The day had been long. I had healed several knights, helped a farmer with his failing crops, and went to the local orphanage to check on the children. So I thought that I most definitely deserved my quiet walk through the castle to calm myself down from the day. The air of the castle was cool against my skin, and the moonlight that came through the window of the castle's windows was calming. It was nights like these that I loved that I had come to live in the palace with the King and his son.

The King never minded me wandering through the halls of the palace at night. So, when two guards approached me and placed me under arrest, I was quite shocked. They dragged me through the dark stone halls. I assumed they would take me straight to the dungeon, but as they pulled me through the building, I realized we were headed towards the throne room. I struggled against their grips, but I knew it was pointless to try and break away from them. It would only lead to a chase that would end in either my death or a considerable amount of distraction to the palace.

"Is this some cruel joke," I asked the guard to my left. He laughed at me. "Oh, you think you are so high and mighty. Miss Lacey, but you are nothing but a peasant with good connections."

Now that kind of hurt a little bit. I knew I had more power than that of just a mere peasant; after all, I was the King's mage, the wisest, the bravest, and the most powerful. As far as I was aware, I had never done anything to get on the King's bad side. I fought bravely in every battle and protected his son from any danger that came his way. I healed those who were ill and gave my strength to those preparing for a quest. I had even tried to help his wife after she had given birth to the price, but he had waited too long, and even I could not stop death.

The large oak doors of the throne room finally came into my view with their vast gold ornate handles and intricate carvings. I had been here many times. It had always been of my own free will and not with guards holding my wrist a little too tight. I knew through those doors sat the throne of gold and jewels, most collected by me. I had always brought gifts back for the King after every quest. It was the least I could do for him, allowing me to stay in the palace. Gold banners with the symbol of a black snake would be hanging on the walls. Tables would be pushed against the walls to make room for an audience, but there would be no audience tonight, just me and some guards. I knew whatever this was about would not play out in my favor.

The guards standing by the door looked at me strangely but opened the door exposing the inside of the throne room. The polished floors and glittering candle holders seemed to blind me tonight. Everything seemed to shine brighter around you when you were falling from grace. Upon the throne sat the King in all his glory. His gray hair was long, falling around his face. His blue eyes were hard and staring right through me as we entered the room. I had once seen him as kind, but now the way he was looking at me, I could see that I had meant nothing to him. I began to get a sick feeling in my stomach. The closer the guards pulled me towards the throne, the worst it became. The air seemed to thicken the closer we got to the throne. Something was off, I could tell. Between the atmosphere in the room and the sick feeling in my stomach, I could feel an aurora of magic, and it was not my own. It was dark and thick, the kind that only those who had nothing left to lose would use.

The guards kicked me in the back of the knees, and I fell into a kneeling position in front of the King, my knees scraping on the polished floor. I watched as the blood slid on to the floor. I hoped it would leave a stain that no one could remove. Slowly the guards backed away, realizing I was not going to try anything. I took that as a win as I could have left whenever I wanted, but I thought it best to hear the man out. The King waved his hand, dismissing the guards. I listened to the clicking of their boots as they made their way to the door. When the massive doors slammed shut, I looked up at the King. He was wearing a smirk that had I not considered him a find; I would have wiped it off his face with a flick of my hand.

"Aw, Lillian. I am sorry to have to do this to you," said the King rising from his throne. I watched as he grabbed his sword and moved towards me. "Are you going to kill me, Charles? Your only mage." I let out a bitter laugh, typical of him to assume that I would take this kneeling. The King's eyes stared down at me; there was no kindness in them. "I am your King, and you will address me as so." I stared at the man I had once call a friend. I rose from my knees and stood in front of Charles, spreading my arms wide. "If you wish to kill me, I believe you should do it now, or would you like a fight." I watched as he gripped the sword in his hand tighter. I rolled my eyes at the man.

Charles swung his sword towards me quickly. Had he been in his prime, the sword may have struck me, but now I was able to duck it easily. "Charles, you are making a mistake." I stepped towards the man as he drew his sword up for another blow. The man turned towards me, his blue eyes flashing. "It is no mistake. The people think me weak if I eliminate you. They will see you are not the source of my power, and they will see I am the strong one, not you." I dodged his blow again with ease, rolling towards an open window, my dress tearing in the process.

"I beg of you, Charles, to see this madness you are causing," I said, but my words fell on deaf ears as the King moved towards me again, pulling a dagger from in cloak. " You are a witch! I should have never allowed you to roam my lands freely. I should have listened to the council. You were not fit for a throne room." He threw the dagger, but I stopped it in midair just in front of my face. His words had hurt me, but I would not allow that to break my level headiness.

"Charles, I may not be approved by the council, but I assure you I have never done anything in your kingdom that would go against the council's rules. If you remember correctly, I left the council to try and save your wife." The King's eyes darkened at my words. "You witch. You killed my wife with your dark magic. You are nothing but a monster. The world would be better without your kind in it." I watched as if in slow motion as he pulled another dagger from his belt and threw it at me. This time I did not raise my hand to stop it. The knife flew through the air, just skimming my arm. I watched as the blood slowly trickled down my arm.

"Charles, do you know what you need for a curse?" The man looked at me, his rage turning to confusion as I had not even flinched at the cut. He shook his head and reached for another dagger though this time, I would not allow him to get the throw off. I took a step back slowly. "The blood of a witch spilled by a guilty party will allow for a witch to cast a curse, and you Charles have given me just what I need to do just that." The King's eyes went wide in fear then. The dagger he had in his hand clattered to the polished marble floors. "Lillian." My name rolled off his lips like a prayer, and his eyes softened, but just as quickly as the old Charles had returned, he was gone again, reaching for the dagger. I started chanting the incantation before stating my terms for the curse.

"King Charles of Davin Port, I curse you and your son. Your life will be riddled with pain and loss, and your son will never be loved by any mortal. All the magic I have used on your kingdom will fall away as soon as I enter the woods. This spell cannot be broken unless I see that your heart has changed." The King's eyes seemed to go dark as he looked at me. "You dare try your trickery upon me." I moved my hands carefully, a bright blue light leaving them. "I do not try any trickery upon you, your Highness, my trickery will always work, and the curse is set." I flicked my wrist and watched as the blue magic wrapped around the King before floating into the air. I knew soon it would encompass the whole kingdom. I had doomed them all, and while I felt guilty, I knew that they must learn. "I hope you are happy, Charles." I turned quickly and jumped out the window just as he throws the dagger. I heard it thump into the wooden pillars that held up the roof.  I free fell for mere seconds before I used air to lower myself to the ground.

I could hear yelling from the castle. I knew that the King was most likely calling upon his guards to come after me, but I knew that they would never find me. Looking back at the kingdom one last time, I tried to memorize how it looked for when I left; that was all I was going to have. With that last glance, I pulled up my green cloak just as I heard the bells ringing from the tower, signaling an escaped prisoner. I slipped into the bustling crowd of people who would soon all become suspect in my disappearance.