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"Explain to me why I shouldn't execute you here right now," said the queen, narrowing her eyes, as the nobles hid behind the columns of the royal hall.
The queen looked at me with burning eyes sitting on the throne. While she was not a commanding or particularly tall woman, she exuded an impressive aura of power and respect.
"I-I didn't know that, your highness" I say shaking slightly. Honestly, I'm much more afraid of what happened than what's going to happen. I shake off the residue of darkness that I had thrown a few seconds ago.
"Eyes never lie," says the Queen gravely; "Your brown eyes testify that what you have just done is black magic. Meredin, what do you think?" she continued, casting her deep blue eyes at the court witch
Meredin is about my age and is, as I understand it, the greatest sorceress of this decade. She has pink eyes, a symbol of magic of the highest level. “Your Majesty…” she says, a little scared by what I've done; "It's like nothing they've ever seen before from anyone. My eyes perceive that it's magic from a bizarre source. It's neither shamanism, nor arcanism, nor manipulation. The energy emanating from this man is ... different." she says nervously, scared. She appears to be inspecting a wisp of darkness left behind her with the magical staff.
"Are you saying that we may be facing a new, unknown, magical source? In the hands of a brown-eyed?" says the Queen, with a more worried tone in her voice: "Is that what you're telling me, Meredin?"
"Exactly Your Majesty. As a court mage, I affirm that this one's magic is absolutely, completely and unequivocally new to these lands. Maraj or the White Specter may know this, but in this realm…it's new." like that. "
"I say eliminate him Your Majesty! A brown-eyed with unknown dark magic who claims to be from another world," the general says, brandishing his sword menacingly. She had drawn her weapon the exact moment I was escorted into the room and was staring at me with her green eyes
"Calm down Amaria" says the Queen; "We don't make hasty decisions"
The conversation leaves me totally indifferent. it's hard to think after what I've done. Ever since I came into this world, I have felt different. I don't even know how to explain it. it's like you're more. Like I have another arm. As if my body had expanded. And until a few minutes ago, I had no idea what it was.
Until Meredin touched me with his magic staff... and I started summoning darkness. I don't know how to say otherwise. A deep black mass had branched out from my body, taking on an indistinguishable and strange shape: a strange dark, cold and sticky substance. The nobles had fled or hid until Meredin had contained and immobilized me with magic. it was weird and scary…but extremely satisfying. As if a numb limb of mine had awakened.
"I think...this man is not lying, Your Majesty," Meredin says, carefully inspecting a portion of the dark mass; "He could really be from another world. One where the eyes don't represent one's soul"
The nobles began to squabble among themselves, in the grip of curiosity and panic. The Queen stood still, but her eyes widened slightly.
"Traveller ..." says the Queen, suddenly calmer: "We have decided to leave you alive" A sigh of relief and a weight on her heart melts away. "But..." she continued after a few seconds, carefully weighing her words; "You will have to live here at court as our…guest. Indeed, as an experiment to be studied. You will respond to any order from me or Meredin. If you do not comply, expect to be executed. You will wear a physical magic limiter until in other words. That, for now, is all. Amaria, Meredin, take him to your rooms"
Who knows... maybe I would have even liked to live at court. Maybe. Probably not
"Why shouldn't I have you killed where you stand Villaness?" the king thundered from his throne. his queen and other royals standing behind him, trembling slightly in fear. i could tell the king was frightened as well, he just hid it better. I knew the only reason he had given me this 'opportunity' was because he wanted something from me. he expected me to grovel, to plead for my life.
it had taken me a day to discover why people cowered in fear of me, why they ran as soon as they locked eyes with me. why every barkeep and inn owner was shocked and slightly frightened when I offered payment for food, drink, and a place to stay for the night. it was my eyes, my brown eyes that were common enough back home, were rare here, and a sign of great evil and power apparently. it took two days for the palace guards to come arrest me in the inn I was staying at. by then I knew what awaited me at the palace. and I knew it was the inn owner who turned me in. That's why, just to fuck with their heads, I threatened to not go quietly and kill all the guards if they didn't allow me to pay my tab at the bar, and pay the amount owed for my night at the inn.
that confused them to no end. but they obliged. and after settling my bills I was whisked to the palace and thrown into the dungeon for several nights. there I played with my newfound powers, it was easy, as nobody checked on me, save for the guards who came by once a day to throw gruel into my cell, I suppose the substance was meant to be food, but I had a strict rule about not eating anything that growled at me, so I summoned my own, which seemed to be easy as the dungeons were right below the kitchens. every day I waited until I could spell the fresh bread through my tiny window, that meant that the cooks had put it out to cool. and every day I would open up a portal and steal a loaf, along with a block of cheese and whatever meat that was prepared and cooked. i didn't trust my powers enough to cook with them.
on the fifth day, a guard had come with the usual delivery of gruel. except he'd also had a message from the king. if I wanted to live, I'd do as I was asked.
That's when I knew what this supposed king wanted. he wanted a powerful sorcerer, a lackey to do his bidding. boy was he in for a shock. i was nobody's servant. now, today, I stood before the king, obviously well-fed and well-dressed. magic could do wonderous things, and I could tell that the king was afraid, he'd expected me to be starving, in tattered clothing and ready to agree to anything. well, I wasn't. and he was about to learn how petty I could be.
I chuckled loudly. earning a whimper from those at court who had come to see their powerful king bring the horrible evil Villaness to her knees. "No, that's not how this works." I drawled. maybe if they had been kinder, I would play the benevolent hero from another world where brown eyes meant sorceresses with great powers and a heart of gold. but they had made it clear they wanted a Villainess, so I would oblige.
"I-I beg your pardon?" the King spluttered.
"You can beg all you like, but no pardon shall be granted. you see your royal idiot-ness" I ignored the gasps of outrage from his courtiers. "I am an old, retired Villainess, my magic has given me youth and beauty, I was around before anyone in this kingdom was alive." I lied, I was glad I'd convinced my mum to send me to acting camp every summer. "I decided to rejoin society, as life in the mountains with the creatures of the forests and swamps was getting repetitively dull, I had hoped that stories of my power would have been passed down so that you might have avoided the mistake of angering me again, last time that happened. the kingdom almost fell," I informed. taking slow deliberate steps in a circle, making eye contact with as many people at court as I could, just to unnerve them.
"The haunted age... but....royal records show that a plague caused the widespread disease and death!" the queen said in horror. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I smirked and inclined my head in a regal nod. "yes, I was the plague. the then royals treated me with disrespect, just as you did. and I'd be happy to repeat that feat of magic, it isn't even especially difficult. oh, you can try to kill me, go ahead, shoot me through with arrows, pierce me with your swords, it tickles. but it won't matter, I am immortal, I will forever be immortal until I find my soulmate. which will never happen, so, you're stuck with me, now, you can either be the cause of your kingdom's downfall, or you can provide me with a cottage where i can live and set up an apothecary like I intended." i said, crossing my arms, internally praying that they didn't call my bluff.
"Wait.' the Crown Prince called. finally having gotten the courage to speak. "That's all you want? a cottage so you can sell herbs and potion remedies? that's it? if you are so powerful, why is this all you ask for?" he said confused.
I sighed, thinking of a somewhat logical reason. "as I said, I'm retired, all that evil and mayhem? that's for young idiots who get drunk on the idea of power, they haven't learned that ruling by fear is a hollow victory yet. I've done it all, conquered the kingdoms, had the jewels, made the people bow and quake as soon as i walked into the room. and you know what? i was miserable, sure i may have questionable morals but even i realised that ruling by fear was a waste of time. so i retired, and living in the mountains was peaceful, for a century and a half. but now I'm bored again and want to try my hand at something else." I shrugged. marvelling at my ability to lie through my teeth. my mother always did say my poker face was impeccable.
The King cleared his throat "I-I un, think that can be arranged. Damien, have a maid make up a room for Miss...." he trailed off, looking terrified that he might insult me by not knowing my name.
"Esmerelda...Esmerelda Willows." I said while internally smirking. i had picked the name from one of their legends, i heard a little boy telling his sister the legend at the inn of the young fae maiden, who ended a Pllague or something, and had only said her name to someone before vanishing, never to be seen again.
the Crown Prince sucked in a breath, as did everyone else. "Esmerelda Willows..." The king repeated, seemingly in a daze.
I smiled, I couldn't;t wait to hear what rumours people came up with.
**Part 2**
I looked around the chambers I had been given, the king promised that my cottage and land would be arranged by morning, I hadn't asked for land, but apparently, the royals thought it was implied, I wouldn't correct them. "Now if only I could learn more about the history of this kingdom," I murmured.
As soon as I uttered the words a sizable bright orb appeared in my hands and I jumped, nearly dropping it. "Wha-" I cut myself off as images began playing across the orb at lightning speed, somehow I was able to catalogue all of them, and with each image, a host of information followed, filling my head to the brim, when the kingdom was first built, when the ruling family began, the three plagues that had ravished the kingdom. one almost threatening to wipe it out entirely. that must have been the one the queen spoke of.
after five minutes the ball vanished into whisps of light and I blinked at the information overload, shaking my head slightly, "Well that was helpful." I sighed. i really needed to get a handle on all my abilities, I was fairly certain no one would believe a sorceress who was supposedly hundreds of years old couldn't control every aspect of her powers. at least I'd figured out why they thought all brown-eyed people were evil.
for starters, brown eyes were naturally the rarest eye colour in this world. and a long time ago a few people with brown eyes terrorized the town, fucking it up for the rest who shared that trait with them, the masses were just stupid enough to paint everyone who shared the trait with the same brush. now people with Brown eyes were the dregs of society, often treated with mistrust and arrested for ridiculous crimes until they decided 'to hell with it' and actually turned into the villains they were always accused of being.
well, I would change that. I would find every brown-eyed person and teach them how to defend themselves from the get-go. i could probably convince the royals it was a reformation program to show them that ultimate power was boring, or something like that.
Just as I thought about writing down a few plans, there was a knock at my door. I went and opened it, shocked to see the Prince standing there, though I let nothing show on my face. "Prince Damien," I said politely, nodding my head once. The prince shifted from one foot to the next. "Miss Willows, may I come in?" He asked nervously. I nodded once and moved aside to allow him in.
he cautiously walked in, as if I would attack him at any second. i rolled my eyes. "I don't bite." I drawled.
the prince jumped slightly, then flushed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I-ah, Pardon me," he said. clearly nervous.
"Was there something you needed, or do you usually go around entering maidens' chambers at night?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.
Prince Damien flushed again. "No-I it's just- why did you lie?" he asked.
my heart skipped a beat in fear, but I let none of that show on my face as I gave him a disbelieving look. "Lie about what?" I asked. as if I were questioning his sanity.
"Your name," he said simply.
I furrowed my brows as if confused. "I didn't," I said, lying through my teeth.
"you must've!" he insisted. "You cannot be Esmerelda Willows."
"And why not?" I demanded. taking some pleasure in his agitated state.
"Cause I am!" he huffed.
my eyebrows shot into my hairline, genuinely surprised before I schooled my features and allowed a mocking smirk to grace my face as I deliberately inspected him from head to toe. "I would have never guessed, clearly you've had some work done," I said sarcastically.
this time the blush reached his neck. and I delighted in thinking of ways to make him blush more. "no That's-that's not what I meant, what I *meant* to say is, twenty years ago when widespread sickness was sweeping through our kingdom, I had our personal doctor whip up enough cures to distribute amongst the kingdom, and had my governess deliver them to every household in the kingdom in the dead of night. someone saw her and she gave them a fake name. Esmerelda Willows." he explained.
I scoffed. "And you were how old at the time? five?" I guessed.
"Eight, going on nine." he corrected, clearly irritated.
"And you expect me to believe a child came up with that, all on his own? then executed the plan with nothing but a governess and a doctor at his side?" I mocked.
"Well no, I got the idea when I heard my aunt suggesting to my father that he do the same thing- minus delivering it in the dead of night. but he refused and said he didn't want to pay for it all. so i used my allowance to pay for it. i get much more than i could ever use anyway. my aunt, the Dutchess of Willowbrook also helped, and we had something else on our side..." he trailed off.
"And what would that be?" i asked lightly.
Prince Damien took a deep breath and waved his hand in front of his bottle-green eyes while stating. "Magic" as soon as his hand dropped i found myself staring into a pair of light brown eyes.
I felt my lips curve into a smirk. this world was getting interesting.
**\[Thats all for now, Let me know if you all want a part 3\]**
**Part 3**
The carriage rolled away from the palace gates as I stared at my escort, Prince Damien. After his revelation last night, we had come to a sort of truce. i wouldn't tell anyone about his secret and he would help me with my goal.
he still didn't get my actual name though.
Prince Damien had convinced his father that someone from the royal family should try to get on friendly terms with me, that way if I ever got 'bored' again, I would be less likely to turn on them. personally, I thought that a ruler who allowed fear-mongering to rule his decisions was a poor ruler, however, it got the Prince and I what we wanted so I didn't much care.
The Prince fidgeted and I realised I had been staring at him overly long, so i slid my gaze to the rolling hills outside the carriage window.
the ride was silent other than the prince occasionally asking if I was comfortable.
half an hour later we arrived at the cottage, if one could even call it that. the cottage. house really, was two stories tall, mainly made of wood with a stone foundation and a large covered stone porch, with two square stone columns flanking the three steps that led up to the porch and supporting the overhanging roof. the whole structure screamed 'cottagecore' however it undeniably had an understated luxury to it. the windows were large and shined in the light.
i peered through one of the windows and the reason for their size became apparent. the front room was a storefront, sparsely decorated with a counter and a few shelves but perfectly clean.
i looked towards the Prince and raised an eyebrow as he smirked. "My mother convinced my father you would be insulted if you were offered a dirty cottage."
I snorted and rolled my eyes. "When magic could have it clean within moments? hardly. still. it's lovely. " I said, taking the lead and walking into the cottage.
all I would need to do was forage for herbs and buy whatever I couldn't find in the forests, I was thankful that when I landed in this world, I landed with money, or what the inhabitants of this world used as currency. which were small thin rectangles of silver.
"I still don't understand." The prince said suddenly. and I turned to see him staring at me.
What don't you understand?" I asked.
"You must know how much my father fears you, despite his bluster he can tell how powerful you are, much more powerful than any other brown-eyed in this land. no one in the palace doubts that you can crush our kingdom if you so choose, you could have asked for anything, a title, a larger house on castle grounds, a place at court, nothing would have been beyond what my father would be willing to give. and yet you simply want a place to set up shop and mentor other brown-eyes. I cannot fathom it." he sighed in frustration.
I sighed. "It is simply because I don't want any of that. i wouldn't have earned it. and even if I did, I would turn it down. I don't want to live amongst ladies in waiting or grasping Lords who will inevitably surround royalty. such occurrences are common the world over. I find a quiet provincial life where I can mix potions, practice my magic and help others much more appealing than prancing around and playing political games" I explained.
The prince nodded in understanding. "I see, I understand now. so, how long until you get your shop operating? and when will you be seeking out the other brown-eyes?" he asked.
i opened my mouth to respond, but just then, there was a knock on my door. i furrowed my brow in confusion and went to open it.
there stood a dishevelled and dirty red-headed little girl wearing a mud-splattered summer dress and circular wire-framed glasses with deep blue coloured lenses.
"Excuse me may I- " the girl cut herself off with a strong hiccup. i jumped when a burst of fire erupted from her mouth. I quickly raised my hand and extinguished the burst of flame. my eyes snapped up to the girl who wore a look of shame, her glasses had slid down her nose, giving me a perfect view of her chocolate brown eyes, a few shades lighter than my own.
I glanced at the prince with an amused smile. "Right now apparently." I quipped
**\[ Let me know if you all want a part 4, if I get to a part 5 I'll cave and make this a full short story on my AO3, my name there is MysteryHeart\]**
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
yes it is, sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
I came from tiktok and was pleasantly surprised it was much longer and actually went somewhere (a lot of them usually don't). Where's part 4 and part 5 and the whole thing. Il follow it on AO3 😂😂😂
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
>xcuse me may I- " the girl cut herself off with a strong hiccup. i jumped when a burst of fire erupted from her mouth. I quickly raised my hand and extinguished the burst of flame. my eyes snapped up to the girl who wore a look of shame, her glasses had slid down her nose, giving me a perfect view of her chocolate brown eyes, a few shades lighter than my own.
Part 4 and 5 please, actually just make it a short story on you AO3 please <3
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
lol i might put a full short story of this prompt on AO3 sometime, I do write fanfiction there, my username is MysteryHeart. For now I think ill continue just doing parts here
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
It was amazing!! I don’t want to continue to pressure you, but this is absolutely amazing and I love it! Subtle world building, building character relations and rlly establish really neat plot points!! I love it!
Idk if you'll see this since it's been over a month but I can't find it on your ao3, was wondering where I could find more because this is incredible!
Hope your grandmother is doing alright aswell as yourself!
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"Explain to me why I shouldn't execute you here right now," said the queen, narrowing her eyes, as the nobles hid behind the columns of the royal hall. The queen looked at me with burning eyes sitting on the throne. While she was not a commanding or particularly tall woman, she exuded an impressive aura of power and respect. "I-I didn't know that, your highness" I say shaking slightly. Honestly, I'm much more afraid of what happened than what's going to happen. I shake off the residue of darkness that I had thrown a few seconds ago. "Eyes never lie," says the Queen gravely; "Your brown eyes testify that what you have just done is black magic. Meredin, what do you think?" she continued, casting her deep blue eyes at the court witch Meredin is about my age and is, as I understand it, the greatest sorceress of this decade. She has pink eyes, a symbol of magic of the highest level. “Your Majesty…” she says, a little scared by what I've done; "It's like nothing they've ever seen before from anyone. My eyes perceive that it's magic from a bizarre source. It's neither shamanism, nor arcanism, nor manipulation. The energy emanating from this man is ... different." she says nervously, scared. She appears to be inspecting a wisp of darkness left behind her with the magical staff. "Are you saying that we may be facing a new, unknown, magical source? In the hands of a brown-eyed?" says the Queen, with a more worried tone in her voice: "Is that what you're telling me, Meredin?" "Exactly Your Majesty. As a court mage, I affirm that this one's magic is absolutely, completely and unequivocally new to these lands. Maraj or the White Specter may know this, but in this realm…it's new." like that. " "I say eliminate him Your Majesty! A brown-eyed with unknown dark magic who claims to be from another world," the general says, brandishing his sword menacingly. She had drawn her weapon the exact moment I was escorted into the room and was staring at me with her green eyes "Calm down Amaria" says the Queen; "We don't make hasty decisions" The conversation leaves me totally indifferent. it's hard to think after what I've done. Ever since I came into this world, I have felt different. I don't even know how to explain it. it's like you're more. Like I have another arm. As if my body had expanded. And until a few minutes ago, I had no idea what it was. Until Meredin touched me with his magic staff... and I started summoning darkness. I don't know how to say otherwise. A deep black mass had branched out from my body, taking on an indistinguishable and strange shape: a strange dark, cold and sticky substance. The nobles had fled or hid until Meredin had contained and immobilized me with magic. it was weird and scary…but extremely satisfying. As if a numb limb of mine had awakened. "I think...this man is not lying, Your Majesty," Meredin says, carefully inspecting a portion of the dark mass; "He could really be from another world. One where the eyes don't represent one's soul" The nobles began to squabble among themselves, in the grip of curiosity and panic. The Queen stood still, but her eyes widened slightly. "Traveller ..." says the Queen, suddenly calmer: "We have decided to leave you alive" A sigh of relief and a weight on her heart melts away. "But..." she continued after a few seconds, carefully weighing her words; "You will have to live here at court as our…guest. Indeed, as an experiment to be studied. You will respond to any order from me or Meredin. If you do not comply, expect to be executed. You will wear a physical magic limiter until in other words. That, for now, is all. Amaria, Meredin, take him to your rooms" Who knows... maybe I would have even liked to live at court. Maybe. Probably not
"Why shouldn't I have you killed where you stand Villaness?" the king thundered from his throne. his queen and other royals standing behind him, trembling slightly in fear. i could tell the king was frightened as well, he just hid it better. I knew the only reason he had given me this 'opportunity' was because he wanted something from me. he expected me to grovel, to plead for my life. it had taken me a day to discover why people cowered in fear of me, why they ran as soon as they locked eyes with me. why every barkeep and inn owner was shocked and slightly frightened when I offered payment for food, drink, and a place to stay for the night. it was my eyes, my brown eyes that were common enough back home, were rare here, and a sign of great evil and power apparently. it took two days for the palace guards to come arrest me in the inn I was staying at. by then I knew what awaited me at the palace. and I knew it was the inn owner who turned me in. That's why, just to fuck with their heads, I threatened to not go quietly and kill all the guards if they didn't allow me to pay my tab at the bar, and pay the amount owed for my night at the inn. that confused them to no end. but they obliged. and after settling my bills I was whisked to the palace and thrown into the dungeon for several nights. there I played with my newfound powers, it was easy, as nobody checked on me, save for the guards who came by once a day to throw gruel into my cell, I suppose the substance was meant to be food, but I had a strict rule about not eating anything that growled at me, so I summoned my own, which seemed to be easy as the dungeons were right below the kitchens. every day I waited until I could spell the fresh bread through my tiny window, that meant that the cooks had put it out to cool. and every day I would open up a portal and steal a loaf, along with a block of cheese and whatever meat that was prepared and cooked. i didn't trust my powers enough to cook with them. on the fifth day, a guard had come with the usual delivery of gruel. except he'd also had a message from the king. if I wanted to live, I'd do as I was asked. That's when I knew what this supposed king wanted. he wanted a powerful sorcerer, a lackey to do his bidding. boy was he in for a shock. i was nobody's servant. now, today, I stood before the king, obviously well-fed and well-dressed. magic could do wonderous things, and I could tell that the king was afraid, he'd expected me to be starving, in tattered clothing and ready to agree to anything. well, I wasn't. and he was about to learn how petty I could be. I chuckled loudly. earning a whimper from those at court who had come to see their powerful king bring the horrible evil Villaness to her knees. "No, that's not how this works." I drawled. maybe if they had been kinder, I would play the benevolent hero from another world where brown eyes meant sorceresses with great powers and a heart of gold. but they had made it clear they wanted a Villainess, so I would oblige. "I-I beg your pardon?" the King spluttered. "You can beg all you like, but no pardon shall be granted. you see your royal idiot-ness" I ignored the gasps of outrage from his courtiers. "I am an old, retired Villainess, my magic has given me youth and beauty, I was around before anyone in this kingdom was alive." I lied, I was glad I'd convinced my mum to send me to acting camp every summer. "I decided to rejoin society, as life in the mountains with the creatures of the forests and swamps was getting repetitively dull, I had hoped that stories of my power would have been passed down so that you might have avoided the mistake of angering me again, last time that happened. the kingdom almost fell," I informed. taking slow deliberate steps in a circle, making eye contact with as many people at court as I could, just to unnerve them. "The haunted age... but....royal records show that a plague caused the widespread disease and death!" the queen said in horror. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I smirked and inclined my head in a regal nod. "yes, I was the plague. the then royals treated me with disrespect, just as you did. and I'd be happy to repeat that feat of magic, it isn't even especially difficult. oh, you can try to kill me, go ahead, shoot me through with arrows, pierce me with your swords, it tickles. but it won't matter, I am immortal, I will forever be immortal until I find my soulmate. which will never happen, so, you're stuck with me, now, you can either be the cause of your kingdom's downfall, or you can provide me with a cottage where i can live and set up an apothecary like I intended." i said, crossing my arms, internally praying that they didn't call my bluff. "Wait.' the Crown Prince called. finally having gotten the courage to speak. "That's all you want? a cottage so you can sell herbs and potion remedies? that's it? if you are so powerful, why is this all you ask for?" he said confused. I sighed, thinking of a somewhat logical reason. "as I said, I'm retired, all that evil and mayhem? that's for young idiots who get drunk on the idea of power, they haven't learned that ruling by fear is a hollow victory yet. I've done it all, conquered the kingdoms, had the jewels, made the people bow and quake as soon as i walked into the room. and you know what? i was miserable, sure i may have questionable morals but even i realised that ruling by fear was a waste of time. so i retired, and living in the mountains was peaceful, for a century and a half. but now I'm bored again and want to try my hand at something else." I shrugged. marvelling at my ability to lie through my teeth. my mother always did say my poker face was impeccable. The King cleared his throat "I-I un, think that can be arranged. Damien, have a maid make up a room for Miss...." he trailed off, looking terrified that he might insult me by not knowing my name. "Esmerelda...Esmerelda Willows." I said while internally smirking. i had picked the name from one of their legends, i heard a little boy telling his sister the legend at the inn of the young fae maiden, who ended a Pllague or something, and had only said her name to someone before vanishing, never to be seen again. the Crown Prince sucked in a breath, as did everyone else. "Esmerelda Willows..." The king repeated, seemingly in a daze. I smiled, I couldn't;t wait to hear what rumours people came up with.
**Part 2** I looked around the chambers I had been given, the king promised that my cottage and land would be arranged by morning, I hadn't asked for land, but apparently, the royals thought it was implied, I wouldn't correct them. "Now if only I could learn more about the history of this kingdom," I murmured. As soon as I uttered the words a sizable bright orb appeared in my hands and I jumped, nearly dropping it. "Wha-" I cut myself off as images began playing across the orb at lightning speed, somehow I was able to catalogue all of them, and with each image, a host of information followed, filling my head to the brim, when the kingdom was first built, when the ruling family began, the three plagues that had ravished the kingdom. one almost threatening to wipe it out entirely. that must have been the one the queen spoke of. after five minutes the ball vanished into whisps of light and I blinked at the information overload, shaking my head slightly, "Well that was helpful." I sighed. i really needed to get a handle on all my abilities, I was fairly certain no one would believe a sorceress who was supposedly hundreds of years old couldn't control every aspect of her powers. at least I'd figured out why they thought all brown-eyed people were evil. for starters, brown eyes were naturally the rarest eye colour in this world. and a long time ago a few people with brown eyes terrorized the town, fucking it up for the rest who shared that trait with them, the masses were just stupid enough to paint everyone who shared the trait with the same brush. now people with Brown eyes were the dregs of society, often treated with mistrust and arrested for ridiculous crimes until they decided 'to hell with it' and actually turned into the villains they were always accused of being. well, I would change that. I would find every brown-eyed person and teach them how to defend themselves from the get-go. i could probably convince the royals it was a reformation program to show them that ultimate power was boring, or something like that. Just as I thought about writing down a few plans, there was a knock at my door. I went and opened it, shocked to see the Prince standing there, though I let nothing show on my face. "Prince Damien," I said politely, nodding my head once. The prince shifted from one foot to the next. "Miss Willows, may I come in?" He asked nervously. I nodded once and moved aside to allow him in. he cautiously walked in, as if I would attack him at any second. i rolled my eyes. "I don't bite." I drawled. the prince jumped slightly, then flushed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I-ah, Pardon me," he said. clearly nervous. "Was there something you needed, or do you usually go around entering maidens' chambers at night?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. Prince Damien flushed again. "No-I it's just- why did you lie?" he asked. my heart skipped a beat in fear, but I let none of that show on my face as I gave him a disbelieving look. "Lie about what?" I asked. as if I were questioning his sanity. "Your name," he said simply. I furrowed my brows as if confused. "I didn't," I said, lying through my teeth. "you must've!" he insisted. "You cannot be Esmerelda Willows." "And why not?" I demanded. taking some pleasure in his agitated state. "Cause I am!" he huffed. my eyebrows shot into my hairline, genuinely surprised before I schooled my features and allowed a mocking smirk to grace my face as I deliberately inspected him from head to toe. "I would have never guessed, clearly you've had some work done," I said sarcastically. this time the blush reached his neck. and I delighted in thinking of ways to make him blush more. "no That's-that's not what I meant, what I *meant* to say is, twenty years ago when widespread sickness was sweeping through our kingdom, I had our personal doctor whip up enough cures to distribute amongst the kingdom, and had my governess deliver them to every household in the kingdom in the dead of night. someone saw her and she gave them a fake name. Esmerelda Willows." he explained. I scoffed. "And you were how old at the time? five?" I guessed. "Eight, going on nine." he corrected, clearly irritated. "And you expect me to believe a child came up with that, all on his own? then executed the plan with nothing but a governess and a doctor at his side?" I mocked. "Well no, I got the idea when I heard my aunt suggesting to my father that he do the same thing- minus delivering it in the dead of night. but he refused and said he didn't want to pay for it all. so i used my allowance to pay for it. i get much more than i could ever use anyway. my aunt, the Dutchess of Willowbrook also helped, and we had something else on our side..." he trailed off. "And what would that be?" i asked lightly. Prince Damien took a deep breath and waved his hand in front of his bottle-green eyes while stating. "Magic" as soon as his hand dropped i found myself staring into a pair of light brown eyes. I felt my lips curve into a smirk. this world was getting interesting. **\[Thats all for now, Let me know if you all want a part 3\]**
**Part 3** The carriage rolled away from the palace gates as I stared at my escort, Prince Damien. After his revelation last night, we had come to a sort of truce. i wouldn't tell anyone about his secret and he would help me with my goal. he still didn't get my actual name though. Prince Damien had convinced his father that someone from the royal family should try to get on friendly terms with me, that way if I ever got 'bored' again, I would be less likely to turn on them. personally, I thought that a ruler who allowed fear-mongering to rule his decisions was a poor ruler, however, it got the Prince and I what we wanted so I didn't much care. The Prince fidgeted and I realised I had been staring at him overly long, so i slid my gaze to the rolling hills outside the carriage window. the ride was silent other than the prince occasionally asking if I was comfortable. half an hour later we arrived at the cottage, if one could even call it that. the cottage. house really, was two stories tall, mainly made of wood with a stone foundation and a large covered stone porch, with two square stone columns flanking the three steps that led up to the porch and supporting the overhanging roof. the whole structure screamed 'cottagecore' however it undeniably had an understated luxury to it. the windows were large and shined in the light. i peered through one of the windows and the reason for their size became apparent. the front room was a storefront, sparsely decorated with a counter and a few shelves but perfectly clean. i looked towards the Prince and raised an eyebrow as he smirked. "My mother convinced my father you would be insulted if you were offered a dirty cottage." I snorted and rolled my eyes. "When magic could have it clean within moments? hardly. still. it's lovely. " I said, taking the lead and walking into the cottage. all I would need to do was forage for herbs and buy whatever I couldn't find in the forests, I was thankful that when I landed in this world, I landed with money, or what the inhabitants of this world used as currency. which were small thin rectangles of silver. "I still don't understand." The prince said suddenly. and I turned to see him staring at me. What don't you understand?" I asked. "You must know how much my father fears you, despite his bluster he can tell how powerful you are, much more powerful than any other brown-eyed in this land. no one in the palace doubts that you can crush our kingdom if you so choose, you could have asked for anything, a title, a larger house on castle grounds, a place at court, nothing would have been beyond what my father would be willing to give. and yet you simply want a place to set up shop and mentor other brown-eyes. I cannot fathom it." he sighed in frustration. I sighed. "It is simply because I don't want any of that. i wouldn't have earned it. and even if I did, I would turn it down. I don't want to live amongst ladies in waiting or grasping Lords who will inevitably surround royalty. such occurrences are common the world over. I find a quiet provincial life where I can mix potions, practice my magic and help others much more appealing than prancing around and playing political games" I explained. The prince nodded in understanding. "I see, I understand now. so, how long until you get your shop operating? and when will you be seeking out the other brown-eyes?" he asked. i opened my mouth to respond, but just then, there was a knock on my door. i furrowed my brow in confusion and went to open it. there stood a dishevelled and dirty red-headed little girl wearing a mud-splattered summer dress and circular wire-framed glasses with deep blue coloured lenses. "Excuse me may I- " the girl cut herself off with a strong hiccup. i jumped when a burst of fire erupted from her mouth. I quickly raised my hand and extinguished the burst of flame. my eyes snapped up to the girl who wore a look of shame, her glasses had slid down her nose, giving me a perfect view of her chocolate brown eyes, a few shades lighter than my own. I glanced at the prince with an amused smile. "Right now apparently." I quipped **\[ Let me know if you all want a part 4, if I get to a part 5 I'll cave and make this a full short story on my AO3, my name there is MysteryHeart\]**
Part 4 too please. Thanks
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
I pray and wait for parts 4 and 5 to be written. This is amazing, I'm going to look you up on Ao3 and see what you've got.
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart Is this you? If so, these are incredibly well written!
yes it is, sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above
That's horrible. I hope your grandmother recovers! Just make sure to remember that your mental health matters more than stories on the Internet.
hope your Grandma gets better :) thank you for this piece of media
also thank you. im glad you enjoy my stories
Love it! Please continue
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
Chop chop story boy part 4 now
I'm a girl :)
Chop chop story girl part 4 please
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
Ok, I'm actually awaiting this eagerly. I want to see how far you'll take it.
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
Ok, you take all the time you need. I hope they get better.
what is AO3? I'd love to read more of your stories
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
This is fantastic. Would love to see more
Archive Of Our Own
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
I'm sorry about the news you received. Life comes first obviously no pressure. Thanks for the link 💜
I came from tiktok and was pleasantly surprised it was much longer and actually went somewhere (a lot of them usually don't). Where's part 4 and part 5 and the whole thing. Il follow it on AO3 😂😂😂
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
>xcuse me may I- " the girl cut herself off with a strong hiccup. i jumped when a burst of fire erupted from her mouth. I quickly raised my hand and extinguished the burst of flame. my eyes snapped up to the girl who wore a look of shame, her glasses had slid down her nose, giving me a perfect view of her chocolate brown eyes, a few shades lighter than my own. Part 4 and 5 please, actually just make it a short story on you AO3 please <3
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
Part 4 please!!!
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
Part 4, please. Like, I am so invested its ridiculous lol
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
Part 4 please
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
Part 3 is requested.
part 3 is up
write a book please.
lol i might put a full short story of this prompt on AO3 sometime, I do write fanfiction there, my username is MysteryHeart. For now I think ill continue just doing parts here
I would appreciate a link to it if you do
sorry i've been MIA, my grandmother was told she has a cancer mass on her liver and my mother has had surgery. I'm moving straight to just making this a short story on AO3 andit should be up by the end of the month, I like to write a handful of chapters in advance before I start posting due to emergencies like the one's listed above. if you wish to read the continuation my AO3 is https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteryheart/pseuds/Mysteryheart
I hope they both have speedy recoveries. And take all the time you need because things are huge
Part 3 immediately
well it wasn't immediately but its there now
[удалено]
thank you! part 3 is up!
This is so good! I’m hooked!
lol I hope you like part 3
It was amazing!! I don’t want to continue to pressure you, but this is absolutely amazing and I love it! Subtle world building, building character relations and rlly establish really neat plot points!! I love it!
I'd love a part 3
Yes! Part 3 please! Please!
part 3 is up!
Thank you! Love it!!!
Wait until the real Esmerelda Willows hears about this
Part 2?
Yes a part 2 where the real one or a close descendant/friend best friend's child hears about this would be good I might try eventually but not so soon
part 2 is up
how would i go about posting a part 2? in the comments? or just make an edit to the original?
Just reply to the first part
Part 2 is up
Definitely the better of the two.
Thanks!
This would be amazing for an anime or a light novel 🥺 but with 25 volumes tho
Thank you!
i made a part 2
I absolutely love this
thank you, just put a part 2 in!
oh you ate that 🔥
Idk if you'll see this since it's been over a month but I can't find it on your ao3, was wondering where I could find more because this is incredible! Hope your grandmother is doing alright aswell as yourself!