Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The sun shone down on the flowery valley. Klaus, Holly, Ivan, Bella, and Aconite rode on the bright red cart across the winding road. The golden fields bent and waved as the wind ran through them. White clouds skittered across the blue sky, and the towering castle shrank in the distance behind them.

As they neared the woods, Klaus could see all sorts of spiders and creatures waiting in the shadows. Klaus caught Aconite’s eye who gave a malicious grin as she kept riding towards the woods. Everyone else was too busy talking to notice the creatures waiting for them. As Klaus was about to warn them, Aconite placed her old withered finger on his lips, and all speech left him.

He tried opening his mouth, but he couldn’t. Holly asked him why he was so silent all of a sudden. Klaus tried pointing towards the woods, but she just tilted her head sideways in question. Klaus got up and began waving his hands pointing towards the woods, but everyone only laughed at his bazaar actions. Klaus looked worriedly at the group sitting in the bright red cart.

Then he realized something. Aconite’s cart was faded red not bright red. He reached towards the painted wood, and began rubbing at it with his finger. The paint came off, revealing glass underneath. With realization of what was going on, the world suddenly stopped. In a split second, all the color drained off the cart, the people in it, and the world around it, revealing bright, shining glass underneath all.

Klaus was not on the road home. He was in the bright white room, rubbing one of the glass walls. As he realized where he was and that he was probably asleep, his eyes opened suddenly and he sat up in the luscious bed. He was back in the guest quarters of Castle Alexander.

Getting up slowly, he walked out of his room. The large window in the stone passage showed the morning sun barely beneath the horizon, coloring the world in eerie blue light. Klaus rubbed sleep from his eyes as he continued walking. Turning around a corner, a pale hand grabbed him, covering his mouth.

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Holly tried to open the door to the throne room as quietly as possible. There in the pale morning light, illuminated by a window nearby, Queen Alexis of Alexandria sat on the cold ground within the small white chalky circle. She looked up as Holly entered wiping tears from her eyes.

“Hi there.” Holly said quietly.

Alexi only looked at her questioningly, asking why she had come with her eyes.

“I came because.” Holly looked around, “I know you are not a witch.”

Alexi stood up, quickly and urgently nodding.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come earlier, but I had to wait until the Captain stopped guarding you. He only just went to sleep after guarding you all night long. You know, he’s still devoted to you.”

Alexi’s eyes began to tear up again. She nodded in agreement, then waited for Holly to continue.

“I don’t know how to undo Aconite’s charm, but what I can do is this for now.” She said handing Alexi a blanket and pillow. “Get some rest. Later today before we leave I’m going to prove you’re innocent.”

As Holly’s hand reached across the chalk line, Alexi pulled her in the circle and spoke to her urgently.

“Holly, thank you, but I have to warn you. I know the answer to the riddle. I have been thinking about it all night. I know who the real witch is.”

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Ivan let Klaus go as he pointed towards the stairway, motioning for silence. The two crept on in the shadows. They climbed the stairway to a passage that led to a storage room. Then they followed some more passages till they came to a dead end. There, on the left side of the wall, was a small sliver of golden light. Both crammed to try and get a good view.

There were two figures in long black, hooded robes with their backs to the two. They were in a heated argument when Klaus and Ivan arrived.

“No, you may not take the girl! I have already made the necessary preparations!”

“Bhut I tink our seesters know. If, you-know-who, found out…”

“She won’t. Not until it is too late that is.”

“Yous know dat none kan hide from her silver eyes. Let mee tek da girl to Sylvania. Der ve kan perform de ritual in de voods.”

“No, we would be in Oleander’s territory, and she would betray us. She has only one mistress.”

As the conversation continued, Klaus and Ivan began fighting for a better view, trying to see the other figure. They already knew that one must be Laburnum, but the other one’s voice, while familiar, was elusive. The two figures walked out of the room, and Klaus and Ivan pushed the fireplace out of the way.

They walked into the room and looked around. Just then, the library door opened again. Klaus dove behind the large globe and Ivan behind the chair. Laburnum entered again. She looked around, taking her hood off, and as she did, the entire black robe, cape, and hood retracted back into the broach on her shawl. She was back to her normal self. She walked past Klaus who silently circled the globe.

She stood in the middle of the room, then opened the fireplace and entered, letting it slide behind her. The two came out of hiding. They tiptoed back to their room to talk about what just happened.

“So, Laburnum’s the real witch.” Klaus said pensively.

“It seems we were too quick to follow her words.” Ivan said, polishing his specs. “You know, it was so strange. I had a dream the moon came to me and told me that Alexi was innocent. Then I was in the library and I heard their conversation.”

“You’ve been having strange dreams lately too?” Klaus asked surprised.

“No, not really. This was the first. Why?” Ivan asked, sitting up.

“No reason.” Klaus said, trying to get his mind off the glass room.

Then the door slammed open and Holly ran in. Jumping on the bed with the two, she grabbed both by the collars and pulled them down secretively.

“Guys, we were wrong. Alexi is not the real witch.” She said looking around secretively. “Laburnum is!”

“We know!” Ivan said, “We just heard her talking about taking a girl, I’m guessing Alexi, to some forest place for a ritual of some kind.”

“Wait, who was she talking to?”

“We don’t know.” Klaus said, getting up off the bed. “But we have a bigger problem. What are we gong to do? Come on, we’re only three kids, against a witch. No one will believe us over her. They might even think we are accomplices.”

“So we can’t out rightly expose her.” Ivan said thoughtfully.

“Arg! Why does everything have to be so complicated!” Holly said as she began pacing the room.

“We don’t even have any allies.” Ivan observed, and just as he said it, the door opened and the Captain walked in.

“Yes you do!”

“An’ me as well.” Aconite said stepping out from behind him.

“Good, now we have to get some sort of plan ready.” Holly said urgently checking all the windows to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

As the planning commenced, the sky grew bluer and bluer by the minute. Aconite’s dove’s innocently sat by the windows keeping watch, while Burt the Imbecile guarded the door. Inside, everyone was trying to keep their voices down while at the same time trying to talk at once.

Klaus got tired of all the planning and decided to check up on Bella. He entered her room, finding her sitting on her bed talking to Silver. The dog barked softly when he entered, but remained by Bella’s side.

“You know, I still have to thank Silver.” Klaus said talking softly. “Silver led me to you tonight.”

“I know.” Bella said petting the dog’s golden hair. “She told me all about it.”

“Did she now?” He smiled sitting down next to Bella.

“Yip. She told me how she had to change herself into a giant with seven arms to tear the door down and knock the guards out.”

“Oh I see. And then what.”

“She wasn’t finished telling me yet.” Bella said pointedly. “She was just getting to the good part about the glass room and the white light.”

“Wait, what?” Klaus asked taken completely off guard.

But before he could ask anything else, Holly and Ivan entered the room and told him they had a plan. He followed, looking back to Bella and Silver. He smiled a reassuring smile, but below the front he was confused. How could she have known?

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“So the plan is simple. Well, actually the plans are simple. But we have to time everything perfectly.” Holly said, addressing her troops like a real general.

“Um, why don’t we just do what we did with Alexi?” Klaus asked confused.

“Well, we have lost the element of surprise. She knows that Aconite’s powers are not just for healing, but that they are also containment.”

“Af’re las nights perform’ce, she’l most likely b’ wearn’ a r’flective charm.” Aconite explained.

“If Aconite tries to trap her, the charm will reverse on Aconite.” Ivan explained.

“So, instead we have to disarm her manual.” Holly said, motioning to Ivan.

“Okay. So, this is Laburnum’s ring.” Ivan said holding up the book for all to see the illustration. “According to this, it is her main source of power, or something like that. The wording of the book was somewhat vague.”

“If we destroy the ring, she will be defenseless.” Holly said stepping up. “But to destroy the ring it has to be cast into boiling water. So, the plan will consist of three teams. One team, headed by Ivan will be outside manning large cauldrons of boiling water under the pretense of it being laundry day.

The second team will be led by myself and Aconite. Its purpose will be to draw her attention and hopefully buy enough time for the third team to get the ring off her finger using the trap door above her. Captain, you will be leading that team. Alright, any questions?”

“Um. Yeah. I have a question.” Burt said raising his hand. “What happens if the plan doesn’t work?”

“That is not an option.” Holly said with resolution. “The witch must be stopped. No one will be safe as long as she is free.”

With that thought, everyone left to prepare for their parts in the plan. Ivan beckoned Holly, Klaus, and Aconite over after everyone else had left. They shut the door tight then had a whispered conference.

“Burt made a good point.” Ivan said. “We need a back up plan.”

“We don’t have time!” Holly said irritably.

“I might have one.” Klaus said speaking up. “If worst comes to worst, we need to protect Bella and the other defenseless people in the castle.”

“We can evacuate the servants through the tunnels to the flower fields.” Holly said.

“An’ I can keep yon young un’ safe with me. If yer plan should fail, I shall transport us to m’ home in the Republic of Koal.” Aconite said. “Once ever’ting settles douwn, meet meh dar.”

“That sounds good.” Klaus said. “So, which team am I with?”

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Laburnum entered the half lit hall. The Queen was standing indignantly within the chalk circle, clutching her blanket and pillow to her face. The haggard laugh filled the vaulted ceiling as the real witch approached the young girl.

“Hahaha! So, yous now da trooth, ya? Hehehe, yous is very klefer girl, but not enough!” The witch cackled.

The Queen could only look daggers at her betrayer. For years the nurse had tended her, had watched after her, had been her most trusted and most loved advisor. She had been like Alexi’s mother. But know Alexi saw her for who she really was. She had been using her, and while it hurt, it also filled her with anger. She clutched the blanket harder, her knuckled turning white.

“Hehe, you knows vhat. I knew dat you vould see de trooth vhen da boy spoke. Dat you knows da ancient verse he quoted from da kastil’s loolabys speek of da queen’s nurse. For many yeers I half vaited for dis moment. To reveal my troo self.”

With a touch of her hand, the magic broach on her shawl caused her entire frame to seemingly begin to expand. Cloth rippled like it was made from water, and her face twisted and contorted until with a final shake of her head she had transformed herself into her true form.

She was always a very large and imposing woman, but now she had grown extremely obese. A large dark unibrow ran across her forehead, her nose swelled into a wide button nose, and a large mole had popped up on her upper lip. Three brown hairs sprouted from it one after another. She wore her dark brown hair in two hair buns on either side of her head. On her finger was a ring with a red and white swirled enamel amulet.

“Vhel, vhat do you tink?” She laughed and snorted as she said. “Vhat, da princess is speechless?”

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The three teams were ready. Klaus shifted in the dark, bumping into the Captain. They were squished inside of the small chute leading down to the main room. They were all carrying extra weapons to toss to the others, but hopefully that wouldn’t be necessary. Hopefully, Klaus would be able to grab the ring first, and if he failed, the Captain could just slice it off.

They sat in the silnce and waited. Klaus’ mind began to wander. The room. The light. The voices. What did it all mean? Why was this happening? Should he tell anyone, or would they just think he was crazy? The oppressive darkness seemed to be heavy with doubt as they waited.

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The boiling water sent columns of steam up into the sky. The various servants had been sent away through the secret tunnel in the prison. Now, several embarrassed soldiers were dressed up as maids pretending to do washing. At least three had already burnt themselves on the water. Ivan rolled his eyes as he looked to the cool, dark doors, that seemed so peaceful in the morning sun, but that were ready to burst forth with furry at any second.

He sighed as he watched the sun line move across the building starting at the roof. When it hit the top lancet windows, it would color the entire hallway with brilliant red light. That would be the signal for the ones hidden in the shaft to attack. Then it would be their part. Even if Klaus got the ring it would be pointless if they didn’t destroy it before Laburnum got it back. But that was all easier said than done.

Ivan wished it had all passed. That he was back, sitting in the huge library enjoying the History of Alexandrian Magic. But then again, he though, it was because he read it that they were in this mess now. The sun kept lowering almost touching the windows. It would soon be time.

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Holly watched the shadows as they became shorter and shorter. The edge was on, but it was a good edge. The kind that reminded any old soldier that they were still alive, still kicking. The adrenaline threatened to enter her veins but she resisted the urge to let it. If she let it take her now, she would not think clear enough to make sure everything went as planned. They had to make sure the distraction was convincing.

Laburnum would be expecting some sort of trap. She had probably spotted the look in Holly’s eyes. Now would be their only chance. Laburnum had to be stopped. Something deep inside Holly told her that this must be the one they called the Bavarian Witch and if she was then that made the entire situation much more dangerous. The shadow reached the center line of the courtyard, signaling the tme had come. Holly nodded to Aconite.

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“Vhel, yous friends are sleeping soundly. Soon, dey too vil realize der mistek and vhil come to rescue you. Den, dey vhil all pay. Yous may remember, a long tem ago vhen you learnt aboot da Bavarian Witch. Vhel, I am herr!” The witch cackled as she snorted and gloated. “Yoor friends vhil all dies!”

“No!” Alexi yelled, stepping out of the circle, drawing her sword from inside of the blanket.

“Vhat! How is dis possible!” Laburnum asked confused, backing off.

“You are the one who will die this day witch!” Alexi said walking forward furiously.

“Ha, you stink dat leetle sword vhil help yous?” The witch snorted.

“No, they will.” She said motioning to her friends behind the witch.

“Alexis are you alright?” Holly called.

“Stay back everyone. She is the Bavarian witch!” Alexis called urgently.

“Dat is right! Yous half all herd about my rath, but today you vhil feel it!”

She pointed her stubby little finger and began muttering, when Aconite stepped forward holding her staff. The other witch smiled shaking her head as if to reprove Aconite for interfering. Then she raised her hand and shouted,

“Torspel!”

From her finger shot a beam of orange light that collided with what appeared to be an invisible barrier, turning into a brown material that crumbled away. Aconite raised her staff and shot a beam of white magic at Laburnum. But instead of hitting her it seemed to hit some sort of liquid and then bounced back at Aconite and the group, who all barely dove out of the way, Aconite disappearing and reappearing to the left of the group.

“Ha, did yous tek me for a fool? I hav my protektif barrier on!” Laburnum called in triumph.

“Protect this!” Holly yelled throwing a javelin at the witch. Labrunum simply stepped back, allowing it to glance of the stone in front of her. Behind Holly, a swarm of dove flew in and began to circle the room like a giant horde. Laburnum waved her hands like a conductor cackling as each dove she pointed fell to the ground a brown statue that broke into pieces on contact.

“Holly, I’ve to call ‘em back!” Aconite yelled over the noise.

“That’s fine, we’ve almost got her where we want her.” Holly called back.

Alexis had been circling trying to get a good opening. The chance came and she lunged forward. The witch however had anticipated the move and immediately countered with an orange glowing sword that sent sparks flying each time it made contact with Alexis’ sword. The two continued on as Holly also grabbed her sword and joined the fray. By now Laburnum was fighting with a sword in each hand. She was surprisingly fast for such a large woman.

“Ha, you seem surpised. Did you stink you ver de only good schordsman?” She taunted as she countered an incoming ball of white magic from Aconite.

Then she seemed to suddenly grow tired of the entire ordeal and popping her grotesquely thick neck and cracking her stubby fingers she brought both hands in, dissipating the swords, and then sent both open palmed out towards the two swordswomen. As she did this a wall of magic flew out of both hands towards the unsuspecting girls. They were thrown against the walls of the room.

“Ye shall leave dem young ‘un alone. Do ya hear me Laburnum! Yew hav disgraced all magick with your afron’try!” Aconite said, swinging her cane at Laburnum, who countered with her ring.

“Yous half not learnt how too fight a reel vitch yet half you?” Laburnum laugh as she suddenly turned her hands, inverting Aconite and levitating her above the ground upside down.

“An’ neither have’ yew!” Shouted Aconite as she righted herself, turning Laburnum, and throwing her through the air onto the designed spot.

“Now!” She called as her doves flew against the roof beating their wings on the trap door.

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That was the signal. It was the right hour. The sun was in the right position and the shadow had already passed its mark. The Captain order all the weapons readied and then pulled on the latch. The problem was that it only raised an inch then fell back. It was the right time and the right moment and they had gotten the signal. And they were stuck in the shaft. Klaus shook his head in disgust as he watched the Captain try to lever the door open with three of his men and a spear in the confined space. He could hardly bare to imagine what it must look like from below.

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The entire battle had stopped. Laburnum, Holly, Alexis, Aconite, and all her doves stared at the ceiling, where the trapdoor was being nicely outlined by the dust and dirt that was falling between the cracks as someone was obviously trying to open it while standing on it at the same time. Holly held her head as she tried to channel her anger at Laburnum.

“Those idiots.” Was all she could say.

“So, yous tought you could be tricky?” She said shaking her head, causing her massive triple chins to sway like overfilled watersacks.

The next instant Silver ran in, followed by Bella. The girl caught up to the dog that was barking at the witch, and threw her arms around Silver’s neck. Laburnum’s eyes seemed to light up when she saw Bella. Raising her ring she sent a beam of the magic right at Bella and the dog. There was a large explosion and on the spot that they stood was only a blackened bow, like the ones on Bella’s dress.