Chapter 2
Queen Mara shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes pleading with the witch doctor. "Old one, please help me," she implored. "I want to be the one to conceive the heir to the throne. I mean, I am the king's wife." The witch doctor's gaze bore into her, as if searching for something hidden deep within Queen Mara's soul.
"Very well, I will help you," the witch doctor said finally, her voice low and mysterious. "But you must be warned, the path ahead will not be easy. There are forces at play that you cannot even begin to comprehend, and the consequences of our actions may be more than you can bear."
Queen Mara's heart skipped a beat as the witch doctor paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing. "I can make you conceive, but the child will come with a price," she said, her words dripping with an otherworldly gravity.
Queen Mara's eyes widened in alarm. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The witch doctor's expression was solemn, her eyes clouded with a deep sadness. "The child will be blind," she said, the words hanging in the air like a challenge.
Queen Mara's eyes widened in abject horror as the witch doctor's words sliced through her like a razor-sharp dagger. "A blind prince...an abomination. A blind prince cannot ascend to the throne," she whispered, her voice trembling with unbridled desperation. The weight of the witch doctor's words was crushing, threatening to suffocate her.
The witch doctor's expression remained implacable, her eyes seeming to pierce the very fabric of Queen Mara's being. "That is the price you must pay to conceive," she declared, her voice cold.
Queen Mara's mind reeled in desperation "I can offer you a king's ransom," she pleaded, her voice cracking with anxiety. "Any sum, any treasure, just name it."
The witch doctor's response was swift and unyielding. "No amount of gold or precious jewels can buy your way out of this." she thundered. "As a child born of the gods, his eyes will be taken from him, a sacrifice." Her words hung in the air like a death knell, tolling the demise of Queen Mara's dreams.
Queen Mara felt a glacial chill spread through her veins as the full weight of the sacrifice dawned on her. "A blind prince is nothing but a mere shadow of a king," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
The witch doctor's gaze never wavered, her eyes burning with an inner fire. "Then you are not ready to bear a child," she decreed, her voice dripping with an unspoken judgment.
Queen Mara's thoughts were a maelstrom of fear and anxiety. A blind prince would be a crippling liability, a weakness that would shatter the kingdom's defenses. She yearned for her child to be a strong and wise ruler, one who would bring glory and prosperity to their kingdom. But the pressure was mounting – the queen mother, the king's mother, was relentless in her demands for a child. And now, a concubine who had been brought to the palace 2 months ago, was already pregnant?
The thought of that woman usurping the throne from her child was unbearable. Queen Mara's resolve hardened like tempered steel as she steeled herself for the challenge ahead.
"I'll take the risk," Queen Mara said finally, her voice firm. "I'll have the child, and worry about the rest later."
The witch doctor nodded, a small, enigmatic smile playing on her lips.
"Very well, Your Highness."
queen Mara leaned forward a calculating glint danced in her eyes, like a predator stalking its prey. "First, I need something to ensure the king's concubine doesn't give birth to that prince," she demanded, her voice low and menacing. The witch doctor's expression turned stern, her face a mask of unyielding conviction. "I'm sorry, Your Highness," she said, her voice firm but laced with a hint of sorrow. "I won't give you something that will harm the unborn child. The royal bloodline must be protected at all costs."
Queen Mara's face fell, her eyes flashing with frustration, but she refused to yield. She thought for a moment, her mind racing with possibilities, like a chess player contemplating her next move. "Is there anything else you can give me?" she asked, her voice laced with desperation, her words hanging in the air like a challenge.
The witch doctor's eyes locked onto Queen Mara's, a hint of hesitation in her voice. "Your Highness, I must reiterate – my potions can't harm the royal child. But I can offer you something that will...expedite your own pregnancy. It will quicken its development and ensure you give birth before the concubine."
Queen Mara's gaze never wavered. "I want the child gone, entirely. But if that's not possible, then yes, let's ensure my child arrives first. I want to be the one to bear the king's heir, not that...woman."
The witch doctor nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Very well, Your Majesty. I'll prepare the potion. It will hasten your pregnancy's progress and slow the concubine's. You'll give birth before her, ensuring your child's precedence."
Queen Mara's smile returned, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "I'm okay with that. Let's proceed."
The witch doctor's eyes gleamed with knowing as she rose from her hunched position, her bony fingers rummaging through the assortment of peculiar items scattered about her dimly lit chamber. With deliberate slowness, she gathered an assortment of dried herbs, shimmering powders, and small, intricately carved trinkets. As she worked, the air thickened with anticipation, heavy with the scent of sandalwood and myrrh.
With a deliberate flourish, she handed Queen Mara a small pouch containing a softly glowing crystal and a small bottle "Place the crystal beneath your bed, Your Majesty. Tonight, when the king lies with you, its magic shall stir, and this potion will hasten your pregnancy."
Queen Mara's face lit up with a calculating smile as she accepted the pouch and bottle, her fingers closing around it like a vice. "And for the concubine?" she asked, her voice husky with intrigue.
The witch doctor's smile was a thin-lipped thing, her eyes glinting with malevolence. "I've prepared a...concoction. Mix it into her food or drink. It will ensure her pregnancy becomes...complicated,but will not kill the child"
Queen Mara's laughter was low and throaty as she took the vial of dark liquid, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Thank you, old one," she said, her voice dripping with gratitude.
With a regal swirl of her coat, Queen Mara rose to her feet, her movements fluid and purposeful. "I shall take my leave now," she said, her smile still playing on her lips. "I will return when I have seen results."
As she departed, the witch doctor's eyes followed her, a knowing glint in their depths.