His Half Blood Princess

3.

Present.

I stared at the short, harmless looking old woman who's height barely reached my shoulders and appeared to be crossed eyes.

"Hello." I managed to say after a few seconds of silence and the old woman snapped out of whatever she was in that had her staring at me and shook her head.

"Oh forgive for being so rude young lady," she said stepping aside. "Please come in."

I was reluctant to enter at first but the thought of spending the night in a scary forest, hungry and alone made me enter the house ever so slowly and the old woman shut the door closed.

Looking around the small house, I was confused as to why she was living there. The small room was colourful. Grandma style with beaded curtains, colourful cushions and hand woven mats, the wall looked rough and there were weird artifacts that looked like dolls as decorations and the room was lighted by a few candles here and there, there was a table in the middle of the room with a mat and candle on top of it, the table was so short one has to be sitting on the floor to use it and beside it were two small and shorter stools.

My eyes turned to the old woman and I felt uncomfortable with the way she stared at me that I hugged my arms to myself. What is an old woman doing here? Alone in the middle of the forest?

"Please come sit dear, you look weary," the woman said and walked to a cushion and sat on it. "What should I get you dear? Some water? Tea? Or perhaps some food." she asked and I stood there quietly assessing her, she seemed very harmless like I could rob her.

"I should be the one getting scared you know." she stated when she saw that I wasn't ready to join her.

"A strange lady wearing expensive jewellery comes knocking at my door at night, very unusual if you ask me." she chuckled. With no other option, I went over and sat on one of the cushions across from her.

"Do other people often come here?" I found some courage and asked her. Perhaps some of her children and grandchildren do come to visit her here and she is not alone, right? Or she's one of those people who have lost everyone they know? She does look to be around Seventy years old though. Her face was very wrinkled. So many questions ran inside my head.

"Oh I do have guests come from all over from time to time, even last week. And oh where are my manners," she stated getting up from her cushion. "I should get you some tea to warm you up, you must be cold." she opened a cupboard I hadn't noticed and brought out a small lamp.

"No thank you really, I'm not hungry." I objected.

"Nonsense dear. I am widely known for my hospitality and those who come here under duress always leave smiling, I will bring along a blanket and soup for you. My name is Ronda by the way." The old woman introduced herself and quickly disappeared through a door.

The room was stuffy I don't think I will be able to eat anything. Few seconds later and the woman returned with a tray and on it was a bowl, the delicious smell coming from it making me feel more hungry than I was.

She placed the tray in front of me, the aroma hitting my nose so bad my stomach grumbled and my mouth watered, having ran for hours has greatly exhausted me.

There was a ceramic cup of steaming tea along with a silver cup of water on the tray and a spoon and I picked the spoon and started drinking the soup and before you know it I had gulped everything down in a matter of seconds and it was only then that I remembered I had never seen that kind of soup nor tasted her kind of tea and I wondered how a mere soup could taste so great.

"What did you put in it?" I yawned and stretched my arms feeling sleepy so I laid down on the mat and pulled the blanket over me.

"Now is not the time to ask questions dear," she smiled at me and took the tray. "go to sleep." she whispered and I felt myself being lulled into sleep.

*

The next morning I woke up and the first thing to hit my senses was the delicious aroma that had me sniffing the air and heightened my taste buds, it was an aroma I had never smelt before, not even in Edwin Vincent's villa.

"Wake up wake up," I heard Ronda saying in a singsong voice and I opened my eyes, a smile stretching across my lips. "this morning brings with it good makings." she said, I didn't understand what it meant and I didn't care to ask.

"Good morning." I greeted sitting up and the blanket rolled down to my legs so I picked it and folded it before keeping it aside.

"Morning dear, I can sense this is a good morning for some people." Ronda said and placed a tray in front of me. Her words actually gave me hope, could it be that I had successfully escaped the devil Edwin Vincent?

Well the question won't answer itself and I have to eat.

I looked at the dishes on the tray placed in front of me and all of the dishes were golden in colour and not silver this time.

These can't be real gold can they? But who cares? As Ronda said, Now is not the time to ask questions. So I delved into the food.

*

This woman is really a good cook. I thought licking my fingers after a dish of chicken, fresh bread, hot tea and vegetables soup. I must ask this woman for her recipe.

But wait a minute!

Where on earth did Ronda get a fresh chicken and fresh vegetables when she's in the middle of the forest?! There were no other people here so let's rule out the market, I could guess she got the vegetables because maybe she has a farm around here or in her her backyard but she seems too old to farm.

She also mentioned the last time she had guests was a week ago, so If someone brought her the chicken it would be spoilt by now, as far as I know there were no animals in this forest, or at least that is what Edwin Vincent said.

But he is a liar! My conscious reminded. Unless...

"Thank you for the meal Ronda." I smiled at the woman, she had stared at me from across the room the whole time I ate.

"I think I should be going now." I said attempting to get up, even though I felt so tired and I didn't know why.

"Running away from the man who turned you from dirt poor to filthy rich," Ronda spat. My blood ran could and I sat there unable to move from my spot, I looked at her and her whole demeanour had changed from nice to nasty. "From a pauper to a princess and from a mere rag to silk." she grit out and I sensed the threat in her voice.

"It depends what that rag was originally made up." I retorted.

"Is that so? You ingrate." she hissed. Who is this woman and how is she related to the devil?

"He was going to kill me!" I yelled at her and was shocked when a sinister smile played on her lips making me feel scared even though I tried not to let it show on my face.

"Well you aren't going to be the first and neither the last of people to die," she growled and I gasped. "people die everyday, some for the benefit of others and that is why it's called a sacrifice." she said and I felt tears prick the corner of my eyes.

"Who are you?" I whispered but her sinister smile only widened more. Just why didn't I suspect anything much when I found a house with no windows in the middle of the forest.

"Oh you will know soon enough." she replied coolly, but I wasn't going to wait to know anything.

Gathering as much strength I could now that I know she has something to do with the devil, my body feeling weak, I jolted up so much I felt a sharp pain cut through my head and I winced but I didn't let that weigh me down.

I hurried to the door, wanting to open it and run away but there was no handle or a door knob, it was just like the outside of it. Just what kind of trap have I fallen into?

Breathing heavily, I turned and stared at the evil old woman who sat there unperturbed.

"Please, help me." I pleaded and just then there was a knock on the door and my eyes widened.

"Help!" I shouted, hoping whoever was outside would help me but Ronda laughed and slowly stood up clapping her hands, I felt the door unlock itself and I felt a sliver of hope pass through me, moving away from the door, I watched it open as someone pushed it from outside and with each second I felt more slivers of hope.

The door opened fully and in entered no one but the devil himself with a smirk on his face, just the sight of him made my heart ache and my head pound.

"And there is my princess," he smiled widely. "I hope you enjoyed your hiking." That was the last thing I heard him say before I collapsed into nothingness.