Witch

Black Diamond

Summary: In a world where Witches are slaves to humans. A young Witch finds herself in the royal palace as the servant of the first prince of the crown. Life as a slave proves to be harder than she had imagines when the she finds herself going through emotional and physical changes when she finds herself in love and her powers growing.

Chapter 7: Echos of War Sounds of Freedom

"You are not seriously considering this are you." Berly asked staring at him with pure anger. His generals seemed somewhat shocked by his declaration but their initial shock dissipated immediately. My shock however was still plastered to my face.

"Yes I am. It has been far too long, and this is not the way of our people. Besides its better to work with each other than to continue this venomous relationship." He replied staring at me from across the table.

I had threatened war, but neither of us desired it. This would resolve all of our problems. I could tell that he had every intention of keeping war out of the picture.

His plan did seem good. I listened as he addressed the council, explaining how 'slavery was not the way of our people, we who cling so strongly to the will and guidance of Gaia, we should have known better' and other such monologues.

His gaze was fierce as it held mine, I was not certain if I was pleased or suspicious of his intentions. But he did slowly draw his gaze away, returning those sharp blue eyes of his back to Beryl who was busy complaining.

The rest of the proceeding went about smoothly. Beryl raised her protests in the face of every proposal I made.

Strangely enough, I kept quite throughout the whole meeting. I just observed and listened. I was not certain of what to expect, this was definitely not it. Darien's actions at the moment was turning my whole mission futile. His freeing my people would make my actions here obsolete, thus my presence here obsolete.

If I was not needed here, then I would have to return home to the Highlands.

I saw his gaze landed upon me on several occasion, including when one of the council members presented a proposition that would include fining the Witches for their freedom and loaning them land which they will have to pay off with several years of servitude.

In many ways it was still slavery, but at the very least freedom will not be very far away for them. It was a start.

Right.

"Have you nothing to say?" He asked after returning to his chamber that night. I ignored him, instead choosing to prepare for bed. I quickly cast a spell to braid my hair for me so that I would not sleep with it tangling all over the place. Usually Mina or Lita would have been braiding my hair for me, but they were far away. And I did not know how to braid.

I saw his eyes tack onto the braids, he watched as my hair parted itself and then braided itself as if guided by some invisible hands. His eyes would occasionally fall upon mines but I ignored him as best as possible.

When the braids finished, there were two long ropes hanging behind me. It would be easier to have it up in a fashion that would not consist of it dragging around on the ground.

"What do you want me to say?" The braids finished and then lifted themselves up and began to knot up.

Sigh." Never mind. You are obviously intent on making things difficult for me."I did not respond, just watched as he removed his shirt in preparation for a bath.

I had already taken mines, and would be long asleep before he came out.

He walked into the bathroom, and I scurried under the bedcovers more than ready to sleep. I felt the bed dent when he finally came to bed, and my body slightly turned towards his in search of heat. I was used to sleeping with at least one other person in bed with me, usually that person was Mina or Diana, so I was not as uncomfortable about the idea as I should have been.

But I had the strangest notion that I should have been uncomfortable in his presence.

Next Day:

The next day, things seemed to be moving by fast. Darien sent out a proposal to all of the major provinces in the Kingdom declaring the coming liberation of the Witches.

The declaration of course did not mean that by sunrise tomorrow my people will see freedom, but it did give us hope.

I knew that many of my people would not believe in this, they will assume that this is some kind of elaborate trap to lure out all of the remaining witches, and I could not blame them for it.

They did not know Darien as I did.

All that my people know of this mortal King is that in his veins runs the Blood of our enemies. I will have to change their minds, but first I will have to be certain he is worthy.

"You do realize that it will not happen just because you declared it. And that I cannot wait another year for this to work itself out." I stated sitting on the grass in the garden. Darien was having his afternoon meal with Beryl and his generals.

And though I realize that he did not wish to be further troubled by the discussion- his office was currently piled with complaints and disapprovals from not only Lords and Nobles but citizens, and the palace hall was packed with complainers.

But I needed to be certain of his intentions, his will and most importantly his capabilities.

This challenge to his authority was warranted.

"You cannot expect me to walk into every household and force my people to comply. I am trying to deal fairly with both our peoples. But I will not do so at the expense of mines. If I had to choose Serena, it would be my people over yours." That did not sit well with me, the glare I gave him clearly revealed that. He took a bite of his meal and ignored me. I turned my attention back to the flowers I was studying.

His home housed so many beautiful plants. Plants the likes of which I had never seen before. Though our highland home had its own scope of plant life, there were very few flowers there.

I have only seen one flower, that could compare to these, they were the moonflowers that grew under the light of the full moon, as these did under the grace of the sun.

"I cannot believe you are serious about it Darien. You will incite a civil war if this carries on. My own family refuses to comply and I cannot blame them. Do you know what will happen if we free them…they have magic, something many of our people lack. How will we be safe. They know our homes how do you expect us to sleep save at night?" Beryl stated slamming her fork down. I turned to stare at her, Darien too stared at her and for a moment I could see that he was sympathetic to her concerns.

And that did not please me. Why should he be sympathetic towards her. Her concerns were falsely attained. My people would not seek vengeance unless Dark Magic posses them, and that will not happen if they are not enslaved.

With the freedom to practice magic and to connect with the Purest form of Magic, the magic of the ancients; my people will not succumb to dark magic.

"You have nothing to fear. Once my people are free, then they will leave your cities and your homes. This place is like an illness upon the earth, there is too much cruelty here. Even your Gaia has given up on you." I murmured well aware that Beryl was probably thinking of ways to hex me, and that Darien was probably trying to conjure up a muzzle for me.

"What do you mean by that." Jediet asked. Though he was Darien's general and thus an enemy of mines, I was beginning to take a liking to him. He was a gentle soul, very airy. His presence makes me feel as if I was taking in boat loads of fresh air.

I sighed.

"I am unable to hear the voice of Gaia here. Your great mother has abandoned you in shame. It is quite sad, to have your own god leave you. It is as if you have Fallen. Much like the…" I stopped talking. I was about to speak of something very sacred amongst my people. A Sacred knowledge that is forbidden to outsiders

As far as Gaia's children knew, the Ester Clan is a clan composed of Witches who worship the Stars. They were not aware of the history behind their existence. And they will never if I had anything to say about it.

"How dare you. Perhaps it is only you that Gaia does not answer. You who is the enemy of her children. Gaia despises perhaps you and thus refuses to answer you." Beryl said angered.

"Gaia is a great spirit. She is the mother of all, she does not despise. Wisdom does not leave room for hatred and Gaia is wisdom." I said rising to my feet. The conversation was beginning to get to me. I could understand Beryl's frustration, but that did not mean I was going to let her get away with such crude insults to me. Our people have ceased to hear the Voice of the Moon Goddess as well, but it is because of the slavery, not because of our actions.

Right?

I sighed, getting up to my feet and wiping the dirt off of my dress.

I was about to retreated into the palace when Darien caught hold of my hand to stop me.

"And you Serena. Do you hear the voice of The Moon Goddess?" When he said that I could feel my knees weaken.

How did he know of our Great Mother.

The Goddess Artimist was to my people what Gaia was to his.

I yanked my hand away and walked back into the palace.

The arrogant man. Sticking his nosy self in matters that did not concern him.

"Much like I." I murmured to myself as I walked into the kitchen where the cook was having lunch with several other palace servants.

"I have your meal set up. Was not sure if you were coming." The cook said. I smiled and took a seat next to Blare, one of the palace maids. Blare was a half-Witch half mortal with barely any powers, but a voice to rival angels.

She would be a great caster if trained properly.

Too bad I cannot train her here in the palace. If there was any possibility of her nurturing those skills and becoming a caster, then she needed to leave this palace. Leave here and return to the Highlands where the other witches will train her properly.

I will have to send a message to Raye. She will best receive my missive when she is meditating, which means I will have to wait until later on tonight.

"Do you not want to do magic?" I asked Blare later on that night as we sat on the trunk of a tree near the palace watching the stars. I had called her out to help me cast a calling circle out in the woods away from prying eyes.

"I do. But I do not have magic, I have tried before."

"None sense. You have magic I can feel it. You just don't have the training." I said casting my gaze away from the heavenly sight and staring at her solemn face. She turned towards me too, shaking her head sadly.

"I have tried to use it. I cannot make fires, summon objects, or make fortunes I cannot do anything." She looked slumped and I smiled at her saddened face taking her hand.

"You cannot do them now, but you will later. There are many kinds of witches the witches you speak of are typical witches who can bend the elements around them at will. You are a caster. You must first call the the elements before you can bend them and use them. Casters are powerful because you can control the very essence of an object. Instead of its physical form." She averted her gaze retuning them to the heavens. I kept my grip on her hands. Refusing to let go.

"How can you be certain?" She turned her gaze upwards again, staring at the stars and the moon with clear longing. A longing that many of my people share.

I sprang to up in a sitting position, and stared down at her with a wide toothy smile "Here try this. Close your eyes and think of a red apple, sweet, round and glossy…now with that image in mind and at heart call it to you. Idunn." Blare did as I instructed. She closed her eyes and called forth for the apple in its true name.

Her first try was a failure, she opened her eyes and there was no apple, I had a red apple sitting in my hands. I placed it in front of her then in her other hand and asked her to take a good look.

"Now try again with this picture in mind." She did, and it did not work. After seven more tries she finally managed to summon an apple. I smiled and stared at her.

I took back my apple and bit into it.

"See, practice." She smiled and began to eat her apple as well.

"Are you a caster as well?" Blare asked. I nodded.

"Amongst other things." I replied. I was a caster, a chanter, a summoner, and a wielder. I was everything at once. But she did not need to know that. The fewer people who knew of my secrete the better. For both them and myself. Blare would eventually learn, like all the others. But as of now, she was a witch of the Kingdom, born into servitude and unaware of her origin or her people's history.

That will soon change. But not now, not tonight.

"Wow, what else can you do?" She asked.

"Some other witchy stuff. But you'll find out later. As for now, are you willing to leave here. To go and train amongst my people?" She hesitated at first, but then nodded. I sighed my relief. It would be best for all.

There were many young witches here like Blare, those with create potential, great power who do not know how to make use of their powers. Some are not aware that they even have powers. All because of their enslavement.

They succumb to potion making and hexing and other minimal works that would only require them to spill their witch blood.

I would have hated watching her magic slowly fade into a dormant state. At this age, she was quite capable of doing a lot. And with the help of the Highland Caster's I could see great potential here.

"How will I be able to leave…I am a slave and…" I shook my head.

"Leave that to me."