The Witch's Retribution

Chapter 26

Mari crept from her and Sage's chambers, careful not to wake Eloise in her crib. She had been mostly confined to their chambers since their daughter's birth and was beginning to feel more than a little restless. Her smoky magic, harder to control now, slithered along the walls as she passed, trying to remember which corridor was which. She had lived in Railark Castle for nearly a year now, but her sense of direction still remained awful.

Her eyes lit up when she saw the door to Basil's chambers, or at least, she hoped it was his door. "What are you doing?" A suspicious voice asked behind her, and she jumped. Her magic lashed out on instinct, but it never struck the lithe girl who stood in the corridor with a raised brow and circling lilac magic.

"I--" Mari drew her shoulders back, reminding herself that she would soon be a queen. "I was going to check on him." She paused, thinking of the boy hiding out in Basil's chambers. "How is he? Has he said anything?"

Violet narrowed her eyes. "No. And that's not what I meant. You shouldn't be out of bed. Sage will worry."

"I know." Mari sighed. "I feel for that boy; I'm sure his parents will be the ones worried when they notice him gone."

"I feel it's his parents who are the cause of his injuries in the first place."

"Violet!" Mari hissed, shocked.

Violet huffed. "You and my brother both! The world outside this castle is not some beautiful wonderland of love and hope, you know! It's not easy for people outside nobility and royalty to live such carefree lives."

"But to hurt your own child..."

"It happens." Violet replied grimly. "Far too often, and for foolish reason." She nodded at the door. "He probably told his parents about Basil, and this is how they reacted. Poorly."

Mari stared at the door, her hand reaching out to knock. "He's sleeping, by the way." Violet replied, turning away. Her dark blue dress swirled around bare feet, pale against the stone floor. "I doubt he's going to want to see anyone until Basil returns."

Mari's hand dropped to her side. "Where's Sage?"

Violet paused. "Throne room, probably. Lots of arguing coming from there."

"Arguing?"

She nodded. "Sage and Lady Irene are trying to talk some sense into Char. It's not going well."

Mari left Violet alone in the corridors and strode towards the throne room. She wasn't quite used to the large room, hardly believing she would soon occupy one of the many thrones. She opened the heavy doors, wincing at the shouting coming from the three royals although Sage wasn't quite yelling, his voice only raised to be heard over the other two. How he could remain so calm about everything was beyond her.

His eyes lit up when he saw her, and he quelled the shouting with a wave of his hand. "Some respect, please." He told them, walking across the room towards his soon-to-be wife. She wasn't sure when they would marry, but when he looked at her like that, she supposed it didn't really matter.

Lady Irene glared up at Char, her arms crossed. She was so much shorter than the red-faced king, but it did nothing to dispel the powerful way she held herself. She knew she was a queen who deserved respect and nothing less. Mari wished she could be like that, could hold herself tall and strong and speak without her voice shaking.

"You shouldn't be out of bed." Sage told her, brushing her cheeks gently. "You need to rest."

"I'm fine." She turned her head to kiss his hand. "What's happening here?"

Sage pulled away with a heavy sigh and turned back to his glaring companions. "These two insist on behaving like a couple of quarrelsome children."