Zamiel's Past! (Part 2)
Zamiel felt a rush of pain in his head as he slowly began to come into conscious, his eyes suffering a burden he couldn't quite define. With much difficulty, he had his eyes open and....the same room welcomed him. Wasn't it a dream or was he still dreaming?
With a groan, he sat up, however, his body felt much relaxed than before. He could now easily move his hands and legs with no pain.
Wonderment took over him as he remembered all the conversation which he still wasn't sure of whether it happened in real or not. But if it did, then....who are those women?!
Confused, with a sigh, Zamiel got up on his feet, slowly making his way out of the room.
As soon as he did, an indefinite fragrance surprised him, more surprised to see the young woman placing a bowl near the window which left out streams of smoke probably out of something that's burnt. The smell mysteriously felt very good, what was it?!
As she turned, a smile took over her soft lips upon seeing him, "You're up? How are you feeling now?!"
Zamiel didn't know how to respond so he just provided a hesitated nod.
"Please sit, I'll bring you some herbal tea!"
"No thanks..."
"Please sit!!" She repeated before leaving his view.
Zamiel sighed, not knowing where he was and what he should do, he just settled on a couch, waiting for the young lady to return so he could ask her his questions.
As time passed by, he found himself observing his surroundings, there was something about this place which strangely made him feel good about it while also planting a sense of alertness in his soul, as if anything could happen at the moment.
Halting his thoughts, the entrance door creaked open as the old lady entered in, closing the door and turning back, she could see him seated there, awake. "It's good to see you awake and well!!"
Zamiel didn't say any like before and just provided a nod.
He watched her take her seat across him, the basket in her hand full of leaves or weeds he couldn't quite recognise. So, are these people some physicians?!
The young lady appeared with a tray of cups in her hand, gently offering one for him.
Zamiel hesitated before accepting the drink.
The young lady took care of the basket before joining them.
He watched him sip their tea while his went unsipped. He was still a bit unsure about everything.
"I remember you saying.....you saved me!" Zamiel cleared his voice grabbing their attention.
The old lady nodded, "I did. So, the crown prince who left the palace in despair of his wife's death, is that you?!"
Zamiel stared her in silence, as if questioning her how did she know about it.
Jade smiled, "Rumours are everywhere, and more than that, the searching squads."
"Why didn't you hand me over then, you would've received quite a good sum of money had you done it!!" Zamiel chuckled, looking down his cup.
The young lady laughed at it, "Just some gold coins couldn't be our desire for sure!!"
The old lady chuckled at it. "If trying to kill yourself upon losing your beloved was always right, there would be no existence of life remained!!"
Zamiel chuckled at it as well, she thinks her motivating words would change him. "Where exactly am I?" He finally asked.
"It's our secret home residing in this forest, no one can know about it!!" The young lady explained.
The old woman introduced herself, "I'm Jade, and she's Cassandra!!"
Zamiel nodded.
"I'm Zamiel Bernadotte. And thanks for saving me, if your intention wasn't to hand me over, it wouldn't as well be to keep me here? I shall take my leave now!"
He expressed his thoughts attempting to get up.
Jade took the last sip of her cup, placing it gently on the table, "The king and his family, seems to worry about the prince!!" she informed.
That halted him.
"Having you leave would only mean letting you kill yourself." Jade sighed, "Which is quite disappointing. I mean, you have a long life!!"
Yeah, long life, a very long sad life!!
"You are free to stay here and rest until your opinions change, Zamiel." Cassandra said with a sweet smile.
Zamiel, no one had the audacity to address him such way other than his family, and his beloved wife!!
A faint smile took over him, and such a sweet treatment!! Why are they being nice to him? It's strangely suffocating.
Zamiel sighed, he didn't deserve it, he deserved to just die!!
"Death doesn't come by your perception about deservance but the fate, Zamiel!! You are alive cause you have things yet to begin and finish, that's the destined thing!!" Jade tried to convince him.
Zamiel smiled faintly, how convincing her words were. His thoughts almost gave in.
Thoughts? "How could you know what I was thinking?!" Zamiel asked amused.
"Some of us have the ability to do it, reading the minds!!" Cassandra explained, "And grandma is an expert in that!!"
Reading minds?? What are they ..."'Us' as in?!"
"We are witches Zamiel!!" Jade surprised him.
He went silent, wi... witches?! Zamiel laughed nervously, "Stop.....joking!!"
"No one jokes about such stuff, Zamiel! And you are free to leave however, I wouldn't suggest the thought." Jade with a sigh got up, getting into a room which seemingly belonged to her.
"Zamiel, the end of your life doesn't mean the end of your pain, it would only be the beginning of a new pain!!" Cassandra said softly, "Leaving the destined tasks unfinished out of your feelings would lead you into the loop of unnecessary reincarnations!!"
Why did she sound scary, completely contrastive to her voice?! "Cassandra?" He hesitatingly voiced, for which she provided a nod. "I do not understand what you are trying to say but I am sure about the intentions being good. But, are you both.... really wit.."
Cassandra smiled, "We are, and do not overthink, we do exist. You need to rest well, I'll call you when the meal is ready!!"
Zamiel watched her leave, in silence.
His heart raced at the uncertainty he was experiencing. So weren't they all just tales, they were real??
Zamiel gulped, yes, he never thought he would witness another witches other than....
************
As the dinner time arrived, they were all seated in silence, Cassandra served him some leafy meal with a herbal soup. He could swear he never got treated to this extent even when he fell sick, back in the palace. Too much herbal stuff.
"So....what powers do you guys attain being a witch?!" Zamiel wondered, asking still hesitated.
"It differs!!" Jade answered, "Some have unique abilities by birth while the others attain it through constant practice!!"
Zamiel nodded understandingly.
"And, it's not the powers but magic!!"
"And .... what's the difference?!" Zamiel wondered.
Jade smiled, looking up from her cutlery, "Powers and magic are like two sides of a single coin, Zamiel! They can co-exist while also cannot!"
Zamiel found it difficult to comprehend, a sigh escaped him, "Do you have the ability to look back into the past?!"
His question surprised them!
A moment of silence carried away.
"What exactly do you wish to know?!" Jade calmly questioned.
"The reason behind the death of my wife and father-in-law remains mysterious! I need to know the truth!!"
Jade sighed, "We'll look into that later, can we focus on the meal for now?!"
Was that an acceptance?!
His gaze shifted towards Cassandra, she smiled at him with a shrug before looking down at her cutlery.
Zamiel inhaled, will he finally get to know the reason behind the deaths?!
************
Seated in the living room, Zamiel wondered what was about to happen as he watched the old lady pour water in a vessel with all the care.
"The moonlight water always remains to be the best source to perform magic for us witches!!" Cassandra explained.
He nodded understandingly.
"Do you have anything that belongs to your wife? It should be something dear to her, connected with her soul, only the strongest connection will allow me to have the desired outcome!!"
Zamiel pondered over it, he left behind everything already. What else did he have now except his memories and the misery that comes along with it?!
His brows arched at the striking thought, "I have her wedding ring, would that..... work?!"
Jade smiled, "Hopefully!!" lending her hand out.
Zamiel felt a sting at his heart while giving away the ring. He watched her whispering something inaudible while holding the ring, her eyes shut.
With a deep breath, Jade drowned her hands into the vessel, her closed eyes rolling as if trying to look deeper into something!
Zamiel didn't know what was happening and by each passing second, his heartbeat increased, pumping with a pace like never before.
Cassandra has never seen the lady stress this much over something so trivial, wasn't it an easy task for her, why did it seem like it's getting difficult as time passed by. Slowly, she began to tense.
Minutes passed by while Cassandra and Zamiel felt the silence to be the unbearable.
Halting and momentarily relieving their tension, Jade shot her eyes with a loud gasp.
A sigh escaping her as she kept staring down at the vessel.
"Grandma.....is everything okay?" Cassandra asked worried.
Zamiel waited curiously for her to say something at least, the patience within him dying slowly.
Taking a deep breath, Jade lifted her wet hands from the vessel, giving back Heaven's ring which Zamiel hesitatingly accepted.
"Could you.....find the reason?" He managed to ask.
Jade looked up finally, the silver in her eyes shining like the moonlight itself for a moment, surprising him.
And the most awaited answer Zamiel craved for, Jade here has given it; "I couldn't!!"