The Stregacattivo Witches

Chapter 7 - In the Dungeons

"Edmund?" Elizabeth asked. It was dark with barely any light, it smelled old and musty, and it was cold in the dungeons. "Wow. I feel appreciated," said Katherine. Elizabeth glared in the direction she heard her sister's voice, even though no one could see it.  

"Hang on. I hath one question for thee." said Edmund. He grabbed Eliza's hand "It's been bothering me since thou hath found me." Eliza let him speak. "How art thee still alive? Thou hast been living in the woods for six years! Where hast thou been living?!" Elizabeth thought about what he had asked, and she sighed "In a cottage. I don't know where else thou wouldst think, but tis definitely not just in the woods under trees."

"So thou hast lived with someone else? Someone to take care of you three?" asked Edmund "Aye." Elizabeth sighed "Look I-" She was interrupted by Edmund "Who?" she was taken aback "What-um.." she stumbled over her words. Elizabeth didn't know how to tell the man she loved that his mother had been alive and took care of her and her sisters. "Oh don't tell me thou dost not knoweth how to tell him?" said Katherine "Just tell him, Lizzy, he has the right to know." Edmund followed the sounds of the sisters since he could not see any of them in the darkness. 

"What is going on?" He asked, "Dost not tell me thou hast been living with another man?" She quickly denied the accusation "Don't get mad at me, I'm only the one telling thee. The person who took us in is....Thy mother." she said with a sigh. It had been silent in the dungeon for a solid 5 minutes before Edmund spoke again. "My mother? Thou art telling me that my mother never died and hast been living in the woods this whole time?" 

Elizabeth nodded but then remembered he could not see her "Aye." she said softly "She made us swear to her that we wouldst never tell anyone, especially thee." Eliza paused to let the information sink into Edmund's mind. "She's a witch, thee knoweth. A very powerful one. She never meant for thee to lose her, but she wasn't able to be the queen with a king who had no tolerance for witches, so she faked her death to escape." 

"My mother is a witch?" Edmund asked, "Aye." "And thou hast been staying with her since thou hast escaped the town?" "Aye. I need thee to listen to me. Thy mother has a room locked in the palace full of all her witchcraft. Thy father asked for it, don't ask. Since thou art the prince, thou will be let out much quicker than we will be, I am asking thee to break in there somehow and grab her spell book. There were three in there, but the one I'm asking for is the purple one. For once I ask you, Doth. Not. Drop. It. Edmund." she ended a bit aggressively, Edmund put his hands up in defense and then remembered she couldn't see him "In my defense, that was one time, Elizabeth. That wasn't even an important book." "That was the How To Price 101 book, Edmund," she said dryly. "Dost not matter, that book was stupid-" Elizabeth cut off Edmund "Edmund, thou art getting off-topic, can thee get the book or not?" Eliza was beginning to get impatient. 

 Later that evening, a guard had come to the dungeons to release Edmund. The loud noises had awoken Edmund. He followed the guard back upstairs into the throne room, and as soon as he was alone he made his way to the locked door that belonged to his mother. He knew the key had to have been somewhere. He checked under the rug in the hall, and there was nothing but a speck of dust, he checked in the flower pot full of fresh roses. As he was about to stick his hand in there he felt a tap on his shoulder. He froze thinking it was his father. Edmund turned and saw it was not his father, but a former butler, he was young, probably his age. "Louis?" Louis smiled "There's no time to talk. I'm here to help thee. I believe this is the key thou art looking for." He dangled the key in his hand.

Edmund gave him a firm look "Where-" "Thy mother. She told me to come and give it to thee." Edmund snatched the key from Louis and unlocked the door. In the room, it was dark and the only light was through the white curtains which still was dim. There was dust all over the white sheets that covered old furniture. There were tons of shelves filled with old potions and spell ingredients. "So thou art looking for a spell book, aye?" asked Louis as he looked around the old room, Edmund nodded "Aye, Elizabeth asked for a purple book." Louis stared at Edmund "Wait, that's not what she's supposed to get. Elizabeth never asks for the wrong thing. That's the "Libro di magia oscura e incantesimi" She can't get that!" Edmund stared blankly "Why not? I mean, it's just a spell book, what harm could it do?" Louis gasped dramatically "Just a spell book!? No, no no. That book is the oldest spell book. It contains the most powerful spells and if it is in the wrong hands, someone will get hurt." Edmund sighed "So....thou art telling me, Elizabeth will become too greedy and will harm others if she gets her hands on that book?" "Trust me, Edmund, thee doth not knoweth Elizabeth like I doth." 

Edmund rolled his eyes and continued to look for the spell book. He turned the corner of one of the shelves and saw a stand covered under a white cloth. He looked around for Louis, but when he could not see him he pulled off the cover, and under it was exactly what he was looking for. Edmund didn't believe what Louis told him.

Elizabeth would not turn to the dark side with magic and become "evil"...... Would she? I haven't seen her for six years. 

He quickly grabbed the book and crept around the room, avoiding Louis because he knew that Louis would put the book back. This is something that his love had asked for, and he'd do anything for her, even if that meant breaking into his mother's old witch room and stealing the oldest and darkest spell book for her. Edmund walked down the hall of the palace, covering the purple book in case his father caught him holding it. He snuck into the dungeons with a candle for light. Edmund stops at one of the cells, the one that Elizabeth was in, asleep on the "bed". 

"Elizabeth!" he harshly whispered since he didn't want to wake her sisters or alternative prisoners down there. Edmund shouted her name twice before he sighed, frustrated, and cursed her for being a heavy sleeper. Edmund took the book with him back to his room. It was late at night. So no one was awake. Edmund hid the book in a chest in his closet and began to pace. He did that until he realized that his eyes were droopy and threatened to shut. He slid under his sheets and let sleep take over him. 

The next day, Louis woke Edmund up by aggressively opening the door and shouting at him for 1) Taking the book and 2) for leaving him alone in that room. "Louis! Didst thou hast to shout?!" "Aye," Louis said dryly. Edmund squinted when the light from the window hit his eye. He groaned pulled the sheets back, and slid out of bed. Louis handed him his robe. Edmund entered his closet, grabbed the book, and walked out without Louis, who rolled his eyes. 

Edmund traveled down the stairs and nearly ran into his father. "Son, I see they let thee out." Edmund nodded "What art thou up to that hast thee running in the hall?" Edmund thought of a lie quickly "Oh, I just have this....thing I've got to attend to." The king didn't know if he wanted to know where but he hoped it was not anything to do with a particular Stregacattivo witch. "Hm, well, thou better not be getting thyself anymore involved with those Stregacattivos." Edmund tried to keep a straight face "No, Father. It hast nothing to doth with them." The king studied Edmund and grunted when he found he wasn't lying to him, or at least he hoped. When the king walked away, Edmund let out a heavy sigh he didn't realize he was holding. He continued down to the dungeons with no one else bumping into him. He whispered Elizabeth's name, hoping she was awake. "What," she said in a bored "leave me alone" kind of tone. Edmund rolled his eyes "Wow, a "Good morrow to thee" wouldst be a much better way to greet me." 

Elizabeth said "Well, what didst thou expect? I'm locked in a cage by this stupid king." He sighed and held out the book "I didst exactly what thou hast asked. I believe a "thank thee" is for his royal highness, malady." Elizabeth walked over into the dim light, now in the dungeons "Just give it to me." she impatiently said and snatched the book out of his hands. "Bad night?" Edmund asked. She only returned a glare to him. Elizabeth flicked through the book with a smirk that grew with each page turned. "Eliza? What doth thee need this for anyway?" he asked her, only her eyes moved up to look at him through her brows "Revenge," she said. 

Edmund did not know who, but he had a slight feeling it was going to be on his father and the Governor.