"So Francis is the only family you've ever known?"
"Yes, I've been in his care as long as I can remember, even in my childhood. He's always been gentle and kind to me, even teaching me a bit about the magic he uses. At the same time, though, he hasn't ever let me leave beyond these day flights as a swan. He also keeps quiet about the magic he casts in private, and won't tell me what any of it is for."
Ivan listened closely as Lilli told him about her strange guardian. Out of sheer delight to finally talk to someone again after five long years, he had stayed close to the lake and the old stone castle for almost two weeks now. As she promised, Lilli flew out to visit him every single day, sometimes only for a short time and sometimes for longer. He quickly understood how much she needed her freedom of flight each day, and did not force her to choose him over that.
Today was one of those longer visits, where they both sat in the trees beside the lake, looking across the lake to the castle in the distance. They normally talked about the different spots in the forest that Lilli thought he might like to see, or about the different creatures they saw recently. Their conversation had taken a more personal turn today, where Lilli was finally telling him more about her living situation.
"Do you think he will ever let you leave the lake? It's not like he can keep you locked up here forever with only him for company, after all. At some point or another, he will have to let you go."
"That's hard to say, he's always been so protective of me. He's wary of my birth spell causing me trouble as soon as I leave, which is why he doesn't want me meeting anyone."
"What is your birth spell, if I may ask? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"My birth spell is that I will die of a broken heart. Francis has studied it closely while I was young, there is no way around my fate. I think that is why he's so worried about letting me leave. The first man I meet in the outside world could easily mislead me and break my heart."
"That's a difficult fate to avoid, I'll agree there. I can see why he would be so afraid of having you meet strangers. Still, having social interaction would strengthen your resolve, and make it harder for that first person you meet to break your heart."
"How about you? You said that your transformation was not from your birth spell, so what is your birth spell?"
"That's only fair to ask in return. My birth spell is that I can channel magic through weapons. If firing an arrow, I can use magic to ensure perfect aim, or to make the tip impossible to dislodge from where it hits. If fighting with a sword or an axe, I can use magic to strengthen the blow."
"You could use magic to enhance your weapons? That must have made you quite the fighter then?"
"I've never had to fight, even though I was trained to do so if necessary. I always had this one dagger with me though, it was my favourite possession. A sharp blade with a blue and purple design on the white handle. I could channel magic through my hand into the handle, and make the blade far deadlier. I left it with my sister, I hope she still has it."
"Your sister? Do you still have family out there somewhere?"
"My little sister Natalya is the only one left. I was the middle child, we also had an older sister named Katerina. My parents were wealthy and influential, so we had a fairly easy life of nobility with excellent prospects. My sisters and I had our futures waiting for us, before -"
Ivan paused as he considered what to say next, looking out at the lake and trying his best to clear his mind. It was no use, he could not forget the image of the seductive witch who ruined his life.
"Before?" Lilli pried.
"Before I got married," Ivan hesitantly revealed.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Lilli apologized, "You don't have to speak about it if you don't want to."
"No, I think I need to tell the story," Ivan insisted, "I've been stewing in my frustration over it for five years, it's about time I get it off my chest."
"If you feel you must," Lilli allowed, "Who was she?"
Ivan shuffled a bit on his branch, getting himself comfortable before starting his story.
"Her name is Erzsébet. I don't even remember where she came from, or how she had any links to nobility. One day, she was suddenly there flirting with me at a ball, and next thing I knew, I was head over heels in love and begging her to marry me. My parents were surprised that I chose a wife so quickly, but were impressed by the confident woman. My sisters, however, were suspicious of her from the start."
"They did not like her? Do you know why?"
"Natalya's birth spell lets her see when people are coming up with devious strategies. Upon meeting Erzsébet, Natalya immediately knew not to trust her, and Katerina quickly followed Natalya's wary lead. I married Erzsébet anyway, and thought nothing of their suspicions until after Katerina was murdered."
"Your older sister was killed? I'm so sorry."
"She was only the first to die. Shortly after we mourned Katerina's death, my parents both died in their sleep. I was suddenly in charge of everything, with Erzsébet at my side. Natalya insisted that Erzsébet had something to do with all their deaths, and I often had to play mediator between them. I should've listened to Natalya when I had the chance, but by then it was already too late."
"What happened next?"
Ivan lifted one of his paws from the branch and brought it up to his neck, allowing a claw to pull on the chain circling his beastly throat and reveal the pendant.
"For our second wedding anniversary, Erzsébet gave me this necklace that's around my neck. This gold chain with a crescent moon, which matched the one she always wore. As soon as I put it on, I felt this instinctive urge to ride out into the forest, needing to find something out there. When I did so, and had ridden a good distance from home, I fell into Erzsébet's trap. She was waiting there with her powerful friend, who helped her cast the spell that turned me into - well - this."
"Your own wife turned you into a beast? How could she do that? Did she not love you at all?"
"I've been asking myself those same questions for five years now. Erzsei was always in control of our relationship, I thought she was just as in love with me as I was with her. Perhaps seducing and marrying me was just for her own ambitions, and she got me and my family out of the way as quickly as she could. I don't even know if Natalya's still alive, or if Erzsébet did something to her too."
They sit in silence for a long minute, taking a break after Ivan's long story.
"I can't help but wonder," Lilli spoke, "if it could be the same Erzsei."
"The same Erzsei?" Ivan asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"The witch who cast this swan spell on me," Lilli explained, "Her name is also Erzsébet, she has only been visiting Virside for about ten years now as Francis's apprentice. She has long brown hair, green eyes, and a crescent moon necklace just like yours. She doesn't visit as often anymore, but she's usually wearing very nice dresses."
"That just sounds like my wife," Ivan confirmed, "I hope that is only a coincidence."
"Why only a coincidence?" Lilli inquired, "Wouldn't it be good to know that we're both under spells cast by the same witch?"
"My Erzsébet is too dangerous for that to be a good thing," Ivan explained, "If she did cast your spell, then she will likely never remove it. You might be trapped at this lake in your isolation forever."
"Oh, I didn't think of that," Lilli remarked, "Didn't you say she had - oh no, it's sunset! I'm so sorry, I have to go!"
Lilli immediately took off from her branch, and Ivan watched her pick up speed and glide through the air across the lake. How she had so easily described Erzsébet troubled him, he knew as well as she did that it wasn't likely just a coincidence. His wife was magically powerful, seductive, ambitious and vain, trifling with her was not worth it. If she did cast the swan spell, there is no way Lilli will ever be free.
And if it was indeed the same Erzsébet, then what of Lilli's guardian? If Erzsébet was his apprentice, then couldn't Francis have been the one who helped Erzsei turn him into a beast? Ivan had contemplated recruiting Lilli's assistance in having her guardian help lift this spell and make him human again, but now that seemed impossible.
A yellow glow appeared in front of the castle just as the sun disappeared on the horizon, and Ivan tried to watch from the distance as Lilli turned human again. By the time the glow faded, he barely saw the smallest glimpse of her before she disappeared through the door, closing it behind her.