The Witch of Flowers

William frowned as he rode his horse away from the border of the Great Forest of Lux with his guard Brent riding beside him. His father, the King of Phisofia, had ordered him to see if any of the Great Spirit Lords were willing to negotiate with their Kingdom, or to at least see if he could find out why the Great Forest of Lux had closed all of its borders for over a year, and held a hostile attitude towards any who tried to trespass since then. None of the Great Spirit Lords had even been willing to hear his request, so he was going back a failure.

Unfortunately, he had been tasked with another order as well. As he had turned nineteen this past winter, he was to begin the Princess Selection. William had no interest in the event. Marriage was the last thing on his mind as he attended to his duties. He prefered to focus on the issues affecting his citizens. Most of the nobles were worthless in that regard, with almost half of them actively harming their citizens with their policies to exploit them for taxes and the like, with many of the rest acting with indifference towards their people’s suffering. Only a handful of nobles actually doing the job his father had entrusted them when they accepted their titles.

He hoped that the Princess Selection would pair him up with one of the daughters of the nobles that actually cared about their citizens. Still, he had little to no say over the procedure. Luckily, he didn’t have to meet with any of the prospective princesses yet. Daughters of nobles between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two were to be sent to the castle for the course of the selection period up until they were eliminated from consideration.

William shook the thoughts from his head. He didn’t want to ruin the feeling he got when riding with thoughts about that exhausting situation. Unfortunately, the thoughts that replaced it were more worrying. Not long after the Great Forest of Lux had closed its borders, the intensity of monster attacks at the southeast border had increased, slowly at first, but growing exponentially worse as time went on. He hated that he would be wasting his time with the Princess Selection when his citizens were suffering from the danger they faced. At least most of the nobles in charge of the territories at the border were the good ones, doing whatever they could to protect and help their citizens in a terrible situation.

He wanted to check on the issue personally, but his father was insistent that he didn’t yet. When he got back to the Capital he’d be able to send Brent out temporarily to get a more clear picture of the situation and what he could do to help. The reports he read had indicated abandoned border towns as citizens were evacuated to towns closer to the nobles protecting them and their knights. Unfortunately, that had led to its own issues. Increased population density without enough time to prepare was leading to problems with sanitation and illness. Previously prosperous farmland had suffered from crop failure thanks to the influence of the invading monsters’ corruption. When he sent Brent, he would need to arrange for emergency provisions, healers and mages be sent along with his guard to help the situation on the border. Hopefully it would be enough, but William doubted it considering everything.

“Looks like we’ll have to stop in Maelifos Territory for the night,” Brent said sounding as upset by the prospect as he did. Count Maelifos was one of the bad ones.

“I’d rather ride through the night,” William grumbled knowing that Brent was right. While he’d rather avoid stopping there, the horses wouldn’t be in good shape if he did.

“I hear you. The few times I’ve met the Count I was quite disgusted by his attitude towards his citizens and his duty. There’s some nasty roumors about the Count’s house, but I’ve never found any evidence I could bring to the courts.”

“What kind of rumors?” William asked.

“Essentially rampant criminal activity. A few of the neighboring lords have mentioned an increase in the amount of illegal poisons leaving the Count’s territory. The rumors started almost a year ago. Whether the increase is due to the Count’s negligence or if he’s actively supporting the illegal trade of poisons is another matter entirely. It’s not like the lords I heard talking about it had any evidence to back up their statements, so the situation might be much worse than they claimed or it could be a mere rumor. Still, I’m sure there would be more of an effort to look into the situation in Maelifos territory if most of the Royal Guard wasn’t busy helping with the monster attacks at the Southeastern border.”

William bet he would regret it but he forced the words out of him. “Perhaps we can investigate a little when we stop for the night.” If he found even the smallest amount of evidence of the Count’s wrongdoings then he wouldn’t be able to escape punishment. He wouldn’t let him get away with harming his people if there was any way around it.

An hour later they entered Maelifos territory’s city. One of the city guards immediately rushed off to tell the Count of their arrival. William had expected as much when he had suggested this. Whenever a noble visited another territory the one in charge of the territory was typically notified, and he was the prince. Still, William was frustrated. He’d likely be forced to stay with the Count for the night, a nauseating prospect with what he knew of the noble. Even without the rumors he was not a good man in the least bit. Worst of all, he had a daughter that would be entering the Princess Selection. They would need to search for evidence before the Count heard the news of his arrival.

Walking inside the city’s gate after dismounting from his horse, William took in the squalid conditions around him. Only big merchants seemed to be doing well in this horrid territory. A quick glance showed him all the evidence he needed. He recognized a dried plant at one of the well-to-do storefronts. It was disguised as just another dried herb as there were several other dried plants hung from various surfaces of the storefront for drying, but that one was one of several plants banned for harvest and sale. It was one of the worst. It couldn’t even be used in medicine, unlike many poisonous plants. Even the smallest amount of the plant was deadly, even when diluted. It was often used by assassins and other disreputable criminals for killing. Many of the alleyways were filled with the homeless, wearing ripped threadbare clothes that barely protected them from the elements. William took note of everything he saw, finding more and more storefronts with various banned poisonous plants for sale in plain sight. If it was just one merchant and it was well hidden, the Count would be able to avoid punishment as he might have conceivably not known about the sale, but with so much of it on display, the Count would definitely be punished. Not to mention the squalid condition of the city aside from those merchants.

William noted a well-dressed man delivering a large bag to one of the merchants. The merchant pulled on some gloves and took out a handful of dried plants. William only barely held back a gasp. Those were the most notorious of the banned poisonous plants. The country had placed orders for them to be burned on sight if seen growing anywhere, even in the wild. They were extremely deadly and caused torturous pain when consumed by the victim. It was mostly tasteless so it was sometimes used in assassinations using food or drink as a medium.

William turned to Brent to order him to follow the man, but before he could say anything he heard a familiar jarring voice. “Your Highness, I’m glad to see that you’ve decided to visit my humble territory.”

William had to force a pleasant expression on his face to hide his disgust and anger towards the Count. He turned to face the count once he had his facial expression under control. The count was wearing fancy and expensive clothes and jewels, a sure sign of his overtaxation and negligence towards his people. The suspicion he held that Count Maelifos was benefiting in some way from the trade of poisonous plants increased at the sight. “Count Maelifos. I was just returning from business at the border of the Great Forest of Lux. I wanted to return quickly to His Majesty to report my findings. However, my guard and I need to stop for the night so our horses can rest. Since we were in the area, I thought is was a wonderful time to visit your territory.”

The partial truth seemed to satisfy the count. “Well, I’m happy you came nonetheless. I would be honored if you and your guard would stay at my estate for the night. My daughter is looking forward to participating in the Princess Selection. While I understand you cannot discuss the specifics of the selction process, I’m sure she would love a chance to meet you prior to the Selection.”

William wanted to deny the offer, but something stayed his tounge. He would get no greater chance to find proof of the extent of Count Maelifos’s involvement in the illegal trade of poisonous plants as well as any other crimes he had committed. “I appreciate the offer. We will have to impose on you for the night,” he somehow managed to sound pleased with the suggestion despite the bile threatening to escape him at the thought of spending any amount of time with him. William cast another sweeping glance at the city and the suffering citizens. He vowed he would do something to end their suffering, to force Count Maelifos to face punishment for all his wrongdoings.

The dinner was just as unpleasant as he thought it would be. The count showed no restraint in his spending even on something like food. Delicacies that he didn’t even bother having sent to the castle except in the most important of special events were presented to him in portions that were much larger than those served during such events. The way the servents and the count’s daughter and wife showed no great reaction suggested that such occurrances were not a rarity. More irresponsible spending while his territory suffered, William clenched his teeth before forcing a compliment about the meal. Luckily, the count’s daughter didn’t ask too many innappropiate questions about the Princess Selection yet, still the seductive looks she was casting his way unsettled him. The daughter was likely on the path to being just like her father.

Finally the meal was over and he started to leave with his guard. As he was exiting the dining room he spotted the man from the marketplace, the one who had supplied poisonous plants to the merchant. So the poisonous plants were coming from the count’s estate directly. “Your Highness,” Brent said barely loud enough to hear. “That man was in the market.”

“I know. Try to follow him without being seen.,” he started.

Brent was about to step away from him to follow his order, but the count’s daughter stepped between them causing both of them to tense up. “Your Highness,” the young woman said in a sultry voice, clearly flirting with him. “I was hoping to walk you to your room. Perhaps we can talk more about the Princess Selection. I know there’s so much you can’t tell me, but isn’t there a way around that.”

William couldn’t hold back his blunt reply, “Sorry Lady Maelifos. I am not allowed to discuss the Princess Selection more than I have. You will learn more when the event begins. Your father already showed us where our rooms would be when we arrived, so there is no need to trouble yourself with that.”

The young woman’s pleasant gaze faultered, briefly revealing a sort of rage that was gone before he could fully analyze it. Perhaps she was already more like her father than he realized. “Very well, I wish you a pleasant night’s rest. I shall greet you in the morning before you depart.”

William nodded wordlessly and watched as she stormed past the man from the market. She disappeared into a door that seemed to lead to a basement that he had not toured with the count when he had arrived at the estate. Something about the situation made him quickly turn to Brent before he could leave to follow his previous orders. “Follow the count’s daughter. Something about her attitude before feels off.”

“Understood. I’ll report to you once I find anything,” his guard nodded before disappearing into the shadows. It was a characteristic of Brent’s unique magic. His skills were much better suited for surveillance than guarding, but Brent was still exceptionally skilled nonetheless no matter the job he was given. He was even skilled enough to take on many of the types of monsters that threatened their border without any supporting forces.

He closed the bedroom door behind him once he arrived and let out a sigh. Hopefully his decision to have Brent follow the count’s daughter wouldn’t compromise his ability to stop the count’s wrongoing. He wouldn’t let the count escape punishment if there was any way around it, even if he had to stay in this dreadful estate longer, delaying his return to the capital. He had barely managed the thought when Brent appeared in the doorway connecting their rooms. He looked more enraged than he had ever seen his guard and best friend, even more angry than he had been when an assassin had attempted to take his life before Brent had finished his training as a bodyguard. It had been the first time Brent had killed.

“What have you learned?” William managed, fearing something worse than he had suspected of the count. What else could make Brent so furious?

“The count’s family is keeping a young woman as slave in a dungeon in the basement. Based on the slave crest I saw, she has magic, but it’s restrained to only be used when one of those registered as her master order it. The count’s daughter started torturing the slave before I left to report this to you.”

Fury overwhelmed William at the words. No wonder Brent hadn’t been able to hide his own rage. Brent’s little sister had been captured by a slave trading ring. She had been killed by the slave traders during the operation to rescue her and the other slaves. The slave trade was punishable by death. Owning a slave held the same punishment, even for a noble. “Fetch some guards to arrest the count, his wife, and the daughter. Do not let any word reach the area where the young lady is being kept until the daughter leaves. I’ll head there immediately and remove the slave crest the moment I find an opening. Be careful. There may be members of the guard that were bribed by the count or the slave traders that are responsible for this. After that, ensure that the merchants trading the poisonous plants are arrested as well.”

Brent nodded and placed a hand on his arm to pass some of his power to William, allowing him to remain unseen. Brent darted towards the window and slipped outside, jumping to the ground and towards the estate’s gates before his power kicked in, hiding him from the view of the estate’s own guards.

William quickly moved, knowing that Brent’s magic wouldn’t hide him forever. He slipped into the basement, noting the smell of blood and cold stone floor and walls, only illuminated by magic crystals imbued with a sort of twisted fire magic. That being said, the illumination was barely bright enough for him to find his way down the stairs without incident. Brent probably could have remained unspotted even without his unique magic. Still, William remained cautious. He reached the base of the stairs just in time to witness the count’s daughter kicking a figure on her hands and knees in the ribs before stamping down on the young woman’s hand with the heel of her shoe.

William grit his teeth at the sound of bones breaking under the assult. The count’s daughter kicked the young woman’s arm, toppling her over. “Disgusting,” the count’s daughter scowled. “You ruined my shoes. I’ll need to punish you more for that.”

He nearly gasped aloud in his horror when he noticed the Lady Maelifos grab a whip off of the dungeon wall. The first time the whip cracked through the air, William struggled to remain where he was. All his instincts were demanding he stop this torture. Blood trickled down the enslaved woman’s back onto the stone ground. Her body didn’t move, nor did she make a noise. She may have been ordered not to move or cry out, or she could be so used to this torture that she no longer responded to such pain. He didn’t know which would be worse. Suddenly, he noticed that the young woman’s eyes were staring right at him. She seemed very aware of her surroundings, and her face showed her pain.

The young woman visibly flinched as yet another crack of the whip came and more blood was drawn. Still her gaze didn’t stray from him. He glanced at himself, confirming that Brent’s power was still hiding him. How was this young woman able to see through that magic? Not even the most skilled of mages or warriors had been able to see through Brent’s magic before. Her lips moved, capturing William’s attention. She mouthed the words run away before he saw the flash of the slave crest activating, likely causing her great pain if she had been told to remain still. Even the slightest motion had likely caused it to activate. It might have even activated when she fell after Lady Maelifos kicked her arm out from under her.

He grimaced at the thought but didn’t move, merely shaking his head when she looked to attempt to repeat the action that had already caused her pain. All the while the young woman was whipped continuously. He hoped Brent would get here quickly to inform him that everybody else in the estate had been arrested, but that never came. Perhaps it had been wrong for him to send Brent away. Brent would have been able to incapacitate the noble’s daughter and kept everybody else away long enough for him to fix this situation, but all he could do now is watch as more and more wounds covered the young woman’s skin, as more and more blood drained to the stone floor beneath her.

He was brought out of his throughts as yet another crack cut through the air and blood appeared on the enslaved woman’s face. Pushing back the raising panic, William’s throat tightened as he realized that the whip had struck the young woman across her face, slicing through her skin. The worst of the damage appeared to be near her right eye. There was so much blood, he couldn’t see the severity, especially not in this dim light. He could barely see her left eye through the heavy bleeding. Her eye had lost her light, the evidence that she was still concious. It took everything he had not to move as Lady Maelifos rose her arm to strike her with the whip again. Blood dripped from the whip onto the hem of the fancy dress she had worn to the dinner that he had been disgusted to attend.

“Ugh,” Lady Maelifos lowered her hand as she looked down at her dress. It seemed she only then noticed the blood droplets that had splattered across the expensive fabric as she whipped the enslaved woman. “How gross. I’ll have to ask father to get me a new dress.” She stepped away from the bloodied body of the young woman, replacing the whip on the hook outside the cell. William held his breath, hoping the magic would last just a little longer as the noble’s daughter finally started out of the dungeons, her footsteps echoing on the stone stairs. He waited for only a moment after he heard the door shut, only long enough to ensure that she had indeed left.

William quickly rushed forward. As he drew closer he examined the wound across her face closer. The whip had cut through her eyelid, almost slicing it clean off. William grimaced in horror as he continued his examination of the young woman’s condition. Signs of her continuous torture were obvious. Her body showed signs of severe dehydration and starvation. Rage cut through him as he saw more and more injuries in various stages of healing, growing to a roar as he saw just how many scars covered her exposed skin. Likely there were more under her clothes, but those would be dealt with later, at least to the best of his ability. If potions weren’t in such short supply or if he had even one high grade healing potion on hand he would be forcing her to drink it immediately.

Focus, he reminded his frantic mind. William placed his hand over the slave crest and probed with his magic. The moment he was able to analyze the full extent of the crest he let his magic sink under the surface, controlling the magic carefully as he unwound the spellwork of the slave crest. He was relieved when the slave crest completely unraveled and dissipated, no longer affecting the young woman’s body.

William let out a relieved sigh as he turned his attention to the most life-threatening of her wounds. The heavy bleeding on her face was the first to go. He wasn’t skilled enough in healing magic to completely erase the evidence of the injury, a light scar on her right eyelid remained. Hopefully the palace healers would be able to do more, even with the potion shortage.

As he healed the rest of her bleeding wounds and broken bones, William heard the beginnings of the confrontation just up the stairs. He remained on alert in case the Count or his family members retreated to this dungeon in an attempt to use the young woman as a hostage to escape punishment, even temporarily. He wouldn’t give them a chance to do that, to get away for this despicable crime, nor any of his other crimes.