“She saved you,” he said.
“Did you drink from her?” she asked, sobbing.
“No. I swear it. I swear it on the love I have for you. I swear it on my life. May the sun come up now and strike me down. I swear I did not drink from your mother. The night she gave herself to us, I renounced my crown. I walked away from my kind. I was ashamed.”
“I can’t be with you.”
“I turned from my kind. What they did was wrong. I wish I could have prevented it,” he said.
“But you didn’t. You let it happen and then because you were ashamed, you walked away from it all. Do you think that makes you a hero?”
“My deed did not go unpunished. The same night I abandoned my kind, a witch cursed me…turned me into a frog.”
“And stupidly, I helped you break the curse and then I actually fell in love with you. Oh, hell, did you know who I was when you found me in the well?”
He raised his eyes to the moon.
“You did, didn’t you?”
“I lived in the forest, the same forest which you visited often. How could I not know who you were? Bloody hell, Lela, I was guilt-ridden. There were so many times I thought about coming up to you and telling you everything. I was a frog! What was I supposed to do? Hop over to you and start talking to you? You would have run away screaming.”
“So you waited until I fell in the well. How very sweet of you.”
“No! The golden ball decided to make itself known to you that day. I knew that vampires were going to come after you. They would not have hesitated to drain you. The ball led you to the well. It wanted you to fall in.”
“Hold your tongue!”
“Listen to me. The ball wanted to keep you trapped until sundown. It was holding you captive for vampires.”
“Luckily, you were there to help get me out,” she said.
“I don’t expect you to believe me. But I’m telling you the truth. I couldn’t let what happened to your mother happen to you,” he said.
“What about the witch’s curse?”
“It sounds absurd but it’s the truth. In order to break her curse I had to lie with a princess. I knew you would agree to anything I asked for. You were at the bottom of a well. I had to try.”
“You’re disgusting.”
I wanted to protect you. How could I defend you as a frog? I needed to redeem myself.”
“You and I are no more,” she said, hoping the earth would open below her and swallow her.
“I can’t breathe without you,” he said.
“Then you will die,” she said.
“Enough!” a woman’s voice said.
“You’re here to ask my forgiveness. I will not stand here for a second more listening to a spoiled princess and a pathetic, guilty vampire arguing about things I care not about. Now, both of you kneel in front of me.”
“Are you Stiltz,” Lela asked.
“If you say my name again, you’ll never see your father again!”
The witch was not at all how Lela imagined her. She was beautiful with long black hair, soft facial features and a curvy body.
“Forgive us, “Eldrich said, kneeling.
“Seeing you like this makes me wonder why I ever wanted to lie with you. A vampire kneeling in front of a witch. Sad, so very sad. Yet here you’re,” the witch said to Eldrich.
“Forgive us, please forgive us for hurting you,” Lela said.
“Do you have a problem following orders? You’re not a princess here. The mountains belong to witches.”
“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” Lela said, getting on her knees.
“That’s better. Now then, let’s get started,” she said.
“You’re here to beg me to return your father and the rest of your people. It’s all rather easy. I despise you both. I used to think I hated Eldrich more for rejecting me. But then, I decided that indeed, I hate you both equally. You see, although witches are secretive creatures we cannot stand rejection. It drives us mad. And when we don’t get what we want, well, someone has to suffer for it.”
“Tell us what you want from us,” Lela said, interlocking her fingers.
“Grovel. Plead with me,” she said.
“Will you then return my people?” Lela asked.
“Your people? Of whom do you speak?” she asked.
“My people…the people from the castle,” Lela said.
“And also-”
“Quiet!” She interrupted Eldrich. “You have my word,” she said to Lela.
“I beg you. Please forgive me for hurting you. You’re a merciful and beautiful witch who deserves to be treated with respect. You deserve love. Eldrich and I deserve nothing. We were wrong to have fallen in love,” Lela said.
“It was wrong of me to reject you,” Eldrich said. “Someone as beautiful as you should never have to know rejection. I beg you. Forgive me. Forgive us.”
The witch twirled around and began to dance. “Your words have made me happy. When I’m happy I dance.”
“Seeing you happy is all that matters to us,” Eldrich said.
“Dance, oh, beautiful witch,” Lela said.
The witch twirled and twirled and then bowed.
Lela and Eldrich clapped.
“Bravo,” Lela said.
“Well done,” Eldrich said.
“You may both stand,” she said.
“Are we forgiven?” Lela asked.
The witch put Lela’s hand in Eldrich’s. “I forgive you. The spell is lifted.”
“Thank you,” Lela said, kissing the witch’s hand.
“When you return to the castle, you will find your people there. I promise you,” she said.
“With the greatest respect,” Eldrich said, “may I ask you one question?”
“Yes, of course, Prince of the Barmoth Vampires. Ask me anything and I will answer with the truth.”
“Will Lela also find her father at the castle?” Eldrich asked.
The witch started to laugh. “Of course not!”
“But you said we were forgiven. You gave me your word!” Lela said.
“You’re a stupid princess. Has Eldrich taught you nothing about how things work? You wanted your people returned to the castle. Your father is the King. If you wanted the King of Barmoth returned, you should have said so.”
“You ugly, wretched witch. You tricked me.”
“I’m a witch. Did you expect anything less from a witch?”
“Give me back my father! Return the King of Barmoth, I beg you,” Lela said.
“Begging won’t work. It’s too late,” the witch said.
“Is there anything you can tell us that will help us bring back the King?” Eldrich asked.
“Oh, why yes. I can tell you where he is. I sent him to the Kingdom of the Dead. I love that kingdom. It’s one of my favorite kingdoms. It’s so dreadful and dark and full of madness.”
“What do we need to do?” Lela asked.
“You’ll need to go there and convince Godfather Death to free the King of Barmoth. It’s now out of my hands. Godfather Death is such a grumpy creature. He hates to be bothered.”
