The royal audience hall was full of nobles. It was unusual considering the late hour, as the sun had already set, and the stars were twinkling outside the long stained-glass windows. People were whispering, their nervous voices echoing off the walls. The last few days were unsettling for everyone. More and more people succumbed to a mysterious illness, and no cure was in sight.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to do it in public?" Skylar asked. She stood with Gawyn at the back of the hall, not far from the throne, watching the anxious crowd.

"No, and I told this Aliyah many times already, but she decided to be stubborn about it."

"Well, the nobles claim the situation is out of control already, so I can't blame her for wanting to make a show of it." Skylar shrugged.

"Let's hope it won't turn against her."

The herald tapped his cane to the floor three times, silencing the crowd. "Queen Aliyah Gryphonheart! All hail the Queen!"

The crowd moved like a wave bowing their heads while Aliyah entered the hall. Her violet hair was styled in elaborated braids surrounding a heavy-looking gold crown. Her eyes were framed with dark kohl, and her lips were painted red, making her look as beautiful as any painting. Her long dress was a mixture of Lamyria and Torringland fashion - a heavy long skirt trailing behind her and a perfectly fitted bodice of the colour matching her hair, embroidered with the golden thread. The dress' sleeves were wide at her wrists, hanging almost down to the floor.

She moved with undisputable confidence and grace fitting the monarch, and there were no signs of worries or tiredness on her face. Sharp eyes under long lashes were scanning the crowd like an eagle looking for prey.

She sat on the throne and waved her hand. "Raise."

People straightened and looked at her expectantly. The Queen said nothing and continued to scan the faces of all present in the hall. Silence always made people nervous. It was unclear why the monarch gathered them all here this late today, although everyone knew about the most recent assassination attempt. But the nobles were cunning and clever creatures, and it would take more than a silent judgmental stare from the Queen to make them break and confess their wrongdoings.

"As all of you know," Aliyah started, her strong voice echoing through the hall, "a terrible illness has plagued our kingdom. We have reasons to assume the poison harming our people came from the Blighted Lands."

Horrified gasps echoed through the hall, and people started whispering. Aliyah let them talk for a moment, but the crowd immediately became silent when she raised her hand again.

"Thanks to the unrelenting work of our soldiers, we managed to capture the sorceress who was lurking in our city, causing chaos and mayhem with her dark magic." More surprised gasps. The Queen gestured to the guards. "Bring in the prisoner."

The massive door opened with a loud creak, and the heavy steps and clank of the chains reverberated through the hall. The nobles took a step back, making way for two soldiers leading a beautiful woman with her hands clad in heavy steel shackles. She wore a charming smile on her face as if she wasn't bothered by her predicament. Her confident strides were mocking those who stared at her with fear and dismay. Even though her robe was tattered and her skin bruised, there was a threatening aura surrounding her, keeping others at a safe distance.

"Put her in the circle," Aliyah ordered when the guards got closer to her.

The round shape was marked with white chalk on the floor in front of the throne, and different symbols surrounded it. It wasn't visible at first glance, but it was easy to spot once people knew something was there.

When the sorceress realised where the soldiers led her, she started struggling, but to no avail. The strong hands gripping her shoulders were relentless, and two big men pushed her inside the symbol.

The air around her crackled with electricity. Shiny golden threads ran above the circle in erratic spirals as if there was an invisible dome covering it. The woman groaned and fell to her knees when all the strength had been drained out of her. Her body started to blur, and people gasped in horror.

It looked as if her skin was melting off her face, destroying a beautiful mask and leaving behind a waxy, sickly-looking complexion, covered with wrinkles, dark splotches and black lines of tattoos. Her shiny red hair turned into a thin grey mess, and her long delicate fingers became twisted and claw-like.

"You're not so confident now when all your glamours disappeared, are you?" Aliyah asked, her tone calm and collected.

The sorceress scoffed. "And you sit there on your thrown so high and mighty, thinking you've won? You've gained nothing by capturing me." She raised her head proudly. "Your people found me only because I let them."

The Queen raised her brow. "Then you're not very clever, considering the fate that awaits you here."

"My life doesn't matter, silly girl." The hag scoffed. "I'm here to deliver a message from the Emperor himself. Nothing more and nothing less."

"That is an outright lie," Aliyah said coldly. "You were the one that spread the poison."

The sorceress cackled - the sound was as unpleasant as scraping nails on the stones. "I delivered it, yes. But it was your people that spread it."

Gasps of disbelief and shock filled the room. Skylar rolled her eyes. As if anyone was shocked by this revelation. The nobles had a long history of morally questionable decisions, so faking those horrified expressions was rather unnecessary. The Queen's face was stony and unfazed by the admission. They all already suspected that was the case.

"That may be, but you are still the source of this plague, and that will cost you your head. Unless you tell us what's the cure."

The hag cackled once again. "Do you think it's that easy? I'll tell you what the cure is, and it's all over? Don't be ridiculous. I'm not telling you anything, except what I was sent here to say."

"It's your choice. I'll gladly see your execution," the Queen replied calmly. "Now, what is the message that is worth your death sentence?"

"The Emperor Aleus the Conqueror is very cross with you for what you did eight years ago." Her yellow eyes moved over the crowd and found Skylar. She hissed. "You! Touched by magic! You used your fake goddess to stop us, but you only prolonged your inevitable destruction. You refused to give us your land, and so, as promised, we came for your people." She raised her clawed hand and made a swiping motion, looking around at the crowd. "You will fall one by one, succumbing to the poison. While your people perish, we will thrive, stronger than ever. And we will come for you, sooner or later."

She turned back at Aliyah and grinned, showing a mouth full of rotten and missing teeth. "Unless your Queen travels to Blighted Lands to give fealty to the Emperor and open the borders so we can take over your lands. Then and only then we will lift a curse that was brought upon your people."

"And then you'll destroy our lands and kill our people anyway," Aliyah replied in a sharp voice. "Some choice you are giving us."

"Take it or leave it." The sorceress scoffed. "If you want to let your people die, it's no matter to us. We will get your lands sooner or later, and unlike you, silly mortals, we have countless years ahead of us."

"If that were true, you wouldn't be here," Aliyah said. "You clearly do not have all the time in the world. Otherwise, there would be no point in rushing into this and sacrificing you along the way, wouldn't it?"

The hag scoffed and gave Aliyah a hateful glare. "You speak of our matters as if you knew us. But you're just as ignorant as the rest of your people. The truth is you and all other kingdoms are now at our mercy. You would be wise to bend the knee to our Emperor. That might save at least some of your kind."

"I'm afraid your proposal is unacceptable," the Queen said in an emotionless tone. She gestured to the guards. "Take her back to the dungeons. She will stay there until we set a date for her execution."

"You can kill me, but that won't save you!" the sorceress spat while the guards were pulling her back to her feet and dragging her to the doors. "You are all doomed, you hear me?! Doomed! We will dance upon your ashes and-" her mad shrieks were cut off by the thud of closing doors and became inarticulate.

Silence reigned for a moment, and then the hall exploded with cries of anguish and disbelief. Nobles started to slowly move towards the door, impatient to leave the palace and spread the dreadful news to those who were absent. Aliyah raised her hand, and the herald tapped the floor with his staff a few times until all eyes were back on the throne.

"I did not dismiss you yet," Aliyah said, and her tone was low and somehow menacing. "There is still a matter of traitors who invited that wicked creature into our kingdom. You can feign ignorance all you want, but we all know that she would never be here if she didn't receive aid from one of the families."

The silence became oppressing now, and people were nervously shuffling on their feet, giving each other a timid glance.

"I do not have proof yet of who the traitor might be," Aliyah continued, "but once I find out, believe me, the perpetrators will wish for the swift execution, for all the hardship they brought onto our heads."

She stopped, letting the words sink into everyone's minds and then she nodded to the guards who started to open the double doors. "Now, you are dismissed."