Chapter 3: Magic is Real
Days passed as the young witch explored through the mansion of Count Thomas William, followed closely by Aria who was there to take care of whatever she needed. The house was built with more rooms than anyone could need, filled with luxurious furniture and fancy paintings that left Celia at a loss for words. Her times with Aria were fun and interesting as she learned of weird customs and legends of the kingdom, and her evenings were spent together with her grandmother and Tom having dinner or simply having tea and chatting about anything and everything under the sun. However, all these new things had soon lost their luster and Beatrix was more often than not at the Palace, making Celia feel lonely and missing the lush forest behind her home, her neighbors in the village, and her trips to the grassland around their village where she would go scavenging for medicinal plants. Even the simple dinners she had with her grandmother in the old cottage were fun for her, filled with fun and exciting stories of the older generation.
One evening, after Tom, Beatrix and Celia had finished their dinner, they were gathered in the living room drinking tea and eating sweet cakes and cookies in front of the fireplace. Celia was listening to her grandmother stories about the palace and the young prince while Tom was flipping through a book, partly paying attention to their conversation, answering from time to time or saying his part and then returning to the book. When Celia asked why Beatrix took so much time to finish her treatment she noticed a silent exchange between her grandmother and Tom.
"Celia darling, you must remember that we are all connected in this world, therefore you are never alone. When you can do something to help others, you must do your best without questioning what you will receive in turn. This world has a way of always returning what you're giving to others, so being helpful is the same and being kind to yourself. Never lose faith that you will receive the rewards and punishments coming your way, as they always find you, no matter where you go." Beatrix explained while her white frail hand slowly caressed Celia's hair, playing with the small curls in between her fingers.
"I won't be able to stay with you and protect you forever my dear," she continued while lowering her voice. "And that is when you must remember that you will never be alone. There will always be people that care about you, such as your friends back at home, the villagers, even Tom, and others you might meet in the future." a small sigh of sadness washed over Beatrix but she continued.
"Even if you can't be near them, you will always be in their thoughts and wishes." Although Celia was quite young, she knew that her grandmother was old and would not live forever and that often made her feel helpless and annoyed at her inability to be stronger. She stood silently looking at the floor as tears rolled down her face and onto her clenched fists laying on her lap.
"There is still a long time." she finally managed to say while trying to stop herself and regain control of her emotions.
"Indeed there is," Beatrix replied as a conclusion, trying to switch to a different topic. "How about you show Tom a little of what you can do." she suddenly said in a slightly cheerful voice. Celia's eyes widened with understanding and stopped wiping her tears on the back of her hands. Turning her head towards her grandmother making a shocked face as if the world was ending, she managed to speak her mind.
"But nana, you said..." she whispered between sniffles when she noticed that Tom was looking at them when a small grin started to show on his lips. She lowered her voice even more and leaned close to her grandma when she suddenly heard her say:
"Oh honey, Tom is fine, he's like us as well." and as she said that she directed a sweet smile at Tom who was now laughing and watching the many expressions on Celia's face as her little mind started working around what she heard.
"That's so cute..." Tom said while trying to stop his laughter. "She thinks you're the only ones ... so young..." he barely managed to say that as he once again burst into a deep laugh. Celia was looking at both of them while trying to organize her thoughts.
"Look here little one," Tom said when he finally stopped laughing. He got up and with a big fancy nod towards the two ladies and a mischievous grin, he approached the fireplace to start his show. All of a sudden, at a single flick of his finger, the fire that was hardly burning turned into a massive blue flame that enlightened the room. Celia was looking with her eyes wide open and her mouth hanging as Tom did a few more moves focusing on the fire that was now hovering over his long fingers. He grabbed it closely in his fist and molded it in his hands, changing its shape and color, making it soar through the room in a single whirl and even dividing it, in several pieces before smothering it in between his fingers. After another exaggerated bow and some applause from Beatrix, he took the book back into his hands and took a sip of his tea just in time as Aria was passing over in the hallway. With a snicker, he turned towards Beatrix and then towards Celia and started laughing.
Celia was not crying anymore but instead, she stood transfixed, her big eyes on Tom and her hands gripping the sofa cushion tightly. She now remembered the fear and excitement that she first sensed when being near Tom at their first meeting and she understood why she had the impression that he was not a simple man.
"Now now, no need to stare," Tom said while trying to remain as serious as he could. "Now show me what you can do." he simply added like it was so normal for everyone to have such powers.
Celia was still staring at his hands, not believing her eyes... her grandmother always told her to keep her powers hidden from strangers and she did just that. So Tom wasn't a stranger anymore she thought to herself since her nana thought he was trustful enough to keep her secret. If she believed in him, she will do the same. Slowly, the young witch raised herself and headed into the garden. She will show him, he can't make fun of her as she has trained her powers since young, she can't be less impressive than him. And with this thought in her mind, she returned back into the living room holding her very own box of tricks.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
RCMich
RCMich Another day, another chapter!
Thanks for reading this far, it might start slow but things will become more interesting as the story progresses.
Enjoy!
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