"Where is your daughter, Meribella, Harold?" Williard asked with a smug look on his face. A torch in hand, he stood firmly at the bottom step of Harold Faye's modest veranda. Behind him stood the angry crowd, clutching unlit wooden torches as though waiting for a single spark to ignite them.
Inside, Sigrid and Melina hovered just inside the living room, clutching each other's hands in terror with each breath they took. Their hearts raced like wild horses galloping aimlessly.
Harold, stepping onto the veranda, braced himself for what was coming. He cast a brief, protective glance back at Sigrid and Melina, whose eyes were wide with dread. They longed for answers as much as the villagers did.
"I do not know where she is." Harold inhaled, feeling his chest tight. He still recalled the gentle little girl Meribella once was, recalled the day she took her first steps across this very veranda.
They knew Meribella had two pen pals, but they could never have imagined that one of them would be the Lord of Ravencrest. She had never mentioned him during their discussions. The only person she consistently talked about was Crown Prince Edwyn, especially whenever she heard others mention his name in their gossip.
He had listened to the rumours, with people labelling Meribella as a witch and a cursed woman. Yet, he never doubted her for a moment. The most painful part was his inability to shield Meribella from those accusations.
Yet here he stood, prepared to condemn his elder daughter to protect his family.
"After what happened today, I have but one daughter—Melina. We disown Meribella." His heart squeezed at his own words. "She has brought dishonour upon this family… w-we cannot acknowledge her as a daughter anymore." He hated himself for uttering them, but he had to protect Sigrid and Melina. "For us, my firstborn is dead."
A low, vindictive murmur rippled through the crowd. Harold could almost sense the satisfaction radiating from them as if they were eager for him to condemn Meribella with his own hands. He felt his chest tighten at the hypocrisy of people he had once called acquaintances. He hoped this show of rejection would keep Sigrid and Melina safe.
"Then you won't mind if we look around?" Willard asked, voice tilting with false courtesy. "It's best to put the village at ease."
Harold locked eyes with Williard, searching for a grain of mercy or doubt. But he found only bitterness. The man practically ached to punish Meribella. With a curt nod, Harold stepped aside.
"You know I respect you, Williard. Do as you must."
Williard, with two others, went inside Harold's cottage with a tinge of excitement and hope. They searched every nook and canny of the humble house. Sigrid and Melina stood by in grim silence, feeling their privacy stripped away with every nook they searched. Harold willed himself not to tremble, but his heart sank with each passing second.
The villagers often cast disapproving glances at Faye's family, making it clear they were unwelcome because they were nobles and held little regard for most of the nobles who did nothing for the village. Meanwhile, the nobles viewed them as a disgrace, fearing the loss of their titles and status.
Finally, Williard emerged into the yard. He lowered his torch. "She isn't here," he announced, turning to the gathering. "Meribella disappeared into thin air with Lord Raze Azkariel, betraying our god-like Crown Prince Edwyn. This shows who truly she is, a 'Witch and a Whore!'"
A triumphant glint flared in Williard's eyes. It was the look of a man savouring victory, the kind that relished in tearing down another's life. Instantly, a roar of approval swept through the crowd, "WITCH!" they shouted, "WHORE!" The hateful words rang in Faye's family's ears like a curse designed to poison their soul.
But Williard wasn't done yet.
Turning to Harold, he spoke with false warmth. "Harold, my dear friend…" His gaze swept over the waiting villagers, who were thirsty for more condemnation. "Fetch everything that belongs to the witch. We'll burn every last scrap of hers in her stead, cleanse this house and our village of any mark of her existence!" He fixed Harold with a mocking grin, raising a brow. "Surely, Harold, you can't wait to rid yourself of every reminder of her disgrace."
Somewhere in the crowd, a woman chimed in, her voice sounding shrill and dripping with spite: "Yes! And get her picture, too! We'll deface it—smear her face black and hang it at the village entrance. That'll show the Crimson Crown where our loyalties lie!"
The yard thrummed with a savage thrill, and as the sun sank below the horizon, torches flared to life, casting flickering shadows that danced like restless spirits in the gathering gloom.
Sigrid and Melina observed from the doorway, their eyes gleaming with fear and disbelief. These villagers once branded Meribella as bad luck and later labelled her a curse, and when the Crown Prince's eyes fell on Meribella, the same villagers hailed her as an angel. Yet, in a cruel twist, they had returned to casting her name in a light it did not deserve. Hypocrisy seethed in every corner of their twisted smiles.
Harold, his face gaunt and pale, fought back the nausea rising in his throat.
'If they don't appease them,' Harold worried, 'they might burn their home to cinders. They might also harm Melina next.'
The way they wielded the torches and the fierce look on their faces made it clear they intended to set something ablaze tonight to satisfy their inflated egos.
Harlond and Sigrid worked together to carry out heaps of Meribella's clothing and personal items. Melina stood behind the door, watching everything in silent worry and heavy heart.
The villagers placed all of Meribella's belongings on the veranda in large piles and then set them ablaze until everything was charred or reduced to ashes.
While the hate-driven crowd remained oblivious, Sigrid held a treasured bracelet tightly in her palm—a small gift from Meribella to her mother, a handmade bracelet.
"Will Bella be alright, Mama?" Melina whispered to her mother, solely for her to hear.
"I can't say for certain, Meli, I just don't know..." Sigrid was trembling at the thought of her daughter's future. She was unsure if Bella was safe with Lord Raze Azkariel. She prayed to the heavens for her safety wherever she may be and hoped that Meribella wouldn't come to Brindlewood searching for them.
The villagers looked hungry for her death.
The loud blare of the trumpet echoed in the village of Brindlewood, surprising everyone. The villagers, still around the smouldering remains of Meribella's belongings, quickly turned to see what was happening.
Four soldiers in the regal colours of the Crimson Crown marched forward, their armour shining in the dim light of the dying fire. The crowd immediately dropped to their knees, bowing their heads in submission. Including Willard, who had been the self-appointed leader of the mob moments ago, knelt without hesitation.
One of the soldiers, the tallest one, whose stance looked rigid and authoritative, stepped forward with a rolled parchment in hand. He lifted it to his face and began to read in a loud, commanding voice.
"Family Faye, hear this: By order of His Royal Highness, King Godric of Frosthearth, you are hereby summoned to the capital. You will be held as prisoners until Meribella Faye presents herself to prove your innocence in the insult against the Crimson Crown Bloodline."
Stepping closer, the lead soldier snapped the parchment shut. His cool gaze swept over Harold, Sigrid, and Melina.
"Prepare yourselves. We leave within the hour. Any resistance…" He left the threat hanging in the tense air.
Sigrid felt Melina's trembling at her side. Glancing at Harold, she saw the same steeled determination that had kept them alive this long—yet a flicker of despair lingered in his eyes. They had no choice but to obey. If they believed they had endured all the hardship previously, they were mistaken; their nightmarish journey had only just begun.
*
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*
Meanwhile, at the clearing, Meribella who had fallen on the ground, felt each brutal shockwave slam into her body like a hammer slamming into her from every direction. Her vision blurred, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. The world around her was a chaotic blur—the clash of steel, the roars of the giant serpent, the shouts of Raze and the others as they fought the enemy. But it all felt distant, muffled as if she were already slipping away.
Her body was on the brink of giving out, every muscle screaming in agony. She tried to call out, to scream for help, but her voice was nothing more than a weak whisper, lost in the cacophony of battle.
She tried forcing her eyes to focus on the Raze. But Raze and the others were caught in the delirium of combat—exhilarated, maddened by the thrill of the fight. He did not spare her a glance. His promise was false.
And then she felt it—something warm and smooth coiling around her, tightening with a force that stole the breath from her lungs. She looked down, her vision swimming, to see the massive, shimmering, pearl white-like scales with hints of blue that seemed almost beautiful if not for the terror they brought wrapping around her body.
In one swift, constricting motion, it lifted her from the ground. Tears streamed down her face as she realized this was the end. She had fought so hard and endured so much, only to meet her fate in the jaws of a monster.
Her mind raced with thoughts of her family, her heart breaking as she thought of her parents, her little sister, and the promises she had made—promises she would never be able to keep.
"Mom… Dad…" she whispered, her voice trembling with sorrow. "I love you… I'm so sorry. I couldn't bring back your noble status. I couldn't make things right. I failed you…"
Her thoughts turned to Melina, her sweet, innocent sister who had looked up to her with such hope and admiration. "Melina… I'm sorry. I promised you I would find you a prince who would treasure you for the rest of your life. I promised you a future full of love and happiness. I couldn't keep that promise… I'm so sorry…"
And then there was Edwyn. Her heart ached as she thought of him, of the life they could have had together. "Edwin… I never thought of any other man but you. I never wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry for ruining your big day… the day that should have been filled with joy and memories. I'm sorry…"
She closed her eyes, surrendering to the crushing despair. She let the last tear fall, heavy with regret, love, and a thousand shattered dreams.