Black Water

Chapter: 4 The Kings Revenge

"Did or did I not restrict you from entering that kingdom?" A deep female voice can be heard around the room, Julia asked for Canteen to wait outside. She put her hand on her head, "That vile king is merciless! You could have been killed!" A queen sat on leaves-like throne, dark and gray hair sharp look, blue eyes she looks and sounds like a true Queen.

"Yes mother..." Julia stood pouting in front of the angered Queen.

"My time is nearly up, you're my only child-"

"I am a teenager, I'm not a child anymore!" Julia said sharply.

The Queen looked a little saddened because she knew it was true.

Julia immediately realized she went too far,

"I'm sorry mother, I just want more freedom. My life isn't just revolving around being a princess."

"The royal witches' rules state, you need to have a duel by the time you're 18. You're 17, you don't have good grades, you don't have a lover, and you nearly died! You what? Want freedom? Those are the responsibilities of being a princess!" The Queen stared at Julia, waiting for an answer. "I need you the most to act like a princess sooner rather than later." The Queen showed Julia a glass of black-blood, Julia gasped

"T-thats black-blood!" Julia stumbled back, nearly tripping and falling on the dark wooden planks on the floor. "That means, you're going to-" Julia tried to catch her footing.

"Perish, the doctor said I only have 2 years left. I need you to find a king before I die, or else the kingdom will find you a random king for you to marry." The Queen placed the glass of black-blood away.

"I... I understand." Julia was excused by her mother and left the room, finally meeting Canteen waiting outside. He sat down talking to one of the Witch guards patrolling. Which seemed annoyed but still stood in a professional posture.

"How'd it go?" Canteen sprung up from talking to the guard, which he led out a sigh of relief.

"Absolutely awful..." She had tears on her eyes.

"Woah, wait! Is there anything I can do?" Canteen got a rag from his old jacket, and gave it to Julia to wipe her tears.

"No, my mother has black-blood." She blew her nose into the rag, she saw Canteen confused, "Oh, my apologies, black-blood happens when Witches are close to death. There's no cure, that's why it's so devastating." She gave the rag back to Canteen.

A Witch from the high tree began to ring the bell to warn the other Witches, "Warning! The purifiers are approaching, again!" The Witch-guard slings its sickle weapon up in the air, it spinned and acted like a flare warning the other witches.

Canteen panicky ran outside, it smells like gunpowder. "How did they find this place?" 

Julia took out her previously used flower she threw it in the air causing the witches blades to become sharper and powerful. She looked at Canteen with suspicion.

Canteen was in shock, but quickly snapped back into focus. "The sword, I need to get the sword!"

Julia gave the sword to Canteen. Still thinking in her head if he had trailed them here, but it quickly faded away when she saw Canteen genuinely concerned for the guards protecting the city.

"Wear this, so the witch guards don't accidentally shoot you." Julia looked around the room trying to find Canteen, a witch looking hat, very basic but noticeable.

"Give us the Queen or be burnt down!" The knights from the kingdom chanted as they pounded on the witches' walls that surrounded the town.

The witch guards ran towards the knights with their sickles glowing orange, as for the civilian witches they huddled in a group.

"Listen, evacuate towards the Kiniddle! " The guards yelled, swarming around like ants trying to get into position.

The Captains of the witch only had orange fire on their sickles, "Not one will flee, success is our only option." One of the Captains said while they led a massive amount of knights. Stomping towards the gates to protect the kingdom they chanted, "Protect the Queen, protect the black water!" The sound of chains reeled as the gates slowly opened, the Royal witches and guard witches swarmed outside like a forest fire.

Loud sword fighting can be heard around the walls, the witch and evil knights bellowed from outside the walls. Canteen ran to fight the knights, he sees one of them behind the walls,

"Traitor!" One of the gruffy knights points at Canteen.

"Leave the witches alone!" Canteen whipped out his sword, standing in front of the crippled gate.

"Boy, there is much you don't know about them." The knight too draws his sword, they both circle each other.

Canteen frighteningly first attacked the knight, he blocked effortlessly. "The king has a reason for such hate!" The sound of the swords sparked with and the knight kicked the sword off of Canteen's hands.

"Those magiclovers you protect are nothing but savages, they are slaughtered-" The knight was slayed mid-sentence by a witch guard throwing his sickle at him. Without knowing the royal witch was about to attack Canteen, but realized he was on their team by looking at his black witch hat that Julia gave him. He simply acknowledged that he was friendly and went back to battle the rest of the rampaging knights.

Canteen contemplated and thought as he ran towards Julia, the clashes of the knights and witches was rupturing around the used to be peaceful kingdom. Julia contributed as a princess, something Canteen never saw before. "Send the gatherers to relocate the blackwater."

After hours of fighting many knights and many witch-guards died in battle. The town was saved and protected. This moment was perfect for Canteen to question Julia.

"Witches are good right?" Canteen looked at Julia with confusion. Her eyes swiveled to the side. Her expression suggests she is hiding a painful truth.