Rēïncårnātē

Chapter Sixteen

Of course, the civilians were in an uproar. 

Withes were a creature of folktales, disgusting cruel creatures who ate children and forced both men and women to belong to them, they were villainized in every way but were aways merely fairy tales. Be good to your mother, avoid wandering past your teachings, they were always used to enforced rules and to inflict fear on those listening, today seemed to have shone a new light on such folktales. 

It was a witch. 

A gorgeous woman with mesmerizing eyes covered with mud from head to toe, she was brought in front of the kingdom to testify to her crimes. 

She had forgiven the devil. 

Taking a deep breath Earle covered her hair with a veil as she stood behind her older brother while he was asked to sit in the beautifully made throne at the public square. Her short white hair fell to her shoulders as she and the 'witch' looked at each other. 

Her eyes remained wide-eyed as if she was staring into the little girl's soul. Earle stared back unable to look away as the crowd was silenced by the King, he held a staff which she assumed held some significance in terms of decision making. The king, the crowned prince and prince Raymond sat side by side a few inches apart under a large canopy that seemed to be made of gold and silk. 

The rich loved to flaunt. 

All eyes were on the witch as she kept hers glued to the princess behind the veil, her lips moved slightly and only the princess could actually see her mouth out the very few words. 

"Ada, daughter of the Herald!" small whispers filtered through to the ears of prince Raymond who didn't say a thing but instead watched stoically while a guard whispered something she couldn't hear into his ear. His face hardened but he still did not speak so she switched her attention to the trial 

The King repeated her name.  

"Ada, daughter of the Herald! Confess to your crimes!" 

without hesitating, she said, "I have forgiven the devil!" 

Outrage ensued, fruits flew towards the petit figure as she was shackled to the floor with two guards standing a few feet away from her with drawn swords ready to kill the witch at any command. 

"Burn her!"

"Hang her!" 

People shouted to kill her, Earle watched coldly unable to believe what she was seeing, fear seeped into her bones as she realized she couldn't do anything. Couldn't protest, couldn't fight, couldn't voice out any complaints, she was alone with no way of escaping this world. She was watching the beginning of a witch trial unfold in front of her.

The king nodded and dry timber was thrown carelessly at the woman who at that moment looked so fragile that she could break, her body was quickly covered in bruises and open wounds and soon enough it was lit on fire and her desperate wails and scratched was burned into the back of Earle's mind. 

She saw herself in the shoes of the poor woman and it terrified her. 

She lost consciousness.  

~

Waking up in the cold guest room, her legs were numb so she could only guess she had been asleep for a while, peering outside she could see the sunset, she was still in this world living this life. How many times did she have to die to actually stay dead? 

There was a subtle knock on the doors, then it opened and a different servant girl came in with a bucket of water.

"Young Miss, the crowned prince has requested your company".