Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son

Seeing her dress had caught the fire, Giselle dropped the whip from her hand as she screamed loudly and ran around, all over the place. Martha was closer to her and caught her only to push her in the fountain's bottom ring which was filled with water.

From a distance, Martha could feel Seren getting infuriated and she was ready for it. She knew before she would hurry to her, someone would be put on fire as she could sense the intensity of her power which was stronger than ever and it appeared out like this only when she was angry beyond control.

Queen Niobe who was shocked, hurried to get her daughter out from the fountain as the servants too were pulling her out while Martha already hurried towards Seren to stop her from causing any further harm.

Reaching the angry girl who was standing alone as everyone ran away from her in fear, Martha kneeled in front of the girl and looked into her eyes filled with rage. She hugged her gently then patted and caressed her back. "My Lady, calm down. Please calm down."

Getting that warm hug, Seren calmed down immediately and Martha looked at her. Tears rolled down Seren's eyes as she didn't know what to do. She had no control over what she had done just now and felt lost.

"It's my fault to leave you alone here, My Lady. I won't let it happen again."

Seren said nothing but hugged back Martha and cried. The clouds were gathering up in the sky as raindrops started to fall. "My lady, you can't cry. Stop crying."

It was impossible for the hurt little girl to control her emotions so she couldn't stop crying. 

Everyone moved away to not get soaked in the rain while Martha carried Seren towards the corridor to protect her from getting drenched.

Just then one of the servants came there and informed, "Her Majesty had asked the Third Princess and you to be present in the Queen's throne hall."

Martha nodded and the servant left. 

"My lady, stop crying. This is not the time of year for the rain. If you do so, it will cause inconvenience to the people in the capital. I told you last time, didn't I?" Martha asked gently.

Seren nodded as she remembered this unseasonal rain will affect the crops and farmers and there won't be any food for a year. It will affect the businesses and will cause loss to so many people and they will starve.

Seren stopped crying and the two went to the Queen's throne hall where Queen Niobe was sitting on her throne, carrying gravely serious expressions. 

"Explain what happened?" Queen Niobe ordered the servant who was there at that moment. 

The servant's daughters who were with Giselle explained what happened and also Miera was there to take her sister's side. Giselle was scared to her bones after that incident, so much that she went unconscious.

Everyone said the same thing which implied that it was that servant girl's mistake for breaking Giselle's doll and the Third Princess meddled in between to the extent that harmed the First Princess. 

Queen Niobe glared at Martha, "Isn't it your responsibility to take care of her? Will you let that witch harm everyone like this? Now my daughter, will she harm me next time? Do you want to put all our lives in danger?"

"Apologies, Your Majesty. His Majesty, King Armen, asked an audience with me so I had to leave her," Martha replied. 

Queen Niobe knew this servant never left the side of the Third Princess and always stuck to her like glue. As she had gone to meet the King himself, Queen Niobe could say nothing to her.

Queen Niobe looked at Seren. "You have hurt my daughter for the sake of a mere servant. Being a princess of this Kingdom, it won't be good to punish you but that servant who made you harm my daughter, she will have to bear all the punishment."

Seren shivered with fear. "No…" 

Martha held Seren closer to interrupt her from talking, "My Lady, Her Majesty is right."

Seren looked at Martha in disbelief and felt helpless. How could Martha take the side of the wrong person? 

"My lady, we should always respect Her Majesty's decision. She is always right," Martha added. She knew Queen Niobe won't stop and there was no use in letting Seren argue with her.

Seren looked at the woman sitting on the throne carrying the same cold expressions and heard her, "Punish that girl with fifty lashes of the whip."

Seren clutched onto Martha's clothes and Martha stopped her from talking any further. The poor girl was taken to the middle of the hall and one servant holding a whip stood beside her. 

Martha bowed to the Queen, "Your Majesty, His Majesty had asked us to return to the tower and not be late."

Queen Niobe nodded and Martha immediately took Seren away from there, not letting her turn back to look at the center of the hall. While leaving, Seren heard the sounds of the whip and cries of that girl and her mother. Walking further away, those sounds disappeared and Seren could only feel helpless. Since that day she had decided to not make any friends even if someone approached her. After that incident, no one ever dared to approach her either as they were terrified of the other two princesses. 

The next time Seren stepped out of the tower to attend another social occasion in the palace, she didn't see that girl who got punishment from the Queen. 

Once Seren asked Martha, "What happened with that girl, Martha?"

"Not sure, My Lady," Martha replied.

After that Seren never asked about her. After that, she never saw her ever again and she believed that girl must have died. For so many days Seren was upset with Martha for taking Queen's side when she declared the punishment for Rene but over time she forgot it.

'Rene!' Seren whispered that girl's name in her mind as she could still remember her face as she looked at her, smiling ear to ear.

Today's incident reminded her of Rene when she saw that injured girl and this time she didn't wish to let it happen again. In the past, she was a powerless kid who they ignored but now it was not the same. By helping this girl, Seren could ease her guilt of not being able to help Rene at that time and ended up meddling into other's matters when she always preferred to stay away from it.

"Your Majesty, we have reached."

Lady Tyra's voice pulled Seren out of the past incident and she realized the carriage had stopped inside her residence and the Servants were waiting to help her step out of the carriage.