To Be Belle

Chapter Nine

Alastair stares down at me still smirking. A part of me cannot believe he is here, and how he got here. Wait how did he get here?

"So if you didn't put the curse on us how did you get here considering the palace property is enchanted."

"That's easy," he smiles rather cockily. "There's a loophole in the enchantment. I found it one time adventuring around the edge of the property."

"How?" 

"Not long ago I saw a young girl being chased by a bunch of men screaming for help. The girl walked on the castle's property without the enchantment sending her rolling. Before I got there in time, Gabriel pretty much massacred them."

I feel my blood boiling knowing what girl he is talking about. I must make a face because Alastair looks at me curiously before continuing with his story.  

"After they left, I searched around the area. There is a gap in the enhancement shield big enough for a human to go through."

"The girl's name is Isabella," I blurt out randomly.

"What?" 

"The girl you saw with Gabriel her-"

"Is she blonde?"

"Yes, she-"

"With blue eyes?"

"Yes, why-"

"She doesn't like being called Bella."

"Wait how do you know?" I ask shocked by the knowledge he has of this girl.

He sits on the bed with me without asking my permission. "Amelia she is a witch's daughter. You've met her mother before. You don't remember?" The cockiness in his voice is replaced by a nervous tone

I try hard to think about any witches I've met before, but cannot seem to remember. "No, I'm sorry I can't say I do."

"You remember the word that was going around about eleven years ago? The rumors about Prince Gabriel being wed off to a girl residing in Theron?"

Do I remember? I remember being absolutely devestated about the news. The proposal. Remembering how much I wished I was the girl in Theron. "I believe so why?" I simply reply not wanting to give away my true feelings of Gabriel. 

"Well it's rare, but sometimes a king or queen will marry off their child to a high witch or wizard's child."

"A high witch or wizard?" I reply not sure what that is but I have a guess. "Do you mean the witch or wizard who protects the castle?"

"Yes exactly. Like I am," Allistair responds but glances at the ground and back up to me. "Well I was supposed to be at least. Anyway, the king and queen were going to marry off Gabriel to High Witch Theron-"

"Wait as in Ivory White?"

"Yes she is one of the most powerful witches in the realm. Defended an entire kingdom herself while waiting for the knights to come back from another war they were battling in at the time. Well she had a daughter who wasn't born with the craft. It devastated her more than what you would think." 

Alastair lays back on my bed looking up at the ceiling and stretches his arms and legs before continuing with his story. "Word got to the witch of a rising kingdom that took over Sunmorn. She heard of their son who was about to turn 15 and was intrigued. Thought she could marry her daughter to them considering how big of a name she made for herself. The king and queen weren't persuaded and didn't see anything they would gain out of their marriage. They politely declined The White Witch's offer."

"I'm guessing the prince is Gabriel right?" I ask already knowing the answer.

"You guessed right. The day Gabriel turned fifteen the royal couple were leaving their new kingdom in Sunmorn they had recently taken over and were coming back here to celebrate their son's birthday. They were going to gift him the castle and the kingdom since the queen and king had a much bigger kingdom to rule in Sunmorn. Of course, The White Witch heard the news of this and came to the castle. She knew the prince would turn her away once he saw her so she enchanted herself to look like me."