THE OPEN SECRET

Chapter Eight- Learning to Be Human

The first rays of sunlight spilled through the curtains, painting warm golden lines across the wooden floor.

The farmhouse was quiet.

Too quiet.

Chansa slowly opened her eyes and smiled.

For the first time in what felt like forever, she had slept through the night.

No council meetings.

No royal duties.

No workers knocking on their bedroom door before sunrise.

Just peace.

She turned onto her side and found Choolwe staring at the ceiling.

"You've been awake for a while," she said.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Worried?"

"A little."

She reached for his hand beneath the blanket.

"We're safe."

"I know."

"It just feels strange."

"What does?"

He let out a slow breath.

"Yesterday I was one of the King's council members."

"Today..."

"I'm just a man living on a farm."

Chansa smiled softly.

"I've always preferred that version of you."

He turned to look at her.

"You mean the version that tracks mud through the house?"

"The same one."

"The one who forgets where he leaves his boots."

"Definitely that one."

"The one who burns breakfast."

She laughed.

"You've only done that twice."

"I've only cooked twice."

Their laughter filled the room.

For the first time in days...

Everything felt normal.

A tiny voice echoed from the hallway.

"Mama..."

Both of them froze.

"Mama..."

Tiny footsteps hurried towards their room.

Pat...

Pat...

Pat...

The bedroom door slowly creaked open.

Mwansa stood in the doorway wearing oversized pink pyjamas that kept slipping off one shoulder.

Her curls pointed in every direction, making her look like she'd wrestled with her pillow all night.

She rubbed one sleepy eye before holding up her stuffed rabbit.

"Mama... hungry."

Chansa's heart melted.

She held out her arms.

"Come here, my baby."

Mwansa ran as fast as her little legs would allow.

Halfway there she tripped over the rabbit.

She landed on her knees.

Looked at both of them.

Then burst into laughter.

Choolwe shook his head.

"This child refuses to cry."

"I hope she always does."

He climbed out of bed and picked her up.

"Good morning, Princess."

Mwansa wrapped both arms around his neck.

"Papa."

"Yes?"

"Food."

He laughed.

"I see where your priorities are."

Half an hour later...

The kitchen smelled like smoke.

Chansa walked in just in time to see Choolwe staring at a frying pan with complete confusion.

"I thought humans said eggs were easy."

She looked into the pan.

The eggs were black.

Not cooked.

Black.

She folded her arms.

"You've cremated breakfast."

"I was following the recipe."

"You've been staring at the recipe upside down."

He picked it up.

Turned it around.

"Oh."

She couldn't hold it in anymore.

Laughter filled the kitchen.

Even Mwansa laughed, though she had no idea why.

"I'll cook," Chansa said, gently taking the spatula from him.

"You sit."

"I was trying to impress my girls."

"You already have."

She kissed his cheek before starting over.

Within minutes the kitchen was filled with the smell of fresh eggs, toast and bacon.

Mwansa clapped excitedly from her chair.

"Bacon!"

Choolwe looked at Chansa.

"Did she just..."

"She did."

"Our daughter is learning fast."

"I think Earth agrees with her."

After breakfast, Choolwe stepped outside carrying two mugs of hot chocolate.

The morning air was cool.

Dew still clung to the grass.

He handed one mug to Chansa before sitting beside her on the wooden porch steps.

They watched Mwansa chase butterflies across the yard.

Every flower she found became treasure.

Every butterfly became a new friend.

"You know..." Chansa said quietly.

"I've been thinking."

He looked at her.

"We need jobs."

He almost choked on his drink.

"Jobs?"

"We're humans now."

"We need money."

He smiled.

"The King left us enough to survive for years."

"I know."

"But I don't want to survive."

"I want us to belong."

He nodded slowly.

She had a point.

"If we're going to raise Mwansa here..."

"We need to become part of this world."

He looked across the open fields.

"I know farming."

"So do I."

"But I don't know if farming here is the same."

"We'll learn."

She reached for his hand.

"We've learned harder things."

Before he could answer...

A car horn sounded from the road.

Both of them turned.

A white pickup truck stopped outside the farmhouse.

An elderly couple climbed out carrying baskets.

The woman smiled warmly.

"I hope we're not interrupting."

Chansa immediately stood.

"Not at all."

The elderly woman walked over and held out one basket.

"I'm Martha."

"This is my husband, Peter."

"We live two farms away."

"We thought we'd welcome our new neighbours."

Inside the basket were fresh vegetables, homemade bread and a jar of strawberry jam.

Chansa's eyes widened.

"You didn't have to do this."

Peter laughed.

"Out here..."

"We take care of each other."

Choolwe smiled.

"I think we're going to like living here."

Neither of them noticed...

Far beyond the fence line...

A black SUV sat beneath a cluster of trees.

Hidden from view.

Michael lowered his binoculars.

A small smile crossed his face as he watched Mwansa laugh while chasing another butterfly.

"So..."

"You've finally found a family."

For reasons he couldn't explain...

That thought made carrying out his mission much harder.

Martha smiled as she looked around the farmhouse.

"It has been empty for years," she said. "It's nice to finally see people living here again."

Chansa stepped aside and opened the front door.

"Please, come in."

Peter chuckled as he walked through the doorway.

"I hope you don't mind old people asking too many questions."

Choolwe laughed.

"I think we'll survive."

The four of them settled into the sitting room while Mwansa sat on the floor playing with her stuffed rabbit.

She looked up every now and then, listening to the adults talk before returning to her little game.

"You've got a lovely daughter," Martha said with a smile.

Chansa looked at Mwansa.

"We're very blessed."

"How old is she?"

"She's two."

Martha's face softened.

"Such a wonderful age."

"They're curious about everything."

As if on cue, Mwansa wandered over to Peter's walking stick.

She tapped it twice before looking up at him.

"What's this?"

Peter laughed.

"My old legs don't work as well as they used to."

Mwansa frowned.

"Hurt?"

"A little."

Without saying another word, she wrapped both tiny arms around his leg in a hug.

The room fell silent.

Peter looked down at the little girl and smiled.

"Well..."

"I think that's the best medicine I've had all week."

Everyone laughed.

Chansa watched Mwansa carefully.

She had always been affectionate.

Even back in Earth Z.

It was one of the many reasons Chansa loved her so fiercely.

After an hour of chatting, Peter stood.

"We should let you finish settling in."

"But..."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded flyer.

"Our community is having a small farmers' market this Saturday."

He handed it to Choolwe.

"You should come."

"It's a good way to meet everyone."

Choolwe looked at the flyer.

"We'd love to."

"And don't worry," Martha added with a wink.

"Everyone brings something homemade."

The moment the couple left, Chansa turned to her husband.

"We don't have anything homemade."

He looked back at her.

"We're farmers."

"We'll figure something out."

She laughed.

"You're awfully confident."

"I married a witch."

"I'll remind you..."

"We're pretending to be human now."

"Right."

"No magic."

They both laughed.

It still felt strange saying those words aloud.

No magic.

No mind-linking in public.

No teleporting.

No spells to make life easier.

For the first time in their lives...

They would have to do everything the human way.

Later that afternoon, Choolwe walked through the fields behind the farmhouse.

The land stretched farther than he had expected.

He knelt and scooped up a handful of soil.

Dark.

Rich.

Healthy.

He rubbed it between his fingers.

"It'll grow."

He smiled to himself.

"It just needs someone to care for it."

Behind him, he heard tiny footsteps.

Mwansa was carrying a toy watering can almost half her size.

"I help."

He laughed.

"Do you?"

She nodded proudly.

"I big."

"You certainly are."

He handed her a single bean seed.

"Can you help Papa plant this?"

She carefully dug a tiny hole with her finger before dropping the seed inside.

She covered it with soil and patted it twice.

"There."

"Perfect."

Choolwe smiled.

"One day that'll grow into food."

Mwansa looked confused.

"The dirt makes food?"

He nodded.

"It does."

She stared at the ground with complete amazement.

"Wow."

He laughed.

"I had the same reaction when I was your age."

As evening approached, Chansa prepared dinner while humming softly to herself.

She paused halfway through chopping vegetables.

Another wave of nausea hit.

She gripped the edge of the kitchen counter until it passed.

"Not again."

She closed her eyes.

"I'm okay."

She whispered the words more for herself than anyone else.

A few seconds later, Choolwe walked into the kitchen carrying Mwansa on his shoulders.

The little girl was giggling uncontrollably.

"Mama!"

Choolwe immediately noticed the colour had drained from Chansa's face.

"You feeling sick?"

She nodded.

"It passed."

"You should be resting."

"And leave you to cook?"

He looked offended.

"My breakfast wasn't that bad."

She burst into laughter.

"It looked like charcoal."

Mwansa joined in.

"Papa burn eggs!"

Both adults froze before looking at her.

Choolwe placed a hand dramatically over his chest.

"Et tu, Mwansa?"

She blinked.

"What?"

Chansa laughed so hard tears filled her eyes.

"I think she's officially learned sarcasm."

"I don't even know what sarcasm is."

"But somehow..."

"I'm the joke."

The three of them laughed together until Chansa forgot she had been feeling unwell.

Night settled peacefully over the farmhouse.

After dinner, Choolwe tucked Mwansa into bed.

She hugged her rabbit tightly.

"Night, Papa."

"Goodnight, Princess."

He kissed her forehead before blowing out the bedside lamp.

As he quietly closed the nursery door, he noticed movement outside the window.

His smile faded.

Someone was standing beyond the fence.

Watching the house.

He stepped onto the porch.

By the time he reached the yard...

The figure was gone.

Only tyre tracks remained in the soft dirt leading back to the road.

He crouched beside them.

Fresh.

Someone had been there only moments ago.

Back inside a black SUV parked several hundred metres away, Michael rested both hands on the steering wheel.

He looked once more at the softly lit farmhouse.

"They're settling in."

A small smile crossed his face.

"Good."

He started the engine.

The SUV rolled silently into the darkness.

For now...

Watching them was enough.

But deep inside, Michael knew that day wouldn't last forever.

Soon...

He would have to decide whether to obey his King...

Or protect the little girl he had been sent to destroy.