Dethroned

Chapter Four

Chapter Four:

"She is quite the fool! How dare she even dream I'd let her take MY throne and MY betrothed so easily? She is just as foolish as Papa!" Anastasia fumed as she paced around her secret room situated between her bedroom and the base of the tower beside it.  

"She even had the gall to act like she was innocent in the whole thing! Trying to get my trust before shoving me aside to get the throne! I mean what girl in her right mind would want to be a Knight more than to be a Queen, rubbish all of it!" she continued her rant.

"Anastasia dear get a hold of yourself! If you want the throne back you'll have to play it sneaky like I did to be Phillip's wife," a woman advised through a mirror.

Anastasia turned towards her magical mirror," I'm listening, Odessa."

"I contacted a sorcerer by the name of Dagon, he took care of things quite nicely for me."

"At what cost?" she asked, obviously intrigued.

Odessa smiled slightly," He is unlike most of his kind, greedy for money, all he asks is for a night with his clients."

Anastasia's eyes widened slightly at that," Surely there's something else...."

" Oh darling! I didn't mean that, though he'd probably accept that type of payment being the lonely man he is... No darling, he uses certain traits of his clients to develop new spells," she explained, her voice calming Anastasia's nerves.

"Is... There any other catch? Surely a sorcerer would ask more...."

"No darling, that is all he asks, but if you are going to contact him, you better do it right away. It's about this time he disappears for six months to who knows where..."

"Alright, goodbye Odessa, thank you for the advice," Anastasia thanked her cousin graciously.

"You are very welcome dearest, good luck!" she replied as her image in the mirror faded, leaving Anastasia deep in thought.

She still had her doubts about the payment to this sorcerer.

Odessa didn't give any real details of what happens during this night of payment....

She gazed down at the faint pattern on the inside of her wrist, reminding her of the price she paid for the magic mirror not four nights ago, after she had met her sister.

*********

She walked quickly through the marshy sand of the woodlands behind the castle, holding her skirts above her ankles to avoid getting the hems muddy.  

Theoretically, she could have ridden her horse to her destination, but there were too many hazards for a heavy beast in the damp sandy ground. Even now, it was sucking at her boots, threatening to catch her there if she stopped or didn't step lightly enough. She couldn't risk injuring her prized pedigree mare and alerting possibly her own sister that she wasn't the sweet, confused, and hurt little princess she thought she was. No, she had to gain Isobelle's trust in order to steal back her throne.

After slogging through the forest she finally came upon a small cottage nestled into a grassy knoll. Anastasia smiled and proceeded to the door and knocked three times. Taking two steps back from the door, waiting for the person she was seeking to answer.

Finally, the door opened slowly to reveal a middle aged woman with waist length, dark brown, almost black hair," Ah! I have been expecting you Princess! Come in darling!" she exclaimed, ushering her inside quickly.

Anastasia looked around, the cottage was much larger inside than it seemed from the outside. She noticed a large mirror in the corner and immediately felt drawn to it, only to be interrupted by the lady.