The Amorous Mate

Chapter 32: Sorcery

“What must you be doing here alone, your highness?”

Chelsea was somehow surprised when she heard an unfamiliar voice about to go to the place she was sitting at. She quickly checked who was the caller, and saw someone she did not expect she would be seeing.

It was a woman wearing a red, elaborately crafted, beautiful gown that only the Duchess of Wetherby possesses—however, it was not the Duchess who was approaching her.

“Miss Kress?” she asked, confirming if she was right.

“Indeed, your highness,” Miss Kress bowed. “I cannot express how glad I am now, knowing that such a noble woman knew who I am. It makes my heart thrilled.”

Chelsea smiled. She wanted to say that why would she be not known if she herself were doing things that would make her known—only but in a bad recognition. However, because she was already tired and not in the current mood, she did not bother to tell that to the Miss. Instead, she has let her sit beside her.

As Miss Kress sat, she heaved a deep sigh. “The cold winds of the night are refreshing, isn’t it?” she asked.

Hearing Miss Kress’ question, Chelsea also heaved a deep sigh. She answered, “indeed, it is.”

“Would I be punished, your highness, if I would ask some worthless—I believe—questions?”

“What? Of course not,” Chelsea answered, “long as it would not offend me, I wouldn’t mind being asked with few questions. That wouldn’t make me want to behead you in public,” she joked.

Miss Kress laughed. “That terrified me, your highness. Shall I not ask you my question?”

“Notice that you are already asking me, Miss Kress. So go, ask me anything. Perhaps I can answer it,” Chelsea persuaded. She looked above, at the dark sky filled with glittering shimmers of stars, and a bright, crescent-shaped moon, then once again sighed.

“Do you really think that the servant you have helped earlier was deserving of your help?” Miss Kress asked, playing with her fingers to remove the nervousness that was trying to eat her.

“You see, I think you deserve the help that you’ve got from the Prince and the Baron Lord, the moment you were embarrassed in front of the elites. That is what I also thought to that servant. She deserves my help.”

“But . . . your highness, I am a noblewoman. I belong to the elite society. While that servant . . .”

“She was not.” Chelsea completed Miss Kress’ hesitation. “But, have you ever seen how the society you said you belong looked at you? You were being looked by the same way of how they were looking at the servants—the filthy rats, as they describe.”

Miss Kress cannot answer. Instead, she nodded and smiled. “I am glad that the Nightingale Kingdom would be able to have such a perfect Queen as you. You have the wisdom and the sense of justice, and that alone would make you the best Queen this kingdom has ever had.”

Chelsea shrugged. “Well, I am not yet a queen, nor a crowned princess. Mama still are in the verge of choosing between me and my sisters, that is why we still cannot get sure of things.”

Miss Kress chuckled. “Ah, Indeed.”

“But you see, if perhaps the next queen was not me, still, I will make sure that this problematic social systems and beliefs we have would be solved. I will do everything in my power to make it real,” she said, along with another sigh. She stared back at the star-filled sky, and being carefree, she lain down the ground grown with grass and colorful flowers.

“Indeed, I hope that would happen, your highness. I will be the very first person who will be happy once that it happened.” Miss Kress said, following the Princess’ resting in the bed of grasses.

Chelsea’s stares went to her. “Why? But you were an elite. You belong to the group that I would be fighting with.”

Miss Kress, shrugging her shoulders, looked back at her. “Why, but you said I was seen in the society the same way they look at the servants, wasn't it? That made me no more higher than a servant nor the same level as an elite,” she said.

Chelsea raised both of her eyebrows, thinking deeply from what the miss has said. “Well, I think you are right by that. Then that means you’re my ally.”

“Indeed, I can be. Think that way, your highness,” Miss Kress joyfully nodded. “I am glad to be known your very ally as you fight with the injustices.”

Chelsea could not believe that she and that Miss Kress were having such conversation below the dark, starry sky. She has to admit that somehow, she loathed the Miss because of the things she has seen earlier in the dancefloor. She could not explain, but she knew she felt despise to her when Lord Matthew danced with her. It was but an immature reason, but that is what she felt.

She never thought that she would have this kind of moment with her, knowing that she hated the woman. Now that she had a conversation with her, she felt guilty for looking at her with a bad impression.

She thought she would have no one to talk about what happened to the ball earlier. After the doctor arrived and took the servant into its care, the ball continued to its natural event, as if nothing happened—as if there was no one who almost died because of their foolishness and twisted thinking.

A lot of people attempted to talk to her, to defend themselves from the threat she gave, but she has clearly rejected every attempt that those elites have made.

She avoided everyone, because she was disgusted by the fact that they seemed unaffected from their acts which lead to almost a death of a human being. What was humoring was that they were more concerned about the princess’ impression to them, knowing that they were hated by her.

She jerked her body up, and went back to her sitting position once again. As she heaved a sigh, she said, “Well then, my ally, can I have the turn to ask you a question? If that is okay with you.”

“It is certainly fine for me, your highness. What could your question be?” Miss Kress asked.

Chelsea looked at her. She was still resting on the grassy ground. She was using her left hand as if it was her pillow. Chelsea asked, “what did you do that the elite society was despising you now?”

Miss Kress fell silent, soon as she heard the Princess’ question. She averted her locking gaze as she tried thinking of possible ways on how to answer Princess Demeter.

Soon after the era of silences, the Miss answered. “It was because . . . I was discovered of my dark secret.”

“Dark secret?”

“Indeed, your highness. They found out that me and my mother were . . . descendants of black magic users. We’re witches.”

“What?” Chelsea asked. She wanted to laugh so hard after hearing Miss Kress’ answer. Yet, she has tried her best not to, when she saw how the Miss was serious of her answer. “Y-You aren’t joking?”

“If only that was a joke. But, it wasn’t, your highness. What people were gossiping about me and my mother were true. We are practicing black divinations, spells, charms, sorcery,” Miss Kress said.

“But . . . if those people thinking about you were right, why . . . why do you still have the courage to attend this kind of event?” Chelsea asked.

“Because we are not doing anything wrong,” answered Miss Kress. “People thinks that sorcery and black magic are intended for bad doings. They thought that once a person uses it, then they would succumb into evil and demonic thoughts. They do not think the beauty of our power. They did not realize how much of help we can have to resolve the problems of the kingdom. They failed to realize that. Instead, they already despised and loathed our kinds.” She looked at Princess Demeter. “But, I somehow feel that you are different than them, your highness.”

“Huh? How am I different?”

“By the fact that you are still here, still listening to me, not running and terrified amidst my revelation, I know you are different. You do not easily judge people, nor get terrified by them. Instead, you listen.”

“Of course, I would listen,” Chelsea said. “Do you really think that I would just simply believe with your blabbering that you are a witch without me getting a concrete evidence that you are? I am a woman of to see is to believe, Miss Kress.”

“If . . . If I tell you I can show you my power, your highness, would you not be afraid that I could use it against you?”

“I said, I am a woman of to see is to believe. I already saw how good you are, so I believe you. Besides, if you have bad intention against me, then you would have done it already. We’re far from the hall, and this place was secluded, and there were no people wandering around. You could have just snapped your finger and kill me, or use my body to get what you desire—since you said that you’re a witch. But you did not.”

Miss Kress laughed. “That is hilarious, your highness! I would never want to hurt you.”

“See, I know and I believe that. What I can’t believe is that sorcery thing you’re boasting about. That is what you have to show to me so that I will believe.”

“Very well then, your highness,” Miss Kress stood up. She stretched her body to relieve the tension formed from resting on the ground. She turned her gaze away from the princess, for she could not hide her smile—a mischievous, evil smile. “Follow me, and I will show you sorcery.”