WITCH - The Queen

Chapter 78

Fiete

The small group of soldiers didn't expect them.

A dragon? Perhaps. But three? Three hungry white dragons? No. The border guards clearly did not expect this. They ran in panic and shouted, threw stones, as if this would be a solution. One of them lit a torch and wanted to scare them away. Silly!

The three dragons carried a large tarpaulin with them, which they later wanted to carry their prey. But before that, they had to satisfy their hunger.

With soldiers.

Not necessarily Fiete's favorite food, but he wasn't picky. After the three were full, they set fire to the camp, collected the weapons, stowed them away, and flew back.

And this with well-filled stomachs.

Josefine would certainly have had fun here. However, she would have played with her food... The soldiers of the Witch Queen were therefore lucky to have become the meal of white dragons.

Julia

The road to the other tribe of centaurs dragged on. In the meantime, Marko had asked about ten times when they would arrive. Julia was lazily looking at the endless grass when she suddenly had a vision. First, her vision went black, then she saw shimmering fog, which turned into the usual images:

The Queen's troops gather in front of and around the castle. Harpoons are set up. The queen awaits the arrival of the army. Soldiers scour the Elven Territory in search of Julia. The queen looks down on her soldiers from one of the windows of the castle. Tears roll down her cheeks, but her expression is iron and determined. She sets a trap for her attackers. The soldiers are equipped with new swords. Search parties scour the land. Marie kisses her servant Theo. Leopold plays around a campfire with an elf child. Wolves run through the gorges of their mountains. They bare their teeth. A mermaid bites into the raw meat of a wriggling fish. The queen smiles as a couple of talented witches from the magical science have enchanted bracelets that allow them to escape the mental influence of the centaurs. Tents are set up in the Elven Territory. Close to a river.

"Julia! Is everything alright?" Flordelis stood bent over her. "You fell! Do you want me to carry you?"

"What?" Julia blinked. She was lying on the ground. Next to her sat Leopold and Josefine. Cleo and Jane stood next to Flordelis and seemed equally worried.

"You had a vision, didn't you?", Leopold asked her insistently, helping her back to her feet.

"Yes. I saw my mother's army. She'll be waiting for us at the castle", Julia murmured, sighing. "And she's going to set a trap for us."

"A trap?" Cleo snorted. "At the castle?"

"Yes. I couldn't see exactly what it was. But we will have to be careful", Julia explained.

"Then we'll set a trap for her, too!", Flordelis suggested. She looked at Julia skeptically. "Are you feeling better? I could carry you."

"No!" Josefine shook her head. "I'll do that if it's needed. Thank you!"

Tiyam, Finn, and Marko snickered.

Julia smiled amusedly. "I'm fine." The queen would look for her in the Elven Territory? That was unfavorable... Was it possible to hide the tents with magic? Cleo might know that.

"A trap?" Jane looked thoughtfully at Cleo. "That's a good idea."

Cleo nodded. "As long as she doesn't see the trap coming."

"Is it possible to stop her from that?" Leopold asked, reaching for Juliet's hand. Josefine stood protectively on her other side.

"Hmm... She is already waiting for us. But... Somehow I prevent her from seeing me... Maybe I'll be able to hide our exact plans from her..." Her mother was not allowed to see more than what she already knew. "Cleo?"

"Yes?" Her older sister raised her eyebrows with a smile.

"Is it possible to hide an army with a spell?"

"It's not easy, but it's possible. Why?" replied Cleo.

"Mom is looking for me again. She must not know where we are setting up our camp. We must not be found." Julia sighed and rested her head on Leopold's shoulder.

Cleo nodded. "Leave that to me."

Marlon

Marlon eagerly awaited the arrival of his queen. Soon she would be there. Especially when she used the horses of the elves.

Fast horses.

But first, other things needed to be taken care of. Marlon stood in the large hall and watched as two coffins, one large and one small, were taken to the basement of the castle. In the same cool room where his parents were lying. There, the bodies of Coletta and Coralie were to await their funeral.

Marlon flaunted his grief. He wiped fake tears from his face. His 'servant' Keno stood beside him and handed him a cloth handkerchief. Keno would stay in the castle for the time being, so as not to arouse suspicion. Somewhat grumpy, he continued to play the patient servant.

The council members had also gathered in the hall. With their heads bowed, they stood mourning the loss to the kingdom. But as soon as the coffins were out of sight, a soldier ran into the hall. Breathless, he stopped in the doorway. "Prince Torsten has been spotted! In a village!", he shouted. "My commander wants to know if we should bring him and the princess home?"

The answer was a resounding 'yes' from the Council. And Marlon expressed his interest in having his family with him. He needed them by his side. They certainly had no idea what had happened. Especially now, the siblings had to stick together.

(c: sasi)