• Maiden Armour Chapter One: Dawn


    She was lost, alone in the crowd of angry people. She screamed but no one could hear her in the madness and with every word she seemed to lose breath. The bodies came closer, rubbing against her, the dirty people touching her skin and the fine fabric of her dress as she struggled to be free. She was becoming more and more invisible as they closed in and she was terrified. As she looked into the sky losing her last breath the sun covered the moon and darkness encased her. All of a sudden there was silence and everything was empty, a light breeze blew through making her cold. She asat down in the emptiness and hugged her knees to her self. She was reflected everywhere and terrorized to see she had become old and ugly. She sat there in silence for a moment, taking it all in and then let herself go. Starting to cry. Heavy sobs tore from her throat as all she was holding in was released, she cried out in agony and the world felt her torture. Until a gentle hand on her shoulder silenced her pain.

    Dawn gasped and put her hand to her throat as she woke. Thankfully she could feel the air coming back to her lungs. She kicked the sheets from her hot body, covered in perspiration and made her way to the vanity table. She was filled with relief as her green eyes recounted her body still young and beautiful, her long red hair still bright and without flaw. Sighing and composing herself she walked barefoot across the cold floor over to her bed.

    Her husband lay there, silently asleep, stupid and oblivious to her terror. He was handsome in a sweet way, not exactly fit but he had a thin frame, dark curly hair and green eyes like hers. He was a kind man and the whole kingdom loved him. But Dawn hated him. She recalled in nights of madness planning to cut his throat in his sleep. She had not always been so terrible, but marriage she believed had ruined her. As a child she had always been very spoiled and materialistic, after all a golden ball had been her favorite play toy... she winced remembering that that ball was what led to her marriage.

    They had become the poster couple; he was the prince that had been cursed to be a frog and she the spoiled princess that had learned her lesson by befriending him. She was so young...so stupid...she had thought she was in love. He was kind and loved her and took care of her, but Dawn soon realized that it took two to be in a relationship and she did not love him back. Their first night together she was frightened, she didn't enjoy it and refused to bed with him from then on. He had been confused and hurt but obeyed her wishes. Every so often she would let him bed with her but the occasions were few and far between.

    She had been seriously thinking of having an affair but was afraid of being caught. Dawn was extremely paranoid and felt like she was always being watched. She hated going out and making pubic appearances. She hated the peasants wanting to hug her, to hold her hand with their filthy bodies. She felt that there was tension that was making her sick. Recently he had a weird appetite and was having strange dreams, waking up early in the morning and feeling sick all day.

    For some reason she felt this sickness was not natural, as if it had a mythical origin and therefore she had not asked the doctors to help her. Instead for the past few days she had been listening around the servants, wondering if they knew anything about remedies and such. She was surprised to overhear about a witch that supposedly lived in the village and helped you for a price... As Dawn felt her stomach begin to churn once more she stood up and got dressed quickly, she refrained from wearing her crown, so not to be recognized. As she finished dressing, warmly for the autumn weather was upon them, she slowly went for the door.

    "Dawn," a voice sleepily called, "What are you doing?"

    Dawn tried not to scream in frustration and turned putting on a trying smile.

    "Iron," she said as sweetly as she could, "I'm going to the market, to shop."

    Iron got up quickly, his black hair disheveled and wearing his long nightgown he ran over and held her close, tightly. She did not hug back; this was all that was keeping her from getting sick all over him. She was beginning to find him truly repulsive.

    "Why didn't you say goodbye," he asked sweetly, "I hate it that I hardly see you anymore."

    "We are king and Queen," said Dawn pushing him away, "We have reputations to uphold and responsibilities to attend to, it's understandable."

    "I know," he said, "Some times I wish I could give up the crown and just be with you..."

    Dawn remained silent, trying not to think about Iron's idiotic dreams.

    "I have to go," she said sternly wanting to get away.

    "All right," he said, giving up.

    He kissed her gently and held her delicate face in his hands, he loved her. She pulled away closing her eyes, wishing he was someone else.

    "I have to go," she said once more and pulled from his grasp walking out the door and into the hallway.

    "I love you," he called, but she was already gone.

    **************************************************************

    The villagers were hesitant to help Dawn to the witch, but her stare was fierce and her voice cold, finally a plump woman decided to help her there. She offered Dawn her hand but was refused and so she led her down through some of the back alley's into the darker part of the market. After awhile the woman stopped refusing to get any closer to the witch.

    "She lives down there," She said pointing a finger out towards the end of the shadowed way. "The door is hidden by the clothes line...just ring the bell and she will come."

    Dawn shortly said thank you and briskly walked away from the woman, making her way down the dark path and towards the witch’s hovel. She delicately made her way beneath the clothes on the line outside and then to the door. The Queen hated to admit it, but she was rather frightened about ringing the bell. The home seemed to give off an aura of death that made her blood run cold and her breath catch. Her trembling fingers made their way to the string and pulled on the bell, an empty ringing sound rung in her ears.

    “Just a moment,” said a voice from inside.

    Dawn was confused by the voice; she couldn’t tell if it came from man or woman, human or animal. Curiously she looked into a cracked window by the door and nearly choked at what she saw. The form looked like a corpse that lay by the fireplace. It was wrapped up in blankets and frail. Shivers went up Dawn’s spine as a bone like arm reached out from the mass and grabbed onto a table, helping itself up. As the creature turned, Dawn was horrified to see that the Witch’s face and body were just as horrifying. Her face seemed to be melting away, her eyes bloody. Her ribs could be seen through the transparent skin that would be ripped off.

    The witch’s dead eyes looked up at Dawn’s curiosity and she smiled as much as her deformed face could allow. Her tiny fingers searched the drawer of the table until they came upon a small bottle full of a light pink substance. Carefully she removed the glass cap and brought it slowly to her lips. As she drank the liquid moved visibly through her body, churning Dawn’s sickness and making her spew in the dirt. But when she looked back up the potion began to take an effect. The witch’s skin grew rosier, her bosom fuller, Her eyes brighter and her hair longer and darker. She was suddenly young and almost as beautiful as Dawn, if not more. The witch blushed falsely and walked over to the closet, removing a robe to cover her nakedness. The door opened and Dawn gave a little gasp.

    “I suppose you know my secret now,” said the witch, smiling and still as frightening as ever despite her newfound beauty.

    “I-I won’t tell anyone,” said Dawn, hating herself for being so frightened.

    The witch laughed and helped Dawn inside taking her cloak and giving her goose bumps as her cold fingers grazed the skin on her shoulders.

    “Please sit down Dawn,” the witch said, “You’ve had a tiring day and you must be exhausted. I’ve been waiting for you…”

    Dawn swallowed and took a seat close to the fire. She did not ask the witch how she knew her name, or how she knew she was coming. She knew it was too late to back out now, but she was wondering if she had made the right decision in coming there.

    “I was wondering if you could help me out,” said Dawn, “I’ve been rather sick lately and…”

    The witch laughed at her once again and sat down across from her, it may have been Dawn’s imagination but her eyes seemed to glow a bright green for a second.

    “You are very naïve dear,” she said, “But you need me and I need you…”

    Dawn was rather offended but did not argue with the witch who seemed to know everything and Dawn wanted answers. The witch stood and started to circle around her, her voice sounded as if it was casting a spell in itself.

    “You are lonely,” said the witch, “You were mislead by misconceptions and have never really loved anyone… Every since your father died you have regretted marrying your husband…”

    Dawn winced at these true accusations and clutched her chest remembering her father.

    “Are you trying to hurt me woman,” said Dawn letting out a bit of her anger, “Because I didn’t come here for this.”

    “No,” Said the witch slamming her hands on the arms of the chair and staring Dawn strait into her eyes. “You want to know what you are suffering of and I just want to make it more painful when I hit you with a large dose of reality.”

    Dawn sat back and tried to regain her breath.

    “I…”

    “Don’t speak,” said the witch standing, “Your condition concerns me greatly, but before I tell you what your sickness is we need to come to an agreement.”

    “What is it,” asked Dawn a bit hesitant.

    “You are about to acquire something in the future and I want it.”

    “It’s yours,” said Dawn not able to think of anything the woman could take from her that she was about to receive.

    The witch smiled and her eyes glowed.

    “You’re pregnant,” said the witch.

    “What,” asked Dawn in shock.

    “You will give birth to our next King,” she said with a smile that hid something terrible.




    End of Chapter 1

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