“Angelique, I feel there’s been a misunderstanding,” the queen said, her lip trembling. “Perhaps I should apologize?”
She suddenly had an idea. A truly wicked but deserving one. If none of Rothhavens could bear offspring, the royal family would eventually disappear for good. There would be no heir to the throne after all of Edward’s son’s passed away. Angelique knew that it would take one powerful curse to make it happen and the Wand of Aberdeen could definitely do it. The problem was that such an enormous task would probably break her wand. She would be left defenseless against Gaylen and in the end, she would probably hang.
Too angry to care, she raised her hands in the air and closed her eyes.
“From this day forward, no maiden will be fertile, or able to bear children for the royal family of Rothhaven. Their bloodline will die out and their reign will end,” she said, her wand shining so brightly, it lit up the entire cell.
“No!” gasped the queen, covering her mouth in horror. “What are you doing? Think about… think about all of the innocent people you’re going to hurt. My sons never did anything to you. Nor my daughter… please…”
The little girl with the kittens popped into Angelique’s head. She’d been the only one kind to her in Syracuse, not to mention how nurturing and sweet she’d been to her pets. It would be cruel to deny her motherhood. “Except for Mariselle,” she whispered under her breath. “Just as she loves her kittens, she will one day be a mother, if she so desires and after she turns eighteen. But… not to a Rotthhaven although it wouldn’t be entirely impossible,” she smiled to herself, adding an outlandish clause. “It would take the seed of all four princes to produce an heir to their bloody throne. A combined effort. If, by some miracle, it happens, only then will the curse end.”
When she was finished, a beam of blue light shot out of the wand, the force so powerful that Angelique went flying backward and hit her head against the wall.
21
MARISELLE, WHO WAS sleeping next to her mother, Karina, in one of the guest chambers, woke up to find her moaning in pain.
She sat up. “Mother, what’s wrong?”
“Stomach pain,” she rasped, holding her ribcage.
Worried, Mariselle touched her shoulder gently. “Are you going to be okay?”
Her mother moaned again and began to cry.
“Should I find Papa?” Mariselle asked, her own eyes filling with tears. She’d never seen her mother in so much pain and it was terrifying.
Karina gasped. “Yes. Maybe you should.”
Mariselle quickly got out of bed and headed for the door, her kittens chasing after her. Just as she was about to leave, her mother called out to her. She turned around and saw that Karina’s face had relaxed.
“Mother?”
A look of relief swept over her face. She sat up. “Oddly enough, I think the pain has passed.”
Karina said a silent prayer. “So, you’re okay?”
“Yes. I believe so.” She reached her hand under the covers and sighed. “It must be my monthly. I’ve never had cramps like those before though.”
Mariselle was confused. “Monthly? What are you talking about?”
Karina pushed the covers away and rose out of bed. “It’s something that will change you from a child to a woman.”
“Mother, you’re bleeding!” she cried, staring at Karina’s chemise, where there was a large red stain.
“Calm down, child. I’m fine. It’s normal,” she replied, searching through their belongings.
Staring at the blood again, Mariselle made a face. “It’s your monthly?”
“Yes, although I just had it,” Karina mumbled. “Strange that it’s come back so soon.”
There was a loud pounding on the chamber door, startling them both.
“Karina, it’s me,” Marcus said loudly.
“One moment!” Her mother ran over to the bed and grabbed the blanket. “Okay, come in!” she said, wrapping it around her waist.
Marcus stepped into the bedchamber. “Something has happened,” he said with a harried look on his face. He looked at Mariselle. “Your mother and I need to talk privately. Please wait in the hallway.”
She protested.
“It will just be for a second,” he said sternly. “Now, go.”
Sighing, Mariselle walked out of the room and waited. A short time later, her father called her back inside. Both of her parents had very troubled looks on their faces.
“We should tell her,” Marcus said, looking at Karina.
“What if you’re wrong?” she replied, her eyes searching his. She touched his hand. “There’s no need to worry her if it’s not true.”
“True or not, she should know. Besides, if we don’t talk to her about it, she’ll hear it from someone else.”
Karina sighed. “Fine. Tell her.”
Marcus turned to Mariselle. He explained how Angelique had snuck her wand into her prison cell and then used it to place a horrible curse.
“What kind?” she asked, her eyes wide.
He looked at Karina again. She nodded. “A spell that… won’t allow the royal family to have an heir.”
“I don’t understand,” she replied.
“Neither do we, exactly,” he mumbled. “Considering what your mother just told me, and what the queen experienced, I think it has to do with the women in the kingdom, more than anything.”
“What happened to the queen?” Mariselle asked.
“She experienced the same thing that I did,” her mother said, a terrified look on her face. “There was pain and blood, apparently. I don’t know what it means, but it can’t be good.”
“And you think Angelique caused it?” Mariselle’s eyebrows knitted together. “Why would she do that?”
“She wants to make sure that the Rothhavens can’t sire anymore children,” her father mumbled. “That would mean she’d have to make women barren, or the king and princes… sterile. I guess it could go either way. However, from what just happened to your mother and the queen, I think we have our answer. Let’s just hope I’m wrong.”
“But why?” Mariselle asked, confused.
“Because she’s an evil woman. Or, rather, she was,” he said.
“What do you mean, was?” Mariselle asked.
“She hit her head after using the wand. When they checked on her, there was a lot of blood and she didn’t appear to be breathing,” he replied.
“So, she’s dead?”
He nodded. “That’s what I heard.”
Mariselle gasped. Poor Angelique, she thought.
Karina looked worried. “Let’s just hope that there really isn’t a curse on the kingdom. If she’s dead, who’ll be able to reverse it?”
“Probably… no one,” he replied grimly.
Part Two
ANGELIQUE’S SPELL LEFT the entire country in turmoil. Women everywhere stopped menstruating and ovulating, all of them seemingly barren. Meanwhile, Gaylen tried everything in his power to try and break the curse, without any success. As for Angelique, her body disappeared soon after they pronounced her dead. Some thought that Hecate might have come for her. Others believed that she was still alive, but nobody knew for sure.
Months, and then years, passed by and when there were still no pregnancies, the villagers blamed the royal family for the curse and eventually a civil war broke out. Unfortunately, Gaylen didn’t come to the Rothhaven’s aid this time, and in fact, the wizard vanished completely.
Afraid of losing complete control of their kingdom, and unable to reach Gaylen, the Rothhavens called upon the help of King Roland, an ally and ruler of Baristara, another country located across the Red Sea, near Darylsyle. He agreed, but on the condition that Griffin wed his eldest daughter, Georgina, a woman much older and known for being a sharp tongued shrew. Edward reluctantly took him up on the offer, and with the help of Roland’s armies, the conflict became suppressed... but not forgotten.
Eventually, Roland’s army were able to retreat back to
their own country and things seemed to quiet down for the next few years, even though there was still an infertility problem. And then, nine years after Angelique’s death, a new pandemic hit the land, this one in the form of a deadly plague. Thousands were stricken with the fatal disease, including King Edward and Queen Lizbeth, who died within hours of each other, while their children watched helplessly.
Devastated and shocked, Griffin took over the throne, with Georgina by his side. Unfortunately, there was little time to mourn, especially after hearing rumors of a possible uprising by rebels and insurgents. Knowing that something needed to be done to retain control of their kingdom, Griffin made a steadfast decision by ordering the construction of four palaces, each on opposite sides of the country.
The Havens.
For the first time in history, there would be more than one ruler in Syracuse, although King Griffin would still be the monarch.
“Aiden, you’ll manage North Haven. Zackary will monitor West Haven. And… Mathias, you’ll be in charge of South Haven,” he told them, pointing to areas on the map.
“What of this castle?” Aiden asked.
“It’s cursed. I want it torn down,” he said, shocking them all.
The others stared at him in horror.
“Why would you want to do that?” Zackary asked. “We grew up here. It’s always been our home. It’s our legacy.”
Griffin leaned forward. “There won’t be a legacy if things continue as they are. Now… hear me out. What if we destroy the castle, and it puts an end to the curse?”
“And what if it doesn’t?” Zackary replied. “I think it’s a ludicrous idea to think that tearing down the castle will have any effect on it.”
“I thought Gaylen once mentioned that it might be possible to stop a curse by destroying the witch who hexed it,” Aiden said, scratching the stubble on his chin. “From what we know, she’s dead already, but her spirit could be walking the halls of the castle, keeping the curse alive.”
“Are you sure she’s dead? Her body disappeared, remember?” Zackary replied.
“If she were alive, I think we’d know by now,” Griffin said.
“I agree. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but there’s been talk of strange occurrences happening in the dungeons below,” Mathias said, his voice grave. “Cells opening and closing on their own. Strange noises at night. Women… crying.”
“I’m telling you, it’s Angelique’s ghost, trapped here,” Aiden said.
“I hate to admit it, but you might be right,” Griffin replied. “If she’s trapped here, we could kill two-birds with one stone. I certainly don’t want to be living in a castle where that evil woman still dwells, ghost or not. I say we seriously give this a thought.”
The four discussed the notion for several minutes and then finally agreed that tearing down the castle was worth the shot.
“What of Eva?” Mathias asked. “Where will she live?”
“For now, with me. But, Eva needs to be wed,” Griffin said firmly.
“Nobody will have her. She’s barren like everyone else,” Aiden replied, feeling horrible for Eva. Their sister could not provide an heir and so the proposals had stopped early on. As beautiful as she was, nobody of nobility wanted her.
“If we can fix that, we’ll find her a husband,” Griffin said. “Hopefully destroying the castle will do the trick.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Zackary asked.
Griffin tapped his fingers, deep in thought. After a few seconds, they could all see the light bulb going off in his head. “I know, we’ll find Hecate.”
They all looked at him as if he was crazy.
“The Goddess of Witchcraft? You want to go looking for her?” Zackary asked with a dubious expression.
He nodded. “Why not? Gaylen mentioned that Hecate gave Angelique the wand. If she’s a true goddess, she should be able to reverse the bloody curse.”
Matthias’s expression turned thoughtful. “It sounds plausible to me. Let’s hope you’re right.”
“We just need to find her,” Griffin said.
“What if she refuses?” Aiden asked.
“I guess we’ll have to deal with it then. Let’s take one step at a time. First, we finish the construction of the palaces, destroy this one, and then find each of you a queen.”
“I can find my own, thank you very much,” Mathias said with a scowl. “And, why the rush? I rather like where things are right now.”
“Yeah,” Aiden said. “I have two women who warm my bed and I plan to take them both with me to North Haven.”
“You can keep your wenches but we all need to try and sire heirs. One of us has to succeed in this or we’re screwed,” Griffin replied, his eyes moving to each of his brothers.
“Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves,” Mathias said. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around ruling a kingdom, let alone finding someone to share my bed for the rest of my life.”
“Me, too,” Zackary replied.
“We’ll be ruling as a family. It’s important that each of you remember that. Any new decisions need to be heard by all. Of course, if there are disagreements… I will have the final say.”
The others agreed.
“So, it’s settled,” Griffin said, raising his wine goblet. “Here’s to the future of Syracuse and Family Rotthaven. To the four of us. May we rule as one!”
Smiling, the others raised their cups and yelled, “Cheers”.
22
One Year Later
“WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD. Just because it’s your birthday, doesn’t mean you can waste the day away in bed.”
Mariselle, who’d been awake, but not feeling like herself, opened her heavy eyelids. “Sorry, Father,” she said hoarsely.
“Are you okay?” Marcus asked, looking concerned.
“A little under the weather, but nothing too serious,” she said, yawning. The truth was she felt rundown and her stomach ached. She’d had a restless night’s sleep and longed to stay in bed, but her father needed her.
“Okay then.” He listed off the chores he expected out of her, which included collecting eggs and cleaning the barn. “I’m going to meet with King Griffin. I should be back before nightfall.”
“Okay.”
“Happy Birthday, Lass,” he said, pulling a small, velvet bag out of his pocket. He handed it to her. “I was going to wait, but since I’m probably going to be late, I thought you should have your present now.”
She uncinched the bag and pulled out the familiar cross necklace her mother used to wear. She’d forgotten all about it and seeing it again, brought back so many emotions. “Thank you, Father,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. Mariselle couldn’t have asked for a better gift.
“You’re welcome. I wish she was here to see this day,” he said, smiling sadly.
“Me, too.”
Karina had been stricken with the plague, as had so many others in the kingdom. Her mother’s death had been a major blow and now it was just the two of them trying to make the best of things. Considering it was her eighteenth birthday, however, Mariselle would be expected to wed soon and had already received two proposals, one of them from the town baker who she had no interest in, especially because he was twice her age and made her skin crawl. The other from a soldier in King Griffin’s army, named Blakely. Although he was young, handsome, and could provide well for her, she knew he was moody and known for getting into a lot of fights. Although he’d come to visit a few times, and admittedly she was attracted to him, Mariselle wanted a man who could control himself and not give in to his temper.
“Well, I’m off,” he said, hobbling away with his cane. Unfortunately Marcus had taken a fall from his horse a few years back. It had left him with a permanent limp and hip pain that came and went. It was hard seeing her father, who she used to think of as the strongest man in the kingdom, looking so crippled. Fortunately, King Griffin had allowed him to continue as the sheriff, although she knew that soon he wouldn’t be
able to handle the position at all. Pride kept her father from stepping down, which worried Mariselle. She didn’t want to see him get hurt and knew that if something didn’t change quickly, it was bound to happen.
“Okay. Be careful, Father.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Once she was alone, Mariselle pushed the covers away and slid out of bed. It was then that she saw the blood on her nightgown. Gasping in horror, she put her hand between her legs and found where it was coming from.
“Papa!” she screamed, lowering her nightgown and staring at her fingers in shock.
HEARING THE TERROR in his daughter’s voice, Marcus returned as quickly as possible to her bedroom.
“What is it?” he asked and then froze when he noticed the blood on her nightgown.
“Am I dying?” she asked in a shaky voice.
“No,” he said firmly, unwilling to let his mind go there. He didn’t know what was happening to Mariselle, but refused to lose her. He’d lost too much as it was. “I’m sure there a logical explanation. We’ll send for Abigail. The midwife.”
“SHE APPEARS TO be having her monthly,” Abigail said, after examining Mariselle in private.
Marcus was stunned. From what he’d heard, all female cycles had stopped since Angelique last waved her wand, cursing the entire nation. Nor could any of them bear children. As for the women across the sea, upon visiting their menses ceased the moment they stepped onto Syracuse soil. Even queen Georgina, Griffin’s surly wife, hadn’t been able to produce an heir for the king.
“But, how can it be?” he asked, wondering what was happening. Of all the maidens in the land, why was Mariselle cycling?
“Maybe the curse has been lifted?” she replied, looking hopeful.
That had to be it. “Let’s hope that’s the case.” He frowned. “Are you sure it’s nothing else?”
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