Chapter 3 Now I look like a witches daughter

I observed my appearance in the mirror, the red-brown hair that Gwen combed and set nicely with some jewelry attached to it, my forehead which had a tiny fire-like birthmark in the center, a pair of rare purple eyes with the rest of my face hidden behind a veil, and the expensive gown...

I studied the veil again. Wearing it all the time made my mind remember my face only with the veil, and I kept forgetting how it looked without it.

I turned, and Gwen was standing in front of me as if she was waiting to do one last thing. I knew what it was and stood still.

She closed her eyes, mumbled something, and flicked her fingers.

I turned to look into the mirror to see small patches of dark blue scales with a golden tinge beginning to appear. First, they appeared on the right corner of my forehead, then the right side of my neck, and lastly, on the back of my right palm.

Now I look like a witch's daughter, I mumbled.

My eyes were devoid of any emotion as I didn't know what I should feel about this transformation.

Gwen instructed, "It's time to leave."

I sighed. Why do I need these?

"It's to protect you, my lady."

I glared at her. "Always the same answer."

Sadly, I could never insist on getting answers from tight-lipped Gwen. I wished I had something to threaten her and get all those answers, but as of the moment, there was nothing to be done.

"We should leave."

Gwen guided my way out.

Stepping out of the tower, the first thing that greeted me was the sight of my garden full of lush greenery and numerous beautiful flowers. The only place in the entire kingdom where flowers bloomed because this witch's daughter looked after them.

The entire tower where I lived and the garden in front of it was meant for me, as per King Gareth's royal decree. Tall walls made of gray stone surrounded the garden so no one could peek in and disturb my privacy.

"Please, allow us. We are only obeying the orders of the Second Princess."

"You can't go in."

I heard a few loud voices from outside. Gwen prevented me from going further and went towards the garden gate, the only way to enter this well-protected place.

By the King's order, assigned guards were always present outside to protect this place against troublesome and curious people. Anyway, no one dared to enter this place after the horrifying incident that happened in the past.

Ten years ago, a servant had sneaked inside, but the very next day, he was found dead. His limbs and head were chopped off from his body, and the severely mutilated body was hung on the garden wall for everyone to see. It was the most gruesome sight.

No one knew what happened, but they believed it was the witch's doing and that witch was me.

I heard Gwen talking to someone, "What's going on here?"

"These are the Second Princess's maids, and they want to get flowers from the garden," I heard one of the guards say.

"I need to ask the Princess," Gwen told him and returned inside.

As I had already heard it, I nodded lightly to her, which meant I allowed them to enter the premises.

Getting permission, two young maids entered the gate, but there was no mistaking the fear and panic in their eyes. It was apparent they were scared of me but had to come here against their wills. If they were to disobey orders, the Second Princess would have killed them for insubordination.

"Third Princess."

Upon seeing me standing in front of them, the young maids hurriedly bowed to me, their eyes rooted to the ground and their bodies shivering as if I would kill them right away.

"Make it faster," Gwen instructed them coldly.

The maids hurried towards the numerous flowers in full bloom. Their eyes shone brightly upon seeing them, as it was not an everyday thing to see the flowers blooming in this cursed land. In the entire Kingdom of ceredigion, mine was the only flower garden that blossomed.

They picked up several roses, daisies, and lilies. I knew that if they could, they would have taken away everything that was there.

"We should leave, my lady," Gwen prodded, and I nodded in response. There was no need for me to wait for these maids to finish their errand.

While going towards the gate, Gwen spoke in a low voice, "They won't be able to keep the flowers if they spoke badly of me."

I sighed. "Only if they could keep their foul mouths shut."

We finally stepped out of the gate and the boundary of that tower and the space under my name. Outside, the two assigned guards bowed but didn't dare to look at me until I crossed a certain distance.

Crossing a winding stone pavement lined with meticulously kept shrubs, Gwen and I finally entered the long corridor that leads towards the main central building of the palace meant only for the royal family.

'Royals? Of course, I'm not considered as one, ' I thought.

Months had passed since I last walked along this corridor, and it had remained the same. A couple of guards in blue-black uniforms with swords hanging down their waists stood at either end of the passage.

The large porcelain vases imported from the eastern kingdoms were placed on either side of the walls, and delicate red banners hung on the ceiling, between the huge pillars, to give the luxurious place a more festive feeling.

Soon, I reached my destination and stood in front of a huge pair of doors. Beyond them was the grand hall where the House of Bennion, the Royal Family of ceredigion, would hold the ritual before the engagement ceremony of its Second Princess.

The door opened as someone announced, "Her Highness, Seren Bennion, the Third Princess of ceredigion, has arrived."

The change in the atmosphere was palpable. As if the most terrible news had been announced, the entire hall filled with countless people of peerage and nobility turned silent, their scared and hateful gazes scanning me the moment I stepped in.

"My Lady..."

"It's fine, Gwen" I said.

I knew Gwen would say something to console me, but I was so used to this reaction that it didn't matter to me anymore.

Ignoring them, I walked ahead on the carpeted path which divided that massive hall into two parts, from the door to where the monarchs of the Kingdom of ceredigion, King Gareth and Queen Millicent, sat regally on their thrones.

The moment I entered the main hall, I heard those expected annoying whispers from the gossiping crowd, which made me wonder how convenient it would have been if I could turn myself deaf at that moment.

The witch is here?.

"How can they allow her to attend?"

"What if something bad happens?"

"Look at those scary marks. So ugly."

"And those purple eyes. Only witches can have such a color of eye."

"I heard her mother was even uglier and scarier."

"Be quiet! What if she hears us and sets us on fire? Don't you know what she did with the First Princess back then?"

"Stay away from windows. What if she screams and hurts us by breaking those glasses with her witch voice?"

I sighed, complaining silently to myself, 'These idiots, should I just burn something here to scare them? Or should I scream a little to break the windows? Ahh... I can even bring fake tears to drown this place in rainwater.