Chapter 93 - The Witch...

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The Author's POV.

"The people are happy with you Stefan" Sigurd told him. Stefan had told them not to call him by any title because they were friends and equal.

"Please don't start Sigurd. What are we going to do today, ?" He asked them. Each time he came to the village his friends would organized exciting adventures.  He wondered what it would be this time around.

"There is no adventure today man. Everyone is preparing for your Brother's party" Mustapha said. "They said is a boy , is that true?"

"I don't care about that . Let nothing spoil our fun" Stefan shrugged. He didn't know what was so interesting about his brother's party. A party that would have not taken place if it was a girl. ????

"No need of asking Mustapha" Sigurd tapped him on the shoulders. "From his reaction, It's obvious that Stefan has another nephew instead of niece."

"Can we go now?" The young prince asked his friends. He changed the topic deliberately.

"Yes. We will take the horse to the well first. He has to drink water. Is not his fault that your brother's wife gave birth to a boy" Sigurd teased. He wanted Stefan to talk about it instead of holding them back. It's such a painful thing that his friend came from a family that never consider his opinion.

"I refused to be annoyed by you" He told Sigurd. Turning to Mustapha, he said, "let's go the well. The horse is thirsty." Mustapha followed him behind while Sigurd keep on asking questions about the child. At a point, Stefan's mind traveled far and he forgot about his friend who kept babbling.

The well was dug in the center of the village. He was the one who paid the workers for the work done and made sure that the water was safe for drinking. Before then, the villagers drank water from streams and when it's was dried, people would go miles just to look for water.

On his twenty – second birthday, which was twenty months ago, prince Stefan decided to celebrate it in the village with the people and with the help of his friends, they found workers that would dig the well quickly.

"The well that got you almost killed" Mustapha reminded him, when they got to there. "The most funniest thing was that the king threw the offerings away from the altar. For a second, I thought the gods would punish him but they didn't" his face dropped as he continued. "Anyway, we are glad that nothing happened to you."

"I remembered you telling the villagers that your brother asked you to dig the well. But, they still sang praises in your name" Sigurd said, cutting one of the tall grasses close by. "Why are you so different from him ?"

"I don't know. Maybe you should ask the gods" Stefan answered pointing towards the village temple. He could still remember that day vividly. How Lincoln did not hesitate to throw a  spear that almost nailed him to the wall. The king  thought Stefan lied to him about the well because his name was sang by the people not the king's.

Later on, an information reached the king that the people named the well as Stefan's well. And a statue of him was placed  on the cover of it. Lincoln was furious and he thought his brother lied to him. Since that day, he saw Stefan as a threat his throne.

"Even the gods are surprised that the two of you are blood brothers" Mustapha said.

"My relationship with my brother is one that I don't even understand how and when things went wrong. All I know is that we are not close despite everything I have done to help Stefan said bitterly. He hated the fact that the only sibling he had no love for him.

"Don't worry Stefan. We are with you okay?" Mustapha comforted him. "By the way, who is going to draw the water? ???? There is no maiden to help."

"You don't have to worry , man" Stefan said, tying the horse to a pole. "I will do it."

"You!" ???? His friends exclaimed. They stopped what ever they were doing and stared at him. He finished with the horse. Stefan was not surprised with their behaviors. He was used to them.

"I said I will draw the water" he repeated his words.

"Don't mess around with words prince Stefan. We still love you and I am sure your mother does too" Sigurd said, waiting for Mustapha to back him up. He did by nodding his head in agreement. "Please, don't bother about fetching the water. We can do it on our own."

"Yes my Lord" Mustapha added with a bowed. The scene looked funny but Stefan held his laughter. These two boys were doing exactly what queen mother Daria would do if she was here. He had never drew water from a well before this was the first and he felt like giving it a try.

"I want to do please. I want to learn now" he insisted, moving towards the well. But his friends stopped him. They block his way , each time he wanted to move.

"We are not ready to mourn a brother. I will fetch for you" Mustapha said, going to the well. He started drawing water while Sigurd held Prince Stefan back.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Sigurd asked him. He was looking at a different direction.

"Who are you talking about?" Stefan asked, while his eyes searched around for whoever Sigurd was referring.

"That young angel coming there" he slapped his friend's arms gently. "Look left please."

When Stefan turned , his eyes fell on the most beautiful creature he has ever seen. Her face shone like a star. Her emerald eyes were green and large. Her upper lip was thick. The maiden looked like she was in her early twenties. Her dark long hair touched her buttocks as she walked. Stefan wondered if such hair was ordinary.

The maiden dropped her bucket and waited for Mustapha to finish drawing water.  She didn't even looked at them for as second. All the time, her eyes were on the well.

Instead of drawing water quickly, Mustapha kept on looking at her. The maiden did not utter a word to any of them. She waited for her turn patiently. When the boys were done, she took the rope and started drawing water.

They tried talking to her but she didn't respond to them. When her bucket was full, she took it and left.

"Why didn't she say anything to us?" Stefan asked his friends. He considered the girl to be different from the others. Because a normal village girl would have greeted them more than ten times just for him to notice her. Most times, if he crossed paths with any of those girls by chance, he would run and hide. Stefan wondered how his brother could keep so many women.

"You don't know her?" Sigurd asked, losing the tied horse. Their job was done here and they needed to rotate.

"Do not play jokes with us Stefan" Mustapha added. They were surprised that he didn't know who that beautiful maiden was.

"This is my first time  of seeing her in the village" he said, running his hand through his blonde hair.

"We know you are saying the truth. It is a surprise that you don't know the most beautiful maiden in Akkad" Sigurd started. "She lives with her family at the outskirt of the village."

"What is her name ?" Stefan asked them. He was curious about this girl all of a sudden.

"Her name? Nobody knows. She has never utter a word to any one before. Like I said , she lives at the outskirts of the village" Sigurd, said as they began to walk.

"That's strange" the prince mumbled. "A rare case or what do this think Mustapha?"

"Yes it is. They said she is  a witch" ????  Mustapha said in a low tone. "That's why her family live far away from the villagers. She is also the best dancer the village has ever produced."

"I see. She has many qualities than I thought" Stefan said.

"Yes but stay away from that creepy family and their daughter. They are many tales about them that scares people. I have no explanations to give your mother if any thing happens to you" Sigurd warned him.

"I understand what you meant by that."  He remembered how his friends were locked up in the dungeon for two days when he wanted to run away from the palace. When he heard that they were locked up by his mother, Stefan had no choice but to return home.

"Don't you worry handsome prince, we will find a good maiden for you" Mustapha made a joke. Sigurd let out a loud laughter. He knew that the prince was not ready to settle down. The reason was that queen mother Daria would start requesting for a male child after his wedding night.. Stefan was not ready to bring a woman to suffer in the hands of his family. ????