Chapter 8
The great hall of Aethelgar's palace was alive with murmurs as nobles, knights, and high-ranking officials gathered in their designated places. Golden chandeliers flickered with candlelight, casting shadows across the towering pillars and arched ceilings. The scent of incense and old parchment filled the air, but beneath it all was the unmistakable stench of fear and anticipation.
King Tommen sat on his throne, his robes draped in rich crimson and gold, his sharp eyes scanning the court with cold authority. Beside him sat the other rulers, including King Mathias, who had yet to say a word. His mind was elsewhere-focused on the woman standing in the center of the room.
Ava.
Bound in heavy iron shackles, the accused witch stood tall despite her bruises and the weight of her restraints. Her wild crimson curls framed her pale face, but it was her hazel eyes that captured the room-defiant, unyielding, burning with quiet amusement.
Prince Hosea sat to the side, eerily still. Unlike the rest of the court, who whispered and murmured about Ava's fate, he did not move, did not speak. He merely watched, his blue eyes unreadable.
The High Inquisitor stepped forward, unrolling a scroll. "Ava of the Sisterhood, you are accused of heresy, witchcraft, and conspiracy against the Crown. How do you plead?"
Ava tilted her head slightly, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "I plead indifferent."
Gasps rippled through the court.
The High Inquisitor's expression darkened. "You do not take this trial seriously?"
Ava exhaled softly. "Oh, I do. I simply don't care for the dramatics. We all know how this ends."
She turned her gaze toward King Tommen. "Do you enjoy the sound of your own voice, Your Majesty? Or did you call this gathering just to feel powerful?"
King Tommen's jaw tightened. "Your arrogance will not save you."
"Neither will your fear," she countered, her voice smooth.
The tension in the room thickened.
Tommen straightened, his patience wearing thin. "The Sisterhood is nothing more than a stain on the world-relics of the past. Your existence is an insult to order and law."
Ava smirked. "And yet, you fear a single woman in chains."
Mathias studied her carefully. Even now, standing before her executioners, she refused to show weakness. But it was not bravery alone-no, there was something else. A secret she held close.
King Tommen lifted a hand, silencing the murmurs of the court. "Enough. The verdict is clear. You are sentenced to death, effective immediately."
Ava let out a soft chuckle.
Then, before anyone could react, she raised her hand. In her palm was a small glass vial-dark liquid swirling inside.
In one swift motion, she lifted it to her lips and drank.
For a moment, silence.
Then her body convulsed, knees buckling as she collapsed onto the cold marble floor. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, yet even as the life drained from her, she smiled.
Chaos erupted in the court.
Guards rushed forward. Nobles gasped. A few women screamed.
King Tommen shot to his feet. "No! She was meant to suffer!" He gestured furiously at his men. "Check her! Someone helped her-find out who!"
Mathias remained still, his eyes drifting toward Prince Hosea.
Unlike the others, the prince had not moved. While the court panicked, while men and women scrambled in distress, Hosea sat frozen in his seat, expression unreadable.
Not a flicker of emotion.
Not a single reaction.
Mathias narrowed his eyes.
What was Hosea thinking?
And why did it seem as though he had expected this all along?
---
In the Woods of Valla
Alissa and Adam ran through the dense greenery, laughter echoing between the towering trees. The scent of damp earth filled the air, and the sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy above.
They had snuck away from the palace, eager for adventure. The woods had always been their secret place-a world untouched by rules and responsibilities.
Alissa leaped over a fallen log, turning back with a grin. "You're too slow!"
Adam scoffed. "I'm letting you win!"
She laughed, dodging through the trees. But just as she turned, her foot caught on a root, and she stumbled. Adam reached out to catch her, but in doing so, he lost his own footing. He fell hard, a sharp cry escaping him as he hit the ground.
Alissa rushed to him. "Adam!"
He groaned, clutching his arm. Blood seeped through the fabric of his sleeve. "I think-" He winced. "I think I cut myself."
Alissa's heart pounded. She knelt beside him, hands hovering. "Let me see."
Adam hesitated before pulling up his sleeve, revealing a deep gash.
Alissa swallowed hard. "It's bleeding too much-"
Panic set in.
She didn't know what to do. She couldn't leave him to get help-it would take too long.
Then, as if acting on instinct, she pressed her hands against his wound.
A strange warmth spread through her fingertips.
A soft glow illuminated her hands.
Adam sucked in a sharp breath. "Alissa...?"
The light brightened, pulsing, gentle yet powerful. The warmth seeped into his skin, into the wound. The bleeding slowed. Then, before their eyes, the gash closed-skin knitting together as though it had never been there.
Silence.
Alissa's hands trembled. The glow faded.
Adam looked at his arm, his face frozen in disbelief. Then, slowly, he turned his wide eyes to her. "What... was that?"
Alissa felt her breath hitch. "I-" She shook her head. "I don't know."
Adam stared at her, then back at his healed wound.
Then he whispered, "Does anyone else know?"
Alissa hesitated. "No."
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Good. Keep it that way."
She frowned. "Why?"
"Because," he said, voice low, "that's dangerous, Alissa. You need to be careful."
She swallowed, nodding slowly.
But deep inside, she knew-nothing would ever be the same again.