Chapter 2: Memories and Promises
"My- my WHAT?" Ashley sputtered quickly.
"Your people. You ARE my queen, aren't you?" Damien chuckled and smiled charmingly like he had done so often while they were at school.
Even though she knew full well he was joking, Ashley could feel the heat rise to her face as she blushed furiously just the same, and she wobbled slightly, knowing she was going to fall. Damien was prepared for this, he held her up and escorted her back into the castle.
The room they returned to was a master's suite- or, more appropriately, a king's bedroom. There was a large old-style bed with dark blue sheets, 4 solid posts and curtains, which were currently drawn back as obviously no one was sleeping. There was also a large bookcase crammed with books, a solid wooden desk for reading or writing, also a large armoire for clothes. The walls and ceiling seemed to be enchanted with Blue magic, their appearance was that of a starry sky at night, minus the moon since having a large glowing orb over one's head would probably make it difficult to sleep.
Damien half-walked, half-carried Ashley to the bed and set her down, he remained standing. After a moment collecting her thoughts, Ashley finally began with the questions.
"Ok, what's going on Damien?" Ashley asked finally, cupping her hands on her lap and looking up at him.
"It's a very long story, 3 years in the making..." Damien began.
And it was a long story.
Since his expulsion from Iris Academy, Damien had been very busy- as he said to Ashley before, he had his own castle and servants to tend to, though it was very difficult for him at first, for without his true powers, it was much harder for him to keep his subjects in check. Damien's only option was for him to get stronger the old fashioned way, but after some time, he did manage to bring things under control; granted, it was probably a blessing that he still did not have much under his authority and thus did not have to prove much, but it was by no means easy. Ruling his subjects took up most of Damien's time, and with Ashley busy with school, Damien could only visit her a few choice times, and even then everything had to be set up for his absence, however brief it may have been.
"It hasn't been easy, but I've manage to carve out a bit of Otherword for myself- and you, of course." Damien finally finished, he had been pacing the room as he spoke, gesturing outside a few times, answering Ashley's few questions, he felt exhausted already. The weight of the surprise had drained him, keeping such a secret so busy for so long wasn't easy, his fleeting visits to Ashley had to be hastened, he had to dodge her questions, or else flat-out lie to her and tell her 'not much was happening' on his end, now that he could finally tell her of all his word, it felt like the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders, and he felt tired.
"But... I thought that since you hadn't obtained a witch's soul, you failed to become-" Ashley stopped, having jumped right to the logical conclusion. "You did it, didn't you? You took another girl's life?" Ashley asked with an edge in her voice, springing right to her feet, her face hard.
"No! Absolutely not! I am the same Damien as I was 3 years ago, I haven't spilled a drop of witch blood since then, I swear." Damien replied quickly- he expected that reaction. It was, after all, the logical conclusion. "I have gained this power through training as you would- studying magic, honing my body and mind, becoming stronger than all others, and I had subjugated them to my will; all for you... you... don't like it, do you?" Damien sighed.
"No, that's not it... it's just..." Ashley softened significantly at that. She knew Damien wouldn't do that, she never really thought he did, she was really just probing for information- she still had more questions than answers. "I never really though of myself as a queen, you know..."
"Well, I suppose you're still technically just a human witch and I'm still just a demon prince, since we aren't married." Damien stated casually.
Again Ashley could feel herself flush, but it was a softer one this time, she had thought of her and Damien as husband and wife before, but as king and queen of Otherworld? Not in her wildest dreams. Before Ashley could speak again, Damien continued.
"Ha, and there's that innocent blush I've been missing for so long!" Damien chuckled. "Relax my dear, there's time enough to sort out all of that as you wish."
"S-so, I'm not REALLY a queen, am I? I'm still... just a witch..." Ashley said after a long, pensive moment.
"You were never JUST a witch, you're always going to be more than that to me." Damien said, his expression straightforward and serious. "But you don't have to... write laws or plan invasions or what have you, if that's what you mean."
"Oh... ok..." Ashley said, flattered by Damien's compliment, but at the same time quite relieved that she wasn't REALLY a queen... it was just a joke... right..? Ashley never was leader material, she wasn't president of her class- she wasn't even treasurer! Large responsibilities like that made Ashley quite uncomfortable, and fortunately, it seemed Damien knew that already.
"So, now it's your turn." Damien said, offering her his hand. Confused, Ashley just looked up at him with a quizzical look on her face. "I've told you how my last few years have gone, now I want you to do the same. Fair's fair, right?" Damien smiled.
"Oh, certainly..." Ashley let Damien help her up, and they switched positions- Damien was sitting on the bed and Ashley was standing, pacing about, telling her school stories and making gestures, asking Damien if he remembered some choice people.
And it was a very long story. Ashley began with broad things- her preferred studies of White and Black magic, but she had by no means shirked studying Red, Blue and Green. She talked about her exams and how she did very well on them- with no friends to talk to, Ashley had all the time in the world to focus on studying, for better or worse.
"What happened to all of your friends from your Freshmen year?" Damien asked, one who was so generous and friendly as Ashley couldn't make friends?
"Well... my old roommate, Virginia Danson- you remember her? She didn't much care for you- well, she hasn't spoken to me since our Freshmen year, she was still mad at me for pretty much ignoring all her warnings about you, so we never got along after that; my other roommate, Ellen Middleton, was expelled last year for her ridiculous magical science experiments after Potsdam caught her the second time; Donald Danson, Virginia's trouble making brother, was expelled THIS year for a stupid prank on Grabiner that backfired and almost broke Grabiner's arm; my Snake Hall roommate Raven Darkstar hardly spoke a word to me to begin with, so we never got along that well... we respected each other's space, but that was about it... and I'm not sure if you guessed this already, but the girls in Snake Hall aren't exactly the most social bunch around. I've had no one to talk to about anything personal... I've told no one that I was still seeing you, not even Potsdam, though I'm sure anyone could have guessed it... and I haven't been home since last year-"
"Last year? Why? Don't you miss your family?" Damien asked in surprise.
"I... I have no family in them anymore... the two different worlds we live in was just too much for me to bear, so I asked Potsdam to make them forget me..." Ashley said sadly. It was hard, casting them aside, but they weren't a family anymore. Besides Damien, Ashley was all alone. And before now, she didn't even have Damien save for a few slight meetings here and there. It was never enough.
So she's alone... she's abandoned her friends, her family... everyone... but not me... I should feel honored, but I can't help but pity her... she's given up so much just because of me... and that's not counting... that incident all those years ago...
"Well, on another note, how was your Freshman?" Damien asked, trying to move off of that subject. Ashley immediately lit up- good memories there, that's good. I hope she wasn't too hard on em... Damien smiled.
"His name was Felix Maxwell, he was a wildseed, just like me. Oh, he was the most adorable little boy- I swear he couldn't have been taller than 5 foot, though I suppose that made him fortunate since there was no chance he'd break the rule of being taller than any senior- and he had the biggest, most innocent and naive eyes you've ever seen-"
Oh, I doubt that very much... maybe I should buy her a nice, big mirror...
"-and he had short chestnut-brown hair and pearly-white skin, and oh he was so much fun to toy with! I had to practically fight Pastel Rao off of him to claim him as my own when we were picking our Freshmen. Even after it was decided that I got him, Pastel paid more attention to my freshman that she did her own! I swear I had to have found her a dozen times teasing him, or hugging him really closely, or giving him strange 'gifts' or something, I shoo'd her off every time..." Ashley began, Damien was laughing pretty hard- oh, how he could see it so perfectly.
"So what did you have him do? Anything really embarrassing?"
"Well, I'm not exactly imaginative when it comes to making people do strange things for me, so I had him write me a love letter just like you did to me, I just couldn't help myself; his was so much better than mine... it was about flowers in the night or something... I can't remember, I lost the poem a while ago... but it was so cute... I also had him bring me tea while I was studying in the library- I tried to get him to wear cat ears and a maid's outfit while he did it, that made him REAL embarrassed, probably a bit TOO embarrassed, because he told me if I made him do that then he'd go tell Potsdam -or worse, Grabiner- on me, so I had to let it go... BUT it gave me an idea for what to give him at the end of the week- I made him a necklace with Black Magic, made up of different beads in various shapes that all meant something different from Initiation- there were little kittens and feather dusters, also some fairy wings to remind him of Pastel, and some tea leaves."
"Ha! Sounds like you had a fun time with the poor boy. More so than I did with you." Damien smiled.
"Yeah, well MY poem didn't end up in Grabiner's hands." Ashley giggled.
"Ha ha, I hope not! You'd scar the poor boy for life!" Damien laughed with Ashley, the disturbing irony of that statement either going over both of their heads, or else they both ignored it, which was certainly for the best.
For a few hours, Damien and Ashley talked about the past few years, reminisced a bit about their year together at Iris Academy, and all was well. It seemed almost too good to be true, and it was. Nothing unusual was said so far, but both could clearly see the writing on the wall- there was something that had to be discussed, and it had to be discussed now. What would happen to Ashley? Damien hadn't given any idea on what the probably length of her stay in Otherworld was going to be, though it was pretty much a nonverbal agreement between the two that it was only a temporary visit; but now Ashley had no family, she had no obvious employment prospects and she was done with school- she had nowhere to go. But at the same time, Otherworld was a very dangerous place for a human -even, no, especially for a witch- and being affiliated with a Demon Prince, one of the many constantly warring claimants to the throne of King of Otherworld, Ashley would be in significantly greater danger. Even so, this was something that had to be addressed.
"So... I've decided... I'm going to live with you in the Otherworld." Ashley said finally during a gap in conversation, her expression flat and serious as she spoke with complete sincerity. This was the topic that had been dancing in the back of both of their heads ever since Ashley mentioned her split from her family, they both had plenty of time to think it over, but the answer by no means came easy to either of them.
Absolutely not! Was Damien's first thought, but he dare not say that. I... I can protect her... was his second thought, followed by recollections of the vile machinations of his adversaries in just the past few years, and applying that to her... it wouldn't end well.
I can't just turn her away!
I owe her... for that time...
A human can't LIVE in Otherworld! There's a reason witches and wizards DON'T live in Otherworld! IT'S DANGEROUS FOR THEM!
She has nowhere else to turn to...
She's doing this for me, isn't she..?
Silence pervaded the room for a short eternity, Ashley kept her focus on Damien, who was waging his own private war in his head.
I can't just turn her away!
I can't put her in danger!
Damien opened his eyes and looked at Ashley, examining her closely, hoping that maybe she could give him an answer, since he was torn between keeping her safe and keeping her close.
She's grown... in many ways... she's more beautiful and mature than she was 3 years ago... but that could make her a target... or a valuable asset... her position is bold, confident... she's always been that way, that's why she was a Horse, even if she is now in Snake's clothing... if only I could see how powerful she's become with her magic, then I can be certain whether or not she can take care of herself...
Damien finally had an answer.
"I'll let you stay..." Damien said softly, almost at a whisper, if not for the complete silence that enveloped the room, Ashley might not have heard him. But she did, crystal clear.
Ashley sprang to her feet and embraced Damien. "Oh thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou THANKYOU!" Ashley said with exuberant joy, tears were streaming down her face already- either way that was likely to happen.
"HOWEVER." Damien said sharply, gently easing Ashley off of him. "If I feel you are in too much danger here in Otherworld with me, I'll have to send you back." Damien added.
"I've been studying very hard these last few years, I promise you there's no creature here I can't handle by myself!" Ashley said confidently as she wiped her tears on her robes; sure, she could have just used magic to dry the tears, but this felt more symbolic- as of now, her magic was now a serious tool that had to be used for her very survival, not a simple tissue to dry her tears. No more playtime, no more teachers holding her hand and catching her when she fell; now, things were serious. This was life.
"Oh? You promise me? You know what a magical promise means, and how serious it is, don't you?" Damien said .
"Yes, I know. So to prove I absolutely mean it, here's a binding one." Ashley said, putting both her hands over her heart. "I promise by all the cardinal spirits of all magic that if you, Damien Ramsey, deem me, Ashley Briar, of insufficient magical ability to remain here in Otherworld, that I will return to the human world at your behest without question, never to return but upon penalty of losing all my connection to magic..." and death, was the implied ending to that.
"And I promise to you, Ashley Briar, that if you prove yourself to be a capable witch able to defend herself against the perils of Otherworld, I will allow you to stay here in Otherworld; and if you are unable to prove yourself, I will abdicate all my possessions in this realm to he whom I deem most worthy, and I will accompany you back to the human world." Damien responded, his hands over his heart as a mirror of Ashley.
This was the agreement between them, either Ashley was strong enough to remain in Otherworld against all odds, or else they both were as good as dead in the human world. Regardless, they would go together, no matter what.
She said she's been studying mostly White and Black magic... I suppose White magic will help her know the creatures that dwell in this world, but Black magic wouldn't be my first choice for self-defense... well, she's a smart girl- no, she's a smart woman... smart and beautiful and brave and... hopefully strong as well... I'll keep an eye on her, if I feel she's not ready... well, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it...
