Amelia's Fate Hanging In the Balance - Chapter Forty Eight

Amelia followed the wizard down a staircase where she could feel a cool draft. She had never seen this part of the castle before.

Amelia was shocked at the sight before her eyes. There was blood on the floors and lots of odd-looking things that just didn't look good. Amelia started to get scared when the wizard stopped in front of a room with bars for the doors. "You are to remain here until I send for you," he told her.

"Please! Please! Don't put me in here! I'll do as you ask! Just don't put me into this cage," Amelia pleaded."No, you have to be here," he replied."I have committed no crime. Why do I have to stay in a dungeon?" she asked, panic in her voice. "Because the queen demands it," he responded sternly. "You knew her intentions this whole time. Why would you trick me and my family with false hope?" Amelia asked. "I do not know what the queen's intentions are. I just do as I'm told. I will let the queen know you are here. Hopefully, she will release you from the dungeon soon," the wizard said as he opened the door to the cell.  

Amelia walked into the wet, damp cell and felt despair overcome her. She broke down and began to cry. "Why must I endure this!? I don't understand why the queen hates me," she yelled as the walls echoed her cries. 

After many hours, she finally calmed down and sat alone in the dim cell as she awaited her fate. 

The next day, Amelia was taken to the wizard's cottage. He met her and handed her a red bottle of liquid."Drink!" he commanded."What is this?" she asked. "It doesn't matter; you must drink it," he told her. She stared for a moment at the bottle and realized she had no choice. She drank it and felt every inch of her body burn with fire as the potion spread through her body. Amelia gasped and began to scream out in pain. 

Amelia collapsed to the floor in a daze. She couldn't move or speak. "The adjustments on the potion must be off. The queen will be mad when she finds out it didn't work. I must not let her know until I know for sure. I will have another one prepared for when you awake," he told Amelia as she lay lifeless on the floor. 

Amelia was born to test the potion on for James when she got older. Her reaction to the potion would determine if James could be cured and the baby if it was born with the curse like James and Amelia. 

He had the guard come and take her lifeless body back to the dungeon to wait and see if she showed any effects from the potion. 

A lady was selected to tend to Amelia, watch her progress, and inform the wizard of her condition.

She was placed on the wooden bench, and the lady tended to her to make her as comfortable as possible.

A few days passed, and Amelia still lay there with no signs of recovery. The wizard feared that she would never wake up. 

Then, on the third day, she awoke to sharp pains all over her body. She began to throw up as she cried out in pain. 

After she threw up several times in the course of a few hours, she grew weak and drifted back into a deep sleep. The wizard was thrilled with the news. He would test the new potion out at its full dose when she woke up again. 

Sarah, Amelia's sister and a good friend of James snuck out of the cottage and went off towards the castle to find James and ask him what had happened to her sister. Sarah managed to bypass the guards by pretending to be one of the court's servants. She then made her way toward James's part of the castle. Sarah managed to find James as he entered the hallway. She ran up to him quickly. "Have you seen Amelia?! She was brought back here over a week ago," she asked straight away. James was shocked to hear that Amelia had been there so long and he hadn't seen her. "No, I haven't seen her. They must have her somewhere out of sight! That wizard is always up to no good." he told her, alarmed that he knew nothing of Amelia's whereabouts.

"If she's here, I will find her. Speak of this to no one! I don't want anyone growing suspicious. Meet me out in the field, but do not let yourself be seen!" he told her. "Ok, I'll see you there," she replied. She watched as James ran off, and then she carefully left the castle and headed towards the field to hide.

He searched everywhere but could not find any signs of Amelia. That left only one other place to look. He knew when the guards would switch their posts. That allowed him some time to slip in without being seen. 

To his shock, he saw Amelia in a cell, locked up and lifeless on the floor. "Amelia! Amelia! It's James. Wake up!" he yelled at her. She didn't respond to him at all. He feared that he was too late. "What did they do to her, and what if she's dead?!" he thought as he tried desperately to open the door.

A lady's voice startled James. He turned around to find a lady standing there. "You're not supposed to be down here. If they find out you're here, everyone will be in trouble," she told him. 

"Why do they have this girl here?" he asked. "I don't know why they have her down here. I'm just supposed to take care of her. She's really ill, and I think the wizard has done something to her. He is the one who assigned me to tend to her and keep him posted on her condition. I fear it has something to do with the curse and your child-to-be." she replied hesitantly. "Tell no one I was here," James said as he turned toward the door to look at Amelia. "I will get you out of here. Stay strong," he said as he gave her one last look and headed back up the stairs. 

James found Sarah in the field waiting on him a short time later. "I found her. She's in the dungeon. I can't get her to respond, and the wizard is up to something. I know it. I have a bad feeling that they are trying to find a cure for the baby Julia is carrying." he told her.

Sarah was horrified at what James had just told her. "She doesn't deserve this, James! He's going to kill her! I just know it!" she exclaimed as panic and fear overcame her. "I can tell you this, they're wasting their time. That baby isn't even going to have the curse because it's not mine!" he informed her. "What are we going to do?! I told her that I would protect her!" she asked him. "I'm not sure, but we have to think of something before her time runs out... if we're not already too late," he replied.