The curse of ones blood .2

A day or so had passed by since Erika had last seen the prince... and in that time she didn't get called by him again since.. though it wasn't as if the prince needed to call upon her every day, the fact he had so suddenly stopped doing so left her feeling a little confused... was there a problem he was having to deal with? Too much work? ... or...

'I'm just worried they'll lose patience with you...'

Erika shook her head as she recalled Mira's words in that moment whilst sat in her room getting ready that morning... no that was unlikely... she said so herself that Leon didn't seem like the type... at least from what she knew...

"Apparently in recent years there have been sighting of a large creature on palace grounds... There was a sighting of it a few months ago, they said it looked like a giant bird..." Christie brought up in her usual casual rumour spreading as she cleaned through Erika's room.

"I heard stories like that too... I think it's just rumours spread to stop people from wandering where they please around the palace... I think if something that terrifying really was lurking around the palace, then many more people would have seen it no?" Terri pointed out as Christie rubbed her arms, shuddering at the thought.

"I hope so... some think it might be some curse placed on the palace after the anti magic hunts..." Christie remarked as Terri's expression became a little more tense to the thought.

"Well... knowing how magic can be, that's a scarily more probable thing than I'd like to think... though I doubt such a curse would be allowed to roam the castle as it has been said to..." Terri noted, Christie looking over to Erika who was dazed out of thought...

"What do you think Erika?" she asked as Erika jumped, snapping out her trance.

"Huh? What? Sorry I zoned out..." Erika admitted as Terri gave her a rather concerned expression...

"Well... you have seemed a little out of it since the other day... are you unwell? We can get a doctor for you..." she noted as Erika shook her head firmly to this.

"No, no, don't worry, I'm okay!" Erika answered before looking down a little. "I just have a fair bit on my mind..." She went on in a more wistful manner- both Christie and Terri glancing to one another...

When Christie gave a small smile, putting her broom down and walking towards the teapot to the side of the room, going to make Erika a warm drink.

"How about we change the topic then? Erika, you hear us ramble about the palace all the time, why not tell us a little about yourself..." Terri brought up, Erika becoming faintly surprised by the question... when she then looked down shyly.

"Ah, well, there isn't too much to talk about when it comes to me... I mostly just make medicines for the village I grew up in... It's only me and Mira, so nothing too eventful happens..." Erika responded, Terri giving a somewhat impressed expression.

"Ah, living alone at this age already? All while working with medicine, that's quite impressive..." she pointed out as Erika shook her head meekly.

"Not at all really, I hear of orphans in similar predicaments quite a lot" Erika replied as Terri nodded reflectively.

"Yes, well in recent war years many children were left without parents... I suppose it's a good thing we are approaching a peaceful era..." Terri noted, able to remember the trail ends of war herself.

"Well... there are still hunts and civil disputes even now. But, my father said that it should die down eventually..." Christie mentioned, Erika becoming a little uncomfortable as she thought back to the hunts they were implying... according to Leon, those were just rumours... right...?

"Say, Erika what village did you used to live in? Was it close to here?" Christie then brought up as Erika drew a blank on how far they were.

"It's known as Asul..." Erika mentioned the name as Christie gave a somewhat surprises expression.

"Eh? That's pretty far from here..."

"Asul huh... It's funny that, that's where you are from in this conversation..." Terri muttered, catching Erika's attention as she tilted her head to the maid.

"How so?" She asked as Terri gave a faint laugh, shaking her head.

"Ah sorry, I have a cousin who lives there. They wrote to me recently... speaking on witch hunts, there apparently have been hunters in the village recently... as of last week actually" Terri pointed out as it was to this that Erika's eyes widened faintly. Witch hunts? In Asul village? That couldn't be, apparently the witch hunts had stopped as far as Erika had been told...

"Hmm? Could they just be over panicking? That's such a small village to even bother checking..." Christie brought up as Erika looked at her lap in a daze, Mira creeping up to her upon seeing her shock.

"Erika... wait before you act..." she whispered as Terri shook her head to Christies question.

"Maybe, but the people that came to their door apparently were specifically looking for signs of witches..." Terri went on as it was then that Erika stood up straight, much to the maids and Mira's surprise.

"Eh? Erika?" Christie asked as Erika looked back to them somewhat palely, giving a very brief smile.

"Sorry, but I need to go a see his highness if possible..." she explained, going to run off much to the maids surprise, Mira giving a sigh as she ran after her.

"That girl!!" She groaned under her breath, running out the room to catch up with Erika.

Erika ran down the hall in the direction of the prince's office, hoping she may meet him there... she didn't understand... didn't Leon tell her that witch hunts had been had been stopped? That the tales of them appearing from village to village were just rumours made up to avoid people wanting the throne? So then why were there hunters in Asul? Was it just rumours too...? But in that case, why was a random person now reporting to another maid that hunters were there? Did Leon lie to her? Was it to get to her trust?

But he didn't seem like he was the type to do that... was he? ah this was bad, she had to definitely rush back to the cottage now! All her witchcraft equipment and books were there! All of the potions she had been working on! Her grandmother was....

Erika's running slowed her running in a blind panic momentarily, giving Mira a time to catch up, the cat wailing after her.

"Erika!!!! ERIKAAA! Calm down!!" Mira yelled at her, finally racing to feet as Erika caught her breath in a daze for a few moments... when tears began to start to whell in her eyes... no... that was right... her grandmother wouldn't be in any danger... afterall, he grandmother was no longer in the cottage anymore... or anywhere else fod that matter... She had gone charging off in a frenzy for someone who was not in this world anymore.

Mira looked up to Erika, going to scold her running off so suddenly, though the cats eyes softened as she saw Erika's face...

"Erika..." she uttered as Erika snapped out of it, shaking her head and wiping her tears away with a deep breath... now wasn't the time to mourn something she had known deep down for a year... rather than jumping to conclusions, she wanted to ask the prince directly... about why there witch hunts happening in her home village when they were meant to just be stories...

"I'm okay Mira... I just... need to get some answers..." Erika responded quietly, doing her best to regain her composure as Mira simply nodded to Erika's words... before giving a heartfelt sigh.

"Whatever you need to do girlie... so long as I can be by your side for it..." Mira answered as Erika nodded, walking down the hall with a firm stance... she was shocked to hear the news... but... Erika looked down to the hand Leon often grabbed perplexed... she wanted to believe there was a reason for this...

****

At some point... it would all stop hurting. Leon kept his eyes closed, his consciousness drifting in within a dark void he refused to exit. The air was heavy, so much that it felt as though he was being pulled down into somewhere inescapable... but it would be fine, it would come to pass... if he just kept his head down, there would be point where even he would get used to the fire coursing through his body.

It was at times like these that he did his best to let his mind wander... since Erika had been in the palace recently, he had been finding himself looking back on the past quite a bit... though it seemed that she didn't really remember anything... that was probably for the best however. He didn't really feel as though he deserved that part in her memory, yet... even so when he was alone in times like these, he couldn't help but think back on it... to a time where he was a more hateful soul...

****

"Say... why do you think his highness decided to do this... Isn't this kind of dangerous, you know given the young prince's power..." One of the special guard whispered to another from the side of the grand looking carriage they were guiding down some hills.

"His father wants him to see the reality of the world outside the castle... so long as he doesn't try to touch anybody, he should be fine..." The second said as a much younger Leon sat in the carriage, his eyes fixed down to the floor arridly... they did know that he could hear them from the carriage right? As much as people would like to pretend there was no issue when they were face to face with him, it was obvious when his back was turned what they all really thought... they were all terrified of him... rather it was clear that he was a burden to everyone around him... It was because he was such a problem, his father sent him out on long rides as far from the palace as possible... for this he was sure of.

"Your highness, there's a small village nearby we can stop by for a rest. Would you care to make a stop there?" Lord Ivor, a man who remained ever looking the same, not having aged much or less in his earlier years whose eyes skirted to the world outside, the sight of small building roofs in the distance being spotted round some light forestry... the princes eyes narrowed to that of a frown as his gaze turned away.

"No need... it'll be a waste of our time..." Leon mentioned coldly, mot giving his words a passing thought as Lord Ivor simply nodded, bowing his head from beside him.

"If that's what you wish your highness..." the lord mentioned as Leon looked down to his hands, a apathetic look on his face...

He didn't see the point in forcing to stop in little villages or trying to get to know the world outside the palace. Afterall, his own father didn't get to leave the palace much as it was... and with this curse of his... Leon clenched his hand to the thought of it, shuffling back in his chair... it was never like he could leave the palace at all or interact with the people of those villages even if he wanted to... rather that was if he even wanted to- small villages like those were hot spots after all. For the creatures that gave him this kind if ailment to begin with. Just thought of it made his body heat up in anger... witches... that was right, if witches were to be in such a village, then he wanted nothing to do with it. Maybe it they hadn't have cursed him to begin with, such expeditions wouldn't feel so fruitless... He had learned more than the hard way that if witches lingered in any place then he should most likely avoid them.

The carriage continued to shuffle forwards on it's trek through the hillside only a little ways until eventually it seemed it was drawn to an abrupt halt again, both Leon and Lord Ivor seeming puzzled by it's pause for a moment... when Leon then gave a sigh.

"Lord Ivor, I thought I said I didn't need any breaks..." he brought up in a worn out manner as Lord Ivor shook his head cautiously.

"I'm afraid I didn't issue a stop your majesty..." he replied passingly as he got up to look out the door and see what was going on...

BAM

Abruptly the carriage was swayed over to it's side by a very harsh and sudden force; Lord Ivor stumbling out of it by reflex only in time to miss a guard who had been sent flying over in his direction.

"What the blazes-" Lord Ivor began when the guard groaned in a winded tone.

"It's an ambush..."

Lord Ivor looked up to see the carriage had now been surrounded by multiple bandits on horseback, the guards who were meant to be protecting the carriage now laying scattered on the floor around it in a disarray; easily being outnumbered by the quantity of men that had come after them. The fact any royalty were out the palace was meant to be highly confidential and discreet- though it seemed that status didn't really matter in the eyes of travelling bandits. A pale expression appeared briefly on the advisors face before his expression became more serious as he whisked out a small blade from his side.

"Check out this old man..." the one bandit heckled to himself as Leon got up to see just what had caused the all the ruckus outside the carriage-

"Say, did we hit a rock?" Leon questioned sceptically, though he was gestured back into the carriage by Lord Ivor firmly.

"Leon, stay back!" the lord was careful not to address the prince formally round the bandits... but it seemed that didn't matter, the act of protecting the boy seeming to catch the bandits attention.

"Looks like the boys the main occupant- listen kid, hand over all your belongings and we may let you live!" The leader of the pack of thieves shouted over to the prince as Leon was quick to catch on.

"Bandits huh...?" he uttered as Lord Ivor held his ground before the prince.

"Your highness, please go seek refuge in the nearby village..." he sternly told the prince in a whisper who frowned to this sentiment.

"What? I can't just leave an attack on our men-"

"Your highness, think carefully, if you get grabbed here..." the lord began as the bandit interrupted them.

"If you are going to keep ignoring us kid then we are going to have to take you by force!!" The Bandit beseeched, pointing forwards as two horses charged over to the carriage, the advisor being dodged around as the two horses slammed into the side of the carriage roughly, sending the prince stumbling backwards.

"Leon!" Lord Ivor cried, seeing the carriage begin to fall precariously back near the ledge of the small forest covered hill beside them. Leon was staggered for a few moment... but it was as he came to, he saw to hand's reach from the entrance of the carriage door for him, the prince's face going pale at the sight of them appearing as in reflex the prince backed away to dodge them... and in doing so he had sealed the carriages fate as the coach continued to lean left even more, the hands that had reached for him becoming more and more distant.... when suddenly the world began to turn upside down as the carriage finally lost its grip on the edge, sliding down the ravine, much to the young Leon's shock.

"Your highness!" Was the only slipped words of panic that Leon heard in that moment... before it was then with a clatter and a bang, the world faded into a clatter of darkness....

Two red eyes shot open abruptly from within the depths of a dark room, all light and signs of other life and people being sealed away as it was finally Leon for a brief moment found himself able to stir, hidden away by the darkness and thick miasma of the room. Every inch of his body still felt as though there was lava running throughout it, the instant the prince sitting up there being the strong smell of burning flesh as he began to choke up more blood again... it was rare for him to wake up in the process of a "episode"... though it seemed that it wasn't for no reason as there came another loud knock from his door that had evidently woken him up before hand.

"Your highness... I apologise but it seems that Miss Hartell is desperate to talk to you right now... do you wish for me to relay any messages to her...." came the words of Lord Ivor as Leon's eyes widened briefly for a moment. Still obscured by the darkness the boy shook his head sternly.

"Absolutely not! Send her away, I have nothing to say to her right now!" Leon answered severely to his advisor, moving back in his bed.

"As you wish your highness..." came lord Ivor's unquestioning response as Leon held his head in a haze... it felt as though his entire being was being dragged out from his back, his head was killing like crazy. Erika... just what was she doing coming to find him like this... didn't he tell the staff to keep her away? Why did she want to see him right now...? What was she desperate about...? Did she know?? Did she know about that...? Leons troubled thoughts appeared to be hazing in and out of his consciousness... it was warm... it felt suffocating... as though he was going to split in two...

Lord Ivor gave a small sigh momentarily, collecting himself to confront the young witch who had come to see him in quite the frantic- the response was just as he expected.

"I apologise Miss Hartell, but his highness isn't seeing anybody right now..." Lord Ivor informed Erika who winced at what she was being told... unfortunately that wasn't something she could take for an answer at that point!

"I... I'm sorry, but it really is important! Is there any chance he can at least answer one question I have?!" Erika inquired, feeling a burning sensation come from deep in her gut. One that was starting to claw its way up her throat... and to her distress, the advisor shook his head at her.

"I'm afraid we have been placed under strict orders to keep people, most importantly you away from his highness right now Miss Hartell..." Lord Ivor reaffirmed himself as Erika tightened her hands to hearing this... why though...? What reason did he have to avoid seeing her right now... unless he had already discovered that she had found out about what was going on in her village? Was... the reason he hadn't seen her this past few days because he couldn't face her whilst knowing the truth...?

Just how much had Leon been keeping from her...? Rather... how much had he been untruthful about to her...?

She had to find it out for herself! So it was with this that she mustered up her courage to walk forwards, nearing the advisor and the door.

"Miss Hartell, you are not allowed to enter!" Lord Ivor reprimanded her harshly as Erika shook her head unflinchingly to this.

"I won't but please let me ask him my question through the door!" She told the advisor obstinately, her determination to do so taking Lord Advisor by surprise as Erika then turned to the door.

From the darkness of his room and the sounding of pulsating rushing through his ears, the prince was greeted by the voice of Erika on the other side of he door.

"Your highness... I'm sorry I know you don't want to see me right now... I won't take up too much of your time, I promise!" Erika spoke to the prince who flinched upon hearing her voice.

'Erika...' he thought to himself, the sound of her voice seeming to bring him both a mix of ease upon hearing it and absolute terror... this wasn't good, if she was to see him in this stare...

Though those concerns were to quickly come to an end at Erika's next question.

"Your highness... the thing is, I've heard rumours recently... that there have been witch hunters currently exploring my home village..." Erika's voice had a slight shake to it as she spoke as Leon's eyes dilated upon hearing her say this. Ah... so she had found out? He was hoping that she wouldn't discover too soon... urgh, the room was spinning more around him as her words seemed to distort in and out from around him. "I wanted to double check with you... if that wad true..." Erika the questioned- a wavering expression on her face as her question was met with a long and drawn out silence, as though the prince was deciding on if he should even try to reply at all... yet even so, a response did come...

"It is true... they have been there since you left..." Leon responded slowly as Erika's face became rather pained at his confirmation of this fact, the burning feeling she felt with her starting to climb across her body... so the rumours the maids were talking about weren't just rumours... currently her home village was being investigated... the thought of witch hunters potentially raiding her home made a knot tie in her stomach... though, it wasn't just the knowledge that witch hunters were at her home that had hurt her in this. Erika tensed her hand up, trying to not get too emotional from before the door way.

"Your highness... you told me that the tales of witch hunts were just rumours..." she brought up, this time in a much more stifled tone as her words were once again met with seconds that felt like minutes. "Why... didn't you tell me that there were hunters in my hometown... if you knew about it, why wouldn't you let me go back?" Erika then went on, desperately trying to find a reason for it within herself. After all, he had lied to her. Knowing that the age of witch hunts had ended was one of the main things that had given her some leverage to trust the prince- however if he had lied to her about something as crucial as this... if he had hid something so important about her home- then just how much was he being honest about in all of this... had the person who often greeted her with a warm smile each day just been a facade... was it all so she could remove his curse... then what about after that fact?

"Miss Hartell, if I may, though it is true there are still currently witch hunts in the country, they are not ones officiated by the royal palace..." Lord Ivor cut in to explain as Erika shook her head to this. Then why did they hide it from her? She didn't want to hear this from one of the palace staff, she wanted to hear the reason for it from the prince himself. She couldn't understand why... maybe it was because part of her wanted deep down to believe that everything she had experienced till this point hadn't been a lie... she just wanted to not doubt that the kind person she had seemingly met before this point hadn't just been a cheap façade to buy her trust... but the only person who could confirm that for her was the prince...

It was then that Erika placed her hand upon the prince's door, making a final attempt to reach out to hear him out, a final attempt to see him face to face and truly see from his face if he was in fact being honest with her. More than anything right now, she just want to see him look at her with the sincerity he gave when he was looking back on his mother or trying to help out with staff in the palace... she wanted to prove that at the very least, even if he had lied to her, that he hadn't been lying to her about himself... "Your highness, can't you see me face to-"

It was Erika shakily made the door creak faintly and the advisor went to react from behind her that suddenly her words were cut off by a rather firm and fierce shout from the room.

"You were told not to enter this room!" Leon made it very clear that he had zero intentions of seeing her, his sudden aggressive tone to the matter making Erika retract her hands completely in shock. Leon held his head, feeling his sense of being becoming blurry as in pain he gritted his teeth... it was in the moment that she had near opened the door that he had become very painfully aware of something, as he continued to give a rather defeated grimace to himself in that moment... this was too dangerous...

"The witch hunters should be gone by tomorrow- just go back home...its clear to me now, that there's no use for you being here!" Leon proceeded on in a icy tone as Erika's expression turned from that of shock... to one of hurt disbelief.

"Huh... what?"

"You are really foolish... I'm telling you that we have no use for you here! I don't want to see you now or ever again for that matter! Now leave!" Leon demanded the girl with a tremendous amount of hostility to his tone- Erika taking a few steps back, seeming to process the princes sudden change out attitude and his words... when she became rather sorrowful in response, tears building up in her eyes before she then turned away from the door, not wanting to let either the prince or the advisor catch sight or sound of her breaking into tears.

"Miss Hartell..." Lord Ivor began... though he stopped himself from going to go after her as he understood something, looking back to the princes door, for once the advisor looking more conflicted amidst his usual stoicism. "Are you sure about this choice your highness..." he asked as there came no reply from the princes room... the advisors eyes narrowed as he realised that he probably wasn't going to get a reply any time soon... indeed the door had only opened up by a small jostle of movement, but the advisor could feel the fierce and dizzying miasma that was now leaking out of the room.

The choice the prince had made was probably the last one he made whilst he was still himself...

Within his room within the darkness the prince was no lay back on his bed, an all but disconsolate feeling dwelling deep within him in that moment... this was most likely for the best... rather it was insolent for him to have expected anything different in the first place... afterall...

Erika stormed back to her room down the hallway near alone as it was for a while she didn't stop, her own distressed indignation pushing her down it without words... though eventually it was as she felt far enough from the room itself, certain that nobody had followed her, that her steps came to a gradual halt... her body tensing as she let everything that had happened in that moment catch up with her. Mira who had been in her arms this entire time, equally as stunned as Erika had been to hear what she did, now looked up to look to the girl...

"Erika-" she began, going to speak her mind, but she stopped as she saw the young witch's face... Tears now rolled down Erika's face as the girl did her best to hold onto her tears as much as she could- though it failed on her, they came out despite her doing all she could to tense up and stop it... "Erika..." Mira followed up, allowing the girl her silence to come to terms with everything and feel hurt... and hurt she did feel... it turned out that she really had been taken a fool of whilst she had been here... the prince that she had met the past few days appeared to not exist at all...

...it was a terrible idea to drag Erika into all this mess to begin with...