"My goodness, Charlie!!",Nadia wailed,the news of Charlie's death just got to her,the story was that he was killed by nomadics that roamed the forests ,she tried so hard to conceal her tears,to everyone Charles was her brother,but to her,he was a friend,a companion and a lover.
Sabrina stood beside her trying to console her,she was not sure whether it was the right time to divulge the current situation Lilibeth was in to her.
The news of a witch who escaped with the Archbishop was all over England,the identity of the witch was left for speculation but Sabrina had initially sent a spy to tale Lilibeth when she went on the voyage to the crystal cave with the instructions not to interfere with whatever fate might bring her way.
She wondered if she was wrong in doing this, at least the spy could have helped Lilibeth when she escaped the collapse of the crystal cave weak.
She placed her hand across Nadia shoulders,"I'm going to have to tell you something, please promise me, you'll be fine?"
"How can i promise that Sabrina,i just lost the one person I can actually talk to and my daughter is in God knows where"Nadia wept.
"There is a news circulating across England,the witch slayer Bishop, Baldwin is said to have kidnapped a witch who was captured by the royal guards,my informant just confirmed that this said witch is Lilibeth,we don't know where she currently is at the moment or if she is safe".
"This is all your fault,i spent eighteen years, eighteen years!!!, protecting my child from this fucked up world of yours , but you insisted,you used your charms to give her unsettling dreams,your tortured her untill she had no choice but to go on this mission of yours,now she is in the hands of a cold blooded killer,your better do everything you can to find my daughter or I'll tell the entire town that you and your cohorts are just a bunch of witches " Nadia yelled as she stormed of into the town.
"Nadia wait !!,it has not gotten to that "
********
Central England was in chaos,the Archbishop Baldwin kidnapped a witch?,the topic was in every tarven, Nobles and peasants had different notions of what happened, maybe he has gone soft and he wants to save the witch from the wrath of the queen, maybe he fell in love with the witch,he definitely kidnapped her so he could teach her a personal lesson.
Tension filled the royal court , the queen was furious,this was a direct slap on her face,one of the most respected men in England had just publicly defiled her orders and even left the city without her knowledge.
She had the City gate keepers and the bishops assistant rounded up all kneeling before her throne,as a scare ,she had all the soldiers who were put in the dungeon for initially refusing to divulge the witch hunt information beheaded.She believed this would scare the recent captives into spilling whatever information they have.
She head the executioner on standby, looking sternly at the gate keeper and the Archbishop's assistant she said
"I don't care whom your loyalty lies with,i don't care whatever he is got on you or what he gave you to warrant you aiding him to excape this city,he disobeyed this throne,his actions are a threat to this throne!,it is treason and either of you who helped him do this is punishable for the same of offence.....but you can save your self,a lighter sentence or even,hey..maybe total exoneration if one of you tells me where the Archbishop is hiding or where he went "
They were all silent, profusely sweating as if they were being boiled.
This made Queen Diana more furious,if there was anything she hated it was weak men,it made her irritated,she turned the executioner,
"kill the second guard".
In the split of a second,the head of one of the guards was separated from his body,his blood was everywhere,the Lords and Nobles gasped, they were in fear,the fury of the queen was something to be avoided because ot could be redirected quickly.
Queen Diana smiled ,calmly she asked again,"Where is Archbishop Baldwin?"
"He said he was going to France your majesty"the bishops assistant blurted out .
"France,thank you deacon..., executioner release the assistant and throw the rest into the Loins pit, and someone clean up this mess".
******
"You don't want to know girl, some things are greater than you "Archbishop Baldwin replied.
Lilibeth was not convinced,she only heard about vampires in folklores ,she never believed they existed, just like she did with witches,so nothing surprised her anymore"you're a vampire,but why does the sun not hurt you?".
This question triggered Archbishop Baldwin, he became unusually furious ,he grabbed Lilibeth by the neck and shoved her into the tree,
"You're really pushing me girl, I'm warning you for the last time"
He let go of Lilibeth who simply fell to the floor,"well of you must know,yes I'm a vampire but not your regular vampire,you see,the reason you're not dead yet ,is because I'm just like you,a victim of an abnormal mating,you see my mom, a vampire had to get herself pregnant with a lesser creature which result ended up being me,a daywalker,the first of it's kind,my clan threw me out,they belittled me,but you my dear little miss Lilibeth will change that narrative,you see your blood is a special kind, and I'll keep you captive, draining you gently untill you make me the most powerful vampire in the entire world ".
"You're nothing but a beast, and you won't get anything from me,you'll be hanged by your queen and if she does not ,I'll do so myself,you'll not get away with this . Lilibeth spat at him
Archbishop Baldwin laughed "You see, that's where you're wrong Lilibeth,i have already gotten away with it and their is nothing you or anybody else can do about it.
Again,he grabbed Lilibeth by the kneck,they both struggled as he fed her the liquid he used to sedate her earlier,in no time she passed out ,he placed her back on the horse ,cleaned up and continued the journey to France.
****
Cardinal Matheo was at the gate,he was there to make sure Archbishop Baldwin had a smooth entrance into Avignon,the tension between France and England was still on even though the war has ended at the appearance of an English cleric with a sedated young lady was not a good sight to see.
"Let him pass", Cardinal Matheo ordered the guard who wanted to question Baldwin .
"Welcome to Avignon my dear friend"said Cardinal Matheo as he embraced Archbishop Baldwin,he ushered him into his carriage .
"Bring the the girl"he ordered one of his guards.
"Archbishop,I hear you're a wanted man,the whole of France has heard the news of an Archbishop who escaped England with a witch,i'm sure word had gotten to Rome by now,i must say it's wise of you coming here dressed like a commoner".
"Are we going to have a problem Cardinal", Archbishop Baldwin asked.
Cardinal Matheo laughed,"there is need to be paranoid Baldwin,we go way back,and if you were in harm's way ,i definitely would have let you know,your queen has no authority here,it's even safe to say nobody knows you here, you're perfectly safe friend".
Archbishop Baldwin was not convinced"And the guards who i met at the gate,they saw me with the girl, won't they say anything "
"You're giving this too much Archbishop,those guards are loyal to me,i put them there , they know better than to spill anything knowing you're affiliated with me"Cardinal Matheo reassured.
"Look we are here " the carriage entered into the residence of the Cardinal,a beautiful edifice,his palace was adorned with so much gold that one could mistake his residence for the royal palace.
"Take the girl to the basement and tie her up"Cardinal Matheo ordered his guards ,he then turned to Archbishop Baldwin,"You and I are going to have ourselves a reunion party before we get to the little breasts matter okay?".
Archbishop Baldwin Nodded.
*****
"Thank you for dinner Matheo,i have been feeding on herbs since I left England that i might grow a tree soon"Archbishop Baldwin teased.
"Well Archbishop,we are kings, and we have to live like one "Archbishop Matheo laughed .
"Now Baldwin, onto the serious business your letter wasn't clear enough ,you said the girl in my basement is the descendant of Adam himself?"
Archbishop Baldwin smiled with confidence, from the look on Cardinal Matheo's face he was deeply invested, and he would use his enthusiasm to achieve his own goals.
"She is not just Adam's descendant,the blood of Hecate & Lilith runs through her vains,she is royalty".
Cardinal Matheo was skeptical"Are you sure Baldwin?, believe me,i know there is existence of powers beyond us but all this sounds like a fairytale to me".
"Every word i have said is as true as it gets Matheo,when have you ever known me as someone that bluffs " Archbishop Baldwin responded.
"Well i guess we'll see about this tomorrow,fit the meantime,it's time i go put my old self to sleep "said Cardinal Matheo as he stood up from his dining seat and made his way to his room.
*******
Cardinal Matheo was woken up in the middle of the night by a sound from the basement,the basement was directly under his bedchamber and even the slightest noise could wake him,he got up from the bed and tightened his night robe and went down to the basement,he met Lilibeth sleeping soundly in a cage which he put in the basement after he got the message from Archbishop Baldwin that he was coming with captive.
He got close to the cage,he stared at Lilibeth, and for a minute he had pity on her,the little girl did not choose to be born a witch he thought,as he was about to leave, Lilibeth suddenly grabbed his arm from the cage "You have to let me go,you can't trust that man,he is not what he says he is,he is a beast....."