Chapter 9: Truce

Annabelle cries. Vanessa was right, she was right. An orphan from no where had no place in royalty. But she never wanted royalty, all she needed for once was to be loved. She had never been loved before.

The door to the room creaks, Janelle steps in rushing to towards Annabelle

She felt sorry for her, Vanessa was being irrational and mean.

Janelle strokes her Annabelle's hair, drying her cheek.

" Oh Anna, Don't mind  Vanessa. She easily gets jealous and insecure"

Annabelle sniffs, blinking her wet eyes rapidly

" Jealous?, Why would she be jealous of me?"

Janelle smiles, She could see how pure and humble Annabelle's soul was.

" Who wouldn't be jealous of you Annabelle, you have no idea that words of your strange beauty had spread to all in Idil"

. Vanessa knows this, she knows you are a threat to her status as queen" 

Janelle adds. She stare deeply into Annabelle's hazel eyes. No one in all of Idil had this strange eyes. Only inhabitants of other realms had people of these eyes.

Annabelle smiles. Janelle was a true friend.

" But I don't want to be queen"

Janelle eyes shot open, 

" What!" Janelle shrieks 

"Am in  with another" Annabelle adds. She grins in a silly manner, laughing and then sniffing.

" Oh no!" Janelle exclaims.

Annabelle turn giving Janelle a disapproving look.

" Why the scream?"

" A maiden selected by the prince of Wales has no right to turn down his offer, it's an insult to the throne and the kingdom at large" Janelle warns.

Annabelle raise her chin high, forming her fingers into a steeple.

" Then so be it, I will reject the throne for my love" Annabelle says in a steady low pitched tone.

" And what's the name of this lucky lad if I may ask" 

" I know not his name, it doesn't matter. What matter to me is his smile, his eyes and his warm cheek" 

Annabelle says taking a large, deep, savoring breath.

                                     **********

Oden stare round observing the expression of his generals and knights. The dukes and Lord's were also present as the matter at hand troubled the whole of Idil.

" They've started to propagate crops on our land" Sir Bwalk says.

The Humilin's had started the confrontation. 

Oden had ignored their minor offence in the past, but this?, it was getting out of control.

Oden pauses thinking deeply. Why would they dare to challenge Idil, despite their minute population?, they had no chance of winning what ever war they were agitating for. Unless they had a trick up their sleeve, perhaps something Extraordinary.

" We approach them with a peace treaty" Oden concludes.

" Treaty?" Frenger questions. He stare at Oden with his eyes wide open.

" Do you have any problem with that?" Oden asks with an ounce of suspicion in his voice.

He had never trusted Frenger. He seemed power seeking and acted like a subtil snake ready to deceive.

Frenger lowers his head, portraying his acceptance of defeat. He then stares at Oden for some seconds.

Oden was a fool to pass forward a peace treaty to the Humilin's. The Humilin's were of little population, Idil could easily crush them expanding their territory.

Oden is disturbed. He could see the worries in the eyes of his generals. They were also confused, Idil could easily crush the Humilin's. But Oden couldn't declare war in a rush. That attitude of being war -thirsty had caused him a great deal of suffering for the past eighteen years.

" Summon our emissaries, they head to Humilin's to present a treaty of peace with marriage as the bond to this treaty" Oden commands.

"The meeting is dismissed" Oden adds sitting at last.

He needed some time to think. To think about the war and perhaps about Esmeralda.

She had charmed him. Was their daughter still alive?.

He shouldn't have participated in the burning of Aile to the ground. That was a decision he regrets all his life and one he will never forget.

He sips from his cup looking at the map of Idil 's territory. He could see the now vacant area, the space where the witches and wizards once habited, the place once called Aile, the place where he had fallen for Esmeralda.

                                      *********

" Annabelle, Annabelle"

Annabelle open her eyes. The night wind heightened the cold in the room.

She turns staring at Janelle. She slept like one who had no worries, grasping her blanket tightly.

Annabelle is puzzled. She could have sworn that someone had called her name few moments ago. Just at that moment someone knocks.

Annabelle quickly grabs the burning lamp by janelle's bed. She quickly approaches the door flinging it wide open.

A hooded fellow corners out of her sight.

She looks down

Whoever that was had left a gift.

Annabelle pauses, contemplating whether to pick up the box or not.

She stare at the top of the small rectangular box as if searching for a hidden fact.

The box begins to shake vigorously. Annabelle steps backward in her chest tightens as her hands shakes.

It was bewitched. The box was bewitched.

The box flings open revealing its content.

It was a locket, one similar to hers. How come? She had never seen anyone with her type of locket.

She pauses looking from side to side, checking to see if someone was watching.

she quickly picks up the box moving back into her room as she slams the door shut behind her.

She couldn't believe her eyes. The locket was a replica of hers, perhaps the owner was from her village, perhaps it was sent by her parents.

The mirror was wrong, she did well in not believing its words and that of that banished druid.

She opens the locket slowly. A bright yellow light dazzle out. Annabelle tries to close back the locket but her efforts are futile. All of a sudden she grabs het throat, gasping  for air. Her eyes are red. She falls back as if  asleep, landing on her bed with her eyes shut. The locket slips from her hand hitting the floor.

                      ********

Secrets and truth are being uncovered.

New chapter to be uploaded tonight

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