Conflicting Hopes

Chapter 1: Revenge is not everything

CHAPTER 1

It brought grave devastation to the Kingdom of Avalon, the coming of the Great Witch. If you’d ask the elders who had lived in those times, you would find them hesitant to say anything. It was simply because the terror they felt in those times was still fresh in their minds. Who could have forgotten such grave things? Though most of them were physically treated already and some were continually recovering, but their minds and hearts were still trapped in that tragedy.

They said that The Great Witch used to be a very fine woman, in fact the prettiest probably in her generation. But, nobody knows what became of her, and why she joined the dark order.

But some elderly said that she used to have great affection for a huntsman who works for the king. They said that the huntsman got killed in a distant land doing the command of the king. What surprised her was the king’s negligence to the subject. He did not seem to care for the death of his loyal servant. How much more can he be concerned of the welfare of the people if he acted like that? That, is what they said the root of her hatred towards the king.

When she came to the palace and pleaded the king for a proper burial of the huntsman, not only the king got raged of her seemingly improper conduct and pleas, but also the people who heard of it.

She just bowed lowly her head while going towards the door for exit, but not without giving a look at the king to remind him that he’ll regret ever caring less for his people, especially her husband. She wanted to make everyone regret not helping his husband in his mission, because it has orphaned her child, the only child she and the huntsman have.

Nobody had ever dared to call the underworld in those times, not only will they be gravely punished by the lords of each kingdom, but it also meant taking their lives. But, sometimes, when we decided on things especially on times when our mind are boiling hot as a cauldron and our hearts pained like it was being stabbed many times, that we make grave decisions that will most likely destroy us. But, Madeleine did not feel regretful after bargaining her life for dark magic, she already knew too well about the myths, what she needed was revenge.

She practiced dark magic. Her beauty really did come handy to her in those times, because of this she had successfully lured many men to side with her; not only men but also other wizards who had slight dispute with the king. The most special of all, was when she had lured the dragon, Kilgara. If the Greeks have Helen who can launch a thousand ships, then Avalon has a Great Witch who can lure the dragon to fight for her.

It was considered the darkest hour in the Kingdom of Avalon. The onslaught advanced by the Great Witch. It had killed the king and had almost destroyed the whole Kingdom. But it did not become as successful as she planned it to be. There was this boy, holding the ring of hope. It had blocked her power and so was the dragon’s. Instead that the Witch hit the boy, the force returned back to her. The elders say this was the reason the Witch died. And so everyone else on her side backed out, and so did the dragon.

But before The Witch died, she ordered her manservant to take good care of her only daughter, because there will be one day, when she will grow up to be like her. Much greater than her. Because this child was meant for greater things, and she would someday fulfill what she had not finished.