A flutter of wings through the open window signal the return of her companion. Perching easily on a chair and opening it's beak to release what it had been holding. 'Welcome home. What have you brought me, darling.’ Alice cooed softly as she turned away from her work table. A stroke of her finger over the raven's head before reaching over to pick up the piece of paper that had been dropped on the small kitchen table. An invitation of sorts. Cursive script, soft colored flowers, followed by a date and a time. A grand gathering was happening tonight. A celebration of an engagement that was open to the entire town. But what stuck out to the blonde instantly was the name.
Wynter.
A family she'd kept an eye on for nearly all of her four hundred years of life. The family of her love who'd been snatched away from her. Memories flood her mind, visceral and like they happened just yesterday. Alice took a deep breath, shaking her head to push them away. ‘So, another Wynter is getting married is that right?’ Glancing to the familiar as it shook out its feathers, cawing softly as if to tell her to keep reading. Catching the other name is what gave the witch pause.
o’Brien.
That name haunted her even to this day. Reverend o’Brien had taken everything from her. Alice could feel her blood start to boil just from seeing the name alone. That man condemned her love, a one Tiberius Wynter to a painful, agonizing death all because he could not see that all Alice had been doing was helping people. Tiberius's death was one of many during those years. History books taught all about it to this day. But there was a partial truth to her story. The blonde was a witch, that much was true, born and raised in a coven that believed in the power of nature and healing.
She never hurt anyone, even helped so many of those towns folk heal over her time there. Yet with a simple word from the reverend, they'd all turned against her. Turned against Tiberius and used him as a warning. Burnt her tiny little home to the ground and killed him publicly while she was away. Left him hanging in the town square for all to see. How could a Wynter be marrying an o'Brien? Absolutely absurd. Did they not know the history? Or had they all just simply buried the tragedy over the centuries. No longer wishing to be associated with such a sad and morbid tale.
Alice had stayed away from the Wynter estate ever since Tiberius was murdered, focusing instead on her anger and revenge to the people of Cypress Falls. A dreary and odd town it had become. Superstitions abound, strange happenings. And a new person every year finding home in the sanitorium at the edge of town. Driven mad from hallucinations of an old hag. The occasional sighting of the elusive one eyed raven who now became synonymous with bad luck and death. That same bird stared at Alice from across the table. In the home that she had to rebuild from scratch. Tossing the invitation back on to the table the witch squared her shoulders. 'Well, I haven't been to a ball in sometime. Shall we dress up and pay the manor a visit Narcissus?' There would be no such wedding. Not while she was alive and could prevent it. No Wynter would mingle with the people who caused her so much pain. // @wynterhxney
