09

Miranda stood at the entrance of the palace, a sense of anticipation filling her veins. Her journey to the palace had been long and tiring, but she had to see Aurora. The guard at the entrance examined her from head to toe before nodding in approval and leading her through the courtyard.

As she walked, she made sure to take in the beauty of the palace. The tall and imposing walls were made of white stones, and the courtyard was adorned with various types of flowers, with a fountain at the center of it all. The trees that lined the courtyard were lush and green, and the leaves rustled gently in the wind.

Miranda's outfit was that of a typical witch from the Shadows Covens. Her black dress clung to her curves and was adorned with various gemstones that sparkled in the light. She had a cloak draped over her shoulders, and her long black hair cascaded down her back. Her eyes, which were a piercing green, were lined with kohl, and her lips were painted a deep red.

The guard led her to the waiting room and gestured for her to take a seat. Miranda scanned the room, taking in the rich tapestries that hung on the walls, the velvet couches, and the ornate chandelier that hung from the ceiling. She took a seat on one of the couches and waited, tapping her foot impatiently.

After a few moments, the door creaked open, and a servant entered the room. "Princess Aurora will see you now," the servant said, bowing slightly. Miranda stood up, smoothing down her dress, and followed the servant through the palace halls.

***

As Derek walked through the hallways of the palace, he noticed a group of maids walking with a visitor towards Aurora's room. His curiosity piqued.

"Who is that?" Derek asked one of the guards, gesturing to the woman in a unique attire.

One of the guards accompanying Derek stepped forward and cleared his throat. "That is Miranda, your highness," he said, bowing slightly. "She is a close friend of Princess Aurora's and a renowned future-teller."

Derek's heart raced as he heard the guard mention that Aurora's visitor was a future teller. He knew that his family was scheming and any possibility of Miranda knowing this sent chills down his spine.

"Go ahead without me," Derek said to the guard. "I need to attend to something first."

The guard nodded and continued with the others, leaving Derek alone to his thoughts. He quickly made his way down the hall, looking over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure he wasn't being followed.

When he got to Aurora's door, there were two maids standing outside. They bowed in respect while one of them made an attempt to inform Aurora of his presence.

Derek raised his hand and motioned for her to stop.

"The two of you are excused," Derek said calmly and as quietly as he could.

"But…" one of the maids tried to speak.

"I said leave!" He ordered in a more commanding whisper. The two women took a bow and hurried down the hallway without any further argument.

Derek could hear muffled voices coming from inside. He pressed his ear against the door, trying to make out what they were saying. It was Miranda's voice, he realized, but he couldn't quite catch the words.

Derek took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open, making sure to keep it as quiet as possible. The room was dimly lit by candles, casting shadows across the furniture. Aurora and Miranda were seated at a small table, their heads close together in conversation.

Derek's eyes darted around the room, searching for any signs of danger. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

He crept closer to the table, careful not to make a sound. Aurora and Miranda were too engrossed in their conversation to notice him. Derek was just a few feet away when Miranda suddenly looked up and met his gaze.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Derek felt like a deer caught in the headlights, his mind racing with excuses for why he was there.

Miranda broke the silence. "Derek," she said, her voice warm but cautious. "What brings you here?"

Derek cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. "I came to check on you. I didn't realize you had a visitor." he said.

Miranda looked at him skeptically,

"Aren't the maids outside? They could have told you…."

"No, they're not," Derek responded in almost a snap. Miranda seemed like a tough one.

"It's great you're here though. I just don't think you'd be interested in our girl's talk," she said.

Derek felt a pang of guilt as he looked at Aurora. She was so innocent and trusting, and he knew he was keeping secrets from her. He forced a smile and took a seat at the table, we'll since I have kne or two minutes to soare before going to see father, I might as well be a part of your gossip."

Aurora chuckled.

"So, Miranda," he said, trying to sound casual. "What brings you to the royal arena?"

Miranda's expression turned serious. "Someone we both know is in the verge of being assassinated, so I was wondering if Aurora could help.me in finding a solution to the problem."

As soon as Derek heard Miranda mention assassination, his heart skipped a beat. He knew that Miranda might have picked up on something, and that he had to stop her from saying more. He quickly interrupted their conversation, pretending to be concerned about the urgent matter that he had to attend to.

"Wow! You didn't say anything about that though," Aurora mentioned in surprise.

Miranda burst out into a squeaky chuckle.

"I was just joking."

The two burst out into more chuckles.

Derek knew damn well that she wasn't joking. He knew she was hinting that she knew something.

"Well you'd have to excuse me then, ladies. Let me leave you to your talks while I go to see father." he said. "He has summoned me to attend to an important matter," he added.

Derek hurriedly made his way out of the room, his heart racing with fear and anxiety. He couldn't let Miranda reveal his family's plans, or else everything they had worked for would be ruined. He had to act fast, but he had to be careful too. He heard that Miranda was a powerful witch, and that she might sense his presence if he wasn't careful.

He walked quietly down the hall, staying close to the walls and keeping to the shadows. He could hear the faint sound of Miranda's voice coming from the room behind him, and he knew that he had to move quickly if he wanted to stop her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial of a dark liquid. It was a powerful sleeping potion that he had acquired from one of the kingdom's best alchemists.

Derek paced back and forth, trying to come up with a plan to find out exactly how much Miranda knew and to stop her from revealing anything to Aurora or anyone else. He knew he had to act fast, and the first step was to get Aurora out of the room.

He called for a maid and instructed her to inform Aurora that the King had summoned her, and that she must leave immediately. The maid nodded and left to carry out the order.

As soon as Aurora was out of the room, he whispered to one of the guards to keep an eye on Miranda and make sure she didn't leave the room.

As soon as Miranda was alone, a maid unscrewed the cap of the vial he she had received from Derek and carefully poured a few drops onto her hand.

Then, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. Miranda looked up in surprise, but before she could say anything, Derek moved quickly. He reached out and touched Miranda's arm, quickly smearing the sleeping potion onto her skin.

"Madam," she said urgently and desperately, trying to keep his voice calm. "I'm so sorry to interrupt you, but I need to speak with you privately. It's about the life of the princess," She started crying.

Miranda held on to the maids hands with eagerness and sympathy.

"Yes, tell me. Please…."

Miranda's eyes began to droop as the potion took effect. She swayed slightly in her seat, but the maid caught her and held her steady.

****

As soon as she had been taken to another room, the maid let go of Miranda's arm and watched as she stumbled and fell to the ground. The maid made a bow of courtesy to Derek who stood at the centre of the room and made to leave. As she turned to leave, Derek shot an arrow at her and the maid fell dead. He couldn't risk trusting her to keep quiet.

He looked at Miranda, hoping that the sleeping potion would keep her unconscious until he could come up with a plan to deal with her. But in his heart, he knew that things were about to get a lot more complicated.