How long had it been? Was it five years? Had it truly been five long years since Prince Calder had left on his journey? Actually, that was a short amount of time compared to most. Some royals took ten, others longer, to complete their quest and come to claim their place on the throne. The longest in history was thirty years. Known as the ‘Age of Absence’, that time had been a dark one.
Many generations before King Josnan, his Great Great Great Grandfather, had set out on his trials, only to be lost at sea on his expedition to conquer a foreign territory. But the current king was already old, and his son did not return before his passing, leaving no one to take his place. The land fell into chaos, counselors and sorcerers clamoring for the power to control the people. When finally the Prince returned, he set into place rules and regulations, appointing the most trusted of advisors to uphold and execute them, should the situation occur again.
The King was allowed only a single heir. Long ago, Princes had fought and slain one another for the right to the throne, bloodshed filling the palace. And so, a great sorcerer had worked a powerful spell on the Royal bloodline, that they should bear only a single son, thus ending the continuous battle. It was only if the heir should die before becoming ruler, that another could be born.
Now, the one true heir stood before them, his birthright sealed.
"Father," Said Prince Calder with a smile that could melt the heart of any maiden. He bowed slightly and the old king chuckled, grabbing his son into a strong embrace.
A crowd had been gathering, no doubt villagers who had followed the Prince and his Guard to the castle from Trevlin. Cheers and applause erupted from all, Astasha joining them, but it was only a mimic, for her mind was distracted by the young man before her.
"Five years. Well done Calder!" Exclaimed the King, holding his son at arm's length in order to look at him.
"If memory serves, I do believe that is two years less than you, Father. Could it be that I have bested the Unbeatable King?"
"If any were to return swifter than I, it would be you!" They smiled and chuckled together. Josnen then turned to his people. "Let it be known in all the land, the heir to the Kingdom of Trenue has returned! A celebration is in order! For five days and five nights, we shall feast and make merry to rejoice in the successful completion of Prince Calder’s journey! Let every village join in the festivities! For today, is indeed a joyous day for all!"
There was more raucous and boisterous applause. This time, however, Astasha did not join. Her focus was entirely on the Prince, whose gaze turned to her, and as their eyes locked, fire meeting ice, a sensation she had not felt in a long time washed over her. There was a look on his face she couldn't quite determine, but it was not the one she had expected, and though she tried, the chaotic energy of all those gathered, made it impossible for her to hone in on his alone, to read what it was he was feeling.
The moment was broken as the crowd began to disperse, and Astasha used the opportunity to silently slip away.
Finding a small, quiet corridor, she ducked into it and leaned against the wall, exhaling sharply. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her racing heart.
Four years since she had come to the palace she had had to prepare for this, yet she was still completely caught off guard. She knew when she came to live there that this day would eventually come. It was why she had fought so adamantly against her mother’s wishes for her to join the Advisory. But now that she was faced with it, all the time in the world wouldn't have been enough to seal her heart and prepare her mind, and even so, would she have truly wanted to? Could she have, even if she had tried?
"Tasha?" Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught.
Not here, not now. She wasn't ready to face him. If she was being honest, she didn’t know that she would ever be ready.
"It really is you." His voice was like silk running through her veins, making her blood race and her cheeks flush.
Finally, she opened her eyes. There he was, at the entrance to the corridor, the Prince, her Prince, the one who had stolen her heart long ago. His time away had seen him change and mature. No longer the adorable free spirit of his youth, but a man, handsome and resigned.
She stood herself up from the wall and bowed.
"Your highness. I am rejoiced by your return."
Calder took a step toward her, shaking his head. "Tasha...."
Instinctively, she backed away. "Astasha, your highness. Royal Sorceress Astasha."
He stopped.
They both knew what that meant, what it would mean from that moment on, but his eyes still wandered over her, his fingers trembling, as if they longed to reach out for her.
Using the last of the energy she held, Astasha built a barrier around her heart, shielding it as much as she could from her own longing, from the pain inside that threatened to overwhelm her. But it was weak, and she could feel the fire that fueled it begin to flicker. She needed to get away. She wouldn’t be able to control her emotions if that little ball of light inside her failed.
The only way out, though, was past him. The other direction led simply to a storage room. Why hadn’t she just kept going? Why did she stop here?
You know why. She told herself. In a way, she had wanted this to happen, needed it to, even if it meant torturing herself. But now that she was there, face to face with him, she knew she wasn’t strong enough to stay.
"I'm sorry, the Grand Sorcerer will be searching for me. I should go." She tore her eyes away from him, dropping them to the ground as she tried to rush past. But his hand reached out, gently taking hold of her arm.
"Tasha, please..."
It was like an electric current running through her body. Every fiber of her being hummed with yearning, and the little ball of energy around her heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Had it always been so intense, feeling his touch? Gods she had missed it, missed him. As much as she wanted to, she didn’t dare look at him. She wouldn’t be able to leave if she did.
His gaze bore into her and she knew if she allowed him to say anything more, it would break her.
Please, Goddess, give me strength. She thought to herself as she took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, and with the last shred of fortitude she had left, the sorceress pushed past him out into the hall, leaving the Prince standing there in the corridor, his hand still reaching out for her.
Astasha had never run through the halls of the palace faster. She was desperate to get away, away from the one thing her heart was crying out for most. She needed to breathe, to clear her head, needed time to ground herself and process the heartbreak that was ripping through her soul. Finally, she reached the Magic Quarters and flung herself into her chambers, slamming the stout oak door behind her. It was a decently sized room. In one corner, sat a large canopy bed, its thin drapes pulled back, a wardrobe next to it. In the other, a tub and washing basin. On the opposite side, there was what used to be a study, but had been converted into a witch's workshop, with dried herbs and crystals, a scrying glass, bottles and containers of all kinds, and above it, a window built into the ceiling, opening up to the sky. Astasha rushed to the fireplace next to her workstation. Usually, she could create fire from her very fingertips, but there was no energy left in her to do so. Fumbling with
The castle had been bustling all afternoon. People from the village came and went, as the entire staff ran busily about. The beginning of the celebrations in honor of the Prince’s return was to be a party of great splendor, held in the largest garden of the palace, with performers and music, food and drink, and all of the castle and village were invited. Astasha had spent the afternoon preparing herself, returning to her small clearing to properly pull as much energy as she could handle, centering her focus and grounding her mind. After bathing, she changed into a long red gown with gold embroidery, leaving her back and arms exposed, her sash tied around her hips. As a witch, she never went anywhere without it, as it carried a number of magical items she never knew when she might need. The pouches that held them dangled and bounced as she gracefully made her way out into the garden. The area was packed with people from all walks of life: villagers, royals, soldiers. Tables were sca
Astasha set her glass down on a table as she wound her way through the festivities. Having performed a quick spell when their hands had touched, tethering Calder's energy to her, she could sense where he was and knew he was following her. No sooner had she slipped into the crowd, had he excused himself from the conversation he was in, and headed after her. While she knew he was smart and wouldn't make it obvious, he was quickly starting to catch up, and she worried someone might notice him rushing after her into the woods, so she quietly uttered under her breath, and with a flick of her wrist, a rush of air pushed a servant carrying a tray of glasses, right into his path. A smile broke across her lips as she heard the poor soul apologizing profusely for getting in his way, while Calder graciously tried to take the blame. He had always been so humble, never viewing himself above anyone. It was part of what she had loved about him, still loved about him if she was being honest. She k
Astasha was shaken to the core, her thoughts running wild, and her energy sporadic and messy. None of it made sense, not what she had felt or seen. Could it have been her emotions for Calder warping her perception, making her feel and see things that weren’t actually there? No, she knew better than that. Something was wrong. And to make matters worse, she had allowed herself to fall into a compromising position, one she had sworn she would avoid at all costs. But there was just something about him… he truly could make her lose all thought of reason. As she slipped back into the party, she knew it was imperative that she returned to her room as quickly as possible, where she would be shielded behind closed doors to properly process what had happened. There was no knowing what emotions could be felt coming from her if she didn’t collect herself before speaking to Errant. Rushing through the crowd, she quickly made her way back into the castle. Desperate to reach the Magic Wing, she ha
What was he thinking!?Astasha couldn't believe the Prince was actually requesting her presence in his private chambers. Of course, this wasn't entirely unusual. Members of the Magic Advisory had been known to attend to the royals in their rooms from time to time, but mainly when they were ill or needed something cleansed. This particular request was quite unorthodox, and with the possibility of an Authentication Ritual, not to mention whatever suspicions Cordelia harbored, it could be disastrous. No one refused a regal request, however, and luckily the servants were sworn to tight lips regarding private matters of the kingdom’s rulers.Astasha quickly changed into a slightly less revealing gown of black and gold, and followed the young servant through the palace to the royal quarters, her runes clicking against her thigh as they walked, although she would be thoroughly surprised if they were actually needed.They reached a set of vast doors with guards stationed on either side. “The
Everything that had happened since the Prince had returned felt surreal, like a dream and a nightmare wrapped into one.Astasha was drained of everything. Never had her energy levels been so low.Errant had indeed heard her message, and had rushed toward the Prince’s chambers, sending a servant to summon the rest of the Advisory. It was on his way there that he had come across the sorceress, unconscious and pale on the floor.Quickly, he tried to revive her, but something was wrong. Energy was lashing out of her, chaotic, frightened, unpredictable, and dark. Whatever had happened to his young Fire Witch, it had shaken her so deeply, it destabilized the very foundation of her energy.As soon as his Earth Sorcerer arrived, Errant ordered him to ground her as much as possible, attempting to calm and subdue the erratic energy pulsing through her, before rushing off himself to ensure the Prince was secure.At last, Astasha had come to, full of panic, and demanding to know if the demon had
Astasha had left the King's quarters with her mind reeling. All she knew about blood magic was what she had read in that book, and now she had barely any time to find a way to use it to free Calder. It had very much been insinuated, that should she get caught, there was nothing the King could do, and rightfully so. Josnen was indeed the ruler of the land, but when it came to magic and the laws that bound it, the High Council of Sorcery was in charge. Should a mage break any of the rules put in place by them, their punishment could not be overruled by the court. It was a delicate dance between who stood where with the laws of royalty and magic, but a necessary one. Therefore, the King had done all he could to help Astasha by informing Errant that a replacement Fire Witch was to be brought in before he would allow the ritual to move forward, so that Astasha could be left to recover from her ordeal. While she was sure the Grand Sorcerer had his suspicions, he could not go against Josn
Whatever happened now, there was no going back. She had sealed her fate, and with it, Cal’s. If she failed, they would both suffer greatly. The demon clapped its hands together, making her jump slightly. "Wonderful! Now, let's get me out of this body and your precious Prince returned to you.” It turned and sauntered into the sitting area, plopping down into a chair. “I’m assuming you’d like to know how.” Astasha followed, taking a seat across from it. “That would be helpful. Considering you’re a demon, I’m assuming whatever ritual you have in mind will require the use of a less favorable magic?” It put its fingertips together. “Such a clever girl. It does indeed require something a little more to my tastes, blood magic, to be precise, although I’m sure you’ve worked that out already. You’ll need a sacrifice too, a human one.” Astasha blanched. "Absolutely not." As much as she wanted to free her Prince, she refused to harm another being to do it. The demon raised its eyebrows.