"What is it Erasmus?" The dowager queen asked.
Erasmus stood up and opened his book. He scanned few words written in it and closed it. With a blank look on his face he proceeded to explain. "His Highness is going to be the king to unite this kingdom and the witches. His highness's reign is going to be the mightiest in the Ambrose's family. We cannot let His Highness die".
The dowager queen smiled at her grandson fondly. "Wait for me in your chamber, my love. I'll be there in a moment". Nobody wanted him to hear any negative things at this fragile age.
"No", Aaron protested.
The king came forward towards his son. "Listen to your grandmother Aaron. Come, I'll take you to your chamber". Little Aaron, not much used to his father's soft voice frowned at him. His blue eyes filled with confusion when his father held his hand.
"No". Queen Amanda snatched Aaron's hand away from his father's. She was not at ease thinking her child was with his father. Her husband glared at her. Before he could say anything, Charles came forward.
"Allow me to escort you to your chamber, Your Highness".
Queen Amanda looked at her son and held his face in her hands. "Just a bit and we will all be at your service, darling. Now be a good boy. Charles will take you to your chamber and don't escape him on the way. Stay in your chamber". Little Aaron nodded and left with Charles.
Everyone looked at Erasmus to say further.
"His Highness is the chosen one to make peace between us and the witches. Since it was written that the chosen one would be the third child of King Arnold, I didn't disclose this. I cannot understand". There was a small frown on his blank face. "How is it possible?"
"I had a miscarriage when I was with my first child", queen Amanda said. "You and anyone in this kingdom is unaware about it because we lost the child before making any announcement in the kingdom. Aaron is my third child."
The dowager queen nodded at Erasmus.
Erasmus's eyes widened. "I've to do something. His Highness's life is precious".
Queen Amanda and the dowager queen smiled at each other with tears in their eyes. "Of course our Aaron is precious". The dowager queen wiped her tears.
Everyone looked at Erasmus who looked to be thinking of the ways to to do something. Queen Amanda held her breath for the next sentence he would speak and hoped from the core of her heart that it would be in their favour.
"There is only one person who could help us all through this. I have to perhaps inform the witch queen", Erasmus nodded his head.
"Where can you find her?" The dowager queen asked.
"In the forest. That is, if she is in the forest, we can find her if other witches helps".
The dowager queen wrinkled her brows. "I was forbidden in the past to enter the witch's region. And taking Arnold there might not be a good idea".
"I'll go". Queen Amanda took a step forward and held up her chin. Her voice left no room for any arguement. She did not care if she had to meet the devil himself. Saving her son's life was the only thing she cared about.
The dowager queen nodded her head. "But you won't go alone. Charles will go with you. I am not ready yet to trust the witches".
Queen Amanda and Charles followed Erasmus in the lush forest. There was only subtle darkness because of some richly grown trees and some dried leafless woods too, as winters would come soon.
They had left there royal carriage on the road, out of the woods and had asked the coachman to wait for them.
"Are we going to keep walking cluelessly like this till we find someone?" Queen Amanda asked.
"We just need to find a tree with red flowers on it". Erasmus scanned the trees around them and walked forward. "We need to burn it's leaves to make the witches come forward".
Charles held away a branch from the queen's way. They kept walking for some more time until Charles pointed at a tree. "Is that the one?"
Erasmus glanced at it and nodded. "That is the one".
They all rushed towards the tree which had few red flowers blossomed. The tree looked like every other tree but queen Amanda couldn't remember if she had seen the flowers of such shape. They were dark red, their petals curled in, resembling the shape of a half moon.
Erasmus plucked handful of leaves from the tree and using the stones to create fire, he burned them. The ashes of leaves gave away a very pleasant fragrance unlike any essence Queen Amanda had known.
They were cautious scanning around them continuously but there was no hint of anyone coming out.
"Perhaps we need to burn more." Erasmus began to pluck more leaves. This time Charles too plucked some and now they burned a very large pile of leaves. When half of them turnes into ashes, they heard a rustling near them. Charles stood near to his queen, his hand on his sword and his eyes alert.
"Who are you?" A female voice asked. They looked around but couldn't see anyone.
"I am Erasmus. I need to talk with the witch queen. She knows me". Erasmus announced.
Suddenly, someone jumped down from a tree few feet away from them. A woman. Blond hair and green eyes. Just as beautiful as the two witches Queen Amanda had encountered. But she was not wearing a gown. Rather a kind of black robe it was. Her hair fell down freely without any capture of pins or ribbons.
She looked intently at Erasmus as if she was comprehending something. But when queen Amanda looked at Erasmus, she foumd the same blank look on his face.
"Follow me", she said and began to walk much inside the woods.
Erasmus nodded at them to follow and all three of them started to walk behind the witch.
The farer they kept walking, the more different the forest seemed. Queen Amanda couldn't find out when and how but it was as if they were moving slowly to a different world but are still in the Heavengate. Same trees, same land, the same air and yet her skin prickled, yet the weather seemed loomier, yet the air seemed fragrant.
She looked at Erasmus who walked ahead freely behind the witch, unaffected by the changes.
Was it only her who felt so?
She spared a glance at Charles then who was walking a step behind her. He looked at his surroundings the same way as her. As if trying to recognise the difference. So she wasn't the only one.