Spellbound

chapter five • father

Dharini cried every night in her room. There was chaos. Who could save her? Who would bring her out of trenches? Every single one of her question was met with no answer.

"Your majesty, many other old men have been brutally murdered."
"All of the villages are under the spell."
"We're running out of guards who aren't under the spell."
"The Northern Village is sleeping. All of it."

"I'm going insane...that Magician needs to be beheaded. Help me." Dharini told the old witch.

"Your Majesty, you cannot do that. His powers are beyond your reach."
"How can I stop him? Tell me how can I recognise him."
"You don't have to."
"Why not?"
"You have already been in contact with him."
"Me? In contact with that Magician? There's no-"
"You'd know when you'll see his eyes again...his symphonies would make you alive again."
"I don't recall anyone who-"

Symphonies?

"Do you mean to say that he plays some kind of an instrument?"

The old witch smiled without uttering a word. Out of all the people she had been suspecting, he was the one? The state of incredulity banged her but she shrugged it off.

'Traitor. Liar. Shameless.'

"It can't be...why didn't he hypnotize me then?"
"I'm not so sure why. There must be a reason. My Crystal ball doesn't show me anything about it."

Dharini had lost her trust on people and her ability to judge people. She clearly sucked at this.

"Why is he doing this?"
"He has a reason."
"What kind of reason is bad enough for someone to go heartless and ravage Thirteen Kingdoms?"

The old witch's face turned serious immediately as if she was offended by the way she talked against him.

"His entire clan was murdered by these Thirteen Kingdoms. The massacre was brutal. They burnt the witches, alive. Tortured Wizards to death. We were thrown away from every single Kingdom and forced to live in Mountains."

"W-Why?"

"Your father was their head. They thought we were cursed...I saw them ripping apart bodies of children, with my own eyes. And so did he. Your people reported about the Magicians who were hiding in the Kingdom and each one of them were murdered by the guards. Not even a single soul showed us mercy. We were helpless."

Those words affected Dharini immediately as her heart started beating loudly. Her father was the reason behind deaths of innocents? She didn't even have time for weeping anymore.

"We were barred from entering your human realm. No one saved us...but then he grew up. It's his rage which has led to this. His parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, no one was left alive. The crime he's committing is problematic for you but the sins your father had committed can never compared to it."

Dharini wasn't surprised at the actions of her father...somehow, she was aware of the cruelty Royals showcased and she despised it.

Her father causing mass murder of innocents? The musician she talked to being the magician? She tried to compose herself, her personal tragedies could be handled later on.

"How can I save my Kingdom from him? He wants my Crown. My throne. I can't let him have it."

"If he wants to have something, no one can really stop him."

"Are you on his side on mine? There has to be a way!"

"Do you really think he wants the crown?"
"Why wouldn't he? He has destroyed all of our Kingdoms for the Throne."
"Hmm, think again...and your time is up."

Dharini nodded and took a deep breath in while passing gold coins to the old witch.

She had no hope left...not that she wasn't going to fight back, but there are times when we give up. We'd perform out duties but our eyes wouldn't twinkle anymore, the fire within our soul would extinguish and everything seems meaningless.

This had been the darkest night of her life. Losing someone we love isn't as hard as losing respect for a loved one. Her father wasn't alive anymore but his deeds still affected thousands of people...the ones whose entire clans had been murdered because of him probably cursed her.

"His sins are the reason why I can't wash blood off my hands."

The way the she was handed riches and throne, even evil deeds of her father had been passed down to her.