The Stregacattivo Witches

Chapter 2 - The Witch and The Book

Elizabeth stopped at her home, grabbing her dark forest green cloak on her way to the woods. Elizabeth loves the wind blowing through her hair. The sound of the leaves moving. The sound of the birds chirping. She opened the door behind her, came out of her house, and looked over to the festival that was still taking place. She saw her sisters at another stand, as well as the prince, who was looking around, possibly for someone. Maybe that "someone" could be her, but who was she to know what he thinks?

Elizabeth shook her head to clear her thoughts away from the prince, but he could never leave her mind. She began to walk toward the forest that was nearby. She looked around at the familiar sight of all the trees, birds, squirrels, and flowers. It made her feel welcomed and light-spirited. The trees calmed her, and she completely forgot her worries about the witches and what Edmund was doing.

Elizabeth continued to follow the small path she had created after walking the same way for many years since she was seven and discovered that there was a river in the woods. She loved watching the fish pass by with the flow of the water and the soothing sound it made. Once Elizabeth found her spot by the river, she gently stuck her hand in the water as if she were trying not to disrupt anything inside.

She observed herself in the reflection in the water and watched her long dark blond hair flowing in the wind, then softly brushed through her slightly wavy hair with her dry hand. She had decided that morning that she wasn't going to put it up in her usual hair, which was in the style of the wealthy royals with the pearls gifted to her by Prince Edmund as accessories.

She stopped brushing her hair, thinking about gifts Edmund had gifted her in the year they'd known each other, expensive jewelry like necklaces, earrings, hair accessories, and the cloak she was wearing. He gave her, and both of her sisters, cloaks, but hers is far more expensive. It was a dark forest green, expensive wool, and a diamond-lined clasp.

Hannah received a dark velvet red woolen cloak with no diamonds. Katherine received a dark navy blue woolen cloak with no diamonds. Edmund has given Elizabeth's sisters jewelry, but theirs isn't like hers. Elizabeth never understood why she got more expensive things. Perhaps it was because they had a closer friendship.

In the year they have been friends, she noticed that he never really talked to her sisters unless they were all in some conversation. It always was Elizabeth and Edmund, never Edmund and Hannah or Edmund and Katherine. Elizabeth began to understand why they had feelings for each other. He always wanted to be around her, gave her things far more expensive than her sisters, he knew every secret she kept. It's absurd, a prince in love with an orphaned peasant girl. He knows that if she gets angry enough, strange things happen. That's why he's worried about her and the witches. He could never be with someone like her. She's poor and has no money. Elizabeth still refuses to sell her gifts from Edmund because it means a lot to her that he was even giving them to her in the first place.

She sighed and shook her head. She could not be sulking because Edmund could not be with her. It was already enough that he was close with her as a friend. She looked back to her reflection in the water, but this time, she noticed an older woman behind her. Shocked, her eyes widened, and she gasped. She stood up and turned around toward the woman. She did not seem to be old, around the age of 60. She looked more like she was in her late forties, though she could not entirely tell because of the hood on her dark cloak.

"Who art thee?" asked Elizabeth quietly. "I can not tell thee." said the woman calmly. She began to look in her satchel for something. She said "Ah" when she had found what she was looking for. "What is that?" asked Elizabeth nervously as she eyed the book in the woman's hands. "This is The Book of Spells, "Why art you giving me this?" asked Elizabeth warily, "I think you knoweth, child." Elizabeth stood there confused. What did the woman mean? Who was she? And why did she give her a spellbook? Then it clicked. That is what worried Edmund. This woman is a witch, and she's practically telling Eliza to join her in this dark craft, meaning that Elizabeth is a witch and possibly her sisters are too. It explains why weird things happened with her emotions or random outbursts. She looked back up at the witch. "You want me to become a witch?" she questioned with her brows furrowed. "No, dear, you art already a witch. Thee were born with magic." she responded." she said, handing the book to Elizabeth. She used her hands to carefully trace the leather cover and the words "The Book of Spells" written on the front.

Elizabeth and the witch were silent for a moment. Eliza looked anywhere but at the witch in front of her. She was deep in thought. She thought she recognized the voice of the witch she did not finish interrogating. "Do I knoweth, you? I recognize your voice," she said with her pointer finger aimed accusingly at the witch.

"Whatever dost you mean?" she asked. "I don't knoweth. I just remember hearing that voice a long time ago." The witch sighed and pulled back her hood. Elizabeth was astounded. "Thy majesty! Whatever art thee doing as a witch? Everyone in town believes thou art dead! Don't thee knoweth how Edmund feels?" the queen sighed about how hurt Edmund must feel. "I knoweth, Elizabeth, that thou hast feelings for my son. But, he must not knoweth that I'm a witch, and nor thyself as well." She consoled her hand on Elizabeth's chin to see the girl's face. "I also knoweth what thee hath against Governor Ivel. Thee want revenge, and here is thy opportunity."

Eliza scrunched her face and mumbled, "I hate John." The queen put a comforting hand on Eliza's shoulder. "I knoweth, and now thou and thine sisters can get revenge on him. The three of thee will make a very powerful coven of witches if thee use thy power right." She smiled. "If thee ever need me. Just know I'm in the cottage in the woods, a bit far from town. I have faith in thee. If thee see Edmund, remind him of what I told him before I left." Elizabeth nodded. The queen put her finger to her lips, silently telling Elizabeth not to speak of this to anyone, and then pulled her hood over her head and ran off.

Eliza watched the queen till she could no longer see her. She looked back at the book in her hand. The queen was right. She could get that revenge she has been wanting. She opened the book and flipped through the pages to look for a spell to help her. She smiled when she found it and closed the book. She wrapped it tightly in her arms and remembered to cover it with her cloak. She ran through her path and the door at home. She shut it behind her, unclasped her robe, and hung it up. She placed the book on the table and saw there was a note. She picked it up, and it read:

Dear Elizabeth,

I bethought thee wouldst be here. Thy sisters art no help with finding thee. They both don't know where thee hast gone, but I've got my suspicion thee went to thy spot in the woods.

Cometh and find me at the festival. Tis dull there without thee.

~ Edmund

She smiled to herself and set the note back on the table. She took the book and hid it under her bed. Eliza went back to the festival and walked around till she found Edmund. She hugged him, and he hugged her back.