Witches Don't Burn, Silly

I, Personally, Would Die Under the Pressure

 "Welcome to Glorious Beginning!" I slide on my ring and Seth does the same thing as he slides off of the horse. "Wow, they cleaned up quickly since I set half the place on fire." I looked around my old home with a touch of sorrow.

"You did?"

"Yeah, but I extinguished the fire once I was outside of the town so it wasn't like it would burn everything." I sigh as I look at the sad town I used to call home. There were still some scorched marks on the ground and along some of the walls as we walked through the town. I frowned. The people here weren't coming out like they normally did. No one was talking to each other. It was as if they were all facing a moral dilemma since I left.

"Hello, ma'am, sir." I turned to see Gregoric hobbling over to us. "What brings you to this town?" He smiles sweetly but I remembered how he sneered at me when I was on my knees during my trial. I put a smile on my face.

"We are here to sell herbs." I smiled and lifted the basket I was now carrying. "We were hoping to talk to the village healer about our pastes and tonics. They have proved very helpful to the other villages."

"Oh, a business woman." The village elder smiled.

"Yes, she is." Seth's disguised face smiled down at me. I just wanted to see his real smile, right now. Especially since we went this whole day riding together in silence after what took place yesterday at the inn. The gold thread of magic between us pulsed in a constant reminder of how things changed between us.

"How long have you two been married?" The village elder askes. "I see you have a baby." He smiled and it was genuine, soft and sweet, something I had never seen from him before. I move the blankets out of her face to show him the beautiful baby.

"Yes, well I got pregnant soon after we were wed." I smiled. "We just celebrated our one year anniversary."

"Well, isn't that just lovely." Iris smiled up as the village elder spoke. He cooed at her. She yawned. "What's her name?"

"Iris." I answered simply. If I used my name here I would be found out quickly. Seth doesn't have a last name so it made things complicated if they asked for a real last name. I glanced at the gold thread even when Seth stepped away it still connected us. It felt like it was pulling me to follow him, to stay closer.

"Well, isn't that pretty." He smiled. "I can walk you to the village healer, but first I must ask that you meet with the count to let him know that we have visitors in the village. It has been quite depressing around here since the count's only daughter passed away."

"What happened to her?" Seth asked as he glanced at me.

"Well, that is a long story." The elder hummed and led us to my old home. I could feel myself become sick to my stomach the closer we got to the house. I held Iris close to my chest as if I was trying to block her from the horrors I had lived through. She won't ever have to live through them, I can keep her safe now. I swallow my fear and keep walking.

"Who is it?" My dad's gruff voice reaches my ears and I try not to gag. He let me burn. He told me to burn. He was the one that lit the match! Seth grabs my hand and gives it a light squeeze and I take a deep breath as the thread hums at the physical touch.

"We have visitors, sir." The elder explains to my father calmly. "They wish to sell their herbs and tonics to the village healer."

"Come on in." He grumbles. The elder pushes open the door and I walk into my father's study. I freeze when I walk in. This couldn't be right. The shelves were broken and books were scattered along the floor. Bottles were broken or spilling everywhere. "I apologize for the mess." My father smiles.