Purple Medicine

The physician was checking Felix's nerves while Ava, Felix's father, and Dorothy waited outside.

"Hey," Lord Gregory Hellstern, Felix's father, tilted his head to look at Ava's swollen eyes. "It's fine, darling. It's not your fault," he consoled gently. "I know Felix—he can be very persuasive, but he's just scared of other physicians. They give him bitter medicines." He tried to lighten her mood with a playful jab at Felix, but it did little to ease her anxiety.

The physician came out of the room, and everyone gathered around him.

"What was the matter?" Gregory asked. "How is my son? Is there anything we should worry about?"

"He is fine, Lord Hellstern," the physician replied. "These types of high fevers are common when the pain becomes unbearable, yet the patient refuses to take a sedative. It's a psychological fever." The physician gave Ava a reassuring look and added, "The wound is fine, and you treated him perfectly. You don't have to feel guilty about it. I will prescribe him some medicines. Make sure he takes them regularly."

"Okay," she nodded softly, stretching her neck to peer past him and catch a glimpse of Felix.

The physician noticed her eagerness to see him. "He's sleeping now. I gave him a sedative. You can meet him after he wakes up." He then took a tiny round box from his pocket and handed it to Ava. "Until then, you can apply this under your eyes."

Ava opened the tiny box, and the faint fragrance of almonds gently touched her nostrils. The delicate scent was calming, almost soothing, as if it carried a promise of peace amidst the tension.

"It's an almond balm. Good for dark circles and puffy eyes," the physician added before looking at Gregory and giving him a nod, signaling his departure.

"Let me escort you to the main gate," Gregory said, guiding the physician out.

"Ava…" Again, after they left, the whisper echoed in her mind, accompanied by a vision—a dark chamber glowing dimly with faint purple light, and a sudden, terrifying sensation of shortness of breath as the vision enveloped her.

Unable to breathe, Ava grasped the door handle and collapsed to the floor, her body trembling. As soon as the vision faded, her breathing returned in sharp, desperate gasps.

"Madam," Dorothy crouched beside her. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Y-yes. Yes, I'm fine," Ava replied, though her voice trembled with uncertainty.

"You don't look fine." Dorothy touched Ava's forehead and her fingers drenched with the sweat that beaded on Ava's skin. "God, you're sweating. What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No. I think I need my med—" Another vision gripped her, her face bathed in a flickering purple light. A voice boomed in her mind, "We need you. We need you, our last witch. We need you." The chanting began, its pitch rising to a dangerously loud, ear-splitting level, growing louder and louder. She clutched her ears in pain, but the noise refused to fade.

"Madam," Dorothy held Ava's hand, rubbing her back in a futile attempt to soothe her, but it was no use.

The air around them began to grow thick, as if a storm was gathering. Blood began to trickle from Ava's ears, snaking down her wrists.

"Stop it!" Ava gritted out, fighting to regain control, but the voices continued. "Please, stop it!" she pleaded, her teeth clenched in agony. Her fear and pain escalated, then suddenly, her anger flared. With a roar, she screamed, "Stop it!" The voices fell silent, and the stormy air around her dissipated.

Ava's breath came in rapid gasps as her heartbeat, once erratic, began to slow. She finally managed to take in deep, steady breaths, regaining some semblance of control.

"Madam," Dorothy said softly. "Are you all right? Should I call the physician back?"

"Medicine," Ava whispered, the realization hitting her like a wave. "I need my medicine. I didn't take it last night. That's why this is happening." She rose shakily and moved toward her dressing table. She grabbed the pouch, pulled out the purple medicine, and swallowed it quickly. 

As the medicine coursed down her throat, her heartbeat, which had been dangerously fast, began to settle, and she exhaled a long, weary breath of relief.

However, the chaos was far from over. Everything that had just transpired had been witnessed by a wicked observer—one whose knowledge would bring doom into Ava's once-normal and happy life.

"What in the world just transpired?" From a few steps away, Princess Tiara muttered to her maid. They had observed it all—the way Ava struggled, the blood trickling from her ears, the manner in which she commanded the stormy air around her, and the strange purple ball-like medicine she consumed. They had borne witness to it all.

A wicked smile curled at the corners of the princess's lips as she crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on Ava. "I came to visit Felix because I heard he was stabbed last night and was worried for him. But it seems I need to postpone my concern and let my curiosity take charge."

"Zambi," she called, her voice carrying an authoritative edge with a hint of amusement.

"Yes, princess," Zambi replied, standing at attention, awaiting her command.

"I need you to steal that purple medicine for me," Princess Tiara ordered, her gaze never leaving Ava's form as she let out a lopsided grin.

------

The Very Next Day...

"Welcome, Ava Sideris," the Princess said with a hint of amusement in her voice as she looked at Ava.

"It's Ava Sideris Hellstern, Your Highness," Ava replied, standing in the doorframe, her head bowed but her voice firm.

Tiara raised an eyebrow, surprised by Ava's boldness. "Brave," she said, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Let's see how long you can keep this up."

"Keep what up, Your Highness?" Ava asked, her eyes still on the floor, but her tone lacking the usual submission.

"Both," the Princess declared, her voice cool. "The bravery and the surname."

"Oh, that, I can pull it my entire life, Your Highness," Ava answered calmly, her voice steady despite the tension.

"No, you can't. Divorce your husband," the Princess commanded, her tone flat.

"Pardon?" Ava's head snapped up, meeting the Princess's gaze with a mixture of confusion and defiance.

"Yes, you heard me right," Tiara said, her voice almost casual. "Divorce General Felix Hellstern. Annul your marriage, leave Carinae, and I will let you live."

"I deeply regret the need to ask, Your Highness, but, are you okay?" Ava asked, her voice now edged with disbelief, her eyes searching the Princess's face for any sign of sanity.

A faint, wicked smirk appeared on Tiara's lips. "Wait for my maid," she said coolly. "She'll bring some important books, and then we'll see who's really okay and who is not."

"Wh—"

"Your Highness," Zambi interrupted, stepping into the room, a stack of ancient books cradled carefully in her arms. Her expression remained neutral, the weight of the books evident in her posture. "I've brought the books," she said, standing near the Princess.

Ava glanced down at the books in Zambi's hands, and a wave of sudden familiarity washed over her. She was awed by its visuals. The covers of those ancient books seemed to demand judgment, their intricate designs and weathered edges inviting the observer to deem them as some of the world's mystical wonders, their presence adding a sense of mystery to the already tense atmosphere.

"Find these books familiar?" the Princess asked, her voice laced with amusement. "Well, I can understand why. After all, they are written by the ancestors of your kind."

Ava's eyes narrowed, her patience thinning. "What do you mean my kind?" This time, her words carried no trace of respect, no effort to hide her growing frustration.

The Princess's gaze darkened as she leaned forward slightly, her voice sharp and cutting. "Witches," she declared with a chilling certainty. "I mean witches. Like you, Ava Sideris."