The Flower that Bloomed in Winter

Awakening

Her head was still attached to her neck, she used her fingers to feel around her throat, prying for an opening. Cassia gasped and sputtered, turning over to heave into the grass. 

Her stomach turned, recalling the all-too-real nightmare. 

Cassia had been certain that she had met her end, she could still feel the pain in her fingers from having them cut off. The child looked down at her hands, which were still trembling. She rose shakily to her feet and grasped her wand. Cassia kicked up from the tall grass by the woods, taking off in search of her Mother. "Cassia, come play!" One of the children called from dirt path that led towards their sunny circle, where they would chase each other until the fireflies called them home. "Sorry! I'm busy!" Cassia called back, not turning to see who had yelled for her. 

The child's bare feet padded against the mud, the bottom of her silky white dress turning a ragged brown. Cassia flung open the door to the home that she and her Mother occupied, her Mother sitting hunched over the fire with her wand in one hand and a wooden stirring spoon in the other. Her purple hair was done up, held together by a stick and her dress, the color of a warm sky, hung off of one shoulder.

 "Mother!" Cassia's eyes filled with tears, recalling the moment she had watched a knight plunge a sword into her chest. 

"Cassia, come here my dear child. Oh, what is it? Did one of the children bully you again?" Her Mother rose quickly, wrapping her arms around her daughter. Her embrace was warm, she smelled of thyme and smoke, the scents of home. "I feel as though I have been gone for a very long time," Cassia murmured into her Mother's soft dress. "What do you mean? You only left to the meadow a few hours ago," Her Mother's gentle smile graced her features, she reached forward to wipe the tears from Cassia's cheeks. 

Cassia's relief dissipated quickly. "I had another nightmare," she whispered, "but I think-" a hand stopped her. "Shhh," someone was lurking just outside the door. Cassia's Mother had been shielding her from the village Elder since she was young. The child had been having strange, prophetic nightmares for as long as she could recall. Cassia's Mother did not want her daughter to be taken away and trained to become an Oracle, she did not want her child to be forced into the hands of the King. 

"Mother, this one is important." Cassia begged, tugging on her Mother's white dress. A knock came from just outside. Cassia was ignored, her Mother waving her wand to open the door. Their neighbor, Marigold stood just outside. "Oh good, you are both here. Acacia, the Elder wants to see everyone." Acacia nodded, looking down at her daughter. "I will be back, alright? Stay here and play with Marigold's son."

"No, I want to come with you." Cassia was resolute and Acacia could do nothing but sigh. "Alright, but take my hand." Cassia nodded, latching onto her Mother. Together, the two took the dirt road to the gathering place, a rather large hut where all of the adults had come together. It was open seating, but by the time they had arrived, the chairs had run out. 

Cassia stood in the back with her Mother, who smiled down at her, not letting go of her hand. "Acacia oh and Cassia too! I did not expect to see you both here." An elderly woman by the name of Lilia smiled down at Cassia. "One moment, I brought some sweets with me. I was baking them when the meeting was called." She reached into the pocket of her red apron, stained with flour, and took out a biscuit. "For you dear," Cassia took the cookie gratefully, her stomach rumbling. Her Mother laughed, "what do you say?" She asked, the child looking down at her feet. "Thank you," Cassia murmured. 

The room quieted when the Elder entered. She was a stout woman, old, with long white hair braided in three plaits and eyes lined with crows feet from spending too much of her time smiling. Today, however, her expression was stoic. "I am glad you have all come," the Elder looked around the room, meeting as many eyes as she could. 

She took a seat at the center, a single chair left for her. With a creak in her bones, she rested for only a moment, setting her knob of wood that she used as a cane aside. 

From the pocket of her blue cape, the Elder revealed a parchment scroll. The seal of the King stamped on the front in gold wax was visible to all. 

Cassia's stomach dropped, the room quickly fell silent. She could hear the sound of the paper unwinding, the Elder taking her time to unfurl the scroll, her voice soft, but loud enough to carry across the meeting space. 

"At 10:59 on the morning of Second Day of the Third Month, of the Five Hundredth and Sixty Eighth Year of the great Kingdom of Edenbell. His Majesty, the King, has declared that sorcery is a blight and has become a stain on this great nation. When the bell tolls for the midnight hour, the Order of Knights shall oversee the execution of every sorcerer in the Edenbell Kingdom."