Chapter 45: Defeated

Hazel stood quietly among the crowd, but her eyes remained fixed on Rita and Susan. The entire scene felt strangely familiar, almost like something she had already watched happen before.

Her eyebrows slowly pulled together. "I’ve seen this scene before..." she murmured.

She could not remember where or when, but the feeling was too strong to ignore. The way Rita stood over Susan, the blue flames around her hands, and even the way Caius had stopped her at the last moment all felt like pieces of a memory that did not belong to her.

Before Hazel could think about it any longer, Rita finally released Susan.

She did it so harshly that Susan fell heavily onto the floor and immediately began coughing blood.

The witches around them gasped, but nobody dared to move closer.

The few witches who had been thinking about challenging Rita’s position as Queen looked at each other before quietly stepping backward. One of them turned around and ran away without even saying a word.

Hazel almost laughed. So much for the challenge.

The High Priest returned to her seat and calmly sat down as if nothing unusual had happened. She looked at Hazel with an amused smile.

"You see how His Majesty managed to tame Rita while she was in her anger mode?"

Hazel looked at her. "That’s what you want me to do?"

The High Priest nodded. "Exactly. I want you to tame him."

Hazel almost choked. "Me?"

"Yes." She looked toward Caius. The Werewolf King was standing near the throne, speaking with Ethan while Alexander watched Rita from a distance.

Hazel sighed. She had been trying her best not to fall for Caius. She knew that if she allowed herself to truly fall for him, she might be the one who would suffer the most in the end. But if she wanted to survive beside him, they had to become closer.

The problem was that Hazel still did not understand what their relationship really was. Hazel turned back to the High Priest. "How exactly did Rita become so close to him?"

The High Priest smiled. "Rita is like a daughter to His Majesty. You could also say she is like his little sister. She was only about two years old when His Majesty found her. She was almost dead."

Hazel’s expression softened. "He saved her?" He didn’t know Caius is kind enough to save a soul.

The High Priest nodded. "He saved her and brought her here. Even her biological mother believed Rita was dead."

Hazel looked toward Rita, who was now standing proudly in the middle of the hall. "Soooo, she survived because of Caius?"

"Yes. And if her mother had known that Rita was alive, she would never have gone against His Majesty. The Dark Witch Queen was the one who confused everything and made Rita’s mother believe the worst."

Hazel frowned. "Wow... Rita was already close to Caius before the war?"

The High Priest smiled. "I was the one who took care of Rita when she was young, but Caius was the person she trusted most."

Hazel looked at Caius again. It was difficult to imagine him taking care of a tiny child.

The same man who could scare an entire hall with one look had apparently once carried a dying little girl in his arms and saved her life.

Hazel could not help wondering what he had been like back then.

The High Priest continued speaking. "And there is something else you should know. I don’t believe Rita’s mother truly hated His Majesty."

Hazel raised a brow.

"she was the one who made his mate’s blood the only solution to break the curse. She even told her daughter about it before everything ended."

Hazel froze. "I had the same dream," she said slowly. "I saw Caius looking for me... searching for me."

Lady Mira laughed lightly. "That was also her doing."

"But I also saw the white wolf spirit," Hazel added.

The High Priest’s eyes widened a little, then she smiled with real happiness.

"That is great news. White wolves are very special. It means his wolf already wants you."

In the center of the hall, Susan finally pushed herself up. She looked exhausted and defeated. Slowly she knelt in front of Rita and bowed her head low.

The whole hall erupted in loud clapping and cheers.

"The Light has defeated the Darkness!" many voices shouted.

Wolves, dragons, vampires, fairies, and Fae all watched with interest. To the other races, the fight had been both shocking and entertaining. They had never seen a witch battle like this before.

Rita stood tall and calm. The blue glow in her eyes faded back to normal. She looked around the huge crowd and spoke in a clear voice.

"I will protect both the Light witches and any witch who chooses the right path. The days of the Dark witches ruling through lies and fear are over."

More cheers filled the air.

Caius raised one hand, and the hall slowly became quiet again.

"Rita is now the official Queen of the Witches," he declared. "She will stay in Basileia for now and work with us. Anyone who challenges her without a fair reason will answer to me."

The rest of the ceremony continued with music, food, and respectful greetings from the leaders of the other races. The Dragon King and his wife offered formal congratulations. The Vampire Lord and his people watched carefully but said nothing against the decision. The Fae Queen and the fairy representatives smiled politely.

By the time the sun began to set, the great welcome-back ceremony was coming to an end. Rita remained the crowned Witch Queen.

Susan was taken away under heavy guard. The Light witches who had come with Rita stood proudly behind their new queen.

Hazel stayed near the High Priest, still thinking about everything she had just learned.

The white wolf spirit... the dreams... the mate’s blood that could break the curse...

Everything was connected, and her place in the middle of it was becoming clearer with every passing day..