Page 192 of Castings & Curses

In Scorpio.

A twin.

Twin?

Sister, sister!

Bellatrix felt the whirlwind of thoughts flood her soul as her brain broke down the barriers of memory loss that had kept her identity captive for so long.

Princess, I am a princess. I have a sister, J-Jaiyana. Jaiyana! Where is she?

A vision appeared before her. She was looking down at hands that intertwined with hers. Raising her head, she stared into a face that mirrored her own. Jaiyana, her twin.

“Bellatrix, you cannot stay here! You must leave!” cried Jaiyana. “He is coming! Prince Roarke has been betrothed to you. You must leave now or your life will be miserable forever.”

“I will come back,” she felt the words escape her lips as she raced towards the dark woods where she would fall and lose her memory which Tiahanna had now restored.

Jaiyana, my beautiful twin, how could I have forgotten you? Where are you?

With a scream Bellatrix opened her eyes as Tiahanna removed her hands. Tears began to stream down her face as she cried, “Jaiyana! Where is she?”

Eryx gathered her into his arms as he stroked her head. “Hush, my love, do not cry, I am here.”

“Jaiyana,” cried Bellatrix.

“She is safe but must be saved,” answered Tiahanna. “You must go to her, for she is the half of you which will be needed to save both of you. Your sister also bears this curse.”

Bellatrix pulled herself from the comforting embrace of her lover and looked the witch in the eye. “What do you mean?”

“This lover’s curse has not only been placed on you but your twin sister and all future Meadowbrooke women.”

“You have a twin,” whispered Eryx.

Bellatrix nodded. “All of this has been my father’s doing. As King he wanted a young prince.” The memories started to flow back to her mind. “H-He did not want a woman on the throne. He w-was trying to marry me to someone I did not love. I-I do not understand why he would plight my troth without my permission.”

Eryx reached forward and took her hand in his. She gave him a small smile and was grateful for the warmth of his palm against hers.

Tiahanna beamed, “Your memory returns in small waves, but in order to speed the process, I will tell your tale, dear princess. A tale of sadness, but only you can determine the ending.” The blonde witch cleared her throat and spoke

“Long ago in our land of enchantment and great beauty, the ruler of Maldinia was a king with a frozen heart, selfish in his interests, narrow in his vision, unfeeling in his emotions. As a ruler, he meted out judgement with an iron fist, listened to arguments with a closed ear, and issued sentences of penance with no regret.

“Over time, there was an announcement that his queen was with child, and the people of Maldinia rejoiced. At last an heir would be born who could bring a legacy of change to the realm. The monarchs differed in their vision of an heir. The King wished for a young prince and the Queen only desired a healthy child.

“The King would soon find out that Fate does not always give us what our hearts want. On a frigid October night, the sky was illuminated by the Blood Hunter Moon, a supermoon in the sign of Scorpio. It was under that immense orb of night tinged with red that the queen gave birth to twin daughters.

“Anger filled the King’s heart. He was outraged. How could Fate have treated him this way? He became even more irate when the midwife told him that the queen’s labor had been detrimental to her body. She would never be able to carry or birth children again. The twin princesses would forever be his only heirs.

“The ruler stormed out of the chamber to his private quarters. This was unacceptable. The true monarch was always and ever a young prince. For it was a prince who had the education and was given the desserts of the palace. It was the prince who was given the powers of negotiation and skills of war. Lastly, it was the prince who would eventually take over the throne once the King passed to his reward. Daughters were not worthy of that kind of responsibility. Daughters were unworthy in all respects. In the mind of the King, he would not allow a princess to take over his throne. Maldinia was a land of enchantment, a gift from his own father. He would find a way to place a young man upon the throne, even if it was through the arrangement of marriage. Knowing he would never have another child, the King accepted the fact that a son-in-law chosen by him would be the next best option.

“The queen worried for her daughters' futures. She knew her husband would never allow a woman to rule the throne. The King would marry his daughters to a prince of a neighboring kingdom with the most wealth, a plan that would expand his empire. He did not care about his daughters finding true love or about their happiness.

“While the King plotted, the queen prayed to The Good Witches of the Forest to keep her children safe. On the Winds of Hope the Witches heard her plea, and they granted the queen’s wish. The mysterious weavers of spells gave the girls a precious gift: the power of magic.”

A smirk spread across Tiahanna’s face as Bellatrix’s eyes widened. “This is our birth story! It was never told to me. You are saying that I am a witch?”

“You are one of us, child,” replied Tiahanna. “The Witches of the Woods do not grant favors often, but the unfair treatment of women deserves our full attention.”

“Why did no one ever tell me I was a witch?”

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