Chapter 86: Chapter 72

Finn

 

He was tired. His limbs felt heavy. Someone was snoring next to him. Confused, he struggled against sleep, finally opening his eyes and staring at a strange, paneled ceiling. Finn blinked and tried to sit up. He met two hurdles. Even more confused, he looked left and right. He was lying on a strange bed. Next to him lay Julia and Marko, who snored gently in his sleep. Next to Julia lay Prince Peter, still in his wedding dress. What had happened? Where were they? The bed on which they lay was large, with white linens. The walls of the room were paneled with light wood. Light came through a small window. There was also a small chest of drawers and a small mirror. On the floor was a gray carpet and next to the bed stood two small bedside tables with candles. No pictures hung on the walls. Next to the dresser was another, narrow door.

Finn shook Marko, who opened his eyes with a groan. "What?", he murmured.

"Marko! Wake up!"

"Huh?" He buried his face deeper into the pillow on which he was lying.

"Marko! Something is wrong!"

"What?" Now Marko opened his eyes and blinked sleepily. "Finn? Did we sleep in the same bed?... Oh no! I have a headache!"

"Marko! This isn’t our bedroom! Look!" Finn shook him again.

Now Marko sat up and looked around with a furrowed brow. "Where are we?"

"Yes! I don't know! What happened?"

"Maybe we're dreaming!", Marko yawned.

"No! We are awake!" Finn crossed his arms. "But how did we get here?"

"What’s that noise!" The prince had woken up. He stretched yawning and looked around. "Where are we?" He looked at Finn and Marko, then at his sleeping sister. "Why are we in the same bed? And what kind of room is this? Weren't we in your living room?"

"We were", Finn confirmed. "But where are we now?"

"Strange!" Marko rubbed his eyes. "But there's a door! I'll go have a look! Maybe someone can tell us what happened."

He climbed out of bed and walked to the door next to the bed, yawning. Marko pressed the doorknob, but it did not open. "The door is locked!"

"What?" Now Finn panicked. "It is?"

Marko shook the door. "It doesn't work! We are locked up!"

Now the princess was also moving into bed. Drunk on sleep, she sat up and looked around. "What?"

"Hello, little sister!", Peter greeted her way too cheerfully for the situation. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded. "Where are we?"

Peter pressed a kiss to her hair. "It seems that we have been kidnapped!", he now solemnly announced.

"Kidnapped?" Finn let himself sink back into the pillow. "When? How? Are you sure?"

Marko shook the door again. "Hey! Is there someone? Hello!", he exclaimed.

"Don't!" Peter jumped up and pulled him away from the door. "Who knows who's behind that door!"

"This looks like a normal bedroom", Julia touched the duvet. "Where is Leo?"

"Obviously not here!" Peter went to the window and looked out. "We are... In a village? I see houses. And forest!" Julia turned pale. Then Peter opened the door next to the dresser and looked inside. "Here is a small bathroom. Just a toilet and a sink. Soap, a few washcloths, and towels are here too. But the window is too small to get out. But, you can also see the forest!"

"What?" Julia jumped out of bed and rushed to her brother. "Forest! Oh no!"

"What’s up?", asked Finn and stood beside them. The window was very small. None of them fit through. He saw a few wooden houses and tall trees.

"My vision..." Julia ruffled her hair. "I've seen this... I think so."

"That sounds disturbing..." Marko sat down on the bed. "Was it a good vision or a bad one?"

Finn didn't like Julia's answer. "Bad."

 

Leopold

 

He walked through the village. Everything was as usual. Just as he had left his home behind. His parents worked in the small shop next to their house. Elves hurried busily along the paths. Birds chirped and cold autumn rain pattered on the dense leaves of the trees. Glances followed him as if no one had expected his success.

"Leopold!" An elf with red hair and bright yellow wings ran towards him. "Mom told me you're back!"

"Hello Sofia", he greeted her. "How are you? And Collin?" He had a crush on her before she got together with Collin. That was a long time ago. Before he met the princess. Before his life was turned upside down.

"I'm doing wonderfully. And Collin too, of course. We want to get married in a few months!"

"Oh? But you're only nineteen? We’re the same age!" He grinned. "Isn't that a bit early?"

"Collin is twenty-one. And no, I don't think so." She bumped him on the shoulder amicably. "The sooner I get married, the sooner soldiers can't kidnap me out of the village as a slave… I don't like the plan of the elder."

"Sometimes they take whole families with them. That's not a good argument for getting married so early. You don't like the plan? Why not? Don't you want to be free?" He looked at her with interest.

"Yes. But he wants to force the witches to remove all binding spells... That would cost many their... They wouldn't survive. Neither will you!"

Leopold hugged her briefly. "But you all would be free."

"Leo..." She looked at him sadly. "What about all the bounded? Did you ask them? No, right? It's wrong, Leo!"

He sighed. I know. But it is your only chance to be free.

"Sofia! Leo!" Collin approached them. His black dragonfly wings fluttered excitedly. His brown hair had grown long compared to the last time Leopold had seen him.

"Hello Collin!", he greeted him. "Nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too!" Collin embraced him and then bustled through Leopold's curls. "So? The princess?"

You are reading story WITCH – The Revolt at novel35.com

"Yes. She's here", he snorted, slightly annoyed. What was his point?

"Is she pretty?" Collin laughed softly.

"Hey!" Sofia crossed her arms. "You have me!"

"The princess is pretty, yes. And very nice." Leopold looked at his feet. Why do I feel guilty?  "If there's a kind witch, it's her."

"Oh?" Sofia looked at him sympathetically. "You like her?"

"What does that matter now? I kidnapped her... So that you all can be free."

"But we don't want that. Not like that!", reprimanded Sofia. "This plan is terrible and I'm not the only one who thinks so!"

"I know." Leopold's mother saw it the same way. "But what choice do we have?"

"There is always a choice!... I heard the prince is here too? And he's wearing a wedding dress?" Collin laughed softly and shook his head. "I would have liked to see that!"

Now Leopold laughed too. "Prince Peter is an interesting person. That much is certain. Julia's two other servants are also here. We had to take them with us."

"Two more servants? They’re tied to her too?", asked Sofia. "The poor people!"

"Yes. They should be awake by now. I'm going home! Have a nice day and congratulations on your engagement!" He waved goodbye and then made his way home. It wasn't far. His parent's house was painted yellow. He had liked the cheerful color before, but now it seemed too cheerful to him. His father stood at the door of the adjacent shop and smiled at him. "Your mother is already in the house!", he shouted.

"Good!" Leopold unlocked the front door. His mother was in the kitchen putting sandwiches and tea on a tablet. She smiled as well. But her eyes were a little reddened. Had she cried?

"Our guests are awake. I heard one of them calling! I bring them something to eat. They must be hungry."

At the same time, his father also came into the kitchen. "Are they violent?", he asked, looking at the tray skeptically.

"Hanno!" His mother shook her head.

"What, Flora? What if they attack you!"

"I don't think so... Although... Maybe Marko." Leopold sat down on a chair. "He might do that. I'm not sure about Prince Peter... Finn is unable to do so and Juli... I don't think she would."

"Juli?" His mother looked at him with a knowing look. "You call her by a nickname?"

He groaned. "Mom! That's not important now."

"Oh yes!" She sat down next to him. "You’re friends, aren't you?"

„Mama!“

"That's interesting!" His father raised his eyebrows. "So... Friends? Or more? I really didn't expect that! She must be very nice."

"That's it. She's wonderful..." Leopold surrendered to his fate. Especially his mother could hardly be fooled. "But I don't think that's important now."

"Does she like you too?", she wanted to know.

He nodded. "But probably not anymore."

"First, we should bring our guests something to eat. Come on. We all go together! Then my dear husband doesn't have to worry about me!" His mother took the tray and together they made their way to the guest room.

 

Julia

 

The door was unlocked. Shortly afterward a little elf with blond curls could be seen! Behind her stood a very tall elf with light brown, short hair, and green eyes. He looked very much like Leopold.

"You are awake!" The woman smiled. "My name is Flora and you are in my house!"

"Ours!", corrected the man. You could tell from his tone of voice that he had done this many times before. If Julia hadn't been so worried, she might have found it funny.

"Who are you?", Marko asked immediately, growling. His eyes were reminiscent of those of a wolf, and his ears laid flat on his head.

"My parents. Flora and Hanno." Leopold appeared in the doorway. "I'm sorry."

"You're behind it?" Now Marko bared his teeth.

Julia couldn't believe her eyes. "Leo...", she whispered, looking at him in disbelief. "What did you do?"

Why... What do you have to do with it?

"What had to be done. Mom has something to eat for you!" Then he disappeared from her field of vision. The little elf entered the room and placed the tray on the dresser. Alarmed, she looked at Marko, who was still growling. Her husband stood in the doorway and blocked the way. His gaze rested on Peter.

"Do you need anything to wear?", he asked, struggling to grin.

Peter looked at his dirty dress. "Yes. What are we doing here? Are you letting us out of here? Or are we prisoners? Which I’m sure about since the door was locked."

Marko had turned into a wolf. In a bad-tempered, growling wolf. The clothes he had worn lay in shreds around him, and some were still hanging on him. Finn was still standing at the window with Julia and Peter, clinging to them for protection. Julia stroked his hair reassuringly.

"You are hostages." The elf went back to the door. "And, I'd like to let you out. But our elder doesn't allow it. He wanted to lock you in a stuffy storage room!" She snorted angrily. "Our elder and several others are behind it. Our son was just their tool! But... As for the food. Enjoy."

Then she left the room and locked the door. Marko remained to lie on the bed as a wolf. Finn climbed up to him and snuggled into his fur with frightened eyes.

"Hostages?" Julia let herself sink to the floor. "We are hostages?" Why? Leo? Does this have anything to do with the uprisings? Is Leo part of it... Yes... He is one of them. He must have been one of the rebels all along... Was it all just a scheme?

"Looks like it!" Peter looked out the window again. "But at least we're not sitting in a storage room." He made his way to the tray. "Who's hungry?"

They were all hungry.