The witch's tower: The last witch's curse

Spellcast 15: Veritas 1

There was once a land, far from here, ruled by young prince, whose caring wisdom and power, protected the kingdom as the last survivor of his bloodline... 

This Prince was only young, and he could not be crowned King until he had found a maiden worthy enough to rule by his side and tend for the lands... And so, eager to take over the lands and bring them to prosperity, the young Prince known as Prince Tristan set out on his travels, to find a woman in whom he could share his life with forever...

He searched, both day and night, going from village to village, disguised as a mere traveller, searching for a young lady who he believed had both the heart and wit to care for the lands alongside him... Yet it seemed to be at no avail at first, for from the many people he met in his day and age, only fools had a heart... And the smart would close their hearts off to the world around them forever, so as not to get hurt. In the end, it almost seemed like a fruitless search, as by one of the last villages, the young Prince decided that it may be best if he decided to give in...

However, in that village, surrounded by yellow blossoms, that rose like spirit lights in the wind, he laid his eyes upon a sight far more beautiful than he could imagine... A woman whose heart was a beautiful as the warm smile on her face as she went round the village tending to people who had injuries and illness... A woman in whom every person in the village loved, and treated almost as though she was a blessing from above... This woman was a magic user, a caring and intelligent white witch, who used her magic to better the life of those around her... And with one glance, the prince found himself falling in love...

He was shy at first, once a week he would travel to the village, if only to catch a glimpse of her, still disguised as a traveller... But as he found his love for her growing ever stronger, finally, one day he decided to approach her...

"E-Excuse me young miss, may I ask what your name is...?" Came a voice from behind a woman dressed in a large dress, of both black and white, with long hair, as white and radiant as that of starlight, turned to see who was calling over to her. And from the road nearby she saw a strange and young traveller, with light brown short hair, and almost hazel gold eyes, dressed in some rather fine clothing... And for a few moments, she remained quiet, not quite sure why this stranger was talking to her. Before she smiled to him gently, with a kindness that showed brightly in her pink coloured eyes...
"My name is Rosalyn Isolde..." she stated warmly...

From that point, the young Prince Tristan would often find himself going to visit Rosalyn Isolde once a week, to go and learn more about her and be in her company some more, little knowing that the young witch had already been married to another...

"Mistress, are you really going to meet that Tristan man again?" The woman's bat familiar Ciel questioned, as the young witch packed a basket filled with small goods and potions from near her cottage door.
"Why it is he, who visits me every week Ciel..." she told the bat, who seemed to shuffle his wings a little uncertain, as he looked to the rooms behind them.
"The master is going to be home soon mistress, be sure to be back before he gets here, you know what he is like..." Ciel pointed out as Rosalyn nodded, making sure her stuff was all packed and ready to go.
"Do not worry Ciel, I'll be certain to keep my guard up round him" Rosalyn reassured her bat familiar, as Ciel seemed a little hesitant at first... Before he then sighed with a nod, flying over to the window.
"Then I guess I will look after the house for your return..." Ciel told Rosalyn, getting himself comfortable as Rosalyn looked back to him gratefully.
"Thank you Ciel" she thanked him, bowing her head a little to the bat, who nodded as he watched Rosalyn leave the building... Before he then shook his head with yet another small sigh.
"The things I do for that lady..."

"So what is it that this potion does?" Tristan questioned, picking up a clear bottle that contained an opal coloured liquid within it, as Rosalyn took a closer look to it as she collected some herbs from one of the herbs.
"That one heals people who have a hex of bad luck upon them" Rosalyn replied, as Tristan admired the potion for a few moments more, before he smiled brightly to Rosalyn with a nod.
"Amazing as always! I wish I knew how to create such potions" he then went on with a shy laugh as Rosalyn handed him a small collection of the herbs, bringing his meek chuckles to a hush.
"You can, potion making is something anybody can do, not just magic users" she told him, as he looked from the herbs, to her in slight bewilderment at first, before his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Lady Rosalyn, do you reckon you could show me how to make such potions?!" Tristan inquired excitedly, absolutely fascinated with the idea much to Rosalyn's surprise as she at first seemed rather stunned at his request... Before her expression became somewhat troubled...
"I would not be able to teach you at my home, for I am forbidden to bring anybody back there..." Rosalyn explained nervously, as Tristan seemed a little surprised by her words.
"Why is your family of high class?" Tristan questioned as at first Rosalyn seemed to think on how she should answer such a question, when she then nodded.
"I-I guess in a way you can say that..." she replied, when a positive smile overcame Tristan's face as he grabbed Rosalyn's hand between both of his, this sudden action making Rosalyn somewhat instinctively flinch, when she then noticed that Tristan was not all angry with her... In fact he seemed rather confident...
"Then introduce me to your family Rosalyn! I am certain that I can live up to their standards, in fact, I guarantee they would feel honoured as I would be, to be in their presence" Tristan then told her, as Rosalyn glanced down to how gently he held her hands, a kind gaze in his eyes...It was a sensation she was unfamiliar with as she then slowly pulled her hand away from him, no longer keeping her eyes on him...
"Unfortunately, it is not my blood family who hold such value's, but my husband..." she told him, lowering her head a little, as her words seemed to stop Tristan completely in her tracks... She picked up her basket, taking a small bow to Tristan before turning away from him.
"I am sorry young sir, but I must be returning back to my home..." she stated, deciding to take her leave in a rather rushed way, as Tristan snapped out his daze, calling after her as she ran off.
"A-Ah wait!" he cried, however his words didn't seem to quite reach her, as he gave a somewhat saddened look, watching her leave... "Married huh...?" he uttered slowly...

"Mistress, he has returned..." Ciel uttered dryly, later that evening as Rosalyn looked up from her potion making, to look to the door with a distant expression, as somebody approached the door of the small cottage... And through it, stepped in a man, wearing a cloak completely made of black feathers, over a white, now blood stained top and ragged black trousers... Though this man was almost the same age as Rosalyn, his battle wounds, and his rather cryptic expressions gave him a very much aged expression, his dark scraggly brown hair also dripping with a bright red fluid as he stepped in, his dark, almost soulless black eyes reflecting no sort of light in them, as Rosalyn's eye's widened a little. There was a small silence as at first the man looked around, as though he was on guard for something, as slowly Rosalyn got to her feet, putting her potions down...
"You went out on a hunt again... Didn't you...?" she questioned the man, who simply looked to her icily.
"Eh, and so what if I did?" he questioned acidly, as Rosalyn's eyes narrowed up in disgust as she backed up a bit, tightening her hands up.
"The magic you are using is forbidden!" she then stated as the man merely scoffed at her words.
"I do what I must to get rid of anybody who stands in my way..." he stated slowly, turning to look at her apathetically as Rosalyn began to argue against him.
"The innocent people you just killed weren't in your way at all-!" She began angrily when quite suddenly, the man raised his hand up at her, her words being cut short as she found herself having to quickly moved her hand in front of her, to freeze the dark magic spell that aimed for her head... She gave a somewhat startled breath after not breathing for a seemingly long lasting second or so, the bright purple flames of whatever unnamed dark magic curse he was going to put in her sizzling away, as the man walked away into the back of the cottage.
"Annoying... Next time you screech like that, I will kill you when you aren't looking to stop a spell..." the man simply put it, walking slowly away from Rosalyn, who found herself almost at her knees in shock, Ciel flying over towards her.
"Mistress, are you okay?!" he questioned as Rosalyn looked down miserably, her breath still trembling somewhat as nodded, a pained look in her eye...
"I'm fine Ciel..." she uttered, taking a moment to recollect herself... Before she looked back to the door at the back of the cottage... "That man..."

Rosalyn Isolde had been married to the master of dark magic's, Bertram Vaughan, in hopes that an alliance between magic users would save all magic within the future... However, she could not love the man... Nor did she believe in the slightest that the man actually loved her, much rather, the only thing her loved about her, was the expression of misery he would get from her after his day to day abuse... He would vanish all day, up until witching hour every night, where he would return, reeking of the blood of other humans... And from there, he would continue to torment and beat his wife, for that was all he knew how to do... He was a man that did not know how to love, or accept love, only a man who like to cause misery... And for that, Rosalyn's happiness became a sacrifice for magic... That was until...

"Mistress, do you truly believe it is a good idea to go out to that man at all today...?" Ciel inquired, as Rosalyn at first seemed a little cautious about the idea as she packed food for herself... However a slightly warm smile appeared upon Rosalyn's face as she placed the food within her basket.
"I cannot just leave him waiting, can't I?" Rosalyn then pointed out, as Ciel remained silent to her words, watching her anxiously... It seemed his mistress had become quite fond of the strange traveller that had come to visit her quite often... And when you compared that traveller's kindness towards Rosalyn, in comparison to the maliciousness of her husband, it would not be surprising to imagine there was something more there... However... Ciel looked down in a troubled manner as he fidgeted a little... As innocent a love it could be, if Master Bertram were to come home and see her being so familiar with a normal blood... Part of the bat dreaded to think as he saw Rosalyn walk out the door, leaving for another day round the village... It was perhaps a fear that he should have been more wary of, than he thought. For that particular day, the wizard of dark arts had decided to keep tabs upon his wife, to see just what of hers he could destroy for her...

"Y-You really came here...?" Tristan inquired, a little surprised to see Rosalyn heading up his way, as Rosalyn nodded to his words.
"I figured you would have travelled pretty far to come and meet with me again, so I decided to pack you some food and talk with you face to face..." Rosalyn pointed out as she raised some small sweet breads from her basket, Tristan's slight look of bewilderment, morphing to that of a small and relieved smile, as he scratched the back of his head.
"I see! Well I will happily accept your gifts if you will sit and eat with me" Tristan stated, making sure his horse was securely tied up to the fence, before taking a small run, jumping over the fence towards her...

"I see... So you are married because of this magia's covenant thing...?" Tristan inquired, as Rosalyn nodded, the two of them sitting beside the tree, on the slope that stood before the village, a slight wind going through her hair as she took a bite of her sweet bread.
"However it is still of my choice... As much as I detest my husband, the fate of many of my kind rests on this marriage turning out right... It's a promise made between both the users of dark and light..." Rosalyn explained as Tristan simply kept his gaze on her, part of his mind being elsewhere as he stared at her...
"Is there any way, to free you from this man, or this covenant...? Or a way to protect all magic user's at all...?" Tristan inquired, as Rosalyn's expression remained rather perplexed, before she lowered her head, shaking it with a slightly distant sigh.
"I am afraid not to our knowledge no... The prophets simply stated that light and dark must join... The we must become one body, one mind, one soul..." Rosalyn explained as Tristan seemed to become rather troubled himself with those words.
"So as one flesh, as written in the holy manuscripts..." he concluded in his mind, before giving a long sigh himself, with a slightly agitated groan as he stretched his arms up trying to think. "Maybe there are other ways to interpret it...?" he then brought up, trying to think to himself, before clicking his fingers a little. "Maybe they don't mean so much as actual light and dark powers, but maybe they mean opposing forces?" Tristan then suggested, as Rosalyn tilted her head a bit in though, looking quite uncertain with the idea...
"I... I guess... But there isn't really anything else in the magic world that opposes one another..." Rosalyn then pointed out. And it was upon these words, Tristan then leaned forwards a little to look to her seriously.
"Aren't normal bloods and magic users opposites...?" he noted as for a few seconds, Rosalyn seemed a little surprised by his suggestion... Before her cheeks flared up slightly as she glanced away from him shyly.
"Si-Sir Tristan, I do not know what your intentions were as you said that, but you need still remember that I am married... You cannot seek to gain anything from me..." Rosalyn pointed out as Tristan nodded to himself, keeping his gaze on her calmly.
"I do know... But for me, just being in your presence is enough..." Tristan replied, as Rosalyn seemed to become even more flustered to his words, when Tristan then got to his feet, having a good stretch from beside her. "We will find a way past this riddle Lady Rosalyn, and we will free you from this unhappy covenant you are stuck in..." Tristan then stated, before looking down to her warmly. "When we do, I have something important to ask you..." he then went on, as Rosalyn seemed to be both a mix of curious and wary as to wear he was going with that point, as she simply gave a small nod in response, not knowing what quite to say, as Tristan gave small smile of relief. Before he took a deep breath. "However, before I do that, I have something important I have to tell you. In all honesty, there is something I have not been quite honest with you about, due to personal reasons. However I believe it is something I can trust you with!" Tristan informed her, before he gave her his usual energetic smile as he pointed to himself. "Please meet me here tomorrow by noon, and I will tell you everything!" he then stated, his words catching her interest as he then began to head his way back to his horse.
"Is it not something I can find out about right now?" she asked him as Tristan untied his horse from the tree, Tristan shaking his head as he did so.
"No, as I will need to prove what I am saying to you, I am heading back now to go and get tha proof!" Tristan replied, as he quickly got onto his horse, his words somewhat baffling Rosalyn as she nodded slowly, watching him get ready to leave.
"I see..." she replied, not really questioning more on the matter, before bowing her head a little. "I shall see you tomorrow then Sir Tristan" she stated as Tristan waved at her, before galloping off.
"Till noon Lady Rosalyn!" he chimed, before setting off, Rosalyn watching him ride off, still a little lost for words, her mind seeming to trail off somewhere else for a moment, before she then realised what she was thinking, She shook her head, before slapping both her cheeks a little. Before then she got to her feet.
"I should go work on more potions for villagers.." she muttered, quickly grabbing her things, getting ready to head off, not noticing the eye's watching her from behind a nearby tree... A crooked smile growing on the wizard of dark magic's face...

"Let me out of this room now!" Rosalyn shouted, slamming her fists against the door of her room, Ciel giving a panicked movement from beside her.
"Mistress, please stop, you are going to hurt your hands!" Ciel exclaimed as Rosalyn drew back a bit with an antagonised expression on the morn of the next day. Her hands were slightly singed, small cuts appearing in him, where she had done her best to break past the barrier spell that was over the door, something in which her husband had put around the room as she slept. Rosalyn's eyes narrowed a little as found herself yelling even more.
"Bertram, what is it that you want?! Why have you locked the door on me?!" Rosalyn then snapped, as they came a somewhat darkened chuckle from behind the door, which made both Rosalyn and Ciel flinch, as Bertram spoke up with a rather cryptic cackle.
"Why my dearest... That is something you probably already know yourself..." he stated as Rosalyn's eyes began to widen...

It was noon by the time the young prince had arrived to the meet up point, as promised, this time arriving in a much more luxurious carriage, surrounded by guards, which he told to stay waiting upon the outside of the village. He this time wore finery from the palace, though to actually make it to the meet up spot, her covered himself in a shawl. He decided that today would be the day he would come clean about his identity to Rosalyn, rather than continue pretending that he was just a mere peasant. Though he didn't expect her to be impressed by it much, he was hoping that maybe his status might actually make her a little more hopeful in their plan... At least, he would have hoped. For it was not actually Rosalyn he met at the meet up spot, but instead a rather tall man, dressed in a cloak of black feathers, his face completely covered in scars, slightly hidden by the hood in which he wore, as Tristan gave the man a confused glance, lowering his own hood. The man he found himself confronted with, seemed to contrast greatly with the warm summer setting of the village, he wasn't somebody you would expect to find in such a place. In fact, the man seemed to emit quite the sinister aura that made his hairs stand on end a little.
"Excuse me good sir... But have you happened to see young lady with white hair nearby...?" Tristan decided to question the man, treading lightly around him as the dark wizard seemed to grin a little to Tristan's words, before looking up to him with a rather distant stare.
"You won't have to be worrying about her. She won't be coming..." Bertram answered Tristan, who at first, seemed to be even more a loss... And though he was suspicious, he remained rather calm as he asked his next question.
"And who might you be, may I ask...?" Tristan inquired as Bertram gave him his answer without hesitation.
"I am Rosalyn Isolde's husband... Bertram Vaughan... Though I'm supposing you already knew that..." Bertram answered, as Tristan at first seemed a little surprised... However he gave a faint and accepting smile as he nodded.
"I had a faint idea. However this does come as quite shock..." He replied, before he then placed his hand to his chest seriously. "I am Prince Tristan Labelle, current heir to the throne... And I know your reasons for being her is most likely because of Rosalyn herself, yes...?" Tristan then explained, as Bertram's eyes glimmered faintly.
"Royalty huh...? What is somebody such as yourself, doing exploring small villages like this...?" Bertram questioned.
"That is because I am trying to find a person to share the throne with me. If I do not, I won't be able to become king..." Tristan replied, not really hesitating as he knew his words were probably going to make his intentions more clear. And it was to these intentions, that Bertram gave a leering smirk.
"So you thought you'd make my wife that person?" Bertram pointed out as Tristan's eyes narrowed faintly.
"Only if she was to agree..." he answered seriously, as Bertram began to laugh at Tristan's response, in an eerily hearty way, his smirk only growing wider as he narrowed his one eye at Tristan with a twisted expression.
"So you would come right out and admit it huh? I have no doubt that my wife would agree at this point, she would most definitely choose to leave me if it weren't for our agreement!" Bertram then notified Tristan, who felt a slight hint of annoyance to the fact that the dark wizard could be so patronising about it.
"Do you even love your wife?" Tristan inquired sternly as Bertram cackled to this one line.
"Love her?!" Bertram scoffed in a jeering tone. "I hate that woman to her core! How could I fall in love with somebody as irritating and ignorant as herself?! We are polar opposites, nothing alike. No, I would only love to see that woman break in two!" Bertram then snickered, finding the very concept extremely humorous. His words making Tristan's hands clench a bit... And yet, despite his own sudden urge to bring the man before him to his knees, Tristan decided to keep his head cool, able to understand that getting into a battle with Bertram, was not something he would want to attempt.
"You sound as though you have very little use for her..." Tristan pointed out simply as Bertram gave a twisted smile as he brushed back the hair on his face.
"The only reason I would look at her, is because we are under this foolish covenant with the council. And even then, I am only taking part because I wanted to see their plan fall to pieces, I do not care for the future of magic, nor do I care for the future of normal bloods like you. Royalty or not, your status means nothing to me!" Bertram then began to hiss, as Tristan could only look to the man with slight pity. For his mind to be this warped, probably meant he was never really shown any sort of warmth or light in this world at all, he had only been fed with darkness and despair. To the point where his apathy overtook his sense of reason... He pitied the dark wizard before him, for he had a perfect chance to experience that light and warmth before him, he was now married to that warmth... His polar opposite could have actually given him something, however he was just throwing it away... Pitiful...

"And what about you, have you fallen for my wife? No you needn't answer that, I already know, no, tell me this. What does a normal blood have to gain from her? Is it power? Is it the ability to be healed whenever you want? You are royalty; you obviously seek some sort of use from her! This day and age, I very much doubt that you fell in love with her at first sight, there had to be a-" Bertram began questioning when Tristan cut in confidently.
"It was love at first sight!" Tristan affirmed, as Bertram seemed to twitch a bit at the prince's words... "It was love at first sight... From the moment I laid eyes upon her, I was completely in love with her both her beauty inside and out... And I have only grown to love her more since then... Rosalyn is very beautiful, and it is a shame that you are unable to see what you have got!" Tristan then went on to Bertram seriously, as Bertram's teeth seemed to quite suddenly grit...
"Beautiful you say...? Why your majesty, you like beautiful things? Seems un-suiting for a man who is meant to one day rule the kingdom"
"You're words aren't hurting me at all. I just choose not to be blinded such as yourself..." Tristan shunned off Bertram's words, as Bertram scrunched up his facial expression a bit. Before he then began pacing around Tristan curiously.
"Blinded you say...? And what your majesty, do you believe I am blinded by?" Bertram went in almost a coiling like motion around the young prince with a sly leer, maintaining eye contact with Tristan, who kept himself rather placid to Bertram's forms of intimidation.
"You're blinded by your own desire to destroy things and malice... Living like that, somebody like you will never find happiness... And you will never see beauty in anything..." Tristan answered as Bertram then pulled away from Tristan with a scheming snicker.
"Is that so?!" Tristan snorted, before he then lifted his cloak to the left a little, a rather manic expression appearing upon his face. "Then if you are so sure, then why don't I show you what it means to truly be blinded by destruction and malice?!" Bertram inquired , as there quite suddenly came a small blue flame from beneath Bertram's cloak, that at first seemed to hover upon nothing, a slight ghoulish noise coming from within it. And yet, before Tristan could even look away from it, the flame suddenly leapt towards his right eye, as Tristan's eyes widened quite suddenly.

A sheering pain shot down throughout his eye and down to his very core, as though somebody was slowly ramming an ice stake throughout his eye socket, as Tristan gave a loud cry of pain, holding onto his eye and falling to the floor... And following that pain that continued to grow worse and worse, was multiple flashes of something morbid, something extremely terrifying. Flashes of what looked to be hell, a land engulfed in nothing but poverty and flames. It was as though the entire kingdom has been completely turned to ruin, and through that, through those small flashes, he saw them... Distorted, twisted creatures which looked neither human nor beast... Much rather, there was no true form to describe them with, they looked absolutely demonic... Creatures that wielded what looked to be magic, wreaking complete havoc everywhere. And one glance from them, one passing second of eye contact, was enough to completely fill Tristan's soul with complete terror, as he gave an soul shattering scream, as he fell back away from the creatures, everything beginning to go blurry as he felt blood begin to trickle from down his eye, seeping through his fingers and falling to the floor.
"You said that this was what blinded beauty... Well your majesty, I would like you to try gaze upon anything magical or beautiful again..." Bertram's voice seemed to echo around his as everything became dizzier and dizzier...

"Your Majesty?! What is wrong, we heard screaming!" one of the guards yelled, running over to where Tristan was, only to see him sitting upon the hill in a complete daze, blood pouring through their hand much to their alarm. And yet there was not one sign of Bertram, simply Tristan on his own, almost soulless as he held his eye.
"Your majesty?! " another guard grabbed hold of Tristan, only to find him unresponsive, before he looked to the other guard as he grabbed Tristan by the arms. "Search round this place for a culprit, we need to get his majesty home!" he demanded as the first guard nodded, going off to search the area, the second helping Tristan up...

There was a slight sense of dread, as Tristan watched the bandage being take away from his right eye back at the palace, a woman with short brown hair, and soft green eyes taking a good look at his right eye before placing the bandage down with a sorrowful look.
"I am sorry your majesty, but you have seemed to have had a curse placed upon you, and a powerful one at that..." The woman explained, keeping her head low and raising a mirror up to Tristan's eye, to reveal it was now a bright blue colour, with swirled hints of whit and dark blue within it. His eye looked almost exactly of that like a vortex, even seeming to swirl around slightly like one. Beneath his right eye was a dark blue curse mark that seemed to almost smoke from off his skin, deeply engraved beneath his eye socket... "That curse mark is one only you and magic users who have a hand in dark magic, even I cannot see what is truly there... This curse is an ancient one, one that not even I the palace mage can truly recognise... There won't be any sort of cure for it." The woman explained on, as Tristan raised his hand to his eye, and ashen look upon his face... He could no longer see those horrible visions, and yet, the sensation of something cold, burning its way through his skull was still there, as though it was infinitely cutting through his brain. "You will either go completely mad by what you may see... Or it may completely consume your soul and leave you for dead... I'm sorry your majesty, there is nothing I can do..." the woman lowered her head even more sorrowfully, as Tristan lowered his hand, for a moment, seeming to gulp... However, he gave a kindly smile to the palace mage before him.
"No, I understand... Thank you..." Tristan thanked her, bowing his head a little much to her shock, before he gave a slightly perplexed expression... "I won't let myself go mad..." he added, as he held his eye... "I promise..."
"It is not one that I expect you to be able to keep, but I will not doubt your strength your majesty..." The palace mage commented, as Tristan noticed the woman's tone sort of distort a little, noticing something cryptic flickering in the corner of his eye. He looked to the mage in shock, who seemed to flinch a bit at him jumping; only to see that she in herself was completely normal, in fact she held quite a concerned and caring expression for him, as Tristan then looked down with a shaken look...

It was a promise, that as the mage foretold, would not be kept. The curse was slow at first, almost barely noticeable. Just a flickered glimpse into what sort of hellish future in which Tristan would wind up having, as though it were a small picture presented to him every so often... But as the chilling sensation of burning ice continued to seep through the young prince, slowly the effects of his curse were becoming more and more apparent... From morbid sightings he would see round the palace, to every night, waking with morbid and terrifying nightmares... Slowly, they began to eat at him, each realistic nightmare, each mistaken glance of a user of magic, as something from the realm of complete horror, began to slowly drain his sanity, leaving him in maddened fits every night. The terror eating away at his heart, traumatising him every night, a terror he could not stop, for even when he did his best to think rationally against the matter, they would come back just as powerful. Fears that were consuming him, blinding him of all sort of logic and reason, crushing his soul into a nervous wreck... Until one night...

"His majesty has lost it again!" one of the guards cried as a small group of courtiers and the palace mage ran past him, running into Prince Tristan's room, which now lay in tatters, as Tristan now stood from the middle of it, a sword now in his hands as he gave loud cries.
"Y-Your majesty!" one of the courtiers cried in shock as they all found themselves backed up against the room, feathers falling against the moonlight from the destroyed bed sheets as Tristan held his sword up in a defensive stance, rasping for breath, his eyes looking around in a frantic as he shuddered.
"Th-They're all around me now... C-c-Can't you see them?! They're all around me!!" Tristan cried, looking around the empty room in a neurotic fashion, slightly whispered hisses and chants raining down his ears as he covered them, giving yet more pained cries.
"This is the worse he has been yet..." one of the courtiers mentioned, as the palace mage gave a rather unsettled expression, pulling up her skirt a little before slowly approaching the prince...
"Your majesty! You need to calm down, and realise what you are seeing is not real!" she told Tristan, who upon hearing her voice, looked back to her... And then he greeted her with an expression of complete fear and hatred as he backed up more.
"Th-This one is so near..." he uttered palely, walking backwards as the mage gave him a cautious expression.
"Y-Your majesty-" she began when quite suddenly Tristan swung his sword at the woman's neck, with a clean strike as at first the mage seemed rather dazed... Before blood then spurted from out of her neck as she gave a loud cry, before falling to the floor limply, her cries falling silent as soon as they escaped her mouth, as she dropped dead. The courtiers all at once, becoming absolutely petrified of their prince, mortified with what he had done.
"Yo-You're highness, how could you?!" they cried as Tristan gave a blank and maddened stare to the dead body before him, only able to see the corpse of a grotesque beast before him... And as he stared at it more, his own thoughts were becoming all the more twisted and corrupt... Ah... Why hadn't he seen it until now...? The fact that this was the true forms of the magic users, that they were all beasts in disguise, waiting to destroy the kingdom and every normal blood in it... Why hadn't he seen it before...? Everyone, every male, female and child were an enemy... Even Rosalyn... Even the woman he loved, and had yet not seen in so long, was his enemy, the sight of her in his memories obscured by the flickers of the flames of the only hell he could see as he gave a long pained cry. Before he then raised his sword and began stabbing the mage more and more... He had to makes sure it was dead, he had to make sure they were all dead! To kill them all, that was the only way he was going to be able to save him and his country. All the magic users had to die!!
"Y-You're majesty..." the courtiers trembled as Tristan finished slamming the blade into the corpse, his entire body now covered in blood as he looked back to his fearful courtiers with a blank stare on his face, blood dripping from the black sword within his hands...
"Remove this corpse... And bring in the duke, I have a law I want to make..." Tristan uttered, dropping his sword before the courtiers coldly, who seemed almost too frightened to speak... before one of them found the courage to speak up.
"B-B-But your majesty... You are still not wedded, you cannot make laws like that yet..." The courtier pointed out as Tristan paused, almost seeming hesitant for a second... If he could never look upon Rosalyn again without ever seeing her true form, if he knew he wouldn't stay sane round her anymore, then there was no point in marrying for love anymore... He had to kill them all... All of them... Even Rosalyn...? He found himself questioning that, in a slight fragmental thought of his last remaining sanity as he looked back to the courtier, the moonlight making his cursed eye light up in an almost haunting shade of blue.
"Then find me a woman to marry... Any will do, and make them marry me by tomorrow morning, so I can pass this law..." Tristan stated, the courtier going to object, however, the words seeming to fall flat from his mouth, as he looked grimly to the now shredded up and mutilated corpse of the palace mage before the.

"We entrusted our kind to the both of you, and now look at what has happened!" a wizard spat at both Rosalyn and Bertram from within the magic council, within a stone circle at the dead of night, as the other magic users around them nodded with a disapproving sneer. "You have started a war!"
"It has only been a few months, but already because of his majesty's laws, so many of our kind have been slaughtered. As many the young as the elders, slain without remorse... " a white which mentioned almost gagging as she reflected on what she had witnessed as Bertram just stared at them with a leering smirk.
"Who is to say that it was our fault, just because you got the riddle wrong, don't get blaming me..." he stated with an apathetic snort.
"The reason his majesty is anything like the way he is, is because of you Bertram!" another wizard, dressed entirely in black robes hissed acidly in the complacent wizards face.
"I expected Bertram to be the cause of such troubles, but for Lady Rosalyn to be a cause..." an elderly wizard muttered from the front, wearing simple robes over himself and holding a wooden cane as he lowered his head. "To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement..." the elderly wizard mentioned, as Rosalyn lowered her head miserably in shame. A small imp like creature jumped from foot to foot nearby, pointing a sharp metallic staff in the direction of both Bertram and Rosalyn.
"How shall they repent?! How shall they repent?!" it cried as the first wizard gave a sharp sneer.
"There is no way for them to repent... The only way they can make up for it now is by ending their lives honourably here!" he seethed as a small orb from nearby, flying around in a deep red light began chuckling darkly to itself.
"Indeed, they must die! For my fallen family, and lost friends, please die here!" the fae chimed in a sadistic way, as some more wizards began to nod and agree with the idea, Rosalyn's eyes tightening up in slight fear, when somebody then spoke up.
"Enough, I have heard enough..." came a somewhat sly voice from within the small crowd, a wizard dressed entirely in a monks cowl stepping up through the circle, as the circle fell silent...

"Dracul..." one wizard uttered in slight contempt, as a wizard with dark almost starry looking eyes stepped within the centre of the stone circle, all eyes now on him. And he then stretched his arms out a bit.
"I, am a man of god, a man of both forgiveness and justice... A man who can see things no other can see... And the gods have spoken to me..." Dracul began as one wizard quite suddenly got very angry. "Enough of this blasphemy Dracul! There is no way the gods would choose somebody with a past as tainted as yours to be a prophet!" the wizard snarled as the elderly wizard hit his staff off the floor, silencing the one dressed in all black.
"That is enough Saeus, let the man talk..." the elderly wizard stated, as the man known as Saeus flinched a little.
"But Ariadne...!" Saeus began, before grunting away his own words, allowing Dracul to speak more.
"As I was saying, the gods have spoken to me, and they told me, that the way we have been looking at this has been far too wrong..." Dracul went on, before he looked back to Bertram with a slight smile, Bertram smiling darkly back before Dracul then raised his hands. "To become one mind, one body, one soul, in accordance to any religious text does not mean to be wed..." Dracul then stated, the other magic users quite suddenly beginning stirring at his proclamation, before Dracul then eyed Rosalyn up... "It means to create one flesh..." he then stated, as for a moment, the council seemed to try and work out what it might be that he could mean, before they quickly came realise his words were aiming for as Rosalyn quite suddenly gave a look of mortification at the idea. "The only way to repent would be doing your best to fix this mess..." Dracul stated as he kept his eyes with a burning gaze upon Rosalyn. "If you cared about any of the lives that have been lost due to your mistakes, you would create one body together to become the magia's covenant..." he went on as everyone began talking all at once.
"A white arts user and a black arts user birthing a child?? Is that not impossible?!"
"The idea is taboo as it is, but none of those couples successfully ever gave birth to a mixed child!"
"But both have the same ability, both are as strong as one another... So the child would die would it not??"
Bertram gave a small snicker, wrapping his arm around Rosalyn's shoulders as she froze up completely in horror, a laid back smile on his face.
"Don't worry, me and my wife would be happy to try as many times as possible to fix our mess!" Bertram chimed with a wide smile, before he looked back to Rosalyn sinisterly... "Isn't that right... Sweetheart?" he cackled a little to himself as Rosalyn looked away from him in complete disgust, her face ashen as she held her arms a little... To birth his child... To have to sleep with such a man... She did not want it... She never wanted it...
"You will do it Rosalyn..." Dracul then spoke up with a slightly wide eyed grin, making her flinch. "You will birth this child, and repent..."

"Mama, mama, I found some flowers out back for you!"
Rosalyn looked down from her sewing to see a young girl, with short bobbed hair, as crystal white as her own, and large, radiant , pink coloured eyes in which she had inherited from her mother. The small purple frock she was wearing now all muddied along with her face and hands as she held up a bunch of daisies in her hands... Rosalyn gave her child a slightly confused look, as she picked up a rag from beside her.
"My, how do you keep getting so dirty...? I just had you cleaned..." Rosalyn sighed, as Ciel, who flew from behind also gave a sigh.
"I'm sorry mistress, but she doesn't seem to listen to me very well..." Ciel stated, feeling rather exhausted as the young girl held up the daisies closer to her mother's face.
"Mama, mama, do you like them? They are for you!" the young girl exclaimed excitedly, as Rosalyn took a good look at the flowers , before smiling warmly at them, taking them from her daughters hands and patting her head. This child was the one that she had to try for, for nearly five years... The true form of the magia's covenant people relied on so dearly, and yet also her beautiful daughter. Her precious, precious, only child, which was the only reason she had left to smile, to live anymore... Her most bewitchingly gorgeous, yet most isolated daughter...
"Yes dear, they are beautiful! I love them!" she told her child, who seemed to be looking at her mother expectantly, before giving her mother a large and please grin...

And it was as she smiled, that Bertram walked into the house, his face coated in the blood of normal bloods, just as it always usually was, as though it were his trophy for having killed another random bunch of humans outside. And the room was silent as the man walked through, Rosalyn keeping her head down miserably as the young girl looked back to her father with slightly withdrawn expression.... Before the girl then grabbed one of the daisies from her mother's hands, suddenly getting up and beginning to walk over to Bertram, much to her mother's shock as her mother went to reach out for her.
"Ra-"
"Papa..." the young girl began, holding out the daisy to her father as he walked past... "I got you this from outsi-"
"Burn it, I don't want anything from you disgusting mix-bred wretch..." he father cut in acidly as the girl gave a rather stunned look, before both lowering her hands and her head, as her father walked away... Trying her best to hide her own loneliness and sadness... That young girl who stole a name...