a witch's tale

Five - Aria

Aria was about ten years old, she was drinking tea with her grandmother "Aria, you're going to be queen someday" Aria smiled "I know grandma, I'm the king's daughter" her grandmother laughed a bit 

-"No Aria, I see your future when I sleep. You're going to be the queen of everything if you make the right choices" 

-"And how do you know I'll make the right ones?"

-"I raised your mother, and I'm helping raise you, that's how. Now finish your tea or you going to be late for school, and you know that bending fire is your toughest subject"

-"That's because we're only supposed to bend one element, and because I'm a princess I get to do all of them"

-"not because you're princess, but because you're pure. That's also how I know you're going to be queen."

Aria ran away before letting her grandma finish her sentence "Bye Daddy" she yelled as she crossed the throne room and heading off to school.

As a lineage of pure, not because of royalty, but because they proved that they were pure at heart, Aria's family could bend all of the elements, just like other few families. The gods were kind to those who were kind, so the witches all tried to steer clear of offending them, that not always was the case, though. 

As soon as Aria left, a trial started, the king didn't want her to see this side of ruling just yet.

-"You've killed two lambs instead of one, which is what is permitted" 

-"It was an honest mistake, I didn't see the first one I killed" 

-"Yet, you carried both through the village instead of giving the other one to another family"

-"Yes, I'm guilty of that" the villager looked to the ground, ashamed, he knew that whatever punishment the king chose it wouldn't be pleasant.

-"I'll let the gods, the kings of kings, choose. You'll try to bend water tomorrow, if not you'll go to jail, deep in the forest. We broke the balance rule, this is not the time to kill more than one lamb until the mating season is over, now thanks to you, we'll have one lamb less"

-"... But sir, I'm the only provider to my family, my wife is sick... and I never bent water, I've bent earth."

-"Exactly, the state will take care of your family until you're out of prison" 

That night, the king made an offering to gods to make sure he wasn't making a mistake. They've gone through desperate times, where hunger was in every house, so they made a system. That system shall not be broken, especially that after much wanting it, he had a daughter. Her father was an apprentice to her grandmother, on her father's side, and she was meant to be an apprentice to him. Her mother gave up the right to be an apprentice so she could take her of Aria, and teach at the school. She always wanted to have a big family, but the gods only gifted her with one child, and she was going to take care of that child if all of her might.

"Hi, mom! I'm ready to master the fire within me" Aria said as she arrived at the school, all her other classmates bowed when she came in, a bit late "Kids, you don't need to bow at her when at school, here she's just like you, and I'm just a teacher. Aria, don't be late or next time I'll send you to that tree to pick apples for everybody while they get to learn."

Childhood passed by so fast, and before she realized it, she had graduated and was an official apprentice at the age of  13, her lucky number. Her graduating also meant that now she had to be for the trials in the morning, so she knew how and what to do, and she had the afternoons off to play and practice. 

Soon, she discovered the warriors, and she decided to join, soon play became practice, and she wished to join the army. They had to patrol the forest, the outside, and all neighboring towns, they were a humble city, but a city none the less and they offered protection to the small towns and villages.

That would become an issue, just like she was told, now. She needed to choose to help protect the town from the werewolves or go to the apprentice meeting with her dad "Aria, you have to choose, we're going to be gone a month. You can't protect like you swore to do, and you swore to the gods, to the general, and to the gods" He father protested

- "But dad... I need to be with you!" 

-"you need to be where your heart tells you, remember this isn't the meeting where you can get punished for not going." Her mother chipped in

"But what if I miss something" she mumbled

"What if the people get hurt, would you be able to forgive yourself if you knew that if you went to the council and the town would get attacked?"

"Being Queen is about making sacrifices, chose whatever you want. You can ask the gods, they always help you make the choice more fit for you.

That night Aria, who prayed for clarity dreamed of fire and war, and knew she had to stay.