Small talk

Rowan's eyes slowly opened as he felt the warmth of the morning sun on his face. The pain that had been constant for the past few days was still there, but it was much more bearable now. He still fought the urge to cry out, biting down on his lip until he tasted blood. He sat up slowly, taking deep breaths to ease the pain, and looked around the room.

The room was small and simple, with stone walls and a thatched roof. There was a small window on the far wall that let in a stream of golden sunlight, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a small wooden table and a chair in one corner, and a narrow bed against the wall opposite the window.

Rowan's mind was in turmoil, his thoughts like a swarm of bees buzzing around in his head. The memory of Serenya's supposed death was like a storm cloud that threatened to unleash its fury upon him. He had never felt so lost and alone.

As tears welled up in his eyes, Rowan's heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible force. The pain of losing Serenya was like a physical ache that he couldn't shake off. He had failed her, he thought bitterly. Failed to keep her safe from harm.

But then, a faint glimmer of hope began to emerge amidst the darkness. He remembered waking up in a small, dimly lit room, feeling groggy and disoriented. And then the witch appeared, her soft voice assuring him that Serenya was alive and recovering.

Rowan's heart throbbed at the memory, yet he smiled and he felt a sense of gratitude towards the witch who had taken care of him. She had saved his life, but more importantly, she had given him hope that Serenya was still alive.

Rowan's eyes fell on the door, which was slightly ajar. He could hear the sound of footsteps outside, and he wondered who it could be. He slowly swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, wincing as his sore muscles protested the movement.

Just as he was about to make his way to the door, it opened fully, revealing a tall, slender figure. It was the Great Snow witch with pale skin and piercing green eyes. She smiled warmly at Rowan and stepped inside the room, closing the door behind her.

"How are you feeling today, Rowan?" she asked.

Rowan winced slightly at the pain that still lingered, but he managed a weak smile. "Better than yesterday, I suppose," he replied, his voice hoarse.

The witch moved closer to him, her eyes studying his wounds. She nodded in approval. "That's good. Your wounds are healing nicely, thanks to your strong constitution and my healing magic."

Rowan nodded, grateful for the witch's help. "Thank you for taking care of me," he said sincerely.

She chuckled, "Aren't you tired of saying it every day?" She pulled out the chair and made herself comfortable. "Well, I am tired of hearing it every day."

Rowan nodded and slowly made his way back to the bed, his muscles still protesting with every step. He sat down, grateful for the softness of the mattress, and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on his face and the soft crackle of the fire in the distance. "I believe you are ready to have a conversation now, Miss Witch?"

She smiled, "You can ask me whatever you want. Don't be disappointed if I don't know much."

"How did you find me and Serenya?" he asked as he sat straight up and looked at her.

The witch's face didn't react at all. She said calmly, "I had sent my trusted men to the village nearby where there were rumours about me conducting some twisted experiment, but what they found on their way was something I didn't expect."

"Elaborate." Rowan didn't hesitate. He wasn't afraid of her anymore. Everyone has a pure misconception about the witch that she is brutal and whatnot, yet here she is, right in front of him, being the most wonderful person he ever met after Mr Lucius.

"The trees were uprooted, the ground was scorched, and the wildlife fled in fear." Her voice was heavy with sorrow.

Rowan's heart sank as he imagined the devastation that must have been caused. He had seen firsthand the power of Casey's magic, but he never could have predicted the extent of the damage it could cause.

The witch continued, "The blast was so powerful that it could be felt for miles. The damage stretches far beyond what you can see here. It will take years for the forest to recover from the destruction." Her gaze shifted to Rowan and stuck there, "I wonder," she said, pressing on the words and getting Rowan's full attention, "Who caused this destruction?"

Rowan gulped his saliva. He knew he couldn't hide the fact about Casey any more, and they had to tell the witch sooner or later. He clutched onto the bed sheets. Finally, he said, "I wonder too, Miss Witch."

Her eyes still locked on him her brows raised, waiting for him to complete the sentence.

"If you found other two people besides me and Serenya?" he completed, a bit uneasy.

She pondered on that, "I believe not. If there were people before my men, they would've taken them. You both were practically hidden under several bushes so people wouldn't have noticed."

He nodded. Fair, he couldn't argue with that fact. He finally cleared his throat. He was grateful for the witch's help and he didn't want to lie to her, "It was the princess of Rothania who caused the blast!"

Rowan's words hung in the air, and the witch looked at him sceptically. "The princess of Rothania?" she repeated a note of disbelief in her voice. "My dear boy, you must be delirious from your injuries. There is no such thing as a princess of Rothania."

Rowan felt a wave of frustration wash over him. He knew what he had seen, but how could he convince the witch of the truth? "I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. She was on her way here, to see you. But on the way pieces of stuff happened and she lost control over her power and-"

"And even teared people in half? Those powerful black magicians?" she scoffed.

"Yes!" Rowan said, pressuring the words. As he heard his own voice, he realized how ridiculous it sounded. "But it's true."

The witch shook her head, her long hair swaying gently. "I have never heard of such a thing," she said firmly. "And I have been around for a long time. If you told me that it was some kind of natural disaster, or perhaps even an attack from a neighbouring kingdom, I would've believed it right away." she chuckled again, "But the princess of Rothania?" she continued, "Oh right, what honour did I have that the princess herself was coming to meet me?" she asked mocking him.

Rowan held the sheets more tightly, "Because the prince of Rothania, Lane, is infected because of Goblins' poisonous nails and there's only one person who could cure him. That was you."

The Witch let out a laugh, "What?" she repeated, "Now, prince? Oh my goodness, my dear Rowan! Did you wake up and decide to be extremely funny today?"

Rowan's eyes widened in surprise at the witch's reaction. He had hoped that she would take him seriously and offer her help, but her laughter made him feel like he was making a fool of himself.

"I'm not joking," he said firmly, determined to make her understand the gravity of the situation. "The princess is here and so is the prince, and she seriously lost it and created a blast that destroyed the forest."

The witch's expression softened as she saw the seriousness in Rowan's eyes. "I apologize, my dear," she said, placing a hand on his arm. "I didn't mean to dismiss what you were saying. It's just that the idea of the princess and the prince here is quite fantastical. Knowing purely how Yasbel ran away and now she is nowhere to be seen"

"Even you know that the Queen ran away?" Rowan blinked in surprise.

"Of course," the witch replied, supporting her face with her palm, "I was in the same academy as her." She scoffed, "I warned her, but she never listened. Driven by love."

Rowan took a deep breath, grateful that she was finally listening to him.

He blushed, as he couldn't see any other way of making her believe. He said, "Casey Rothania and Lane Rothania are their names. If you don't believe me then why don't we go to Ivor's village and find out?"

Her eyes widened. "Very well," she got up. "I will think about it, though I am sure there is something else you might want to do right now!"

Rowan asked as he got up from the bed, "What?"

"The little elf woke up last night!"