A long time ago in an age where magic was a common practice and dragons reigned free, The land's beloved Queen Peach fell ill while pregnant with twins. Desperate to save his Queen and the royal babies, King John searched high and low for a rare plant that could heal her ailments.
Alas, King John stole the herb from an old friend, Gothel the Evil Witch. Although bittered about the past, Gothel allowed it in favour that she could claim one of the royal babes as payment. King John already had a daughter, Princess Marissa but she was far too old to be taken away, the evil witch thought.
Upon the King's hasty return, the healing herb was brewed into a broth that was adminstered to Queen Peach, thus saving her life as well as the twins - two little princesses whom Queen Peach named Skye and Cherry.
Not long after the two darlings were born, Gothel snuck into the castle one night and stole the younger twin, Cherry. She fled to the thickest of the forest with the babe and used an old enchantment that hid the child well.
There was a small fortress hidden behind the invisible wall. It slightly resembled a castle but also had an unnatural magic air to it. A perfect place for Gothel to hide.
The fortress was mainly guarded by an ancient dragon-shifting sorcerer named Lukas. In dragon form, he was a creature with icy blue scales, silver skin and dark purple-blue eyes. In human form, he resembled a Nordic nobleman with some scales around his face and two silverly-grey dragon horns. He rarely smiled or showed emotion to anyone; only stern purple-blue eyes, which hid a tragedy in his past. He had worked for Gothel for a few years at the time Princess Cherry had been stolen from her kingdom and brought back to the forest.
There happened to be a female dragon-shifting sorceress residing in the fortress too. Her name was Hazel, Lukas' wife for 25 years - as by the gold ring on her left little finger. She had a similar dragon form as Lukas did but with fierce hazel eyes and warm brown-orange scales as well as being slightly smaller and far more lithe. In human form, she had long orange hair like spun amber she kept in a braid and wore the robes of a Nordic noblewoman, with a few telltale scales around her face and two prominent copper-orange dragon horns. Around her neck was a stone necklace that changed colour with every type of magic she used, with a matching ring on her right hand. Although she still loved Lukas dearly, the whole working for Gothel ordeal had placed a rather uncomfortable strain on their marriage.
So when Gothel had brought the baby Cherry back, Hazel was quick to decide that she would raise the child herself to make sure that such an innocent little girl ended up nothing like the vile witch who stole her. Which had started an argument with Lukas, who believed she had no reason to concern herself with the child, despite knowing why his wife had decided on such a thing.
Neither husband or wife ever spoke of the tragedy that had struck them and later led to a strain on their marriage.
Strangely, a silverly grey rabbit with the intellect to speak roamed the fortress too. His name was Tino. In truth, he was Lukas' cousin who was turned into a rabbit some years ago. He had once explained to the young Cherry that everyone who knew him, including his fiancé thought he was dead since rabbits were hunted. Upon hearing the bad news, Tino's fiancé (a human princess) had vanished from her kingdom; no one had seen hair nor hide of her since.
18 years had passed and, with thanks to Hazel, Cherry grew up to be a well-behaved, honest child and was nothing like Gothel.
Cherry's bright red hair flowed down to her feet in a loose ponytail. She wore a purple dress. Her violet eyes stayed trained on the beach painting she was invested in. Beside her, Tino and Hazel watched her painting. Although the young girl didn't see it, Hazel insisted that she had become very beautiful and very intelligent. Then again, Hazel adored Cherry like the girl was her own daughter.
"My goodness...Can't you feel the salt in the mist of that beach, Tino? Feels just like home" Hazel stated, her mothering eyes hiding a sadness that was the reason why she despised the 'vile witch'.
Cherry giggled half-heartedly. "One day, I might be able to feel that mist for myself" she half-joked.
Tino raised onto his hind legs. "We'll find a way to do that, won't we, Hazel?' he pointed out.
Hazel gave a hopeful smile. "Of course..anything for my little Cherry" she answered.
A strange presence filled the room. The three turned to face Gothel, who wore a straight face. As a habit, Hazel's stance went from relaxed to rigid; her face resembled that of a mother dragon ready to protect her hatchling.
Gothel ignored the death glare Hazel gave her, as she knew why the female dragon-shifting sorceress despised her so much. "Painting again, are we, Cherry? I assume that means you completed your duties?" she stated.
Cherry had stood up upon Gothel's arrival. "Yes, ma'am" she confirmed.
Gothel's expression did not change. She seemed to decide that she did not care to press further. "I will be upstairs resting for my next outing tomorrow. Bring up some tea and those butter biscuits when the clock reads 5. Remember how I like my tea?" she ordered.
"The teabag steeped at 8 minutes precisely?" Cherry guessed.
"Good. Seems like she.." Gothel stated, her gaze was now trained on Hazel. "..didn't encourage you to be unruly" she continued.
Through the 18 plus years that Lukas had worked for her, Gothel made it a habit to 'test Hazel's temper' as she put it.
Gothel smirked slightly when Hazel made a slight growl of anger and disdain. Feeling pleased with herself, she left the room.
"Easy, Hazel..she's just trying to get into your head..." Tino assured, trying to calm the furious woman down.
Hazel suddenly unstiffened But her anger had yet to quell. "One of these days.." she muttered.
Tino had a worried look in his eyes as he easily guessed what would follow. He knew Hazel well, having been the closest to her since Lukas had first started courting her. "I know. But it won't bring back the past.." he reminded Hazel.
Cherry became confused. She knew Hazel didn't like Gothel but never knew why. She did also know that Hazel's husband, Lukas guarded the small castle but the male dragon shifting sorcerer never concerned himself with anything but his duties. She looked at the clock. It barely even read 4, so she had over an hour to make and bring up tea and biscuits to Gothel.
Upstairs...
Gothel sat by her vanity mirror in her chambers, the smirk still on her face. "Well, Francis" she said to her yellow ferret. "It seems everything is going according to plan outside. King John will finally rue the day he betrayed me. Of course I've had to spill blood here and there but what's a witch as great as I am to do?" she carried on.
Francis smirked as well. "Ohonhonhon. You are so brilliantly evil, my mistress" he replied in his French accent.
Gothel gave a small, sinister laugh. "Thank you" she stated.