The Kiss To Cure
I took the vial from the witch with a smirk, “Thanks old hag. You will be rewarded for your actions here today. My beloved is surely saved because of your skill.” I poured the potion in my mouth and brought my face up to Alexandra. I pressed my lips onto her cold lips and parted them with my tongue. I felt guilty kissing her as she was in so deep a slumber. This was one of those desperate times and I would much rather it be me than my brother or that stupid meat head who was supposed to guard her. After I fed her the potion, I kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear, “I am sorry for kissing you without your consent, but I wish to see you as you are supposed to be. I hope you will forgive me this once.” I turned to Dorothea, “How long until she wakes?” She shrugged, “I just know that she will wake up. I really have no idea how long the Goddess plans to keep her.” I furrowed my brows, “The Goddess?” She smiled and nodded, “Yes, I sense that her soul is not in her body. Her body is cured of the curse, but it is up to Aphrodite to return her soul for her to wake.” I clenched my fists; this was not the news I wanted to hear. I had wanted to be here to see her wake up so that she knew that I was the one to be her savior this time and not the idiot or my brother.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to look at my brother who was giving me a reassuring look, “I will tell her who it is that rescued her brother.” He knew me too well and he knew that if I had not gotten that reassurance that I would like to have abducted her to Mesha. I could not stick around since I wanted to continue the investigation using the information that I received last night. I had not slept but I wasn’t interested in doing so because I was a step closer to bringing her attackers to justice. I had not decided if it would be the crown’s justice or my own just yet. With this poisoning, I was leaning towards my own since I felt this was not the last, we would see of The Order sniffing around Alexandra. I did not like that they were going to be out there plotting the next attack on her. Another thought came to my mind, “Dorothea, why did you refuse to talk to me about The Order?” She sighed, “I am afraid of them. I fear them still. They don’t show you their faces, they meet with masks on so I really don’t know who I can trust. How did I know you weren’t trying to make me pay for leaving?” I nodded, “I can understand that but just know that everyone in this room is someone to trust. None of us are in The Order.” She punched me in the arm lightly, “I know that now, brat. It doesn’t keep me from becoming a target to them now that I have helped our sleeping beauty here. They will know she has awakened, and they will know that I have helped her.” She visibly shivered at the thought.
We had a unique relationship, this witch and I but I didn’t want her to suffer because she saved my beloved. I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, “You can have my protection, Dorothea. I can bring you to Mesha and you can live and work in my manor.” She laughed and shook her head, “I don’t think that would be the best idea, brat.” I looked down at her with menacing grin, “And why not? Is my home not good enough?” She chuckled some more, “Not that. I just don’t fit into those places. I like my home in the woods very much. I’m too old and too set in my ways to leave it. Besides, Blackwood and House Batiste have been good to me my whole life.” I understood her attachment to something that she didn’t want to give it up. I nodded down at her and smiled, “I understand. I can keep guard on you, you won’t know they are there, but you can be assured you will always be protected by the Duke of Mesha.” She patted my hand, “What is the price of this protection then? I know you don’t have a reputation of being good to people out of the kindness of your heart.” I threw my head back and laughed, “You are right about that. This time, I offer you my protection for two reasons. The first is that I would like to continue to call on you when needed for various situations. The second is that you saved my beloved and this is a small part of your reward. You can name another favor or item for the rest. If this is amenable to you, we can seal it in blood.” She pulled her hand up to her chin then nodded.
There was silence in the room until she spoke again, “My second part of my reward, I would like a basket full of Meshan stones.” I did not know what this witch would do with Mesha stones, but it didn’t matter since we had an abundance of them in Mesha. They weren’t as heavily guarded and controlled as Tarny crystals. I pulled hand out for her to shake it, “You have a deal, old hag. Expect the delivery tomorrow.” She shook my hand and winked up at me, “Let me know when you have the blood contract ready then.” I patted the small hand in mine, “That will be ready tomorrow too, but the guard will be on your house just as soon as I get communication to my army.” She nodded, “Well then, you best be getting it ready then.” She turned to Vanessa, “You can call on me any time now dear. I have decided the sins of your mother should not be held against you.” Vanessa had a confused look on her face, “I’m going to ask you about that someday very soon. I hope you will tell me.” Dorothea patted her arm, “Come by for tea with the pretty one when she wakes up. I will tell you then.” She raised her hands to summon a portal.
My brother spoke up, “Dorothea, can you wait just a second?” She lowered her hands and looked at him confused, “You wish to speak to me further, Your Majesty?” He nodded and stepped forward. He towered over her like a very tall father looking down at his small child. It was rather comical and almost as bad as when I saw her standing next Derek who was slightly taller than my brother. Lucien sighed, “I don’t suppose you know how to get a hold of Zebinezer.” She pulled a hand to her face and rubbed it, “That’s a name I had hoped to never hear about again. She’s such a pretentious ninny. Unfortunately, I do. She’s my stupid sister.” A smile spread across Lucien’s face, “Alexandra needs her. She informed the Headmaster that Aphrodite has directed her to ask him to summon her. I am not entirely sure how to do that. I know that, as King, she must come when summoned being a former royal witch.” She rolled her eyes, “Yes, she lets us know at any chance she gets that she was rubbing elbows with you royals. Send her summons to me and I will get it to her. Make sure you use magical paper; I’m sure Vanessa will supply it.” He looked at Vanessa who nodded back at him. He looked down at her and smiled, “Thank you for your assistance both today and with contacting your sister. I, too, will send you a reward for your service. Alexandra is a very valuable citizen here in Vellum, so you have essentially saved the kingdom.” Dorothea raised her hands again, “If there’s nothing else, I would like to head home now.” He shook his head at her and then she looked at me, “Are you going to come with me? I can open you a portal to Mesha from my home, brat.”
I stepped forward, “Farewell to you brother, Jess and Meat Head.” I stepped through the portal after Dorothea, and we were instantly in front of her home. She turned to me, “I had other reasons that I wanted you to come with me. I have some things to talk to you about, but I didn’t want to mention it in front of the King. He has to abide by certain rules when it comes to justice, and I respect that. That being said, The Order is not something you can take down by practical means. I believe you will be the one to rid this land of them once and for all.” I looked at her curiously, “I don’t understand though. Weren’t you one of them for a while?” She sighed, “I was but it was in an effort to take them down. You see, Darren was very kind to me after I lost my husband and built this home for me. After Alexandra was born, I felt a sense of duty to try to protect her from the lion’s den so to speak. Come inside and we can speak. The woods may have ears and I have an enchantment for anti-spying on my home.” I stepped towards her home, and she smiled as I followed her in. She turned to me as we stepped inside and closed the door, “Are you ready to stick it to those bastards that messed with our lady?”
