"What do you mean by criminal?", Riya asked.
"I broke an important law and that led to... I will tell you everything... on one condition.", Eleni said.
"What is it?", The three of them asked in unison.
"Whatever you hear you mustn't... hat- no.. whatever you hear you must never be able to use that information for selfish benefits jeopardizing each other's safety.", She said.
"That's it? You are just asking us to keep this conversation a secret? Okay with me.", Kyle said.
"I m okay with it too.", Riya said.
"I too am okay.", Sil said.
The moment they said, a purple-black light engulfed them, they tried to understand what was going on, Then they saw, the light was coming from Eleni. On each of their left wrist a tattoo like thing appeared, a weird design, a symbol of a crown atop a moon, decorated by thorns. It burned into their skin. They felt immense pain. Riya felt her as though she was being choked, unable to get any air.
Sil felt as though a hundred swords pierced him at that very spot on his wrist. Kyle felt as though he was burning away his entire wrist. After a while, the marks disappeared and the pain stopped. The purplish black light disappeared.
All of them slumped down and were shivering with the memory of pain.
"No way... that was high- rate magic...", Riya shivered and said. She had been the lab rat to many of her third brother's magic spells, they all made her feel so, like she was unable to breathe, but not to this extent. The intensity was different too.
"You're a witch?", Kyle stared and asked.
"Eleni... What are you?", Sil asked.
"As you can obviously see, I have magic powers. But that's not what I wanted to convey. I want to tell you everything.", Eleni said.
"Why?", Riya asked afraid of what her 'telling everything' might be.
"Because you said we are a family, A family doesn't keep secrets.", Eleni said.
"We will listen.", Sil said and sat down.
"Yes, we are a family, but don't zap us with magic like that without warning!" Kyle complained as he sat down.
"I am sorry, but that was an oath sealing mark. I had to keep it. So.. um... Yeah.. My identity. I am sure that was what you were so curious about... I am.. the illegitimate child of the queen of Fiera.", Eleni said and braced herself.
"Hahahaa.", Kyle started laughing and only stopped when Sil hit him.
"Stop laughing! She is serious!", Sil said.
"I am sorry Elle, but do you even know what kind of a ridiculous claim you're making right now. I would have believed if you were the illegitimate daughter of the king, but the queen of Fiera? No way! She is the most famous one in this entire world! The woman who is considered as a role model to other wives, the most loyal and beautiful woman ever!", Kyle said.
"Her title is, Her Highness, Queen Reine Angelique Solange Fiera, born as Felicity Solange Bernard of the marquisate Bernard. Lawfully wedded to The King, the sun of the empire, King Valeric Hugo Dominic Fiera, the only son of the Late King, Orville Pierre Fiera.", Eleni said in a smooth flow of words.
"That doesn't prove anything, anyone who is affiliated with the palace knows that.", Kyle said.
"I know its hard to believe. But I am her daughter, her daughter born out of a casual fling she had before her marriage to the king. My actual name is Selena Giselle of the Grey Woods. I was born midnight on a new moon day, with mine and my mother's screams muffled to conceal my birth. I was named by my grandmother who owned the Grey Woods land.", Eleni said.
"But... then why? ", Kyle just mumbled something
"Continue, ignore Kyle.", Sil said.
"Do you believe me?", Eleni asked. If Sil and Riya didn't, she was going to cook up some weird story and leave the next day.
"Of course." Sil said.
"Gotta do it.", Riya said eating an apple.
Eleni smiled and was so happy. Her mind was so peaceful that it felt as though she were floating. She snapped herself back to reality and just proceeded with her story.
"After I was born, I was immediately shipped away to an orphanage. But my grandmother who knew the truth would come visit me everyday and prevent my adoption into any family. She had almost raised me. She was going to adopt me after my mother was married or so she said. When I was four years old, I saw my mother, get married to the king. She had a son immediately after.
That's when grandmother revealed the truth to me, before that she was known to me as the kind grandmother and not the Marchioness of Bernard and my grandmother.
When I turned five My grandmother promised me, that she would come adopt me and bring me home with a red ribbon tied on my hair. I had asked her to buy me a red ribbon because Laura, another girl at the orphanage, very much older than me had one and she had looked very pretty in that. I was desperate to see Grandmother that I was impatient and was running around. A bully came and tried to piss me off, I did get so and somehow, the whole building burst into purple flames. purple flames which hurt everyone except me.
It took me a lot of time to understand what was going on, It felt as though the fire and me were connected by a small thread, weaker from my side, that if I pulled too tight it would break. I was unable to control anything. I could reduce small purple flames but with each scream The purple flames increased and grew brighter as to mock me.
Some knights came and saved the kids. There weren't any casualties. But There were too badly hurt. The fire hadn't yet been put out. It was still burning no matter how much water they were pouring. I was not yet calm, I was panicking thinking it was my fault and that I didn't know anything, my mind was going in all directions. I went to the corner of the garden and hid in my favorite spot to cool down.
Then grandmother came, she searched for me, when she realized I was not in the rescued kids tent, she jumped in the already burning orphanage to save me. When she went in, I immediately knew. It was like the fire and I were one, but at the same time weren't. I ran after her inside. I tried to save her, But only a red bow was left alongside my favorite cupcake.
The fire was satisfied. That's when I realized the 'magic' in me was not the good kind which the heroes use to save the country. It was the bad kind, which the heroes defeat. I felt miserable then. I had killed my own grandma by being unable to contain the fire.
I refused to eat and ran away from the town. I was on the verge of Death and then the fire had shown itself to me again. It appeared in the form of a kid, just that it was full fire in the form of one. He just smiled. He patted my head and hugged me. Saying I didn't need anyone in the world as long as I had him.
He spoke of how he had all kinds of poisons and all kinds of antidotes. He had the cure to every disease as well as the disease. He would be there for me. He begged me to eat. So that I would live. He brought out a bread from thin air. I don't know if other fire magicians can do that. But it sure did.
I didn't want to listen to the person who killed my grandmother. When I accused him of it, the fire boy would just smile and say, She deserved it. I hated him to the core. I starved myself refusing to eat even though he had brought me the delicacies I had always craved for.
I had never told anyone that I liked that dish. But he knew. I hated him very much. The world soon became a blurry mess. The boy turned calm, he no longer nagged me, the purple flame if which he was made of reduced and he looked as though he was transparent.
He held my hand, saying that he was scared. He begged me one last time to eat something. But I refused, I would rather die and meet grandma than feed to help her killer. The fire accepted it and let go of the bread piece. A second after he became complete transparent, with only a slight shade showing his features. My heart throbbed.
Like it was chained and pulled down by many weights connected to it. I tried breathing and that too was difficult. I cried, I didn't want to die. I loved grandma but I don't want to die yet. I felt guilty for not having followed her. But I hoped she would forgive me.
I looked at the fallen bread, I dragged myself to eat it, but the transparent fire boy came over with some apples. He put one to my mouth and said sorry. He said he didn't know how much humans meant for other humans.
I didn't forgive him, but he was all I had left. I leaned over to the fire boy who slowly regained his purplish color and disappeared. He appeared next when I felt hungry with the most delicious of meals. He would appear and play with me when I was lonely. He would warm the place when I had to sleep on a cold night. We had spent almost three months on the streets. Though he was kind, he was annoying. He would give out crazy things in my mind, like genocide and killing for fun.... He was scary but I never let it show out.
If anything, It is I who is going to be in charge!
One day I followed him and saw that he was actually stealing the food.
I stopped him from stealing that day.
The only thing that went wrong was that this was observed by a temple worker, Father Derek. He had seen me talking to what looked like a monster. He saw me as a child fallen prey to the Demon and brought me to the holy temple in Ezekiel. He left me there under the care of The Holy Leader Tegan.
Staying under the statue of the The Goddess, I felt peace. The fire stopped bothering me. I eventually forgot about it and lived happily serving the sisters and priests.. Then I did the worst thing ever.", Eleni said.