DAWN’S POV In silence, I watched it all unfold right before me. From the history of the three brother Packs to the story of Scarlet being the egg of the moon goddess, down to the display between my father and the witch. I did not say a word through it all as my head was filled with many questions begging to be answered. Some were answered in the course of the story, but so many others remained unanswered and I doubt if they would ever be answers to them. Now, what will be the verdict of the day? From all indications, my father is culpable. So would he be found guilty and if so, what would be his punishment? I know that this would be a hard task for my sister, and I hate that she has to go through this. “All this... I was so pathetic” my mother whispered. “It is okay, mother, I know that someday this will be over and it will be okay” I assured her. It was more as if I was assuring myself of everything being alright someday. This started hundreds of years ago, how certain is it that it will be okay during our time? “Thanks, Dawn” my mother greeted. “I am positive, mother” I replied and squeezed her hand tightly. I am positive, that even if it takes another hundred years to come, it will definitely get better. “I would have loved to ask you to stop it, but I don’t even know how you both started” Scarlet finally spoke up concerning the rift between my father and the witch. “My... my... queen” my father bowed to her. “Now to you, Mildrid, what is your defense?” Scarlet asked. It is all clear to everyone that the witch has no defense. All she wanted was to take Scarlet’s life. She got through my father all because of Scarlet, and she also demanded that I be sacrificed to foster the same purpose. She mapped out this plan hundreds of years ago. All she wants is to get rid of Scarlet and take over the three brother Packs once again. She wants to carry out her revenge for the act that transpires years ago. The witch began. “My... my... queen.. I... I...” she could only stammer.“You are only given a chance at your defense, Mildrid, use it or forever remain quiet” Scarlet warned. “Of course, very well... my queen. There was an agreement hundreds of years ago. We kept to our part but the three brother Packs never kept to theirs” Mildrid said. “And this agreement, does it include turning the people to slaves and making them sacrifice their own?’ Scarlet asked. “Hmm... hmm... it... it... actually, the agreement encompasses everything. We are their lords and should never be questioned” “Really?” Scarlet asked. “Yes... yes... we give them the protection and they give us all we want” Mildrid said. By now, everywhere remained as quiet as the graveyard. Today we would all experience a verdict on an agreement that transpired hundreds of years ago. We would wait to find out if the witch would succeed in proving her claim and thus, reclaiming the three brother Packs as hers. But that should not be the case. In no circumstance should she be given our Packs. Scarlet must see to it that she loses this. I don’t know how she would be able to achieve it, but for the sake of our lives, it must come to pass. “And who did you enter into this agreement with?” Scarlet asked. “With them, the werewolves. The fathers of these Packs, and the fathers before them” Mildrid responded. The witch seems to be gaining more ground with her answers. But would we be bound by an agreement entered into hundreds of years ago even when the moon goddess had freed us from it? Does the witch still have any claim over our lands even with the existence of an agreement? These and many more questions ravaged my mind, and I prayed within me that the answers to them are in the negative. I saw what the witch did just in a short time of controlling only a minute part of the land, and I could not help but to fear for what she would do if given absolute power and the entire lands of the three brother Packs. “Of course, there was an agreement, I would not dispute that,” Scarlet said. I could feel the tension as these words came out of Scarlet. Every single person held his breath. If Scarlet should ply this route, then we are all in danger and at the mercy of the witch. At this point, the witch rushed forward and knelt saying. “Yes, my queen... you are very correct. We made a pact and none should renege from it” “Of a truth, there was a pact, but then the questions remain, who was this pact entered with, and for what duration?” Scarlet replied. Hearing Scarlet’s questions, the witch was a bit startled and did not know what to say. “The... the... the pact... it was... was... never broken.... yes, it... is still in force. Yes, it is enforceable” Scarlet chuckled and looked at the witch. “You are clever. I would agree with you to a large extent though. A pact that was not broken in accordance with its tenets remains in force. That is as much as I can say” “My... my queen” Mildrid stammered. Scarlet cuts in. “Don’t be in haste, Mildrid. The pact was to last for the duration of the existence of the problem that led to it, and the availability of the solution. In a situation where there is no more problem, then no solution is needed” Hearing Scarlet’s analysis, the witch was flustered. “No, no, my queen. Even the castle is there to prove this. We have our lands given to us in furtherance of the agreement willfully entered into. We provided an everlasting solution and after that, they can't just turn around and say that they don’t need us anymore. They would have been completely wiped out of the surface of the earth if not for our timely intervention” Mildrid protested. “Once again, you are right. And to say the truth, it worries me that you are been sincere. A party that has provided a lasting solution should never be stabbed in the back just so as to break a pact with him” Scarlet said. “Yes, yes, my queen. We did provide a lasting solution and saved them from dying” Mildrid replied. “Okay, Mildrid, now that leads us to the other unanswered question,” Scarlet said. “Which other question, my queen? We have dealt with everything. I have given a clear explanation about all that transpired” Mildrid asked. “If I remember history correctly, the pact was entered with the vampires from WantonLake” Scarlet said. Mildrid got up and moved back a little. “My queen, we are vampires” she murmured. “You broke the pact with not just the werewolves, but also the vampires and now you dare to show your face here” Scarlet roared. “My queen, the vampires were weak, we had to step in and...” Mildrid attempted to explain but Scarlet would not let her. “You waited for centuries for this day. And today you appear before me. I would say it happened a very long time ago, and I am not in any position to judge you on that. But what about the ones that you have done even now? Today you would be punished and made to account for all that you have done wrong” Scarlet revealed.At this point, Luesa and Eval rushed over to the middle and knelt down begging to be spared. “Please spare us, great queen. It was all Mildrid’s idea. We have long given up, but she would not let us be. She was the one that insisted that we demand blood sacrifice from you to heal the Chamlee even when she knew that we could not heal him. She had our souls locked up all these years and we dare not go against her” “Then I must kill you and make you free. You have been in this world for too long to beg to remain in it” Scarlet said. Hearing this, they both exclaimed sorrowfully and soon they were turned to dust which was immediately blown away by the wind. Seeing what just happened to the two witches right before us, we were awed. We never knew that the queen was as strong as this. “And for you, Mildrid, for all the atrocities that you have done, you will rot and be eaten by termites to the very last piece of your bone,” Scarlet said. Immediately, Mildrid screamed and soon dropped dead on the floor. “My lady” my father screamed as he saw what happened. He quickly brought out a knife from his pocket and held it to his throat. I cannot believe this. He wants to kill himself even when Scarlet has not condemned him. He wants to follow to accompany the witch to the land of the dead. Seeing him bring the knife closer to his neck with great enthusiasm, Scarlet screamed. “Father...”