauty. Remembering the joy and happiness she had brought with her everywhere. Sadness always sneaked into his heart whenever she came to mind, along with a sense of failure. He couldn't keep his word to protect the young princess and now she may be dead soon. As he rounded the corner his son pulled him out of the past and his own failure.  

    "Hello Father. are you joining us?" Junior asked as he came up behind the man. Junior had switched his linen clothes for leather. Leather was lighter to wear than plate armor, not that it offered much protection. Strapped to his side was a short sword and a satchel that held some vials, mostly only for a small distraction. Borris shook his head and patted his son's shoulder. 

    "No I just wanted to inform you to expect Leon." Borris went back the way he had come having found his son. 

    As Junior came outside he cursed his luck to see the prince had in fact joined them. "Alright. I don't want anyone to play the hero are we clear. We attack together or we don't attack at all." Grabbing the reins on Leon's horse he glared at him. "I mean it Leon. Don't do anything stupid." Junior got on his horse and it was Leon who got his attention.

    "Do you think the princess is with her?" Leon had a far off look to his eyes. He couldn't explain this feeling he was feeling. It was like he was being drawn in a direction, and as they left the castle he ignored it. Thundering hooves made people look up and move as the Prince's party came barreling through the streets. Once they pasted the city wall Leon couldn't ignore the feeling anymore. Stopping his horse he looked at the forest, why was it calling him? Even though he didn't know what was waiting for him in the forest, he knew that it held the answers they were looking for. 

    Menacing branches reached out in the pale moon glow, black shadows that hid in more shadows. It was clear that navigation in the black forest would be difficult. Leon just stared at it, almost like a trance. Everyone had stopped to look at their prince as he let his mind try to figure out what was going on. "We should search here." 

    Junior knew, as did they all did, where Nia had been spotted and this wasn't it. "Your highness, we know where she was spotted. Don't you think that we would have a better chance to find her if we go where she was last seen."

    Finally breaking away from his trance to look at his best friend and the next captain of the royal guard. "Think about it Junior. She was seen hours ago, by the time we get there she will be gone. Something is telling me if we want to find Nia, the answer lies in this forest, so you can either join me or go on a wild goose chase." Leon turned his horse and headed into the forest for about two miles. The rest followed as they couldn't leave their prince. 

    The feeling was stronger now but he couldn't go any farther on horse. Dismounting, he made sure to check everything twice. Just as he was tying his horse to a low laying branch, the sound of hooves and flying dirt surrounded the silent night. Silence! Why was the forest silent? It shouldn't be because even at night it was bustling with life. Leon held up a hand and they stopped looking at one another. It was Junior who spoke. "Leon -"

    "Shh...Listen." Junior listened and scrunched his brow as he couldn't hear anything, not even the scurry of a mouse. They looked at each other and knew that a witch was present. "We need to fan out. Take these. Blow into them if you find her." 

    They were ready and moved about. Leon continued to step, then stop to listen. In the deafening silence even the crunch of dried leaves carried loudly. After thirty minutes of his careful stepping he heard it, no matter how faint, he knew he heard it. A soft voice. Pulling out the small horn, which would call forth the guard, he held it between his lips for a quick call. Following the voice he hid behind a tree and took in the scene before him. 

    Surrounding a small lake were the animals of the forest. All just sitting around the edge, prey and predator just watching the lake. His eyes followed the animals' gaze landing on a young woman dancing in the middle of the lake. It was a sight to behold. Leon felt his heart nearly stop when her back bent and one leg pointed towards the night sky. Fingers brushed the surface of the water causing ripples run across the lake. The spray from the waterfall sparkled like diamonds raining down. What looked like streams of water swirled around the dancing figure, glittering a deep blue. Every step glowed as she sang in a language he couldn't place, though it seemed familiar. Being too far away to notice the finer details, Leon did take note of the platinum blonde hair, and creamy smooth skin. Under the soft moonlight she had an ethereal glow, and he had become entranced. She stopped causing the water to fall, the mist from the water crashing on rocks still twinkled, but everything else stopped. 

    Leon was brought out of his daze as he followed her line of vision. Sitting there was a white wolf that was looking right at her. The two seemed to be having a private conversation as she nodded silently to him. Watching her walk to the shore, he pulled an arrow out and c****d it on his bow. She placed a cloak on, hiding her figure and face under the black material. He wanted to catch them by surprise but watching them and not his path, he stepped on a branch. Both heads snapped in his direction, but it was the wolf that stood his ground and growled. With nothing left to lose Leon stepped out and let go of the arrow letting it zoom past her. 

    "The next one won't miss."