~Chapter 2: Captured by a Witchy-Prince?~
MOONTEL'S POV
Time to feed the Prisoner~
The rays of the sweltering noontime sun blasted through the gaps in my magical barrier. Oh... damn. We witches had a horrid affair with the sun. So you see, as the dirty-yellowed cold rays shot my lower arm, they immediately sent shivers ricocheting through my entire body.
I immediately jolted my hand away, and back into the gloom. I would touch up on the barrier later, but for now, I'd better proceed to feeding my Prisoner.
Golly! If she died on my watch, that certainly would speak rather badly of which me. And besides, My Mistress, Gothal might decide to neglect my apprenticeship altogether! I couldn't have that! I was already on my way to becoming a decent witch! - no, not a silly magician- A REAL WICKED WITCH! So I'd better carry out my duties well, mostly consisted of cleaning the kilometer-tall tower, and ensuring our prisoner's survival.
"Rapunzel?" I called, trying to sound as menacing as possible. "Your lunch's ready!"
From the locked interior of the room, Rapunzel produced a muffled whine.
"About time!" She sniffed in self-pity. "My poor hungry stomach is getting the better of me!"
I rolled my eyes. Then without a second thought, I picked the lock stealthily and rammed the door open. The moment I entered, the stench of royal blood caught my nose. I wheezed helplessly. Ewww... Stupid Princesses and Princes. Their blood smelt like cockroach poo to us Witches.
There Rapunzel sat, air headed as usual. Playing with her long golden locks while humming an insanely dreamy tune. Something about a Handsome Prince riding a Majestic White Stallion - coming to rescue her from this desolate tower.
Fat Hope. No one was going to break her out - not on my watch at least.
I tried to get that idea across to her. "If any fool of a Prince comes knocking, I'll turn him into a toad!" I warned.
Rapunzel shivered upon hearing this. "You will not dare! He will... spear you through with a sword."
"You think? He'll be a toad, girl! Toads can't hold swords!"
I grinned evilly at my success. Fine, I did lie, my magic wasn't even that advanced yet. In fact, I didn't think witches had that sort of power in the first place. But still... Gloating was cool.
"Eat up!" I commanded. "I'll bring the tray down for you."
"I will take my own sweet time!" Rapunzel pouted instead. I scowled at her, but I was powerless. Right, I knew she was technically MY prisoner, but she acted all princess-sy. Sometimes, I did feel like her personal servant.
I was beginning to understand why Princess Snow White hated her to the depths of hell and beyond.
"A Prince will rescue me anyhow," Rapunzel was insisting to herself. "And a jolly handsome one-"
Speak of the devil. I felt it. The first grade protection charms my Mistress and I had painstakingly put to place began tingling. It sensed something. It couldn't be another silly Prince, could it? - it's presence was way too deadly... But wait! It also detected the thin whiff of Royal Blood! Was it... really a Prince?
The vibes the charm was sending me was getting stronger now. My Mistress should definitely have felt this wave. I hoped she would hurry back in a flurry. She usually left for a few days in a row.
"Business," she would say - but when I asked 'What?', she would coldly turn her nose up to me. So... I had no clue how to contact her.
I was on my own. It was reassuring to know that there was only a single way of entering or leaving this tower. That was: Through climbing Rapunzel's hair. A Prince couldn't possibly fly, could he? He was clearly human - an easy prey, and a good opportunity to prove myself to My Mistress. Ah... yes, I would quickly take care of him. Scare him off with a crude conjuring charm or something.
I turned. "Don't you dare let down your hair to anyone, girl!" I addressed Rapunzel sternly.
Rapunzel stuck out her tongue at me obstinately.
"I'm serious!" I scowled. "I'll have you properly punished," - slammed and locked Rapunzel's door- "if," -rummaged through one of the ga-jillion locked cupboards- "you- AH-CHOO!"
Oh gosh! The dust accumulation was CRAZY! Rapunzel sought to tearing and fanning herself lady-likely with her hands. It made me snicker to see her this way, but the dust was blinding me as well. So the moment my eyes were set on the first magically ancient broomstick, I stuck with it.
"You hear me girl?"
-snort-.
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to the broomstick. Frankly, I wasn't confident with one. But this would have to do. Climbing down Rapunzel's hair was too long and tedious. Besides, I also trusted an ogre more than I trusted her.
Hurriedly, I hauled out a specially made sun-proof robe and forced it on. Stupid Sun.
"You'd better listen to my advice!" I screamed my final warning, before taking off into the breezy skies.
Yuksyuksyuksyuksyuks, the sun couldn't touch me, but I still felt less than uncomfortable. Bloody Prince, he'd better make my effort worthwhile.
Something tugged at the lower pit of my stomach. The sensation was similar to constipation. Oh great. Some dope with royal blood was attempting to summon me. When a Prince or Princess tried to summon a Witch, it's best you listened, or you'll get some major cramps and headaches. As for me, I was barely even a quarter-fledged witch yet, so the need to answer the summoning was not so severe.
The broomstick suddenly plunged, and I stifled a shriek. I had to will it with all my mind to get back on track, but 'The Summoning' was really throwing my thoughts into a frenzied mess.
So to keep a long story short, basically, I nose dived and ended up stuck in a thistle bush with a freaking sword pressed to my throat.
All I had in mind was that: Good thing that sun-proof robe stuck on.
"I supposed you did manage to escape my summoning," a boy's voice drawled icily from above. "But now- just surrender."
He had an upper class accent. He mentioned 'Summoning'. And he stunk of cockroach poo. A stupid Prince, he was.
I looked in the direction of my foe. He wasn't more than eighteen. Tall and lean he was, with superior features which spat "I AM KING". Undoubtedly, he was handsome, but his eyes were so frosty that they threatened to turn me into icicles.
Geez, chill dude. I'm the one that should be mad, not you. I was the one in a sticky situation.
I'd play weak, I decided, then attack him when his back was turned.
"If you could... remove your sword?" I stammered hopefully. "I'm... just a girl."
"I'm not stupid," He replied coldly. I shivered at his tone.
"But.." he continued quietly. "If you promise- I mean swear, to stay by my side at all times, and not to attack me- I shall."
"No!" I instantly protested.
Witches lie all the time. But when they swear upon a pact or deal which is sealed by dark-royal magic, they CANNOT break it. The last one that did so got pecked to death by a gaggle of geese, so you see, Dark Pacts were not to be toyed with. That's one horrid way untameable Wicked Witches end up as obedient Fairy Godmothers.
"Sunlight..." He threatened softly. "Your protective robe..."
It didn't take me long to figure he was going to throw me out into the sun if I turned him down. I didn't have much of a choice. Damn.
"Your name?" I asked reluctantly.
He hesitated, side-glancing me suspiciously. He was a smart one, he was. For those who trifled with magic, real names were truly important. You didn't go randomly distributing your true name around...
"Jackodophil," He finally relented.
I nodded. "Jackodophil," I repeated, but I couldn't taste the magic within it. It was a fraud name - to disguise one's true one.
"I need your real name, Lad," I explained irritably. "If not the pact won't work!"
He stared back at me expressionlessly. There was not a trace of evidence to show what he was thinking about. Gosh! this guy was literally a piece of walking stone!
"Jack."
"Jack what?" I demanded.
"Elmstake," He scowled. "Jack. Elmstake."
Elmstake. So he was a Prince after all. And one of a Majestic Kingdom too. But wait... I sniffed. The smell of his blood - yes, it was royal, but I smelt the sweet smell of witchy-blood in his veins as well...?
"Hurry."
I bit my lip, drawing in a sharp intake of breath.
"I, Moontel, swear upon the royal name of... Jack Elmstake, to... er.. stick by his side? and.. not to kill him?"
Dark magic coiled themselves round the words - and the pact was done. It looked simple, but it was powerful. That was how Cinderella's Fairy Godmother got trapped as one in the first place. She used to be a Wicked Witch. I used to respect her. But now... How Disgraceful!
The Prince nodded and removed his sword from my throat. I helped myself out of the thistle bush as he stepped away ungentlemanly. I stared at him, and he analysed me in return.
At last, The Prince spoke.
"Now," He said ruthlessly. "I shall summon your Mistress. If everything goes according to plan, I will free you both. If not... Both shall pay dearly."
WHAT? WHAT WAS HE UP TO?