"Let me go please!!" the lady begged but her teary eyes did nothing to steer the hearts of the large men who were pulling her down the streets.
"Please, let me go," her plea fell on deaf ears.
"Lady Caramel has asked us to bring you to her workshop," one of the men stated with a tone that depicted no mercy.
"I-I know, I will head out to meet her later. I promise, I will bring the money with me but please just let go of me," she tried to squirm out of their hold.
The four of them stood in each corner, making no route for an escape.
The people passing by the streets often turned their heads to figure out what was going on but no one wanted to intrude in the dark ways of the witch.
The lady moved her eyes to anyone in the crowd as she tried to get help but everyone avoided her gaze and pretended to be occupied with one thing or the other.
Then she saw a familiar face walking down the streets.
"Uh! Aella! Aella!!" she jumped, trying to garner the attention of the passing female who paid no interest in her.
"Aella!! It's me, your sister, Aurelia!" she called out but the other lady seemed to be so deaf that she didn't turn towards her.
"Aella!! Help me, please! They're going to kill your only sister!" she cried out loud.
The lady she had been calling stopped in her tracks and dropped her head as though she was contemplating whether to continue on her way or pay heed to the damsel in distress.
Having no other option, she threw her hands in the air as she strode towardds the voice calling out to her for help.
Her golden waves bounced behind her back as the light blue dress she put on glimmered under the bright sun, the waist belt at her centre displayed her tiny figure to its best.
An aura of indifference followed her with a look of irritation on her face for her sister as though she had been wakened up abruptly from a very sweet dream.
The men pulling the lady down stopped as they saw another female heading down towards them.
They tried not to be washed away by her unadorned beauty but their efforts were put in vain.
"What is it?" Aella gritted out with a look of displeasure.
She had seen her twin sister struggling for help as she was pulled aggressively by unknown men but she had made it a habit to ignore her as always.
She could be carried away by a flying dragon and Aella could bet fifty golden coins that she wouldn't bat an eyelash.
"Aella!! My dear sister!! These men were trying to take me, pretty sweet me, away against my will!!" Aurelia escaped out of the hold of the men as she ran to hide behind her sister.
"Is she your sister?" one of the men asked but it was really a futile question because anyone with two proper eyes could see the stark resemblance between the two young ladies.
From almost the same shade of blonde hair to the shining blue eyes, they were undeniably identical twins.
"Sadly. What business do you have with her? If it were up to me, I would have handed her over to you along with a few silver coins for gratitude but some people wouldn't like that," Aella said with a cool tone, not at all disturbed by the towering men staring down at her.
"Your sister stole something from our madam and we were ordered to take her with us,"
"Stole? What exactly did she steal?" Aella raised an eyebrow and turned back to look at her sister.
"How preposterous of you to lay such an accusation on a noble lady like me!! I never stole anything! I simply picked it up!!" Aurelia bellowed from behind her sister.
"That differs from what Lady Caramel informed us. We must take her with us," the men moved to take Aurelia who hung onto Aella's frock desperately.
"Stand back! Who is your madam?" Aella asked as she blocked her sister from their hold.
"Lady Lumen Caramel. The infamous witch in town,"
His answer seemed to have stunned the impassive Aella as she bulged her eyes out with surprise.
She could hardly believe her ears. Did he just say the witch?
In the entire kingdom, you wouldn't be labelled a burgess without knowing who the Great Lumen Caramel was.
She was practically the only witch in town who still practised ancient witchcraft despite the King's restrictions on her.
People said she basically controlled the entire kingdom with her dark potions to her whims and desires.
She was highly feared by most and getting in her bad books was as equal to being sentenced to death. No, even worse.
Now Aella was being told that her obnoxious younger sister was involved with the wicked witch and bewilderment was too little to describe the look on her face.
Aella turned towards her sister as she gave her a questioning look.
Aurelia looked up sheepishly with an innocent look, telling Aella all she needed to confirm.
"On second thought, she is not my sister," Aella said to the men before she spun around.
"Oh, no!! No, Aella, please do not leave me all alone, they would kill me and take out my intestines for potions and use my eyeballs for supper! You need to help me!!" Aurelia grabbed her wrists as she cried.
"Maybe you should have thought of that before stealing from a witch!" Aella hissed out as a matter of fact.
"Please don't do this, think of Mother and Father, they would be devastated to see their favourite daughter's dead body laying on the floor," Aurelia pouted with her reddened face.
Aella gritted her teeth and Aurelia smiled knowing she had brought out what her sister could never reject.
"We must take her with us," the men said and moved forward to grab Aurelia.
"My sister will not be accompanying you," Aella stepped in and pushed Aurelia who sighed with relief behind her.
"But we have ordered-"
"Tell your madam that the debt will be paid soon enough before the end of the week," Aella muttered and looked up at them.
"But-"
"I said the money will be paid. If it isn't by the end of the week, then I will hand my sister over to you myself," Aella promised.
"What are you saying?" Aurelia hissed from behind her.
"You better keep your mouth shut and move!" Aella dragged her sister away.