A Witch in the King's Court

Excerpt: "Heartbreaking? That's a new one. I've heard people describe my curse as depressing, tragic, unfortunate and even pitiable. But I haven't heard heartbreaking yet. So, your heart breaks for me, then?" "How could it not?!" Effie exclaimed. "I can't even imagine what life must have been like for you! And it makes me angry for you too!" "Oh? Angry?" Effie nodded her head resolutely. "The way everyone talks about you around here, making you sound like a weak and fragile prince. It makes me angry! The only way I can see it is that it would take a very strong person to survive as long as you have while living with so much pain." "I appreciate your kind words," Reign replied sadly, looking down at the floor. "But I don't think they're exactly wrong. I really am weak. I didn't try to survive. I tried to end my own life to escape the suffering." "I don't think that makes you weak," Effie maintained, offering him a gentle smile. "Unless someone has gone through what you have, I don't think they have the right to judge your actions. Although I'm very glad I was there in the forest that day, so I could stop you from ending it all. I, for one, am glad you're still around." Reign's expression relaxed into a warm smile, his eyes now searching Effie's face so deeply that she suddenly became self conscious, and turned her head away to avoid his gaze. "What are you looking at?! Is there something on my face?" "You smiled," Reign replied contentedly. "I think that was the first time I've ever seen you smile. It lights up your face." ------ Euphemia Blackmoore is a witch. And if you didn’t know, that’s a very bad thing to be in the kingdom of Avanthia, where being a witch is completely outlawed and punishable by death. The "Witch Hunt" as it was called, was a royal decree enacted over one-hundred years ago by the royal La Croix family. So then, how did our Euphemia (Effie for short) end up working in the very court of that very same La Croix family who would burn her in the streets without trial if they ever found out her secret? But as it turns out, sitting in the belly of the whale may just possibly be the safest place for Euphemia to be… at last for now, anyway.