In a tower, high above the world, stood a girl. This girl had platinum silver hair, shimmering gold eyes, and an expression of sadness; She stared at the world outside, leaning on railings she wished not to jump over. Her hair flowed behind her, the wind blowing a cool breeze which sent shivers down her body.

She had been here for some months, in this tower of ivory, with her captor, the Witch of night, and now the hero sent to save her, prince Andrew, had made it to the tower with his retinue.

Sighing she walked into the tower, wrapping a black cloak around her, a gift from the witch, to keep herself warm. As she walked down the steps she saw the many beasts under the witches’ command, they looked at her before returning to work, none wishing to meet the witch’s wrath if they mistakenly harmed the captive. She was free to wander around the tower and now she went to a place few but the highest-ranking beasts, the Witches war room.

“NO! Damn it how many times must I tell you, that village must be burned before sun set! Hah... that damn hero, he is ruining everything as he goes across the lands, isn’t he?”

There she was, the witch so many feared. Dressed in a cloak of silver and black, her long void purple hair falling behind into her hood, her cobalt blue eyes looking up from the maps she had collected, bags under those cold eyes. The girl had brought tea for the witch, a gesture of kindness that the witch accepted gratefully, waving her generals off so as not to trouble her more.

“Take a sip, it will calm your mind dear Witch.”

“Hah… thank you Princess. But didn’t I say not to use my title while we are alone?”

The girl chuckled and smiled,

“Dear Witch we are nearing the end, I think it is fitting to speak as such for now, no?”

The witch sighed, shaking her head, letting her locks shift and flow like a star field.

“Fine young Princess, but when this comes to an end you shall speak to me casually.”

The witch took a long, drawn drink from her cup of tea. She smiled brightly, eating some snacks she kept with her, she frowned a little bit as they were crumbled a little, but when paired with the tea it didn’t seem to matter to her. The princess smiled as she took a seat across from the witch, laying her elbows on the table and leaning her head on her hands she stared with her smile.

“You’ve become so trusting dear Witch, what if I poisoned the tea?”

The witch stared, before shaking her head.

“Even if you did it wouldn’t killed me, I am immune to any poisons in my tower.”

The princess sighed, laughed and leaned back.

“Well that is interesting, how come you never told me this?”

“You never asked.”

The witch replied while drinking more of her tea. A silence fell across the room, the witch and the princess watching one another, one smiling the other sipping tea, neither said a word as they savored the silence.

---

*CRASH! CRACK!*

“YAGH! WHY ARE THERE SO MANY MONSTERS!”

*THOOM!*

“Did you think she would just let us in?”

Me and my allies bantered, this Ivory tower our battlefield, and are target the evil witch of night and death. I had just broken through the great door that sealed the entrance and now hundreds of small monsters pour forth from it, a wave of chittering claws and yapping maws. I swung my blade through the torrent of flesh and teeth, when I did, I saw just another behind it, barely enough time for me to refocus.

“AHHHHHH!”

I screamed and charged in, using my superior strength to batter them into bits of meat.

*FOOOMPH*

A pillar of fire, nearly as tall as a two-story house appeared beside me, tearing a scorched path through the monsters’ lines, even still it was not enough to stop the waves. It took us sometime before we made any head way, the corpses pilling up and my friends tiring, only my blessing keeping me from feeling the exhaustion, the living held back as we stood our ground, many smaller monsters pulled back, and the newer large monsters sneered but returned to the tower’s halls, letting us rest.

I was suspicious of the monsters, every time we slaughtered them and came to falter they fell back further and further into the ivory tower, it felt infinite, like we would never reach the top, it took us days to reach even half way and the mental exhaustion was worse than anything the monsters could have done. Our mage saw spells rip through the monsters lines just to stop inches away from them, as if meant to only cause fear; our archer, who prided themself on their accuracy, had been shot so many times in ways that was only thought possible they had fallen asleep crying; the rouge, a sneak and perceptive fellow, had copper stolen at night and found it replaced the next night, causing them to become paranoid of any shadow; our healer, a pious guy, saw debaucheries demons heal monsters ripped in half; Even I, the hero who had strength unparalleled, struggled in one on one fights between demons and monster generals.

It was our duty to fight through, but it became harder and harder, the mage stayed up nights trying to know what spells had been cast only to break down as all laws of magic seemed broken, the archer just cried during the nights, the rouge was so jumpy even speaking caused him to jump and throw a knife, I wasn’t much better since I didn’t get exhausted, I swung my sword nightly and daily, never resting, the healer had started muttering and calling to their god for guidance during the night and the day he healed but his eyes never held the same guiding brightness they once did.

The priest broke first, running out screaming how he can’t take it any longer, the rouge followed soon after, saying how the walls themselves were against us. I fear that when this is over none of us shall be the same.

- - -

The door to the final chambers opened. Standing before a throne was a human man, an elven man, and a dragon like man. There face show ware from many battles, their eyes shown hatred as if it was all that was left. Sitting on the throne was a woman, dressed in a black cloak, gold shining underneath the hood. Beside them stood a woman dressed in silver, their head lowered and staring at the ground, their hands covered by the long cloak.

The hero and his retinue didn’t even stop to talk, the elven man fired first. Three shots haphazardly placed and a fourth at the black cloaked woman’s head, the woman for her part waved her hand. The arrow headed towards her halted and fell, and a gleam of gold appeared in her eyes.

“How unfortunate, the heroes don’t wish to talk Princess.”

The black cloaked figure spoke, turning to the silver clad woman. As she spoke the mage started chanting and the hero ran in screaming.

“DIE YOU WITCH! FOR ALL THOSE YOU HAVE SLAUGHTERED!”

The black cloaked woman’s head snapped back to look at the hero, and scoffed, the hero’s blade was flung away but he didn’t stop. The woman spoke as she shook her head.

“Who have I slaughtered that was not in retaliation? Hah you won’t listen anyway hero, truly my dungeon did a number.”

As the black clad woman said the hero didn’t stop, he didn’t scream again, nor did his eyes shift from their target, what he failed to realize due to this rapid attack, was the ground beneath his feet. The hero, rage fueled and desperate to kill the witch, tripped on a small mound on the ground, seeing the ground get closer to his face he pushed his hand down, pushing himself up from the ground, his body turning into a roll as he continued to move closer. The mage had finished his casting, while the ranger was nocking arrows and preparing for when the hero would give him a good shot, a black ichor grew from the ground and attempted to attack the black clad woman, but seemed to be held off by a gold, glowing shield. The hero, having recovered and in front of the woman he expected to see a hag, an overly beautiful woman, something that would show her unholy power, but instead he saw a cool smile, and the flash of a dagger across his eyes; this didn’t damage them as it would any normal human, but it did make him stumble back, as instinct took over his body.

“HAHAHA! So close “hero” but yet not an inch close enough. To bad really, your mage is working hard to take care of my barrier and is doing an admirable job.”

She stood up, her hand holding her dagger, a jagged edge dripping with a clear liquid, some crimson and tanned flesh. The black clad woman laugh rung through out the room, like a bell, her gold eyes taking on a steely cold resolve, the silver clad woman stared at the other, and her shoulders lowered, muttering something under her breath.

“Hm? Fine, I won’t kill them. But for DARING to enter our home I shall make them pay, in blood and sweat.”

Empowered by a gold light the black clad woman flicked her hood back, platinum silver hair flowing down, shimmering gold eyes, and a wicked smile across her face. The princess of Alvar stared at the hero, the mage, and the ranger, and laughed.

“Expecting someone else? A shame she is to much of a sweetheart to fight for herself.”

The hero was taken aback; ‘the Princess? Why was she fighting for the witch? Is she under their spell? Then why hasn’t the witch attacked?’

These thoughts were quickly quashed, it didn’t matter, nothing but killing that witch mattered now. With a scream of rage to pump his mind he charged for the silver clad witch, but he was quickly stopped by a black steel blade.

“Going somewhere? Aren’t you supposed to be fighting me?”

The princesses’ words cold, the jovial warmth was dropped quickly.

“MOVE.”

A command, not even stopping to see if she would obey, he barged past. A mistake any sane man would have seen in a second, as once he had gotten even a step past she dropped low, spinning on her heels, her blade slashed through the achilles tendon like butter, and the hero dropped like a sack of potatoes. Seeing this the ranger redirected their fire, aiming and shooting at the princesses’ wrists and shoulders. The girl, clad in black, waved her hand shouting.

“ANHALTEN!”

The arrows dropped as if a hand had grabbed them, and with a smirk the princess said,

“Now that isn’t nice, how about I return the favor?”

The archer’s eyes widened, where the princess had been nearly kneeling at the ground she seemingly appeared half way across the giant throne room, he knew this was magic, he knew it was used by the mage on the hero before, and he knew his life was likely forfeit if he forced further, but even so, even with all this in his knowledge, he had already lost it, everything he held dear was crumbled before him. He fired three shots, two to the side one at her head, perfect, well placed, unavoidable. Then, the princess, renowned for her beauty, her calm demeanor, and quite life, ran right into the arrow. As it shattered on her barrier, she had a smile of pure joy filling her face. He knew this was it and wondered why the princess had become like this.

“ARON! NO!”

The mage called out as he saw his ally, the archer from elven woods, had fallen. He was all that was left, it seemed, the hero was limping and was slowly falling down as his body seemed to clamp up, the archer was on the ground, his arms cut cleanly at the tendons and his head firmly placed in the ground, but somehow still intact. With horror he tried to cast a spell, but he felt the spell failing even before he started, looking for who was countering his magic he saw the witch, clad in silver, muttering and moving her hands; of course, he had forgot who it was they had truly come here for, the witch with powers beyond most mortals scope, how could he have forgotten?

These were his last thoughts before he was turned unconscious.

---

“Hah… But they should die!”

The princess, clad in black, was pleading with the witch, clad in silver.

“They did nothing wrong but damage the worlds order. They can go free!”

The princess was sitting across from the witch, her hands holding the others.

“But my father will send them back! They may even bring more!”

“No, that is my final answer. Seriously, how can you be so murder happy?”

The princess looked off, her face turning away from her lover.

“Court affairs do that to a girl cooped up with only time on her hands.”

It had been like this, their conversations, the witch being the peaceful one and the princess advocating for a full slaughter. The witch knew her love was one slice short of a loaf, but she hopped it would pass with time.

“Hah… find them a village to stay at, wipe their memories and let them live a peaceful life.”

The witch commanded, and the commanders, shaking a lot, nodded and took the prisoners away. They may not want to anger the witch, but her lover was a different matter. The pouting princess muttered something, and the witch sighed.

“why don’t you make some tea? Some new scones would be nice.”

The princess perked up, nodded and disappeared. The witch, lowered her head, staring out the window. The princess was the one who had found her, she was so forceful at the time, demanding to meet the witch of night; not knowing what to do the kobolds obliged, and soon the two began talking, the princess had offered money in exchange for marriage, a strange request for sure. The witch had declined but the girl persisted, offering the same amount just to live with the witch, sadly the coffers had been emptied sometime ago so the witch really couldn’t refuse, and so the princess took up residence.

It took getting used to, the princess was very protective of the witch and would often scare many subordinates unless told to stop, which happened a little too late, by the time she was told to stop more then half the army would run from the princess and the other half would cower until she left.

When asked why she was so loyal the princess told the honest truth, one the witch had feared.

“I saw you talking to father, you looked so beautiful, I simply couldn’t let you go now could I?”

The timid witch of night had talked to the warmonger king about some hunters, and unfortunately the obsessive princess set her eyes on the witch. After the months upon months that the girl stayed the witch, who tried to hide or stay as far away from her, had begun to learn of the princesses past, how she forced herself to fight, grow, and became like her father, murderous and obsessive. The witch didn’t know what to say, but she knew what to do; slowly she has been turning this monster into a lovely person, hoping, one day, she can be accepted as someone better than her father.

*Clack*

“Fresh green tea with raspberry crumpets, I hope you enjoy them.”

The monster of a girl smiled, her eyes shimmering. A peck on the mouth and a smile was all the praise they wanted.

“Thank you, it looks lovely.”

The stoic witch said, she prepared to eat when the girl stopped her.

“Could you say it?”

A blushing princess asked, her hands twirling amongst themselves.

“Ah… of course, thank you Teufel, thank you for making such a lovely meal.”

“YAY! I love you Gestirnt, I love you forever!”

With a small nod, a smile that showed her worry, and a pat to the head, the witch acknowledged her lover, this cute monster of a girl who stole away her heart. She would work to make them something worthy of being this lovely, she hopped.