.A Spark From Before.

-9-

"How could you do this?" I asked in disbelief, holding the sugar cube between my fingers, Skarla's mother refusing to look into my eyes, rightfully ashamed. "This is Wither Away."

"I am aware your Majesty." I pinched the bridge of my nose, happy we were the only ones here. "It is Wither Away.... But in such small quantities it can't hurt her."

"You know she doesn't like bitter stuff and you make the tea like that so she eats the tainted sugar!" And dragged my hand through my short hair, not understanding.

"I need to protect my family your Majesty."

"And you are doing it with this?"

"Yes." For the first time I started interrogating her voice was not trembling but strong.

"Then please let me understand.... This is abuse, making her take something bad for her health, magic, even if you can't cast a spell, inhabits every being."

"Your Majesty you know of our lives yes? The children speak even tho no one is supposed too... Mages are killed."

"So you are telling me she is a mage?"

"She never showed magical abilities and I will not have her show any, this has been done in this family for centuries."

"Viola please this doesn't add up."

"It is a secret passed from mother to daughter, most suffering the same...."

"Suffering?"

"White hair, red eyes."

"Viola, the truth or I will do something, stop spinning around the pot."

"Our family might have ties to the royal family, far removed but that's what the whispers of the past say."

And it clicked in my mine.... I read of powerful a mage queen.... Is she the kid of Merlin the gods mentioned? Yeah since the last remaining mage and her daughter's story line up.... Skarla might have--

"And if that was actually true not just speculation? You'd be suppressing whatever magi--" "Screw magic!!" She yelled, shocking me how a calm woman like her could yell so loud. "Screw magic, all that is important is that we survive, to hell with magic."

"Generations worth of magic might flow through your family's veins, building up each generations because no one awakens it because of this stupid sugar trick Viola, you know as well as me this will end badly.... I am the queen of Solor, the one most apt for the throne and was brought back for that reason.... The gods granted me a second life to change the world's fate."

"Why are you telling me this."

"I have a feeling since the start your daughter's destiny is tied to mine, if you are really descendants from royalty that ties her to my destiny, I need to take the throne back and I will need help."

"You can't take my daughter from me!" She grabbed the front of my clothes and I pulled her arms away from me, holding her hands in mine.

"Viola, you make tea constantly, you might not put out sugar as regularly but you always serve yours and Skarla's last, you add something in the tea.... Also Wither Away for both of you.... You wouldn't be doing that unless there was a reason...."

"She can't start showing magic, she just can't, she--"

"She is energetic, always full of energy and really interested in magic.... There will be a moment when she won't be able to be held back with Wither Away.... You gotta tell her, I can help, I have been a mage for all of my life, she hasn't."

"She can't be a mage... No..."

"At least tell her, before it is too late and about your family.... I'll find a way to prove if you are of royal decent or not."

I sat on the dirt path outside of the town and sighed.

"This is boring." I muttered, I was told to wait for Seva to show her to way to the creek where the fishermen were at because she wanted to find herbs she said grew near rivers or something.

I sighed, standing up and stretching out.

I smiled, I can still imagine in front of me any of the small feats of magic she showed me, I loved it, it made me feel so happy to see it I don't know why.

I lifted my hand and flicked my wrist, imitating the movement she did to light a fire in her palm.

I smiled even tho it was just in my imagination that I saw a flame dancing on my palm.

"Fuck!!" I cried out, shaking my hand out as pain just shot through it. "Oww, what the hell?" I breathed out, looking at my hand and flexing my fingers a few times, the pain was gone, having left a small itch behind.

I rubbed my thumb into my palm to ease the itch, what the hell was that?

I picked up my head when I heard still far away hooves beating the ground but it was so silent this morning that it wasn't a surprise I heard them.

My eyes went wide.

"The Elite are coming!!" I yelled and soon the few that were outside had ran, spreading the message as I ran home, Seva is still unaware of what to do with the Elite.... I'll ask her about my hand later, maybe she knows some magical stuff to help with sudden cramps.