Adelheid had swam for a while, the pool, pond, river... whatever it was, was bottomless. She was running out of oxygen and had to go to the surface to get more
She tried swimming to the surface but it also seemed endless. Had Magda led her into a trap? Was this the beginning of her punishment?
Adelheid pushed back all negative thoughts and continued swimming upwards, determined to get to the surface. She had actually entered the water body from the surface and now it seems to be missing? Not possible.
She had her eyes closed to prevent water from entering into them...her ears, let's just say they were long filled with water. Maybe she couldn't see the surface that's why she thought it didn't exist anymore. She kept swimming...until she was out of breath, totally out of oxygen.
Adelheid opened her mouth reflexively and water gushed in, chocking her. She could feel herself going lower and lower. She was drowning and chocking at the same time...this was definitely a punishment.
Adelheid trashed around trying to stop herself from drowning...it was useless. Her heart finally gave up beating. For a minute there she thought she had died.
"*gasps*"
Adelheid woke up with a gasp. She looked up at the ceiling above her. She was alive. Magda must have rescued her.
She sat up from where she laid and looked around. With a puzzled expression she thought 'Isn't this my hometown in Koldunova? How...oh, Magda took me back in time'
Adelheid took a walk around the room, running her hands over the surfaces she could touch, as though confirming that it was where she was. The door creaked open. Adelheid paused, although she had her back turned to the door, she knew who it was.
"Vika? Is that you?"
Adelheid's voice faltered as she spoke. Of course it was Vika, she knew...but a part of her refused to agree. She had witnessed Vika's death first hand. It was in Krevia, when Tatianka accused Vika of stealing an important jewelry and Vika couldn't prove her innocence. She was tortured to confess and after hours of pleading her innocence, she gave up the ghost. Adelheid couldn't forgive herself. She had seen Vika, her lady-in-waiting, her best friend, her sister, in need and did nothing but watch.
"It is I, your highness" Vika's voice came behind her. It was the first time she heard the voice in a year and her emotions overwhelmed her that she turned and hugged Vika. Tears of joy in her eyes.
Vika stiffened. It was not every day you get to see a Royal hugging her lady-in-waiting.
"Y-your high-ness" Vika called out, puzzled. 'Why was the princess crying? And what does she mean by 'she has missed me?' Vika thought.
Adelheid released Vika from the hug. "I apologize for the hug," Adelheid started, "It's just that I haven't seen you in a while and..."
Vika gave Adelheid a weird look, kind of the look that says 'What are you talking about?'. Adelheid laughed awkwardly when she realized the nonsense she was bluffing.
"Please excuse me your highness"
"You are excused"
Vika gave a nod to the guards at the door and walked away, speedily, towards the Queen's chamber. The Queen always asked for the princess' health status each morning. Today, she need not ask..she'll tell her herself. The princess was behaving weirdly...first she overslept, then the hug and...what did she even man by 'she hadn't seen me in a long while'.
"Your majesty..." Vika bowed to Queen Darya who was about to enter her chamber. Queen Darya raised a brow. Vika still knelt and reported "I've come to report the princess' health status to the queen..."
"Go on"
"There has been a slight change in her attitude this morning,"
"Is it that serious?" Queen Darya asked with a cold voice.
"Very serious your majesty, I suggest you come see her yourself"
"Don't you dare make a suggestion to the Queen you lowly maid"
"I apologize. I am a fool for making such a suggestion"
"Indeed you are...lead the way to the princess' chamber"
---
Adelheid kept looking at the door from which Vika left. She had a determined look on her face and swore to herself that she won't allow Vika to die such a disgraceful death again. She heeded to escape this palace before Boris returned to take her to Krevia. She remembered that in her previous life, she had travelled to her hometown to see her stepmother and since she was back in Koldunova she assumed Magda had sent her back in time to that very moment.
The door creaked open again and Adelheid turned to see who it was. It was Vika but she was not alone. Adelheid stood and looked at her stepmother straight in the eye. None of them spoke a word, Vika's eyes darted between the two. Boris had told Adelheid that it was her stepmother that wanted her killed, she never believed it...but seeing her stepmother in front of her brought conflicting emotions. Her stepmother's black eyes reminded her of that figure that always tried to kill her in her nightmares. Was Boris right? Was her stepmother really the one behind it all?
"Adelheid!" Darya's voice was enough to silence all the thoughts running in her brain. "Not even a 'good morning mother'?"
Adelheid folded her lips into a line and curtsied, "Mother," She greeted. Darya didn't look satisfied, she turned to Vika, "Walk with me..."
"Yes your majesty" Vika scurried out.
Once they left, Adelheid felt she could now breath. What was that suffocating aura that she felt around her stepmother? How come she had not noticed it before.
---[In Krevia]---
Boris glared at Alexander as he walked passed him. His stepbrother...Alexander was the son of the maid he mentioned earlier about. He was the first son of his father but his mother had not been married to the emperor, making him an illegitimate child...A bastard!
"Prince Boris" Pavel called out to Boris and bowed to him, 'I've sent the message".
Boris gave a dangerous smile and nodded. The message was a glass of water filled with excess opium. It could make an individual sleep for a long time and may even cause death. Boris didn't want Alexander to die...yet, but a part of him wanted it now.
Alexander walked passed a glaring Boris. Boris' hate for him was nothing new. He had been living in this palace for six months now and he was very much aware of Boris' character.
Alexander talked with his cousin- Kazmir, who was also the son of Duke Avdey- He, Alexander, had just returned from visiting his mother's grave that day.
"How is she?" Kazmir asked after his aunt.
"Her grave looks okay for now, I don't know what'll happen this year on her burial anniversary" Alexander said.
Every year on his mother's burial anniversary, a heavy rain always falls- flooding the entire graveyard. Many assumed that this happened to her because she died the day the witches were burnt but only few knew the truth. She was a dragon blood warrior- a group of people coming from a particular lineage with a special bond, they could easily kill supernatural creatures with their bare hands.
Alexander was also a dragon blood warrior, he knew dragon blood warriors that died from 1800 up till then had heavy rainfalls on their burial anniversary even if no one was keeping track. The witches had been their mortal enemies and even if they couldn't rest until that one was caught and burnt, even in death.
"Any plans on finding the last witch?" Kazmir asked
"There is a kingdom I plan to search, it has a very unique name..."
"What kingdom?"
"Koldunova. It's not that far from here, approximately 7-10 days on horseback. I looked into the meaning of the name 'Koldunova' and it read - A witch's coven,"
"Well that's an obvious way to tell everyone that that's a witch kingdom. What kind of language is that?"
"I don't know...I- the meaning just came to me...I can't explain it"
Kazmir gave Alexander a confused gaze.
"We're going to check it out anyway. Come sundown on the morrow at our usual meeting place..."
"I'll see you at the stables then," Kazmir turned a corner after giving Alexander a nod, kind of like saying 'goodbye'
Alexander nodded back and took the cup of water from the guard beside him, they were his personal guards assigned to him. He gulped down the water, he was thirsty. How did the guard even know? Come to think of it, the water tasted weird. He immediately spat it out but he had already gulped some. He felt a stinging headache. Had he been drugged. He remembered the taste of the water...it tasted like- Opium?
---
Boris watched Alexander sway towards his chamber and smiled to the guard that accompanied Alexander. 'Taking down Alexander', he thought 'This was going to be a breeze'
[Back in Koldunova]
"Vika, I need you to report to me every day about the princess' engagements,"
"Yes your Majesty"
"If you don't report to me I'll know..." Queen Darya said like a sing-song
Queen Darya resumed walking as her body guards walked towards her. They had give her privacy to talk with Vika. She was lost in thought.
She could tell Adelheid had changed and it was not about her non-enthusiasm to greet her in the morning, even in her eyes she could see the difference. 'Does Adelheid know something about my plan? Of course not, I didn't tell a soul'
Darya walked to her private quarters where she hid all her potions and spell book. She searched for something, her hands shaking as she moved the books. As much as she hated to admit it she was scared. Whatever Adelheid knew could either make or mar her, and it seemed like the mar was taking the lead. If Adelheid knew the kind of power she wield, her life was doomed.