Ella Swan

Magda was reading a book, or rather a magazine, as we stepped inside the room.

“You guys came earlier than I thought,” she said, with her cheeks flooding as she tried to fix her messy bed.

“I wanted to spend more time with her, but I have an important meeting in less than two,” replied Mom with a regretful sigh. Before she turned to us.

“Girls, go ready yourself. I will take you both to lunch,” said Mom.

“You guys can go. I have some things to do,” said Magda, making an excuse. “Nonsense, you are coming with us,” said Mom and her voice booked no argument.

“Ok,” Magda agreed after a moment of silence and took out a dress from her cupboard before changing behind the dividing curtain of the room.

She came out, wearing a red dress. She looked beautiful, as always.

I walked behind the curtain. A minute later, I came out, wearing a black dress and green shoes.

“Is that dress from the newest collection at Charles? I thought they aren’t selling before twelve next month,” she asked, looking surprised.

I sighed and took out the purple card from my bag and gave it to her. She looked shocked, as I had never seen her.

“Let’s go girls,” said Mom and we were out of the door.

“How do you get this?” asked Magda in a whisper as she got control over her emotions. “The owner is Mother's friend,” I replied.

This is what she said when I asked earlier. She seemed to have a hard time believing it.

So am I.

Everything feels like a dream.

Soon, we got out of the dorm, and the carriage was waiting in front of the dorm. The carriages weren’t allowed in the front, but this one did, and the guards weren’t doing anything.

The driver opened the door, and we stepped inside.

“Where we are going, Miss Swan? I can suggest a few places. We can also go to the restaurant that El likes a lot,” asked Magda as she finally calmed down.

“It’s a good one. We will go to Ellie’s favorite one next time and stop calling me, Miss Swan. You can call me Margaux,” said Mother.

Magda nodded when suddenly her eyes went wide and her whole body shook.

“Are you perhaps, Headmistress Margaux?” she asked a moment later with her voice shaking.

I felt like, I heard that name before, but never really focused. Seeing how much, Magda talks.

Mom didn’t say anything, but she smiled. This is answer enough and conformation shocked Magda even more.

“Headmistress?” I asked Mom.

“It’s just the title, dear, nothing else,” replied Mom. Knowing, I would not get a proper answer from my mom. I turned to Magda.

She didn’t say anything for a few seconds before opening her mouth.

“It is said that the triumvirate of women runs the legacy of Greltheaven.”

“Carla Salt handles the business side of it, and she is also said to be mistress of the lord of Greltheaven.”

“Caena Aris, is the madam of the legacy, it is under her command and Headmistress Margaux handles the pros, girls,” she replied, not moving her eyes away from Mom.

I turned to my mom in shock.

I am not that clueless about the world. I know about Aunt Carla; we write letters, but she never told me about what Mom does.

Whenever I asked, she told me to ask my mom.

I turned to my mother, and she didn’t say anything other than smile.

I was about to press her when something came to my mind. Something I read about a few days ago, but wasn’t able to make the connection.

“Then, Aunt Ina?” I asked. “Is Governor of Panar,” finished Mom, with pride flashing in her eyes.

I am shocked. So much, that I couldn’t even think properly. So, I slumped in my chair and closed my eyes to calm all the jumbling thoughts coming to my mind.

I only opened my eyes when I felt the carriage and the door open. Mom walked out, then Magda and then me.

When I saw where we were, my mind couldn’t help, but freeze.

“I think, I reached the limit of shocks in one day,” said Magda with a sigh and followed behind my mom.

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We went straight for the door, while thousands of people came to see the legacy watch with envy and desire.

Soon, we reached the door, and a middle-aged man was waiting there.

“Welcome to Vanis Tavern, Miss Swan,” welcomed the man.

“He is Nilman Croft; head manager of the legacy,” whispered Magda.

“Has the party arrived?” asked Mom, and the man’s expression turned serious.

“Yes, they have arrived a few minutes ago. Lord Ranis had asked me to tell you, that meeting will start on time,” he replied and led the way.

I followed behind, experiencing the enchanting feeling of the legacy, I heard so much about.

It helped me calm down on the turmoil of emotions, I am feeling.

While we walked, many people looked at us, but this time, I was too occupied with the legacy to care.

“Margaux, I hope you have been well,” came a youthful voice and a beautiful young woman slightly older than me appeared in front of Mom.

She is the most famous young woman in the city.

Alina Lindgren. Granddaughter of Vanis Lindgren; the master of this legacy. She is also my upperclassman at the academy.

“I am. Thank you for asking, Alina,” replied Mom, before turning to me.

“Alina, this is my daughter, Ella, and her friend Magda,” Mom introduced, and the young woman turned to us. “Hell, I am Aline Lindgren,” she introduced.

“You two seem familiar. Have we met before?” she asked a moment later.

“We study in the same academy, senior,” I replied, and her eyes lit up and turned to Mom.

“Margaux, you should have told your daughter to live in the city and study in the same academy as me,” she said to Mother.

“It slipped my mind,” replied Mother while the young woman rolled her eyes. “I won’t waste your time anymore, Margaux. Croft, take good care of them,” she said to the manager.

“I will. Ma’am,” he replied and led us.

Soon we were walking to the stairs above.

“I heard the upper floors are good,” said Magda softly.

She had come to the legacy once, when she was ten, and praised it a lot. I have to say, her praises pale in front of the real thing.

We reached the first floor, then the second, and still kept climbing.

I heard, higher on the floor, the most exclusive it is, and seeing, the tavern only has four floors.

Soon, we reached the top floor, where there were only a few tables.

The manager led us toward the table by the window.

“The server will soon come to take your orders, man,” he said and walked away.

For a few seconds. Nobody talked before I opened my mouth.

“Why are you here, mom?” I asked, and even Magda became alert. From what I had seen so far, it seemed like she had come for an important business.

“Its legacy business, dear. Very important,” she replied.

I wanted to ask her further, but I knew I would not get an answer to that question.

Soon the server came and took our orders before leaving.

“Margaux, is it true that the Greltheaven legacy has now covered the whole tower?” asked Magda. “Yes, the whole tower is the domain of the velvet garden,” she replied.

“And there are beautiful plants there that release fragrances better than perfumes?” she asked.

“That’s also true,” replied mom.

She asked, questions after the questions and only stopped when our orders arrived.

“Wow, it's really delicious,” said Magda, after taking a sip from a green drink. My yellow is also delicious; it gave me a ride to memories that responded with flavors in the drink.

“Your aunt Cresa is a bartender now, and she makes mean drinks,” informed Mom, after taking a sip of her own drink.

“Really. I cannot imagine Aunt Cresa being a bartender,” I replied. Surprised, I really cannot imagine, Aunt Cresa, I know, being a bartender.

She informed me of many things while we ate. The food is never eaten, each bite would emotion and memories.

Before I knew it, Madga and I had cleaned the whole table. Including several bowls of different deserts.

“I think I have seen someone familiar earlier. I will go meet them,” said Magda suddenly and secretly touched me while giving me a look.

She wants me to talk about it. I thought about a moment, before turning to my mother.

“Mom, there is something. I have to tell you,” I said and worry flashed in her. “What is it? Is someone doing something to you?” she asked, all worried.

She was always worried about that and used to keep me hidden place while she worked.

“No, nothing like that,” I replied, before taking out an envelope from my bag and placing it in front of her.

She looked at the letter before a surprise flashed in her. She took out the letter from it and the surprise turned into shock.

“Honey, congratulations,” said Mother, with her eyes blazing with joy and pride.

The letter is from archimage city. Its acceptance letter from Archmage Academy; is one of the best mage academies in the entire world.

I didn’t think, I would get seeing how behind I am compared to students of a real magic academy, but I did. However, I wasn’t good enough to be offered a scholarship.

“I didn’t get a scholarship. The fees are too high, Mom,” I said, shaking my head.

No matter how much, my mother is earning now. She couldn’t afford to pay for a single year, much less the whole degree.

It is the place where the most talented, smart, privileged people come. It’s very competitive, that is less than 1% who applies gets the admission.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Your mother is here. She will pay for it,” said Mom, and tears couldn’t help streaming down my eyes.

I got off my and hugged my mom while crying.

She had said the same thing when I got accepted three years ago.

The academy was nothing special, and I got a scholarship, but money was needed. It was far more than what, she had saved, but she still managed to get it.

“Thank you, mom,” I said.

I wanted to accept it, but I never could. Now my mom and made it possible, like she did years ago.

“Why are thanking me? I am a mother. It’s my duty,” she replied.

She had done so much. From changing my name to making me an orphan. I had seen the pain in her eyes when she saw my name and the orphan beneath it.

She couldn’t give me her name and have her as my mother officially.

Nobody accepts the daughter of a prostitute. Even a common academy would have rejected my application.

“This is cause for a celebration,” she said a few seconds later the waiter came and a less than minute later, he brought the cake. It’s beautiful.

“It is a one delicious looking cake,” she Magda as she returned. She also saw the letter and mouthed congratulations.

We ate the cake, despite being full and, as Magda had said. It’s really delicious.

Soon we finished it when mom took out something from her bag and gave it to Magda.

It looked like an invitation. The most beautiful, I had seen.

“This!” Magda said, shocked.

“An invitation to celebration at velvet garden. It’s for you and your family,” replied Mom.

Tears appeared in Magda’s eyes.

It's a big thing, I heard her talk about Velvet Garden and opening night one and half months ago.

Even her father praised it a lot and lamented that he could never invitation to function like that. Even to get a reservation there, he would need to wait for months.

“Thank you. My parents would be ecstatic,” thanked Magda, wiping her tears.

“This is the least I could do for what you and your family had done for my daughter,” Mom replied with her welling up.

A few minutes passed, and Mom looked at the clock before sighing.

“I wish, I could stay with you with you more, my child, but there is an important meeting in a few minutes,” she said with a word filled with regret.

“We will meet after you finish, right?” I asked, and a faint hesitation appeared on her face.

“At least for a few minutes,” she replied after a moment of silence.

“That is enough. In two weeks, I will come to Greltheaven, and we will spend all the time together,” I said, and she smiled.