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.

Amelia Returns To The Castle - Chapter Forty Seven

Amelia's older sister, Sara, noticed Amelia was shutting herself up in her room. It had been months, and she knew something needed to be done. So she decided to come to cheer her up."OK, you need to pull yourself together. I know your heart is broken, and it seems like life can't get any worse, but it will get better. We all have been through this before. You're still young, and you will find a man to love you for who you are." Sara told Amelia.

"I know, but I can't go anywhere or do anything. No one even knows about me. I'm not allowed to leave here or even go to the market. I just wanted to be with James; I would have been so happy with that. He liked me for who I was, but now I must forget everything about him. He married Julia." Amelia told her bigger sister.

"I want to do your hair and make you a special dress," Sara told her. She began by letting her hair down so her loose curls could hang down by her face. Then she had Amelia put on a pretty blue dress. "Oh, you're so pretty with your hair down. You need to do it more often. You will have all the guys at court wanting to marry you." she told her little sis with confidence.  

"Thank you. I don't know how I would have survived this without you. You are the best sister any girl could ever have." Amelia replied as she gave her a big hug.

Now feeling better, Amelia wanted to get a bit of sunlight before heading to bed. She knew she couldn't stay out long before light skin would burn. She lay on the ground, staring into the pond, watching the fish swim. 

After sleeping the day away, Amelia jumped on her horse to ride around the field. This was one of her favorite things to do. "Come on, let's go," she told her horse, nudging him forward.

Months started to go by, and Amelia stopped crying herself to sleep every night. Life was pretty simple, and Amelia loved it. She would play with her older sisters, sometimes having pillow fights. It never failed; her sister could always manage to get her good.

Amelia broke out in laughter after she had been defeated by her sister. "Ok, you win this time!" Amelia called out. She couldn't take another blow.

The sun was still out and bright, so she sat by the fire to watch the flames dance.

She sat there almost in a trance and, for one brief moment, thought of James. "We used to sit by the fire and tell stories to each other," she thought to herself.

She stood up and shook it off. "I can't think like this. I have to get over it. He was now married to Julia. I'll probably never see him again. I'm sure he has forgotten about me with his new life." she thought.

There was a knock at the cottage door. It was the wizard, and he needed to talk to Kara. She knew it wasn't good to ever see the wizard. Her heart sank when she walked over to meet him, fearing the worst. "I have been summoned to bring Amelia back to the castle," he told Kara. "Why?" she asked, immediately alarmed. "I can't tell you. I have my orders," he explained."What if she doesn't want to go back to the castle? Kara said. "You don't have a choice when it comes to the queen. She did raise her, I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about," He told her.

Her father turned to Amelia. " The wizard has come for you. The queen is requesting you to return to the castle," her dad told her. Amelia thought for one moment that James wanted her back. Her heart began to race.

However, her father's face told a different story. He broke down into tears. "I'm sorry I have failed you as a father. I'm supposed to protect you," he told Amelia as he sobbed. This brought tears to Amelia's eyes. You are the best father any girl could ever have," she told him.

Amelia sank down, realizing she didn't want to leave. She really enjoyed being around her family more than the castle. "I don't want to leave. I want to stay. Do I have no say in this?" she asked. "I'm afraid not, sweetheart. You have to go," he told her sadly.

This made Sara angry."You have no right to take her! She belongs with her family. You and the whole royal family have tortured her enough!" she shouted at the wizard.

"Do you want to defy her majesty? She will kill anyone that stands in her way. Do you want your family to die!" he shouted back at Sara. "Run! Amelia, get out of here!" she yelled at Amelia.

Amelia darted out the door and across the field.

The wizard darted around the corner fast after Amelia. He knew he couldn't return to the castle without her.

She was already on her horse and almost out of his sight. "Stop! I demand you to stop! If you don't, the queen will kill your entire family!" he shouted loud enough so Amelia could hear his threats.

Amelia stopped in fear of what they may do to her family. She unmounted her horse and walked over to the wizard. "Why is it you can't leave me alone!? I just want to live in peace!" she asked the wizard.

"I do not have to explain myself to you. I was told to bring you to the castle, and that's what I'm going to do. Go pack your things and meet me at the carriage," he told her.

She walked into the cottage to say goodbye to her family. First, she found her father. She hugged him tightly. "I'll be alright; this is my fate. I'm a big girl now," she told him. "I will not stop till I free you from them," he said as he hugged her tighter. "Take care of mother and my sisters. I will be ok. I grew up in the castle, and James is there, she replied. 

Then, her mother ran over to her. "I love you. Maybe one day we will be together again like before," she told Amelia and then hugged her. "We will look for the day of your return. If you need us, just send us a message," her mother told her. "I will, she replied as she hugged her one more time. 

As Amelia gathered some of her things, Kara and Mark feared the worst. "I bet it has something to do with that baby of Julia's. I fear our daughter's life is at stake once again," Kara told Mark. I hope not. Hopefully, it is out of kindness that the queen wants her back. She did raise her like her own," he said. 

Amelia climbed into the cart with the wizard and prepared to leave. Her whole family gathered outside to see her off. They didn't know if this would be the last time they would see their daughter.

Julia's Pregnancy - Chapter Forty Six

Still feeling sick, Julia knew what her mother said to be true. It was only a matter of time before she started to show, and James refused to be with her.

She kept throwing up, but it seemed to be getting better, and no one seemed to notice except her mother.

"You can't hide your condition anymore; you'll have to lie. You look pregnant, and the queen and James will confront you," she told Julia."I will tell her as soon as I see her that James and I are expecting a child. If I get to her first, she may believe me over him," she told her mom.

Julia ran into James in the banquet hall. He had been avoiding her and noticed that she looked pregnant. What's going on, Julia?" James asked."What do you mean?" Julia responded nonchalantly."You look like you're with child, and we have not been together. That's not my child!" James exclaimed furiously.

"I didn't care who you were with, but did you have to get pregnant?! I'm not raising another man's child! And I will not claim this baby as my own!" James told her. "Please don't tell! I will play it off as ours, but you will not need to have anything to do with it!" Julia pleaded. 

"No! I will not!" James shouted at her.

"I'm going to tell everyone that we're expecting," Julia said a few moments later after gathering herself and her thoughts."I will deny it, and you will be charged with treason," James told her, showing no emotion other than hostility toward her."Well, we will see what your mother says about this. I bet she believes me." Julia replied confidently and stormed out of the room.

James found his mom in her room."I have something to tell you. Julia is pregnant." James told her as she cut him off. "Oh, I'm so proud of you. I get to be a grandmother," she replied excitedly.

"No! No! It's not mine," he told her."Oh, I know you're not ready to be a father. Still, you will do fine," she told him confidently."You don't understand. I have not been with her at all. I can't be the father," he told her as he tried to make her understand."That's nonsense! I will see for myself. You need not lie," she exclaimed. "But!" James managed to get out."Stop it! I will hear no more!" she yelled, cutting him off again.

Kristen found Julia in her old room. "So it is true. Are you with child?" she said. Yes, indeed, Your Majesty, James and I are truly blessed. I bet you're so happy to be a grandmother!" Julia replied enthusiastically.

"So you and my son have been together?" she asked sternly."Why, yes, we have. We are married, and we were together on our wedding night and still are. Why do you ask?" Julia asked, ensuring she kept a straight face. "He claims it's not his and that he has not been with you," she told Julia while watching her face for any trace of a lie. "That's just crazy; he's just afraid of your majesty. We have been married for several months now. How could this be? Why would he tell such a lie and hurt me so?" Julia replied, acting hurt and in despair at the thought. Kristen sighed. "I have no idea, but I will have a talk with him," she replied.

When she knew she could get away from everyone, she met up with Derick."I'm definitely pregnant with your child," she told him. 

"Oh my, we are done for," he replied. "No, we are safe. The queen believes James is lying and that this is his child. And as long as she believes it, you will be able to watch him, or she grows up." she told Derick happily.

"I hope it's a boy. I will love and cherish this child even though I know I can't be a father to it. I know James will have nothing to do with this child; he knows it's not his. Hopefully, when the child gets older, I might be able to reveal my true identity and be a good father." he told her as he rubbed her belly.

"I have to go now. We can't risk getting caught. He stays at the castle now and no longer takes his rides like he used to do." she told him, looking around again to be sure no one was around to see them. She quickly kissed him goodbye and then snuck back into the castle. 

"Oh, how big you're getting! We need to start preparing a nursery." her mom told her. "Yes, I'm excited to have this child. This will ensure my place as queen," she replied confidently.

Kristen found James waiting in her room. "I have seen Julia, and she is with child. I don't know why you are being so mean to her and not even claiming your own child. You have been married for several months and have said nothing about it. You share a bed with her. I can't believe this lie you're trying to tell me." she confronted him.

"I don't care! This child is not mine! She has committed treason, and I will have nothing to do with her or this child. I don't care if you believe me or not. I have not, or will I ever, be with her in that way. I do not love her!" James yelled at his mom. This made Kristen very angry, and she began to yell at James."You will be with her and stop these lies! You will love this child and treat your wife with the respect she deserves. I will hear no more of this! Now go before you anger me further." Kristen told him.

Julia was getting bigger, and it wouldn't be long before the baby would arrive. So Kristen started making preparations for the nurses to be at the castle for her new grandchild's birth.

The Priest called for the nuns and nurses to tell them the news of the soon-to-be-born heir to the throne. "I will need both of you to go to the castle straight away and await the birth. She's due any day now," he told them.

Sister Mary and Sister Sarah arrived at the castle and met with Julia.

"You look wonderful, and it looks like we have a few weeks or a month to go before your due. We will make all the preparations for the birth." Sister Mary told her.

Do you think I have another month to go before the baby comes? I feel like I'm going to pop." Julia said as she giggled. "Well, according to your due date, you have about a month or so, but things sometimes don't always go as planned," she told Julia.