Sent By The Witches of The West

Aliyah coiled herself up inside the dark dungeon, shivering with cold. Tears continuously streamed down her eyes non stop. It has been three days since she was kept here and she hasn seen nor heard from the king. Last night, Esther sneaked in with as little food and water as her hand could carry. She pushed inside Aliyahs cell before holding the bar with tears streaming down her eyes as she looked at Aliyah. She wanted to comfort her but knows she can because of her condition. She has been trying to break the lock of the cell room and help Aliyah escape but stronger forces binding the cell ain letting her do anything, all attempts were just rendered useless.

”Im sorry, ” Aliyah apologized with shame, she couldn even eat the food because she didn have any appetite, even as she was hungry.

”Im sorry that I abandoned you and found myself in this… I would have fought but I couldn , ” Aliyah said which made Esther stretch out her hand towards her but Aliyah didn notice as she was still looking down. Esther retreated her hand and hit on the bar of the cell lightly in order to draw Aliyahs attention which worked, Aliyah looked up at her, she stretched out her hand to Aliyah again, and Aliyah took it.

”Im going to be fine, ” Aliyah said with a bitter smile, which Esther nodded to in agreement.

”Have you been eating well and staying out of trouble? ” Aliyah asked and Esther nodded.

”Thats very good! ” Aliyah said aloud with a genuine smile this time around.

”Is the laboratory well? ” she asked, and Esther nodded in agreement.

”I hope you did not do anything nasty, ” Aliyah said, which Esther nodded in agreement.

”I will be out here soon, maybe tomorrow or next or in a week time, month or years. I don know yet but I will be out, ” Aliyah said, fresh tears running down her eyes again. Esther patted her hard with care and assurance that everything was going to be okay.

”I know, thats why Im not going to die here, never! ” Aliyah promised. Esther removed her hand from Aliyahcs grip and pointed at the food she bought.

”Im not hungry, ” Aliyah said and looked away, but Esther continuously pointed at the food.

”Fine, Im going to eat it because you are the one that brought it. I don want your effort to be a waste, ” Aliyah said and took the food. She found baked cookies and milk inside the container wrapped with a cloth that Esther brought.

”I hope you weren seen, ” Aliyah said, Esther smiled and shook her head.

”Thats better, ” Aliyah said and returned the smile before she started eating the cookies and to her surprise, she hurriedly ate everything quickly.

”Wow! I never knew I was this hungry, ” she said after drinking water.

”Thank you, Esther! ” She said which made Esther smile again before she looked towards the door and turned to leave.

”Are you leaving? ” Aliyah asked, Esther turned back and nodded before she continued walking out.

”Be careful and safe, okay? ” Aliyah said before she pushed the container away. it didn take any long before the queen came to her cell.

”How is the thief doing? ” the queen asked with a smile but Aliyah didn respond.

”Oh Im sorry, I shouldn have called you that to your face, ” the queen said.

”Where is father, why isn he coming to see me or do anything… it has been three days now, ” Aliyah said in a outburst.

”Never refer to the king and my dear husband as your father any longer. you ain his child, he has been treating you like one because he has a desire to adopt you since your father, his most trusted and loved guard died, ” the queen said.

”Thats not true… mama always said that he is my Father and he confirmed it, ” Aliyah said.

”Thats because he doesn want you to grow up fatherless, ” the queen said.

”I am not believing all that you are saying, I grew up knowing him as my father and that wouldn change, ” Aliyah replied with disapproval.

”The privilege given to you all these years has really given you an audacity to talk to me anyhow, maybe it is high time you get lost like your miserable mother, ” the queen thundered with rage.

”Do you know how my mother disappeared? ” Aliyah asked.

”I don , she might have run away with a new lover since she is a whore that gets attracted to anything, ” the queen said.

”Don talk about my mother like that, ” Aliyah said with discernment.

”The nerves huh? I know how to deal with a little upcoming brat like you, you would probably rot here, because the king has gone on a long trip. He did two days ago, he didn come to see you nor care about you either because he hates you now. Your stealing habits have pushed him to the last limits he could ever insure, ” the queen said.

”No, I want to leave this place… Tell father to take me out of here, ” Aliyah cried out loud.

”Whatever, until when he would come back, you would continuously remain here without food and water. I don want you to leave her alive, die so that you would leave us alone, ” the queen scoffed and started leaving.

”Take me out of here, ” Aliyah begged with tears.

”I cannot endure it anymore… please,x she continuously begged but the queen never turned back nor did it. It didn pass that night before mice started chewing on her skin, she always tried to fight them off, but it never worked. Whenever Esther came, she would also try to chase them with her powers but it never worked because of the spell, Aliyah was always in pains with scratches and bleeding. All what Esther could help with, was to always bring water and towels she usually used in cleaning the wounds before taking some pain relief that Esther brings along too. Everything stopped when Esther was caught, the queen locked her up in her quarters, she was never ever able to leave because the same spells that was bidding the dungeon was also bidding the Queens quarter. She became helpless and gave up after much struggle. The king later came back after a month, and Aliyah was released under his decree, which stated that the punishment was enough after hearing about everything that happened from the butler.

Aliyah fell sick and couldn open her eyes to look at bright lights for almost a week, opening her eyes when it was day time was hurting her eyes badly and making water come out of it. They got used to the darkness in the dungeon as they were no lights for the period of two months she stayed inside there. Special lotions and creams was used to remove the scars the scratch and bites of the mice left on her skin but they never disappeared totally. She stayed indoors for months before she was able to regain herself again, Elliot never came to visit her likewise the queen nor Abigail. it was only Esther that she stood by her, Esther was also released when the king came back. That was what led to Aliyah first encounter with Mice inside the dungeon. She became Elliots big time enemy and he always avoided her at all cost. Aliyah tried to explain everything that happened severally to him but he never agreed to it and would shout at her in return. The bond they had before was broken, their friendship and trust became lost and buried to the satisfaction and happiness of the queen and Abigail. Since then, they never made life easy for her in the palace, she only endured all their wickedness and maltreatment because of Esther before she finally left to search for her mother with Esthers approval. Esther was all grown now and could take care of herself, her powers increased as she grew, but was only known between her and Aliyah, their bond also increased, Aliyah could understand her more better without any effort of trying to explain what she meant. They could communicate very well to the amazement of everyone in the palace which displeased the queen and Abigail, making them increase the hatred they had for both of them right from time.

They tried all means to break the bond between them but it never happened and they always failed miserably, when they accuse Esther of what she didn do, knowing fully well she can not defend herself, Aliyah was always there to speak for Esther. Whenever they frame her of a crime she never committed, Aliyah would always show up with evidence to prove them wrong. The king started getting suspicious of the queen and Abigail because of the rate of accusations being raised up against Esther when it became much and alarming, and confronted the queen which made the queen and Abigail to stop, they still never made life bearable for Esther, but she endured amd always looked for a way to escape their clutches and traps. It was only Elliot that never joined them when it came to her, but he always backed them up when it came to Aliyah, trying to make her pay by all means because of what happened.