Agartha

Chapter three

It´s been a week.

I´m tired of Holger! He follows me EVERYWHERE. Never talks unless is to warn me not to go somewhere because “is dangerous”. He looks in his thirties but definitely acts like he´s five hundred. No matter what I ask, he answers “yes, no, couldn´t say”. I need to control my magic before I go crazy… or kill Holger… or both.

I´ve been practicing some simple spells, like washing the tub and filling it with warm water again. The first time it exploded and there was water and pieces everywhere. I´m able to do it but with the wand I only get cold water. It´s easier without it for me but is not the way is supposed to be.

The elder of every house (the king in my family´s case) gets a tree branch (in our family all come from the same tree), writes your name with his wand in golden letters and as they disappear, the branch turns into a pretty wand.

My grandparents formally asked the king my wand the second day of my arrival, in private since I’m not going to be presented as a princess yet. A nice dinner was planned. My cousins made the most beautiful dress for me, green and golden of course. Don´t know what´s the deal with the color.

After the sunset, everybody gathered around the center of the main building in the palace. The water fountain had petals floating all over. I felt loved, but whished my parents and sister were there with me.

Everyone lifted their wands and made a light bubble to illuminate the way to the tree. It was a long walk to the farthest corner of the palace, it was across a small forest. Finally, we arrived at a nice place hidden in the trees. It looked like a big abandoned gazebo with marble benches and columns and climbing plants everywhere. There was a tall tree in the center, looked old and dead. The king took a branch, wrote my name and it turned into a beautiful wand. This has to be my favorite place in the world, looks peaceful and apparently no one ever comes unless they have a wand ceremony.

My wand was carved with a climbing plant and blossoming flowers. Everybody was admired at the beauty of it. Afterwards, the light bubbles exploded in a rain of golden dots (we made new ones to see our way back to the castle).

***

I received a basic training in the hands of my family at the library every day, all day long, because soon it would be time to join the training center.

I got to see many visitors. They had the same style of clothes but different colors. I had to ask…

“Every noble family has a distinctive color and they all have a story. Ours is green and golden. Golden is the color of magic. We use green because is the color of nature and we are thought to be the family whose oldest ancestor got magic from nature thousands of years ago. Maybe that’s why we are the strongest ones”

“But grandpa, what about my mother?”

“Her realm was the closest to the dark one. The attacks began there, and no one survived. Your mother was the only survivor of the golden and purple family after that… and she´s gone too”. His eyes darkened.

“What about me?”

“You inherited my house´s line of magic”

“So, hers is lost forever… how sad”

“Not yet but it will be. If you marry someone from any other family, your mate could claim your mother´s realm, colors and magic through you. That´s why we hide you, is dangerous. Even a wizard from the dark family could take you as his mate and claim rights on the land. You don´t have to worry about that, you will keep wearing green, is the magic you got by birth”

“But what if I marry a wizard and then he wants to claim rights on the purple family? Will you make him sign a prenup?”

“I don´t know what that is but you won´t marry outside this family. You were promised to the king’s grandson, your cousin Erik”

“WHAT? THAT HORRIBLE BRAT?” I stood up abruptly, my nails and eyes turned bright blue. My cousin was reading at the other side of the library and he cried in pain falling to the ground. There was blue light coming from his chest and he looked like he was agonizing.

“GALIA STOP!” Marilin ran to help her son but there was a haze keeping everyone away from him.

“Galia please! What are you doing?”

My voice came out echoing the room with slow words “Grandpa, give me your word I won´t be forced to marry him”

“It was settled, is the best for both of you, you´ll always be protected!”

“PROMISSE!” He was twisting in pain, his lips turning purple”

Marilin shouted “You have my word! You will never marry my son! If you let him go safe, I will take it as an agreement!”

Before my grandparents and the king could argue, my eyes and nails´ color softened, he stopped twisting and his lips turned pink again. The haze disappeared and from my hand and aunt Marilin´s wand came the golden sparkles of the deal.

My grandmother looked furious, everyone else where shocked. A statement seemed like a good idea.

“I´m sorry, but I’ll make myself clear: I will stay here until I find the way to make my parents remember me. After that you can remove my abilities, don´t care. I am young here but where I came from, I´m an adult with an independent life, no one will make any decisions for me. All aspects regarding my life will be consulted with ME. Did I make myself clear?” I could feel a rush of energy going through my body.

Grandpa said matter-of-factly and showing no emotions whatsoever “please calm down”

My voice came back to normal and answered “yes, grandfather. My apologies”

“Elders, stay, we need to have a meeting. Everyone else leave. Galia and Erik, you both stay but have no right to intervene”. Marilin and Den helped their son to stand, he looked in panic, my cousins looked confused and my uncles looked raging.