13 Witches Cursed ADELAIDE

Preface

Emalyn was seething with rage. It rose throughout her body, setting it on fire. How dare he do this...to her. She is his wife. They vowed to be faithful. She had kept her side of the bargain, much to her dissatisfaction at times. To find out that her husband had a child with his poor and commoner mistress...it was almost too much to bear.

"What are you going to do Emalyn?" her pathetic, cheating husband asked while she paced around their gigantic bed chamber.

He was right to ask this question. They were both magical witches. They had an arranged marriage, twelve years before. Up until this point, their marriage had been mostly amicable, if loveless. They did their duty, had six children, all 100% magical; four boys and two girls, all happy and healthy. Some good times were had and some bad, but for the most part, their arrangement worked for both Emalyn and Karlen.

But now...now he would pay for his infidelity.

"What am I going to do Karlen? What am I NOT going to do? For starters, I will no longer remain faithful to you. I am going to take as a lover whomever I choose, whenever I choose and you will have no say. Our children are grown, all of them, so there is no longer any need for you to visit my bed chamber. We will be married in name only from this day forward. You are free to be with whomever you wish. Since you have already done so, there is no need for you to stop."

"I will agree to these terms." Karlen said.

"Oh, but I am not done yet. You will leave this house."

"Leave Emalyn? This is my ancestral family home."

"Yes Karlen, it is, but you will leave and establish your home base elsewhere. You may return for the children's birthdays, family occasions, holidays and such."

"Fine. I can move to the hunting lodge. Is there anything else?"

"You will double my allowance Karlen."

"Double? That seems a little unreasonable. You barely have an allowance as it is. Your bills come in every month, heavy at times. You will continue to live as you have Emalyn, with no withdraw of my financial support. But I cannot double your allowance."

"There will be a curse." Emalyn said, her lips thin.

Karlen gasped. "Why would you do that?"

"I guess there is no point in hiding the truth from you now. I am not as I appear. My magical powers...my capabilities...are more than you could ever guess. What you have done...how you have wronged me...you will pay for your sins and so will your descendants from your bastard offspring. They will all pay for what you have done to me."

Karlen looked defeated and withdrawn...and frightened. He believed every word Emalyn said. He instinctively knew she was telling the truth even though he never had any knowledge of her true self. There was always something off with Emalyn. Now he understood his instincts had been right.

"Are you taking that whore and her bastard child with you?" Emalyn said as an afterthought.

"I don't see why I shouldn't. It might be better for them both if there is never a chance you will meet up in the village. I hope you realize how truly sorry I am Emalyn. I never meant to hurt you, honestly. It just...happened. I never intended to betray you."

Emalyn said nothing to his apology.

It would have been one thing, for him to confront her, tell her of his unhappiness and they agreed together to take separate lovers. It was done all the time and considered normal. Once the children were born, wives generally had their freedom. But to go behind her back and even produce a child that was not hers...it was too much. Emalyn was not a fool and didn't like to be made to look like one.

She was one of the most powerful witches in the Ugren District of Preynadar. Equally feared and loved, Emalyn enjoyed the unique ability to have her way, whenever she chose. Some called her spoiled, but in actuality, she was smart. She used the perception others had of her to her constant advantage.

"What is the child's name?"

Karlen eyed his very angry and equally powerful wife carefully. He had never considered her capable of hurting anyone, let alone a helpless infant, but at this moment, he wasn't sure he could trust her.

"Why do you want to know that? Isn't it too painful?"

"Yes, it is. But I still want to know Karlen. Is her mother magical?"

"No Emalyn. She is normal Ugren."

"So, what did you name this half-breed child?"

"Adelaide. Her name is Adelaide."

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