Afvshaganifs is imprisoned in the main forest castle in an empty room guarded with tough magic. The door is only a messy sketch on the wall and only my power can make it work. I expect to be surprised since it's the captain who's inside. But not at this level—
"What the..."
Supposedly, the room should be completely empty but she provided a royal chair, a gallant coat dress paired with a big hat, and eye shades for her own while sipping a luxurious wine in front of her levitating spellbooks!
"Great. You look more like a lady now. Do you have to dress like that in prison?"
"What, would you rather see a hot captain than a glamorous queen?" she replied with the flickering of her painted nails. Her dead personality somewhat mismatches the fashion. The confidence blinds me!
"I just hope this has nothing to do with Tanya's influence. Anyway," in front of her, I flipped my skirt first and then sat in the air as if there was a visible couch, "I came here for confirmation after I prosecuted a background check about you. This time, please tell me the truth."
"I already told you the truth."
"All of it."
"... If that's what you want."
"Good. You can open up to me. So you were a student at Venduque Academy."
She laid down the glass of wine and hid the spellbooks first before she answered, "I confirm."
"But you were not the very first female Eldar. How come? Did you hide your true identity? Why did you find it necessary?"
"Don't feel unworthy of the title now, Lady Eldar."
"I am not. But why? I want to know more about you."
"Hmph, I matriculated as a woman. Like you, I want to be an enchantress. But unlike you, I didn't have the courage to be proud. Not a single day did I step into that school grounds without catching discrimination from their brotherhood about me. They kept declaring where I should be, that I should stay at home and prepare myself to be someone's wife.
"I couldn't offer myself deaf ears as their voices were stronger than my motivation... until I met Haiban in my final year. He was the only person who accepted me. He was my only friend. We were both top mages every semester. Some of them thought we were a couple, while most of them thought I was a mistress knowing that Haiban was married.
"It deteriorated the unfavorable reputation of my womanhood. I became subject to envy and schemes. For the sake of my friend, I created an enchantment that switched my gender. I never knew how hella fun it was to be a man: strong, liberated, independent. That was when I realized that being born in a female body is already... a prison.
"I never came back to that body again. My camaraderie with Haiban became legal. I excel in every task, and that was when my oppressors were born. I was well aware that they plotted to kill me, so I invented a curse that will bring back death to them. Werewolves became meaningful to me because of Haiban. And the murder happened when they sabotaged my magic for the Moon Goddess.
"I never thought that would be... satisfying! After I became an Eldar with Haiban, the value of our friendship diminished. At least, that was what he made me feel, the thing I fear."
"You were afraid to lose Haiban? Or to lose a friend?"
"To be isolated in the depths of criticism."
"..."
"My desperation led to harmful actions. It was too late when I realized my wrongdoings. I fixed my mind that I will never contribute to the beautiful color of society. I isolated myself in the ocean, far from the standards of mediocrity, to protect my friend from myself.
"Although it wasn't the kind of life I had ambitioned, I lived my life in idleness, by my own rules, in my ship. Some things kept bugging me to return to land, especially... when I heard the news about the Priestess of Venduque." She removes her glasses, now I can tell she's looking at me to my soul! "You got my interest. I admired you with the crowd because never have I ever met a brave woman in the den of men.
"So, that was when it started, my desire to know more about you. And wait... until the day I could finally own you."
"Well, I understand you better now," I cut the confession! "None of these would've happened if you don't have social anxiety. You are insensitive, inconsiderate to the people around you—"
"What they do unto me, I will unto them."
"Even if it harms your friend?"
"..."
"I am so sorry for your past. I understand now how this kind of behavior was born in you. I guess I commend you that you realized it on your own... even if it was too late. You already destroyed Haiban's family and sabotaged his plans. He already suspected you before he died, but he still sees you as a friend. What you fear never actually happened. Your fear ruined your friendship. I hope that piece of information was helpful."
"..."
"On the other hand," I pause for a second or two, "you want me... because you wish you were me, no? You want to see yourself in me and the only solution you could think of to purge your remorse is to stay with me, discouraging me to mingle with someone else the same thing you did to Haiban, don't you think?
"Afvshaganifs, you don't really understand what it means to cherish someone. You don't truly understand what it means to love. Probably... because you were barely granted the chance to receive it. Love never comes from violence. In every action you take, you will consider the feelings of the person important to you. If not, then you are not doing it right."
She smiles, but not a smile of bloodlust. It made me startled to the point that my tongue froze. She says, "I asked Haiban what love is. Did you know what he told me? He said to watch and learn from you."
"Wha... Goddess! I'm not a love expert! Hessuel is!" I forced a smile. What if she thought that she would learn from me once we love each other!?
"Perhaps everything you said is constructive. I admire you because I failed to be like you."
As for the closing, I stand up and remove her disturbing hat. Then I hold her hand with both of my hands and say, "You will be loved someday. Right now, I will tell you that being born a woman is not being born a prisoner. The major part to make it happen is your courage."
Our hands glow for a short moment. Then she found a key in her hand.
"We cannot undo what has already been done. You are proven guilty of several accidents among werewolves. However, we consider your cooperation in the creation of Linevr and the invention of an immortal's vessel upon concluding your indictment. Your imprisonment will not be permanent.
"You, your power and consciousness shall be sealed in Asfara 'til the next super moon. Then you will be bound to govern the power sealed in there too. It was my creation created by my power and other enchanters, a creation that is difficult to bear even for an Eldar. I just want to make sure it will never cause any harm in the future. And you, your punishment is to make sure it won't happen... and to work out yourself."
She stares at the key and then rattles it. "You call this punishment? Aren't you granting me possession over the most powerful creation a mortal made?"
"Supposedly, that is my proposal to you in exchange for lifting your curse in Hessuel~ I'm glad that plan recoiled! Obliging you to protect and carry such power in righteousness is already a punishment for you, no? We'll see."
"... You're pretty confident about this."
"Tell your men about this. We will give you time."
"Set them free. Those pirates were my murderers and oppressors, living a new life as my players of death. I don't need those hostages for my entertainment any longer."
"Whaaat!?" I thought she was born as a real heiress of pirates or whatnot. "Alright! It looks like we don't have a problem. I am thankful for telling me the truth. You know how grateful I am for your contribution... a-and as a friend. I don't think we'll see each other again so... goodbye."
She stands up in front of me and startles me again with her hug. "You seem comfortable with me today. It is great to discuss with a fellow woman with the same intelligence," are the words she let out with a serious face.
I left the room without ill-feeling. Perhaps because it was my first time to encounter a woman with the same level, or higher than me, and that was relieving. Moreover, I'd never know I'd been composing kindness if she didn't mention it. Danteleon's advice is always in my mind. Unfortunately, I may have forgotten about my pride in front of Afvshaganifs but not in front of the guile usurper.
Hrista is behind the bars on a bed in another prison room. Her gloomy face shouts a deafening defeat. I fold my arms and lean on the bars, "Look at you," I mocked. Yet immediately, I cleared my throat and approached her kindly. "You and your accomplice shall meet your indictment tomorrow. Before that, I was given an order from the moon—"
"Please forgive me."
"... Worry not, "I unleashed my spellbook, "the moon has granted you a mate not as a blessing of worthiness, but as a curse."
"No... No!!" She creeped me out when she groveled in front of me, reaching for the hem of my dress. "If it isn't my Alpha then please don't bind me to anyone else! Don't do this... Death would be more acceptable than this," she begged. And her supplication is extremely insensitive to be uttered on me.
"It will not be a punishment if I give you what you want. Death is part of your punishment tomorrow, you shall be thrown down the pit of thorns and live again in the future." The mist of the spell crawls and swirls around her. Every word I speak is written in my spellbook. In response, she grovels backward until her back hits the bed, trembling in distress. I continue,
"Yes, you shall live again, but you will never be able to hear anything as a deaf child. All your nights will be filled with nightmares. Your power shall be withheld from you. All of these shall meet their ends once you heard the very first voice you will hear: the voice of your mate. Find him! Obey the rules of mate bond lest you shall never have a place in the moon's rest. This anathema is on the skin of the moon! No mortal power can change it!"
The mist of the spell merges in her, no matter how much she shakes it off, the results are futile. I've been holding back my tongue to say how pathetic she looks right now. "No... How could you...? Hessuel... I know I can’t have him but he is all I want."
"Yes, I broke him once. Even you made him miserable. You were there when I made him miserable. I was there when you made him suffer. Through it all, he and I are bound to each other—with or without a mate bond." I defended my right. Gradually, I sat on the floor in front of her saying,
"Hrista, I never wanted to see Hessuel like that but you, you did not care for your sake alone. We are not the same. Besides, you are lucky to have this second chance from the goddess. Since she does, perhaps I can entrust you to your mate." With a terror glare, I grab the bars and threaten, "Don't you dare ruin his heart!"
"..."
"Love is a curse if it isn't reflected. Break free from it, even my mate wants the same for you. My business here is done. So long." Finally, I turn my back on her but I halt in front of the door as she speaks,
"Why… Do you know this man?"
"Yes. You will be my promised mate to him. Don't waste your chance to be happy in love." Those are my last words to her. The moment I closed the door outside, I heard her insane scream of agony and resentment. I just hope she will not act like this with my cinnamon roll descendant, Andrew.