The Devil's Cursed Witch

"No! I cannot allow you to harm my wife and my child!"

"Gregor!"

The loud voice of King Tredor echoed inside the study as he stood up from his chair and faced his enraged son.

"Do not forget I am the King of Valor! My words are the heaviest in this kingdom, and what I decide to do, no one in this land can ever disobey. You are nothing but just a Crown Prince. How dare you go against the King?!"

"The King that I know is a wise man! He will not take the life of a person after listening to mere words without evidence!"

"Those words are uttered by the High Priest who always said the right thing for the wellbeing of our kingdom."

"Father," he said through gritted teeth, veins protruding through his skin, "that's my wife and child you are planning to kill. How can I agree to this madness? I will never allow you to do it."

"Gregor, you..."

Just then a knight entered the chamber with a lady servant who informed with a trembling voice, "Y-Your Majesty, p-pardon but Lady Sephina has gone into labour and will give birth soon..."

"King Tredor, this should not happen," the High Priest declared.

Without waiting for anyone, Gregor stormed out of the King's study, his heart filled with fear and worry for his wife and child.

-----

Inside Sephina's chamber...

After Gregor left, Shanel held Sephina's hand to comfort her. "Everything will be fine, Sephina. Do not stress yourself in this situation. Stress is bad for the child, but you already know that, right?"

Sephina's tears continued to fall. "B-But what the High Priest said..."

"Sshhh, our husband will handle it so calm down and take deep breaths."

Sephina nodded weakly, and just as she was about to wipe away her tears, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her belly. "Ahh!"

"Sephina? What's wrong--" Shanel looked at her worriedly while her lady-in-waiting noticed the growing stain on the blanket.

"Your Highness! Lady Sephina is having labour pains!"

They again heard her pained cry as she gripped Shanel's hand.

"Get the midwife! Hurry! Servants, prepare everything!" Shanel ordered before looking at the pale Sephina.

As a mother of three, Shanel could guess the younger woman's internal panic. "Don't worry. We will soon have a healthy little princess who will look as lovely as you...bear with the pain...take deep breaths..."

With a pained expression, Sephina could only nod before crying out once more. As she struggled to breathe, she turned to Shanel with a pleading gaze.

"Your Highness...just in case...if something happens to me, please protect my daughter. Please!"

"Nothing will happen to you, Sephina," Shanel, who herself was panicking inside, tried to be calm and comforted the pregnant woman.

"Please, give me your words that you will protect my daughter. You will take care of her...Please, Your Highness..."

"Fine. I give you my word. I will always protect our little princess. Now, don't think about anything and try to focus on your breathing..."

Fortunately, the midwife arrived to take care of everything.

When Gregor arrived outside his second wife's chamber, all he heard was his wife's screams and cries beyond the door. He was about to rush in when the servants outside stopped him from going inside.

"Your Highness, Lady Sephina is giving birth under duress. The Crown Princess is inside with her, and she fears your presence might further stress Lady Sephina. Please wait here until the Lady successfully gives birth."

Gregor wanted to quietly wait outside, and he would have done so if not for the unexpected situation caused by the High Priest. After making a bold decision, he turned towards his guardian knight.

The Crown Prince lowered his voice to one barely above a whisper. "Taylor, keep an eye on what my father is planning. He will try something to kill my child. Also, make arrangements to send the child out of the palace. Do not let anyone know about it."

"I have received your orders, Your Highness," the knight saluted before leaving.

Time seemed to crawl as he waited. Gregor was praying for his child to be born as soon as possible so that he could send her away; however, he could hear nothing but the cries of his wife in the hallway, not the sound of a newborn infant. He could only pace around anxiously while waiting to hear the good news.

'Why is it taking so much time? Shanel did not take this long...It must be because of stress that's why she's having difficult labor...'

As he let out a sigh, he noticed a number of footsteps approaching. He saw two servants being escorted by the royal guards and the knight of the King. One of the servants had a small bowl placed on the wooden tray in her hand.

"Halt!" Gregor scowled as he blocked their way.

"We greet the Crown Prince--"

However, he was having none of their nonsense. "What is 'that'?"

The servant who was not holding the tray replied in a calm voice, "Your Highness, this is medicine for Lady Sephina."

"Medicine? She doesn't need any medicine. Take it back."

"His Majesty the King has given a royal decree that this medicine be fed to Lady Sephina to help--"

Gregor knew what it was and was about to march towards the servant but the royal guards blocked his way. This time, the King's knight stood to face him.

"Your Highness, do not do anything that we have to use force on you."

Gregor pulled his sword out of its scabbard. "Try it!"

More royal soldiers appeared behind the knight, filling up the entire hallway, and the knight informed with a terse expression.

"Crown Prince Gregor Valor, according to His Majesty's decree, the moment you show resistance, you will be stripped of your title and be imprisoned for the crime of treason."

"What nonsense--"

"His Majesty has ordered us to kill everyone inside this residence if you do not obey his orders. As a criminal who had committed the highest offense, the equivalent punishment would also force us to seize your properties and apprehend the rest of your family. Not only your wife but your three sons as well, the three princes, will pay with their lives for their father's mistakes."

All the blood inside Gregor's body seemed to have turned into ice.

The King's knight continued, "If you think your knights will be arriving to side with you, then stop your meaningless expectations. They have already been taken care of. As for whether they are alive or not, well, they are still breathing for now, but I cannot guarantee what will happen to them.

"Make your choice, Crown Prince. Stand down or lose it all."

The sound of a sword falling on the floor echoed in response, and along it the sound of a shattering heart.