Astra pushed the hair out of Aida’s face, observing the bandaged wound on her head. She was peaceful. Finally. It wasn’t often that she didn’t sleep with a frown on seemingly etched into her face. She stood and stretched, walking over to the queen. Even beneath her eyelids, her eyes moved hectically and her face contorted with pain every now and again. This was one fight she would have to do on her own. Astra frowned as the queen clenched and unclenched her hands. She wanted to help, she wanted to take the pain and dark magic away, but she couldn’t.

She was too far gone to help like that. For her to survive, she was going to have to fight it herself. Astra knelt down and placed the back of her hand against the queen’s cheek and almost hissed as the heat burnt her. Fire mages. They always had extreme temperatures. Astra quickly took a dry towel wet it in the bucket at the end of the bed. The water still had ice in it and Astra felt as if her fingers were going blue. She carried the icy cloth back, placing it on the queen’s forehead. She listened and watched as steam rose from where the cold, wet cloth met with the scorching, hot skin.

The queen stopped moving for a moment and she sighed, but flinching continued not a moment after. Something drew Astra closer and she again knelt by the side of the queen, her hand hovering over the face of the queen. Gently, she placed her fingers on the queen’s face and opened one eye. Fear gripped her and held her in place as memories and darkness flowed into her mind.

Astra was a child again. She was sitting on the green grass outside her parent’s estate, watching her younger siblings play. She’d grown up in a rich family. Her mother and father owned the most success potion business in Rathanskia and often transported their goods overseas. They never went hungry or longed for anything, everything they wanted, they had. Life always seemed perfect on the outside. But it never stayed that way.

“Astra… What is this?” Her father placed a small, stained glass bottle in front of her on the grass.

Astra recognised the bottle. Her little brother has tried to make a night vision potion but had gotten too excited and added too many jasmine petals. Astra had thrown it away so that it couldn’t be found. She swallowed, looking up at the looming and shadowed figure beside her.. “It’s a night vision potion.”

“Smell it.”

Astra followed the instructions and winced at the too sweet smell.

“Well?” the voice was harsh and Astra’s heart beat quicker.

“It’s incredibly sweet.” She replied, replacing the lid.

“Exactly. Who made it?”

Astra looked from the bottle to her brother, the oldest of her younger siblings at seven years old. He was playing and showing the others how fun it was to roll down the hill. That smile was going nowhere.

“I did.”

“Liar!” He father’s hand collided with her cheek and tears sprung into her eyes. She could feel it swelling already and placed her own hand over it.

“You don’t make mistakes like that! How many petals did you put in it?”

“I got too excited and put a few extras in there to make it smell nice. I’m sorry.” Astra glanced up through blurred eyes to see her father, the air was almost vibrating with fury.

“If, I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, never go against the recipe!” Astra’s father grabbed her hair and yanked hard, dragging her from her spot on the ground toward the house. “We have nothing but perfection in this house. You will follow the rules and you will take over this business and be nothing short of perfect.”

“Father you’re hurting me! Stop! Please!” Astra screeched and wailed as she was dragged over the path filled with rocks that cut and tore through her dress, stockings and skin. “I’m sorry, father, I’m sorry, please forgive me!”

Astra twisted as she was dragged up the steps and watched as her mother shoved open the door. “What are you doing, Amundir?! Let her go, it was a mistake! Stop this madness.”

Amundir stopped, turning slowly to his wife and glaring at her with the hate of a thousand suns. “There will be nothing but perfection in this house. And it would appear that my own wife has forgotten this. Let me remind you, Katla, as well what the punishment for imperfection and disobedience is!”

Amundir’s hand wrapped around his wife’s throat and dragged both of them into the house and toward the cellar, chucking them into the damp and mouldy chamber.

“Now,” Amundir selected a whip from the wall and ran his hands along the leather until they met with the sharp, metal knives at the end, “let’s see if I can’t make you perfect again.” Amundir raised the whip high above his head and-

Astra stumbled backwards, gasping for breath as sweat dripped down the sides of her face and soaked her gown. What was that? What had she just seen? Astra shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. It was a memory, that much she knew, but what was that last thing she had seen? She glanced at Aida and over to the queen then out the window. It couldn’t have been…no, it wasn’t possible. She looked at the queen again. That was the evil she was fighting? That was the evil she had seen? She could never tell Aida or Eske, no, she wouldn’t, not till she had the proof.

Astra stood slowly and shakily, leaning against the wall for support. The queen had shown her that on purpose. She’d made her relive that memory for a reason and shown her that person at the end for a reason. Tears sprung to Astra’s eyes and she closed her eyes in prayer. Mother above help me to do what is right and get everyone through this.