Calytrix's Journey

Chapter XX: Reyaeth kingdom II

 "Come on, Caly. You can step closer and kiss my hand," Rheya said.

Although Ann released her grip, I stayed completely still. Every eye in the room was on me. Now that I've met Rheya, I was done with playing along.

"Caly, why are you hesitating?" Rheya asked. "Aren't you here to join me?"

"No, Rheya!" I answered.

"If you aren't here to join me, then why did you come here?" Rheya angrily said as shot me an intense glare.

"I..." 

I hesitated a bit before saying my thoughts out loud because the entire room will think of me as an enemy.

"I came here to stop you!"

"Stop me?" Rheya looked at me with doubtful eyes. "Stop me from doing what?"

"Isn't it obvious? I won't let you give a poor reputation to witches!" I said.

"Oh," Rheya said with a slight smile. "What will you do?"

"I won't let anybody become a slave or a sacrifice!" My yell echoed through the silent room and I felt a flush on my cheeks.

Though the fire spirit's flames burned brightly, I shielded the princess from it, showing the spirit I was capable of dealing on my own.

"Sacrifices, what are you talking about?" Rheya asked. 

"Caly, are you okay? You are talking crazy," Rheya calmly said while looking at me with confusion on her face.

"Why are you lying?" I asked.

"Lying?" Rheya said with a confused look on her face. "Girls, instructor Kyla, you know I wouldn't take sacrifices, right?"

All of them silently nodded.

"The witch fell in love at first sight with princess Rheya and gave all of her magic. There was no murder nor sacrifice," Kyla explained.

That was wrong. Rheya killed the old witch and violently took away her black magic. Everyone glared at me, convinced I'd wronged Rheya, but she intervened and calmed them. Since I didn't let the fire spirit do anything, she also controlled her lackeys.

"What about slaves? You were proudly walking around with two poor girls?" I asked.

"Slaves." Rheya sneered, "Of course I have slaves! It is natural. There are rare, magnificent people like me, meant to achieve greatness while the other ones have the role of supporting me. Isn't that right, girls?"

Her words prompted another silent nod of agreement from everyone.

"That's wrong," I whispered.

"Do you have any complaints?" Rheya asked.

"Yes. Taking slaves is wrong!"

"Why?" Rheya said as she looked at me, quite confused. Her eyes widened.

"I saw only a glimpse of your methods, but you kept them chained up in the dark. That's no way to treat anyone!"

"I need to resort to harsh methods at times because slaves are not intelligent. They need to be thought through pain and suffering. Some of them aren't obedient, so I need to use some strict discipline methods, but that's all natural. Isn't that right, girls?" Rheya said.

Rheya's words were met with another round of nods, as if she were incapable of error.

"Either a witch is with me, or she is against me," Rheya declared, concentrating her dark magic on me.