Chapter 66

Will looked at me with a soft smile, eyes misty with nostalgia. As if he recalled a memory that I had somehow invoked.

"You resemble Lydia in so many ways it can be astonishing at times," he said, turning to gaze at the figure of the knight. He closed his eyes and then in the most regretful voice said, "I hope you continue to love that child despite what I may reveal".

"Do not doubt it" The words left my mouth without hesitation. It was just then when I took in the scent of roses in the garden that I caught hints of musk and strangely enough... chocolate?

"Very well then" Will smiled and began to speak, "The duchess was a witch and the child of family witches. There was one every generation and almost always a man, which must have made it easier to keep within the family as men don't marry out of the family. In the Jehan Empire woman can only marry out of the family. The duchess was the first to be born a female witch in the family it seemed. She was raised to be adept at hiding her magic and was never taught to hone it. I guess the commander had accepted the end of their bloodline because once she began to speak he began feeding her herbs to interfere with her normal womanly growth. In hope that when she became of age, she would have no chance of having children".

I felt my throat make a strange noise of both terror and surprise.

"That's - That's terrible" I let out without meaning to interrupt. Will agreed with a sorrowful nod.

"Truly... Commander Blaine hadn't expected the king to order him to send his child as a bride to our Empire as a way to stop an impending war. Since he had a single daughter who he knew couldn't have children he was sure nothing could go wrong. Unfortunately for him, the duchess was much smarter than he bargained" he stopped to let out an amused laugh as if he had been told for the first time. A questionable look of pride glinted in his eyes as he continued, "The duchess had also had a natural affinity for healing, but she could not heal what she no longer had. When she first came to our Empire she came to the guild I was working at and"-

"You healed her?" I cut him off in disbelief.

He gave me a nod with a smile of irony.

"Since our Empire tends to keep all missions confidential I had no idea who she was. It was truly fateful when we met again- anyway back to the explanation. I had to search for some rather forbidden books to get an answer as to why, since the duchess didn't truly understand why her father was adamant about her not having a child. It seemed much more than conservative notions or keeping the families secret".

"Was it?" I asked in dread.

He nodded, eyes glancing behind me for a moment before continuing.

"There's another reason why witches are so low in numbers, besides the genocide. It's because there are two different types of witches. Those that abide by the laws of nature and those that abide by the laws of chaos. Witches of chaos are the ones that caused the genocide. They're the evil witches from the tales, so to speak. They are witches with power that exceeds the natural laws of magic and the creation of them is by mixing the blood of witches with the blood of a mana wielder".

I could feel a headache coming my way as I croaked.

"Then the duke is?"-

"It was so little the man himself didn't even know" Will explained as my head fell in the palms of my hand with a groan.

"Then the moment he caught wind of Cain's birth..." I could feel tears blinding my vision at the thought of a world without Cain. If he had truly died that night...

"It's a lot to digest and it isn't exactly common knowledge, but I thought it may help you"-

"It has!" I interrupted, straightening my back with a refreshed feeling invigorating me as I wiped my tears shakily, "Good grief... Would it be bad to say I'm glad it all went down as it did".

Will laughed at my words.

"I'm glad you got your closure" He smiled, eyes once again looking behind me, and this time I turned around. There was nothing there. Nothing at all. But just when I was about to say something I caught the whiff of musk and chocolate and I realized why it was so familiar. I smiled at the area as realization hit me.

"Seems we have a phantom visitor" I chuckled and couldn't describe the emotion that welled in me as the air slowly began to warp and suddenly there he was, smirking down at us. That mischievous glint in his eyes.

"I apologize for eavesdropping, but you had my woman in a secluded area and I have yet to trust you, famous healer," He said to Will. My stomach did something strange when he called me his woman and I looked down embarrassed.

"I would never harm her, but I'm glad you care so much for her. I hope you understand she reciprocates it" He stated that while my face burned.

"Will" I hissed through my teeth. I was ignored.

Cain placed a hand on my shoulder and I almost melted at his touch.

"I think I do. I think I truly understand after today" He patted my head and I understood he was holding back, probably because of all the times I scolded him for his excessive PDA.

"I would say that I am here if you require any help, but somehow you seem to manage finely on your own" Will gave him a narrow-eyed stare.

"I feel a bit generous today. Though you have enclosed rather personal information both of which I of knew of and of which I did not to my lovely fiance, I will forgive you and let you know that my mother has passed her beast of a familiar onto me as a stand-in for herself I presume. I hope you keep my secrets in the utmost security" the warning in Cains's voice sounded deadly.

"You have my word" Will was not phased and just smiled as he spoke of the fine weather we were having, "But a familiar? You were trained by a familiar and not the other way? Makes me wonder just how intelligent this beast must be?"

Although I only barely grasped what was happening, I knew Will was dallying on very thin ice.

"That is not for you to know, but if you acquire another phoenix egg I may feel a bit more generous" Cain teased, his hand slipping in mine as he pulled me up beside him, "I want to spend some more time with you. Maybe alone?" He winked at me.

"I'm still here!" Will reminded him, but he took no notice, and truthfully, neither did I.