A Grim Fairy Tale

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Alastor, Blitzo, and Moxxie returned to the cottage simultaneously, each carrying their own intriguing piece of information to share. Alastor uncovered the true reason behind Desdemona's animosity toward Charlotte, yet he chose to keep her and her mother's dark secret of being witches under wraps, honoring the promise he had made. Meanwhile, Blitzo and Moxxie discussed a troubling rumor: a doctor from Russia had implicated Alastor in the village massacre. This revelation prompted Charlotte and Millie to share their own unsettling experience, revealing that the same doctor had gifted Charlotte a comb that inexplicably transformed into a delicate white rose.

"Those foolish villagers think I'm responsible for all those deaths?" Alastor exclaimed, incredulous. "That's preposterous! Sure, I can't deny that I wouldn't kill a man or two who pushed me too far, but I would never slaughter an entire village—especially not women and children! And even if I were that deranged, these particular murders couldn't possibly be my doing! They've been occurring since I was a boy, perhaps even before I was born."

"Do you really believe those frightened fools will take the time to consider your age and do the math?" Blitzo replied, shaking his head. "All they'll see is that you're different, and the different party always gets blamed, innocent or not. That's been the case since before Christ was even a thought."

"So what does that mean for him?" Millie asked, her brow furrowed with concern. "Is he safe here? Do we need to move?"

"For now, I think we're safe as long as he avoids the village. If he must leave the cottage for any reason, he should keep that cloak wrapped tightly around him. As for that so-called doctor, I suspect he's either the real culprit or knows who is. He was far too knowledgeable and specific about the boy to be just a random accuser."

"What about the comb he gave me?" Charlotte interjected. "And the fact that it transformed into a rose?"

"I'll examine that right now." Moxxie said, carefully retrieving the flower from the vase where it had been left. "I'd also like to take a look at the letter from the king. Any detail, no matter how small, could be a clue."

Moxxie descended into his alchemy laboratory, which, though modest in size, provided enough space for him to conduct his work.

As Moxxie entered his alchemy laboratory, the atmosphere shifted from the tension of their conversation to the focused energy of experimentation. Shelves lined with various herbs, potions, and peculiar artifacts surrounded him, casting a warm glow from the flickering candles placed strategically around the room. He placed the delicate white rose on his workbench, its petals shimmering with an ethereal quality.

With meticulous care, Moxxie began to examine the rose. He carefully touched its petals, noting how it felt both soft and oddly warm to the touch. "This is no ordinary flower." He murmured to himself. "It seems to pulse with some kind of magic." He reached for a magnifying glass and peered closely at the stem, searching for any signs of enchantment.

Meanwhile, Alastor and Blitzo remained outside the laboratory, their voices hushed in a serious discussion.

"We need to figure out how deep this goes." Alastor said, his eyes narrowing. "If that doctor is behind this, he could be a threat not just to me, but to all of us. We can't afford to be complacent."

Blitzo nodded, his expression serious.

"Agreed. We should find out more about him. If he's making accusations, he might have a motive. And if he's connected to Desdemona's issue with Charlotte-"

"That's something I simply don't understand." Charlotte interjected, her voice tinged with disbelief. "She wants me dead because she believes I'm prettier than she is? What on earth could have led her to such a ludicrous conclusion? If it were because she thought I might be a better ruler or more noble due to my bloodline, I could at least grasp that. But beauty? What beauty? I have none. She's the one everyone has always declared the fairest in the entire kingdom. How could she possibly see me as competition?"