Mage of Eden

Chapter 4

I gulped as I wiped the sweat that formed on my forehead. My nerves started to tense. I was expecting to get burnt into fried chicken any minute then. Should I season myself? Will I even be delicious? I guess not. There wouldn't even be meat remaining after the Queen is done with me. I thought I could at least have a proper burial near my father and mother's graves. But now to think I'm going to be incinerated to ashes! Life's too cruel!

"Mother, please stop. You can't burn her for this. Mother, I-"

"How dare you speak out of turn to me? Even after I had warned you about the consequences. You will be punished for that later. But first, let me solve the matters at hand." The Queen spoke, in an icy cold voice.

Was I imagining things or did the prince's head seem to drop even lower? That bloody hooded cape! Obstructing my visibility!

The Queen looked at me, her amber eyes burning my very existence.

"State your name", she commanded.

"Jane Summers, your Majesty"

"And what is your business with William?"

"She dared to defy me and my orders, Your Excellency" Mr. Will said with a smirk directed at me. 

That butt-kissing, sadistic slave-driver!

"Is that so, Miss Summers?"

Suddenly the doors to the throne room opened and the King entered along with a few guards. Everyone in the room, including me, bowed down.

"What is going on Scarletta?" he asked in his gruff voice.

"Reginald, it is none of your concern. Please let me handle my matters"

"But Scarletta, you should run things by with the King when you get the chance. The experience might do you good."

The Queen's face flushed red, almost matching the colour of her eyes.

"Reginald! We can have this talk later! Now, would you please leave to the courtroom? The subjects are waiting for you"

"Always eager to get rid of me, I see. Well, as you wish my Queen."

There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. As he moved towards the exit, he halted in his tracks as his cerulean eyes fell upon me.

"Are you not Nathaniel and Isobel's child?"

He knows my parents?

"The one and only, your Majesty"

A small reminiscent smile flashed across his face as he said in a low but gentle voice,

"You have your mother's eyes"

The Prince suddenly walked forward and cried out in a constrained voice,

"Father, let me accompany you to the courtroom."

"Ah! That is marvellous. Go do so, it will benefit you." the Queen replied with a merry tone.

As the Prince almost dragged the King out of the room making them leave, she averted her gaze back to me.

"I don't think burning you, is going to profit me. So you should go and wash- the abandoned horse stable."

My heart sank when I heard those words. Rumours had it that there are evil creatures of the dark lurking in that stable. The last time a servant went in, he never came back.

"A mighty decision, your Majesty!" Mr. Will said.

Good Lord, will he ever stop? I can't hear his butt - kissing talk any more.

"You both are now dismissed" the Queen ordered.

As soon as I got out of the palace, Mr. Will laughed out loud.

"Serves you right, lowlife!" he said in a haughty voice and called on Claire.

Oh great! Here was another one of his kind.

"Claire, see to it that she goes to clean the abandoned horse stable".

Mrs. White, who had followed her along, gasped and said,

"But Will, we can't let her go all by herself!"

Mrs. White was so kind. She was like a second mother to me, the only one who I can call as family. Mr. Will brushed her off and turned to me. He took one long last look at me, like I was a hero sent to fight a bloody war, never to return.

"Get the job done!" he said in crisp and clear tone, making it sound heartless. The judgement was indeed, heartless.

This is what I get for following Father's advice?

I couldn't help but stare at that incredibly ominous stable before me. The wooden walls were covered with moss. You can't even see a hint of grey stone there! To make matters worse, even the door was not seen! I looked back and saw both Claire and Mrs. White. Claire was smiling so widely with her mouth open- I bet she could swallow the whole world. She looked as if like she was a kid dropped into a land of candy! On the other hand, Mrs. White was weeping uncontrollably. I guess we could store buckets of water from her tears. But she looked like a sorry sight. I tried to console her by saying,

"Don't worry Mrs. White. I will come back. After all, I can't live without your delicious apple pies! "

Hearing that, she started to sob even more.

"Oh dear! Oh dear! I'm so sorry. I was not able to save you." Mrs. White said between her sobs. Seeing her cry like that, it put me in a self-pity mood but I had to be strong.

"There was nothing you could do. Please tell me that I will return to eat your pie. Please?"

Mrs. White wiped her tears and hugged me.

"Of course you will, my dear! Of course you will".

I looked at her, taking a one long last look. Bravely, or semi-bravely, I turned to face my fate; the stable. It gave off a really creepy aura. Deep inside my heart, I knew this had to be done or it would be incineration for me. I wonder, why should I die in weird ways? Do I have only these options - to be incinerated, to be possessed by evil or to be killed by evil? The 'possessed by evil' part was not so scary, I don't really mind housing a spirit, but when they try to chase the evil out of you, that was when you would wish you was dead instead. Thinking about death, my semi-bravery packed all its belongings and jumped right out of the window.

What if I could never really return?

Claire broke my train of thoughts and shouted,

"Get in already!"

"All right! I'm going now" I said, with teeth chattering. Claire seemed to notice my fear and she burst out laughing. To save a bit of my dignity, I stood straight, and shouted at the top of my voice,

"Whatever is inside, better watch out. I won't go easy on you all!"

Claire merely smirked, seeing right through my act.

What on earth is she?! A psychic? Or completely psychotic?

"Enough with your fake bravado! Just get in already", she said, still laughing uncontrollably. Seeing my hesitation, she pushed me inside and slammed the doors shut behind me!