"Hey, did you find out what that was all about the other day?" The first knight asked.

"You mean the argument between sir Durthon and that long haired man the other day? No, and I think it's better we don't ask. I have a feeling sir Durthon doesn't want us talking about it." The second knight responded.

"You're right, though I can't help but wonder if that little girl that was thrown here for being a thief had something to do with it or not." The first knight continued.

"I'm not sure. I did wonder what she could have stolen to cause her to be thrown in the cell like that." The second knight said as he tried to remember Emily.

"Well, whatever that was about, she's with that beautiful man now." The first knight spoke, which caused his friend to turn to look at him.

"Beautiful? Wait, don't tell me you're into-"

"No I'm not! You know I didn't mean it like that!" The first knight shouted, embarrassed.

A gossip between two knights who were there in the knights garrison the day Thandor took Emily out of her cell and then was confronted by Durthon.

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Emily's POV

One month slipped away since Emily joined Aludell.

During the first week, Emily barely got out of bed. She just wanted to sleep, cry, and mourn. She finally had the time to mourn her family and loved ones after all.

During this week, she kept sharing the bed with Nicole, until they finally got her a bed on her eighth day. Emily felt that she was going to miss Nicole's warm embraces at night, but she also thought she must have been a bother to Nicole these last couple of days, so maybe it's for the best.

Nicole's room was where Emily spent most of her time at the start. The room exuded a warm and inviting atmosphere, just like its owner. The walls, painted in a calming shade of lavender. A large, arched window on one side allowed the soft moonlight to filter through sheer curtains, casting a gentle glow over the room.

There were a desk in one corner of the room, with a vanity besides it with a slightly weathered mirror held an assortment of makeup and trinkets, reflecting Nicole's personal touches.

The centerpiece of the room was a bed with an intricately carved wooden headboard. The bedspread, a patchwork of vibrant fabrics. A plush assortment of pillows, each uniquely embroidered by Nicole herself, adorned the bed, giving it an inviting and cozy aura.

As for Emily's bed, it was in the corner of the room. The bed, adorned with fresh linens and a soft comforter, offered a comfortable sanctuary for the girl. A small nightstand beside the bed held a candle and a vase of freshly picked flowers, contributing to the room's serene ambiance.

While Emily found great comfort in this room, she also knew she shouldn't spend all her time here. She is a member of Aludell now, whatever that means she still isn't fully sure yet, but she knew it meant she should spend more time outside of this room at least.

Emily found Nicole easy to approach and talk too, but she wasn't sure what she made up of the boys in Aludell just yet.

Karl was one quiet 9 years old. Emily found him to talk even less than her. She never seen a little boy like that before, so she found him very strange. All the boys around Karl's age back in her village, Saalnia, were loud and energetic. She remembered when Jack was that age just how much trouble he used to get into. He was a huge brat.

Karl on the other hand barely spoke or moved, he seemed so fragile to Emily for some reason. He didn't seem the type to open up easily to others either.

One day, while Karl was sitting in the living room, doing nothing, Emily stared at him as she stood somewhat away from him.

Is he okay? Does he never play? Kids his age are always playing around back in Saalnia.

"Emily! You are up! Do you need something?" Nicole's cheerful voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, um, nothing, I was just....thinking about Karl. Is he always like that?" Emily asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Yes, he is." Nicole answered with a sad smile as she also looked at Karl. "You'll get used to it."

There were also Jaxon, the boy who was Emily's age. He stood out as the most boisterous among the group Emily felt as if he didn't like her sometimes, she wasn't sure though. He spent a lot of time in the training room with Liam, a room Emily has never been too since she came here. For the two weeks, Emily and Jaxon rarely spoke, but then one day he suddenly approached her.

"Cleaning duty?" Emily queried, puzzled.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Yes. With Liam and Nicole on cooking duty, you'll join Karl and me for cleaning duty." Jaxon declared, his tone assertive. "I hate to say this about Karl, but he's not the best at cleaning, making it feel like I have to do his share of the work as well." Jaxon continued explaining, his demeanor reflecting discontent.

Well, I should do more to carry my weight around here...

And just like that, Emily found herself assigned to cleaning duty. It didn't bother her; instead, cleaning provided a welcome reprieve, a distraction from the weight on her mind. It also offered her more time with Karl and Jaxon, though she still wasn't sure if she was getting closer to either of them.

It was around this time Emily noticed how it's always Liam and Jaxon in the training room, and how Nicole and Karl nearly never go there. A part of her was curious, but she didn't ask. If magic takes place in that room, she'd rather not see it. She'd rather think about magic as little as possible.

And lastly, there was Liam. The boy who looks just like an older Jack. Emily learned he was 15 years of age, which is the age of Emilio, her older brother.

Not that this fact changed anything, Emily still tried her best to avoid Liam. She felt that she made things awkward between them in their first meeting, which did not help. Not to mention, whenever she looks at his face, her heart hurts. She knew Liam did nothing wrong, but she felt as if she just can't be around him.

"Alright, we're going now. I won't take long." Liam announced as he and Karl left the house, Liam holding Karl's hand.

"Bye bye." Karl spoke as he waved goodbye in his free hand.

"Okay, be careful!" Nicole waved back at them as they closed the door.

"Hm? Where did they go?" Emily inquired, having just descended the stairs as Liam and Karl embarked on their journey.

"Oh, they're going to the church. There is one close to hear." Nicole answered, which was when Emily picked up on how devoted Liam was. He even had that white lily necklace he always wore everywhere.

In Saalnia, churches were nonexistent, so Emily would be lying if she said she wasn't curious how one looks like or feels, but at the same time she didn't feel like she could ever ask Liam to take her with him. She can't even look at him right now.

Emily wasn't sure if she could think of these people as family yet. Thandor told her to think of them as her other family, but she wasn't sure how easy that'll be. She knew she didn't hate them at least.

And on the topic of Thandor, Emily noticed how members of Aludell call him 'teacher', so that was something she wanted to pick up on as well. Emily felt Thandor was too young to be a father figure, and too old to be an older brother figure, so a teacher figure seemed perfect for him.

Thandor had been consistently kind to Emily since the day they met, and that warmth persisted even after a month had passed. Emily couldn't shake off a sense of guilt, recognizing that she had done nearly nothing since joining Aludell, and Thandor, understanding the weight of her mourning, refrained from pushing her.

Also, among the members of Aludell, Thandor spent the least time at home. His schedule was always full, and while Emily wasn't certain of the specifics, she just assumed that being the leader of Aludell left little room for free time.

However, when Thandor did have free time and was at home, he'll give the other members of Aludell a lesson in the 'class room', which was next to the training room. One day, he extended an invitation to Emily.

"Emily, if you're comfortable, I'd like you to join us for today's lesson. If you enjoy it, you're welcome to attend whenever I hold these sessions." Thandor proposed with a gentle smile, careful not to impose.

"W-What type of lessons do you give, Th-, I mean, teacher?" She asked, correcting herself.

"About everything, really. I try not to stick to one topic. Today, I'm going over something related to magic. I've covered it once before, but since you and Karl weren't present, I'd like both of you to hear it." He explained.

A topic about magic....as a witch, I really shouldn't get the shivers every time I think of magic, but I can't help it. Thandor doesn't give lessons everyday though, so I'd feel bad refusing his offer here.

"A-Alright, I'll come."

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Emily went into the class room for the first time. The classroom was a cozy space adjacent to the training room, bathed in soft, warm lighting that emanated from strategically placed lanterns. A large wooden desk stood at the front, covered with parchment, quills, and various books. Thandor's presence at the desk immediately drew attention. The Aludell members, including Emily, took their seats on wooden chairs arranged in a semicircle facing the desk.

There were a seat and a desk for each member. Liam was in the middle, Emily to his left, and Karl to her left, while Nicole was on Liam's right, and Jaxon was to her right.

"I see everyone is present." Thandor noted, scanning each member. "Let's start then. Liam, Nicole, Jaxon, you three are familiar with today's topic, but a refresher won't hurt." Jaxon rolled his eyes as Thandor finished speaking, not looking too pleased about having to take the same lesson again.

"Is it about witches and their magic, teacher?" Liam inquired. Emily was seated next to him, which made it hard for her as she doesn't want to look at his face.

"Yes, it is. Does anyone have anything they'd like to say before I start?" Thandor asked, and Emily tentatively raised her hand.

"I do, if it's okay. I um, have a question, teacher."

"Oh, sure, go ahead, Emily." Thandor encouraged, feeling curious about what her question might be.

"I was wondering, is teaching part of your role as the leader of Aludell? I mean, is it something you have to do?" Emily voiced a question that had lingered in her mind the last few days. She just couldn't understand why a group like Aludell would need a teacher.

Thandor smiled, appreciating her curiosity

"No, it's not a mandatory part of my role. No one assigns me the task of being a teacher, but it's something I wanted. All of you are young, and there's much about life you don't know. Being part of Aludell means serving the king, so I want you all to be well-informed about knowledge that may or may not prove useful." Thandor explained as everyone else stared at him.

Wow...Taking the role of a teacher on top of being the leader of Aludell really can't be easy. And he gives lessons on his free time too.

"Also, if you all weren't witches and were regular kids, Liam, Jaxon, Karl, you three would likely be attending school now, right? I'm trying to provide some of what was taken from you." Thandor continued, his tone carrying a touch of melancholy.

"Teacher, you really take on more than you can handle..." Liam remarked, expressing a shared sense of concern.

"Truly, I worry you might collapse from overworking one day, teacher." Nicole added, sounding concerned.

A school, there were no such thing in my village. I wonder how the life of a student who attends such a place is.

"Anyway, if that answers your question, Emily, let's begin our lesson!" Thandor declared, trying to infuse cheer into the atmosphere.