The Devil's Cursed Witch

By the time Gregor reached the haunted mountain, the sun had long set beyond the horizon, causing the already gloomy forest to look even more menacing.

At the base of the mountain where not a single living thing could be found, it could be seen that the large ominous trees were bare, and there were no visible trails to follow as everything was covered in thick fog. The further one walked, the less the eye could see. It was due to this phenomenon that caused even the villagers nearby to fear the dead forest as even a veteran hunter could get lost if they were to stray off the known paths.

Gregor was led by the King's knights, the men carrying torches to be able to see through the foggy darkness. It seemed as if there was something lurking among the shadows. Even as a man, he could not help but feel the fear of the unknown.

As they walked in hollow silence on the uneven rocky ground, only the sound of the baby's crying could be heard.

"That's enough. We can leave the cursed child here," the leader of the knights announced.

Gregor looked at their surroundings and there were only dead trees and sharp rocks around, nothing even to shelter her. Several feet away from the torches, only the fog awaits.

'How can I simply leave her here?'

Gregor held his crying daughter closer to his chest, as if to say he would not let her go.

"Your Highness, the King would not take your act of disobedience kindly. Unless you do as you are told, no one you love is safe."

The knight didn't have to remind him as he was aware of this fact.

Gregor lowered his head, gazing with a heavy heart at the crying face of his daughter.

'My little princess, please...please survive.'

With movements as heavy as his heart, Gregor carefully put his daughter on a relatively flat part of the rocky ground. After fixing the cloth wrapping around her body again and again, he even took off his outer coat and put it on her. He also asked for two fire torches from the knights escorting him and stuck them in the rocks around her to chase away the darkness and chill from her tiny body.

Though he heard that no wild animal could survive in this dead forest, he still thought the fire could help ward them off on the low chance they exist. He only wanted to give his daughter as much protection as he could.

'Once I assured the King that I had followed his instruction, I could send someone to get my daughter.'

When Gregor returned to the Royal Palace of Valor, he didn't go to meet the King as he could not bear to see that cruel man who he used to call father. It was the King's most trusted knight who informed him that his orders had been followed.

"Good," King Tredor said as he gave an appreciative nod. "Make sure Gregor won't step out of his chamber for the next two days and keep an eye on his knights and servants. Dispatch your knight brigade to watch that mountain. If you find anyone, kill them on sight."

"Your orders have been received, Your Majesty."

The moment Gregor arrived at his residence, he found the most loyal knights of the King, the First Knight Brigade, were still guarding the premises. He felt like a prisoner in his own home. He could only helplessly head straight to his chamber, unable to even see his first wife or children. Fortunately, his guardian knight was at least allowed entry to his room.

As it happened, the leader of the King's knights also entered the chamber and informed him, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the King has decreed that you are not allowed to leave your chamber for the next two days. Please cooperate with us."

The older knight then looked at Taylor.

"Allow me to give you advice as a senior knight and your former instructor, Taylor. Focus on protecting the safety of your liege. Dissuade the Crown Prince from trying to circumvent the King's orders. If you send anyone to save the little princess, they will be killed, as per His Majesty's orders, and I do not wish my sword to be stained with the blood of the knights I trained myself."

The knight departed after giving a terse salute, leaving Gregor even more frustrated. His father sure didn't wish to leave any room for him to help his daughter.

Once everything was quiet and Taylor made sure no one was around to listen, he spoke, "Your Highness, I have something to tell you."

Gregor was sitting on the couch with his head buried in his hands. It took him effort to lift his head, and his exhausted face seemed to have aged ten years in a span of a day.

"As you had predicted, the Crown Princess did move in case you cannot do anything. Her Highness had prepared a person to help the princess and I helped her leave the palace like you said. As King's attention was on you, things went easy for Her Highness."

Gregor's dull eyes somehow brightened. "Tell me, who did she send?"

"It was the woman who owed her life to Her Highness's pity, the witch who was supposed to be hanged to death a few days back. You should remember her because you asked me to secretly keep troubles away from Her Highness."

Gregor remembered. His first wife took pity on that woman because she was someone who lost her child after being captured by the temple knights. She was an innocent village woman who became a victim of the temple's witch hunt.

"I personally made sure she reached the haunted mountain, and only then did I return to the palace."

"Did you see that woman bring away the princess with her?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Rest assured."

Gregor could not be more relieved than this. Fortunately, his daughter was not left alone to die.