The Dark Witch And Her Knights

45

A warm hand massaging my hip coaxed me from my deep slumber. I moaned and shifted feeling a delicious ache in my core. A soreness that told of how thoroughly Tovias could make love to me. The feeling of an early morning sun beamed heat onto my bare back from the windows.

"Dear Satan, why in heaven are the curtains drawn back?" I mumbled into the goose feather pillow beneath my drooling face.

I heard Tovias's deep chuckle. "Well, I can not speak for the dark lord himself but I can speak for the curtains. They are quite pale and white, blocking none of the sun's rays."

I flung my hand in the direction of the windows. "Obscurare et spiassare." The relief was instant and I braved peeking open my eyes. The coppery curls of his hair glinting in the sunlight was the first thing that caught my interest. I couldn't control the blush spreading up my cheeks or the grin stealing away my lips. Shying away- dismayed by my unexpected feelings, I crushed my face back into my cushion.

"Since Mistress is shy this morn' and taken off guard by the sheer delight of the sight of me naked and in her bed still- I shall go prepare lunch." Hands came around my waist and yanked my bare body against his. He nuzzled into my hair breathing the scent of me in deeply before pulling away.

"No," I whined pulling him back and snuggling into his chest. "Let the house girl arrange house matters. Stay with me." His chuckle warmed my heart while his hand gripped my jaw and forced me to look up at him.

"We have a kingdom to tactfully usurp. And you have a throne to sit upon. We will achieve none of that tangled in a nest of love. I must ensure you get everything you deserve." He tucked locks of loose hair behind my ears. "So let's start with lunch and when the moon reaches its apex at night, I will come stay with you."

I wanted to tell him this was not what my life was supposed to be like. I was the daughter of a healer who trained me to take after her. I attended a prestigious school at a very young age where I took extensive lessons on herbs and medicine under the tutelage of renowned scholars. I loved the boy across the dirt path and thought one day he would be a soldier in the king's army and I would be his little medicinal wife who stayed home, bread babies for him, and helped heal the locals of their calamities. That everything I wanted- didn't matter because it was all a lie. My eyes were opened to that when Gavrial Hallstead kidnapped me and pulled back the curtain over my entire world.

I said not a word of that. For even though I wanted none of this I would go on and do what I knew was right. Retribution was owed for the grave crimes committed against my people- that I would without fault magistrate over. Neither was there anyone else who would or could. Reluctantly I looked into Tovias's honey-like eyes before stealing one last kiss and turning my back to him headed toward the bathroom.

When I reached the dining room I was fully dressed in a new gown I ordered from the city's best dressmaker. I ordered several of the pieces that were extremely difficult, bold, and extravagant to make. Then from the next best tailor in town, I ordered a series of much more innocent and simple gowns. They had arrived last week and were worth every fake shield and wheel I cast with my magic to pay for them.

The fight to hold back the evil cackle bubbling within me was tremendous. Tovias watched me as I unpacked box after box with a knowing smirk on his face. With each new dress, my fingers ran over every bit and piece of fabric used to construct each ensemble. "Amethystus. Rubrum. Caeruleum. Viridis. Obscurare. Illuminare." As I went I changed the colors to fit the message I was trying to send.

Today I wore a color much like a sapphire. Most certainly it had never been worn by the common folk. Such rich and deep colors were worn by the people with the deepest pockets and the highest of rank. I took a seat across from Gladiola and next to Tovias who took my empty plate and began placing items on it that he thought I might enjoy.

"What do you have planned for the day, Lady Atropa?" The widow inclined.

"Today we gain a foothold in the city. You also have your first task of writing out invitations to every one of worth, power, or relation to the crown." I began pulling grapes from the small vine on my plate.

"Oh, how intriguing." She cooed. "And what is this an invitation to?"

"A ball," I said grinning widely at her.

The excitement on her face doubled. "It has been so long since a gathering of any sort has been held at this estate. I can't wait. My dream was always to see this place restored, for Amarum to be wed in that once great room, and you have done much more than that and truly I am grateful. This is so splendid for an old woman like me. What shall the theme be?"

"I believe a masquerade would get the people going." Tovias inserted with a waggle of his eyebrows. "Leave all inhibitions behind for a night of freedom and revelry. Take the appearance of another at a beautifully dark fantasy- The Atropa Hall Masquerade."

Gladiola couldn't help fanning herself. It was like she was just told the hottest gossip in town."That sounds brilliant. I shall start drawing them up immediately. All I need is a date and time."

"Three full moons from now," I informed between eating the different types of cheese before me. One was blue and terribly awful. Tovias chuffed a laugh watching me spit it into my napkin. "First I would like a bit of extra time to work on my glamour around the estate and establish myself further in the castle. I think that cheese is bad. Is that cheese bad?" Reaching for the glass of water I chugged it before also grabbing Toviass.

"I think it is an acquired taste, My Lady." Taking his clean napkin I started blotting my tongue to rid it of the horrid tang. "Try some ale."

Gladiola waved a dismissive hand at Tovias. "Do no such thing. Listening to any man would be foolish. Drink some strong hot tea and the taste shall fainten, my dear."

Marry the young serving girl whom I had kept employed had emerged from a side door. "Your carriage has been prepared, My Lady."

"Thank you, Marry." I finished off my breakfast with some very helpful tea and bread before heading into the town to make my footholds.

***

Obscurare et spiassare - Darken and Thicken

Amethystus - Amethyst

Rubrum - Red

Caeruleum - Blue 

Vivridis - Green

Obscurare - Darken

Illuminare - Lighten