The Ugly Prince

The Witching Hour - Part One

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Chapter Fourteen

The Witching Hour - Part One

The brothers of Arland had since then disappeared around them, as their elderly faces faded back into the bark of the trees they had possessed to protect them had now become hollow husks. The small inhabitants of the forest were now calm and quiet as they slowly came out of their homes looking around them to see whether it was safe to come out, as the raven had long gone and disappeared into the blue horizon.

Only Arland remained with his startled and alarmed guests as Rosa walked away from the carriage into the stream of golden bright that poured from the wide opening from the trees bathing her in warm light as she stood in the middle of the clearing staring at the open gap that revealed the sky above them. She watched the white clouds pass in the clear blue sky focusing her wise eyes to see if Zella’s spy were still secretly lingering about, or whether it was a mere coincidence that traitorous raven happened to fly searching for its master’s new target or whether Zella had found out about her plans and about the girl that held the key to ending Zella’s wicked spells. Arland stayed completely still as he looked up with his auburn eyes into the sky that nurtured him for centuries with Rosa as the sky could tell them what they seeked to know. Their thoughts were so deep and troubled that they did not hear the sobs of a terrified Juliana who was still crying in Drake’s caring embrace, as they could not hear what was not in their own minds or penetrate their thoughts. Only Drake who held Juliana in his arms as he tried to console her could hear her sobs and feel her tears soak into his shirt dampening his chest as he remained quiet as he continued to listen to her distress cries as he did not know what words to say to calm her. He felt utterly useless as all he could do was watch her slowly calm down as her sobs started to quietened even though her tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

Slowly she began gentle pull away from his warm secure embrace even though she secretly wanted to continue to stay in his arms, she took her hands away from his covered chest where she looked into his eyes and saw worry and concern in his golden eyes as he looked at her. She could not stop the tears traveling down from her sore red rimmed eyes down her slightly rosy cheeks, her eyes sore from crying started to feel heavily and slightly sting as she could feel new fresh tears swimming in her eyes threatening to fall. She could feel her whole body become tense as alert and panic took over her body making her small frame shake from the crying and fear she felt. Drake watching her small body shake with fear as the tears continued to flow he placed his hand on her cheek as he wiped away the tears with his thumb, as soon as the last and final tear left her eyes he let his hand slide away from her face. As soon as his hand left her face she then lowered her gaze from his as her hands travelled up to her face while she looked down at the ground for a moment, as she started to rub her tired sore eyes as she was afraid to close them in case she would fall asleep.

Her mind went blank as she stared mindlessly at the trees around them looking depressed and tired until a gentle hand was placed on her arm as it started to stroke the length of her arm. She recognised the hand as being Drake’s and she instantly turned her head round to find him at her side, as she looked into his eyes she didn’t realise that he was slowly leading her towards the carriage while she rubbed her tired eyes as Drake suggested that she should try and relax and get some sleep. Feeling dazed as well as alerted she tried to decline explaining that she didn’t need a rest while she continued to rub her eyes, as she feared that if she went to sleep or shut her eyes something would happen, all the while she was slowly being led towards the carriage. Then it suddenly dawned on her where he was leading her as they approach the carriage door, as the fear was shown evidently in her eyes as she tried to turn away from the carriage. He put his warm hands her small shoulders until she looked into his golden hypnotising eyes “Juliana you feel better once you had a rest,” he said in a convincing voice.