Roses in Her Blood, Vengeance in His Veins

Magical Beginnings

I am a demigoddess.

Witch Liam is actually Prince Liam.

And I am a demigoddess.

Not only that but I am descended from a noble house of a fallen kingdom, which means that all that time at court I was really one of them without knowing it. It means that Dawn isn't just a rich girl, but actually a noble lady, that she did not marry into nobility- she already was.

Lord Merlin accepted that we had figured out that Lady Sanguis was his daughter and went on to tell us that we both needed to learn control. Well, actually mostly me. But Liam (should I address him as Prince?) needs to greater expand his knowledge of his abilities.

Lord Merlin explained that magic needs control and to master it, I would need time, but by the grave expression that sat upon his face, I doubted that I had that time.

He also explained that King Nicolas had usurped and banished his brother after their father had died. Prince Liam fled here, but Lord Merlin said that Lady Eana wants him on the throne, not his brother. No matter how good he may seem to be at ruling.

However, I did not think of what this training would entail. Honestly it could have been joggling for all I had known. Yet it was not. It was simply a bucket of water and questioning my self-worth. All the things I could have done whilst I remained staring at a bucket of water. 'Trying to manifest my power' as Lord Merlin had said, but I could of walked over to the palace and slapped King Nicolas in the face.

Yet Lord Merlin deems neither of us 'stable enough' to do something as simple as that. I sighed for the nth time, maybe he is right. I could not call upon my so-called magic and I have yet to see Prince Liam reveal his goddess-sent gift.

I dropped my hands to my sides. If I cannot make the water ripple, how could I possibly do anything to overthrown the king? If what happened during my escape happened to be magic, how could I get it to respond to me, to let me know of its presence. I sighed, brushing my hair out of my face.

"How is all, Kailina?" Lord Merlin placed his hand on my shoulder. I glanced over at Prince Liam, staring down a wooden training dummy with no weapons in his hands. When I looked back at the water, the sight of my face stared back at me.

"I do not know how." I pursed my lips, watching the reflection follow. "I do not know how to use this magic." Lord Merlin's face appeared next to mine, his eyes sharp but soft.

"It can take time to first knowingly call out magic, if you have ignored and buried it for so long." I scrunched my eyebrows together, looking at him through the water.

"Ignored?" I ask, my voice quiet. Have I ignored this part of myself? Buried it under piles of ordinariness and resentment? Have I ruined this for myself before I ever had a chance to start it?

"Tis not your doing," he said. He lifted his hand off my shoulder, his face disappearing from the water. I turned to face him.

"Then whose is it?" My voice raises. Lord Merlin's eyes deepen to a darker purple.

"You should rest," he says, halfway turned towards the prince. "Try to recall what happened when you first used your magic." He turned fully and walked towards the prince. I glance down at the water before going to seat on the bench on the wall.

I hear them discussing ways to help him, things to approve control. I lean my head against the stone wall. I watch idly as Lord Merlin walked several paces away from the prince. When he turns to look at Prince Liam, his hand is on fire.

Prince Liam bends his knees, his arms positioned in front of him. His hands are fisted and I see him shift his weight to the balls of his feet. He closes his eyes and draws in a deep breath. A transparent light of molten gold shimmers around the prince's body, coating him like the light of the glittering cave of a dragon.