Cateline had spent days with Mistress Leolina. In and out of the library, between the training grounds, and even through the ponds that scattered across this acreage to harness water. The magic she practiced was little in power, and each time Cateline had complained the Mistress warned and reminded the Princess of how dangerous and unstable her magic could be.

This was one of those evenings. Leolina had Cateline out in the fields, collecting scraps of twigs to bring back to the courtyard. Her long, red gown trailed behind her in the dirt, mud soaking through the tail of her skirt. She let out a scowl and hitched it up enough to prevent further damage, but the red satin had turned brown. After collecting two handfuls of sticks, she returned to the courtyard and watched as the Mistress poked an already breathing flame.

“So I collected this lot of sticks for nothing?” Cateline whined and dropped them on a stone table.

“Not in the slightest, Cateline. We are going to do some observing.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Leolina turned to the girl with a smile so condescending it raised goosebumps along her arms. The tall woman took confident strides and wrapped her fingers around each twig, the thin wood charring at her touch before blowing away in ash. Those large, golden eyes watched as each particle floated away, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

“We know your body prefers the colder things in life, Cateline. You claim you know nothing of your parent’s involvement in this curse of yours, but I want to expose you to this element.”

Cateline gulped. She shifted uncomfortably before pinching the fabric of her dress between her thumb and forefinger, her irises flickering between the growing flame and the evening horizon. The stars above twinkled and only the moonlight cast a cool radiance across the courtyard. She had felt calm since her initial recovery, little reminded her of that travesty she went through, but as those flames grew more lively and breathed out heat into the air she could only tremble at the pain it could cause. Those flames consumed her, only squashed by the magical aid of Mistress Leolina.

“Aiora prefers warmer climates, Cateline. That is why I paired you two, you are each of the opposing elements.”

Cateline watched as the Mistress returned to the firepit, waving her hand over the flame and closed her eyes as the embers enveloped her palm. She let out a gasp, watching the fire part ways as Leolina consumed the fire with her entire arm. As if she was a deterrent, the blazes twisted around her appendages like vines, only to be released back to the pit when Leolina allowed it.

“Elements. Is magic more than elemental?”

The Mistress pursed her lips and sat on a bench, taking a long moment to respond before she gestured for the Princess to take the seat adjacent to her. “Magic is mighty, Princess Cateline. There is magic not many know of, only to be released when ready. This power is sacrificial, may it be through a sacrificed life, or through the loss of something else. Something material. When a mage uses this energy, the energy that is not of the elements, we see a sacrifice. So, no, magic is not merely elemental. I do not intend for you to learn of that, nor do I intend for anybody at Lighthelm to harness that power.”

“Why would you tell me, then?”

The Mistress hesitated yet again. This was the most unsure and unprepared Cateline had seen the Elf since arriving, and she was uncertain as to why she was exposing the existence of magic that Leolina would never advise.

“Do you know of war, Cateline?” Leolina asked, only continuing when the Princess nodded insecurely. “Cateline, of course, you don’t. Do not fib. War brings power to the lands and oftentimes consumes those who squander. This magic, of Traburg and Lighthelm, exists to rectify the faults done towards our Earth. Darker elements that are manmade exist to break away the seam of our realm.”

“This all makes sense, Mistress Leolina, but my question remains unanswered. Why tell me?”

“I see a lot of power within you that is waiting to expand across the lands of Denzzethea. I hope it is for good, and I cannot expect you to accept the good without knowing the bad.”

Power. Cateline saw herself with no power, simply a Princess exiled to this academy to harness her unstable mind and return anew as a disciplined and well-behaved Princess. That was the only reasonable idea that struck her mind, so why would a Princess with so little experience in magic be mentored by most powerful Elf in Ellixus Region? It could not perplex the Princess more.

The Mistress handed Cateline a stick, waving for her to ignite the wood with the flames that danced with the wind. As she did, her breath got caught in her throat as the dark smoke consumed around the twig. Her muscles tensed, and her eyes shut tight before pulling it out. When the Princess got the courage to look back at the stick, she took note of the extinguished flame but was more interested in the embers that bounced along with her fingers and up her arm. With each touch, it tickled her skin and surrounded her arm. Underneath the night sky, she was a glowing girl with cinders that formed a halo instead of consuming her. Eventually, the pearls of fire died out and fell to her skirt in ash.

“A little fear is good for chaos, Cateline. Chaos is not controlled, and you shouldn’t think fire to be either. We now know fire does not wish to consume you, it seems, so now I must focus my efforts in figuring out why your soul wants to consume it.”

Cateline breathed again, she hadn’t realized how long she had held the air within her lungs. When it was expelled, her bottom lip trembled as her eyes traced the warmth that exuded across the pit. She had not cast fire, she had not harnessed the heat within that nearly tore her apart. All it had done was touch her skin with the kiss of warmth. It was one of her greatest achievements, though, simply understanding something that was not ice.

“Nonetheless,” Leolina said as she stood. “I would suggest continuing your abstinence of magic. We don’t want another icy inferno do we, Princess?”

───── ❝ 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊, 𝖊𝖓𝖛𝖞 & 𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖈 ❞ ─────

Varin stood on the second-story balcony to Lighthelm, peering down at the courtyard. There was an idle echo that bounced among the walls that surrounded the courtyard, muffling whatever the two women were talking about. His fists clenched around the banister, watching as the Mistress encouraged the Princess to practically touch the fire.

Ever since he explored that attic full of items that housed trinkets and plants of dark energy, he questioned her every action. For an entire year, Varin had attended Lighthelm, and not once had he seen the Mistress use her magic, and as soon as Cateline walked through those doors she used it in almost every situation imaginable. While some scenarios were for the better, most notably when she had saved Cateline, some seemed irrelevant. When Varin watched Leolina throw her hand into the fire and allowed it to crawl up her arm as if she were a fiery phoenix, he was dumbfounded. Something awoke in the Mistress upon Cateline’s arrival, and he doubted her intent.

He turned as small, thudding feet approached from behind, catching sight of Aiora looking at the man with a smile.

“Eavesdropping, are we?”

Varin huffed and turned back to the sight as Cateline began to glow in a halo of sparks.

“Perhaps. Where have you been?”

“Out, Varin. You aren’t my personal Sir; I don’t need you worrying about me.”

“It’s only natural when our Mistress is running off with an inexperienced witch, trying to get her to harm herself again. I don’t need your antics in the back of my mind, either.”

“You worry too much of those not involved in your life,” Aiora said and joined him at the banister. “If you must know, though, I went to see Gerard.”

Varin’s ears perked, but he did not turn his head.

“Our Mistress is dabbling in something he’s never seen before. He determined the plant is merely a host for the magic, she could make anything in this world produce doppelgangers. He is pretty certain it won’t amount to any good, though.”

Varin hummed and pushed himself off the banister, kicking up some dust as he paced around the balcony. “That’s magic for war, Aiora.”

She chuckled and turned, leaning against a column as she eyed the Lord. “So serious, Varin! Lighten up, it isn’t your battle.”

“Not yet. You know of our history, Traburg won’t stay silent much longer.”

“What makes you say that? They’ve been at peace with other kingdoms for quite a while.”

“Only after leaving a few in the dust,” Varin retorted and rolled his eyes. “It just doesn’t rest well with me, the entire thing.”

Aiora didn’t respond, she instead turned her head and watched as Cateline parted ways with Leolina. As the Princess walked back inside, Leolina stare fell directly on Aiora, almost like she had known of their snooping. She cocked her head.

“Our Mistress has not done anything of us for being in her attic. Surely, she knows. She’s omniscient it seems.”

“I don’t have time to worry about that, Aiora. If she has not approached us about it, it can’t be that important.”

Aiora looked at him with arched brows, nodding dramatically with a toothy grin. “What a contrast, Varin! Worry so much of the irrelevant, and so little of what applies directly to you.”

Varin gave the girl a side look, a smirk rising onto his lips. Aiora was so fiery, she always managed to get underneath Varin’s skin in just the right way. It’s why they were such good friends, she was a companion he could trust in the midst of battle, as well as with his darker secrets. They knew of each other in ways that should deter them from remaining friends, but Aiora breathed an aspect of life into his that was unprecedented.

“We have pressing matters to attend to, Varin. Ones that I need your assistance with.” Aiora continued.

“What is it?” Varin asked with a frown. Aiora’s ideas were often dangerous, he had felt the sting of pain one too many times while participating in her mischief.

“I told Gerard of our newest Princess. He might know why our dearest Mistress is so attracted to the idea of mentoring her.”