Chapter 19 Spellbounds

I

The wooden squared sign in front of the shabby cottage read "HEALER". Lady Katharina hesitated first before knocking the white door in front of her. She knocked timidly two times. Soon after, the door opened by itself making a shrieking noise that made her jolt and gasp. Immediately, Lady Katharina was blown by a strong smell of burning sage and rosemary filling her nostrils as a white cloud of smoke abandoned the room through the open door... Yet she walked in the strange and dark place.

The blond lady reacted frightened stepping back when the door behind her thudded loudly as it closed by itself again. A cold shiver ran across her spine, while she thought if coming to that place had been a good idea, after all...

"Welcome my dear, there is nothing to be afraid of here." A harsh female voice in a thick accent came along with a creepy figure out of the shadows. Katharina trembled even more when finally the woman revealed herself out in the dim light produced by the burning candles and the few small windows at each side of the room.

This woman was thin, small framed and looking at her carefully, she was not that creepy anymore. She was dressed in a plum colored robe and a black cloth hung over her shoulders. The woman was definitely foreigner. Her voice and features were so exotic. The old lady had black abundant hair that flowed straight down to her legs, almost sweeping the floor. Her face was oval shaped with a pair of huge almond-like eyes in a unique shade of caramel. A long and pointy nose emerged from the center of her dark skinned face. She resembled the women from those nomad tribes that wandered in the arid regions of the Southern Continent.

Katharina spoke to the woman. "Are you the witch? Um, Witch Lilura?" The old lady advanced forward almost like floating and stood in front of Katharina. Lilura grinned mischievously and snapped her fingers making the rest of the candles to blaze illuminating every single corner of the room.

Katharina gave a quick glimpse to the room she was in. On the walls, there were several shelves on the walls where glass bottles filled with herbs and colorful liquids were randomly displayed. The blond lady studied a group of shabby tables where slots of candles burnt making the creamy wax melt over some vases, bronzed candelabrums and closed thick leather-covered books. Also there were a few open books and stone mortars on the tables. 'At least no dead animals or blood.' Katharina's thought feeling somehow relieved.

In one corner of the room it was a burning fireplace with some smelly potion, boiling inside a black caldron. Lots of baskets were placed all around the room with herbs, flowers, garlic and wood.

The woman didn't answer. She gave Katharina instead an uninterested look. "I see you come today with a love distress in your eyes. You think you are losing your man, don't you?"

Katharina reacted astonished. She hadn't told anyone she was coming to see the sorceress, for obvious reasons. How could this woman know the depth of her heart? However, Katharina was desperate. She knew she was losing her prince by the charms of a filthy villager. She needed to do something urgently and this old lady was renowned for her love spells and potions... Katharina only nodded to the witch's questions, afraid to speak again.

"Your lover is a very important person, isn't he? ... umjum... come lady... I need to know a few more details, and your hand will reveal me what I need to know. Come, don't be afraid, sit down in this chair... But let me tell you something important before I proceed. My fees are very high for what I think you want me to do for you dear." Lilura told Katharina giving her a wicked smile.

"I can pay you well, if you do a satisfactory work."

"I know... Well, milady, give me your hand. No matter what you feel, hear or see, do not release my hand or the magical bond will be broken. Is that clear?" Katharina nodded. "Good... now give me your hand and place it atop of mine with your palm open facing up." Katharina did as directed.

Lilura closed her eyes and chanted in some strange dialect. Katharina felt a hot current flowing directly from the sorceress' hand to her body, giving her a sensation of ecstasy, never experienced before. Suddenly she felt as if her hand was burning cold. What her eyes saw was something unbelievable. From her open hand two green beams of light emerged, spinning and then fusing to form a figure... a tiny human figure made of light floating over her hand.

Lilura stopped singing and opened her eyes staring at the figure that now was taking a more definite shape... it was definitely the figure of prince Alasther. Katharina was shocked and frightened with the exact form of the prince floating magically in her hand. Then another figure appeared, it was a feminine more like silhouette, but this one was bright red.

Katharina was about to step back and break the bond. When the outline became more defined, she was so angry. It was the singing maiden dancing with the prince suspended on her hand.

Lilura observed the magical spectrums concentrated as if reading something. Then she spoke, "I think I've seen enough." And shouted as commanding the forces "Ya!" And the shapes vanished instantaneously. Lilura asked the lady. "I see that you recognized the beautiful lady in red. Now I am going to explain what you just saw: The man in green was your lover, Prince Alasther. I recognized him as the prince for his green color, what means he belongs to royalty. What I am about to tell you is something you will not like at all... The girl appeared in red. That means their love bound is very strong... Besides, there is a song... a spellbound melody in the air that comes from that nymph from the woods and keeps them together..."

Katharina then interrupted the witch anxiously. "But there is something that can be done, isn't it? I mean, you are a very powerful witch and I have lots of gold to pay you. I request you to do anything in your power to break any spell that joins them! He has to be mine, and only mine!"

The witch stood and walked to the shelves while speaking to Katharina. "There is something you need to do first: You must stop that song. That voice ought to be silenced. Then you can charm your prince again. If not, there is nothing you can do. Only death can separate your prince and the nymph he adores so much. There is no magic in this universe capable of destroying pure love." Lilura returned and handed Katharina a crystal clear bottle with a bright lavender liquid inside of it. "Here, take this. Pour some drops in a cup of red wine or mead and give it to the nymph... Just a few drops, more than that can be lethal... And Lady Katharina... Be careful with what you wish...Death is not always the end." Lady Katharina studied the purple glowing liquid inside the bottle and smiled triumphantly. Quickly she put the bottle in her sack and dropped a bag of golden coins on the table next to Lilura. The blonde belle turned and walked out of that place without looking back. Katharina was satisfied, feeling confident with the power of the potion she would use against that stupid maiden.

II

In the duke's palace the girls were running in the back garden. It was a beautiful place to be. Two set of Doric columns each one with a planter filled with blooming red roses (in spring and summer) On the top. The white marble columns custody a small maze made of thick bushes. Along the maze there were several iron benches and in the middle a blue stone fountain with a human sized sculpture of Aphrodite. Around the maze, grey cobblestone pebble paths lead to the further part of the yard. Robust oaks, cypresses, cherry trees and pines delimited the garden.

Maik and the duke waited for both Maeh and Amalthea in the back wall of the garden. When the girls joined the gentlemen, the duke opened an iron gate and lead the group through the path that took them to the cliffs. They walked and admired the beauty of the place. They could see how the tranquility of turquoise ocean broke raging near the coast forming huge foamy wave crests.

Am and Maeh giggled because cold breeze blowing from the sea played with their hair and gowns, making them flap frantically. The girls laughed as they failed in the attempt of holding both their skirts and lose manes.

After a short distance they found a heavy flowing stream, not too deep but continuous. The duke explained that this stream came directly from the base of the White River in the High Peaks Mountains, where the glaciers melted during spring and summer.

"White River flows through Lannishire and ends in the Duke's Fall. It is a one hundred feet fall that breaks in the ocean violently. During extreme winters, the Duke's Fall freezes instantaneously. It is an amazing view when it freezes, but not a pleasant walk in such a chilly weather. You are about to stand atop the fall. But you have to be careful. Autumn gusts that come from the sea can be dangerous if you step too near to the edge of the cliffs." Lord Roderick explained.

Soon after, the foursome were standing near the edge of the cliffs. Am, Maik and Maeh, were enchanted with the beauty of the scene. The majestic fall made a thunderous noise as it met the ocean. Between the foam that was produced by the fall on the water surface and the descending waters, a rainbow emerged. It was spell bounding. Am looked at the blue sky and talked with a sad tone on her voice. "I will miss the beauty of this place when we leave tomorrow."

"You don't have to miss this. You don't have to leave. All this can be yours, Amalthea, if you choose me as your husband." The duke told Am.

Maik grounded his look in the ground, afraid of what Am might say. He knew deeply in his heart that no matter how much he loved Am, he would never be able to give her all the things that she deserves. He wanted Am to choose him over the duke... or any other men in this world. But at the end it was only her decision. His eyes watered. Maeh noticed her brother's suffering and took his hand giving him some support.

Amalthea looked at the duke's face and spoke firmly. "Please, Lord Roderick, do not put that pressure on me now. I told you I have to put my thoughts and feelings in order before I can give you or any other person - referring to Maik - an answer. Love is something not to jest with. And if you do not appreciate the sincere friendship that I can offer to you, then, I am afraid this ends here." Am started walking back to the manor leaving behind Maik, Maeh and Lord Roderick staring at her with bewilderment. Suddenly she turned to face them again and addressing again the duke. "And the next time you wish to talk to me about your love, I will appreciate you do it in private. I can't stand my best friends suffering because of me."

Mike was surprised after Am's words. He couldn't believe her words. That was why he loved her, she was just amazing. How the red haired defended him revealed that she cared for him, in one way or another. and Maik finally laughed inside after Am's sudden outburst.

In the other hand, the duke was left with his mouth open and Maeh ran after her friend to calm her down.

"I think you made her angry, Duke. If you thought you had conquered some terrain on your quest for her love, I believe you've lost your track now... I might be young and not too experienced in love affairs, but I do know that woman. So, allow me give you an advice. Let her be. When she's ready, she will give you an answer. I've had waited for too long and yet I have hopes. Do not harass her or you will lose her forever... And I won't be sad for you... Do you understand my friend?" Maik sounded more sardonically than friendly. He patted the duke on his shoulder and after giving him a pity look, he ran after the girls, leaving a speechless and somehow defeated Lord Roderick behind.