There was a great pause before Blake spoke. "You should sit." She gestured towards the desk, and for a moment Salem hesitated... then, with a blank look, she settled herself in the chair. Blake made her way to sit on the nearby bed. "Salem, this... this is one of the only real secrets I have. Please keep it that way."
"So you do know what's going on?" Salem leaned forward slightly.
"...I told you that my magic was a gift from my teacher. Like a seed. That was the truth, but..."
"...But it wasn't the whole truth."
"No. I... you have to understand that for my teacher, magic is different. She is magic. Making it for her is like breathing to us. Or... bleeding, maybe. And her magic is part of her. So, even though she granted it to me, it's still... it's still part of her, and she's still connected to it. It's like a bridge between us."
"So you don't use your own magic, but hers?"
"I- no, not exactly. It's like... When I wield magic through myself, it transforms into something different. But until I use it, it's not completely mine."
"So the thing attached to your magic and watching you... isn't attached at all. It's part of your magic."
"In a way, yes."
"Do all of your teacher's students have such a thing?" Salem's eyes were sharp and focused.
"I... don't know, exactly. They have something similar, but I don't feel magic in the same way that you do, so I couldn't promise they're the same."
"But it is a fundamental part of the process?"
"...Yes. You can't get magic from her without it."
"...So you allowed someone else access to your soul in exchange for magic? That seems... ill-advised, Blake."
"It... I can understand why you'd say that. You aren't the first. I know what it sounds like. But without what she's given me, I would have died. Many times. And she's never abused our connection."
"She never has... implying that she could."
"Of course she could. I know what she can do with souls. But I trust her." Blake couldn't keep a small smile from her face.
"Trust her. Hmm." Salem finally leaned back, some of the intensity bleeding out of her as she reached up to toy with a lock of her hair. "I see... I'm glad that- that you aren't in danger. I thought... something terrible had happened to you, or was happening." Her eyes flicked back up to Blake's. "I'm... very curious what exactly she can do with souls, but I feel like asking would be crossing a line."
"It would. Those are my teacher's secrets, not mine. I'm sorry, Salem."
The princess let out a deep sigh. "No, I understand." She chewed on her lip as she thought, and Blake was content to allow her to sort through her thoughts for a few minutes. Finally, she seemed to come to some sort of conclusion. "Blake, I... I have a question. Our discussion about Natures, I –" She trailed off, avoiding eye contact, before speaking in a rush. "What's the worst Nature you've ever encountered?"
"The worst? You'll have to clarify. The worst effect, or the worst use?"
A strange look came over Salem. "I... both."
"...The worst use I've seen is easy." She held up her black hand, turning it back and forth and staring into it absent-mindedly. "A man, gifted with the power to turn his defense into an overwhelming attack. A Nature that could have made him a guardian. Instead, he used it to become a murderer. He was aggressive, always searching for opportunities to charge his soul so that he could lash out at the world."
"...What happened to him?"
Blake's black hand clenched into a tight fist. "...He died." For several seconds, a heavy silence blanketed the room. Slowly, Blake's hand released and she sighed. "The worst Nature I've seen... The ability to craft illusions in the world. Solid, but fragile, capable of hiding anything or seeming to be there even when it wasn't. A soul built on lying about everything to everyone, with barely a single honest thing about it."
"...And what happened to them?"
"I don't know. The last I knew, she was trying to... save someone close to her." Blake made a face, as though she'd tasted something sour.
"Would you... Did you hate her, for what her soul represented?" Salem's voice had gotten quieter.
"No. I... did hate her. But it wasn't because of that. It was what she did, with her Nature and without it. I don't think... it's not fair to judge someone by the nature of their soul. It's important, yeah. It's part of who you are. But it doesn't define you." She paused, looking down. "...It doesn't have to."
There was a silence, and Blake finally looked up. Salem avoided eye contact, her breathing speeding up. "I... You told me one of your secrets. Can I... May I share one of mine?"
One of Blake's eyebrows raised, and her ears twitched. "Yeah. Of course. Only if you want to."
"I... I do. I do!" A deep breath. "My... my nature. I- it..." Three more rapid breaths, and words spilled forth from her. "I can't use magic. I can't- I can sense it, better than anyone, and I know more than anyone in the city, even mother. I've studied it, year after year after year and I can't... it just..." Her hands clenched, bunching her dress in her lap, and her face scrunched up.
"Salem? What are you trying to say?"
Salem's stared intently at her lap, a curtain of blonde hair obscuring her expression. "I... My soul. When my soul touches magic, it destroys it. Completely. Even if it's my own."
Blake leaned back, her eyes wide. "What? How-"
"I... everything in Ciel, in my home, is built on magic. The royal family has been the height of magicians since Ciel was founded." Her voice gained strength, forcing out each desperate word through clenched teeth one by one. "My sister is the greatest practicing magician in the city. The walls, the Tower, everything is built by magic, and I can't... I have to be careful everywhere I go because my soul will break it all." She looked up, eyes filled with tears. "I... Blake, what does that say about me? The Nature of my soul is to destroy everything my home is built on. What kind of... what kind of princess am I?"
"Salem..." Blake rose, closing the gap between them before kneeling and reaching out to her. "You can't-"
"Don't touch me!" The princess reeled back, terrified eyes snapping to her false hand, and Blake recoiled. "Not- not with that hand. I don't want to - I can't - please don't let me hurt you."
Blake blinked once, twice, and lowered her right hand. As Salem relaxed slightly, she reached out and laid her left on top of the weeping girl's. "Salem. Your Nature... I won't pretend to understand how that feels. I hated what my Nature said about me, but it wasn't the same. Still... the lessons I learned, they still apply." She leaned forward slightly, maintaining eye contact.
I feel like I'm looking into an old mirror...
"Your Nature doesn't define you, Salem. It's part of who you are, but it doesn't have to be everything."
The things I wish someone had told me.
"So part of me is a destroyer?" Salem sniffed.
"I..." Blake sighed. "The way you described magic. Dissociation... That's what magic is to you, isn't it?" When Salem nodded, eyes narrowed in suspicion, she continued. "Then your Nature sounds to me like you just want everyone to be who they are. No tricks of the mind, no contortions of the soul. Just... themselves. Nothing more or less." She, somewhat awkwardly, patted Salem's still-clenched hands. "You're... just you, Salem. We're all just ourselves."
And the people I should have let be there for me.
She laughed, a bit hollowly. "And who am I?"
"I think we all get to decide that for ourselves."
Salem deflated, sinking further into the chair. "I just... It's so hard."
"I can only imagine. For... what little it's worth, I'm sorry, Salem."
She sniffed again. "Thank you. I... Would you be willing to tell me of some of the other souls you've seen? You have a way of describing them that I... enjoy listening to."
Slowly, deliberately, Blake made her way back to the bed. "I can do that. I knew a girl..."
It was a long time before Salem left.
Between bites, Veve spoke. "I'll be leaving Ciel for a few days, starting tomorrow."
"What? Where are you going?" Blake was surprised for a moment, but it settled. After all, Veve had first met her far from the city.
"One of the Watchtowers hasn't reported in for some time, and their Bridge to the city seems to have malfunctioned. It's only a day or two of travel from the nearest waystation, so it shouldn't take long... but it's worth investigating. I expect it will turn out to be nothing, but it pays not to be surprised."
Blake nodded. "I understand. I'm sure I can find ways to entertain-"
"I want to come." Salem's voice was firm.
"What? Salem, that's absurd. You aren't a combatant."
"Are you expecting combat, sister?"
"Of course not, but when you leave the city you have to assume-"
"I wouldn't know! I've never left the city!" Salem's voice was raised now, and her cutlery rang angrily against the plate as she all but threw it down. "I just- I just want to see the outside. I've been thinking a lot, and I... What kind of leader can I be if I've never even left?"
"Salem, I understand that, but I can't keep you safe and perform my duties. I'm already responsible for my men. I can't."
Salem sighed, shoulders sinking. "...Fine." For a long second, Blake stared at her.
It was stupid, what she was thinking.
...Even so.
"I can come with you."
""What?"" Both sisters' attention snapped to her instantly.
"If I come with you, as her bodyguard, there shouldn't be a problem, should there? You can take care of your own men, Veve, and I'll take care of your sister."
"You can't just... You're a guest, Blake, I can't simply bring you along."
"We're princesses, Veve. Of course we can. I'll invite her as my escort."
"Salem-"
"Please."
Veve's silver gaze held Salem's for a long time... but in the end, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "...Fine. If mother is angry, then-"
"-then I'll take responsibility for it. I will, Veve. I promise." Salem's smile was bright. "Thank you. Both of you."
Blake simply smiled... and, eventually, Veve did as well.