The Guilt Of The Past

"Oh, how she has grown up as beautiful as her mother." He thinks to himself as he lifts his head off the door, walking towards the empty bookshelf in the back of the room. Tobias moves around the stacks of books that litter the floor. He leans inward towards the bookshelf and studies it until he comes to the far left side. Tobias stands up straight and recites an incantation. Suddenly, there is a loud creaking sound as part of the bookshelf starts to open up. He waits for the secret door to fully open before he looks inside the hidden compartment at his most precious possessions. His eyes move past the wedding rings that he and his beloved Jane wore, past his jeweled leather bound spell book, straight to the baby blanket that Jane knitted herself for when Rosaline was born. He gently picks the blanket up and hugs it to his chest as he remembers all the wonderful memories with his family. Tobias realizes that Rosaline grew up to be an extremely gentle young woman and yet, she knows nothing of her father thanks to King Nicholas. As his anger for the King grew and grew inside his heart, the past gripped him and pulled him back to the night his entire world changed.

"There is nothing I can do Tobias, Jane has been accused of witchcraft and my subjects want something to be done." King Nicholas explained calmly.

"But she is your sister, Nicholas! How can you just calmly condemn your sister to death for no reason?" Tobias exclaimed angrily.

"Yes, I am aware that she possesses zero magic; however, everything has been set into motion already and I cannot undo anything."

"Please, Your Majesty, save my beloved from being burned alive....take me instead!"

"I will not take your life, Tobias because you do have magic and I want you to aid my wife to make everything perfect when we do finally conceive a child."

"Oh, I understand Your Highness..." Tobias began sarcastically. "You know magic is not evil; however, you just want the magic for yourself."

"Yes, I do and you will obey me or something may happen to Rosaline next."

"How dare you! You would harm a five-year-old..." Tobias exclaimed shockingly.

"If you do not obey me then perhaps I shall."

"I wonder if the Queen knows of the black heart you possess," Tobias mumbled.

"You dare threaten your King?" Nicholas fumed.

"No, of course, I do not threaten you, your majesty."

"Good; however, because of your foolishness, you will do one last thing for me regarding your daughter."

"Keep my daughter out of our conversation, Nicholas. You do not want me to become angry."

"How funny of you Tobias, you know that if you do anything to me, your daughter will share the same fate as her mother and you will truly be alone in this world."

"What would you have me do, Your Majesty?"

"Much better, now I want you to create a potion to erase your daughter's memory of tonight and of you as well."

"No, I will not do that to my only child."

"Fine, but remember we can always have two witches burn tonight instead of just one."

"I hate you for this, Nicholas, and I hope the fates have something nasty in mind for you."

"I do not care how you feel as long as you spend all your time and effort on the Queen and her health."