Elspeth- The Unwanted Princess

Janet- approving the plan

Janet approved the clay heart that Levi made a few days ago. She couldn't have made one any better than he did. It made her proud to see her son following her abilities. She watched him as he put the protection spells on the clay fake and then packaged it as it would be if it were a real heart. Even though this fake heart was not the same as the real heart in the concept of power, it still held a massive amount, so protection wards were a necessity until the fake was nullified in the next few days.

She always knew that she had to keep Elspeth separated from everyone else. So much so, she reported her birth as an adoption off of a family member. Nobody could know she had given birth to a child of the forest. It had been centuries since the last reported animal witch had died. She didn't want to risk her family's power by allowing her tainted daughter's blood into her coven heart. What if the Gods were angered that she was allowed to live? It was well known how her ancestor did the unthinkable and destroyed the shifter communities. She chose to meddle in the affairs of humans and nearly cost the lives of everyone in her coven.

After the massive spell, she could only speak to animals and the forest. Anything more and she would get sick, faint, and sometimes have a seizure. Part of the cost of her spell casting was that she could never cast spells again. Only listen to what was told to her.

It also affected the rest of the coven negatively. Spells were weak, occasionally backfired, and at worst just did not work because the magic was so depleted. Janet's great-great-grandmother did a cleanse on the coven's heart, asking forgiveness. As a result, the prophecy of the next animal witch was born. They would have the power to either doom all of Pangea, or help it. Janet refused to let the mistakes her daughter was so common for, bleed into the built reputation of her grandmother's work. We went on a decade of casting cleanse which resulted in the tradition of magic fasting every year. The year Elspeth broke that fast to save a dying baby bird was the day Janet made the decision to withhold her birth rights. The only way to do that was to change her birth. It took some convincing with her husband, but eventually she was able to convince him it was for her own good. Someone as clumsy as Elspeth could NEVER have access to the power her grandmother nurtured for 300 years. The coven hear was closer to five thousand years old. The founder of the Earth City coven was lost to history, but his blood still ran through every spell that was cast. Most covens had lost their original hearts through the shifter wars, but some miracle kept their families intact. She was planning on keeping it that way even if it meant going dark to do it.

"Mother, are you alright?" Levi was looking at his mother with a concerned expression.

""I am sorry son, I was just lost in my thoughts. You make me very proud. You know that, right?" Janet smiled softly at Levi and pointed at his project.

"Thank you, I wasn't sure how to build one of these or make it seem remotely real, but I am guessing I did something right?" He asked inquisitively.

"Of course, it only needs to pass a test done by the priest or priestess of the coven. They will run a small enchantment that is supposed to boost the priests' attachment to God for a time. Only a heart can do that. Because you chose 50 elders and our family to make this, it should have the required power bonds of us all to create the divine bond long enough for it to pass the exam. Because you enchanted the pot to dispel its magical contents, we will be safe from the destruction Elspeth poses to the magical community" Janet loved explaining magic to Levi. He always listened intently.

"I don't understand, why does Elspeth pose a threat?" Levi had to school his features, so his mother didn't see his fear. What did he do?

"Well, I suppose nows as good a time as any to tell you. There is a prophecy that started with our family. Because of our ancestors betrayel to the magical community, it is believed that the next animal witch to be born will bear the ability to destroy the world. Because Elspeth isn't great at following magical traditions and is clumsy at best doing anything beyond basic seer skills...." Janet let out a heavy sigh

"She can't be allowed access to our covens' heart. Especially since she talks to the forest. Only animal witches had that power. I tried to stop her, but she just pursued it and with that, its clear, we can't let her magical clumsiness wield any type of power."

Levi was thoughtful for a few minutes before replying.

"What if we just taught her how to cast better?"

His mother just laughed at him for the suggestion.

"My darling little boy, teaching her to be better won't take away the threat she gives to humanity. She can destroy the world by having access to that power. Not unlike our ancestor did with shifters. What kind of coven leader would I be if I gave her the ability to hurt our people?"

Levi thought about it. Did she really see only the negative that 'could' arise outweighing the good that may also happen? Now he was regretting his good deed, what if it wasn't all the good later? Somewhere deep inside him, he knew it was the right thing to do, but the nagging guilt his mother put on him for doing it also clouded his good feelings on the subject.

"I suppose you're right, mother. I know you only want what's best for us...."

"Son, I tried very hard to deny the signs that Elspeth gave. The forest conversations, saving the bird during our magic fasting, and the complete disregard of following my directions. When she turned 6, I knew I had to erase her from the family to keep us safe."

"Is that why you opted to marry her off to Tiger Clan?"

"Yes, and no. When they proposed a marriage alliance to our daughter, I figured it would be easier to let her live in a place she couldn't hurt anyone with magic. Plus, the community is so small I could never subject Sasha to that kind of life. She deserves to be a real queen, not some tribal trophy wife" Janet looked disgusted at the idea of her baby girl living in a broken-down community of simple people.

"How do you know that's all she would be?"

"You saw them try to buy Elspeth with their tribal savings? Anyone willing to do that doesn't want anything but family ties to our power. Marriage with us makes them appear stronger and worth noticing when reality is they are not. I haven't been to there village, but I am positive they can't take care of one of my real children properly."

"Well, we could always visit beforehand, you know."

"It's fine, this way we get rid of any possibility of Elspeth contaminating our family heart or the magic. The farther away she is, the better our family will be and the safer."

"Aren't you worried that they would find out about her?"

"No, they aren't a magical family, the non-magic holders have no idea about our customs. As it is, you have prepared the best fake I have ever seen and over all, I might not have known if I was the examining priest. So no I am not stressed by any means" Janet looked sincerely happy at the thought of Elspeth leaving the realm almost excited.

Levi could only agree with his mother and pray to the gods that he made the right choice. It felt right, but his mother had a nagging ability to make him doubt his decisions.

"Now take this to your sister and help prepare her for the drive to the Tiger Clan."

.....................

Levi went to the west wing where his sister was staying. With the fake completed, he needed to let her know and give it to her to put in her belongings. He knocked on her door and waited for her acknowledgment.

"Come in, what's up?"

As he entered, he saw his other sister Sasha was there as well. That was a surprise.

"Hi Sasha, I thought you were preparing for the send-off tomorrow?"

"Oh yes I was, I wanted to hang out with Elle before she has to leave though. She was teaching me to feel the forest. Have you ever tried it?"

"I can't say that I have, I am not as in tune with the living plants as our sister Elle, I am more of a mineral witch." Levi laughed at his sister's enthusiasm to feeling the forest. It wasn't difficult, but some people were better at feeling plants than others. His sister was one of them.

"She showed me how to reach out and touch the essence of trees and plants. It was amazing to feel how happy our forest is Lee. I think they are going to miss Elle, but I told her to let them know I will be there every night to check in and make sure they are still thriving like they should."

"That's great, Sasha. I needed to give this to Elle. It's her dowry heart"

"Did mom make it?"

"No I did, mom approved of it though said I did a good replica, and we just got done warding it earlier."

Sasha didn't appear to like the idea of a fake heart. Her facial expression changed to irritation at the thought. Elspeth just listened to us talk with a grin.

"Its alright Sasha, I don't mind having the fake. I never felt welcome in the family anyway. It's best I don't have a piece of my heart, so I don't have to ever feel my parents hate again." Elspeth smiled reassuringly towards both of us.

"Well, here you go, I will go ahead and get the car loaded with your luggage to head out in the morning. And sis, we are going to miss you even if mom and dad don't."

With that, he gave Elspeth a warm hug and left.

Levi left to grab the gift he had hidden for his sister. He had never done a swap spell before, but he was praying to the gods it worked. It was important to have it all just right. He grabbed the real heart and put the protection circle around it inside his safe. They were leaving in the morning and the checkpoint was at 9am for the priest to test the clay pot. Levi put a gps tracker in his sister's belongings, so he could make sure the timing of his swap was perfect. He didn't want anyone to know what he was up to, especially his mother. With a nervous sigh, he exhaled and decided he needed to write an explanation to his sister. She needed to know to not dispose of the gift he worked so hard to get to her. After sneaking through his mother's special room, casting, and then wards. Levi was beat and felt like he could sleep for an eternity. He folded his letter into an envelope and gently glued it to the underside of the box he put it in. He then spelled it to open Elspeth's DNA with the blood he had left and whispered his goodbyes. His entire being felt this was the right thing to do. His mother had to be mistaken.