Sent By The Witches of The West

Aliya paced around the queens quarter corridor waiting for the right time to sneak in. She only needed the hawk eyed witch of a queen to leave for her journey before she went inside. Taking care of the guards wasn an issue, it was the easiest thing she thought of.

When she heard footsteps fast approaching her, she hid behind a pillar and came out when the footsteps passed where she hid. They looked towards the direction the footsteps were heading to and saw two figures covered with cloaks, they could be barely seen in darkness that was all over the place. It was midnight, the kings household had gone to rest and everywhere was very silent. She covered the long robe-like flowing hood she was wearing over her head and started heading silently towards the queens library, not knowing someone had seen her and was trailing her closely with a stern face and sharp knife, ready to attack. She walked past some sleeping on duty guards silently, chuckling to herself; wondering how the guards would be able to detect an intruder like herself now, who had effortlessly walked past them. She continued walking towards her destination and stopped when she got to the part of the queens quarter where her library was located. She looked towards the library from a distance and noticed everywhere around it was silent.

Two candles were lit up beside the door, but no guards were seen near it. it looked deserted, but Aliya didn believe it; knowing how tricky and wise the queen could be. She knew something was fishy and the lonely looking library door that looked accessible and harmless wasn really the way it looked. She picked up a stone and threw it on the door of the library, it made a loud noise and fell down, immediately two hefty looking strange guards came into light and started searching around for what made the noise. After a few minutes of search, they disappeared back into the darkness looming around there. Aliya smiled knowing fully well that the deserted library door was a trap set for a prey, luckily she had a quick solution to that.

She searched her little bag that went everywhere with her and brought out a small bottle with powdery substance. She didn make and discover little black outs and offensive potions as weapons, in case the enemy attacked because she wanted to… of course it was for situations like this one which is staring right at her face. She knows that they are countless guards hidden in the darkness, ready to attack. She opened the bottles and added a little corrosive and highly reactive chemical inside before throwing it on the ground before the door. No guards came out this time around, and she knows why; they have sensed an intruder around that wanted to make sure the coast was clear before showing up, and they have decided to keep silent and act as if they have left, so they will be able to Catch the intruder red handed. Smoke started emitting from the bottle after a few seconds, she heard people coughing in the darkness, lots of them when the smoke circulated around the place. They started falling and some showed up in the light before falling down and also passing out. Surprisingly to Aliya more men came from other directions to check what was going on before passing out in return too whenever they inhale the choking smoke. She never knew they were other guards in another hidden direction, all guarding the library door too. The queen and her knight were definitely geniuses, but she was happy that she was ahead of them this time around. Observing and making sure the coast was clear, Aliyah tied a thick cloth on her nose and headed towards the library, avoiding stepping on the men lying around the library door. Immediately she held the door knob to open the library door, someone asked.

”And what do you think you are doing, little witch? ” the voice said angrily. Aliya froze on the spot, she knew who it was and wasn sure she was getting away this time around.

_____

Cold water was poured on poor Aliya who laid unconscious in front of the General, she jerked up with shock, sharp light blinding her vision. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she looked around and saw herself in front of the General and other soldiers. it was dawn, she could clearly see around her.

She remembered she was behind a cell with bars earlier, but now there was no mouse was squirming near her nor jumping on her body. The floor wasn as cold as the cells floor, she heard soft music playing quietly and the smell of mouth watering tea smelling in the air.

”Raise his face up to look at me, ” a cold voice commanded. Rough hands pushed Aliyas face up and she stared directly at the General. His cold stone face harboring an evil grim.

”Such a beautiful lad, so beautiful to just be a male, ” the General complimented, Aliyas heart skipped a beat.

”Whats your name? ” the general asked, sipping from the hot tea served a moment ago by a male servant.

”Steven, ” Aliyah replied with an unsteady feminine voice.

”What? ” the General asked again.

”Steven, my lord! ” Aliya reported, changing her voice to a masculine one. The general smiled which barely showed. it didn add any softness to his cold stone face.

”I thought you lacked respect and manners, you quickly corrected yourself immediately you understood, thats why Im not going to punish you, ” the General said, Aliyah heaved a sigh of relief, she all along thought the General had noticed her disguise.

”You violated some of the laws guiding this manor which is; Intruding, not resting when you are meant to, invading restricted areas, attempting to free a slave and finally killing the poor old woman. What do you have to say, pretty one? ” the General asked. Aliya was utterly stunned with the lines of accusations already piled up against her. She became rotted on the spot, knowing fully well that her end was already at the corner waiting for her. Nothing she would say or do, will make the General believe her own side of the story and pardon her. Her quest might end abruptly if heaven doesn come to her aid, a tear slid down her cheek.

”I, I, I! ” was all Aliya could say. She didn even know how to put the scattered words inside her memories together and deliver them as a defense in order to save herself. Her mouth felt dry and was lacking words to say already.

”He is actually so soft hearted, and is crying already… How dare any of you accuse such an innocent soft hearted pretty boy huh? ” the General thundered, everywhere went silent. Aliya looked up at the general with a surprised face, he smiled at her again.

”My lord I_ ”

”Silence! ” the General thundered again, cutting the guard that captured Aliya off.

”I know how to deal with a chameleon like yourself, boy, your tears can move me. I have dealt with people like you over the years. Shedding tears doesn move me, and it has also shown that you are really guilty and is acting prior to it, in order to deceive everyone. ” the General announced with a stern face, looking fiercely at Aliya, she flinched with fear, her heartbeat racing uncontrollably. She wanted to speak and defend herself, but nothing was coming out of her mouth

”You know the rules regarding this manor, you fight your freedom out or you get killed when you break a rule. You would pass through three stages fighting with different opponents, until you make it alive; you won be released. Be prepared, your first fight would be coming up in three days time; prepare, pretty one; the bloodthirsty people seeking to be freed from this manor, wouldn look at your pretty face, nor your tears. ”Take him back to the cell, ” the General commanded. Two guards dragged Aliya up on her feet, she could barely stand on her feet, it felt sore. The mice from the cell were feeding on her flesh, there were scratched bloody marks made from claws of the mice, all over her skin. She looked so miserable already. The guards dragged her back to the cell and locked it up, she coiled herself at a corner and started crying silently. She never knew the journey she embarked on, in order to fulfill her quest would come with so much pains and challenges. She thought about how to fight with an unknown person when she barely knew how to use a sword or her fist. She was restricted from learning and training alongside her siblings. Her only weapon was the potions she made for defense. She didn even know how to get it from her room in the servant quarter, she is now guard less and defenseless. She heard the bloodthirsty carnivorous mice squirming towards her again. More fear gripped Aliya, she coiled herself up the more shaking with fright. She recalled her first encounter with mice when she was just six after her mothers disappearance and what led to it.

_____

”You have to stop being nice to Aliya, she isn your sibling, ” the queen said to her three children; prince Eliot and his two younger sisters, Abigail and Esther.

”But Mom, dad said she is our sibling and we should treat her like one, ” Eliot replied.

”Listen to Mother, Eliot! ” She isn our sibling. Her mother is a common maid and not a queen, ” Abigail said, she was her moms favorite and took after her mothers evil qualities. She hated Aliya because everyone adored her.

”Then who is her father? ” Eliot asked.

”A fellow servant is her father, her mother framed it on the king, your father, ” the queen explained.

”Your father was just being kind, thats why he decided to take care of Aliya and wanted to adopt her too. He only needs your consent and approval to do so. If he notices that you guys are continuously being nice to Aliyah, he will adopt her thinking that you all like and want her, but if you guys hate and start resenting her, he wouldn go ahead with her adoption.

”Why ain we supposed to allow our father to adopt Aliya? ” Eliot asked.

”Because she would outshine you all and take your place, look at how everyone is adoring her… what do you think your father would do, he is definitely among the people adoring her and might hand over the throne to Aliyah, and not you, sweetheart, ” the queen said.

”Thats not true mother, Aliya is my sister, ” Eliot announced with anger and left, not buying all that his mother said.

”Don worry mother, I will handle it… trust me, ” Abigail said with a mischievous grin. She knows how to make Eliot hate Aliya quickly, that wasn an issue.

”Thank you Aby, ” thats why you are my favorite, ” the queen said and patted Abigail on her head. Esther sat at a corner looking at her mother and sister. She didn say anything because she was dumb from birth, and also didn have a voice to speak nor make a sound like other dumb people. She was greatly hated by her mother. The queen stopped showing her motherly affection when she learnt from the doctor that Esther was dumb and also didn have a voice to make any sound like other dumb people, after she couldn speak when she Clocked two years old. It was only Aliya that understood her so well, their bond was inseparable; making the queen dislike Esther the most.

”Im taking you to the grocery store, so we will shop a lot of candies and chocolate, ” the queen said to Abigail.

”Thank you Mom! ” Abigail squirmed with joy. Esther, hearing about candies, hurriedly rushed up towards them and held on the queens right leg, indicating interest in joining them.

”You dump imbecile, let go of my leg right now, ” the queen yelled with irritation and shook Esthers grip off her right leg. Esther landed on the hard floor on her butts, her face contoured with pains which visibly showed on her face, tears started flowing down her beautiful crystal grey eyes.

”Serves you right, mother had always warned you to avoid her, but you never listen, dumb ass, ” Abigail chuckled, before heading out with the queen. Esther sat helpless on the floor with tears running down her cheek as felt pains all over her butts.

She only wanted candy too… She remembered how delicious and heavenly the few that Aliya always sneaked out of Abigails room tasted. She reluctantly stood up with the pains she was feeling and went outside to find Aliya, who is the only person that understands her.