Dark Magic

The next morning, Hera who had been hidden in a special room that had been prepared for her, was visited by Nimueh and the midwife, who was also known as a physician.

Hera immediately got up from bed, and bowed. "Good morning, ma'am"

"Good morning, indeed." Nimueh spoke as she eyed her. "How are you feeling?"

Hera smiled and said, "I'm feeling okay, ma'am. I just have a slight cold."

"The Queen was worried about you, so she asked me to check up on you." Nimueh said, and gestured with her hand for Hera to get back on bed.

"I'll just run a quick check." The midwife said, as she smiled reassuringly at her, and Hera obediently did as told.

….

"She's pregnant." The midwife reported to the Queens, and Nimueh who were gathered in Queen Margaret's chambers.

"Are you sure?" Queen Margaret asked, not wanting to get ahead of herself by being happy for nothing.

"Yes, I am, your majesty." The midwife assured them.

"Does the girl know?" Queen Namarie asked.

"No, she doesn't. She believes she just has a slight cold." The midwife replied.

"You may leave now." Queen Margaret said, and the midwife immediately left.

"Alright, now is the time. Did you bring it, your majesty?" Nimueh asked, referring to Queen Namarie.

"Yes." Queen Namarie said, as she tapped on a box that was on the table. "Inside this box is the dress Hera wore yesterday."

"It is settled then. However, I must implore you to prepare. This journey is going to be a little painful." Nimueh said, and Queen Namarie swallowed in nervousness as she exchanged looks with Queen Margaret.

….

Time passed, and darkness soon fell upon the kingdom.

In front of the castle walls where a few soldiers were standing, something which was consumed by flame was suddenly thrown from over the fence to the ground very close to where the guards where standing.

They moved closer to it to inspect it, thereby inhaling the smoke that was coming from the substance being burnt, and just like that, one by one, they began to fall down to the ground, either unconscious or temporary disabled.

Immediately the soldiers dropped to the ground. A few men whose faces were covered with black fabrics, began jumping over the fence and into the castle. When they had all entered, the one who seemed to be the leader, pull down the fabric that was covering his face. It was Ronan.

"Hurry, we don't have much time to waste. We must stop Nimueh at all costs." He said, and the initiates nodded, before they then dispersed.

Meanwhile, Nimueh too was keeping busy in her quarters. She had built up an alter, liking to a shrine, and had set up a fire place made of burning coals. There was also an opening through which the smoke could espace from the room, and spread to the air.

She picked up a box of ash, and began to sprinkle it on the burning coals, while muttering some incantations. The smoke slowly began to get thick-black, and Nimueh smirked.

She then opened another box—the one which contained Hera's dress—and after taking the dress out of the box, she threw it to the burning coals.

She was about to continue muttering incantations when the blade of a sword suddenly rested on her shoulder. She paused, and smirked.

Without turning back to look at the person who had dared to do that, she said, "Are you the only one who has come here to stop me, Sir Ronan?"

"Haven't you done enough deposing the previous king?" Ronan asked.

"It was my duty to replace a king that is no longer fit for the throne. So why are you getting worked up over such a trivial matter? To prevent such a thing from occurring again, I'm going to create a King with my own hands this time." Nimueh replied without batting an eye.

"Are you not aware of the potential consequences of using dark magic?" Ronan could feel his anger slowly rising to it's peak.

"No, I'm well aware of the risks involved. I could also lose my life by using dark magic, too. So don't go feeling like you are the only one who wants to do some good for this kingdom." She paused, and then continued, "I'm willingly laying my life down for the sake of this kingdom."

"The same you, who hates this kingdom more than anyone?" Ronan asked, chuckling without humor. "Who do you think you are trying to fool?"

Nimueh slowly turned around to face Ronan, and tipped her chin up in a challenge. "What are you going to do about it? Are you going to kick me out like you did three years ago? Or are you going to kill me with this sword?"

"Stop casting the spell!" Ronan said, bringing the sword's blade closer to Nimueh's neck. "This is your last warning."

"Go ahead and do it. That's the only way you'd be able to stop me." She raised her chin further upwards, giving him full access to her throat.

Ronan raised his hand which was holding the sword up in the air, preparing to strike.

"Stop right there!" Someone shouted, and Ronan turned around, only to see the Queen Dowager, and a few guards behind her.

"How dare you return back to the castle? Didn't I tell you not to be anywhere near it?" Queen Margaret scolded.

"Queen Dowager!" He said with a little bow of his head. "You must not go any further. Order her to stop casting the spell."

"Creating an heir for the throne is the best thing anyone can do for the royal household, and being against it is nothing short of betrayal. Is that what you are doing now? Betraying your own kingdom?" Queen Margaret spoke in disappointment.

"Your majesty…" Ronan was about to object, but Queen Margaret didn't give him the chance.

"What are you doing?" She asked, referring to the guards that were still standing behind her. "Seize this criminal!"

"Yes, your majesty." The guards said and immediately surrounded Ronan, but it seemed Ronan didn't plan to just hand himself over without a fight.

The guards pulled out their swords, and the sound of the clashing of swords soon filled that room, as Ronan who was skilled with a sword began to fight with the guards. He managed to take down some guards without causing fatal injuries, but at the end, he was still outnumbered. His sword was kicked out of his hands, and he was held down by the guards.

Seeing this, Nimueh then returned back to what she was doing. Hera's dress was already burnt to bits, and Nimueh began sprinkling the black ash on the burning coals while muttering some incantations once again.

The black smoke became more thickened, but instead of flowing out of the room, the smoke gathered together, forming something similar to a shadow which had a life of it's own.

The others in the room were awe-stricken by what they were seeing with their eyes. The dark magic began to move round the room, making a subtle noise like dark whispers from the devil.

The dark magic eventually left Nimueh's quarters, and everyone's eyes followed it.

The guards were distracted, and Ronan quickly took his chances, and freed himself from the grasp of the guards, before running after the dark magic.

"Follow after him, right now!" Queen Margaret ordered, and the guards ran after Ronan.

The dark magic moved really fast, circulating the castle before finally heading for the quarters where Hera had been hidden, and entered the room Hera was in.

Hera, who was deep asleep, was oblivious to what was happening.

The dark magic swirled above her, as if observing her, and then it slowly entered through the duvet cover, and into her body.

Hera's eyes immediately shot open, widened in shock at the strange sensation she was feeling from within. She soon began to jerk involuntarily, while kicking and punching the air. Her once pale skin also began to darken.

Her body then suddenly rose up from the bed and was floating mid-air, and she still continued to jerk, kick, and claw at her own skin as if trying to rip her skin apart.

After a while, the dark magic finally left her body, making her fall back to the bed, unconscious. The dark magic then left her room, and was back to roaming round the castle.

Ronan spotted the dark magic, and immediately sent out his signal so that the initiates would prepare themselves.

One of the initiates saw the signal, and whistled, so as to alert his fellow initiates. They had all scattered themselves about the roof of the castle, where the royal chambers were located, and were holding unto polished metallic shields.

They immediately got in position, and the light from the moon was then reflected, serving as a shield of light against the dark magic.

The dark magic swirled in the sky, and then charged towards the light, but as soon as it touched the light, it recoiled.

Meanwhile, back at Nimueh's quarters, at the same moment when the dark magic came in contact with the light shield, Nimueh coughed up blood, and groaned in pain. The veins on her neck, and hands also began to turn dark.