Memoirs of a Witch (In Bloom Book 1.5)

Wedding Bells Part 1

"Cassie, I seriously don't get it though! It just doesn't make sense!"

"What about the enemies-to-lovers trope doesn't make sense?" I fixed my hair into a side braid.

"Okay, hear me out," Grim cleared his throat, "You have a guy and a girl who absolutely detest each other, yet they realize how good they are for one another near the end. Why couldn't they just see that from the very beginning?! What about the trope is so appealing to people?"

"There's the tension and the banter between the characters. The enemy sees the main character at their worst and still chooses to accept them and love them. Not to mention, the enemy might be more appealing than the main love interest."

"And that's another thing! Why does the main female lead go for the villain?! Why not the hero?"

"How do you define a hero and a villain though?" I raised the question, "The line is drawn based on who's telling the story."

"Gee, that got deep real quick, Cassie."

"There's that saying that a hero will sacrifice you to save the world, but a villain will sacrifice the world to save you."

"Who do you like more? The villain or the hero?"

I shrugged, "Depends on the case. You wanna talk about something that doesn't make sense? Let's talk about love at first sight."

Grim propped himself on the kitchen counter, "I'm listening."

"To begin with.." Goosebumps spread down my arms and I became on alert.

Impossible.

"What's the matter?" Grim worried.

"Someone broke through the protective wards."

"I'll get the salt!" Grim ran towards the cupboard, but he was stopped by a trio of ghosts in white uniforms.

Initially, I thought the Ramshackle ghosts were trying to pull a prank on Grim and I. Once I saw their faces, I realized these were the intruders.

One of them commanded as he pointed to me, "You there! Get out!"

"Get out? This is my dorm," I began to close the distance between us, "The only ones who should be leaving are you three.

"This is to be the reception hall for Her Highness," the second one said.

"The only hall that will be receiving you is the one outside my dorm."

The third ghost, who I presumed was their leader, folded his arms, "This residence belonged to our country long before you were born. If you won't leave on your own accord, we shall resort to using force."

"I'd like to see you try," I allowed my magic to pulsate through me.

"That mark!" the captain gasped and pointed to my exposed triple moon tattoo, "She's not a wizard, she's a witch! We must alert Her Highness immediately!"

"What about the reception hall?" the first one asked in confusion.

"We'll figure something out. For now, Princess Eliza's safety is our top priority."

With those as their last words, the ghosts quickly went through the walls of the dorm. I expected them to attempt another attack, but it seemed they were smart enough to not provoke me.

Who knew witches having a historically infamous reputation would come in handy one day?

"Princess Eliza..." I quietly repeated the name that was mentioned. A pit formed in my stomach once I remembered her story.

Over five centuries ago, Princess Eliza ruled over a country whose name is now long forgotten. She was loved and cherished by her people. Besides seeing her country flourish, she wished to marry. One day, she met him, the man of her dreams. The two instantly fell in love and planned a future together.

On her wedding day, enemies from a neighboring country launched a surprise attack on Eliza's people. Many lives were lost, including that of the princess. No one knew what happened to the groom, but some speculated he was an enemy spy while others say he fled as a refugee to another land and was never heard of again.

Although she became a ghost, her dream never died. Every year, she would leave the Land of the Dead and surface to the Land of the Living to search for her ideal groom, just like the one she met while she was still alive.

Whether she found her ideal groom or not was a question of uncertainty for centuries.

However, given the ghosts' presence, it made me worry.

My cell phone then rang and I immediately picked up, "Ortho?"

"Cassie, this is terrible!" his voice cracked, "My brother got kidnapped by ghosts!"

"What?! How?!"

The night before, Idia left the dorm to pick up a preordered copy of his favorite manga from the school store, but he never came back. When Ortho looked at the security footage, he saw a figure of a woman in a wedding dress, claiming to have found her groom.

"I know my brother is handsome and the ghost has amazing taste, but I want him back!"

I asked, "Have you told the Headmage about the situation?" Though, I half expected Crowley to find me and ask I find a solution to this problem.

"I'm heading to his office right now."

"I'll join you," I quickly hung up, "Change of plans, Grim. I'm going to a wedding."

Grim waved goodbye, "Have fun! Bring back some cake!"

---------------

I spotted my friends and the Headmage out by the sports field. Apparently the entire school had been overrun by ghosts in white uniforms. They chased students out of the main building and declared each room to serve a different purpose in Princess Eliza's wedding.

"Cassie!" Ace saw me, "You won't believe what's going on."

"I believe it and there's more you all need to know."

After I finished explaining Princess Eliza's story and Ortho's account of the night before, everyone stood in silence, absolutely stunned.

Riddle at last spoke, "So, you're saying....the ideal groom for the ghost princess...is Idia?"

Initially, they all glanced at one another, thinking it would allow their minds to grasp the situation better. Then, one by one, they all burst into a laughing fit.

"The fact Idia chose now of all times to leave his room is hilar-horrible!" Azul clutched at his side.

Cater wiped a tear away, "The bride truly has exquisite taste."

"Stop it!" I shouted, making everyone's chortles and chuckles cease, "Do you all have any idea on the gravity of the situation?"

If someone married a ghost, they would be forever bound as man and wife. Their soul would be removed from their body and taken to the Land of the Dead.

"My brother..." Ortho's voice shook, "will become a ghost?"

Crowley stepped in, "I'm sure everyone would be gracious enough to band together and help their classmate in danger."

In the most superb of synchronizations, everyone replied with, "Absolutely not."