The Poor Witcher

20th Century

The following weeks had gone by smoothly and the Queen has succeeded in avoiding her co-councilmen. A few more till she gets a witch to help hide her baby bump. During all this time the only soul that sets eyes on her was the witcher. He was still attending to the Queen's health since the pregnancy was taking a toll on her health. The Vampire Queen didn't regret one bit what she did. The deliberate attack on the witcher weeks ago was to teach him a lesson for his impertinence and also not to bring slander to her name. She believed situations like this calls for firmness and not leniency.

The Queen quirked her lips at the foul smell of herbs. Was the witcher deliberately trying to get on her nerves, whatever he was mixing smells awful. But she has to endure because she had told him to slow the pregnancy process. At first the witcher had refused saying it could endanger both the mother and child's life but a threat of repetition of what had happened weeks ago sent him running on his heels. The man has been wary in his movements around the Vampire Queen.Although he hadn't forgotten the frightful day he had nearly lost his life, he had been very cautious, not doing anything to make the Queen attack him again.

Pregnancy cycle of supernatural creatures differs from the humans, it takes two years to child birth in their realm. The Vampire Queen's mind could not explain how the child was still alive after she was dead or how it didn't resist the force of an induced coma. How came about her new found powers was also unexplainable. Could it be that the child had triggered her dormant powers and maybe use those powers to protect itself during her sleep? 'That sounded logical. But then she should have woken up in two years to put to bed rather than hundred years before the child starts growing. Which supernatural creature carries a child for hundreds years?' All these thoughts and questions threatened her sanity.

The witcher was also deep in thought as he prepares the Queen's tonic. On the other hand, he believes it was an act of a magic spell cast on the Queen during her unconscious state and maybe that was why it labour has been prolonged. The witcher can't fathom why his Queen would hide such a delicate issue, she should speak out so that the perpetrators of such an abominable act would be brought to justice. 'Hiding it would only makes it worse when it gets out. But then again who in their right senses would slander the Queen's reputation with such a hideous atrocity?' He asked himself.

"My Queen, the potion is ready." He said holding out a bottle of black liquid, keeping a reasonable distance from the woman who in her night dress laid in bed.

She stretched out her hand, turning her head away from the foul smell, "yack!" her nose scrunched up with disgust, "how do I drink this when it smells awful?" It was a rhetorical question because it wasn't the first time she had drunk it.

"I'm afraid my hands are tired. You will just have to drink it like that." The witcher gave a pitiful smile.

Lilian closed her eyes, holding her nose with one hand whiles bring the bottle close to her lips. She drunk the content in one gulp. "It taste more awful than it smell." She said, bringing her tongue out. The witcher couldn't hold back the laughter at the Queen's childish antics.

Repulsed at his audacity, "If not for the reason that you are the healer attending to me I would have cut your tongue out." She loathes.

Aghast with fear, the witcher quickly stopped laughing and cleared his throat, "I apologise for my rudeness." He bowed, taking back the empty bottle.

"I need a witch, the best you can find in any of the regions." She said wistfully, breaking his disquiet.

"Hmm, the most powerful is the witch Queen other than that a hellcast is another option to consider." He replied.

The Queen retired to her thoughts again, ' there was no way she could confide in Mira and all the hellcasts reports to Mira. How was she going to get one to work for her without Mira's knowledge? She had her eyes strictly on them and nothing could pass by her knowledge now, especially not after their betrayal. "Can we not get a trustworthy and powerful witch whose practice is not within the jurisdiction of the Witch Queen?" She question with a plaintive voice.

'What was so important that she couldn't confide in the Witch Queen? It must be because of the child then! Had the two councilmen not told the Witch Queen yet?' He question his thoughts. The witcher had failed to let his Queen know that he's not the only one who knew of her secret, the two councilmen were currently aware. He wondered if it was his place to tell her but knowing the protective crazy mother she might really end up killing him this time when she finds out that he had told her co-councilmen. "I know of one. She is but a distant cousin of mine who lives far away in the lone region." At this news, a beam of hope darted into the Queen's mind but soon disappeared with a frown at the end of the witcher's speech.

The Queen furrowed her brows more at the revelation. "You mean the hunters region?" the witcher nodded, "but there are no more habitants there. Most were captured after the war whiles the rest escaped to the human realm retreating after their masters." She stated surprised.

"Yes it is indeed true. She married a hunter and after I never heard from her since. Though I'm sure she must have seek asylum in the witches region. I will try and get into contact with her at the earliest time possible."

"Please do find her quickly and do not fret for you shall be rewarded handsomely. All I ask is that all must be swept under the carpet after your service is done. You may go now." She waved her hand off.

The King Alpha had been jealous of the witcher having been the only one who sees the Queen, not even the royal house cat had been able to see her at least that was what the Queen's guard had informed him. The thought of the lord not seeing his Queen's and trailing behind her like a shadow made the king grin with content.

Samurai had summoned him through their mind link during his meeting with his second and third in command. "Gentleman, I have an urgent meeting with the Guardian, we will finish this discussion when I return." He pushed his chair backwards, this magnificent black wings sprouted from his back taking half the space of his study. He left the men to his balcony and flew up to the sky, flying his way through the clouds to the Vampire Queen's kingdom.

Samurai had waited patiently for the witcher to come out of the Queen's chamber and pounced on him like a cat, dragging it prey to a dark place to feed it belly. "Now, shush!" Samurai said to the suffocating witcher who had been held by the throat in the air.

The witcher coughed out painfully, wiggling her feet in the air as he tried to loosen the tight grip around his throat. 'What's with this crazy council heads cutting his air supply?' He had survived the king and the Queen only to be killed by the Guardian. Was it a crime to be a healer now?' He coughed out again, just when he thought he was really going to die the Guardian dropped him. The witcher landed on his bum. He looked up with watery eyes to see his attacker; the Guardian smiling, revealing his hidden dimples.

The guardians of the supernatural realm were known to be fire-breathers that protect the realm from intruders. What the humans call dragons. Their eyes were mixture of yellow and black. Yellow was the colour of the dragon's eyes which was present whiles the black was for the human form. Samurai massaged his Adam apple making the witcher crawl back in fear when saw the hot air coming out from the Guardian's nose.

"Ple-please, I didn't do anything wrong." The witcher stuttered still crawling back till his back hit the wall.

"It been long I breathe out fire. Last, was during the war and unfortunately since then no one has been burnt alive by me. Now be a good servant and tell me what you Queen is up to." He demanded with a sarcastic tone.

"B-but I promise her on my life that I won't breathe a word." He stammered, fearing radiating from his skin.

"Okay then!" Samurai said, opening his mouth. The witcher quickly raised his hands in surrender making him halt his actions.

"I will speak please don't burn me!" Coming from the witcher with tears.

"Now that wasn't so hard. Speak before I change my mind." He barked at the shaking man.

"She wants me to look for a powerful witch who is not under the influence of the Witch Queen and delay the pregnancy process." He answered quickly.

"Why?" He asked with a straight face.

"I swear to the creator I have no idea. I think she wants to keep it a secret." The witcher was terrified at the length of which his life hung loosely on a thread when he was around the council heads.

"So it has been confirmed that she is with a child?" Samurai asked and the witcher and he nodded quickly.

Samurai had hope there won't be truth to the witcher words for the sake of the people and Lilian. "Does she know we are aware?" He tilted his head, looking straight into the eyes of the frighten Vampire.

"No my milord!" He chimed in.

"Don't say a word to her. Else..." smoke came out of Samurai's nose and ears. If there was one weakness the vampires and witches had in common was their phobia of fire.

The guardian pursed his lips, "go, run before your burnt body is sent to your family." The witcher almost stumbled whiles running away.

He can no longer quite his emotions, he needed to speak with the King Alpha immediately on his findings. Meanwhile, from the shadows the Oracle watched closely the happenings around the Vampire Queen's castle, forbidden by the Angelis from making an appearance and saying something to the council heads. Samurai should have been able to figure it out by now that the prophecy was the seed Lilian carried. And to think they believed he was the smartest maybe with time, nature would take its course and they would have it all figured out.

"Samurai!" Nikolai announced landing on his feet on the balcony. His wings drew back in when he gave the Guardian a manly handshake.

"You sounded urgent what happened?" He asked.

"You won't believe what our beloved Queen has been up to these few weeks. The magic material she had the witcher brought in was to delay the pregnancy process and I was informed she needs a witch but I don't know the motive behind it." The Guardian said immediately.

"But we are yet to confirm truth to what the witcher said." The king's face looked confused.

"It is true and she knows it. I feel distress at the fear of anticipating what could happen if this gets out!" Samurai laments.

"That day she woke up, I didn't hear any heartbeat except hers. The child must be dead. The life source of an unborn child is it mother, you don't expect it to survive 100 years without its mother's care or strength. Supernatural beings pregnancy cycle last for two years." Nikolai smiled at Samurai's stressed face.

The king Alpha put his arm around the Guardian's shoulder, "you worry for nothing!"

Samurai shook his head in disapproval, "No! You are forgetting something Nikolai!" The king raised his brow in at this. "That Demons stay up hundred and fifty years in a supernatural womb and in human six months before they are brought into this world."

Nikolai's eyes shut up in bewilderment, quickly snatching his hand, "what nonsense do you speak off?" He asked with anger, his nose flaring.

"The child is a demon!" The Guardian spat.

"No! I am not a full Demon but a half Demon and a half witch!" Nikolai scoffed stubbornly, "my offspring would also be hybrid not a Demon because I don't possessed the full Demon gene."

"Nikolai, think like the King you are! You just said the answer yourself. Your Demon genes have been passed down to the child. The child is still alive because it's a Demon." Realization of the truth hit Nikolai's chest with pain.