Hi again. Thank you for still coming :) Niknak, that's really sad :( Rufy, you're welcome, don't worry I will complete this story ;) I can answer that it's part of the curse :) sorry for making you sad, comes the drama part hahaha

I don't own these lovely characters- don't hate Saeko please. Have a nice weekend.

Chapter 13

The night sky was clear with the crescent moon shone among sparkling stars. The forest was unusually quiet tonight. Kai stared up at the sky as he sat over stairs top. Dinner time had passed and his stomach had groaned for some while but he didn't want to leave yet. Meals couldn't heal the pain, sadly.

"It's a beautiful sky, isn't it?"

Kai turned to Marilyn and nodded. He remained quiet as she took his side. "We used to have night talk at balcony when you couldn't sleep. Do you remember?"

Kai nodded.

"You would refuse to sleep until we sing your favorite song." Marilyn chuckled. Kai smiled but said nothing. "I really am sorry; I should tell you the truth."

"I'm not mad anymore, mom," Kai finally said. "I'm happy you're here."

"I'm happy too honey."

Kai let himself being hugged for a while. Marilyn noticed his soft sigh. "What's the matter?"

"When you meet pa, how do you know that he's your one?"

"Are we having love consultation now?"

"Mom,"

"Sorry honey." Marilyn pushed Kai back and held his shoulders. "It's easy to say: you will know by heart, but in reality sometimes people couldn't realize it. In our case, yes we did. I knew it."

"How do you know it? I mean, it's kind of feeling or something?"

"How to put it?" Marilyn pursed her lips and continued, "If seeing that person, talking to her or just being near her, make you happy, feel complete that you can't find it in anyone but that person then you know that it's her. And it's not only you, she also feels the same."

"What if she doesn't feel it?" Kai said hesitantly.

"Perhaps she isn't your one." Marilyn took a look at Kai's gloomy face. "Wait a sec, you are falling in love. Who's the girl? Your schoolmate?"

"No, mom." Kai started to blush. "I hate those girls in my school."

"Someone from this land?" She caught Kai's widened eyes. "It is, isn't it? That witch? Or is it the fairy?"

"They're my best friend mom," Kai said.

"Then who is it?" Marilyn got impatient. Her eyes then widened. "Don't tell me it's Ray."

Kai licked his lips.

"Kai?"

"Well…"

"No." The answer from Marilyn's mouth was immediate.

"Why?"

"I can give you reasons why."

"Because she's a villain?"

"Yes," Marilyn said. "You don't know her, her past…"

"I know. I've seen them."

"You've seen them? How?" Marilyn crossed her arms over chest. "Okay, another time tell me how can you see them. The biggest reason is you're not from this land."

"She can come with me," Kai insisted. Marilyn shook her head. "She can but she will have to leave you."

"This magical thing's really suck." Kai avoided Marilyn's warning gaze. "Sorry mom."

"You shouldn't have any feeling toward Ray. It's for the best."

After kissing Kai's head, Marilyn left him. He just gave weak nod when she said don't stay until late.

Kai put chin over his folded arms. "I have already."

He sighed.

The Queen was sitting at her desk inside reading room. The room was lit only by a candle placed over the desk. She wanted it dim.

Kai didn't show up at dinner worried her. She wanted to talk with him but saw Marilyn- she was still annoyed that Marilyn is Kai's birth mother -so she decided to let them have the talk. Whatever it was. Perhaps Marilyn was trying to get Kai away from her, she thought dismally.

She breathed out a small sigh. She raised hand which had the bracelet. Another sigh escaped from her mouth. "What should I do? I want to see him, but what if he's still angry?" She hated to be uncertain of something. After making up her mind, she went to Kai's room.

Kai was sleeping. She approached the bed quietly. She smiled as she saw his sleeping face. He looked peaceful. At least he could forget the pain during his sleep.

She brushed his blonde hair, cautiously not to wake him. "I wish could feel your love. I really do."

Instead of lips, she kissed his forehead. She then disappeared with smoke leaving Kai in his peaceful sleep.

Ray stared out window. She was inside her carriage heading toward castle. The King and Queen had allowed her to use their summer castle. It was placed on the top of hill which had caught her heart the first time she saw it. Living with Hana in the castle was her dream but now it was crushed. She had lost her smart and righteous sister.

She didn't realize a silent tear as she kept staring out the window. 'Hana'

The carriage passed a hole and broke its wheel. It had to stop.

"How bad is it?" She looked at the broken wheel. "I need to change it. Maybe takes a while," the coachman said.

"Just do it quickly. I don't like waiting," she said to the coachman. Leaving him repair the carriage she wandered inside forest. The sun would soon set. Putting arms around her chest, she sat over a huge root.

A movement from bushes beside her alarmed her. "Who's there?" Her hands up, ready to attack. Someonw came out and fell to ground. It was a knight. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Do you have water?" the knight said between coughs.

"No, I don't," she said. The knight finally rose to feet. "I got seed stuck in my throat."

"What a pity. Good luck." She then spun around to leave.

"You won't help me?" the knight said while hitting chest.

"You didn't ask my help," she said indifferently. "Besides, what do you suppose me to do? It's already inside your body."

"Haven't your parents taught you to help other people?"

"No." The answer came out in the count of second. The knight looked at her in disbelieve. "What a person you are."

"I'll take that as compliment," she said. "Now excuse me."

"Wait,"

She stopped. "What do you want? I told you already, help yourself."

"For a beautiful girl you're a heartless."

She got annoyed at the insult. "It isn't your business."

"Absolutely not, just my opinion. People can have one, right?"

She clenched fist saying, "Who send you here?"

"What do you mean?"

"No need to play coy. Is it the King? Or fairy godmother?"

The knight let out coughs before replying, "I have no clue about the King you're talking about, but if you mean a flying woman with stick in hand is fairy godmother, and I knew her."

"Of course her." She crossed arms over chest as she eyed the knight. "She sent you here to stop me. It's too late now after what she'd done." The memory of her little sister raised her anger.

"Listen," the knight said. "I don't know about your relation with that woman, or whatever she'd done to you, not that my business anyway…"

"Then get off," she hissed.

"Hey, calm down. What's your problem?"

"This is wasting my time." She spun to leave but the knight once again stopped her. "Do you want to die?"

"Are you always like this?"

"Trust me I'm not the person you want to mess up with."

"Okay, all right. I'm going now, sorry for bothering. By the way, be careful. This forest isn't safe for a girl."

Ray clenched her jaw. She grunted as she watched the knight walking away. "Idiot."

...

Ray opened her eyes. She sat up rubbing face. It was dawn. She sighed.

"Stupid dream."

She wondered why she had dream about their first meeting. That time she had no clue that the knight held power. Power to dismiss magic. She was surely surprised to know such kind of power existed.

She rubbed eyes yawning. She didn't think could sleep anytime soon so she decided to visit Kai's room.

She was confused to find empty bed. "Where is him?" She walked to mirror on the wall and waved hand. It showed him at back yard. "What is he doing there?" She then realized the stick in his hands. He was practicing.

It made her smile to see Kai woke up early to practice. "Kai,"

Kai had finished breakfast. It was bread with raspberry jam. He was also happy because Marilyn was joining the breakfast. Everyone was contended except the Queen.

"I will teach you how to control your power," the Queen said while putting jam over bread.

Kai wasn't ready for the conversation but everyone was looking at them. "You will teach me?"

"I said so," the Queen said.

"No. I will teach you, Kai. You shouldn't learn from her," Marilyn said. "She will teach you black magic."

Kai said, "Black magic?"

The Queen's lips curled up. "Seriously, he's a teenager. He doesn't need your overprotection."

"Of course he does," Marilyn said. "He still needs someone to show him right and wrong."

"Don't tell me it's you." Finally the Queen looked up. "You've failed once."

"If you'd listen to me then I wouldn't have failed you," Marilyn said.

The Queen dropped her knife. "That's your mother," she said to Kai. "She always blames another people for her mistake."

"I don't blame anyone," Marilyn said.

"Oh please, don't start it. Don't play innocent now."

"Playing innocent? I never…"

"Enough," Kai finally said. He looked between Marilyn and the Queen. "I said enough. Do you guys realize we'll soon get attacked? We need to work together."

"Good point Kai," Hinata said. Asahi nodded in agreement.

"Whatever painful past you've been through, both of you, please," he sighed and continued, "After we make it alive, you can resume your bickering or whatever you want."

"I'm ready to cooperate with you. As I say, I will teach you," the Queen said.

"No way," Marilyn said.

"Mom," Kai said. After getting a reluctant nod from Marilyn, he turned to the Queen. "I will learn from you."

"You can count on me," the Queen said smiling.

"Why don't you learn with Kai?" Hinata suddenly said to Asahi.

Kai said, "It's a good idea. You can teach her too."

"No way," the Queen said. "I won't teach Saeko's pupil. Never."

"But you've agreed to be cooperative. Or you just make excuse to get Kai for yourself," Marilyn said.

Kai let out a sigh. Asahi and Hinata were trying to hide their laugh.

"All right," the Queen finally said, half in annoyance. "You can come too."

Hinata raised her hand. "Can I come too?"

"You'll learn from the best," Marilyn said. It killed Hinata's eagerness but she nodded nonetheless.

Kai sighed. "Why do I have a sense, we're not gonna make it?" Kiku who stood behind Kai's chair whispered, "You're not alone."

Kai turned to Jiro but got nothing encouraging from him.

"Concentrate. You must concentrate," the Queen said. She was standing behind Kai, teaching him magic in main hall. "Feel it. You can feel it inside you."

Kai's eyes were closed. He put all his attention on pulling up his power. But the problem was he had no idea how it feels. After a moment of trying, he gave up. "I can't do it."

"You can. You just need to concentrate and feel it."

"I'm trying," Kai said. He was getting frustrated. There was tension between them since their last talk. "How does it feel, anyway?"

"How did you feel the last time?"

"It's amazing."

"Not the kiss." The Queen pressed lips together. "But I'm glad you felt that way."

"I…" Kai cleared throat once and continued, "don't remember feel anything. I didn't even realize using magic."

"Seems like my kiss got you hypnotized."

"We're in the middle of practice, remember?" Kai said in indifferently –tried to.

The Queen chuckled. "Alright, I'm sorry." She stepped to his front. "Magic is like emotion. You feel it like you feel anger, sadness or happiness. Not everyone has it, you got it from your mother."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning it's inside you," she said as she pointed finger on his chest. "You don't need spells or charms to make it. You just need to release it."

"You mean like releasing emotions?"

"Exactly."

"How should I do to pull it out of me?"

"Close your eyes."

Kai shut his eyes.

"I need you to think," she said. "What is the happiest moment in your life? Don't tell me, recall your memory. I want you to see the memory." Kai nodded. "You feel the happiness. I want you to memorize the feeling. Don't forget the feeling."

Kai's lips curled up. He was seeing the memory of his childhood with his parents. They took him to ski resort during winter and he got his first skies.

"Now remember the moment when you feel angry, you're upset."

Kai's face tightened. He was seeing memory when his classmates mocked him after his mother's death. He had fight with the boys and his father had to come to school.

Kai's fists slowly glowed white. It became stronger and brighter.

The Queen smiled as she saw it. She quickly said, "Now the happy feeling." Kai couldn't extinguish the anger. It started to cloud around him. "Kai, leave it. Recall your happy memory." When Kai remained forcing the anger out of him, she shook his shoulders. It finally stopped him. "Are you all right?"

Kai took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Don't let it take over you, or you can't control it," she said. "Your emotion has influence on your power."

"I did it?"

She nodded. "Now try again."

Kai lifted his right hand. He pulled his power up. A glowing ball appeared. "I did it!"

"Yes, you did." She giggled as she saw Kai's amazement. "Now stop it."

"How to do?"

"Close your palm."

Kai closed his palm and the ball disappeared. "This is fantastic. Awesome. I can use magic."

"Next step, control your power."

"I did it. I can make it out," he made the ball, "and dismiss it." The ball vanished. Kai smiled in proud. "Cool, right?"

"It's indeed impressive for a first try," she said.

Kai wriggled brows. It lightened him up.

"But it's just basic. The next step is using it on something."

"You mean moving things or disappearing? Awesome!"

The Queen caught something in the air. When she showed it to Kai, there was a red apple.

"How did you do that?" Kai said in amazement.

"You'll learn from now." She put the apple over table and beckoned Kai to come closer. "Now move it."

"With my magic?"

"Of course."

"Okay." Kai held a hand out aiming toward the apple. "Do I need a spell?"

"No," she said. "You want it to move so tell it to move," she leaned against the table watching, "with your magic."

"How am I supposed to talk with an apple? I don't know if it understands Japanese."

"Kai, focus."

Kai chuckled. "Sorry." He straightened up, concentrating. He put his attention on the apple. He tried to move the apple but it didn't move. "It didn't work."

"Once again. Concentrate."

Kai's eyes went narrower as he was concentrating. He pushed hand out. The apple finally moved. Flying fast precisely and unfortunately landed over the Queen's forehead.

"Ouch!"

"Are you all right? I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine. Please be careful." She placed the apple back on the table and stepped away. "Just move it one or two inches."

Kai grimaced. Despite his wish, the apple once again flew toward the Queen. But this time she was prepared. She caught it just before it hit her face. "Kai!"

"I have no intention to hurt you. I swear Ray." Kai stood beside her. "I seem couldn't control it yet. But you can catch it in time, that's really cool." She slapped his forearm. "Hey!"

"You almost ruin my beautiful face."

"It's an accident," Kai said. "I'm sorry. What should I do so you can forgive me?"

The Queen threw the apple behind and took Kai's neck. "A healing kiss would do well." She gave seductive smile.

Kai's smile slowly vanished. He pushed her back. "There's little time until the attack."

"You're right," the Queen said, disappointed. She reluctantly took steps away from Kai.

"Can we have break? I need water."

The Queen could only watch as Kai walked out the hall.

In the back yard, Asahi was practicing spell. Jiro approached her. "How are you doing?"

"Jiro, hey," she said. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't address you only with name."

"No, it's okay," he said. He put hand over sword head standing beside her. "How is it going?"

"Good, so far."

"You're not sure."

Asahi sighed and smiled. "You're good at reading people." Jiro gave light shrug smiling back. "I don't know. I'm doing well with the spells but…"

"Are you afraid?"

Asahi turned to him. "Maybe. I never join a battle. Plus it's my mentor I will deal with. I won't be able to defeat her."

"Why not?" he said. "You're also a great witch."

"Apprentice." Asahi breathed out another sigh. Jiro let out a chuckle and she said, "Aren't you worried, or afraid?"

Jiro shook his head. "I can't, remember? Besides, I'm a warrior. I shan't have fear."

"I wish couldn't feel it."

"There was time," he said with distant look, "when I wished could have feelings. I wanted to have it, even only one. But it's impossible."

"I'm sorry." Asahi put hand over his arm.

"You're blessed to have those feelings. They are part of you."

"I've never been grateful for fear before." She chuckled. "You're right. Thanks Jiro, you really help me."

"Glad can help." Jiro looked down at the hand over his arm. Asahi quickly pulled her hand back and said, "Do you mind accompany me?"

"I have reports to Queen."

"Oh, okay."

"Just kidding."

Asahi pouted but then smiled. She continued her practice with Jiro accompanying her.

After dinner the Queen went to her reading room. She found a crow waiting for her at her window. She brushed its raven feather. "Hello dear." It croaked leaning against her palm. "What did you have for me?"

After the bird flew out, the Queen rested herself on her chair. She was lost in her thought until Marilyn entered the room.

"May I have word?"

The Queen looked at Marilyn with indifference. "I don't need your mommy's talk now, or later."

"Then I'm going to take Kai out of here."

It made the Queen rise from her chair. "You're not."

"I'm his mother."

The Queen rolled her eyes. "Please. He isn't a baby. He can make his own decision. And he decided to stay here. With me."

"You don't put any spell on him, do you?"

The Queen shot eyebrow up. "You think I will do such thing? Besides there's no such spell, we both know that."

"You're right," Marilyn said. "It makes me wonder why he insists to stay."

"Because he loves me."

Marilyn started to laugh. "Love? You?" She looked at the Queen and once again burst into laugh. But her laugh died when the Queen lifted her clenched fist.

"How dare you?"

"He'd never love someone like you."

Marilyn was late to notice her word. The Queen's jaw tightened. "My stupid mouth. Ray, I'm sorry." Marilyn said.

The Queen looked aside. "You must have loved him very much. Of course you do, he is your son."

"I love you too."

"Don't touch me," the Queen said when Marilyn reached for her arm. "It's too late now." She seated back in her chair. "If you're done, let me do my work. I have many things to handle with."

"They're ready," Marilyn said. "The bird is messenger, isn't it?"

The Queen just gave a blank look without any word.

"You don't have to go through this again Ray."

"Do you have suggestion?" the Queen said. "Do you suggest I surrender myself?"

"We can talk and solve this in peace. War would bring nothing good."

"Give me a break," the Queen muttered. She looked up at Marilyn. "Listen, if you want to back out do as you wish, I never ask your help, but Kai will not leave with you."

"I'm not talking about Kai," Marilyn said. "I'm talking about you."

"Don't start. I don't need mother's talk right now."

Marilyn took the Queen's hand and held it. "I know it's hard to forgive me."

"I won't."

Marilyn sighed at the Queen's stubbornness. "Alright, you won't forgive me. I take it, but please give me a chance to cover what I've done to you."

"How?" the Queen said. Her tone was unmoved. "How do you make it?"

Marilyn couldn't utter any word.

"Don't give promises you don't even know how to fulfil."

Marilyn gave light pat turning around to leave.

"You've done it. Soon it will be accomplished."

Marilyn looked at the Queen. She was confused but didn't say anything. She then left the room.

The Queen leaned head against backrest. She shut eyes letting out small sigh.

Kai was wandering across the Queen's rose garden. He picked one and sat over grass. He had sung a song for her at the garden. He also had told her that he won't dwell on past at the garden.

He laid body down. The rose was still in his hand. "I can't forget her. Why?" he said to himself.

"Love is a trap," a voice said.

Saeko.

Kai rose to feet. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

Saeko let out a chuckle stepping closer.

"I won't let you hurt her. I'm not afraid of you." After saying that, Kai made fireball.

"She taught you magic, very impressive," Saeko said.

"Yes, she did. You better leave now."

"I want to offer a deal."

Kai was taken aback for a moment. "A deal?"

"Yes, a deal," Saeko said with small smile. "There will be no attack but you have to leave Zentheera."

"I leave this Kingdom?"

"And I will withdraw my army. You can have my word."

"Will you set her free?"

"I come only with a deal, not two."

"It's part of the deal," Kai said. "Will you?"

"Fine, as you wish."

Kai took a look at Saeko. He was debating himself. Finally he said, "I can't trust you. I won't go anywhere. I will stay here, with Ray."

"That's a shame," Saeko said.

Kai lifted both hands to attack but he was late. Saeko had had him under spell. He fell to ground, unconscious.

Saeko touched Kai's forehead. "Don't hate me. I offer the easy way, but you insist." Her smile grew bigger. "It's time to go home."

Okay, that's for now. Thank you for reading this story :)