The Favorite Princess [Completed]

37- the witch

Alaric, Peter and I follow Alexon's voice and we see a crumbled down castle.

"How did we not see this?" Peter asks, completely in awe.

I look around and spot a small shimmer in the doorway. "Alexon? Is there something in the doorway?"

Alexon looks and turns to me confused. "No. Do you see something?"

"It's like a shimmering almost. Like water when it covers something. You can't tell me you don't see it." I mutter, sliding off of my horse and walking towards the doorway.

"Annabelle, be careful." Peter warns me.

"Annabelle, are you a witch?" Alaric suddenly asks, catching me off guard.

"What? A witch? Why would you say that?" I ask in offense, turning to face him.

"Because only a magical being like a witch or warlock can see the barrier." A feminine voice says from behind me.

I scream and jump from how close the voice is, knocking my hood off of my head. Alaric suddenly appears beside me and turns me around to face a beautiful young woman with blonde hair and green eyes.

"Mother!?"

I stare at her in disbelief. My mother isn't dead? The queen isn't dead? My mom was a witch? Something my father hates more than anything is what he loved?

"Annabelle, what are you doing here?" My mother asks, calm as ever.

"We came to find father and bring him home." Alexon speaks before I do. "We had a surprise for him when we get home and we want him to see what it is."

"Oh surprises! I love those! What is the surprise?" My mother asks.

"Where's father? Why aren't you dead?" Alexon and I ask at the same time.

The witch gasps. "Annabelle! How rude of you! Don't ask a lady why she isn't dead!"

"I asked that mother." Alexon says harshly as Alaric pushes me towards Alexon gently.

"Where's my father?" I cry out.

"He is resting, don't worry, baby girl."

"I am not your child!" I snap, anger fueling me. "You are the reason father is sick! You are the reason the kingdom is falling! You are the reason Clarissa is dead! Its all your fault!"

The witch's eye begin to glow in anger and Alaric steps in front of me.

"I tried to save her and I needed to die to escape from the life of a royal! I was living a lie! And I hated it even more because of you!"

The sentence feels like a bucket of cold water was thrown on me even though I already knew she hated me.

"You are the king's only bastard child! You are my one mistake! My one shot at true love was ruined because of you! That's exactly why I hate you!" The witch bellows and guilt fills me. I caused her this pain? "He still loved you like a daughter though! He closed me off but kept you close and made you feel like he is your own child! My own children were ignored by him because of you!"

Tears fill my eyes. I'm not my father's daughter. I'm a bastard child. I wasn't born into royalty but to an affair. My mother didn't want me but the king did. He choose to keep me and you can't say no to a king.

Pure fury fills me and my gaze turns dangerous. "At least he wanted me. At least he took care of me and not throw me to deadly Clarissa and all the merciless instructors! He never made me feel unloved and he couldn't care less about my flaws. He loved me as if I am his own child and so be damned, I am! He might not be my birth father but he was a better parent than you ever were."

"Thats until he finds out who's daughter you are."

I see something flash in my vision and I realize I'm not in the forest anymore but in a large castle that has colorful tapestrys. They look oddly familiar. Kind of like the Northern Kingdom's castle.

"Welcome to where you were created." My mother spats from beside me.

"Welcome to the Northern kingdom, your majesty. I'm sure a warm welcome is due." The king says from behind me.

I turn around and see he is looking at a younger version of the woman beside me. My eyes widen in realization.

"I'm the bastard child of our rival kingdom." I whisper as the king escorts my mother away.

"You are right, my darling." The witch says. "I loved him but the man you call father asked for my hand before. I came and visited him as an alliance treaty. After I found out he gave me you, I broke the treaty causing him to lash out. I had to live with you as a reminder of my love being stolen from me and my life being ruined."

I look around the castle and see a child Tristan run around the stairs being chased after a puppy.

"So he is my half brother?" I ask, pointing to Tristan.

She nods with a sad smile. "Such a sweet boy who learned how his father isn't as perfect as he thought. He never knew you were the bastard child."

"He wanted me to be his wife!" I mutter in disgust.

"He now knows of you, he actually wanted to heal you more then anything and apologize for everything he has done."

I stay silent, not voicing the millions of questions running through my mind.

"Would you like to go back and see your father?" The witch asks.

"The man I call father? Or my supposed legitimate father?" I ask to clarify, watching the tapestrys move in the wind.

"The man who raised you." She whispers and the scene becomes the forest again with Alexon holding me tightly while Alaric and Peter and guarding us.

"What did you do to her!?" Alexon yells towards my mother.

The witch smiles and speaks softly. "All I did was show her who her real father is."

"Her real father is the king. What nonsense are you talking about?" Alexon tries to defend me.

"Alexon, I will explain when we get home, okay?" I ask softly.

"I was so worried about you! You just collapsed and wouldn't wake up. I thought I lost you again!" He crys out, pressing his face into my shoulder.

"I'm fine, just tired that all. We need to get father and go home."

"Go ahead and take him. He refuses to take anything I give him." My mother speaks up. We all look at her in shock. "Don't give me that look. I never loved him, just put up with him."

"Maybe he will listen to us?" Alexon asks me.

I nod and Alaric helps me stand. "Show us where he is."

"One thing though," the witch begins. "Only a magical being can walk in there unless they have a talisman. And for all I know, only one of you have magical blood in you or a talisman."

I look to Alexon to see him pull a string from around his neck with a small crest dangling from it.

I look to my mother. "I guess there is three of us following you then. Lead the way."