He reigned and consumed his sisters to slay all his brethren with the sword, and also others of the princes of men.

Then He knew her, and she conceived, and said, “Behold, I have acquired a daughter from Krall.”

And The Witch knew good.

- Andanian Chronicles

“So, what is this Dark Ritual all about?” Lily questioned the gaggle of men clustered tightly at the other end of her spacious room.

“Shh… Please whisper softly. He’ll come if he hears you!” an advisor begged desperately as he prostrated before Lily.

“And so? It has been three whole days since I’ve arrived at the palace, and I still don’t have a single scratch on me. What’s just another hour or two with Xerxes?” Lily protested.

The guards peeked fearfully into the long snaking corridor as they whispered desperately to themselves, “What do we do if He comes?” one shaking guard muttered to the others.

“Hope that He will forget about that last order of His to protect the Andanian princess?” the second guard wished wistfully.

“I’ve already saddled the fastest horses…” the third guard muttered in a futile attempt to reassure the others.

“We’ll actually hear Him coming, right?” the fourth guard glanced wildly about him as if he expected the emperor to plow straight through the walls around him.

“I’m starting to run out of patience. It’s has already been practically three entire hours, and I haven’t even had dinner yet! Are the bunch of you trying to starve me to death or something?” Lily accused as she gestured impatiently at the table before her. The guards gulped fearfully in response, but they remained rooted in the securely barred room.

“Please honored princess. Just stay here for another hour or two…” the advisor begged.

“I’ll consider it, if you can deliver my sister to me this instant!” Lily demanded unreasonably.

“Honored princess, your request is impossible. This servant regrets…”

“Enough. I’ve enough of this nonsense. I’m going to check up on that Xerxes before he actually hurts himself.” Lily sighed. Then she selected one of the talismans from the table and brandished it clearly before the advisor so that he could study its design.

“Yes. An icicle spell, we know about those.” The advisor nodded before snapping his fingers and four Saadian mages stepped into the room to flank the princess from each side, “We’ll melt it before you can break out, it doesn’t matter if some of us die in the process… we have many replacements.” He let out a sigh of relief, “Besides, we have assigned hundreds of mages and thousands of guards to secure this part of the palace. You might be an Andanian witch, but surely you can’t expect to defeat us all?”

Lily’s eyes glinted mischievously, “You see… the only ways to restrain an Andanian witch, are to either strip her naked and bind her from head to toe in dimeritium chains or to steal her pendant. But you have done neither.”

“I wouldn’t dare!” the advisor begged, “He will slaughter everyone!”

“So, that just means that you can’t possibly stop me then.” Lily answered as she rose to her feet. Immediately, the room tensed with magic as twenty additional mages appeared. Then one chanted a spell which tore apart the talisman in the princess’ hand before she could activate it. But the slight teenaged girl remained unperturbed, “I swallowed it,” she giggled, “along with a whole bunch of other fun stuff.”

“You wouldn’t…” the advisor trembled as his face was masked in horror.

“Fufu… I wonder what Xerxes will do to all of you if he finds me on the floor here, pierced through with dozens of magical icicles.” The sound of Lily’s chuckles sent chills down the spines of the men arrayed around her.

“You are evil,” moaned the advisor.

Lily shrugged innocently, “Is that bad? I’m a witch of Andania.” And so, the princess of Andania conquered the hosts of Saadian arrayed before her and journeyed to the Forbidden Palace of Saadian.

…

“What is this?” Lily inquired curiously as she gestured at the mountain of fine dresses scattered across the courtyard before her. The advisor paled before mumbling something intelligible as he shook his head from side to side. “Okay, I’m going in to see for myself then!” Lily declared.

“Please have mercy!” the advisor begged, “He is entertaining himself with the concubines. He must not be disturbed. Only the eunuchs are allowed within the Forbidden Palace. I don’t know what goes on inside there! Just that they all go in, and don’t come out after that!”

“Urp… what!? That many concubines at once?” Lily wrinkled her nose in distaste as she counted the apparel strewn around her and quickly determined that there were definitely enough garments for about two hundred women. “How does Xerxes do it so many times? This isn’t like the puppies...” Lily blushed uncertainly as she clasped her hands shyly before her. Then she turned to examine the nearest discarded dress, it was a pink flowery kimono, sewn from the finest silks. Out of habit, Lily pressed the soft pre-warmed material across her shoulders to see if the clothes would fit her and quickly realized that the sizes were far too large in all the right places. “So, that pervert prefers older and bigger women after all!” Lily exclaimed as she whirled to glare at the advisor who was whimpering next to her.

Just then, the doors to the harem swung open and a company of nervously sweating eunuchs emerged and began marching swiftly away.

“Hey you!” Lily yelled at the nearest eunuch.

“We missed one?” the eunuch blinked in confusion, “But it’s already over.”

“This is the Princess of Andania! She’s not to be harmed!” the advisor practically shrieked his lungs out.

“Greetings Honored Princess,” the eunuchs bowed down before Lily. Then Zheng, the head eunuch nodded at the princess, “Please be patient, the Emperor is just getting dressed. He will be out shortly.”

“I am going in now!” Lily demanded as she tapped her foot impatiently.

“We can’t allow that, only the Emperor’s concubines may enter the harem.” Eunuch Zheng refused coolly.

“Fine, I’ll break this door down myself!” Lily declared as she strode towards the imposing metal barrier.

The eunuchs immediately fanned out to restrain the invading princess. Some stepped forward and produced metal chains which they twirled threateningly above their heads, others at the rear began chanting out a variety of spells. Eunuch Zheng smirked, “We might not be real men but we have spent our entire lives restraining uncooperative women, do you actually think that you can get past us?”

Lily’s face darkened as she shot a silent venomous glance at the cowering advisor beside her and gestured at her stomach.

The advisor gulped, then he waved his hands fanatically in the air as he dashed forward, “Stooop!” he shrieked, “She will kill us all!”

The eunuchs hesitated, “What do you mean by that?” Eunuch Zheng scowled. “I have assessed her Talent, and she’s nothing exceptional. We are accustomed to restraining Talented concubines.”

“You are underestimating her! That Andanian Witch has already defeated all the hosts of mages and guards in the entire palace. If you try to stop her here, the palace will be bathed with our blood!” the advisor begged.

The eunuchs paled, their weapons fell from their quaking hands, and their spells fizzed out with loud popping sounds, “Please have mercy! I’ll open the gates immediately!” Eunuch Zheng genuflected desperately as he dashed back and unlocked the door to the Forbidden Palace.

“Better. You are dismissed.” Lily smiled frostily and she stomped into the dark silent compound as the servants of Saadian fled desperately from her presence.

…

“Where is everyone? Or anyone?” Lily muttered in confusion as she trod warily through the dark maze of deserted corridors. The palace was enormous, and she had already peered into a hundred rooms without locating a single soul. “What would elder sister do?” Lily murmured thoughtfully to herself as she paused from her futile search and leafed through her stack of talismans.

“Oh! Hehe… I’ll just make the loudest noise possible.” Lily giggled with a flash of inspiration. She selected one of her talismans and added a few strokes to the intricate rune. Then she threw the activated charm down the corridor before leaping into the empty room next to her and clamping her hands firmly over her ears.

A thundering explosion shook the entire harem to its foundations. In response, an enraged roar that rivaled the explosion in magnitude rattled the windows, “I commanded that I was not to be disturbed!” Xerxes thundered.

“Hahaha… he’s just too simple.” Lily wiped tears of glee from her eyes as she jogged towards the Emperor of Saadian. She soon arrived at a set of wide double doors, lined intricately with hammered gold leaf. Lily edged the nearest door open, and was immediately assaulted by the overwhelming scent from a multitude of priceless perfumes. “Ugh… This is what happens when I leave him alone for three hours. That wanton lecher. This must be the scent of hundreds…” Lily grumbled as she peeked tentatively into the room, half expecting to see Xerxes still engaged with the more adult competition.

The emperor slumbered alone in the center of the grand spacious chamber. His wide scarred chest rose and fell gently as he lay spread-eagled on the red stained sheets in the room’s center. Lily’s feet pattered softly as she crept curiously towards the naked man and sat down quietly beside him. Then she frowned with consternation as she studied the bloody runic designs tattooed across his entire body.

“You!”

Lily was jerked from her reverie when a hand clamped forcefully on her arm, and she was dragged forward roughly. She winced in pain as she fell onto Xerxes, and stared into the bottomless pools of his dark green eyes. “Hey Xerxes, missed me?” she pouted, “I guess not… you have so many others.” she complained sullenly.

“Get out!” Xerxes yelled as he shoved the princess to the ground and rolled swiftly out of the bed from the opposing side.

“Why?” Lily regained her feet and crossed her arms over her chest as she refused to bulge.

“I’ll hurt you… I can’t…” Xerxes muttered as a shudder shivered down his spine.

“So, you are afraid! The mighty ruler of all of Saadian is afraid of one little princess, so he runs off and seeks solace in the arms of his concubines!” Lily blurted angrily.

“Arrgh!” Xerxes darted forward with blinding speed and crushed Lily in a massive bear hug.

“Oof…” Lily gasped as the sudden impact tore the air from her lungs and her ribs creaked from the intense pressure wrapping around her body. Then she looked up defiantly and met the smoldering gaze of the Master of the Burning Legions and blushed shyly as she remembered the Andanian retainers, “Is this your newest attempt at scaring me somehow?” she giggled, “It’s not working, because you’re acting just like an unruly oversized puppy.”

“Arrgh!” Xerxes yelled desperately and threw the slender girl violently across the room. Lily’s head cracked loudly against the far solid stone wall and she crumpled silently to the ground. “No! I didn’t… Please, someone help!” Xerxes whimpered into the emptiness as he curled up and sobbed silently.

“That wasn’t very puppylike.” Lily groaned as she pressed her hand against her moistened forehead and mused silently at her blood-soaked palm. Then she pressed her lips together with quiet determination as her gaze flickered to the inconspicuous sliding door next to her, “I think I get what’s happening now, this explains all that perfume.” Lily sighed as she peeked gingerly into the hidden room.

“Eunuch! Get the imperial physician… he must enter…” Xerxes yell was cut off mid-sentence and his eyes bulged wildly as he finally noticed Lily’s movements. He dashed forward like a striking serpent and tore the slight girl away from the inner room, but it was already far too late.

“Ugh… And I was actually almost jealous.” Lily smiled weakly as she lay down on the bed and her blood mingled freely with the other bloody stains on the sheets.

“I’m sorry. I can’t ever control myself. Most last less than a minute with me, and even the strongest die in ten.” Xerxes wept.

“How were you ever conceived then?” Lily inquired curiously.

“My father. In his last days, when he was weakened with age. His subjects drugged him with their strongest poisons, and bound his body with chains and magic, then they sent many Talented women to him. But only my mother was strong enough to survive till childbirth.” Xerxes answered as a haunted shadow veiled his face.

“What about all those tattoos? Who came up with such a twisted spell?” Lily sighed as her eyes traced down Xerxes’ massive naked body.

Xerxes shook his head, “I’m not sure. I think that they were carved onto me, even before I was born. It’s a magic that allows me to obtain unmatched strength, but also a curse and sips slowly at my sanity.”

Lily pursed her lips and mused thoughtfully, “The patterns are surprisingly similar to some ancient Andanian talismans that I’ve read about. I’m might not be as good at fixing talismans as elder sister, but I think I can slow down the curse’s progression if I change some of the lines.” She staggered a little as she arose and walked up to Xerxes, “Lie down on the bed. Let me study this more.”

Xerxes’ face scrunched up with barely suppressed violence, “No! I don’t know how you survived that impact. But you are bleeding, and I probably broke several of your bones just now. Go to the doctor immediately.”

Lily frowned as she examined her body, “Nothing seems to be broken, and the bleeding’s convenient since I have to inscribe blood magic anyway.” She shrugged. “You should have seen the last real fight I had with my sister, when we were only six,” she giggled suddenly. “Our magic leveled half the palace. Then she broke both my arms, stabbed me through the lung with an icicle, and tossed me into the cook’s well. And the food stank of my blood for an entire month!”

“Please…” Xerxes begged.

“Bed. Now!” Lily snapped coldly, “Or do we actually have to fight for real?”

“You can’t defeat me. I’ll kill you.” Xerxes’ eyes flashed angrily.

“And so? Everyone has to die someday.” Lily retorted, “Are you lying down right now or fighting me?”

Xerxes let out a soft defeated sigh as his fearful anger subsided. He lumbered slowly towards the bed before lying down and closing his eyes. And the witch of Andania sang sweetly as she bent over the mighty warrior and carved her blood into his body.