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❝𝕬𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖊𝖞𝖊 𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖞 𝖍𝖚𝖗𝖙❞
"Child." The witch's voice woke her up. The black-haired woman was sitting on her bed, grazing the duvet Aeirwen was under. "The crows tell me the rot is spreading." Her steel teeth shone in the moonlight. Aeirwen sat up and squeezed her eyes hard, making sure that Babka was just a... What? A dream? Hallucination? Sickness?
Roots pulled at her eyes to open them. She obliged. "What rot?" But the woman was not there anymore. Aeirwen stood up, afraid that the witch was hiding somewhere, ready to strangle her and cook her meat later. She heard a whisper outside her chamber and when she opened the doors a maid was passing by them. She recognized the woman, her dark hair was neatly braided and suddenly the servant turned in her direction. Babka's face laughed at her, but her silhouette never stopped, not only that, in a moment she would disappear around the corner. Aeirwen went after her.
The roots were tangling under her feet but she managed to keep up with the woman. Babka turned quickly as if trying to lose her, but Aeirwen only sped up. She passed some guards and was met with the witch entering... Queen Alicent's chambers.
Aeirwen went in after Babka and stopped in the middle of the room, but behind the witch. "The King is dead." A different voice said, but it was coming out of the woman's mouth.
Alicent, who was just waking up, and was surprised to see Aeirwen here as well, croaked, "What? Talya, are you sure?" Talya? Aeirwen wanted to warn the Queen about the witch, not... The maid turned. It was not Baba Yaga. It was the queen's handmaiden. It was not the witch. Aeirwen took a step back, but nearly tripped when she noticed a crow in the window. The crows tell me the rot is spreading. "Aeirwen, why are you here?" The Queen said to her and then turned to Talya. "Tell... tell no one. Help me dress." Alicent commanded.
Aeirwen sat down in an old armchair and felt the roots engulf her throat. They tightened, wanting to strangle her... until Alicent came out. The Queen was already dressed. The roots retreated. "Come with me, Aeirwen." She motioned for her. "We...Do not say a word about this to anyone. We-" The Queen turned to Talya again. "Lock the King's chamber."
Alicent took Aeirwen's forearm gently and led her out of the chamber. Both of them went to Otto, and Aeirwen curled up into another armchair and listened to both of them talking. "Why is she here, daughter?" Otto asked when they settled, making Alicent glance at her.
"I- I do not know. She came with Talya." The Queen stuttered, her mind clearly somewhere else.
"Who else knows?" "Only Aeirwen and my handmaiden." Aeirwen was staring at Alicent who seemed almost... Sad. The girl's head tilted, but there was nothing human in the movement, it was more like... a cat. "I commanded to lock the chamber."
