"Bonnie, something's happening to me!" Dixie cried out.
Her hands were not only glowing brightly, but the heat from them was akin to that of a torch. She instinctively held her hands away from her face for fear of being burned. Again.
"It's the Devil's magic!" The Pope yelled, his voice strong and steady. "The witch is drawing upon the powers of hell!"
The crowd is thrown into an uproar.
"Kill her! Kill her at once!" Prince Constantine screamed, holding Helena in front of him while making a slashing motion with his arm.
Helena looked at him in shock, more dismayed by his cowardice then the magical display by Felicia. She spared one final look at Alexander, before turning and running to where her mother was calling her.
Bonnie's blade clashed with another as the royal knights finally swarmed her. They had permission to strike him down now. Defending a witch practicing black magic was an irredeemable crime. If the Young Duke did not die by their blade, he would be set upon the gallows once captured.
Drawing upon Alexander's swordsmanship, Bonnie did her best to keep the knights from reaching Dixie. As hard as she fought, she wasn't enough. Within minutes, her sword was knocked out of her hands and hit the floor with a metallic clatter.
Apart from the Duke, no one else looked in her direction. None of the attendees cared about the fight unfolding. The witch's hands were continuously releasing bursts of white light that soared into the air and exploded.
People were terrified the magic may reach them and kill them.
The hall was a cacophony of hurried footsteps and screams as families, friends and acquaintances crowded the exit.
"Alex! Alex!" Duke Roelle continuously pushed through the bodies blocking his way. He was terrified his son would be killed. But more than that, he was shocked by Felicia's magical demonstration. Was she really a witch? Since when had she had such power? How had she even acquired the Devil's magic? He knew she was evil and cursed, but he didn't know she actually possessed dark powers. Was this why Alex was suddenly defending her? Had she used her witch magic to hypnotize his mind and bring him to her side?
"No!" The Duke growled. He would not allow that cursed girl to take his son from him the way she had taken his wife. Alex would not die for Felicia. He would not bury his only remaining blood!
Bonnie struggled to break free from the grip of the knights that held her face down and pinned to the floor. Her eyes spun wildly as she tried to see what was happening to her sister when she heard the Duke approach her.
"Release my son! He is not defending her; he had been bewitched by her! Get off of him at once!"
Bonnie lifted her head once the knee on her neck had been removed. She looked over the Duke's shoulders, ignoring his frantic ramblings, as she tried to see Dixie's position.
Her sister was fighting for her life. Her hands were no longer glowing white but a strange purple. None of the knights could touch her as the purple light formed bolts which erupted out of her fingertips and shattered every sword that swung her way.
Still, the battle hardened men were determined.
While Dixie was busy sending out two thin bolts to knock down the men in front of her, another knight approached her from behind, taking advantage of her distracted state, and raised his sword to strike off her head.
Dixie's hands acted like magnets, her body spinning around as if dragged. She threw herself down and grabbed the man's armored leg. Instantly, her debilitating power entered his body. He collapsed into a heap, his body folding in on itself.
The hall was nearly empty now, yet the tension was still palpable.
The Pope remained, alongside a handful of his faction as was well as two of his Templar Knights who had their swords still fully sheathed. Much like their master, they were calm. They had simply stood and watched the royal knights try to kill the witch.
Duchess Tyren and her daughter were long gone.
Duke Roelle was admonishing his son all the while checking his body for any serious injuries.
The Queen was clutching her husband hand with one hand while holding her son's head to her chest with the other. Crown Prince Constantine buried himself into his mother's embrace, squeezing his eyes tightly closed and waiting for his parents to make the problem go away.
The King and Queen's personal knights had formed a protective circle around the family, their swords fully drawn and ready to act. They had tried to escort the royals out, but the earlier chaos had made it impossible.
King Robert had also refused, insisting he was going to see things through to the end.
As the last of the fighting knights fell at the hands of Dixie's lightning, she looked to where Bonnie was and reached out a hand.
The Duke grasped his son's arm tightly. "No, Felicia! Don't you dare! You will not take Alex from me as you did Moniqua! Remove the spell you've placed on his mind!"
Bonnie ripped the Duke's hand off him and rushed towards her sister.
"Alex! No!" Roelle ran after his son, but it was too late.
Bonnie and Dixie's fingertips touched and they instantly vaporized into an infinity loop before vanishing completely.