The Devil's Cursed Witch

"Keep watch on Shanel and if there is anything that is about to go wrong, protect her. Help her in secret with whatever she does."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Sooner or later, he would be able to meet his daughter once more.

Just as Gregor thought that everything was over, the leader of the King's knights once again appeared in his chamber.

"Crown Prince, His Majesty has summoned you to his study."

Gregor frowned inwardly, but had no choice but to receive the summon. While wondering what new kind of torture the King had cooked up, he went to the King's study where King Tredor was waiting for him.

From his grave expression, it was clear that he was waiting to drop one more shocking news at him.

Gregor formally bowed to him. "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

King Tredor gazed at him without a word, and it was his aide who was standing next to his desk who responded to the greeting. The aide opened the scroll he was holding in his hand.

"Gregor Valor, kneel before the royal edict given by His Majesty King Tredor, the 23rd King of Valor."

The Crown Prince kneeled with a bad premonition.

"From this moment onward, records of Sephina Valor, the second wife of Gregor Valor, will be erased from the royal annals and archives. Anything related to her and the child she had given birth to will be erased from the records of the royal family accordingly, and it will be prohibited by the laws of the land to bring up her and her child's existence.

"In accordance with this, Gregor Valor, you are refrained from ever acknowledging the existence of the cursed child, regardless if she happens to survive or not. Contact, be it direct or not, will constitute treason against the crown. If any of your men are spotted doing so, you will be held responsible as a criminal of the highest offence.

"From this moment on, the cursed child on that mountain is nobody to you. As an evil thing ordained to bring destruction to the kingdom, you are ordered to use all means to kill that child the moment she leaves the mountain that suppresses her evil tendencies or the moment she fulfils her evil destiny and harms the people of this land.

"On the instance that you fail to follow the words written in this royal edict, Gregor Valor will be stripped of his title as the Crown Prince and would be declared as a traitor who committed the crime of treason. As punishment, the traitor along with his family would be given the death penalty and executed in public."

A bitter chuckle echoed inside the study.

'Why am I not even surprised?'

A gleam of madness flashed in Gregor's eyes as he heard the advisor ceremoniously close the scroll in his hand.

"Kindly accept the royal edict, Gregor Valor."

Gregor accepted the decree with him still kneeling on the floor. At this moment, acting as per what the King said was the best option. Just as he stood up and was about ready to leave after bowing to King Tredor, he was stopped.

"Gregor," the King called.

He gazed at the heartless man with frigid eyes. "Is there anything else, Your Majesty?"

"It is the will of a king that I am leaving for you. You know you cannot go against this will even after my death. If you go against this, the royal court will have the right to execute the order given in this edict. So do not be foolish to think after I die and you become the king, that you can undo my will. Even after my death, you and your family will be punished for violating my edict."

"I know, Your Majesty. Thank you for your guidance. I am humbled by your boundless wisdom."

Gregor bowed to his father for the last time, carrying a weakness that his father had created for him for his future. Once he was crowned the King of Valor, the noble faction of the royal court would want to use it against him to decrease the power of the royal family, and he would have to be careful if he wanted to protect his wife and children.

'What a useless king I am destined to be, to be unable to do anything for my one and only daughter.'

When he stepped out of the study, his knight who was waiting for him outside the study silently followed him back to his chamber. Gregor explained everything to him and the knight could not help but feel bad about his liege.

"I apologise for my incompetence, Your Highness. I could not help you in any way." Taylor kneeled in front of him and lowered his head. "Your Highness can punish me for my not being able to be your strong support."

"It's not your fault, Taylor. In front of the King's power, even I had to give up—what more could you do when even I am powerless? If not for my family's lives at stake, I would have not cared for anything. I would run away with my daughter and give up on everything but…" he sighed. "You have done enough by helping Shanel secretly and I wish you to continue doing it."

"I will, Your Highness."

"Do not let anyone know about the King's edict. Especially Shanel. Since I cannot do anything, Shanel is the only one who can help our little princess. That decree has nothing to do with her, and keeping her ignorant is the best option. If something happens, I can take the sole responsibility."

"Rest assured, Your Highness." The knight Taylor Assured and he was determined to do it at the stake of his life.

After that day, whenever there was any calamity or unexplained troubles within the Kingdom of Valor, it was all blamed on the princess' existence. That cursed child eventually became the witch for them, an existence that became synonymous to evil. The people wanted nothing but to have her killed.