“Is the love potion ready yet?”

“Not yet, my lady.”

Sadich shook the bottle to distribute the mixtures perfectly, he kept his eyes keenly on the bottle, and watched the effect each substance made as it entered it, “a strand of a phoenix hair, please?”

“Of course Sadich.” Andrea tossed him what he asked for, he grimaced and added it to the bottle, then a green flame puffed up. Wait a minute, that should have been purple.

“Andrea, I said phoenix, what did you give to me?”

“You said phoenix and that’s what I gave to you. P-H-O-E-N-I-X.”

“Give me that!” Sadich took the bottle from her and read the labelling, “this is an eagle’s hair. You should have read the label.”

“I’m sorry Sadich, but we have to hurry up so we can reach Tridac by night fall.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Andrea rubbed her hands together and left out an evil grin, she’d been practicing all year to get the love potion together, she wanted power and she was about to get one, about to rule as one of the most powerful women in history. She wanted all to hear her name and fall on their knees.

Tridac was a very successful kingdom, King Hondrus held it with his hands, he’s trained strong knights, able bodied guards and a strong family to have the name he has. Everyone who heard King Hondrus shook, they’d wished they had gotten to where he was, other king’s shook at his name and would want to have a peace treaty. There was a time a King thought he could get to Hondrus, well, that didn’t work out well, his kingdom was in peril before he could say Jack Robinson. Everybody wanted a taste of royalty, including Andrea.

She hadn’t grown up in a rich home, her parents got into dark magic and died out of it, only she survived, and the only thing she inherited was their knowledge of magic. She’d met Sadich and since then they’d been best of friends, they’d made up a plan to take over Hondrus and they’d gotten just the way.

“You know, it’s good he doesn’t have a wife, it would have been harder. I mean, his wife would never want to see us, and will even behead us if we possess him.”

Andrea smiled. “Things always work out perfectly for us dear Sadich, we only need to work things out, then, we will rule over the world.”

“Yes my dear. Yes!”

He took out the phoenix hair and added it to the bottle, then shook it till a purple smoke puffed up, “that’s what a phoenix’s hair does.”

If a young girl of thirty-five six could cackle like an old woman who’s getting to a hundred, that was what Andrea did, her laughter filled the room and Sadich joined in, they laughed till they heard their ribs cracking. “Drink up my lady. Soon, Tridac would be ours. And we will be as powerful as… as powerful as what, my lady?”

“As powerful as…I don’t care, it doesn’t matter.”

She took a gulp of the potion and wiped her mouth. “Ew! What in the world is this?”

“Just a bit of this and that. Hope you enjoyed it, as you will enjoy the power that comes with it.”

Andrea doesn’t say anything as she packed her bags, Sadich noticed and asked what was the reason. “We have to leave now, Sadich.”

“Okay.” He got some his stuff and folded it in a luggage, mounted it on a carriage, took Andrea’s bags and tossed it inside. “I think we’ll be there before the sun sets, Hondrus would be waiting.”

“Of course he will.” They both got into their horses and mounted on it, the horse gave a shrug, then she wacked it with a whip. “You stupid horse, we have somewhere to be by nightfall.”

The horse galloped and bided to her wish, they ran towards Tridac, heads up, hopes high, and the potion in the pocket of Sadich.

The ride to Tridac was a quiet one, both Andrea and Sadich were quiet on their journey to redemption, a journey to power. They’ve waited for years to taste the sweet savory recipe of power, the intangible power that they’d feel all the day of their lives. Though young, Andrea has always been ready for this. As the wind blew, her hair swept around her face and that was when the picture of her mother came to her mind. Her mother had been as ambitious as she was, everything in her dripped power, and that was why she’d married her father, her father was powerful but to an extent—his name made all the people in the wizarding world to shake, only in the wizarding. And that is what she’s supposed to accomplish, so that all could fear and shake at her name been mentioned.

“I can see Tridac from here, oh, those strong city walls!” it was only then Sadich said a word, after four hours of silence. Sadich. Sadich!

He’d saved her from the clutches of the unknown, after she lost her whole family, she’d been homeless and lost, and it was only Sadich that took her in. “Yes Sadich, we have arrived. Make sure everything is complete.”

“Of course it is. Disguise outfit…check. Potion…check. What else do we need?”

“Hmm,” she said slowly, “what else do we need? I guess nothing, we have to dress up so we can be there before the great feast begin. Toss my clothes.”

Sadich threw her a gown that only maids wore, so that she could blend in with the palace maid, he took a cloth that was worn by palace’s cooks. When they changed, they progressed into to the boundaries and set out to the castle; the only thing that kept Andrea from smiling was that she had to pretend to be a poor, sad maid.

****

“Jodha, get the ham ready, it should be out of the oven by now.”

“The wines? Are they ready yet? You know that’s what the King care about the most.”

“Xaiver! Are the potatoes roasted enough? Check if there is a burnt one.”

The kitchen buzzed as everyone got ready for the feast, one thing about a feast is that more than the cooks are involved. Every member of the palace came in to see how the preparation was going. The cook, maids, gardeners all had a chance to work in the feast, they all smiled as the division of labour was going on. There was so much to be done.

“Sadich?” Andrea called.

“I’m here, just don’t want people looking and getting suspicious.”

“No one will get suspicious, look, they are all busy.”

“Where is the potion?”

“It’s with you dumbhead, it was in your pocket.”

“Oh, yeah!”

Someone passed by and they straightened up. “Why are you both sitting down? We have a feast to prepare. Don’t sit back and act like nothing is happening” The person left like he came.

“ Phew! So, where is it? I heard someone saying that the King has a specialty for drinks, so that’s where we attack. His drink.” Andrea said.

Sadich looked at her and nodded, “so, how do we get to his cup?”

“We have to stick to the head chef.” Andrea said immediately, using her eyes to trace the chef. “Look at him, the fat man talking to that book peeling the onions, we have to wait till when the food is almost ready, so we can serve the meal. I’ll personally carry the King’s cup so I can add the potion to his drink.”

“Yes. Yes. Yes.”

They both scampered away and went to take care of other business. After sometime, the chef announced it was almost time. “Ten minutes more people. Let’s pack up and serve.”

Andrea rushed up to the chef, “I’m ready sir, I’ll carry the King’s cup.”

“How many times do I have to say this: stop calling me sir, I’m just Lahl…just Lahl.”

“I’m sorry Lahl, I almost forgot.”

“Okay, his goblet is placed on that shelf over there, make sure you carry it with great care. As you know, it’s is his most priced possession.”

Andrea wanted to blurt out not anymore, but she help her tongue, she just curtsied and left him. She gave Sadich a signal and went forward to get the cup. She picked the potion and used it to rinse the goblet thoroughly, she remained half of the bottle for later.

“Time up. We have to set the table.”

They all filed out of the kitchen to the feast room where the King dined with fellow noble men. The room was filled with golden statues, silver statues are also places at the left and right hand side. The floor glowed and the table was made of the best cedar.

“Oh, my!” Andrea gushed at the sight, she had to maintain herself in order not to reveal her camouflage. She carried the cup and placed at the spot where the King sat and went to sit in the seat of the commons.

She spotted Sadich and winked at him, his gaze also shifted to where the cup stood. He smiled.

Soon, the royal family came into the feast room and took their seats, the noble men and all that had to participate in the feast also sat down at their tables and sooner enough, the feast began.

“Bring forth the royal taster.”

The man came forth and drank the wine, “it is good, sire.

“Great!”

Andrea was grateful she didn’t put it into the wine, rather the cup, the look on her face shone as King Hondrus, her soon-to-be husband drank the wine.

She turned and noticed that both her and Sadich shared the same emotion: satisfaction and a new era.

“I must say I’m enjoying this wine, this is the best I’ve ever taken.” King Hondrus said, and others agreed.

“Prince George, what do you think about the wine?”

“It’s great dad.” George answered.

“And you, Kayla?”

“Good, father.”

“Oh, how I love it! It’s taste like Andrea. Andrea?” He shook his head.

“Andrea! Where are you?” he asked.

“Too much wine, father!” Prince George yelled, “there’s no one names Andrea."

“I’m sure of it George. She’s my…everything.”

Everyone gasped and the feast room became quiet, only Sadich and Andrea herself knew what was happening, the rest seemed shocked.

King Hondrus shook his head, “maybe it’s too much wine.”