Farsas was a nation situated near the middle of the mainland.
Expansive lands and stability characterized this country. What's more, a
witch lived in its royal castle.
There were only five witches in all the world. While technically mages,
these women possessed much more substantial powers than common magic
users and had lived for centuries.
The one known as the strongest of this quintet was Tinasha. She was
also the one who lived in Farsas.
Tinasha had signed a contract to be the king's protector for one year, and
she was also the queen of an ancient magic empire; when it came to spells,
there was nothing she couldn't do.
The powerful woman typically spent her time leisurely reading books
while fending off relentless marriage proposals from Farsas's young king.
"Oscar's not here… Why…?"
Rain had suddenly arrived that afternoon, blanketing the sky in thin
clouds. The poor weather had put an end to Tinasha's magic training. When
she returned to the king's study, she found that Oscar was curiously absent.
Tinasha had long hair the color of inky darkness and eyes of the same
hue. Her true age surpassed four hundred years, though her physical body
appeared only nineteen, as the witch had stopped it from aging. Her beauty
was like a work of art, enough to make anyone gasp, though astonishment
now colored her own features for a change.
"Where in the world did he go…?" Tinasha muttered.
Oscar should be working at this hour; he'd even told Tinasha as much
this morning.
Yet he was nowhere to be found. It was possible he'd slunk off
somewhere while Tinasha had been preoccupied. Thinking of how the king
had snuck out in the past and gotten himself involved in all sorts of
unsavory situations, Tinasha's lovely face twitched.
"If he's done it again, I'm going to hang him from my tower."
Regardless of his royal position, Oscar was a reckless lover of
adventure. While he was confident he could get himself out of most
scrapes, that was irrelevant. Since Tinasha's first encounter with him
several months ago, she had assumed the role of his chaperone. She
stomped back out into the hallway, cheeks puffed in annoyance.
There, she ran into three ladies-in-waiting. "Oh, Miss Tinasha…," they
said, looking confused to see her emerging from the study.
While some folks in the castle had warmed up to the witch living there,
more were still afraid of her. A faint smile on her lips, Tinasha pointed to
the study door. "Did you need something from Oscar? I'm afraid he's out."
"No… We actually had a favor to ask of you," one servant said timidly.
"Of me?" Tinasha asked with some surprise, pointing to herself.
Instead of working, Oscar was entertaining guests. In a small room off
the audience chamber, the king's attendant, Lazar, filled Tinasha in on the
situation. "The guest is Duke Soanos, a member of an aristocratic family in
Mensanne to the east. He's also a well-known wealthy merchant. Because
he has major clout just about everywhere on the mainland, he must be
received with respect, even if his arrival was sudden…"
"Oscar's dealing with a lot," Tinasha remarked feelingly. She didn't
breathe a word of how she'd previously sworn to string him up.
Lazar eyed her with some puzzlement. "Miss Tinasha, what are you
wearing…?"
"It's a long story…"
Beneath the witch's usual black mage's garb, she was clad in a gorgeous
light-pink gown, and her hair was done in a loose braid. Gentle touches of
makeup lent a hint of innocence to her unparalleled beauty.
Altogether it resulted in an impression that was wholly different from
the one Tinasha usually gave off. Now she looked like a young
noblewoman. She glanced back at the ladies-in-waiting who had helped her
change. One of them turned pale and lowered her head. "I'm really very
sorry. We've asked too much of you…"
"It's all right. I'll do what I can."
Duke Soanos had come with his daughter. Just like her father, she traded
in jewelry and accessories in every country. Earlier, she had procured a
necklace from a merchant who was related to one of the ladies-in-waiting.
However, the item in question was an heirloom meant to be given to the
lady by her grandmother. It had been sold by mistake. Unfortunately, when
this was explained to Eleisa, Duke Soanos's daughter, she refused to return
it. Even the offer to repurchase it at a markup didn't sway her. In the end,
the lady-in-waiting had to give up on the necklace, chided by her own
family as well.
"So you've been asked to help recapture it, Miss Tinasha?" summarized
Lazar.
"'Recapture' makes it sound like I'm going to steal it by force. I'm
going to engage in ordinary negotiations to secure its return."
"But hasn't Eleisa already refused once?" Lazar inquired, looking
toward the wronged lady-in-waiting.
Hesitantly, the servant explained, "There's a legend in my family that
wearing that necklace on your wedding day means you'll have a lifetime of
happiness. It's been passed down from generation to generation… I planned
to wear it at my own wedding next year."
"Ah, one would want something that precious back," said Lazar.
Tinasha cut in. "Merchants like to size up customers, so if I pretend to
be a big spender, she might go for my offer. Oscar probably wants to get
back to his work soon; he should be glad when I come to relieve him."
Tinasha picked up the hem of her voluminous gown. Her cool, clear
allure and royal upbringing gave her an air of refined elegance.
Lazar was entranced by her for a moment, then caught himself and
nodded. "I understand. I'll go explain this to His Majesty."
"There's no time. I'll go with you. While I'm introducing myself, you
grab Oscar and alert him to the situation. I'll improvise," Tinasha stated.
"What…? Won't that just make the situation more difficult?" asked
Lazar.
"It'll be fine, don't worry. If things truly go sour, I'll just cast
psychological magic on everyone."
"That would be a last resort indeed…," Lazar remarked dryly as he and
the witch walked up to the door leading to the audience chamber.
Just before pushing it open, Tinasha turned back to smile at the lady-inwaiting, saying, "Leave it to me. Please wait there."
Tinasha flashed the servant a brilliant smile, and the lady-in-waiting
dropped into a deep curtsy.
With that, Tinasha stepped into the audience chamber.
Ordinarily, the room contained only a throne, but presently there was a wide
table set up for the merchants' visit. On it, Duke Soanos had laid out an
array of expensive wares.
Across the table stood the master of the castle, a handsome young man
with a toned physique. Despite his young age of twenty-one, he was king
because Farsas's ruler always had to be a capable swordsman.
The blade he carried, the royal sword Akashia, was the only one in the
world that could neutralize any magic. With that weapon in hand, he had
beaten all the trials in Tinasha's tower and brought her back as his protector.
His original goal was to have her break the curse placed on him by another
witch—a hex that doomed him never to father an heir. Then he had
proposed that Tinasha herself carry his child, since she was more powerful
than the curse. Unsurprisingly, Tinasha had shot that down. Instead, she'd
spent the last half year researching and analyzing the spell before
successfully breaking it, which brought things to where they stood now.
Released from his curse, Oscar could now choose anyone he wanted for
his queen, but his heart was still set on marrying Tinasha.
Oscar's eyes widened as he noticed her enter the room. "Tinasha?
What's going on?"
"I heard that we had some guests and came to introduce myself," she
said with formality and charm.
At that, the two guests turned to behold this new arrival. Duke Soanos
was a man in the prime of life with suntanned skin. Sailing around the
mainland had built him into a powerful fellow. By contrast, his daughter
Eleisa was a lovely young girl in her late teens. Her chestnut-brown eyes
glittered with marked curiosity as she looked at Tinasha, who answered the
gaze with a graceful smile.
"Your Majesty, this would be…?" inquired Duke Soanos.
Before Tinasha could answer, Oscar spoke. "This is my future wife."
"Excuse me?!" cried the witch as her plans crumbled before her.
"This is why I said we'd need to lay the groundwork ahead of time…,"
murmured Lazar, disheartened.
Eleisa appeared shocked by this strange visitor. After a pause of several
seconds, she whirled back to Oscar. "This is Your Majesty's…queen?"
"Yes. Tinasha, come here," Oscar invited, motioning casually to beckon
her over.
Tinasha muttered, "Seems I'll have to resort to mind magic."
"It's still too early, Miss Tinasha," Lazar whispered back.
She wanted to flip the table and start all of this over, but Oscar's position
was more important—especially in front of international guests in addition
to castle staff. So Tinasha smiled like a gracious young lady and circled
around the table to come stand next to him.
She curtsied to the two visitors. "It is wonderful to make your
acquaintance. My name is Tinasha As Meyer Ur Aeterna. I do apologize for
intruding on your meeting."
The name Tuldarr, as in the Magic Empire of Tuldarr that had fallen four
hundred years ago, was conspicuously missing from Tinasha's introduction.
Using it would risk exposing her identity. Regardless, anyone with such a
clearly storied name was undoubtedly royalty or at least of the nobility. It
was enough to establish Tinasha as a very important customer.
Oscar studied Tinasha raptly, taking in every aspect of her new look.
"Has something happened? I didn't think you'd be interested in this."
"I heard that these were discerning guests who have traveled far and
wide. And it seems they have something I desire."
"That's unusual. What is it? I'll buy it for you," replied Oscar.
"Oscar, Lazar is calling you," Tinasha stated with a smile, attempting to
fob Oscar off on his friend. The royal attendant shook his head furiously,
desperate not to get involved.
Tinasha was almost tempted to really use psychological magic to alter
everyone's memories.
However, the witch stopped herself and beheld the guests with a
pleasant expression on her face. "What I want is a necklace that promises a
lifetime of happiness when worn on one's wedding day, one that's made of
large pearls and sapphires using ancient craftsmanship. I'd heard it was an
heirloom of a merchant family in town, but now the word is that your
daughter recently came into possession of it."
"My Eleisa did?" asked the duke, looking at his child. Tinasha didn't
miss how the young woman's eyes flashed with indecision and cunning for
a moment.
What Eleisa had paid for the necklace was a fair price for an old piece in
good condition. Yet she had refused to sell it back even for double that
price. Tinasha could offer more, of course, but if she pushed it too far, it
could saddle the lady-in-waiting with a feeling that she was indebted for the
gesture. The first step was to open negotiations.
Eleisa beamed, as if the moment of uncertainty she'd shown had never
existed. "An item that I purchased…? I see. There are so many of them, I
wonder which it is… Could you first tell me why you'd like that specific
piece?"
"Because I decided I want it for myself," Tinasha answered plainly.
Eleisa likely suspected that the former owner of the necklace was
involved. If that hunch was confirmed, she'd dig in her heels and refuse to
relinquish the item. That was why Tinasha had to emphasize that she herself
was the one who sought the necklace. Tinasha had lived for centuries, and
her facade was perfect in the face of Eleisa's scrutinizing gaze.
"A wedding necklace? You want one?" interjected Oscar.
"Oscar, I told you that Lazar is calling you. Isn't that right, Lazar?"
Tinasha mentioned again, shooting Lazar a dark glance infused with silent
authority.
He nodded, his head bobbing up and down. "Y-Your Majesty. I need to
inform you…"
"I'll hear it later. More importantly, show me any necklace you have that
fits that description. I'll buy it for the asking price," Oscar stated.
"Why are you so keen on getting this for me?" demanded Tinasha.
"If you're going to use it at our wedding, then it's just as much
something for me as it is for you. It seems only natural that I'd pay for it."
"It's not for… I mean, I don't want you spoiling me! I'll buy my things
myself!" Tinasha protested.
"Anyway, I'm glad to see you're finally ready to marry me. We've gotta
get your dress made. I'll call over the seamstress." Oscar tried to pull
Tinasha into a hug.
"Too soon, too soon! You just be quiet!" she cried, pushing him away by
planting her hands on his chest. It was the usual sort of bickering the pair
got into. Unfortunately, they'd both forgotten about their guests.
Suddenly remembering her goal, Tinasha escaped Oscar's arms and
turned her attention back to Eleisa. "I am very sorry you had to witness that.
However, I'm the one interested in the necklace. If you could be so kind as
to show it to me…"
The intent look she gave Eleisa was straightforward, with none of her
witch's power underlying it. Eleisa stared at her, an inscrutable expression
on her face.
Her father piped up. "I had heard that His Majesty's fiancée is the Witch
of the Azure Moon. Is that you?"
"…So you were aware," admitted Tinasha.
"Word of His Majesty taking you back after the war has made its way to
us," he said.
"I imagine it would…," she said, shrinking in on herself at the
awkwardness of the situation.
Not too long ago, a war had broken out that involved every country in
the land. The witch was at the center of it, and during the postwar
arrangements, Oscar had informed everyone that she was his fiancée so he
could gain custody of her. Naturally, such a wild story would not have
spread from coast to coast, but it was understandable that someone who
dealt with the movers and shakers in all the major countries would have
learned of it.
Tinasha was getting fed up with this situation, which she was only in as
a favor to someone else. It might be time to act like a witch and knock
everything over.
Tinasha bit back a sigh and began to think up a spell. Then Eleisa asked,
"Your Majesty, are you really going to make her your queen?"
"Of course I am. Why do you ask?" replied Oscar.
"…She's a witch," answered Eleisa in a faltering tone. But Tinasha was
all too familiar with what she said and the look in her eyes.
Fear, hatred, jealousy, lack of sympathy… Everything that would be
directed at something foreign and strange was in her gaze.
After living for four centuries, Tinasha was utterly inured to such looks.
With a wince, she started to speak up in defense of Oscar's honor.
Before she could, however, he grinned. "But we're perfectly balanced,
so I'd say it works out great. With her for my wife, I won't want for
anything," Oscar stated proudly, not ashamed in the slightest. It was
apparent from his words that he had full confidence in himself.
He was completely steady in his mind—as a king and as the master of
the royal sword.
To defeat the curse he'd suffered as a child, he hadn't allowed himself to
have any weakness. It was how he became one of the greatest swordsmen in
the land and conquered Tinasha's tower.
And that was why Tinasha had trained him into someone who could kill
her.
Oscar was capable of slaying a witch. If that wasn't balance, Tinasha
didn't know what was.
"You are so…," she began, a smile coming to her lips entirely naturally
as her dark eyes narrowed fondly. Her prepared words vanished, as the
witch no longer thought them important. Oscar's hand came to her cheek,
and she found it very comfortable.
Duke Soanos watched the two, then let out a little sigh and said to his
daughter, "Eleisa, take the necklace out."
"But, Father…"
"We take pride in providing people with what they want," he answered
quietly. Eleisa bit her lip and drew something wrapped in cloth from a box
at her feet.
The necklace that emerged from the black velvet shone calmly, as if
promising a modest amount of happiness.
"Miss Tinasha, thank you so much, truly!" cried the young lady-in-waiting,
bowing over and over as she clutched the necklace box to her chest.
She was teary-eyed as she expressed her gratitude, and Tinasha
hurriedly waved it away. "There's no need to feel indebted to me. It was
Oscar who smoothed things over in the end."
The king had gone back to his work. Tinasha comforted the endlessly
grateful lady-in-waiting. When at last she was free again, the witch made
for Oscar's study. When she entered in her dress, he was there to give her a
sarcastic grin. "Why do you seem to make it a point to dash my hopes
periodically?"
"Considering the situation, it should have been obvious that the betrothal
bit was a lie!" snapped Tinasha.
"Even so, I thought maybe something had happened… I let myself get
my hopes up a little."
"…I'm sorry for that."
Once Duke Soanos had departed, Tinasha had given Oscar a rundown of
the situation, and he'd heaved a huge sigh. Guilt had already needled at
Tinasha for the act, but now she felt even worse. She felt like she'd really
done something untoward this time. After all, Oscar had helped her get the
necklace back, and all he had to show for it now was disappointment.
"I apologize for misleading you. I should have acted more like a witch
and resolved it with magic from the start," Tinasha said dejectedly.
"Hold on, why is such an extreme option your primary choice?" Oscar
asked, motioning Tinasha over. She floated into the air, mindful of the skirt
of her gown, and settled down on the armrest of his chair.
Lazar had brewed the tea, something that Tinasha typically did, and he
proclaimed in a satisfied tone, "I'm relieved you got the necklace back for
the original sale price."
"That's because Eleisa knew she couldn't win against this one here,"
stated Oscar.
"Hmm? What does that mean?" Tinasha inquired, turning to look at him.
Oscar caught up her loosely plaited braid in his fingers. "That piece was
for weddings, right? She wanted to use it herself, which is why she was so
unwilling to return it."
"Oh… I see. But what does that have to do with me?" Tinasha pressed.
"Those two originally came to sell me on taking Eleisa as my queen.
Their plot went awry, which is why they stood down."
"…O-oh, so that's what it was," Tinasha said.
As the unmarried ruler of a mighty nation, Oscar was the ideal buyer for
the father-and-daughter traders. Eleisa had had her eyes on becoming queen
of Farsas, but she'd relinquished the necklace upon realizing that wasn't
going to happen.
A bitter smile on his lips, Oscar pulled the witch onto his lap. "That was
also why the ladies-in-waiting came to you. It wasn't because they wanted
your magic. They thought Eleisa would concede once you showed up. It's
because you're doted on like a pet kitten."
"Doted on by whom?"
"By me," Oscar responded instantaneously, and Tinasha's eyes widened
just like a real cat's.
Immediately, she hugged her knees to her chest with mixed feelings. "I
feel like…I had no idea and wasted everyone's time."
"I profited in the end. I got to return to my work, and I got to see you in
a new outfit," Oscar replied.
"Seems like I cause you no end of trouble," stated Tinasha.
"It's fine."
The witch let out a little sigh. But even so, she was glad to have helped
someone. It felt strange that, despite her magic being all but unparalleled,
the ladies hadn't come asking for a spell. However, as Tinasha thought, she
realized that wasn't so rare an occurrence since she'd forged her contract
with Oscar.
She lifted off lightly into the air, and Oscar craned his neck to look up at
her. "Don't worry about it. I'm feeling pleased. The fact that they asked you
for that favor means you're settling into the castle."
"Oscar…"
The young king gave her a magnanimous smile and returned to his
paperwork. From the air, she stared down at him.
Only three months remained on their contract. What would happen
before it expired? And perhaps more importantly, what would come after?
For someone like Tinasha, who had lived over four hundred years, three
months was practically nothing. That said, she still couldn't imagine saying
good-bye to Oscar. It probably wouldn't feel real until the day before the
contract ended.
"No such thing as…a contract without end," Tinasha murmured, turning
upside down and resting her chin in her hands.
She kept her eyes fixed right on the king.
The lady-in-waiting hadn't known what to do when the merchant's daughter
had refused to sell back the necklace, but she felt glad that she'd mustered
the courage to ask the witch for help.
When she returned to the drawing room for the ladies-in-waiting, her
friends all asked her how it had gone. With a sigh of relief, she explained,
"She got it back for me. She's a much more normal person than I had
thought…"
Countless frightening fairy tales painted witches as terrible creatures,
which was why everyone had been scared when a witch came to their
castle. The truth of it, however, was that Tinasha was a very ordinary and
reasonable person.
The other ladies-in-waiting had gotten to know the witch over the past
few months, and they grinned at their friend. "That's what we told you!
She's perfectly nice."
"Yes, she is… I feel so relieved," said the young woman. Now she could
prepare for her wedding. While it wasn't until next year, she knew the time
would pass quickly.
By the time of her marriage, the contract between the king and the witch
would have ended. What would happen to the king when the object of his
affection went away? The young lady-in-waiting stared at the necklace in
her hands. "I hope she can become queen…"
"Come now, that kind of talk's disrespectful," one girl chided.
"Girls, come on, get back to work," ordered the head lady-in-waiting,
clapping her hands, and they all scattered.
The young lady-in-waiting went to place the necklace in a box with a
magic lock—but suddenly felt someone's eyes on her. When she turned to
look, she saw a young woman garbed in the same outfit she was wearing.
This new arrival had black hair and pretty features, but something about her
seemed off. It wasn't someone the young lady-in-waiting recognized, and
she cocked her head. "Are you new here?"
There'd been no announcement of a new staff member. Curiously, none
of the other servants had taken any notice of her.
A smile bloomed on the unfamiliar woman's face like a wild, decadent
flower. "Yes. I'll just be here a short time, but I hope we'll get along."
Her voice had a smoky timbre, tinged with ennui.
It sounded like a broken song.