Verina had quickly adjusted herself to her new life in Grelona.
While using her bedroom sparingly -as she spent most of her nights in the unescapable hugs of the princess-, the other room had become a functioning laboratory. Working with different chemicals and dangerous procedures, those were the only times the witch was actually completely alone; as she collected each week a series of requests, she would prepare special prescriptions for her clients and the chronic patients she'd been following for months. One could easily identify her room from outside the castle by the colored smoke and sudden flashes of light coming from its window.
Once in a while, Verina would visit Tardeburgo, together with the princess. The amount of work had fortunately decreased, compared to the first time, allowing them to enjoy the time in the village more. To Kara, it was apparent why, aside from being her original birthplace, the witch had chosen to live there again: everyone held Verina in high regard, but treated her with the respect due to a mother, more than a royal or the sorceress of legends; and while they tried to use formal courtesy to the princess as well, their approach felt familial, not servile.
The witch knew most of the villagers by their first name; but aside from a few, essentially rare interactions, the only person that seemed she could call friend was Jill. As he oversaw the town's daily endeavours, he never failed to show up and entertain confused conversations with the two women. He was definitely wise and honest, but his was not a really authoritative presence. The witch, in comparison, even with her social anxiety, seemed a born leader next to him, as she attended to both the humble and the absurd from her citizens with a smile.
As the days passed, Verina had the opportunity to learn about Kara's hobbies. As she didn't have the power or responsibility to rule Romiria, unlike the ever-busy King, finding exciting ways to spend her time had become imperative: she rotated effortlessly between her pastimes, dedicating all her energies to learning and creating.
Verina could witness for herself the extent to which those energies had been channeled through the years: as she observed Kara's hands carefully painting or rapidly knitting without falter, she felt great admiration and desire for emulation. The princess' previous works amazed her, as they adorned the castle and her room, undistinguishable from a professional's craft. 'The blessing of having time and money' thought the witch, as she tried with meager results to portray a tree with oil paints.
Their favorite activity, however, remained reading; going through new books and discussing them while cuddled up on the library's couch was a simple yet remarkable delight. Verina had a vast knowledge of books about magic, myths and science; the new books at her disposal were mostly about history, geography and various forms of literature, from the classical ones to some of the most recent productions. Printing had been invented just a decade before, so most of the tomes were handwritten, or illuminated manuscripts; while not being the only frequent visitors of that place, they surely were the ones that caught everyone else's attention. As they commented on one author's stylistic choices, or Verina narrated her past adventures in parts of the world Kara had only read in those books, the various officials and scribes passing by the library would look at the princess and the witch, affectionately embraced on those purple pillows, interested both in their words and their endearing closeness.
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If the daytime was their chance to strengthen their bond and learn more about each other, the servants knew the arrival of dusk meant one thing: the East Wing had to be avoided.
While at first their connections were guided by pure desire, soon they felt this was yet another expression of the same care and understanding that guided all their other actions.
Between the two, there wasn't a solidified dynamic: as they got to know each other's tastes and quirks, their approaches to intimacy followed arbitrary rules even they didn't comprehend fully. Kara had become more assertive, and even in more passive situations, it always felt she was the one conducting the game; on the other hand, Verina, who already had experience with both roles, seemed to appreciate the partner's initiative more and more. As time passed, it was probably the witch's loud moans the ones those walls most frequently heard.
No one of the maids dared to traverse the corridors of the women's bedrooms, even if those weren't daily occasions, fearing their lascivious sounds that had already turned a few of those frail hearts upside down. Whispers had it, that two of said maidens had started seeing each other in secret, and imitating both their delicate cuddles and their wild nights. Of course, no gossip reached any superior's ear, and that little secret remained a mystery between servants.
For two weeks, every day before lunch, Verina and Kara spent an hour or two 'meditating'. As the latent magic power of the Princess hadn't been properly awakened, the witch's focus was to train her to 'feel' her magic flow. Unlocking her powers without proper care, thought the sorceress, could worsen the progression of the curse; they had to choose the longer path.
Verina started from the very start, from the exercises taught to the children of Shendu from age 5: breathing and concentration, simple body movements.
«You have to understand, my dear Kara, that magic works much like everything else in your body does: the blood that flows, the electricity in your nerves, the air that cycles... everything living, from plant to human, has its own magic, different but complementary to those of the elements and the minerals.»
«You have to feel and understand how your body works, to perceive how your magic works. You'll realize the meaning of these words soon...»
While the existence of magic was undeniable, commoners spent all their lives understanding it was impossible to experience it. How can a man generate a ball of fire in his hand? The University had always focused its attention on understanding its applications, more than its origins; which led to multiple misconceptions and hundreds of daily injuries. Memorizing spells and potion ingredients was, undoubtedly, important; but missing the understanding of the fundamental forces behind these phenomena rendered research stale at best. Due to these circumstances, everyone had their own personal limit, almost impossible to surpass; only a few gifted individuals, among humans and demons alike, were able to break free of those shackles and acquire the necessary knowledge to develop their skills further, but... everything still felt unscientific, and bound to personal, undecipherable feelings. Verina wanted to be pragmatic, thinking 'at least I can better myself'... but always felt this lack of scientific understanding of magic would one day be the nail that would seal magic users' fate.
The third week, Kara felt something had finally changed. The sensation wasn't clear, fuzzy like a light headache; she was now aware of the energy she radiated, of the low pulses that flow emitted periodically, the calm heartbeat of magic. While 'shooting fireballs' would probably require some more time, this first, 'tangible' improvement improved her mood even further; love and magic, such powerful forces!
As the training went on, Verina noticed a slight change in her apprentice; as the demonic flow progressively replaced the human one, her beautiful, cerulean irises started to tint themselves yellow: around the light blue, a fine, precious circle of gold spread slowly, devouring the sapphires relentlessly.
«Your eyes are just as precious, my dear. They look like wedding rings...»
It was the first day of the penultimate month, when the refreshing autumnal air changed to announce winter's imminence, that Laster's letter arrived.
