𝒜 𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝑔𝒶𝓂𝑒

𝖋𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖍𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐; 𝖆 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖈𝖍 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖆 𝖇𝖆𝖉 𝖇𝖎𝖙𝖈𝖍

@celestinexnbm·

Minsoo had never been a big fan of the isekai genre. It always seemed to follow the same lines and tropes. The leading men were often insufferable and she often found herself with a serious case of second lead syndrome. The leading women were often too dense for their own good. It made her wonder if the authors had ever even spoken to a woman before.

However, now that Minsoo was in the same situation, she realized she had been harsh on those girls. She had woken up disoriented and had still not found her footing. Every moment threw her off balance. 

Cecilia had led a life before her. She had hopes and dreams. Friends, sorta. People knew her habits and had expectations of her. Now, they had Minsoo. Though Minsoo had always sympathized with Cecilia, the character was a secondary villain at best. Little was mentioned about her, so, even if Minsoo remembered the entire book, she wouldn’t have much more to go on.

Because of Cecilia’s previous behavior, everyone was wary of Minsoo. They seemed to think the illness had caused brain damage. Some thought the amnesia was something she was just doing for attention. Minsoo didn’t understand who would so such a thing. Still, she had a feeling she needed to start “remembering” things soon.

Of course, there was a bigger issue at the moment. Cecilia was a powerful witch, even if she never lived up to Feya or Celestine’s abilities. But, Minsoo had exactly none of her training. So, after nearly setting their library on fire again she had asked the Good Witch to begin her training again. Now, she just had to apologize for nearly burning her hair off. “I’m sorry. I swear, I’ll get the hang of this.” She thought for a moment. “Maybe I should try to light something smaller. Like the candle instead.” 

there were moments in her life when celestine rather felt as though she were crawling out of her skin. as though a situation or conversation she was having had been experienced before, the wavering footholds of déjà vu in the sands of time giving her pause. making her wonder. there were a small handful of beings around her that never triggered this sensation, and as abysmal as it was, she found little comfort in the absence of it. in fact, they were the beings who made her the most suspicious. it marked them as alien, unfamiliar.

cecilia was such witch, if she could be so called. she remembered very well the way she had behaved before her illness. the conniving mind and thinly veiled disdain in cloying smiles. she had been difficult, to say the least. a raging inconvenience at best. an apprentice she would have never chosen of her own accord if it wasn't expected of her, in her role as an ally of the royal family. that cecilia was a known element. predicable and plain. celestine loved to be around those she had already mapped out. whose motivations and personalities could be predicted and used against them.

what the good witch hated, more than anything else in all of the kingdoms; was someone whose entirely personality seemingly changed over night. she had agreed to this training for that reason alone. because whatever cecilia was playing at, it was best to sort it out before the time came to make her own moves. she'd been expecting something earth shattering. instead, she was left wondering if the brain injury rumors that had been circulating were indeed true.

after quickly dousing the flames that had come so dangerously close to setting the curtain of sleek, shining black hair that hung down her back on fire. again. the witch could hardly believe that this was the same woman she had been teaching at all. "focus." she snapped, eyes narrowing in frustration. "we have been working on this for years. do you mean to tell me that all of that time we have spent, was a waste?" what good was an apprentice who couldn't even control their element? if it weren't for the danger posed by her lack of control, she might had walked away already. she still might.

clenching her teeth to hold back another sharp criticism, she exhaled heavily through her nose. replacing the clear look of annoyance with a more placid smile. she hadn't fooled so many for this long to lose control of herself now. "perhaps a meditation. the more anxiety you evoke the less control you will have. re-center yourself first and we will try lighting the candle after." or lighting the entire realm. she was relatively young, something she willingly admitted to no one. but in the years she had lived, and of all the lessons her own mentor had imparted, celestine had never once heard of an illness that could damage someone's talent and re-set them back to a novice. this girl had all of the control of a toddler. "have something to drink as well, to keep your energy up."

𝔣𝔩𝔞𝔰𝔥𝔟𝔞𝔠𝔨;; 𝔬𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔲𝔭𝔬𝔫 𝔞 𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔳𝔢𝔰𝔱 𝔪𝔬𝔬𝔫

  Matteo was not looking forward to the family dinner later today. Though this was supposed to be a holiday for him, he couldn’t even revel in it. Just hours around people who didn’t like him or wanted to assassinate him. In another life, he would be the guest of honor for an entirely different reason. However, in this life, no one would even realize the significance of him at their dinner table. Well, aside from the obvious. 

He stared at his drink. It hadn’t always been like this. Harvest Moon had been his mother’s–no, Nimue’s– favorite holiday. He wondered if she still celebrated it with the same elaborate feasts. They would go apple picking as a family and then carve shapes out of the fruit. Now, it was all just a political event.

Suddenly, he lost his appetite for the apple ale in front of him. He turned to the random person next to him. Without looking, he slid the drink to them. “Here. Happy Harvest Moon.”

it was a tradition now, all of these years later. putting herself at the right places at the right times. never too far from the crown prince in his time of need. always at his elbow to offer a gentle, kind smile with lightly rouged lips and eyes the color of red oak whispering invitingly; telling tales of maternal comfort. of welcome that had no end. celestine had been at this charade for so long, it took nearly no effort at all, and when he turned, drink offered with that same familiar homesickness in his gaze the mask slipped silently into place.

"are you not enjoying the harvest moon, your highness?" her tone like always was soft, something about it summoning the feeling of slowly crackling fire and peaceful nights. always even, never raised. a steady volume and gentle candor. it was easy to look at this man and see the little boy he had once been. homesick and longing for a family who loved him, and not the family who surrounded him now. a lonely prince, born a bastard; standing singular and aloof from the other players on the chess board who sought to see his end. it was likely even matteo himself had no true idea of how secure he truly was. he had the good witch as an ally. none would touch him, if she didn't allow it.

all she needed was more time, and time was a thing she possessed in excess. lifting the goblet in his direction she tilted her head, face showing nothing but tenderness and care for this sweet, silly boy trapped playing a game he could never truly understand. "to your health, crown prince matteo. though perhaps it is to your happiness, that i should be toasting." all the same, she brought the drink to her lips, tilting the cup, though not a drop of ale touched her tongue. "you know..." taking a glance around as though concerned of being noticed she leaned in slightly, the smell of smokey herbs scenting the air around her. "nowhere in the rules does it say you are stuck at this feast forever. you have plenty of time to enjoy the holiday in a way you find more appealing. and...if you were to require an escort, i am as always, at your service."

Aka Celestine wonders if she should ask for a raise

"it's going to rain, your highness" she offered keeping the annoyance from her face and free of her tone as she followed after the crown prince. though, considering their current whereabouts, perhaps it wasn't matteo at all, and she was following some demon of the veil to the wrong side in order to meet her doom. it had merit. until she remembered the conversation leading up to it. not a clone or impersonator then— just an idiot with a death wish. "and there are far easier ways of getting ourselves killed." poisoned wine seemed far superior to her, at least her shoes would not be caked with mud. "why don't we go home before we are left in the dark, hm? i'm sure you have things to see to at the palace, and friends to meet." she did not make enough for watching over this child, her salary was going to be discussed at the next available opportunity, with bonuses for dangerous trips to middlemist forest with no one but the crown prince and what she hoped to be good luck. "prince matteo, please. do you believe me to be so young that i seek out trouble this way? just because i likely can defend us, does not mean i am looking to find out!" stifling a groan she looked skywards as the first drops of rain hit the forest canopy. great now her hair would be wet. 

"well..." the witch sighed subtly under her breath, wondering what the point of having a disciple was, when they were as incompetent as this one. still, there had been a time not so long ago when she was just as unskilled and prone to cause accidents. "at least you didn't singe my hair again. try again." eventually, cecilia would get it. she would come into her powers and likely be quite powerful in her mastership of fire. unfortunately, that day didn't seem to be this one...tomorrow was also looking grim. deciding there had been enough destruction for one day, she quickly called on her own power, encapsulating the others and shrinking it to a small, nearly harmless flame before she used a touch of water to extinguish it. "perhaps, just read the book on theory again this week."