The royal moon witch

Chapter 8 - The dream and discovery

* Elvira Pov *

I opened my eyes but something felt different than normal. My body was heavy and with a lot of struggle I could get up to sit in my bed. Looking around the room, I could see that the colors did not match with my memory of the room the queen had given me in the palace.

‘’Hello?’’ I asked and tried to move out of bed. I couldn’t move and it was a weird sensation to discover this.

‘’Hello?’’ I asked again and looked around, at least I could move my head and when I tried to move my arms they did cooperate too.

‘’Okay so I am stuck on the bed.. What is this for funny joke?’’ I asked out loud and even though I planned that as a thought, it came out of my mouth like I wanted to say it out loud.

A sound in the corner of the room made me turn my head, I saw a owl and frowned.

‘’A owl?’’ I asked. I knew the owl was my familiar but I didn’t understand why I would wake up in a dream to see a owl. It looked at me and hooted.

‘’Yes hello, I would like to come to you but I can’t’’ I said and looked around again. It was the first time I actually woke up in a dream and it was a weird sensation. I had heard other witches, older witches, talk about it before and how they knew exactly what to look for but it was a real mystery for me.

‘’Come on Elvira.. You must take a careful look around, what is different? Why can I not move? Figure it out’’ I said to myself and the owl hooted again. ‘

’If you want to help then help, not just sitting there’’ I said and took a deep breath. I kept my eyes open because I had heard that if you close your eyes in a dream like this, you will wake up for real and could miss the message someone was trying to send you.

I was concentrating on my breath and trying to focus when a door opened, I looked up but didn’t see anyone yet. I decided to not call out for the person just yet and took another few deep breaths.

‘’Hard to concentrate with open eyes, isn’t it?’’ a familiar old women’s voice said and when I looked up, I saw my grandmother.

‘’Nana?’’ I asked surprised and she smiled. ‘

’I knew I would reach you, I just didn’t know it would be this soon.. You are only a few days at the palace and are already this hopeless?’’ she said and even though there was a questioning tone, she also used a stern tone which showed she wasn’t very proud of me being here, awake in a dream.

‘’What do you mean? I thought it was a show of having great power to be awake in a dream?’’ I asked confused because I thought she would be proud of me. ‘

’Oh it is.. If you do it on purpose, you are here by accident and that shows that you are very hopeless’’ Nana said and I sighed. ‘

’I’m sorry Nana’’ I said and looked down.

Boink! Out of no where a stick hit my head.

‘’Ouch!’’ I said and rubbed my head.

‘’Why did you do that?!’’ I asked and looked at her.

‘’Ha! There is the fire.. For a moment I thought my strong granddaughter was swapped with a baby’’ she said and I sighed.

‘’No, she is facing something or rather say.. someone that she never expected to face so fast’’ I said honestly and she nodded.

‘’Hm-mh.. Yes yes I saw that.. The big move of your parents to marry you off to the witch hating prince’’ She said and I nodded. ‘

’Yes.. Well he is going to..’’ I said but she put her finger on my lips.

‘’I know what he said but don’t ever forget how you already stood up to him once and I also remember a rather intimate moment when he zipped up your dress, wasn’t there?’’ She asked and I could feel that I started to blush.

‘’I felt his fingers on my back but that is normal because he made sure that the fabric wouldn’t get stuck between the zipper’’ I explained and she nodded.

‘’Hm-mh’’ she said again and got up from the bed.

‘’And then he brought you along to a opera, his mothers favorite.. Are you sure he is that bad?’’ she asked.

‘’Yes and I am also very sure that you are hopelessly romantic’’ I said.

‘’Maybe, but I am also the one that saw her killer..’’ she said and I got a lump in my throat the moment she said that.

‘’Him..’’ I said in a whispering tone and she looked at me.

‘’Who?’’ she asked. ‘

’He killed you.. Valentino did’’ I said and Nana raised a eyebrow.

‘’No silly.. One of those guards did.. The one that also chased Emma killed me.. Valentino didn’t do that’’ she said.

I moved the blankets away.

‘’Why would he say that he was the one killing you then?’’ I asked.

‘’But, did he say that?’’ Nana asked.

‘’He said that killing you was easy so it would also be easy to kill me’’ I said and Nana nodded.

‘’Yes yes, it is very easy to claim a kill if someone else has done the killing for you’’ she said and that made me think for a moment.

I moved to the side and got up from the bed.

‘’I can’t believe he would claim someone’s kill to be his’’ I said. ‘’Maybe he just wanted to hurt you.. Sweety there is more to this behavior that just hate for witches, maybe you must look further than just what you see now’’ Nana said and she was following my moves with her eyes. I looked at her and sighed. ‘’So you think that I should dig into his past?’’ I asked. ‘’All I am saying is that you are stronger than you think sweety, you will manage to get to your goal.. I just hope that you won’t get blinded by the things he does and forget to ask yourself why he does it.. Always remember, there is a reason for why people do things’’ she said and I was confused for a moment. Did I get it right or not? Did I have to dig in his past? ‘’Your time is up sweety’’ she then said and I realized that I was standing next to me bed. ‘’Good bye’’ She said and gave me a kiss on my forehead. ‘’Nana.. No!’’ I said and tried to reach for her.

‘’No!’’ I said out loud and opened my eyes, this time the room had its normal colors. I knew this time I was awake-awake, also because I was sitting on the ground. Did I just? I shook my head and rubbed in my eyes. Someone knocked on the door.

‘’Miss Vira? Are you alright?’’ a unfamiliar voice said, it was a female and probably a maid.

‘’Eh, yes.. I just fell out of bed, thank you’’ I called out.

‘’Do you need something?’’ she then asked and I looked around. I saw the glass of water that Riella had placed next to my bed last night.

‘’No, I have everything, thank you!’’ I said back and I heard footsteps leaving. Phew.. I started to untangle myself from the blankets but they were large and tangled up even more.

‘’Oh shoot..’’ I said and slapped my fists on the blankets.

‘’Stupid blankets’’ I said and sighed followed by a yawn. I was not going to fight the blankets if they didn’t want to untangle and asking for help was a no for now because if I wanted help, I wanted Riella. Also because with her I could talk about what just happened. I snuggled into the blankets on the ground and closed my eyes, before I knew it, I drifted back to sleep.

Several hours later, I was woken up by a loud knocking on my door. The door didn’t stay closed though, after the knocking it was swung open and I looked up sleepy.

‘’Wake up sleepyhead! It is time to get up!’’ Riella said. She looked at my bed and then at the ground and raised a eyebrow.

‘’What are you doing on the ground?’’ she asked.

‘’I fell out of bed this morning and when I tried to get up, I tangled myself more into the blankets so I decided to continue my sleep here on the ground’’ I said. Riella chuckled at what I said and she nodded. She walked over to me after she put a tray with breakfast down.

She looked at the pile of blanket that was laying on top of me and started to pull on it. A little bit later I was free from the blanket and got up from the ground.

‘’Aah, freedom!’’ I said and laughed.

‘’Thank you’’ I then said and she nodded.

‘’Sure thing Vira’’ she responded with a smile and walked over to the couch.

‘’Breakfast before or after shower?’’ she asked and I looked at the food.

‘’Before’’ I said when my stomach started to rumble.

‘’Good’’ she said and sat down.

‘’So, how did you sleep?’’ she asked as I also sat down and grabbed the small bowl with strawberries and tossed one to her. She caught it and bit from it while I was also eating.

‘’Well.. It was a eventful night you could say’’ I said and looked at her, I saw that I sparked her interest and smiled.

‘’Oh, tell me’’ she said and I took a bite from the second strawberry, they were delicious.

‘’I must ask you one thing though before I am going to tell you what happened..’’ I said in a more serious way.

‘’Okay, ask me.. I’ll give a honest answer’’ Riella said and I nodded slowly.

‘’You must promise that you will never ever tell anyone else what I am about to share with you’’ I said and she saw that I was very serious.

'’Alright, I won’t tell anyone’’ she said and I smiled. ‘’Good..’’ I answered.

During breakfast I explained to her what happened, that I had been awake in my dream and had been able to talk with my grandmother. I didn’t tell her what we talked about because that is confidential between a spirit and a witch. If I would tell her what we talked about, I could expect a reprimand from the spirits and those were not funny. Especially not because I heard stories of witches losing their powers and I didn’t want that. Riella seemed very interested and a good ear to listen too. When I was done she looked at me with big eyes.

‘’What is wrong?’’ I asked her with a smile.

‘’I can’t believe what I just heard, I mean... I did hear witches were powerful but not that they could talk with the death’’ she said.

‘’oh but we can’t.. Unless we really need them or in this case feel very hopeless’’ I said and took the last sip of my orange juice. Riella nodded and also emptied her glass.

‘’It still is so awesome to hear about all this..’’ she said and I smiled.

‘’Well, I must say it is very easy to talk with you even about my magic powers’’ I admitted with a smile.

I got up and first walked to my closet, there I grabbed a jeans and a light grey t-shirt. Then I walked towards the bathroom while Riella cleaned up the breakfast tray.

‘’I’ll be back in ten minutes’’ she said and I smiled.

‘’I know’’ I said as I stripped out of my pyjama. Riella was very punctual and if she says that she will be back with ten minutes, she will be back. It rarely happens that she will be later but if that happens, she often texts that she will be longer. I stepped under the shower and enjoyed the warm water. I closed my eyes and smiled. I washed my hair and then my body and when I was rinsing my hair from the conditioner I heard the door of my room open and close.

‘’Welcome back Riella!’’ I said and was just done. I stepped away from the shower after turning off the water and started drying myself.

‘’Riella?’’ I asked and waited for a answer. I frowned when I didn’t get a answer, why would she not answer me? She always did. I quickly got dressed in the clothes I had grabbed and walked out of the bathroom.

There I saw Riella stand with a book in her hands.

‘’Hey, didn’t you hear me?’’ I asked and Riella looked up.

‘’Oh, I’m sorry!’’ she said and dropped the book. I looked at it and saw it was one of my witches history books.

‘’Oh? Snooping in my library?’’ I asked and she blushed.

‘’I must admit, I am very interested in everything about the witches’’ she said and I smiled.

‘’Say.. What was your last name?’’ I asked her and she looked at me with a questioning look in her eyes.

‘’My last name is Jones’’ she said and I quickly grabbed a old register that had been a gift from my grandmother when I turned eighteen.

‘’Jones..’’ I repeated and quickly searched for the list starting with J. I had not heard that she called for me, this probably because of my eagerness to find her last name.

It took me a moment and in that moment Riella had gotten us both a cup of tea.

‘’Ha!’’ I exclaimed and shocked Riella.

‘’What?’’ she asked and I smiled.

‘’I found a witch that has the same last name you have... And her daughter’s name too.. The witch I am referring too was the same age as my grandmother.. Now please enlighten me with the names of your grandmother’s of both your parents ’’ I asked her and she looked at me.

‘’I can’t.. At least not my birth parents.. Vira I was trying to call you while you were searching but you didn’t hear me.. I was adopted and Jones is the name from my adoptive parents’’ Riella said and I looked at her, a shock came through me.

‘’I am sorry!’’ I said and felt bad.

‘’It’s okay.. I also know that my adoptive mother comes from a witches family, her husband, my dad, took her name when they married to keep the witches line going..’’ Riella said and smiled. I felt sad that I pushed through with this search, even if it only took me a moment.

‘’I wished I had listened more before doing this.. I’m so sorry’’ I said and Riella raised a eyebrow.

‘’It’s okay, It was fun to watch you search’’ she said and gave me my cup of tea very carefully. I took it from her and took a sip.

‘’So.. Did you try to teach you things?’’ I asked and Riella nodded.

‘’Yes she is very open about her being a witch, at least in the family she is. She owns a little herb shop in the city and often helps people with her remedies’’ Riella said very proud. I liked how she talked about her mother.

‘’What did she teach you?’’ I asked.

‘’Basic potions and remedies, I did once ask her about poisons but she shut me up right away. I don’t mind because it is dangerous of course to know how to create poison.. I do know how to find out which poison is used but not how to make them’’ Riella said and I smiled.

‘’Well, I would love to make some potions with you one day’’ I said.

‘’Just promise me one thing Vira’’ she said and I looked at her.

‘’Yes?’’ I asked.

‘’The same as you made me promise you.. Do not talk about my family in front of any of the staff members.. If they.. Or Valentino will find out, I will be a goner for sure’’ she said and I nodded.

‘’Cross my heart and hope to die.. I promise you that I’ll never tell anyone about your family’’ I said while holding a hand on my heart. Riella nodded and smiled.

‘’Thank you.. I have told my mother yesterday about you and she was so thrilled, especially because the moment I told her where you came from, she said you are a very powerful witch’’ Riella said and I smiled a little.

‘’I am.. But I am not fully into my true power yet.. I have lots to learn’’ I said and she smiled.

‘’Well, I understand that Elvira’’ Riella said, she took a sip of her tea after she said my full first name and had a little smile on her lips as she looked at me from the corner of her eye.

‘’Oh dear.. Now I guess I have something to explain’’ I said but Riella shook her head.

‘’My mother already explained it to me and I can understand’’ Riella said and I felt very relieved about that.

‘’God I thank your mother for explaining’’ I said and was truly glad I didn’t have to do it.

We looked at the time and saw that the king and queen were about to leave.

‘’Come, let’s go say our goodbyes to them’’ I said and Riella nodded. We got up from the couch and walked out of my room. I closed the door, not knowing what would happen when I returned, and walked after Riella. We got to the main hall just in time, Valentino just hugged his mother when we arrived.

‘’Ah, for a moment I thought we would miss you’’ king Roberto said and I walked up to him.

‘’I must say I kind of forget the time’’ I said honestly and he opened his arms to hug me.

‘’Well I am glad to see you before we leave’’ queen Rose said and after she was done hugging Valentino and the king had let go of me, she walked over and hugged me. I had taken a little enchanted item with me and handed the queen the small box.

‘’This is something I made.. It will make your travels easier’’ I said and she opened the box. It were two bracelets made of colorful robe.

‘’Oh I love them’’ she said and put the bracelet around her wrist.

‘’Roberto sweety, this one is for you’’ she said and handed the king his. He smiled.

‘’Thank you Vira, but I can travel long journeys’’ he said and I nodded.

‘’Well, you can always take it with you my king’’ I said and bowed. He nodded and put it in the pocket of his jacket.

‘’I’ll do that’’ he then said and offered his arm to the queen.

‘’Let’s go love..’’ he said and they walked out of the large doors.

‘’Bye Valentino! Bye Vira!’’ the queen said one last time and then the door fell shut behind her.

I smiled and looked at Riella.

‘’Shall we go back to my room?’’ I asked and she nodded. Yet before we could leave, Valentino blocked my way.

‘’I am sorry miss Vira.. But the room you just left is no longer yours to call’’ He said with a serious look in his eyes.

‘’What do you mean?’’ I asked him and was curious on what plan he had this time.

‘’From now on, you will be treated the way I see fit..’’ He said.

‘’Which is as?’’ I asked.

‘’The lowest ranked maid in the palace, so you will get a room with the staff because obviously I can’t let you sleep in the hall.. Though I think that would have been a excellent place for you’’ he said and then walked away.

‘’I would be quick if you do not want anything in your room be thrown away.. You have ten minutes to gather what you want to keep, the rest will be burned’’ Valentino said.

I stood nailed to the ground and didn’t know what to do. Was this real? Did he just tell me that I would be stripped from everything I had? I swallowed and heard vaguely that Riella was talking to me but I didn’t hear what she said. How could this have happened so fast after the king and queen had left? I didn’t know but I knew I would not be alone, I looked at Riella and she smiled at me, reassuring that I was not alone. I smiled back and started walking into the direction of my room to get the things I wanted to keep as Valentino said. I just hoped one thing.. That they had not found my wand.