"No!" The queen couldn't stop herself now. She did scream the loudest. Everyone else present gasped. The king fell down on his knees. She didn't kill him. The woman didn't wish for his death. She wished his heir's death.
The dowager queen closed her eyes, covered her ears. As if to make it all go away. Charles was shocked. This was one thing he couldn't save his king from.
"No, no, no!" Queen Amanda ran and grabbed the woman's shoulders. "Take it back. Take it back."
The woman's eyes were now the brightest shade of gold. There were no tears in them now. Only anger. And hunger. Hunger for revenge. To avenge her daughter's death.
"Take it back I said", Queen Amanda shook the woman.
"No. Child for a child. Heir for the heir. He took away my daughter. My curse will take away his son."
Queen Amanda joined her hands together. She begged to the woman. "My son did not do anything. Please don't bring him in this. I beg you. Take it back. Curse me instead. Take away my life. Give me the most painful death."
The woman stared blankly at the queen. "You are a mother. You must know what I just went through. Your husband ripped away my heart".
"Yes. And now you want to rip away mine. I beg you. As a mother. Spare my son. He is just a child. He is five years old. My son is innocent. Kill me."
The woman took a step forward and looked in the eyes of the queen. "I said what I said. On the next full moon, your son will die."
A loud clap was heard in the silence of the cemetry as the queen slapped the woman who cursed her son. The woman's head was yanked on her side.
"My son won't die. I won't let anyone harm my son".
The woman merely looked back at the queen. The queen couldn't look at that face. She slapped her again. And again. Then, the woman held the queen's hand. Two mothers looked at each other desperately to do the right for their children.
"You should've slapped your husband".
The queen ran towards her husband. "Tell her to take back her curse. Make her take it back. Aren't you a powerful king? Tell her not to punish your son for your sins!"
The king rose to his feet. His eyes were red with regret and pain. He looked at the mother of the witch he killed and said in a voice, no one who knew him ever heard from him. A voice which was scared and was about to beg the very first time in life.
"Spare my son, please."
One side of the woman's mouth quirked up. It wasn't a smile. It was empty of any emotion. It was just as blank as her eyes.
Queen Amanda went to her mother-in-law. "Mother, do something. Save my child, please. Make her take it back. Why should my son be punished for something your son did?"
The dowager queen looked at the witch with guiltful tears in her eyes. Before she could even say anything, the witch held up her palm. "Nothing anyone say or do can make me change my mind."
The witch went to where her daughter laid. Sitting beside her, she caressed a palm over her dead daughter's cheek. "I will make them pay for your death".
She stood up. Opening up her arms widely, palm-up, she looked up in the direction of the moon. "My holy moon, I sacrifice myself to keep my curse alive. The king will cry for his heir. Fulfill my ultimate desire for I trade my soul for it to you".
She closed her eyes and the next moment the woman's body was engulfed in fire.
Everybody widened their eyes seeing this.
"No!" The dowager queen screamed. She looked at Charles and his son. "Don't let her die. She must not die without taking back the curse. Stop the fire!"
Charles removed his cloak and began to dab hardly on the fire. The king joined him to do the same. The dowager queen threw the soil over the fire with the help of the shovel Charles used to dig the ground. Abondoning his jacket, Charles ran to the gate of the cemetry and a moment later returned with a bucket in each hand. He splashed the water in them to the fire. They all kept doing their tasks but queen Amanda realised it was futile. Fire had engulfed both the witches's body in a matter of moments. She weeped loudly. Cried for her child and fell on her knees.
The dowager queen dropped the shovel amd ran towards her daughter-in-law whose cries peirced the entire cemetry. "Amanda. Quiet, my child." She ran a loving hand over the queen's hair. "We'll do something".
Queen Amanda shook her head and weeped. "My Aaron, mother! My sweet innocent child. She will take him away."
"I promise nothing will happen to our Aaron. He will stay with you." She looked up. "Charles, get Erasmus. As soon as you can. Go!"
Charles nodded and hurried out of the cemetry.
"Erasmus will surely find a way, Amanda." No words soothed the queen. She covered her mouth with her hands and sobbed loudly. Tears ran down her eyes when she closed them, gathering at her hands.
"Don't cry, my child. Get up. Go to Aaron. Look after him."
Hearing her beloved son's name, the queen opened her eyes and stood up. "Yes. I must look after him". Chanting his name, she ran out of the cemetry, in the palace towards her chamber where she had left her children sleeping. She didn't care about any guards seeing her, any servants passing her.
Reaching the chamber, she yanked open the doors and looked towards the bed. She found both her children there, their tiny heads peeking out of the single blanket they covered themselves with. She walked silently towards them. She breathed a sigh of immense relief when she saw their chests rising and falling in a steady rhythm with their breaths. They slept peacefully, unaware of the chaos their father had caused. New tears of sadness pooled in her eyes.
She sat beside little Aaron who had his mouth wide open. The queen pushed his little chin slightly upward to close his mouth, which just closed and then opened again. The queen smiled and sobbed on the same breath. Taking his tiny hand in hers, she kissed his every knuckle, his palm, his fist, over and over.
Throughout the remaining night, she stayed beside her children, watching over them, watching over their steady breathing and peaceful faces. She sat beside Aaron caressing his hair, then beside Amelia stroking her cheek. Never for a moment did she avert her eyes. She would never let anyone harm them, she decided. As long as she was alive, she would guard them from the devil and danger and even the death.