“You!” snapped Xenia.

“Get back Saya! I’ll protect you!” declared Aria. “I won’t let you hurt her!”

“It’s over, your hex backfired witch!” Mable said picking up her staff attempting to prepare a spell.

“Oh? Nothing backfired, I can assure you, and you can all calm down. I’m not here to fight you, and as I am certain you have realized, you no longer have any reason to fight either now that you know your princess is safe and sound,” Phordata giggled, her jovial tune disarming the group. She was right, they no longer had a reason to fight, much to some of their frustration. “You all certainly are energetic and high strung after all that emotional downpour.”

“What are you here for then, witch!?” Xenia demanded.

“Is it so wrong for an aunt to see her nieces?” Phordata teased, laughing as she gave a sly wink towards the others.

“Aunt? Nieces?” Saya said confusedly. “W-what are you talking about!?”

“Don’t listen to her Princess! She’s clearly lying!” Aria readied to swing her blade. “Her ilk are all liars and deceivers.”

“You flatter me, but you’re quite wrong,” she chuckled, bringing her index finger to her lips to shush Aria. “Saya, Xenia, your mother Elesa, is my sister, her true name is Elesa Eria Floroma,” her voice seemed to reverberate with saying their mother’s name. An ethereal energy wrapping around them just by uttering her name, an unnerving shiver crashing through Saya.

“Enough of your lies!” spat Aria, as she prepared to dash forward.

“No! Stop!” cried Xenia, reeling as her body shook from the same sensation Saya had just experienced, Aria stumbling and twisting around to look at her captain.

“But Captain…,” Aria objected.

“What was that?” Saya asked as she gripped herself. It was as if the mysterious compulsion she felt before had exploded within her, crashing through her whole body. “My whole body is shaking from…w-whatever that was.”

“Th-that’s…how is that possible?” Mable stuttered, shaking like Saya and Xenia.

“Mable, do you know what just happened?” Xenia questioned.

“It’s…It’s what happens when a magic user evokes the true name of a witch. I’ve read about it, but this is…that means…” she gasped.

“Close dear,” Phordata gave another teasing giggle. “Simply evoking a witch’s true name won’t do anything on its own. Rather, evoking it causes magical energies connected to that name to resonate,” she eyed Saya and Xenia. “A mage such as your elf friend could perceive that magical response since she’s a mage, but your knight here, lacking magical experience, could not. Consider it a sort of proof between witches to recognize our connections to each other.”

“But then…” Saya began to ask.

“Where did the magical response come from and what caused it?” Phordata continued, holding her cheek in her hand with a smile. “Simple. Like I said, it causes a reaction with magical energies connected to the witch in question. That can be parents, siblings, familiars, or in this case, children. In other words, you and your sister are the descendants of a witch, my sister, and evoking your mother’s name caused your latent powers to resonate. You could call it a wake-up call. It’s an ancient spell engraved in your blood, in our blood, to allow our kind to awaken our children to their powers.”

“Then that means, mother really is a…” Xenia clasped her hands to her mouth gagging at the realization as her eyes seemed to bulge.

“Why are you all listening to her?” Aria questioned. “She has to be lying.”

“I can feel it,” Saya answered. “Tis as if something deep within me is grabbing hold of me, telling me it’s true.”

“Like she said, it’s a wake-up call,” Mable reiterated. “It’s meant to be irrefutable proof for latent witches to accept their existence. It’s to help them understand their heritage as well as embrace their life as a witch. I had read of it in books before, but feeling it for myself, there’s no denying the truth in her words. Saya and Xenia have latent magic that responded to their mother’s name. They share it. They share their mother’s witch’s blood.”

“My oh my, someone’s done their reading,” Phordata chuckled. “You nailed it exactly. And I do apologize for using it so forcefully, but I really am excited to get this underway.”

“But why?” Aria demanded. “Why is Queen Elesa a witch!? That doesn’t make any sense!”

Phordata’s face churned as if swallowing something bitter, her jolly disposition evaporating. She sighed and collected herself, “because, that monster of a king abducted her and forced her to be his bride,” she said coldly, glaring into the distance.

“Father…he…abducted mother?” Saya asked, frightfully, her and Xenia’s eyes growing ever wider. What did this mean? They nearly hesitated to find out.

“That is also why your Princess was ‘cursed.’ I sewed a spell on that monster after he took my sister, it was supposed to awaken any child to her latent abilities in my absence. I assume he predicted as much and sealed his other daughters as such. However, Saya you managed to evade that, fortunately,” her grim tone fading, returning to her jovial energy as she shifted to Saya.

“So, you mean…” Mable’s eyes grew large to match the others.

“Oh, ho. You’ve got a sharp friend there,” Phordata teased Mable some more. “Such observant folk are so hard to come by these days.”

“Mable?” Aria called to her confusedly, as Saya and Xenia looked at her with similar looks of confusion.

“She…” Mable gulped. “She didn’t curse Saya, not specifically.” The others continued to look at her in astonishment. “Don’t you see, the spell she cast, it was on your whole family,” the others quaked at the revelation, Aria particularly enraged by the implications.

“But then why only me?” Saya asked. “Why was I the only one to change.”

“Because your so-called father sealed your sisters, like I said,” Phordata patiently explained. “But I imagine he assumed that ‘boys’ would be unaffected,” she a certain frustration filling her voice from the word choice. “He probably didn’t consider that your soul was that of a woman, nor that you have such potential. Most individuals of his station are rather unlearned on such topics after all, either due to ignorance or arrogance, take your pick really.”

“My soul?”

“That’s right dear,” Phordata began to beam with joy. “Your soul was pure and true about who it is. Your body may not have matched it and your mind rejecting it for a time, but thanks to the spell it helped lead you to who you truly are. It’s like you said to your friends, you were always a woman inside.” In an instant, Phordata suddenly leapt forward landing in front of Saya, much to the others’ shock. “I’m so happy for you!” she said as she suddenly hugged a blushing Saya.

“Get away from her!” Aria barked.

“Oh, boo,” Phordata pouted. “Let me congratulate my cute niece on her awakening will you.”

“Why you!” Aria’s anger seemed to boil as she prepared to attack.

“Aria, wait!” Saya called out, pulling away from Phordata.

“But Princess, you heard what she’s said. She’s been treating you and your family like her playthings,” she gritted her teeth. “I won’t...”

“Aria, please!” Saya begged. “I understand what you are saying, and I may not understand all of this, but please. I want to hear what she has to say. I am so at a loss right now. There is so much I do not understand about mom, about our family, about myself. I…” Saya clenched her fists on her chest while wincing towards the ground.

Aria scratched her head and then gave a gentle nod as she calmed herself and approached Saya, finally hugging her. “I’m sorry,” Aria apologized. “I’m just on edge with everything. I still think you’re being a too trusting. I mean, it upsets me how she’s treated you, but...” she hesitated, “I guess I wasn’t considering how you felt,” Aria released Saya who began to tear up. “Princess Saya, I apologize,” she said as she kneeled before her Princess. “I just…” she hesitated, “I don’t want you getting hurt again.”

“Aria…” Saya cried a few tears. “Thank you, I couldn’t ask for a better knight.”

“Aww, you’re both so adorable,” Phordata giggled, which earned her a glare from Aria and Xenia. “But talking out here in the middle of the forest is getting a tad nippy, wouldn’t you say. Those frosty winds can be fierce, even this early in the year,” she teased. “If you desire to know more, then you are free to accompany me back to my home.”

“Are you all okay with that?” Saya asked hesitantly, with a little concern in her voice.

“I oppose it, I still don’t trust her, but I’ll follow you wherever you go, Princess,” Aria said in a cool knightly way, giving particular emphasis on ‘Princess’ which made Saya giggle with glee. Aria began to gulp, trying to hide a blush and maintain her knightly visage.

“Count me in! I’ve always wanted to see how a witch lives,” Mable giggled. “And I’d like to hear more about all of this as well.”

“I shall go as well,” Xenia agreed. “In all honesty, I do not trust her. And yet I also desire to know what she has to say like Saya does. I want to know what else father has been hiding from us,” she said with a fierce resolve in her voice.

“Oooh,” Phordata jumped. “This is thrilling. I haven’t had guests in such a long time!” she giggled. “Then follow me,” her smile was…genuine. The others found themselves taken aback by her sudden behavior. She had spent the whole time teasing them and acting like this was a game, but there was a certain sincerity to her excitement.

The party followed Phordata through the passage she emerged. Like with Mable’s lanterns, Phordata seemed to have a spell that kept the fog at bay, and even kept the path visible, but not by light. It was as if the others could simply see in the darkness itself. As they ventured further in, they crossed several strange sights including vividly glowing plants, which Phordata claimed were harmless and were fine ingredients for food. They crossed a glowing pink river which mesmerized Saya, its shimmering surface emanating with wondrous patterns. The trees than began to change, transforming from the gnarled tall bushy topped clouds of leaves into a wondrous view of glowing blue trunks and shimmering pink and purple leaves.

“Dw’ahhh,” Saya squeed. “They remind me of the Winter lights Mable made for the Castle!”

“They’re so pretty,” Mable said. “the leaves look like crystals!”

“I…I think they are crystals,” Aria was in awe as she grabbed one from a low hanging branch. “See, they don’t have anything between the lights, and they’re hard and kinda tough. Smooth too,” she said entranced.

“I do not think I have ever seen a sight so beautiful in all my travels,” Xenia said with a soft smile, her eyes nearly twinkling out of wonder.

“They’re Manakrenia trees,” Phordata explained with a kind pleasant voice. “They draw mana in from the air and sun then sow it into the Earth. They say that they were once enchanted back in the days when everyone lived in peace and the gods were plentiful. There’s more than a few stories of angels, demons, fairies, and witches all having a Harvest Festival under these very lights.”

“Wait, did you say demons?” Xenia asked in astonishment.

“Mh-hmm. It’s said that demons and angels were once very close and friendly. But then they began to fight for some forgotten reason becoming the bitter enemies that fill legends today. That was when most of the Manakrenia began to twist into the trees around the edge of the Dark Forest. Only those who are guided by mana itself can find their ways here now. It’s said the fairies made a barrier to protect it when everyone began to fight,” Phordata’s tone grew quiet and nostalgic, as if reflecting on a dear past. The others remained silent, unsure of what to say.

“Oh! Look!” Phordata exclaimed. “We’re home!” She pointed to a large mansion which glowed with a gentle swirl of purple and blue, as if an aurora composed its iridescent walls. The mansion was lseemed to be made of the same wood of the nearby trees. It felt simultaneously new and ancient and absolutely timeless, as if crafted from the world around it. The affects of its architecture seemed to flow in and out of existence as the bending lights shifted, obscuring its gorgeous embellishments, dark vines crawling and glowing upon its surface.

“It’s gorgeous,” Xenia whispered.

“It really is,” Phordata whispered, holding her hands to her chest smiling. “Come along,” she led the others. “Let’s go inside.”

Phordata escorted them into what was a much simpler and cramped yet cozy entryway, with warm wooden floors and ceilings, nearly melding into the soothing red walls and their hints of pink. From the entrance, there was a stairway on the opposite side which split at the back wall diverging into two more flights of stairs going East and West. Between the entrance and the stairs were two sets of doorways on both sides of the hallway, with the front two being open passages to lit rooms, while the back two were both sealed by warm wooded doors.

The room on the right was a simple living space with several red sofas of similar make surrounding a round white wooden table with mirrored glass at its center, and a shelf beneath. Along the far red-wall, they could see a desk and a line of bookcases, giving it a study vibe. It was clearly designed for casual time with plenty of things to occupy oneself, even a number of games and toys. The sofas even had some plush toys including a yellow rodent with black tipped ears. The other open room was dinning room, with a long wooden table and thirteen chairs upholstered in seven different colors, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, with two of each, sitting across from their counterpart, and a lone magenta chair at the far end. The room itself had a soft red coloring, that made the group feel relaxed and even hungry. The atmosphere was gentle and serene, and simply comfortable. A single glance would never lead one to suspect it belonged to a witch.

“I’m home!” called Phordata as she removed her cowl, placing it on a nearby coat rack attached to the wall. Beneath her cowl she wore a surprisingly eyecatching outfit of a flowing deep red blouse and dark skirt which fell to about her midthigh. Her legs were also covered in pristine white leggings which comfortably hugged her legs and punctuated her simple black flats quite well. As she tossed her hair purple behind her, her whole outfit seemed to flow with her.

“Phory!” exclaimed an excited girl’s voice from the living room. A girl with long bright pink hair, save two white pigtails, emerged her frilly white dress fluttering behind her as she leapt to hug Phordata with all her tiny might. “I missed you!” the girl was clearly ecstatic and bouncing with excitement. She then noticed the others behind Phordata and started bouncing even more. “You brought friends!?” she asked cheerily!

“I’m glad to see you too Honey,” Phordata hugged her back. “My little honey bunny is really excited, isn’t she,” she softly pet her.

“I thought you lived alone?” Xenia gawked, ahead of a blushing Aria, and Mable looking on excitedly.

“Of course not,” Phordata said pridefully. “Unlike what your mundane human culture likes to say, we witches are quite popular and friendly,” she boasted. “Isn’t that right, Honey?”

“Mhmm!”

“Honey?” Aria whispered to Xenia. “Why does she keep calling her that?”

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“No idea,” Xenia shrugged.

“Tis nice to meet you, my name’s Saya,” she reached out her hand, her other hand elegantly cupped on her chest. “Who are you?”

The girl eyed her hand before quickly grabbing it with both her hands and holding them excitedly, “I’m Honey!” Aria and Xenia flinching from realizing that was her name. “I’m a witch and a buna!” she giggled.

“You are a buna!” Mable exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted to meet one!”

“A buna?” Aria asked dubiously.

“You know, like a girl that’s got the traits of a rabbit,” Mable explained giddily.

“I know what a buna is Mable,” Aria sighed. “But she doesn’t have the ears I expected is all.”

“My ears?” Honey asked, arching one of her eyebrows in confusion. “Oh, right,” she nodded. She pulled at her pigtails, pulling free a few hairpins, revealing them to be her long rabbit ears as they bounced back up before flopping forward a little bit. “There we go.”

“So cute!” Mable and Saya said together, bouncing in excitement.

“They look so…so soft,” Aria bashfully played with her fingers, while eyeing Honey’s ears.

“Now, now,” Phordata interrupted. “You’ll get plenty of time to play later. For now, let’s go relax in the Living Room and we can discuss matters.

Phordata led them into the Living room, with herself and Honey taking the middle sofa, where Honey leaned against her, cuddling her arm. Aria and Saya took the far sofa, and Xenia and Mable took the closer one as she looked unnerved by the very intimate actions of the two.

“Before we get started,” Phordata began. “You’ve already met Honey. She’s my beloved, and a witch like myself,” she gave Honey and adoring look as she introduced her. “And, Honey,” Honey looked up at her curiously, “that’s Xenia and Saya, Elesa’s daughters.”

Honey gasped, “so they’re her…!” Phordata nodded. “I’m so embarrassed, if I knew you were coming, I would’ve prepared something for you,” she mopped, a tearful look in her eyes as she held her hand to her belly.

“It’s okay my sweet Honey, you didn’t know. I didn’t realize they were coming until this morning,” Phordata comforted her with a light pat on her head, Honey giggling.

“Aren’t you forgetting a couple people?” Aria glared.

“Haha,” she laughed, blushing slightly from embarrassment. “Sorry, I didn’t actually catch your names,” Phordata said a little embarrassed.

Aria sighed, “by her light. My name is Aria, I’m Princess Xenia and Princess Saya’s personal knight.”

“Personal knight? I thought royalty got their own individual knights, not one for two?” Honey asked a little perplexed, which made Aria jump in embarrassment.

“Honey my sweet, they’re…” Phordata whispered something into her.

“Oh! That makes a lot more sense then,” Honey smiled. Honey gave Aria and Saya a sweet look causing them both to start blushing. Just what did she tell her?

Mable giggled, her ears twitching excitedly. “I’m Mable, I’m a mage and one of the court’s inventor. We’ve all been friends since we were kids.”

“A mage? Interested in learning some of our witchcraft?” Honey teased with a joyful smile. Mable tried to respond before she began to retreat back into her brain to consider her proposal’s applications.

“Uh, just so there is no misunderstanding,” Xenia interjected. “Honey, what is your relationship with Phordata? Are you two simply friends or…?”

“Friends?” Honey thought aloud before laughing.

“What tis so funny?” Xenia tilted her head in confusion.

“We’re quite a bit more intimate than friends,” Phordata laughed. “We aren’t exactly married since that’s something your churches do. That said, from your perspective I would say that our arrangement is effectively the same. We are betrothed to each other,” she continued as she hugged Honey close to herself as Honey let out a happy giggle and blushed.

“L-like marriage?” clarified Xenia, a confused blush overtaking her face, as Honey nodded.

“Ah, yes, such relationships are seen as taboo in your human societies, aren’t they? We witches however do not allow such things as gender and sex limit who we love,” Phordata explained with a soft grin. “For instance, a pair of women falling in love is quite common among us.”

“A pair of…” Saya blushed as she eyed Aria who seemed a little flustered herself.

“Anyway, we should get back to the subject at hand. And don’t worry, Honey is already aware of the situation, so she won’t feel left out,” Phordata pet Honey some more.

“I don’t think anyone was particularly worried about that,” Aria blurted shaking her reddened face.

“Would you mind if we started with talking about the spell some more?” Saya asked. “I am still a little at a loss. Earlier you said that it only affected me the way it did because of my soul. What did you mean?”

“Ah, yes,” Phordata nodded. “To put it simply, every person has a soul. That soul has unique properties. That includes their identity, their affinities, and their attraction principles, among other attributes. In a sense, the soul is the core of a person, and while a person can be out of sync with their soul, it still remains their core. It can identify in many ways that are separate from one’s bodily traits. In some situations, one can become dissociated from their soul, but their soul will still remain the foundation of their existence. For instance, Saya, you have a soul that identifies as a woman. Regardless of what your body may have been, that was the truth of your soul. As a result, the spell adjusted your body to match who you really are,” Phordata was calm and kind in her explanation as she ceased her previous jokey behavior.

“Hold on a second,” Xenia said shaking her head. “If it only affects her body, then why did she forget to how to fight?”

“She forgot how to fight?” Honey inquired.

“Yes, before this started, she was learning how to be a knight, but as the spell progressed, she lost her knowledge as well as her skills. It was not just limited simply to her muscles and the reflexes she had honed, but her knowledge as well,” Xenia explained.

“Ah, yes, I have heard of such things happening before,” Phordata gave a complicated look. “However, a similar principle applies there. I would imagine that she rejected being a knight on a deeper level, and in the process of synchronizing your body and soul, that knowledge was erased in the process. At times the spell makes changes that seem nonsensical, but commonly it prioritizes the shedding of aspects that are at odds with one’s soul. Unfortunately, anything more would simply be speculation.”

“That is…” Saya breathed in relief, “actually, rather comforting to hear.”

“It is?” Aria asked, Saya nodding in turn.

“I have come to realize that knighthood would have been a path I would have been sickened by had I continued,” Saya explained. “Knowing I lost that knowledge for that reason… it almost just feels right to me.”

“If you say so,” Aria scratched her head.

“However, I am still confused,” Saya continued. “The way you worded it, it sounded like the spell was supposed to do something different or fulfill some other purpose,” she quietly eyed Phordata.

“It was,” Phordata answered. “I’ll go ahead and clarify this so there’s no mistake. Saya you inherited your mother’s potential to be a witch. That was the spell’s true purpose, to awaken you as a witch. All witches are awakened by such spells, our blood and power are spurred into awakening who we truly are by it. Everything else that happened to you was to accommodate that purpose.”

“I’m…a witch?” she held her hands together, as if to ground herself. The mere suggestion felt entirely unreal. It was so difficult to wrap her head around, she looked up to see Saya with a concerning look upon her face and Xenia beside her deep in thought.

“She doesn’t just inherit the witch’s blood, but Saya is also a…” Xenia repeated. She shook her head and continued, “that raises another question,” Xenia began, pulling her hand away from her face. “Why did the spell change her body in the first place? I understand what you explained about her soul, but why did the spell do that if it’s supposed to awaken witches?”

“A good question, my darling niece,” Phordata nodded, Xenia slightly frustrated by the embarrassment of being described as such. “Like I said, the spell is intended to awaken witches and help them on their way to learn themselves, and it has other functions to accommodate that goal. A necessary part of that is synchronizing the soul and the body.”

“Saya, isn’t alone in her situation,” Honey elaborated “You see, plenty of witches begin in a body that doesn’t match their soul. So, in order to awaken them, the spell first has to synchronize one’s body with their soul. Otherwise, our magic wouldn’t function properly. Those like yourself have bodies that are at odds with their souls, so the spell prioritizes matching the body to the soul so you could use magic. Many witches manifest as women, but there are plenty that diverge from that. We could spend all day on that complexity.

“Ultimately though,” Honey continued, “we witches draw our power from our emotions and our affinities, and maintaining the balance of our soul and body is key to that. As such, the spell prioritizes that balance,” the party were taken aback by her explanation. Her happy gleeful attitude earlier didn’t prepare them for her clear intelligence. Save Mable, who was still quietly thinking.

“Our souls shape our strength and the form of our magic,” Honey proceeded, her finger outstretched as if to instruct them, her head and ears playfully bobbing all the while. “For instance, Phory is better at using water and earth magic, and she’s very adept with plants. I meanwhile am good with water and wind magic, and I’m adept with weather-based magic. But if your body is out of sync with your soul or if your mind and spirit is heavily burdened, then you could be incapable of using magic at all. So, the spell prioritizes synchronizing the two, and like your knowledge of fighting, some things get left behind in that process.”

“You have such an elegant way of putting it my little honey bunny,” Phordata interjected.

“Oh, Phory. Thank you.”

“So, what you’re saying is that the spell changed me so I could become a witch?” the two nodded. “Does that mean that I’ll be able to use magic now?” Saya asked, looking at her hands quietly recalling the strange glow that emanated from her hands in the past.

“Your abilities will come in due time. It’s possible that it may have slipped out at certain points before you got here, but you weren’t able to really tap into it. However, now that your soul and body are now in sync, it shouldn’t take long for the spell to properly awaken your powers. I don’t imagine it will be much longer,” Honey gigged, her ears bouncing joyfully.

“Hold on a moment?” Aria interrupted. “What if she doesn’t want to be a witch though?”

“It’s a little late for that,” Phordata pouted. “There’s no stopping it now that it’s progressed this far.”

“Hold on a minute…” Aria grit her teeth again in anger.

“Tis okay Aria. This may all still be new to me, but it actually sounds rather…appealing? I am uncertain how to put it, but I am not against it,” Saya smiled. “I mean, it has brought me happiness for so far. Maybe being a witch would not be so bad either.”

“A-are you certain? Even with all the dangers that accompany it?” Aria asked, Saya nodding. Aria took a deep breath. She still had plenty of concerns, but Saya’s confidence and desires were clear, and she refused to doubt her again. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll support you.”

“Regardless,” Phordata sighed. “While it may be distasteful to you, it is the only way our kinda has been able to survive. Most of us have to live hiding and practicing our craft in secret. And it’s often the only way we can protect our children until they come of age.”

“I...” Aria mumbled.

“And what about me?” Xenia interjected. “Earlier, you suggested my powers were sealed, correct?”

“I’m assuming that’s the case,” Phordata replied. “I can’t imagine much other reason why the spell wouldn’t work on you.”

“Isn’t it possible she’s just not a witch?” Aria asked.

“I doubt that,” Mable remarked, emerging from her trance. “Remember how she responded to the Queen’s true name too? Her true name wouldn’t have affected her if she didn’t have a magical connection to it. That reaction means that she should be able to become a witch too, right?” Phordata nodded in confirmation.

“I…I am a witch too then…” Xenia hesitated as she blushed a little from the surprise. “I-is there a way to break the seal?” Aria and Saya surprised by her question.

“Xenia, are you certain?” Saya asked. “I am fine being a witch, but you have held the teachings of the church in such high regard.”

“I am not certain if I am being honest, but I still desire to know,” Xenia said with an uncertain tone.

“In that case, it depends on the seal, but most seals like this tend to be fairly simple to break,” Phordata speculated.

“What about the rest of the royal family?” Mable asked. “They have another sister and three more brothers. Couldn’t they all still be witches?”

“I wouldn’t discount the possibility,” Phordata thought aloud. “But I can’t say for certain. A child of a witch may not necessarily have inherited the witch’s blood after all.”

“About that,” asked Mable. “I’ve learned the basics about it, but what is it exactly.”

“Basically, people inherit traits from their parents,” Honey explained, “and Witch’s Blood can also be inherited, but it’s not guaranteed. It’s like how children may inherit their parent’s hair color or other features. So, your remaining siblings could be witches, but they might not. Given how many siblings they have, it’s certainly possible some or even all of them may have Witch’s Blood too.”

“Wow, could you imagine Aurith or William as witches?” Saya cogitated before realizing how embarrassing a thought that was.

“I doubt they would be though,” Mable interjected once more. “They’re both older than you and never changed.”

“I agree,” Phordata nodded. “There are circumstances that could cause the spell to act slower, such as if the individual significantly rejects it, but that is quite rare. And Saya’s awakening has demonstrated that she never had a seal placed upon her, presumably because of the presumptions surrounding her birth.”

“I see, then Lillia is the only one we who would have a high potential of being a witch then?” Saya wondered aloud.

“Probably so,” Xenia agreed. “That aside, there is something else, that I have been hesitant to ask.”

“Something else?” Aria asked.

“Why my powers were sealed, why we even have these powers at all, and what Phordata said in the forest about mother,” her voice was somber and wary. “Phordata, please tell us about our parents. About the truth of our mother, and our father.”

Phordata’s attitude suddenly shifted as her face twisted, as if ingesting something horrid. “That man. He kidnapped my sister and he…,” Phordata gritted her teeth. “I…”

“It’s okay Phory,” Honey held her hand. “I’ll explain,” Phordata looked at her with pleading eyes and nodded before leaning against Honey, who stroked her head. “I am certain you know of this already, but Zerto fought in a war with the Northern Kingdom of Ethnerta. I imagine you saw some of the ruins on your way here,” she began, the others nodding in response.

“Ethnerta was harboring a number of our newborn siblings and Elesa had gone there to ensure their safety,” Honey continued. “Ethnerta treated us well, they were one of few Kingdoms who were willing to grant our kind protection, but we knew that it was only a matter of time before they would be attacked for it. Elesa, Phory, some other witches, and myself all aided in the effort as we sought to bring them to the Fairy Forest to the East, which has long since been a haven for us. The Dark Forest is a rather reliable way to get there and has harbored us as well for generations. However, as we began to approach the Dark Forest, Zerto’s forces had found us and attacked. It was a bloody battle in that awful war. Ethnerta and Luxur had been fighting for some time, it was a truly abhorrent war.”

“We discussed the war rather recently,” Saya lamented, reflecting upon the blasted ruins she had witnessed. “It was the war that had him recognized as a hero by the church, correct? The one where the church sought to punish Ethnerta for harboring…our kind?” It took on a whole new horrifying reality imagining others like herself, awakening, isolated and confused, while being hunted for simply awakening, for being who they were. It was a truly horrible sensation.

“That is correct,” Honey said with a saddened look in her eyes. “The war is now told to have been fought over us, but that isn’t entirely true. It was really just an excuse to wipe out Ethnerta for falling out of favor with the Church. Trying to eradicate us was just a bonus to them. Ethnerta in the end couldn’t protect us for long, and they tried to defend our escape, but they were unable to last long enough. If it weren’t for Elesa, we may never have made it out of there,” Honey paused as she began to cry.

“What happened?” Xenia asked beginning to get emotional as well, breaking her controlled visage.

“She…” Honey said, streams of tears starting to run down her cheeks. “She used her magic to teleport us away, but she didn’t have the mana to send herself. She saved us, and for all she did, Zerto took her away,” Honey’s face was drenched in tears as she tried her best to keep herself together. “She saved us at the cost of her own life.’

“That bastard,” Phordata cried. “He took her away, then used some twisted spell to corrupt her mind and turn her into his subservient puppet. My sister sacrificed herself to save us, and in exchange she had her own identity, her own life stolen from her. He took everything! And then he even had the gall to have her children and seal their heritage,” her voice continued to get harsher and angrier, hot angry tears pouring down her face by the end. “Damn him!”

“By her light,” Aria said visibly shaken. “His…he…did that?”

Saya could not help but cry as she heard the two. Her father had done such harm and perhaps the worst thing was that she could not reject it. The man she was raised to respect as her father was always a harsh man, but that he did something so despicable was truly and deeply hurtful. Saya looked to Xenia, who looked dumbfounded and shocked by the revelation.

The rest of the night was a similarly uncomfortable mess of tears and shock as they processed the news. Mable, who had taken the news best, was quick to suggest everyone get some rest, which everyone agreed to. It had been a long day, full of many revelations. Saya confessing her feelings to everyone felt like a distant memory now, even though it happened just hours before.

“Here’s your room,” Honey said softly. Saya had been in a trance ever since the conversation lost in her thoughts, and Honey guided her and the Aria to a room.

“A-are you sure?” Aria stammered.

Saya opened the door without a word and walked into the beautiful purple and pink bedroom. It had complete furnishings. Along the door with the door was a dark wooden dresser to the left, and a comfortable desk with a marble top and a gorgeous dark velvet chair sat in the corner. On the right hand side was a Wardrobe, a mirror, and a couple wooden cabinets, elegantly spaced out. On the far side of the room was a bookshelf and a recliner with a small table and a lamp with a lampshade that looked like a flower. Behind the chair was another doorway to the personal bathroom. Similar lights were dotted around the room giving a gentle sensual lighting by magic-light. Then on the left had side of the room, extending to the doorway was a magnificent Princess style bed full of pillows and plush toys, complete with soft pink curtains, a pair of nightstands on both sides of the bed.

Saya paid little attention to the room though as she walked in. “There are nightgowns in the wardrobe, so please help yourself,” Honey tried to have some pep in her voice, but she was clearly drained. “Goodnight.”

“Wait,” Aria stopped her before she could leave. “Are you sure this is okay?”

Honey gave a simple smile. “Take care of her, little knight.” Honey passed her and vanished into the dark hallway.

“Hey,” Aria said deflated reaching out to Honey as she vanished into the hallway. She sighed before turning around to see Saya undressing before promptly turning back around out of embarrassment. She stood there trying very hard not to think about what she had seen, her mind giving way to thoughts which made her blush, and her heart beginning to race. She did her best to contain the rampant and inappropriate thoughts filling her mind, quieting them and other unpleasant feelings.

Before too long, Aria felt a certain softness push up against her leather armor. “Aria,” Saya murmured. “Please, will you stay with me?” her voice was quiet and sad. “I do not want to be alone right now.”

Aria sighed as she turned around and hugged her. “O-of course, I will, you don’t need to ask such a silly thing,” she said burying her invasive feelings. As she pulled away, she saw that Saya was in a simple pink nightgown which accentuated her curves as it clung to her, making her seem softer than usual. Aria could feel her cheeks getting warmer. Her mind filled with thoughts of Phordata and Honey cuddling, recalling their own intimacy. She wondered if it was truly okay.

Aria entered the room and pulled out a soft burgundy nightgown with some lace decorating the neckline for herself from the wardrobe, which she hoped was a little less risqué, and went about undoing her armor placing it in the cabinet along with her other equipment. Her skin seemed to glow in the light of the room, her toned body glowing with strength, which comforted the onlooking Saya. As she donned the nightgown, she approached the bed that Saya lay in since she entered the room and climbed in next to her.

“Hey,” she cooed, a cool warmth in her voice.

“Aria,” Saya whispered, as she snuggled close to her. “Please hold me.”

“S-sure.”

“I…was everything a lie?” she quietly sobbed.

“It’s going to be okay Princess. I promise you it will all be okay.”