Nora stopped in the middle of her story. She just couldn't tell anymore as she got closer to the part that involved the tragic event of her life. The event that changed her life forever. It was just too much for her to handle, a topic she couldn't bear to remind herself of. Concordia could see the pain in her sister's eyes just remembering what she saw. Even though Nora didn't see the actual evidence of his death, the name on that list was enough for her to close up her heart. She remembered the promise that her sister made also, since she had told her a day before he left on that ship. The ship that sailed away with her sister's love.
The children looked at Nora with worried expressions covering their faces. They didn't know how much the brunette would tell her and didn't expect her to just cut off the story like that. By this time, more students from other classes were listening to her story. Apparently, the word was spread by one of the students who probably used the bathroom as an excuse. They all looked at their favorite visitor and saw how much of a struggle it must've been to deal with her love life and witch life. But, that wasn't what was hurting her.
Nora had an inner struggle of her own to deal with. The brunette just couldn't bring herself to tell the rest of the story. She was also fighting back tears that dared to spill. Everything that had happened between the months of war were just beaten back memories that nearly surfaced when she mentioned the war.
"I'm very sorry." she choked out. Already losing a pointless battle, Nora ran out of the classroom, down the hallway, and out of the schoolhouse entirely, making her path towards the gateway of the Vale. shocked at her sister's actions, Concordia muttered a small "excuse me" to both the class and the teachers as she followed after her sister. If she could, she would have stopped Nora in her tracks with her telekinesis. But, their powers didn't work on each other. After all, they're sisters who depend on each other.
Seeing Nora almost out of the Vale, Concordia slowed to a stop as she saw her sister run away from her problems once again. Everyone in the schoolhouse who witnessed the event came out into the open to stand behind her and look on as the woman they admired ran away with tears trailing down her face. They were only a few steps out of the entryway of the school. And, yet again, Concordia followed after her sister.
A few minutes had passed as Concordia walked down the path between the two Vales, keeping her eyes focused for any trace of her sister. She didn't have to look for long as she saw Nora sitting under the camphor tree. Making her way up to the swingset, she saw what a mess her sister was in. she must've tripped and fallen to the ground, considering that her dress, and part of her hair, was full of dirt. Even her skin was a bit smudged by the brown substance.
Nora looked up to meet the eyes of her older sister. A few seconds after, she was looking back down at the ground. Tears were still falling from her face as she kept her hands on her lap. She looked like she wasn't in the mood to talk. But, that wasn't going to stop Concordia from comforting her. She could never be angry with her sister. They never condemned each other in all of their life, and that wasn't going to start now.
"Nora." she softly whispered, sitting beside the brunette. Nora didn't respond, she didn't want to, nor felt like it. She was in so much mental and emotional pain that she couldn't bear to talk, just silently cry. If Concordia had her sister's power of Empathy, then she would know just how much pain Nora was in. The eldest sighed.
"Just let the tears out. You need to let all that sorrow go somewhere." she softly told her. Looking at the white-haired woman, Nora took a few seconds to process what she just heard. More tears escaping her eyes, she laid her head on Concordia's shoulder. Concordia wrapped her right arm around her sister's body and her left arm was gently rubbing the opposite side of her head. Nora let all the sorrow come out as she sobbed for the one she never wanted to lose. They stayed like that until nearly sunset, considering it was just a few minutes away. They never realized just how much of the day they had spent in Crop Plain Vale and on the path in between, mostly under the camphor tree.
'We should go back home.' Concordia read in her sister's mind, knowing that she would be listening on these thoughts. Nora pulled out the key from beneath her blouse, and gazed at it. Her sister also catching the necklace in her eyes. They both looked at the proclaimed Key of Love as everyone called it.
"What did both the Key and Lock represent when they were together?" Concordia asked. Nora just sighed.
"A promised love. 'A heartfelt promise kept under Lock and Key.'" she quoted those lost words. The words that died with her love. The only thing, Concordia realized, that she had left of their love was that key around Nora's neck.
As they looked on at that key, the sun was about to fully set, leaving the golden light to dance around in the sky for one final performance before the nighttime took over. Standing up, they made their way towards their home Vale and back to the flower shop. Nora felt a lot better knowing she didn't have to keep her sadness bottled up forever.
As they passed the gateway, a crowd was surrounding the center of their home Vale. The sisters didn't know that that would be the first time, for several weeks, they ever truly left Aromavale.
Walking up to the crowd, many of the people moved out of their way to make room to the front where they could see what was going on. A man, with grey hair and a beard, in a dark blue robe that covered his entire being was standing in front of the two sisters, with four knights on each side, wielding staffs. The crest emblazoned on their chests, a specially designed "V" with a lynx in between, symbolized them to be from the Kingdom of the Vale. The Kingdom itself surrounded, protected, and issued commands and special requests all throughout the eighteen Vales.
Noticing the sisters, the man walked towards them, stopping three feet distance from where they stood.
"Excuse me, but might I ask if you are, indeed, the two Harmonic Witches?" the grey man asked politely. In his hands, they saw, he held a parchment rolled up into a scroll. Nora shivered slightly at hearing her "old" name.
"Yes, but we are now known as the Light and Dark Witches." Concordia answered for them. Somehow, she felt a little out of place with her home as this group was here.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Natori, one of four advisors to his majesty, King William." the man stated. At the mention of the King's name, the villagers, along with the sisters, bowed and curtsied and any other form of respect deemed worthy. Standing back into position, the sisters looked back into the man's face.
"Might I ask what one of the King's advisors is doing here in Aromavale?" the eldest asked. She wasn't being rude, but she wanted to know why they appeared here. The man smiled at them.
"We are here as sort of a scouting troop for one of the King's heirs. Prince Auron to be exact." he said. The King had the obligation to choose even a lowly commoner to be a Prince, but with a price. Even through his act of kindness, he had to show his own path of rule. Therefore, since it had to be boys, the rule of acceptance was that the chosen would be turned into a half-human half-creature. In this era, the creature chosen were cats. No one feared these creatures since with every generation, an act of kindness was bestowed upon the eighteen Vales. Prince Auron's act of kindness was to help out any in need, like if a poor family were robbed of their property. These kind acts were another way to ward off the Sinned from attacking their land. As of this time, there were three Princes destined to the Kingdom of the Vale. As if on cue to the name, a royal carriage came into view from the shoreside and made its way to the center of Aromavale. It wasn't even being pulled by horses, but by magic itself.
"Right on time, as usual." Natori commented. He was proud to serve under a kind Prince, just like the other two. Sure, there have been a few corrupt heirs, but these three were far from corrupt. The carriage stopped in front of the dirt path and a door opened. Immediately, before the Prince even stepped out, everyone was on the ground, bowing in respect. The sisters were about to follow suit, but Natori stopped them with a raised hand. They looked on to see Prince Auron step out of the carriage.
The Prince was a light grey cat dressed in formal wear. He wore a black suit that was far from the royal robes that represented the royal line. Wearing a black tailcoat over his white button-up shirt and sunny yellow vest with a blue and white polka-dotted bowtie along with black dress pants and a top hat and shoes. His tail swished from the seat of his pants as he walked towards his advisor and the sisters. What really captured the sisters under his attention were his hypnotizing ocean blue eyes.
"So these are the famous and well-respected Harmonic Witches. It is a pleasure to meet you." he said, his English accent mesmerizing both of them. Prince Auron bowed before them, taking his top hat off and placing it over his heart. Nora and Concordia looked in shock as they saw the Prince bowing before them, of all people. It was a little nerve-wrecking for them to witness this feat. The Prince stood back up into position and returned his top hat upon its perch, in between his silk-like ears.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, your Highness." Nora responded. Both sisters curtsied before him, making him smile, until he noticed all the other villagers still bowing in respect. He lightly winced, having forgotten to allow them relief.
"It's all right. You all may stand upon your feet again." he called out, gesturing for everyone to come up from bowing. With relief, the villagers stood back in their former positions as Prince Auron looked upon the sisters once again.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of the Prince's appearance, here in Aromavale?" Concordia asked politely. At this time, the Prince brought a brown stick from under his sleeve that extended into a cane and gently placed on the ground while he held the handle.
"As a matter of fact, I've come to ask for you and your sister to partake in a royal festival back in the Kingdom. You two have been chosen, as have many other women, as eligible maidens for a hand in one of three marriages." he calmly said. A few gasps were heard as the two sisters looked at him worry. Seeing their expressions worried him as well.
It was a spoken rule that when a Prince reaches a certain proclaimed age, which happens to be at least thirty-one this time, then the King would send a list of eligible maidens to partake in this Grand Festival, be them of nobility or of poor ranking. The Prince didn't want to do this to them, but they were bound by the rules and happened to be on the list.
"I do not wish to force you into this, but it is under royal command that we come to each Vale and seek out the maidens on our King's list. I took the Western portion, while my respective 'brothers' took the Northern and Eastern portions of our Kingdom. Who knows? One of you might be wed to one of us." he stated flatly. The sisters looked at him with expressions of surrender. Sighing in the process, they both stepped forward.
"Is there any particular reason why we were chosen on this list." Nora asked, trying to figure out what just happened. This time, it was the Prince's turn to sigh.
"I'm afraid I know nothing as to how the King chooses his list. All I do know is you're the final maidens on my part before I return to the Kingdom. One other thing is that we leave immediately, as there is a short time before our Grand Festival. So, we will have to leave in the morning." he didn't want to do this to them. It was bad enough telling a few girls that they were part of a list and that they would have to be escorted to the central Kingdom against their will and away from their family and friends. He had to break a few hearts along the way, a feat to which he did not admire. Prince Auron was hoping that they would take it understandingly, like a few others had. But, the look in their faces said otherwise.
Nora and Concordia couldn't believe everything that was happening. It all happened so fast that they barely understood any of what they heard. What they did understand is that they would have to leave their home in order to attend a festival that was hundreds of miles away. It didn't matter much to Nora, though. She had been wanting to escape the torment she felt every now and then that was here in Aromavale. But, she didn't want her sister to feel out of place. After all, she had been there for her when the brunette lost her love. But, it still wasn't a good enough reason to remain here in their home Vale.
"I'm very sorry to do this to you." the Prince told them. They looked at his features once again before he turned away to his carriage. It would remain in the center of the Vale until sunrise, until they had to leave. Concordia turned towards the flower shop, while Nora followed close behind. Once they reached their bedroom, the eldest closed the door with her telekinesis. Sighing a deep sigh, she looked at her sister as the brunette crawled into her bed, her dress morphing back into her nightgown.
"What a day." was all Nora could say. She was left speechless at the turn of events, while Concordia was still pondering over the fact that one of them could be chosen to wed one of the three Princes. It might not have seemed like a terrible idea to her, but to her sister, that was an entirely different matter. She knew how Nora felt about love, and if she was chosen, she wouldn't be happy. She had loved, and she had lost that love. But, the fact remains, she was still bound to that love no matter what others would say. Even if Humbert was dead.
Author's Note: Hey everybody. Now Nora and Concordia are about to head out with Auron towards the fabled Kingdom of the Vale. Yes, there are actually eighteen of those Vales, Aromavale and Crop Plain Vale included. Coming up with these details is hard work, but I'm proud nonetheless. Hope the next chapter can spark some excitement, like I envisioned it.
