Chapter 2

Making her way through familiar rocky paths and wilted trees ladened with snow, but never quite leaving the coven grounds, she finally came across her haven. 

A glaring contrast to the dead trees and dried grounds, her little garden bloomed with life and greenry. From where she was, she could smell the delightful mix of fragrance. 

Nearing the garden, an array of heady floral scents wafted through her nose, small evergreen topiaries greeted her sights, yellow daffodils and red petunias a beautiful contrast.

Going over to the wooden bench on the small lawn, she sat and absently watched as furry little birds fluttered round the flowers.

A peaceful sigh escaped her lips, all her creation. 

She didn't know how long she sat like that, inhaling the fragrant air and watching the beautiful vitality of nature 

Before she died, her mother had penned down a great deal of spells for her, a garden spell being among them.

Giving the jeweled stone on her neck a purposeful, she summoned her familiars, a rare snow leopard she named Leah, and Doe, a white dove.

Leah made her way towards her and presented her spotted white head for a good scratch, Doe flew around her and finally perched in her shoulder. 

She proceded to pet the feline. 

Being a witch and having mentors who were not patient with her was hard, and what was even harder was being expected of; huge things. 

Due to some reason that she had yet to gain privy to, speculation was placed on her. 

She was meant for 'greater things,' the witches council had said. 

Being an elemental witch didn't mean one had access to her given elements, it more or less just put a witch in a category

Even headmistress Allegra was only able to create a fire ball on rare occasions, hence the heavy dependence on spells. As a witch, knowing one's spells were a necessity and connecting with them was a must, it required a lot of concentration, strong memory and patience.

Hence, why she failed woefully. Not that she wasn't hardworking or dedicated, in fact, ever since she learned that her mother had always wanted to be a great witch, she took it upon herself to fulfill that legacy, and she did --and would-- by being determined, persistent and becoming the royal witch.

But... Dea was never one for patience. Or attention. 

Which was why, once the witches council put their sights on her --literally, she wore a glass eye throughout her sixth year-- and even more so after the Lilith fiasco, she became a nervous wreck, always wanting to please, but never quite managing to do so.   

Huge achievement like getting not one but two familiars, and one from the top class at that, were met with curt nods and even more speculation. 

Calling forth a baricade of fire at such a young age was rewarded with even curter nods coupled with being levelled satisfied gazes with calculative glints.  What they were calculating she didn't quite know. 

Fine and precise spells --luck on her part--  warranted being looked at smugly, enough to make one feel uncomfortable and weirdly, like a pawn. 

Leah let out a purr as she scratched behind her ear, her fur was soft to the touch, dark rosettes a beautiful whorl. The heavy white fur, on closer observation, a greyish white. 

A depressed sigh escaped her lips 

Even for a witch, her appearance was bizzare. 

From the base of her waist length black hair, red roots coloured, Inching upwards to a pale Red and then amber, giving way to gold, honey, blond and then platinium. 

Thin threads of platinium ran up scantily through the remaining length of her dark hair, twining with black strands. Awful. An awful lot of fiery colours.

They weren't always that way, on her seventh year they turned colourful.

Her eyes were said --by Meredith-- to have a witchy glow to it, she was sure Meredith fully intended the pun.

Meredith further proceeded to say, her green iris  shone with devilish vehemence, and the blue gathering at her pupils glowed with the savage intensity of a hound on the hunt for its next meal

Although those were exaggerated facts... She believed them. Because she saw the questions In their eyes whenever people looked at her, their puzzling gazes nearing hostility when trying to fathom her appearance.

Her caste witches never passed up a good chance to jab at her likeness. 

Doe suddenly fluttered her wings and flew away, while leah raised her head, her ears twitching. She put it back on Dea's lap when she sensed the Eunuch was not a threat.

"Dea."

Eunuch Sebastian called, coming into her line of view, his centuries old young face long with worry.

Looking at her with weariness and exasperation he put his hand, dramatically, on his waist. His other one, wagging at her.

"I never did wean you from coming here alone, now, did I?" He asked.

That drew a slow smile from Dea. "No, you didn't." She said.

He let out an exaggerated sigh and came over to her, ruffling her hair as he sat.

Eunuch Sebastian was the closest thing she had to a father, while other eunuchs weren't particularly kind to her, eunuch Sebastien was ever patient and gentle.

Growing up, Sebastian had always been by her side, urging her on whenever she became hopeless or angry with her magic.

She plucked a nearby sweet briar rose and inhaled the apple scented leaves deep into her lungs. While Sebastian proceeded to speak.

"We will be leaving for the ice court tomorrow."

Dea turned to him, rose still in hand. "I thought the eunuchs were not coming with."

He shrugged his thin shoulders." It was a last minute decision. Oh, and also, the headmistress sends for you. "He said, getting up.

She paused in inhaling the flower. "Why?"

He shrugged his shoulders again. "Besides, its getting late." He said, outstretching an arm.

Taking it, she stood. And with a muttered spell, her familiars turned to specks of glittering dust, swirling into her necklace.

Following him down the familiar path, only they both knew, the faint glow of the sun burned a reddish path as they walked on barren grounds.

On reaching the coven, Sebastian went over to his quarters while she proceeded to the headmistress office.

The staircase was dark, with only a single torch illuminating the way. Standing in front of the oak door enclosing the headmistress's office, she knocked.

The headmistress's curt voice gave the permission to enter. The large room was equally shady, she could make out the headmistress's broad hat, which was no easy task, seeing as her black apparel blended well with the darkness.

She could tell when the headmistress lifted her head, her pale eyes holding her in place as she walked over to the wide desk which had become so familiar to her over the years.

She stood before the headmistress waiting to be told to sit, Allegra eventually waved over to the chair in front of the desk and stood.

Taking her seat, Dea watched as the headmistress paced slowly. An intimidation technique she was sure.

Coming to a halt and looming over Dea, her curt voice the only sound in the stiff room.

"I am sure you very well know, the energy holding our coven is dwindling."

Dea couldn't see where this was leading to.

"And we are wont to all die out." Allegra said. "You very well know the reason for our lack of energy, or who."

Ah....a witch to blame, although she still didn't know where the headmistress was leading to, she knew Allegra blamed her mother with every stiff fibre in her body, for the weakness of their coven. So much for sisterhood.

But Allegra was also to blame, over the past fourteen years, she had carried out a lot of rituals to sustain two small covens. One ritual in particular nagging at the back of Dea's mind.

The headmistress spoke again. "And you are also aware that the ice castle is in possession of very powerful warlocks, who can restore our coven's energy with just a single spell."

Of course Dea didn't know about the ice castle in possession of powerful warlocks, in fact, she didn't know a thing about the ice court, save for the rumors that spoke about a black witch, who murdered the ice queen and princess.

But she knew headmistress Allegra hadn't quite reached her mark.

"Which is why I want you, as the offspring of the traitor--" Dea had to stop herself from turning the headmistress into a toad.

"--to make a request to the ice king, for a warlock."

A series of protests came to her tongue, Allegra's hard eyes bore her down, making her swallow them.

There was a long pause in the room as Allegra stared her down, waiting for her to speak.

Knowing that any protests she made would be falling on deaf ears, she slowly stood.

Holding Allegra's eyes, she gave an affirmative nod, curtsied and left the room.

Reaching her room, she shut the door and with a deft twist, locked it.

Leaning on the door, she let out a frustrated sigh.

Going over to her bed, she flopped on it, remembering that the rumors also spoke of a young bastard child of unknown origins the ice princess left behind. She fell asleep wondering if the child always felt as lonely as she did.