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 hastily rounded a corner, running head first into someone coming from the opposite direction.
Had she been focused, it never would have happened. Had her thoughts not been back in the forest, she would have sensed the person before even reaching them. But with her mind such a mess, she hadn't felt the Water Witch just around the bend.
"Astasha!" Cordelia was standing there, her face a clear sign that she was reading everything coming off of her. The Fire Witch tried to calm her thoughts and emotions, but the slight blush of her fellow sorceress’s cheeks meant she must have felt some of the passionate energy that still lingered from her prior experience in the woods.
"Cordelia, I'm so sorry--"
"What is going on?" Errant's voice hit Astasha's ears like a tidal wave. "I haven't felt this much chaos since the Battle of Three Seasons."
What hope she had had of time and privacy before having to face the Grand Sorcerer was gone. She would have to tell him something, and she prayed to the Goddess that he wouldn’t pick up on anything that might make him wonder about her tactics.
"I'm sorry, Grand Sorcerer, I was just… shaken by something."
She could see Cordelia’s eyebrows raise suspiciously.
Errant crossed his arms. "And what, exactly, could have shaken you so much that it caused you to become this unstable?"
"The task you appointed me… I found something.”
Errant’s entire demeanor changed instantly. "If there is this much cause to be concerned about the Prince, you should have come to me immediately!”
“I apologize, sir, I just, I wanted to collect myself before coming to speak with you, calm my energy so I could be more direct.”
There was a light scoff from the Water Witch as she mumbled under her breath. “I’m sure you did.”
Astasha gritted her teeth. For some reason, Cordelia had always been cold towards her, but whatever it was she didn’t like about the Fire Witch, she was clearly piecing together an idea of what may have happened, and Astasha silently swore to curse her should she say anything more, or her little quip raise questions with Errant.
If it did though, the Grand Sorcerer didn’t voice them at the moment. “Well, speak child, what happened?”
She took a deep breath and tried to work out the best way to word what it was she needed to tell him, without giving away any details that might hint towards her less than appropriate encounter. Why did Cordelia still have to be standing there? No matter what way she turned it, it only served to give her more ammunition.
"I did as you requested, to try to figure out what had happened during the ritual. But, when I broke through the Prince's defenses, there was something about his essence, almost like, there was something else there, something cold and malicious. And then…” She paused, not sure if she should tell him, but knowing it was too important not to. “I saw something, something in his eyes. I don't know what it was, but it was like there was someone else looking at me, not him. And then it was gone."
Errant’s face was like stone. "This is a very serious thing, Astasha."
She nodded. "I know Grand Sorcerer. I would be lying if I said it didn't frighten me." Calder was different. The Prince in the woods was not the man who left five years ago, but there was no way she could tell Errant that without opening up a list of things she couldn’t explain without incriminating herself.
He studied her for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. "I am calling a meeting of the Magic Advisory to meet with the King at dawn. I will need his permission to do so, and your consent, of course, but, in order to determine what could potentially be happening, it might be necessary for us to see and feel exactly what you did. Perhaps there is another way, one less complicated, but there is a Fire Sorceress I know and trust who could step in if it does indeed come to that."
Astasha’s stomach dropped. He couldn’t mean what she thought he did… She had read about Authentication Rituals being performed on members of the Advisory before, having an outside mage brought in to fill their position for it, but it was only ever done in extreme cases, such as treason or… infidelity.
A small smirk appeared on Cordelia’s lips, and it took everything for Astasha not to light her pretty blonde hair on fire. Instead, she focused her attention on Errant. There was no need to raise suspicion. "If that is how we must determine what is happening with the Prince, then you have my cooperation."
"Very good.” He said before turning to the Water Witch. “Sorceress Cordelia, please inform the others of our meeting in the morning.” He looked back to Astasha. “You should retire for the evening and clear your energy. We’ll all need to be focused tomorrow.” She nodded in understanding. “Now, I must return to the garden. I have been away from the celebration too long and there is no knowing what other trouble could have arisen in my absence." And with that he turned and strode off down the hall.
Cordelia's smirk widened as she brushed past Astasha. "Best get your rest, you seem utterly worn out from your… encounter. Who knew fear could get someone so excited?"
The blonde laughed softly as she strode off down the hall and Astasha's stomach turned. There was no way she could know, but it was clear the Water Sorceress had her own ideas of what had happened, which could be even more dangerous if she wasn’t careful.
Wasting no further time, she rushed to her room, collapsing against the door as soon as it was closed behind her. This was a mess. If only she had kept her distance from him in the woods, but even then… if they did indeed decide to perform the ritual on her, there was no hiding what had happened between them out there, which was enough in itself to warrant her being stripped of her magic and banished. It was the punishment for any witch who fornicated with royalty. But refusing her consent would be just as risky. She was between a particularly horrible rock and a hard place.
Everything had fallen apart so quickly and spectacularly, all because she couldn't fight what she had felt, not five years ago, not now. Downtrodden, she slunk over to the fireplace. Coaxing flames to life inside it, she sat on the floor and let their power flow into her, her thoughts wondering. Her hands drifted to her lips, remembering the feeling of Calder's against her own, his taste, and then the taste of blood. She touched where he had bitten her. The Prince she had fallen in love with was tender and sweet. He would never have drawn blood like that. Would he?
During the five years he had been gone, he had faced things she couldn't have imagined. But he had seemed unchanged from what she had seen and felt. Until now. Until... She tried to remember exactly what was happening when she noticed the shift during the ritual. He had been in the Land of the Dead, facing his final test at the Stone of Balance. That was when it happened. Whatever it was that changed, it was there, in that moment.
A knock drew her from her thoughts. The fire had begun to die, and the moon was creeping higher. How long had she been sitting there? She stood and went to the door, opening it to see a servant standing outside. The hall was quiet and she could sense that the party had calmed. "My lady, his majesty has requested a reading."
Could King Josnen not have requested anyone else? Then again, it was possible she was the only one not preoccupied with other duties. Astasha sighed. "Please tell the King I shall meet him in the Moon Tower shortly." It was the highest point in the castle, and opened to the sky, allowing light to spill over a small enclosure where most readings of the runes took place.
But before she could close the door, the servant shook her head. "Not the King, my lady, the Prince. And he has requested you join him at his private chambers."
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.
Once Astasha knew how the power of ‘the sacrifice’ (as the demon called it) worked, it had given her detailed instructions as to how to actually perform the ritual. After that, she left the Prince's chambers as quickly as possible, wishing nothing more than to cleanse herself of their lascivious encounter. Returning swiftly to her room, she immediately bathed, her cheeks burning red as she washed away the traces of her former arousal. She didn't know if she would ever be able to forgive herself for what she had done, what she was about to do, but she would deal with those consequences later. For now, she needed to focus on the more pressing issue at hand… preparing for the ritual without getting caught. Once washed and dressed, Astasha slipped out of the castle to the woods, taking with her all the supplies she would need. Her little clearing would be the perfect location; hidden, and known only to her. No one would accidentally stumble upon what was happening without knowing where t
Despite her racing heart, Astasha forced a calmness over herself. Not only was she about to break more magical laws than she had ever thought possible, she was also sneaking the most dangerous being in the kingdom out of the only place it was secure. There was no time for second thoughts now, though. Once again, she urged the flames outside the Prince’s door apart. But before stepping through, she paused. The moment the demon crossed that barrier, her life was forfeit. She thought about the promises she had made, the oaths she had sworn, to the Advisory, the King, Cal, even herself. Somehow, each of them had led her there, to that moment, and with a final breath of freedom, she walked through the parted fire and into the hall, the demon right behind her. Making their way out of the castle was slow going and full of anxious pauses. Each second, she waited for the alarm to sound, every corner, for Errant to come into view. But after a handful of quick ducks into small corridors, an
The joy Astasha had felt only moments before, turned quickly to horror and dread as she looked up at the Grand Sorcerer trembling in rage before her. Grabbing her dress, she pulled it on and stood to face him.Errant looked as though he could destroy the entire clearing with the wave of his hand, and it was utterly terrifying. His eyes were dark, his hands balled into fists at his sides. She didn't know exactly how he had found them out, but the vile look on Cordelia’s face left little room for doubt that the bitch had had something to do with it. However, regardless of how he had gotten there, Errant was indeed there, and Astasha had no way of knowing how much he had actually witnessed.It didn’t take magic to sense the amount of trouble she was in, but even if she had wanted to, there was no energy left within her to try to read him.“Grand Sorcerer, I can explain.""Silence!" His voice had never had that tone before. He looked at Astasha and then the Prince, who was fastening hi
He had had her in his arms, after everything he had fought through to return to her, she was there, in his grasp, and now, she was about to be gone forever. Calder couldn't even begin to process what was happening. He remembered the first time he had laid eyes on the beautiful redhead in the market. Her smile melted his heart, and her eyes burned into his soul. He didn't fully understand why, but he needed to be near her, to know her, protect her, love her. It didn't matter to him when he found out she was a witch, he would find a way to be with her. She was kinder and stronger than he could imagine, and brilliant in more ways than he could count. She was perfectly flawed and the only woman he ever wanted by his side. The night before his trials, he had made love to her, the passion like burning coals within him. There was no experience he could compare it to, but he knew, a part of him would burn eternally for her. So he swore to himself that he would return from his journey swifter