Meet him for the first time

I've been in this dungeon prison for few days, and this is not usual ways they do to the witches. Normally they will do fast execution to prevent other witches to save their comrades. Although they not torture me in this prison, didn't mean they will treat me gently.

I can see fears in their eyes when the guards send me the food. They try to make far distance and not get too close with me. Deep inside my heart I laugh at them. I'm just a skinny girl, weak, alone, unarmed, and have no one to defend me, why they so scared like that?

During in prison, I have a lot of times to thinking about myself. I start to thinking, what is this life supposed to be. When I was a kid, I just hope that I would grow up as a normal woman, get married and have children, raise them until they grow up, watch those married and give me grandchild and die in old ages. Now it's all just an impossible dreams to me, I don't have idea who will marry me anyway hahaha.

Until that day, when I hear a loud steps coming to this prison from upstairs. Is this the day? The day when I finally die? From the sound of the steps alone I know that people who coming is not just one or two guards like usual. When the prison door was open, the light from many torches somehow make my eyes that usually stare the darkness, become sensitive and make me to shift my gaze. After adapting the light, I try to see who's coming in this prison.

Beside the guards I see some people that I've never seen before in this prison. One of them wearing fur coat with silkr lining embodiment. Who is he? He looks young maybe only 5-7 years older than me. Could be he's the prince Roland that was sent to supervise the Border town? My guess was right because one of the guards warn him not to get close to me. I try to get up from the damp floor which I sitting. My wobbling legs seems don't want to obey my command to stand, but in the end I managed to get on my feet. I don't want to look miserable in front of them. That even makes of them scared just to look at my attempt to stand on my feet. They never lose their grip on their weapon and shield

"What's your name?"

"Anna" I just replied directly with my eyes stare at him.

"Can you clearly describe what happened when the mines collapsed?"

I just nodded and start to tell him my story, start from i receive news about the mines collapse until my father sold me to the guards.

"Why" he ask to the old man that stand behind him.

"Probably for the rewards. Discover and reporting a witch will give him 25 gold coins. Enough to support him and his cripple legs for the rest of his life"

That's right, with that cripple leg which my father had it would be hard for him to work as miner again. Maybe he can married again and have new child with his new wife.

"how you could kill that man? He is a grown up man which stronger than you" the prince ask me again after thinking a while

"With devil power of course, isn't that what witch like me have?" I said with giggling, make them scared when heard it and the warden even shout to me to shut up.

"Is that true? Why don't you show me how you do that" the princes seems not convinced and ask me to show him how I kill that miner that try to rob my father.

Sound of disapprovement comes from the prince aides. They try to convinces the prince that will be dangerous and plea to him to cancel his order.

"If you scared then stand behind me or leave this place" the prince not even pay attention for their request. Oh my, this prince is really different from others. He even steps closer to the prison cell where I've being captives. He stop around one meter from the iron bars, his eyes full of curiosity about me. So I try to probe his intention since I've not heard what they want to do with me since they arrive in this prison cell.

"Are you never seeing a witch before my lord? Your curiosity could kill you if you don't listen to your aide's words"

"If you really that powerful, you could easily kill everyone here and escape from the prison. Besides, the one who you hated most should be your father, not me"

My eyes stare at the prince. He's indeed different from common people. If other people cower just hearing my words, the prince still look calm and not show any fears for the witch

"Come on, show me your power" the prince seem impatient to see my power.

It's not I don't want to show my power, but the chain in my neck and lack of food make my body like boneless. It's already hard to standup like this and you expect me to show my power?

Without waiting any further, the prince suddenly grabs the chain in my neck and removes it from there. His action surprised not only his follower but also me. Without the chain, a surge of fire power suddenly flows through my veins. Water that originally drenched in prison floor evaporates, leaving a thick steam. Fire also rise in the ground near my feet. The torch that the guards shine brightly like being poured by oil lamp and finally exploded, make the wielder scream in fears.

The fire getting larger and larger then enveloped my body. The handcuff and my ragged cloths unable to resist the heat, crumbled into ashes. Step by step I walk to the prison cell bars, the solid iron bar start to burn when I approaching, first its burned with red flame and later become yellow flame and melted in short time.

The prince and his follower already step back from the place they stand before, they feel the heat and can't take risk to burn along. With the iron bars already melted creating a big hole in prison cell, I walk out from the cell and not for long after that, and the power that surge from my body finally recedes and disappears. The fire that raging before vanishes, leaving only few torch that still burning on the wall.

Now only I, the prince and the prince's aide that still stand in this prison. His follower already collapsed in the ground. The warden even pee on his pants because of the fears. I stare the prince and ask him,

"Now, you've seen the witch's power. Are you going to execute me now?"

He didn't immediately answer, just walk toward me, unbutton his coat and wrapped it around my naked body while saying with forced smile

"No, I don't want to execute you. I want you to work for me"