The Witch's Cursed Daughter

39. From Another Perspective

Evianna's body lay still, trapped in twilight-coloured vines, the river loudly symphonising below her. She appeared to be engulfed in a dream with her eyes closed, yet Julian's distress only grew as deathly peace greeted her. There was no cure for Soul Vine. There had been many attempts to develop an antidote, yet due to the plant's poisonous inflorescence, which sheds pollen upon contact, the skin is immediately coated in a toxic mist.

As Julian and Romile stood with their heads bowed over the bridge, dread postponing any reactions, the surrounding Guard Units subdued what was left of the assailants with ease. After a short while, Voster approached, looking around for Evianna, an expression of surprise and suspicion appearing as he caught sight of Illea.

"Your Highness, Romile," he called on approach, his usual cape catching the wind emphasising his speed. Stepping over the sword and body-covered cobbles, his footsteps reverberated as he navigated the red sea with green and black islands. Coming to a stop beside the carriage, bobbing his head to examine the passenger seats, he probed firmly, "Where is Her Ladyship?"

Without looking away from Evianna's frame, Julian merely shook his head in response. The three boys stood in silence for a moment, the air rough with tension that waved through the crowd of onlookers.

While the wind whispered through the lantern-lit battlefield, the soft honey-like giggles of the princess caught the Mage's attention. As she ran her fingers daintily across the splintered rails of the Lady Myrde's carriage, she batted her eyelids heartily as Voster awaited her words.

"Voster," she began musically, "don't you think you should be interested in what they're staring at?"

Fury burst from Romile as if he had returned to his own time under her torture, "Princess!"

Bitter snarls from Julian joined him swiftly as he turned in her direction, hands still clamped onto the side of the solid, stone bridge, "Sister, I am warning you, remove yourself before I remove a body part."

A bewildered look crossed Illea's face, followed by an abrupt countenance of amusement, "Dear brother, you couldn't even if you wanted to." Without waiting for his counter-comment, she picked up the front skirts of her unsoiled dress and departed gracefully, walking towards the now open gates of the oversized palace Wall.

Confused by the conversation, Voster advanced towards the parapet slowly, a sensation of dire foreboding settling in the darkest reaches of his stomach. Peering over, his eyes took a second to adjust. As his gaze fell on the juxtaposing image of Evianna in her bright dress entangled in venomous ropes, he felt as though bile had risen into his throat.

The dense aroma of blood filling the air only fuelled Voster's rage. Reaching out, he grabbed Julian by the collar, "How could you let this happen?"

Romile threw himself at Voster, shouting in the prince's defence, "It wasn't His Highness's fault! The princess..."

"What?" Voster screamed.

"Stop it, now," Julian said lifelessly, his eyes unfocussed on Voster face, no force behind his hands trying to loosen the scarlet grip below his neck. "What does it matter right now? We need to bring her up; we could still..."

"Are you insane?" Voster asked, his eyes burning with contempt and sorrow. "You know that's Soul Vine. No-one can survive that, she's..." Suddenly, Voster's hand fell, and he hastened to the edge, focussing his energy and allowing magic to glow from his hands.

"Voster?"

"She's not dead," Voster murmured, his eyes wide, tears trickling down his pinking cheeks.

"What?" Romile's voice cracked, furrowing his brow as he ran over to join the Mage.

Julian stood, the harsh taste in his mouth dimming as a sliver of hope returned to him. Unable to move, he listened to Voster mutter about life signs and Soul Vine.

"The curse is still active; she's not dead," Voster uttered under his breath.

"That's impossible," Romile objected. He stared at Evianna's figure, unmoving and peaceful. He did not wish she was gone but could not deny what was before his eyes. He steadily asked, "Are you sure?"

The glow stopped emitting from Voster's hands as he turned violently and leaned in close, "Romile, I don't ask you if you know how to wield a sword, don't ask me about magic."

Uninterested in Romile's response, Voster looked to Julian, who was returning to a semblance of himself, free with the knowledge that Evianna was not, in fact, dead.