Moongrace

Part 16

Down in the kitchen, Zoe gave him some bread and then sat down next to him.

"Thanks Zoe! I am starving!" Evan said not knowing how to start to explain.

"Sure. Evan, what are you doing here? In your last letter, you wrote that you would come back after the summer, and not in May. And who is that poor, blind girl you carried to your room? I am bursting for curiosity!"

Evan smiled: "First: Great to be here again. I missed you!" This broke the spell, they hugged and smiled. Both laughed.

"Wait! Where are the children? And where are Dad and Arlen? And, oh my god, which month are you in? Your belly got huge again." he exclaimed.

She put her hands over her swollen belly: "I am in the fifth month now. The children are with Arlen und Dad at the market. They are selling the rest of the asparagus and rhubarb plus salad. They also do the groceries. But now you have to explain!"

Evan sat back and sighed: "It's a long story. But I will tell you everything in detail if you wish so."

"You should!" she interrupted, "But first tell me who that girl in your room is. Are you..." She made a gesture meaning love and grinned.

Evan sighed again: "That girl is E... April. And yes, we are in love. But, no, we are not yet planning to marry." He added to her next, unspoken question.

"Where did you meet her? And is she... is she blind?" she asked carefully and with pity in her voice.

"Yes, she is but only recently. Let me tell you the whole story."

And Evan told Zoe everything that had happened since Eleeza came to the Queen's castle. He used the name April though and did not tell anything about her magic and origin. The Queen's magic was hard enough for Zoe to comprehend. I mean, everybody had heard about witches and everything. But real stories about magic and its outcomes were rare in Pacen. When Zoe heard about the wounds she immediately wanted to get up and care for her. But Evan held her back: "Wait for just some more minutes. That's not all."

Zoe sat back, shocked: "What else could have happened to her?" she asked.

Evan sighed and put his face in his hands: "After that strange angel came and healed us all, the Queen was very angry. She wanted April to be the representative for her ugly daughter. She gave us three weeks off, but to make sure that we would come back, she used two spells on April. The first one I have already told you about. April's sight was taken away, but there was something the Queen did not expect. The eyes of April turned silver. That was why we decided to flee. The Queen cannot take that spell from April anymore. Luckily the Queen did not realize that. A veil that April had to wear hid that fact from the witch. Now she will be blind forever but at least she is no more dependent on the Queen."

Zoe watched him attentively: "That is truly horrible. But what was the second spell?"

"That spell does not seem so dramatic at first, but it makes her only more dependent. She can speak, but her voice can only be heard by the royal family, me and her family. So, right now, I am the only one to whom she can speak." he sighed very hard. "I mean, I have no intention to ever let her alone, but this way she is completely helpless when I am not around..."

Zoe took him in her arms and petted his back.

"You have been going through a lot the last weeks. Relax. We will find a solution! I am sure of that."

Evan was relieved. Finally, he could share what had happened. And he knew that Zoe would support both very well.

They cleaned the table and chatted about the life on the farm, when they heard rumours upstairs followed by a loud crack. Alarmed Evan raced up the stairs. Zoe followed him as fast as possible.