Chapter 8: The Witch Attends a Palace Ball
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
A scream that sounded like rent silk pierced the air, creating a chain reaction of fear that elicited more screams.
The spectacular ball venue suddenly erupted in an uproar—all because a lone witch had entered the palace hall, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she walked.
With each step, the witch’s robe dragged behind her. Every step she took filled the gathered crowd’s faces with dread, and they fled to the edges of the vast hall.
“P-Please stop right there, O Mighty Witch!” One brave palace guard commanded the witch cloaked in a thick robe to halt. The witch’s stunning robe billowed as she turned around. No one could conceal their confusion at this sudden visit.
“Forgive me for not knowing what purpose you are blessing us with your presence for… What business brings you here today…?”
Everyone seemed to believe the shut-in Witch of the Lake had come to douse them in an unwanted curse. The pitifully terrified palace guard charged her with that query, his face hard.
While the modern witches had lost the power to exact wide-scale vengeance, a visit from the witches of yore to a palace ball was usually the precursor to disaster. They loved to reduce the venue to despair by covering the palace in thorns, putting the beautiful princesses into eternal sleep, turning princes into frogs, and all sorts of devilish tricks.
Of course, Rose didn’t have that kind of power.
Rose opened her mouth to respond. Just that slight action on her part caused the guard to reach for his sword as though he were a hero facing a demon lord. Exasperated, Rose gave her answer anyway.
“…Because I was invited—”
“Rose!”
Harij rushed into the hall behind the palace guard. The startled guard saluted Harij, who only gave him a passing glance before heading to Rose.
“I told you to wait for me.”
“I thought you wanted me to wait for you in the hall.”
“…My heart nearly stopped thinking something had happened to you when I heard those screams. Stop making me worry so much,” Harij pleaded, reaching inside Rose’s hood to tuck her hair behind her ear.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
This time the hall was filled with even louder screams of despair from the women.