CHAPTER TEN:

THE WITCH'S GINGER BREAD HOUSE (part 2)

A witch Armin…

You would think that a woman who dabbles with the dark arts would be someone unsavoury- someone who would look like a hag thrown back and forth betwixt life and hell. But Armin, never have I ever had this much conviction. I tell you- do not judge someone with her mere looks.

The Lord Ackerman's witch is nothing like those we used to read about from the works of Grimm. Her countenance is deceptive and she looks more like the princess rather than the witch.

"Why are you here?" the raven haired lord slowly inches from his seat. Mikasa cannot see him. She's far too busy gawking at the woman with brown hair and brown eyes.

The woman may be dressed as a noble- laced in embroidered whale bone corset and decked in the latest fashion of off-shoulder silk and brocade- but the roughness of her movements and the bossy arch of her arms akimbo tell of her less than noble upbringing. Her hair is a mess of piles and braids. Her lips curve up in an easy condescending quirk. "Must we start with this, Levi? You know your questions can get tiring. Anyway, I should humor you a bit… I think. I am here for I heard another desperate soul calling out to me. Tell me… was that you, darling?"

She finds herself nodding, entranced of the woman's eyes. They are metachromatic- changing and swirling with every flicker of her volatile emotions… all in shades of crimson, chestnut and void.

"It was a glorious sound- a true siren's song, mind you. Levi here is just being stubborn. See… I am not a witch. More of like… a fae- a spirit of some sort. My parents never got to tell me. Then again, it seems I have no parents." A laugh. "Levi would scream at me that I am hell's spawn. Perhaps I am. You be the judge. Anyway…"

The woman draws closer. Lose enough for Mikasa to see the near magical flecks of silver impregnated almost unnoticeably into her orbs. They are the sources of the wondrous kaleidoscopic quality of her eyes.

"They call me Lady Zoe. I never got this penchant for nobility… but you can call me Hange. What do you think?"

Lord Ackerman sneers. Mikasa's head swiftly turns to find him standing beside her. "Just get on with it", he growls. The creases of frowns marking the bridge of his dark eyebrows sink. They seem to be a permanent adornment on his features. Levi frowns- perhaps it is the only expression he had mastered aside from showing no expression at all.

"Now Levi…" Lady Zoe chuckles in a manic lilt. "I remember teaching you something about patience."

"Tch."

"You are Mikasa Jaeger? The sister of Eren then? Erwin told me so much about you…"

"Erwin? Lord Erwin Smith?" she dawns weakly. It seems that the blond lord is involved in this too.

"Of course. You have not told her, Levi? The Lord Smith is very much involved here. He knows me. In fact, I can say that he loves me with confidence. Is not love wonderful?"

"I am not sure if your idea of love is not an aberration like your very nature."

"I am hurt, Levi. But then again, better an aberration than an illusion… like yours. Now that is an interesting thought", Hange Zoe pauses. The manic tilt of her lips does not melt. "Miss Jaeger here is willing enough to be trapped with her brother. She loves him very, very much. You, my lord, on the other hand have no one who loves you enough to sacrifice their freedom. Why don't we see how far she can go?"

"No."

"Do I look like I am asking for your opinion? I am merely relaying my plans…"

The witch closes her eyes, gathering a vortex of power from her reserve. When she opens them, pure blankness- almost white- reflects. "Listen well… from this day on Mikasa Jaeger, you shall be the punished lord's company. You will have no right beyond the gates of his prison. You will be caged, doomed to suffer with him in isolation... until he breaks from me."

Thus Armin, I am unable to escape from the estate. Lady Zoe put a curse on me- if that is the word for that. I tried… but i was, again and again, sucked by some unknown force back into the manor. I would lose consciousness every single time, and when I wake up I would find myself in the Lord Ackerman's study… hurting and bound by unseen restraints that would only be undone half a day after.

Eren's predicament… I learned the truth only days later.

I am really, really sorry that I was not able to update for some time. I was really busy... See, I am about to enter my fourth and final year in college- me premed- and I was 'attacked' by a barrage of examinations and thesis proposals. Also, I was quite busy trying to pass things for internship, so yeah. no matter how much I desire to update, I just couldn't. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Comment and follow. See you this week for the next update. Ta ta...