LOVE & MAGIC

Chapter Three: Runaway

Boring.

Beyond Boring. That's what my life ended up being without Adam. But I rather be bored out of my mind than being with him, as he had suggested, behind my sister's back. Emily didn't know anything about us, she was totally clueless. I couldn't do that to her.

Emily wasn't a bad sister. Bossy, shallow, yes. But not bad. Though I wished more than once that she shut up with the wedding-babble. Adam and Emily were set to marry in ten months, the day of Adam's 23rd birthday.

My brother Marco, on the other hand, was way less clueless. He had found me crying after Adam had suggested – to put it bluntly – that I become his mistress. As If! The more I get to know the two timing bastard that he really is, the more idiot I feel for even liking him in the first place. Anyway, I couldn't take it anymore and told Marco everything. And sure enough, that day at dinner, Adam had a black eye, Marco had made perfectly clear that he wasn't going to allow Adam cheat on his sister, and that his other sister was nobody's mistress.

And, out of fear of my brother, Adam backed off, finally, and for that I was grateful.

Boring was something I could live with.

One particular day about a month after my sister's engagement, while Emily was going on and on about the inconvenience of marring in winter (Adam's birthday was On December 21), my father cleared his throat, to signify that he had something to say. He was about to give one of his proclamations.

I prepared myself for long sermon about my lack of interest in finding a good suitor and how my less than agreeable looks and my lack of disposal to please was making it harder on him to find me a good husband.

"Kaze, dear," He said, in my head I was going 'Oh, good lord, what now?' "It appears to be that you have caught the eye of certain gentleman that I found most appropriate for you."

"I won't marry father, I plan to join the church," a total lie, but he didn't know me enough to tell the difference, and Marco was sensible enough to stifle a chuckle.

"You will no do such thing," my mother snarled.

"Try to stop me, I'm 18 now, and if it's my choice to join the church I will do so,"

"Shh!!" my father called before mother and I started our usual fights, "This man has asked for your hand in marriage and I've consented. So in three months you'll marry Lord Melnick."

I let out a rather unladylike curse and stood up. I know I curse too much, I guess I've been hanging around Marco's friends too much lately, thought they keep the foul language to a minimum when I'm with them, they still curse much more than me.

"I will not marry that dickhead!"

"Why not?"

"Because his your age, for one, and it's insufferable and pompous and a lecherous leprechaun!" That was a very accurate description of him. I was also scared of Lord Melnick, though I wasn't going to say that out loud.

Lord Melnick was bother of the King of Mhalta, thought everyone knew he was the one who actually ruled Mhalta, his brother being too sick and his nephew just a boy. The first clear memory I have of Melnick it's from when I was nine or so, he was already a man in his late thirties.

I remember him grabbing my arm to make me stop one time I crossed paths with him while I played in the hallways of the Lhite castle, he wouldn't let me go. I remember Melnick's face close to mine as he ran his fingers through my hair, and his stinky breath in my ear as he told me how pretty I was. I tried to scream and push him away, 'Don't fight little girl,' he said, drawing back a little, 'you're still young but when you're old enough, I will have you.'

I had been too much of a kid to understand what Melnick meant, but I wasn't so young anymore, and I could tell the meaning behind the looks he shot me whenever I was unfortunate enough to be in his presence.

And quite frankly I would rather die the Red Death than be near Lord Melnick.

"Father," Marco's voice shook a little and he was almost as pale as me. "You can't marry Kaze to that old mad."

"That man is one of my best friends!"

"That's not something I would go around saying, father." I snarled.

"Kaze sit down," my mother commanded. "And don't speak like that to us."

I didn't move to sit down. "Kaze Lhite, you're my daughter, and as long as you live under my roof you will obey my orders. You will marry Lord Melnick in three months and you will like it."

"Then I would cease to reside under your roof." I said calmly, and I stormed out. I didn't even notice my brother at my heels till I reached my room.

"What are you going to do, Kaz?" Marco asked, locking the door after himself.

"I'll run away, what else can be done?"

"You can't run you won't be safe in Lhite, neither in Circe or Mhalta. You can't go to Fireland or Seaside, they would find you quickly for you would have to register as a foreigner and wouldn't be able to cover your tracks. Both father and Melnick are influential, anyone will turn you back the second they realize who you are. No one short of Christopher Windam himself can get you out of this,"

"Well, I'm not going to horse-stealer for help, so that's out ruled. But I'll go to Jadzia, she might be able to help me."

"Doing what? Stabbing Melnick with her horn?"

"Marco, don't be a fool, never underestimate the power of an unicorn. Jadzia's magic is greater than anything you could imagine. What I can do are simple tricks compared to her power."

Jadzia's forest was the joint point of all kingdoms. It was surrounded by Seaside in the east, Fireland to the west, Windam Valley to the north and Circe, Lhite and Mhalta to the south. I had started to wander around the forest as a girl and meet Jadzia there, she became my friend, and in time she taught me to control the little magic I had been born with. Jadzia was old and wise and the most beautiful creature known to mankind. If there was someone who could get me out of this mess was her. Christopher Windam be damned.

"I don't understimate Jadz's power, or yours for that matter. But-"

"Marco, I've make my choice, I won't stay here to be turned into a Melnick's wife. Jadzia it's my only hope. I promise I'll be fine."

Marco sighed, he knew he wouldn't make me change my mind, and he trusted Jadzia more than what he was willing to admit. Magic unsettled him, that was true, but he knew better than to mess with a magician or witch. After all, it was Magic the reason why we all feared the Wind Warriors.

After twenty million advices of "be safe" he let me go, I snuck out to the gardens and then to the forest. Hopefully, no one would notice I was gone till morning, and by then I expected to be out of reach.

An hour after midnight I found myself in the heart of the forest.

"It took you long enough to come," Jadzia called, her ethereal glow illuminating the clear in the forest.

"Marco delayed me." I admitted.

"Of course." I knew Jadzia and Marco went way back. He had meet her in one of the rare occasions Jadzia took human form, though they never spoke about it, you could tell there was a story there. But that wasn't really my business.

"I need your help, but you knew that already." I said taking in her expression.

"The air will speak to you if you bother to listen," Jadzia said cryptically. "Tell me, what's your plan?"

"I was hoping you could help me with that."

"Mmm... Go to the Windam, it's the only place you will be safe."

"But Christopher hates me, remember? Remember that I threw a rock to his head when he took Ajax from me? And that he almost charged me with attempt of murder? That sissy," Ajax was my best friend, granted he was a horse but still.

"He is your only choice," Jadzia said calmly. "Now, tell me, how good it's your glamour spell?"

I blinked, "Fairly good," I said, I had learned the glamour spell to cover the many bruises and scratches I earned playing in the goods and taming horses, mother had once told me that if she saw one single bruise more, she would personally lock me in my room. "Why?"

"Well, I think Chris dislikes you enough to return you to your father the second he sees you. But I also happen to know that there are openings in the King's Guard. I know that Marco has taught you well, you might earn one of the positions and seek refugee there, by oath the Guard will protect you if you become one of them."

"Oh, Jadz, that would be perfect!"

"It would, if it weren't that the Guard only takes in men. That's why I was asking about the spell... I think that if you focus enough you could make it to pass as a boy."

A glamour spell could be used to do more than just cover bruises, you could mask your appearance to look like anyone or anything, but it required a powerful spell and loads of concentration to cast it. We spend all night perfecting the spell I would use, 'by night, by dark, by the old oak, be my disguise, may my reflection not show my true face...'

By sunrise I was ready, Jadzia walked me to the north end of her forest and bid me goodbye. As usual, she helped me but not completely, I knew what I had to do, the question was how. I would have to come up with an identity and a general story of who I was. But I had time to think; from the forest it was a half-day walk to Could City, where the Windam's Great Palace was located.

I didn't mind the long walk. For the first time in a long while I felt truly happy. I felt free. I was away that everything that reminded me of my broken heart, the air was fresh and everything seamed possible.

End of Chapter Three.

Notes:

Too tired for anything else, just please R&R!