The Raven

Bonus Chapter #6

Several years later...

Unbeknownst to the citizens of the kingdom, and especially to the royals within the palace, a darkness has been brewing just outside their country's borders. More than two decades have passed since the fall of the black magic that once dwelled inside the castle; the death of King Caleb's creator at his own bedside left a permanent and irreparable scar among a few who were left behind. For over twenty years, the anger and hatred have grown and festered, blinding one woman in particular with an unrelenting rage. Now the time is finally near for the sinister forces to once again rear their ugly heads and wreak havoc on the unsuspecting and entirely ignorant people under the raven's rule.

As the sorceress watches the vision in the smoldering fire, she appreciates the princess's struggle to remain true to herself, recognizing that it can prove quite an advantage in the witch's quest to usurp the throne. For as long as the girl remains so deeply distracted, the magic possessor's task is made all the easier. Dear Princess Valencia and her fathers, King Henry and that repulsive raven, will be so wholly preoccupied wrestling with the repercussions of forfeiting tradition that the witch's arrival will never be prefigured.

It is almost as if she is being welcomed in by formal invitation. The ridiculous, so-called leaders of the country are practically destroying their kingdom all on their own.

The witch lets out a wicked cackle, observing as the heat suddenly dies out in the previously burning fire pit, putting an immediate end to the premonition. A contented expression overtakes her face, understanding that her vengeance will soon be sated; the sorceress is so close to having her retaliation realized that she can almost taste her victory. The woman has unquestionably never before felt so completely satisfied as she does at this precise moment, a twisted sense of accomplishment pooling within her stomach.

That blasted raven will pay for what he has done; she will make sure of it if it is the last thing she will ever do.

However, she must not get too far ahead of herself, for there is still a significant amount of work to be done to achieve success.

Removing herself from her seat before the rapidly cooling ashes, the witch dusts off the front of her dress with her bare hands, the scent of smoke lingering on her as it clings to her hair and clothes. She reminisces silently for a moment, painstakingly remembering the loss she incurred the day Delilah Delvaux was ordered to give her life to perform the impossible task of resurrecting the dead. It is a memory that has haunted her these twenty-plus years and will continue to torment her for the rest of her days.

The mere thought of what was so cruelly taken from her reignites the flames inside of the witch, her body searing with the uncontrolled fire of fury that is quickly expanding within her.

With her eyebrows knitted together and her lips pursed, the sorceress irately stomps from the room. In the very back of her little shack in the woods lies the altar where she keeps her book of spells. More determined than ever before to finally rectify the wrongs that have been done to her so many years ago, she swiftly strokes through the pages as she hastily begins to formulate a plan. She will not allow the preposterous excuses for kings to remain unpunished for their crimes for even a minute longer than necessary.

With Princess Valencia's impending ascension and the unyielding drama that currently surrounds the royal family, now is evidently the most opportune time to exact her revenge and avenge her beloved Delilah.

Page after page, she scours the lengthy list of spells, chants, and incantations, effortlessly committing anything that could possibly be of use to memory. For now, she will simply collect as much information as she can; it is likely best to be appropriately prepared in this case, anyway.

Perhaps, if Delilah had been more prepared to execute her own scheme, she would still be alive today.

The witch cringes mentally at the thought, guilt instantly and incessantly swarming her. No, she cannot blame Delilah for her own shortcomings. Her plot had been practically flawless; any unplanned discrepancies were entirely the fault of that wretched raven. With a shake of her head, the sorceress returns to her work, refusing to allow any more disruptions to her note-making.

There is no room for such mistakes when retribution is on the line.

*A/N: This is the final chapter of Henry and Caleb's story! I am saddened to see it end, but they will be back in the sequel- if you're a fan of their love, stick around for Princess Valencia's story, Be Courageous, which will soon be available on my profile.

Thank you so much for reading! ❤

--Stacy