7 The Witch

"No." Prince Adonis declines Hee Young's request for a quick tour of the kingdom. The man's forehead wrinkled with irritation from my aid's sudden request.

Hee Young marches towards my side with her lips pouting from the rejection. Me and Lady Moon giggles at the way my aid reacts to the prince's answer.

We are standing on the vast lawn of the palace where Prince Adonis let Miri stay until the wedding is done. He wants the dragon to be kept close with me, to secure both our safety.

"We will be having an engagement party tomorrow evening and I want Queen Taeyang to have the rest she needed." Prince Adonis announces staring at my aid who hides behind my back.

"Excuse my son's behavior, Queen Taeyang. He likes to do everything according to his plans." King Hector chuckles as he reveals his son's eccentric behavior. The king's voice is like thunder in the vast land. Terrifying and loud with superiority that anyone who hears it will tremble.

We immediately bow our heads at the sudden appearance of the majesty but King Hector holds both my arms to halt my gesture.

"You no longer need to bend your knee to me, Queen Taeyang. You are a queen, not a servant or an aid anymore. Have confidence in your role." King Hector explains staring into my eyes and I nod gently in response.

"How is Queen Ha Eun?" The king inquires, his eyes went grim recalling her majesty's condition.

"Queen Ha Eun is recovering well, King Hector. She only needs a long rest to regain her strength." I answer with a lie not to make the king worry about the queen's health.

"I'm glad to hear that Queen Ha Eun's is healing well and fast. I'm confident that she will be glad to know you are chosen to replace her." King Hector says setting his strong hands on my shoulder.

"Anyway, I'm here to steal away my son. I have a few inquiries about the clothes I have to wear for the engagement party he is planning to have." The king explains his purpose, holding Prince Adonis's right shoulder to take him away from us.

"Don't worry, Queen Taeyang, you two will have plenty of time together after the wedding." King Hector winks at me when he mentions what happens after the wedding.

My cheeks redden at the king's implication of the wedding night. I haven't been with any man my entire life. The two men left to discuss the issues about the party. I ask Lady Moon and Hee Young to give me a moment to talk to the dragon while we wait for dinner to be announced.

"How is meeting the monarchy of humans?"

"They are wonderful people" I answer as I lay comfortably at the back of the dragon.

"I'm glad you find them remarkable. We dragons can't live long without humans. Our overwhelming power is too great to remain longer than ten years in this world that's why we need to link to balance our strength."

"Are all humans here linkers like me?" I ask Miri as I turn sideways to change my position on its back.

"Not all. Dragons select the person they want to link themselves with. Power is a dangerous gift. It needs a great deal of responsibility."

"I'm lucky that you have chosen me to be your human, Miri." I lay flat on the dragon's back trying to embrace Miri with my arms.

"Someone is here, Taeyang."

A man standing tall with a spectacle on his right eye lookups to search my image from the dark. The sun has set and the lawn is now dim without any light. 

"Your majesty, Queen Taeyang, may I request for a private audience with you?" The man yells to ask for my permission.

"Apollo? Am I right?" I ask as I peer down from the dragon's back.

"Yes, your majesty. Do you mind if I approach your dragon?" Apollo inquires politely to have a closer look at Miri.

"Not at all. As long as you don't step on Miri's foot, I think all will be good." I answer giggling at my banter.

I jump down the dragon's back but a shivering feeling envelops my body and I fall haphazardly on my knees. I feel an agonizing pain in my head and my sight starts to blur. The last clear vision I have is Apollo, holding the hilt of a dagger that is stuck at Miri's neck.

"Your dragon won't be able to move, your majesty," Apollo says staring down at me as I lay helpless on the ground.

"What did you do to Miri?" I yell fiercely at the man. He may look like my brother but his nature is not as good as him.

"The dagger is made of a neurotoxin, one that will continue to cause paralysis and severe damage to the brain of the dragon. Since you two are connected through the mind, it will affect you too." Apollo smirks explaining the effect of the blade.

"Why?"I beg for an answer from the man who laughs at my agony.

"She wants you." Apollo quickly answers.

"She? The Witch?" I assume that the woman will be the only one that plans to hurt me and Miri.

"Your fate," Apollo reply, whispering the words to my ear.

"Apollo?" 

A hear a man's voice shout with disbelief but as my sight is dimming, I don't know who it is.

"My prince, I suggest you stay back. I don't want to hurt you but if you insist on stopping me, I might have to."

"Queen Taeyang is in—"

I hear Prince Adonis yell my name but his next words are muffled by a force I have no image of while I'm still blinded by the toxins that can gradually kill Miri, my sense of hearing is intensified by the danger that succumbs me.

"Apollo, I trusted you. How can you betray me?"

"I'm not the Apollo you know."

"You are the Apollo that I love."

"And this is how I show my love for you, my prince."

"By hurting the Queen of the Elf Kingdom and her dragon?"

"This or your kingdom will be destroyed by her."

"You underestimate us? We can stop the Witch better than the Elves does."

"You haven't seen her power. I do. Now, let me do this for you, for us, for your people. Trust me, this is the only way to stop a war brewing before us."

The words Apollo says captivates my heart. As a ruler, I might understand his way to protect the Human Kingdom.

"Apollo..." I call his name to get his attention and let him know my willingness to help his cause. "I'll come with you."

"No! Queen Taeyang, I won't allow it." I hear Prince Adonis hastily dispute my suggestion. 

"Prince Adonis, I know you feel obligated to secure my life but I feel responsible for causing this trouble to your kingdom. If this will prevent your nation from obliteration then I am more than happy to stop it from happening." I beg the prince to accept my fate.

"I'm sorry, Queen Taeyang, I hope you understand my reason for committing this crime."

"I do, Apollo, and like you, I would have done the same for the Elves. However, I have one request before coming with you. Will you take the dagger out of my dragon? I promise I won't let Miri hurt you." I plead the man for mercy.

"I will hold on to your promise, your highness." Apollo replies and I hear Miri growl in pain as the dagger is pulled out of its neck. 

My sight starts to clear and I can see Prince Adonis and Apollo standing next to each other. The man in spectacle pulls out a mirror inside his robe and chants a spell that makes it glitter. The pensive starts to enlarge itself until it's as large as the door.

The man turns to approach the prince and gives him a quick tender kiss on the lips. Prince Adonis closes his eyes as their rims touch in an intimate scene. He tries to hold on to Apollo by setting his hand on the man's nape to make his affection stay longer. When they parted, I noticed Prince Adonis' eyes look misty from the tears that start to pile up. A heartbreaking spectacle is painful to watch. Apollo didn't say a word of goodbye, he walked towards me to lift me from the ground. Then, we pass through the mirror that turns into shards of glass behind us.

We end up in the middle of the forest where a river runs rapidly with the current. Traversing the creek appears to be dangerous yet Apollo steps up toward the water carrying me in his sturdy arms like a small kid who had a grazed knee from running recklessly on the ground.

"Are you sure about this?" I ask the man with my palm sweating and my heart beating quickly like the rampaging water flowing against the boulders of the stream.

"Yes," Apollo says in an exceedingly calm voice which makes me think there must be a trick to cross the treacherous river. 

I close my eyes as Apollo begins to stride forward and when I unfold my sights, we are floating above the stream of water. Crossing a mysterious transparent bridge is otherworldly. It makes me gasp as I peer down the perilous scenery below me.

"Don't look down or you will feel nauseous," Apollo warns me as I look down.

"I'm not afraid of heights. I'm afraid of falling." I counter his presumption.

"You sound exactly like my sister. Her logical thinking is extremely collective yet her emotions are chaotic." Apollo describes me perfectly.

I forgot that my image in this world is different from what I look like previously. From my curly raven dark hair to plain straight ash-blonde. My eyes are dark brown that is almost black and now it's purple hazy orifices that glow in the dark. My youth is eternal as Miri once explained. I'm a hundred and forty years old here but in the alternate world, I'm only twenty-eight. If my real brother catches sight of me, he will not recognize who I am. The sole similarity I have with my former life is my name.

"And you look and talk exactly like my brother who reads me like an open book." I agree with the man's perception of who I am.

"I bet he's handsome with pointed ears." Apollo makes fun of himself.

We laugh together until we reach the destination and my attention veers to the dark castle looming in front of me. Apollo puts my legs down on the floor with ease and we enter the thorny double arc door to peer inside the fortress.

My eyes go wide with delight at how the castle looks inside. The high ceiling is sparkled with chandeliers while the walls are decorated by vines where fresh white roses bloom to make a cozy atmosphere to the palace. My expectation of a dingy and gloomy atmosphere for the witch's lair is unfair. I predicted it as the movies have been portraying the heinousness of a character. The filthy and shabby environment depicts the chaos of their mind and soul. However, this domain looks like a setting for a fairy tale with a happy ever after.

Apollo guides me to the center of the hall where a wide white staircase is plastered in the middle of the wall. 

"I know that we will be seeing each other again." 

I stand motionless on my feet, gaping at the woman strutting gracefully down the stairs. Her hazelnut blonde hair, blue eyes, and fleshy lips make my heart drums in a chaotic chant that I barely hear her greeting. My mind is full of questions that I don't know when to begin.