This is dedicated to BellaMegHop and GiiPower for being the first ones to comment on my story. Thanks guys your coments were so encouraging meant so much to me.

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The months passed quickly for both Talan and his father, Talan learning everything his father had to teach him and more. He was well on his way to becoming a wonderful Duke, even better than his father before him.

Talan began holding meetings twice a week with the citizens of Venice where the people could come forward with grievances and problems to have the Duke Regent help them with. This solved many problems and stopped many conflicts from occurring in the city square. Talan truly loved his people and would do anything to insure the stability and security of them all.

About three months before his father would be stepping down from his title, Talan was holding another town meeting attempting to settle a disagreement between two villagers over the ownership of a pig. He was about to make his decision when a commotion at the back of the crowd caught his attention.

A group of five men were pulling a young woman behind them. She looked to be around seventeen years old. She had long black hair the color of ravens wings and bright serpent green eyes that had a pained and terrified look reflecting in their eyes.

He held up a hand stopping the movement. "What is going on?" He asked he was disgusted with the foul treatment of the beautiful woman.

"Sire, we caught this girl practicing the forbidden art!" The leader shouted. A frightened gasp echoed through the crowd. Whispers soon surrounded the area, talk of witch and abomination. Talan was torn he had to make a decision but whatever he decided, people would be hurt.

The Forbidden Arts was a magick so powerful and ancient it was as old as time itself, and was nit always forbidden, but widely practiced. It was said that it was that magick that created the world all those eons ago. It created life and insured the continuation and stabilization of the civilization.

That was at least until a powerful sorceress, Serifine, began using the magick for her own selfish means and desires to achieve what she wanted. Before she was destroyed hundreds of innocents were lost to her evil craft. Now all magick of any kind good or evil is forbidden under the punishment of death. For anyone to be practicing this let alone a woman was shocking, the punishments far more out-weighed the accomplishments that could be achieved by there use.

"What is the proof of this crime or am I to believe your word?" Talan asked, before he did anything he wanted to learn all the facts.

"Yes, my liege. We caught her in the act of performing a spell."

More whispers erupted. The crowd was becoming restless wanting judgement.

"No! Sir I wasn't. Please believe me! Their lie-" before she could continue, one of the men holding her clamped a hand over her mouth silencing her while another proceeded to smack her face bringing blood.

"Enough!" Talan shouted. "Release the girl at once!"

The men looked aghast at his command. "I said release her!" He growled.

They released her and she collapsed to the ground passing out in a huff causing the crowd to back up in fear. Talan immediately leapt down from the stage where he was seated and ran to the girl cradling her in his arms against his chest.

"What did you DO to her?" He snarled at the five men before him. His eyes glinting with fury.

"Your grace, she is a witch she is evil." The men stuttered as Talan rose to his feet with the girl unconscious against his chest. "You can't trust her, she will destroy us all."

"Enough!" He roared making everyone jump. "The only evil ones I see are you five for what you did. I pass judgement, me or my father. I decide what actions to take against the accused. For your actions you will be punished, guards arrest these men for torture and undermining the Duke-Regent!"

"Let this be a lesson to everyone, people are innocent until proven other wise. So do not judge or be judged by me!" With that Talan left the clearing and made his way to his mansion to care for the young woman cradled in his arms.

"Don't worry, no one will hurt you while I'm around, I promise." He whispered in her ear. I didn't know the girl, but I just knew I had to help her, make sure no one ever hurt her. I would keep my promise. Or die trying.

In all actuality I should not have bothered with her, to help her at all. For not all are what they seem, not everyone is who you think. I should have but I didn't and now I am paying the price. For she was my undoing.