Bel stood defiantly before Lord Calvin Boneh, the dim light of the throne room cast eerie shadows across the stone walls, adding to the tension that hung heavily in the air.

There was some sort of spell damping effect, she didn’t know how it was possible, suppressing a witch was seemingly archaic and forgotten.

Lord Calvin had a comfortable smile on his face. He spread his arms out, an inviting pose. “Belladonna, very nice to meet you. Last time I saw you, you were only a small child. When your parents passed away. What a shame that was.”

Playing dumb. Bel felt enraged, and disgusted.

"I will never forget what you did, and will never forgive you for what you did," Bel retorted.

Calvin's eyes narrowed, his friendly voice flipped quickly "Your parents were responsible for the alchemy that poisoned our land. Their actions brought ruin upon us all."

"That's a lie. My parents would never knowingly harm anyone or anything," Bel shot back.

Calvin growled, almost. He took a pitiful look at Bel. “You have no clue what your parents did to us, child. They chose a side in the war and stuck with it. They almost lost, until they pulled one last move that devastated the land forever. They ruined it. The effects lasted longer than any blight or famine. The wheat grows, the apples fall, but alas, they are all but edible. What I did was for my people.”

Bel grimaced, “What you did to them was nearly a decade after the war, what you did was not in war, it was in cold blood.”

With a dismissive gesture, Calvin motioned for the guards to take Bel away, his lips curling into a sneer. "Your naivety is astounding. But it does not matter. You will return to your cell, and you will contemplate the consequences of your actions."

Bel hacked her best spit. It didn’t land very far, stopping short at Calvin’s feet.

“You should show more respect to your king, you know.” Calvin taunted.

“I know what you are, and I know you do not have a single drop of royal blood in your veins. I know that the real king died a long time ago.”

Calvin sighed, “So I guess execution? What a shame. You ought to learn from your parents, child.”

Bel smiled at him, “You think you are safe, but you are not. Your thirst for blood has led you into a dead end. There is no light at the end of the tunnel for you, coward. You really believe that there is a potion strong enough to poison an entire kingdom? You are a fool. And someday, you will realize this. You initiated this war. Someday, you will pay, whether it be by my hand or someone else.”

“You will reap what you have sown Boneh.”

Calvin gripped the sides of his throne. “See you at the gallows next week.” he seethed, “Put her back where you found her.”

The guards grabbed her carefully. Cautious of a person who could evaporate them with a single touch. They dragged her through the throne doors, arm to arm. They slammed behind.

“Sire.” A man ran forward, a messenger.

“Yes?” Calvin said in a resentful tone.

We have received… a threat, sire.

“I see.” Calvin hissed.

“Yes- no, it’s a letter. It was addressed to you directly.”

“And you opened my letter before it got to me?” Calvin asked.

“Sire, it is written on the outside a request for you to die.” the man responded.

“Show me.”

The messenger handed the letter. Sure enough, in black messy ink, was written: “The land will be cured from the blood of the Boneh family.” The messenger left the room quietly.

Calvin’s hands shook as held the letter. He recognized the handwriting. But it was impossible. He opened it slowly. Tearing a sliver of paper each move. Finally, the message was unveiled:

By the time you are reading this, me and my husband will be long gone. But we will not forget what you did. How you destroyed the kingdom. How you ended the lives of thousands, all for one selfish goal.

We warned you time and time again, but alas you ignored our pleads and our cries. Even in death, even in our last moments, we saw an unchanged man.

You must be wondering, in utter shock, how someone could possibly send, let alone, write, a letter even after their death. It is the combined effort of magic and alchemy. Something you could never achieve, or even fathom. For you slaughtered the very people in possession of this knowledge.

How dare you. How dare you, take us away from our child! You may think we poisoned your land, or you may know well that it was your own doing. Regardless, it is too late.

There is no place you can run, you can hide.

You will pay with blood, Boneh.

And your family will too.

“Oberon!” Calvin yelled, his voice cracking.

A man rushed into the room from one of the side doors. Wearing his helmet.

"Ensure Zalina is safely escorted out of the city," Calvin ordered sternly, his voice shaking. Take her to a safe house, a random one!”

“Yes my lord. We will take her at once.” Oberon replied. He exited the room as quickly as he entered, distant shouting of orders in the other room.

Calvin took a deep breath, his hand shook with genuine fear he had not felt in his entire life.

He looked down, realizing he was gripping the paper the whole time. He cautiously brought it up to his eyes, just to be sure that they had not deceived him.

His heart nearly stopped, the writing on the paper striking him with horror a second time, as if it had been the very first.

For the handwriting was his own.