People started to mock Ashera. Starting from the rich nobles down to the villagers and civilians. They are convinced that Ashera was a witch and put the prince under her spell. She was scared. Sometimes she even got attacked by them, throwing stones and saying bad words.
She stopped meeting Edmund. She avoided him like a mouse, scared of the cat. From afar, she saw Edmund waiting for her under the same willow tree. But she never confronted him. He stayed there for hours. He walked around their tents, hoping to catch a glance of her. But she hid every time. The day before they were to move out, she saw him waiting under the willow tree for hours before leaving behind a note on paper. She picked it up and read.
"I love you. Can we meet one last time?"
Her heart clenched, and that night she cried till her eyes went dry. They were not meant to be, she convinced herself. He was a prince. The next day, they wrapped all their tents and started moving. The further they moved, the intense her heart ached until she could not take it anymore. She wanted to meet him. Just one time?
She got out of their carriage and took a horse. The members were screaming for her, but she paid no heed. For hours, she travelled alone and arrived just before the sun came down. He was not there yet. She felt relieved. Getting down from the horse, she sat under the shade of the willow and calmed herself down. This was it, she told herself. She gathered herself. What should she say? Was he angry with her? What would he say to her? The invisible grasshoppers kept her company, and she felt an odd sense of happiness surging.
But he never came.
Ashera got up from the grass and hopped onto her horse. Then she made a bold move. She headed to the castle. Today, she would meet him. The guards stopped her. She told them she wanted to meet the prince. The prince knew her. But they were not convinced. Then another man came up to them, told something to the guard. After a brief exchange of looks, they let her in. That man showed her a corridor and told her to go there.
She never knew she could run so fast. The corridor felt so long. She could see a figure at the end and her heart leapt with joy. But the figure was of someone else. Ashera watched the queen step out from the shadow. She and Edmund shared the same features, but she looked down on her with a cold expression.
"The prince does not want to see you"
"Please. Just five minutes. No, no. One. One minute would be enough," Ashera begged on her knees but the queen's changed from cold to colder. She snapped her fingers. Before Ashera could react, the same man who guided her to the corridor came from behind with a shining sword. Marina instantly had a flashback. This scene was very familiar to her. And just like that, he stabbed her.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Ashera saw her warm blood seeping over the cold stone path. So many emotions were racing in her head. In her weak state, she saw the queen summon someone else.
In the name of death, I cast
The spell to keep two souls apart
May your paths keep drifting away
In your death or your stay
Everyone walked away from Ashera. Except the lady who cursed her. Ashera looked up. It was the same person, the fortune teller. Her vision was getting hazy. It won't be long before the death greeted her. With her remaining strength she asked.
"Will I... never see him... Again?"
She saw the lady kneel down before her. Leaning in close to her ears she whispered.
But let the curse break
In blood should the willow drench
Before the midnight of your last breath
Else let the memories be forgotten in till death
Marina was pulled away from there with a strong force. She saw her own personas, in different timeline. She was always trying to break the curse. But never succeeded. She was so close. Each time. But when the midnight struck, the memories and emotions were gone. Like they didn't know each other. They crossed each other so many times but there was always a wall.
Marina opened her eyes and gasped for air. This time, everything was different. It was not any mindless nightmare. It was her in her past life. She looked at the clock. It was past 10 in the morning. She only had 14 hours in her hand.
But where was the willow tree?