…

 

The doctor treated her first, though she insisted on Yanafir getting examined. She had surface level injuries that were quickly healed, and Yanafir and Cinna were given ointment and told to rest as well. Amirya dismissed Yanafir, and Cinna quickly passed out on his bed - he had never been so stressed since he’d been with his witch.

 

“Poor guy,” she said lightly.

 

“Princess,” Raven said hesitantly in a slightly chastising tone. 

 

“Oh no,” Amirya said.

 

“Lately…” he paused, thinking. He was not so insolent as to question a royal, but it was evident that he was unhappy with her recent actions. Before he continued, her doors slammed open without a knock. Sephine stood there, panting; her hand still laid on the door as her eyes immediately landed on the princess.

 

“You!” she cried out.

 

“‘You’?” Amirya asked. Sephine tended to act boldly but never so rudely.

 

“Lady Seph-” Raven  tried to intercept her.

 

“What the hell is wrong with you!” Sephine yelled, and tears spilled from both her eyes, making her green eyes shimmer. Her pink and green aura shined brightly and beautifully, basically vibrating with little sparks flying off it. 

 

“Lady Farena!” Raven stated. He outstretched his arms slowly to her in an open, calming gesture, “Please, come with me, you should calm-”

 

“It’s fine - leave, Sir Raven,” Amirya ordered, her face blank.

 

Sephine had been icing her out for a while now. She finally spoke. Although her voice and face seemed angry, Amirya looked into her aura and felt the helplessness and sorrow, even betrayal there. She avoided peering into Seph and her feelings or emotions lately. She’d been a coward. Raven did not want to leave, but he was, as always, a good knight and obeyed the superior’s command.

 

The door quietly shut behind him, leaving Sephine standing inside the room. She clenched her fists and they shook. She bit her lip and squinted at the floor.

 

“Sephine,” Amirya said gently. She stood from the bed and clasped her hands together. “Speak. Please.”

 

A cry wrenched itself from Seph’s throat. She brought her hands up to cover her face, “How come…!” She choked up. “Again! You just - disappeared! And, beat up, or hurt, and - just running off. And hiding things. And it was my mother, Amirya! My mother!”

 

Amirya waited patiently. 

 

Sephine glared at her, more tears freeing themselves, “It was my mom! You didn’t say a single thing, and you obviously knew. You had Raven show up with that bookkeeper, suddenly presenting evidence at the right time. How long - I - you knew and you never said anything. I know she’s your nanny, but she’s still my mom! She could have been - exiled. Or jailed. And I am your lady! And your friend - or so I thought so, but you just keep leaving me behind. I’d rather you throw a tantrum like when we were kids rather than keep secrets. What secrets could you keep? Why wouldn’t you trust me? Where are you disappearing to - I - I stay up so freaking worried about you; don’t you know how much I care about you? I’ve always been your friend! I know you’re surrounded by snakes, but how could you leave me behind over and over again? It makes me - it’s like I’m nothing to you!”

 

Sephine took a large breath, her chest heaving up and down. The pink in her aura quivered. She was hurt and also full of love. Vulnerable. Amirya knew from the impression that if she closed this door, a rift would form and stay between them.

 

“I’m sorry,” Amirya said, her words uneven because she, too, choked up. Her thoughts kept rushing before completing - she still hadn’t processed this night’s events. She tightened her hold on her hands. “You… you and Estel… you’re the only family I’ve ever had.”

 

Whether her dad truly loved her or not, whatever that complicated situation was, it was a fact that he neglected her and was not present in her life. This first lifetime and this one too, Estel and Sephine were the only ones to love her without conditions. It was something she didn’t understand until she lived as Zee and experienced family and friendships.

 

“I’m… ashamed I made you feel like this.” Amirya felt her own tears well up inside her eyes but she held them back, uncomfortable with the emotion. But how could she explain anything - no, how could Sephine even believe her? 

 

 

She met her friend’s eyes again and swallowed thickly, “I thought… I was alone.”

 

“You’re so stupid!” Sephine screamed. She briskly closed the space between them and tightly threw her arms around Amirya’s neck.

 

  “Ow,” Amirya muttered, her chin sliding over Seph’s clothes.

 

“Shut up,” Sephine mumbled.

 

Amirya laughed. She dug her face into Sephine’s shoulder, her tears wiped away by the other girl’s collar. 

 

“Forgive me for all my rudeness,” Sephine mumbled, her voice muffled by the princess’s hair. 

 

Maybe the best thing for them would have been to have them abandon her, separate from her. She had to succeed in her goals to keep them safe. No, even if she succeeded, there’s no guarantee that something like today wouldn’t happen again. They shouldn’t die for her.

 

Something she always screamed at Elle came back to her.

 

 

“Now,” Sephine said calmly, pushing her slightly away so they would face one another. “Tell me where you’ve been and what’s going on.”

 

Amirya had a moment of hesitancy. Then, she told Sephine about the slums, the missing or embezzled funds, the illegal auctions and slave markets, and how Finri asked for her help in her investigation so they’ve been investigating by performing charity and then slipping away.

Sephine took some time to get over her shock.

 

“But why not alert the knights? Like you did with my mom,” Sephine said, sympathetic.

 

Amirya shook her head, tucking her hair behind her ears, “It’ll get shut down and hidden before it goes anywhere. Seph… it goes all the way up. All. The. Way.”

 

Sephine understood her pointed look and muttered, “The queen…”

 

“I should have told you about Estel and Petra,” Amirya said.

 

“How did you even know? There’s no way a secret intelligence guild told you something about the inner palace…”

 

Amirya hoped this part would go unnoticed by Sephine, but of course it didn't. She was too clever. Amirya twisted her dress in her hands. Yanafir knew about her powers but barely - she thought it a skill. Thanks to Nix, they would remain hidden - but now this suspicious man knew about them, too - who knows how much he saw, exactly.

 

“I think…” Amirya said slowly, “I think I am the descendant of the Witch of the Forest.”

 

Sephine laughed. When Amirya didn’t join, she did a double take and furrowed her eyebrows. She clicked her tongue, shaking her head, “So - what, the Forcrest County are mingled with the witch? The witch from the legend that disappeared two to three hundred years ago?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Amirya said. “I wanted to visit them, but my father forbade it and said they could come here. But… my mother, her green hair and pink eyes. None of the other members of the family have such coloring. I already checked the records.”

 

“So what does that mean?” Sephine asked.

 

Was she accepting it that easily?

 

Amirya shrugged and breathed in deeply, “There was a rumor that she was illegitimate. I wanted to ask my grandfather about who my biological grandmother was.”

 

“And why do you think this crazy thing?” Sephine asked. 

 

Amirya let out a relieved sigh; Sephine was skeptical, but she asked questions instead of dismissing it. She stood up and retrieved the book hidden in her drawer, handing it to Sephine. Sephine could not open it. Amirya reached over, opening the binding with ease.

 

“On the inside, it says only witches can access the book,” she explained, “and - when I practice using magic the way it’s described in the book instead of the way it’s taught… I’m capable of so much more. And Sephine,” she began to speak faster and faster, “I can create potions! And do spells! They work! It explains so much, especially…”

 

Sephine watched her intently, “Especially, what?”

 

Amirya stepped back, “Believe me first.”

 

She closed her eyes and opened them, raising her hand. The pillows behind Sephine raised, along with a throw blanket, and then the hairbrush and several other items floated into the air. Sephine’s jaw dropped.

 

  “But - couldn’t that be gravity, or -”

 

Amirya dropped all the items except a candle, levitating it in front of her. She focused the energy in the air into a condensed ball and moved it near the wick, “Fire.” A tiny burst of flame erupted and caught on the wick.

 

“What-” Sephine shot up, standing straight.  Amirya was relieved the one word spell worked.

 

“And I never lied,” Amirya said. “I really can see the auras. It’s a person’s spirit. And it tells a lot.”

 

Sephine examined her closely and then said, “I’m sorry… I didn’t believe you back then, either.”

 

Amirya shook her head - she couldn’t deny she lied about other things for attention. She debated within herself how much to tell Sephine.

“And so my mother…” Sephine brought it back around. “What, did you see it in their auras or something?”

 

It was an easy out, but Amirya elected not to take it. She bit her lip, fear stinging her, so she closed her eyes and said, “I came back to life.”

“What does that mean?”

 

“I died and returned to life.”

 

“Pft,” Sephine exhaled. A long moment of silence stretched between them. Sephine held the most confused expression yet on her face. “What?”

 

“I lived my life and died,” Amirya said, keeping her eyes closed and her voice controlled. “I began to live my life again but when I touched the dragon heart at the academy’s ceremony… I remembered.”

 

“That doesn’t make sense,” Sephine quickly shot down.

 

Amirya opened her eyes but avoided Sephine. “I only remember fragments, but they’re coming back, bit by bit.” Amirya decided it was best to leave out the other world part for awhile.

 

Sephine sat back down on the bed. Amirya slowly followed. Neither knew what to say.

 

“Huh,” Sephine murmured. “Okay. Okay then, how did you die? Did I die?”

 

“...” Amirya felt exhausted, but she knew it wasn’t fair to send Sephine away after revealing all this so far. And a part of her finally felt like she wasn’t so alone in this world. “I never apologized. We weren’t involved with one another.”

 

“It took dying for you to change?” Sephine chastised quickly. “Ah… sorry.”

 

Amirya began to giggle, unable to stop herself. Sephine blushed, and Amirya laughed out loud. “I feel like such a weight has been lifted.”

 

“Well duh.” Sephine stuck out her tongue. “I can’t believe you’ve been walking around thinking… you’re a witch that regressed in time. I think I’m in shock.”

 

“It sounds pretty crazy,” Amirya stated, nodding her head.

 

“Asylum level crazy,” Sephine said seriously. “But… you just…” she motioned vaguely to the lit candle. “So, you know about that because it happened before? How did you die? Was it… old age?”

 

She sounded hopeful but disbelieving, and Amirya appreciated the sentiment. The princess responded, “In less than two years. Pretty tragically. At Cassivan’s order.”

 

Sephine’s hands fisted the blanket on the bed and her chin wrinkled with her deep frown. “That bitch,” she harshly murmured. “Well, whatever. We know the future! So we can change it, right? Fuck him.”

 

Amirya laughed again and looked at Sephine. She extended her hand and softly touched Sephine’s, who in return, laced their fingers together in a tight hold. 

 

“Don’t be afraid,” Sephine said firmly. “This time, I’m on your side. I assume you and Finri are planning something… you… did you tell her…?”

 

“No,” Amirya shook her head. “Yanafir saw me levitating something, but besides that, you’re the only one who knows anything.”

 

“Good.”

 

“Good?”

 

Sephine smirked and turned her head away, “I would have never forgiven you if you had told her and not me. Now, onto whatever this plan is, because like hell you’re doing anything without me. You wouldn’t even be able to get dressed without me.”

 

“Now, that's an exaggeration!”

 

“Hardly,” Sephine huffed. “It’s not quite sunken in just yet… you also need to tell me more about what it means, being a witch. I don’t understand. And what you know… about the life you’ve yet to live.”

 

“I love you,” Amirya said happily.

 

“Woah, now,” Sephine quirked an eyebrow.

 

“You’re my real sibling,” Amirya said through a laugh. Seph didn’t understand her circumstances - she may not believe fully it all at this moment - but she wanted to. She wanted to know, to understand, to accept.  Amirya’s heart felt light, even after the events of the day.