The Witch Chronicles (In Bloom Book 2.5)

A Royal Gathering Part 6

Earlier that evening.....

Walking out of the theatre, Malleus guided me to the main campus building. He continued to walk me through several twists and turns that seemed they would never end. I nearly began to wonder if he forgot his path. Eventually, he came to a stop in front of a massive tapestry of a knight in full metal armor riding a white horse.

He lifted up one of the corners of the art piece and ran his fingertips along the wall. A line began to run along the middle, before the wall separated into two segments and revealed a wide entryway.

"A secret passage," I softly gasped.

"Wait until you see what's inside," he lifted up a flap of the tapestry like a curtain, "After you, my lady."

With his fire magic, Malleus helped to illuminate our path as we proceeded along the corridor and down a spiral, stone staircase. We must have descended at least ten floors when we were brought to a space lined with empty rooms sealed by metal doors. The burning fire torches were the only source of light available. Not a single window could be spotted to view the sky. A dungeon. Despite its ominous design, its cleanliness was impeccably maintained. I guess it was something to be expected from Royal Sword Academy.

"What do you think?" Malleus asked.

A cold unlike any other I had experienced made me wish I had a coat over my dress. I wrapped my arms around myself, "I don't like it here. Can we go, please?"

Though, the fairy prince seemed to completely disregard my statement.

I tugged on his sleeve, "Malleus?"

With one hand, he tightly gripped my wrist. With his other hand, he cupped my mouth, blocking out my screams. A sickening sweet aroma reached my nose. My head began to spin and black dots began to overwhelm my vision. The last thing I remember was a tender kiss to my cheek before my strength left me.

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When my consciousness returned, a pounding headache came with it. My vision began to clear up and I could finally take in my surroundings. I was still in the dungeon, but I was locked inside a cage, like an animal on display at the zoo. Soft blankets and pillows had been spread out on the floor to combat against the frigid air. There was even a bottle of water and some chocolate chip granola bars. I grasped onto the bars, but flinched in response to the burning sensation spreading on my palms. I reached deep within my well of magic, but nothing came out. I could not sense not even an ounce of my power.

A male voice I knew too well spoke, making my stomach tie itself in a knot, "I apologize for my methods. I had to ensure you wouldn't harm yourself."

I turned to the man responsible. Standing before me wasn't my boyfriend. It was Frederick, smugly grinning.

I wanted to smack myself for not sensing any magic coming from his glamour. Even when my brother created his illusions, his use of magic would be felt from a mile away. Unless...this was no ordinary glamour Frederick used, but his unique magic.

I concluded, "So, you can change your appearance. Aren't you a clever one, Prince Charming?"

"You truly catch on fast," with his hands tucked in his pockets, he walked around the cage. "And now I get to have you all to myself. Dreams truly do come true, don't they?"

"How did you even find an iron cage?"

"What kind of man would I be if I shared all my secrets?" he teased. "Let's just say, it was...conveniently in my possession. I wanted to make sure it was as comfortable as possible for you. I understand both fairies and witches alike despise iron."

I gritted, "Like how I despise you at this moment."

"Such harsh words, Cassandra. Don't you believe in soulmates? You and I meant for one another."

"I do believe there's a person meant for everyone, and that someone for you is a psychiatrist."

"Just like in the story, the young prince searched for the girl who was missing a glass slipper. I, on the other hand, have been searching for the perfect witch to be my companion. You see, my whole family failed to realize the power witches held. They only viewed them as creatures sent from another world meant to cause corruption and chaos. They never saw them for their power, their beauty," he ran his fingers across the bars, "....such a rare and priceless jewel you are, Cassandra."

My heart jumped to my throat when I registered what Frederick was implying. He came from a line of witch hunters.

What was worse, he learned about me because of my brother. It was no surprise Cassiano would spread false stories about me to the students of Royal Sword Academy. He would describe how awful of a sister I was to him and how even worse of a person I was to others. While the students took his memoirs as a reason to fear me, it only made Frederick intrigued. His interest evolved into a twisted infatuation. An obsession.

He leaned on the cage, "Tell me, my princess-"

"Don't you dare call me that."

"Alright, we can work on nicknames later. But, answer this: why stay with Malleus Draconia?"

"Hmm, let's see. He treats me with kindness, he respects me, he makes me laugh, he and I learn from each other, he's gonna kick your ass and I want to see that, he loves my family, he's supportive...shall I continue?"

Frederick rolled his eyes, "Come on, Cassandra. Can't you see? He's using you. He only treats you like a prize. I can give you so much more than he can."

"I don't know you and you don't know me."

"I'm a patient man. And isn't that what relationships are for? To get to know one another better?"

The pressure against my forehead became greater and I felt the urge to vomit. My hands began to tremble and my chest began to tighten.

I grunted, "What do you have against Malleus?"

"The villain never gets the girl."

"Says the one who trapped the girl in an iron cage."

"Come on, this is a wonderful beginning to our happy ending, Cassandra," he tried to comfort me, "Think of this as a gift from me. We'll live such a wonderful life together. I'll make all of your wildest dreams into realities. Realities that don't need to be over as soon as the clock strikes midnight. I'll provide you with everything you need. Every desire. I want to make you happy."

"Then you can make me happy by letting me go."

"You see....I can't do that. Not yet. Not until I've learned that I can trust you."

"In that case, I have a gift for you as well."

"Oh? What is it?"

"The gift of your life."

Frederick blinked in confusion, "My life?"

"Depending on how quickly you let me out, I might consider sparing it."

He chuckled, "You truly are feisty. I love it. I look forward to having some fun with you, but I have some business to take care of."

With his magic, his appearance began to change. The white and gold suit he was wearing transformed into a duplicate of my gown. His hair lengthened to copy my hairstyle. Even when he smiled, my dimples showed. He even remembered to include my triple moon mark underneath my collarbone.

The precision in the copy was uncanny.

Fake me began to walk towards the door.

"What're you doing?! Stop!" I had to prevent myself from not getting too close to the bars.

Frederick glanced over his shoulder. Using my voice, he said, "I have a fairy prince's heart to break. And you will be mine."