Prompt me not, for these are my prompts - 2. Punishment

Sivana stood looking over the ruined chapel. The stones had been blown out in spots and vines had already begun to make their way into the chapel. The back wall was totally missing as was every pane of glass.

“I knew it would be bad, but this is going to take a lot of work.”

Aren shrugged his shoulders and stared at her.

Sivana carefully made her way back to Aren where he stood holding the reins of their horses.

“You could have warned me that was going to be a mess.” She stared angrily up at the man who was her guard.

“Since you pissed off Marisa, when haven’t we been given the worse jobs?”

Sivana sighed. That was the problem with having a liaison with a queen, when it broke up they made sure you were punished for it, and often at that.

“Don’t remind me,” she muttered as walked over to her horse. She began to dig around in her saddle bag, pulling out various supplies she would need. She was so focused she nearly dropped everything when Aren walked over and dropped a blanket over her head.

“What the…” was about all she got out as the sky opened up and heavy rain storm began. “Great, as if things weren’t complicated enough.”

Aren stood there as the rain fell making rivers down his chest and soaking his pants and boots. His long white hair was tied with a ribbon and fell like pale moonlight against his dark skin. Sivana glanced guiltily at the metal band on his arm, binding him to her for the rest of his life. It seemed lately all she did was screw up and make things worse for those around her.

“I’m sorry, Aren. Cover yourself before you get sick.”

Aren moved to his horse pulling out a poncho.

Sivana looked sadly at Aren. The man had been so much fun to work with and he had always put the needs of those he was working with ahead of his own. However, when Marissa had suggested that Sivanna was interested in him, she had blown up. Aren was many things, but he sure didn’t have the right equipment for her never mind the fact he had a man of his own. She had instead had a blistering fight with Marissa and stormed out.

It was only by accident that she found out what was planned for her friend. She had heard one of the lesser witches describing the potion she had crafted for the queen allowed Sivana to put it all together just in time. Finding out that Marissa had attempted to poison Aren with Nightshade, monkshood, and the shell of a viper crab, the vile potion had been spread across his clothing. It left Aren near death and with almost no will of his own. If she hadn’t found him when she did, he would have simply died. The spell she concocted of roses, pine needles, and the heart of a deer was nearly too late. It left Aren caught between the man he was and a manikin. In order to protect him and to continue to work spells that would break his condition she was forced to bind his life to hers with the bracelet. Aren had slowly been coming back to himself but at times still needed to be told to protect himself.

“I still don’t know why she wants this old chapel repaired. I mean it literally sits at the edge of her realm and hasn’t been used in years.” Sivana’s hair was already beginning to curl and snake down into her face with the sudden humidity caused by the storm

Aren simply looked at her.

Sivana slowly began laying out her supplies and then went to gather a few loose pebbles that were lying near the chapel. She was going to have to use sympathetic magic since the rain wouldn’t allow her to use a fire.

Slowly she crafted the image of the chapel as it should look out of wax. Then she slowly began to weave her spell. She was completely lost in her work, barely noticing as the gentle rainfall became a downpour or that Aren had moved to stand with his poncho covering her work area leaving her dry to continue. Hours passed and sweat covered her arms and face as she forced the pebbles to begin to float and affix themselves to her wax replica of the chapel. Off to her side the stones and pieces that had been covered by weeds, vines, and new growth shook themselves loose and began to slowly roll out of the ground. Eventually the smaller piece flew like arrows from the ground and began to fasten themselves back into the gaps of the chapel. As the rocks and stones replaced themselves in building the vines and trees that had begun growing into the chapel seemed to wilt and die, leaving the space clear and renewed.

Each moment seemed to build another layer of sweat and exhaustion on Sivana, until the chapel was complete. As she finished she fell forward, totally drained. It took a while till she could bring herself to look at the chapel.

“She’ll have to hire someone to remake the damn windows. I’m good, but not that good.”

It was then she noticed that Aren had moved off. He returned a moment later and handed her a small bag. Inside were an apple and an oat cake.

“Eat.”

Sivana smiled. “You too. Thanks for the protection from the storm. I really couldn’t have done it without you.”

Aren nodded but stood stiffly watching out at the wood.

“I’m really going to have find something that can undo the rest of that damn spell,” muttered Sivana as she took a bite of the oat cake, staring miserably into the falling rain.