Entwined

Bewitched

Year 5792 (Waheed)

"Please don't do this." Nyx begged, her face was covered with the veil but Waheed knew she was about to cry. Her begging and pleas was also making him rile up at his mother and he clenched his jaw.

"Your Majesty, my son will be an emperor and it is utmost he does this to not waver during the times of war." When his mother glared at Nyx, Waheed temper shot up, he was about to snatch his hand from his mother's hold but he stilled, when his mother said. "If he's soft, he will not able to protect you and our empire."

"But he's only eight." Nyx cried and pleaded. "He is still a child."

Waheed both loved and hated it when Nyx treats him like a child, he wanted to be her equal and wanted to be able to protect her, not babied by her.

"Your Majesty, an emperor does not have the luxury of having normal childhood, you ought to know that, after all you are an empress." His mother's words and sternness in her voice enabled, Waheed to understand the solemnity of the situation.

His mother started marching ahead in the dungeon taking him with her. He was half expecting Nyx to follow them and when she didn't, he strangely felt relieved.

I want to be strong.

And Nyx wants me to be a child, I don't like it. But I like her.

I like Nyx. She's my.... She's mine.

I want to grow up soon and be the best Emperor for her.

His feet started hurting and Waheed thought, they must have walked half a mile. His mother's pace was hard to catch up for him but he didn't complained as he does not like people who whine.

He thought this part of dungeon was strange as there were no guards here. When they soon stopped in front of a Cellar, his mother opened the lock and when they went inside; Waheed squinted his nose as the stench was poignant and disgusting.

There was one man in the middle, tied to the chair he was sitting on, his torso was bare and torn. The man had long thin white hair up to his midriff, his beard was long too. Both his hair and beard were tangled that it look foully. As Waheed looking at the man, he heard his mother's voice. "Waheed, pull out your sword and kill him."

Waheed look up at his mother face inquisitively and saw her nonchalant expressions. Kill him. Why?

Waheed was about to ask his mother the reason, when the old man said in shaky voice. "Goddess blessings on you, your highness. I finally got to see you, your eyes has that golden glint in them, you are indeed Royalty. Our glorious Emperor son, peace be upon on his soul."

Waheed felt odd, the old man was looking at him with such devotion, it seemed surreal.

"What are the charges against him?" He asked his mother.

"Indeed our true benevolent Emperor's son." Said the old man, gleefully and Waheed thought that this man was not right in the head and senile.

"As per the imperial law he is charged with an attempted murder of Empress, treason, hate speech, disruption of public peace." Waheed mother, warrior knight of the empire, listed the criminal charges.

Attempted murder of Empress. Nyx.

He tried to kill Nyx?

Waheed blood rushed to his head, he gritted his teeth, he was getting infuriated by the seconds.

"Empress." Said old man with such contempt and disgust. The detest was oozing out of his body as he spat, then continued. "That witch is no empress. She should be killed! A tainted blood soiling our dynasty. She and her kind are a disgrace to our society. She should die a painful death that her ancestors will shiver."

Waheed was stunned, he could not understand why anyone would hate Nyx? How could they? Why?

The old man continued, "Your majesty, I committed no treason, it was to save you from her clutches. She wants to bewitch you! We can't have that, you are our future. That tainted blood and her kind is the enemy. Someone kill her! Better you kill her, you are our savior. Don't let her get to you, your Majesty. She Should die!"

Waheed could not understand why anyone would hate Nyx and wants to harm her? He was shaking; was it because of loathe, disbelief or unbridled fury welling up inside of him, he couldn't tell. His nostril flared and his jaw clenched, he pulled out the sword from the scabbard and stopped.

It should be painful. I will hurt him. How dare he? He wants to kill Nyx? He wants to hurt her. My Nyx! How dare he even think of harming her. I will make him.... I will hurt him so bad.

"NO! NO! NO!" The old man started sobbing. "It is too late our future.... he's bewitched. That harlot bewitched our savior, our only light "

Bewitched?

"We should have killed her." Old man kept mumbling and weeping.

Eight year old waheed, felt so much rage and hatred, it was suffocating and overwhelming him. He wanted to not just kill him but hurt him, hurt him gruesomely. He never felt this immense rage, he wants to shut this old man mouth who was speaking terrible things about Nyx.

"Your Majesty, please don't let her have you. She should be killed, she doesn't de----" The old man words cut short when Waheed pierced man's chest with his sword. The man's anguish filled cries and muffles soothed Waheed and dampened bit of his growing fury.

The old man was in extreme pain but not dead, concluded Waheed and said. "Kill her? No! I will kill every single one of you."

His mother nodded at him with an almost half smile but what she said next baffled his mind, perplexed him for years to come.

"When you become Emperor, marry Nyxle and make her your empress. She should be your first wife, never let her go, Waheed. Even when she despises you, detest you, loathe you, wants to be away from you, keep her close. Never love her enough to let her go."