The Blade Princess

---Binders Curse---

It's true when people say love is trouble. The poor princess who was now suffering from Binder's curse was because she came all the way to the mountains to meet the one she loved. Even though I was not sure how it worked and that is where witches came in.

Tibran went inside the large wooden gate to an area surrounded by tall brown walls while Bretrarum and I waited outside.

He was awfully silent so I tried to get him talking mostly because I was nervous.

"Have you met the witches before?" I asked.

"Yes, King hired two of them to cast  a plague on an entire village."

"That powerful?" I asked feeling nervousness change to worry.

"You will see. Don't talk too much and stay next to me and it will be fine. We want the way to break the curse and then we will leave."

"I thought you were the all-powerful but you looked scared," I said lightly.

"Yes because I don't want to wipe whole witches population and alert my father when I am supposed to be at the championship." He answered and I realized he was not at all worried for the reason I thought he was.

"She will see you now." Tibran came out after a few moments.

And Bretrarum started walking in, "Both of you." Tibran added.

Inside the wooden gate was a forest with tall trees and the whole place smelled like incense sticks. Surprisingly there was just a straight path as we kept walking and then came to a wooden cottage, smoke rising from the chimney.

Bretrarum didn't even hesitate as he walked ahead and knocked on the door which opened immediately.

The inside surprised me more than anything else. Even though from outside it was just a normal sized wooden cottage from within it was a huge place built with shining grey marble. The whole place smelled like incense sticks just like the forest. The only source of lights was tea lights burning in the tealight holder attached to the walls.

The curtain selection was unsettling to the eyes, dark red to the grey walls in contrast. Upon entering there was a woman seated in the center of the big hall and behind her were velvet curtain of deep red shade.

On walking closer, the woman lifted her head up and her shriveled skin startled me. Even though her hair was jet black and her eyes lively and beautiful shade of green, her skin was that of a hundred-year-old.

"Oh, I am sorry. A spell went wrong." And just like that she inhaled smoke emitting from a bowl next to her and she was stunning.

"So you are here for the Binder's Curse solution." She said looking at us carefully.

I felt like Bretrarum said like she was looking in my soul to know my deepest darkest secret.

But I didn't cower from her gaze and stared back.

"You are a dark soul." She said looking straight into my eyes and I felt my spine freeze at her words.

"I am?" I asked not sure if she was talking about me or the Prince.

And she nodded with a small smile.

I didn't speak as I felt Bretrarum's glare on me.

Then her gaze shifted to Bretrarum and the whole persona changed, she was now a blind woman with blonde hair and a scar on the upper lip. She was tall for a girl and had too many rings on her fingers. One of her eyes was covered with a patch while other was hazy white.

I was so surprised that I gasped out loud which made her chuckle.

"Oh, you messed up your mission." She said but Bretrarum didn't move a muscle.