“Brother, what are you doing?” asked Siouxsie.

  “Nothing difficult, sister.” He responded with a dry grin and a steady hand. “Go back to sleep. All is well.”

  “All is NOT well!” Prince Damron shouted, pulling his short sword. “I’ve carried this crown the breadth of the land to keep it safe and I’m not giving it to you or anyone!” Hoxley took a step closer to get between them.

  “Everyone, put those blades away you’re going to get someone hurt. There’s no need-“ she reached out to try and motion for the prince to put his sword away when he made a clumsy swing to keep her back. Being inexperienced, the tip of his blade connected with the lyythium arm guard on her right hand, and it sang out from the strike. Frightened she quickly backed away and inspected her arm to see that she wasn’t hurt. Ignatius became furious, leaning close to grab her arm and see for himself.

  “Did he hurt you?” he asked, inspecting her limb. “Did he hurt you?”

  “No, he didn’t.” she said trying to calm him. It’s alright, he was just-“

  “He was just being a spoiled, petulant little brat who’s ungrateful for the help he’s been offered.” Ignatius said, looking the boy in the eyes. “And I’ve had enough of him.” With two quick strides Ignatius was on top of the prince. Prince Damron attempted a second swing, but the witch’s sword play was too skilled, too fast, and a honed strike caught his opponent’s sword close to the hilt and sent it skittering across the ground to come to rest next to where Robert slept. Ignatius snatched the bag out of his hands. Prince Damron was about to lunge to get it back, but the long steel pointed at his face kept him at bay. No one moved a muscle as Ignatius opened the bag with one hand, grabbed the crown and tucked it under his arm before throwing the pack back to the boy. “I take no joy in doing this, your highness.”

  “You’re a thief taking what’s mine without my permission.” spit the prince. “I hate you.”

  “I can live with that.” he said, sheathing his sword and putting the crown inside the folds of his cloak. “Hoxley? Walk me out.” The faun nodded and the two were almost to the gap when the bile in the prince’s gut bubbled just enough to spew over his tongue.

  “I hope you catch an arrow, witch.” he said with a hateful glare. Upon hearing this, Siouxsie gasped, Atticus’ eyes became as big as saucers and even the pirate’s jaw dropped. A stark chill raced up Hoxley’s spine as the words hit home. Her first reaction was shock but the second was to grasp a fistful of cloak to stop Ignatius from turning around at the grandest of insults one could give a witch.

  “What did you say to me?” Ignatius asked, turning about.

  “I said I hope you catch an arrow when you leave. A whole quiver of them!”

  “Ignatius, please no!” Hoxley pleaded, dropping her spear to grab his cloak with both hands to hold him to the spot. “Ignatius! He’s ignorant to your ways. He doesn’t know what he’s saying!” But her words fell upon deaf ears as his hands were already peeling hers away to close the distance between himself and the boy. Prince Damron tried to back away but the witches’ long legs moved faster. The shadowy form moved closer and closer, a sour expression framing his face. “Ignatius!” Hoxley said, moving around him to try and put herself between them again. “Ignatius! stop! HE’S only a child!”

  “Yes, Hoxley.” Ignatius said grimly. “He’s a spoiled child who knows nothing of the world and spits on any part of it as he sees fit because the sorry scraps that birthed him never bothered to properly train their pet.” The witched showed the prince his gritted teeth and his bottomless grey eyes stared deep into the boys as he spoke: “You are fortunate…” he seethed, spittle dripping off his lip. “That Hoxley is here to remind me of your stupidity, welp….or I…I …would turn you inside out and leave what’s left here for the gulls to eat before their stomachs turned and shat out back out…you spoiled rotten little filth, you.” With that, Ignatius turned on his heel, shrugged his cloak free of Hoxley’s grip and mounted his broom in a single motion before launching himself skyward though the opening and vanishing into the night. Before anyone else could speak, Siouxsie crossed the room to stand before the prince, her face a wrinkled mass of anger.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “How could you?” she asked before slapping the prince across the face. His head jerked to the side at a painful angle before she retreated to the far side of the chamber to be near her sleeping brother. As she moved, she never took her eyes off of him. Her gaze like that of Ignatius, burned with disgust. When the prince looked around the room, the looks on everyone’s faces were lesser versions of the same disappointment. Seeing this, Hoxley held her hand out to him.

  “Your highness? You should come with me.”

  “Where?”

  “Outside. We should talk.” He took a second glance around the room and found no welcoming faces. Everyone turned away to shun him. She made a “come” gesture with her hand and he followed her out through the gap in the rock. Once outside in the cooler air, it took a moment before Hoxley could begin to put the right words together. “Prince Damron,” she started. “Do you know why Ignatius acted in the manner in which he did?”

  “No, no I don’t. I was angry he took my crown.”

  “As angry as you may be, you need to understand something about witches. Do you know the story the Dark Harvest?”

  “It happened a long, long, time ago when humans and witches fought one another.”

  “That’s correct. Centuries ago, the humans and witches didn’t get along at all. One night the people banded together to have it out with witchkind once and for all. No one knows the order of the events that happened preceding the attack but during the early morning after the night of the pumpkin festival, a slaughter happened. When the witches were groggy and sleepy from eating and drinking during their celebration, the humans attacked Oldvale carrying more arrows than there were blades of grass on the plateau.”

  “It was the perfect attack.” said a voice from behind. Both turned to see Siouxsie emerging from the crevice and approach them. “The humans came for us when we were drunk and sleepy. To keep us from taking flight and fighting back, they used scores and scores of bows and arrows to fill the sky. Any witch who dared to take flight was struck down. Our numbers were decimated. Many fled and were never heard from again, they vanished without a trace. Others were laid low by the scores. Those who survived have passed down the story and we’ve learned an aversion to the weapon. You’ll never see a witch carry a bow because of our hatred for them.”

  “So you see,” Hoxley continued. “To curse a witch to catch an arrow is the worst thing you can say to one of their kind. to make matters worse, Robert is recovering from an arrow wound as we speak, so that likely made any tension between you far worse. But you’re very lucky I was able to convince him that you were ignorant of the meaning behind the words you used. Words have very powerful meanings if you let them. I believe your words can be worth more than harm and that you should try and use yours to be more uplifting. You’ll get your crown back, I promise.”

  “I didn’t know.” said the prince looking to Siouxsie. “I’m so sorry Siouxsie, I genuinely didn’t know. I was angry and I spoke without thinking. It won’t happen again.”

  “Apology accepted, your highness.” She said sticking her hand out for him to take. He accepted it and shook it heartily. “That was the perfect apology by the way.”

  “It was?”

  “Yes. A perfect apology has three parts: saying you’re sorry, admitting what you did, and admitting you won’t do it again. One, two, three, like the points of a witch hat. When I see my brother again, I’ll be sure to tell him of your contrition. Ignatius is actually very kind and wants to help you, but there are some things that should not be said without wanting to start a fight.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  “And I have an apology to make as well, your highness.” She said, taking off her pointed hat and bowing her head. “I’m sorry for striking you. My action was one of anger and I regret it already. Please accept my sincere apology.”

  “And?” he asked.

  “And what?” said Siouxsie.

  “What about the third part?”

  “Which part?”

  “The part where you say you’ll never do it again.” The prince told her.