A Crown of Daggers (Two Swords and a Dagger #2)

TW// Mention of death

The sudden light from the thunder startled Gyla, as she was walking down the room, filled with portraits of their ancestors. Her hand was on her chest, fingers brushing against a silver lily necklace. She looked out of the window, just as the thunder roared throughout the castle. The rain was pouring down, hitting the window just as if someone was throwing rocks at it. Gyla stopped and stared, frozen on the spot. Why am I here?

She took her eyes off the window and looked around the hall. Her eyes stopped at the new, freshly painted picture of Tivon, just barley five years old. Oh, I was going to see him. Gyla quickly tugged a strain of hair behind her ear and hurried to Tivon's room. As soon as she opened the door Tivon jumped into her arms.

"Mama!" Tivon tugged at her sleeve. "Mama, look!"

Gyla looked at where Tivon was pointing at. His desk was full of drawings and books. She stepped closer, still holding Tivon in her arms.

"Are these all yours?"

"Yes." He said proudly. She put him down and Tivon piled some papers in his hands and handed them to Gyla as she sat down beside the window. "These are my favourite."

Gyla smiled as she looked through them. "You're going to be a great artist someday."

Tivon only grinned. "No, I'm going to be a King."

"Do you want to hear a story?" Gyla put down the papers on the table and smiled.

Tivon's eyes sparkled. "Is it a real one?"

"Of course, it is."

Tivon jumped on her lap and Gyla hugged her arms around him. She looked down at his eyes, hungry for new stories, new adventures.

"It was a dark, stormy night," she looked through the window, "just like the one tonight." Tivon followed her look. "A woman was running through the forest, desperately trying to find any source of life. Despite the trees, the rain poured down on her, blinding her vision. She was cold and hungry, but more than that, she was scared. You see, the woman was banished from her town."

Tivon frowned. "But why mama?"

Gyla pushed Tivon's messy hair from his forehead. "Because she was different Tivon. She knew how to use magic. She was running from her home because she brought someone back to life."

"Mama, you said you would tell a real story."

"Oh, this is a real story." She pulled Tivon closer and continued. "As the woman was running, a lightning struck!"

Gyla raised her voice and mimicked a thunder. Tivon jumped and hid his head under her arms.

"The lightning struck a tree and set it on fire. That scared her so much that she started running even faster, thinking that the people, that were after her, caught up. As she was losing all hope and strength, she saw a dim light in the distance. She ran faster towards the light and when she got closer the light turned into more smaller lights. A rock fell off her chest when she realized they were houses. She ran to the first one and banged on the door, still hysterically looking over her shoulder. Eventually someone opened the door. The woman only remembered the man's worried face before she fainted.

"The next day, when she woke up, the rain had already stopped. She looked around the place and found all kinds of herbs hanging from the ceiling. Even the ones not known to many ordinary people. When the man returned, he came back with a handful of freshly baked bread. He offered it to her and made her a cup of tea. When he asked her where she's from, she decided she trust him and told him who she was."

"And who was she?"

"A witch Tivon." She smiled. "She was a real witch."

"Mama, witches don't exist."

"In this story they do."

Tivon shifted in her lap. "And what happened to her?"

"Many things. The village was full of doctors. On markets, they sold all kinds of herbs, spices, and liquids. They helped many people, and the woman quickly became very known for curing diseases. With everyday more and more people showed up at her house. She was always happy to help others and she was happy that these people finally accepted her. Eventually, she married the guy who saved her on that stormy night and together they've built a special house where they treated the sick.

"But despite that she was a witch, she never used magic on anybody. She was still too scared. Until one night, when a mother brought in a sick baby. The woman knew the baby wasn't going to make it and for the first time in years she used magic that she promised herself not to ever use again. The village praised the woman for saving the baby and the word got around quickly, spreading to other villages. Others did not like that woman were able to heal others with just some herbs or even magic, so they told the King."

"The King was furious, and he went there himself, ordering his men to kill the one who was rumoured to have powers. But the village stood up for her. The King was outraged so he set the whole village on fire, killing every single one of them."

"What happened to the woman?" Asked Tivon.

"The King found her running out of a house, a snake creeping at her feet. It looked like she was hiding something there. She knew she couldn't escape him. So, she gave in."

"He killed her?"

Gyla stroked his face. "Yes. She died with a smile on her face, saying that she will eventually be avenged and that the King's days are to be numbered. The woman cursed the King, because soon enough, he died in his sleep. The woman was never avenged."

She leaned to Tivon's ears. "There are rumours of this story, that she had two daughters, which she hid away with a spell." She leaned back and smiled. »And this is the end of the story."

"I don't like this story," frowned Tivon. "And I know it's not real. Witches and magic don't exist." He yawned, his eyes barely open. "I know that."

Gyla smiled, picked Tivon up and carried him to his bed. Tivon was so tired that he'd already fallen asleep. She kissed him gently on the forehead and whispered.

"Soon enough, you'll realize there is more to this world than it seems. Soon, Tivon, you'll see that magic is real and that some witches still live among us."