Slowly, the doors in front of you opened and you gave yourself a quick glance-over to make sure you looked presentable for the royal affair you were so humbly invited to. The room was lined with tables decorated with white linens and beautiful flowers of a variety of colors; everyone sat in wooden chairs that had soft cushions built into the seat for comfort; multiple chandeliers hung down from the ceiling, each candle glowing bright and giving the room an ethereal glow; tapestries were spread out along the walls depicting different events made by long dead rulers. However, all of that paled in comparison to the royal family that sat on top of a large platform, every one of them dressed to the nines for this event. On either side of them, sitting on specially crafted chairs, sat some fairies that were quietly chatting and enjoying their meals.
The King, a large man with a long white beard and a flowing cape, stood and clinked a spoon against a crystalline wine glass, hushing everyone. You quickly found your seat, feeling a bit more self-conscious and envious than you did before you came here.
“My dear citizens, I thank you for joining us here today to honor our favorite fairies,” he gestured to the ends of the tables where the fairies sat, “and their noble deeds for our kingdom.” The room erupted in applause. The person next to you gripped their glass so hard as he continued, you feared it might break. “These people have showed great loyalty to their king, and through quite a bit of debating, have joined the royal guard in our efforts to rid the kingdom of those dreadful witches!”
The person next to you, a woman, smashed her glass against the table and shot out of her seat. “We witches have had enough of your unfair treatment and the continuous inequality this kingdom shows! We are tired of being tormented and labeled as villains, judged for deeds that we did not do! If you want to see villainy, I will show you villainy!” Her hand quickly extended towards the King and Queen as words tumbled past her lips. Everyone seemed to react at once, the royal guard quickly charged towards her; the fairies began to chant their own spells in an attempt to counter the woman’s; and the Queen moved to cover her husband, a futile endeavour to protect him.
As the last words to the incantation slipped past the stranger’s lips, the King and Queen fell to the floor in a jumble of limbs, their eyes glassy and skin pale. The guards grabbed the criminal and forced her onto her knees as she laughed, screaming, “Try as you might, we witches will vanquish any foe that stands before us! Be it fairies or knights, none shall stop us from conquering and ruling over all of you! We will take what we rightfully deserve!” One knight pulled out their sword and silenced the witch for good.
People started to murmur and the fairies began to insist that the two princesses return to their quarters for safety. “No,” shouted the older princess, breaking free from the grip the fairies had on her arm, “I won’t stand for it! Guards!” She stood and righted herself. “I demand that you lock all the doors and prevent anyone from leaving! We will find these witches and smite them all here and now! I will get revenge for my parents, your King and Queen!”
The guards shared a look with each other. As the acting head, they had no choice but to obey her. They latched all the doors shut, locking everyone inside. Glancing around at everyone stuck in here with you, you could only hope that you found the witches before they found you.