Author note: This sign mean whose P.O.V it is. 

We all had that moment, that one thing we regret doing, or in my case, not doing. I never considered that staying silent could have any ramifications. My name is Basin, and I am a royal guard in the Martraigh Kingdom. Back then, I was inexperienced, young, and of low status. Unlike many other kingdoms, Guards and knights were not picked based on status. Here it was saving children from the street. 

Which is why I was prepared to sacrifice every last breath I had for my King and realm. But my position was why I kept quiet. After all, you expect your superiors to know what they are doing. What happened? It all had to do with her. The elf Ciara Boneflare, who had been detained earlier that day.

A few weeks ago, our neighbouring Kingdom Vouri, had put arrest orders out for a group of rebels. Ciara was a member of that group. Due to the order, she is to be escorted back to Vouri to be punished. There was, however, a small problem, and I was holding it. Her daughter, a little elf girl not even a year old. Who, like her mother, has light brown skin, curly dark brown hair and little dents on her head, where her horns eventually will grow.

The small infant was steering in my arms. Unhappy with me, a stranger holding her. While I was standing there, comparing the mother to this wriggly monster. It was there that I first noticed it. But I told myself I was wrong, that kind of mistake would not happen.

Looking away, I survey the throne room. A habit you get as a guard is to always look at your surroundings. The walls are made of white stone. Wooden beams carry the mezzanine, which wraps around the upper floor. Chandeliers hang from the roof between the balustrade. On the walls, blue wimples with the royal coat of arms depicting the proud seagull. Guards, servants and members of the royal court stand around the room. Witnessing what is happening. 

Soon, my gaze was brought back to the prisoner. Moving my face makes a few strands of my golden blonde hair fall over my eyes. "My daughter needs me!" Ciara yelled out. But she should have thought about that before joining a group of rebels. 

"Shut up witch!" A guard yells to silence her. Ciara looks worried over at me, her brown eyes filled with tears. I feel for her, she doesn't care for herself just her child. But she put herself in this situation.

Looking at her, I search for what I know is missing, hoping I was mistaken. But I am not, it's not there. Where is it? It can not have been forgotten, they would not forget something like this. 

I chose to look away from the prisoner and focus on my King. His arms were crossed, and his eyes steady on the prisoner. Alfonso is young. Only a few years older than me, he was crowned King this year, after his father's untimely passing. Alfonso's anger is clear on his face, his big lips clenched and his eyes squinting. He has no sympathy for the woman.

By his side is Queen Nemy. She is looking away from what is going on. Her poufy black hair covers her face. She has a hand on her round stomach, being visibly pregnant. It's their second child, and it can come any day now.

I am not fond of babies, they are noisy and annoying. On cue, the baby girl I am holding starts to wail. While cradling her, I apologise profusely for the disturbance. "What is that baby even doing here? I can not punish it for its mother's crimes-" King Alfonso said, agitated. "Someone take the baby out of here."

Hellvian, a high-ranking guard with brown hair and a rough beard, informs me that I should go, and bring the baby to the nearest orphanage. My body shudders at the thought of that place. I am thankful for all the things the royal guards have done for me. But I am most grateful for being taken out of the orphanage. A place I don't think back to with fond memories.

Normally, I never disobey an order, but I was frozen in place watching what happened next. “You can not do that, she is my child!" Ciara's panicked scream echoes in the throne room. Her face swollen from crying. 

"Your daughter's best opportunity is the orphanage, where she doesn't have to live with her mother's crimes." The King sneered. Ciara sniffled and claimed she was innocent. 

King Alfonso bangs his closed fist down on the throne's manchette arm. "How dare you claim to be innocent? We all know you are part of the rebel group that killed Vouri's Queen. You are responsible for her death."

Ciara has an intense eye contact with The King. The feeling of danger hit me. It was at that moment that I should have spoken up, I should have warned Hellvian that we forgot the magical restraints. Without it to negate the magic, her power is not absorbed. I should have left the room to get it, I should have done anything. But I didn't. 

"Royals. You are all the same, heartless, thinking everyone is beneath you. You don't deserve to be parents. I should curse your wife and child to both die."

A loud gasp came from Queen Nemy, "How dare you threaten my child!"

It was too late now to speak up. My chance to inform them of the magical restrains had passed. How it was forgotten, I do not know. But without them, if she tries to cast a spell. She can not be stopped. 

Some of the other guards put their hands on their swords, ready to fight if something happened. My reaction would have been the same if I didn't have a baby in my arms. But if it comes to it, I won't hesitate to drop this baby to save my King.

King Alfonso took a few steps towards his wife. "How dare you, worse things than death exist, and if you harm my child, I will make sure you experience all of them." He threatens. Ciara snorts, "You already sent me to my death, what do I have to fear?" Continuing, Ciara said some words I did not understand. A chill ran down my spine when the green fog started to form around her. The green smoke reflected in the floor and her red horns.

The sound of multiple swords getting drawn is the only sound heard, but the action is too late. As they move to stop her but can't, as the smoke has created a shield they can not get through.

"I curse the child your wife is bearing, when it steps into the adult ranks the voice of evil will speak in thy ear, the temptation of hurting the ones it holds dear will be its life." Ciara declared

The worried Queen Nemy tried to address Ciara, begging her not to hurt the unborn child. Her plea for sympathy made the enchantress stop for a moment. "How sweet a mother's love. A shame it's only for your own kin. I will give it a chance, play when the voices become too much, with any kind of music, the voices will quiet down, but not for long." The fog started to move away from Ciara, towards the Queen. But before anyone could move to shield her, Nemy was already covered in the smoke, surrounding her, evaporating around her. King Alfonso yelled out for us to do something. But it was too late, the curse was already cast.

The screams of the King and Queen rang in the castle halls. One of anger, another of sorrow. As Ciara was taken away. I stood back, with the baby, wondering what would be of these innocent children's future.

A week after this horrible curse was cast, a Prince was born. The King and Queen named him Valor. There was done what it could to keep the curse secret. People were warned, threatened and paid off to never speak of it. Not even to the Prince himself.

In the coming years, King Alfonso tried to console many different magicians to detour the curse. You may think the music was an act of mercy from Ciara, but no, it was a cunning move on her part. A curse with a condition to stop it, makes the curse much stronger. And she knew this. Her adding the music to quiet it down, rendered the curse unbreakable.