Chapter 233: How To De-cursify An Elf? (2)

The night was cool and quiet, the moon shining brightly in the sky. Willow was gently tucking Raegis into bed, his delicate hands smoothing down her blankets as he made sure she was comfortable. 

“Beef stew. . . ” Raegis said sleepily. “Willow’s scent. . .nom. . .nom. . .”

Willow chuckled softly. “Silly little pup,” he replied, his voice full of warmth and affection. He sat down on the edge of her bed and looked over to where Amelia was sitting, nervously fiddling with her hands.

“Is everything alright?” Willow asked, concern lacing his tone.

Amelia shook her head, her eyes flickering to Willow's face before quickly looking away. “I'm just nervous,” she admitted. “I've never lived with someone before. Especially someone like you.” She whispered that last sentence with a blush tinting her long ears.

Willow's heart ached at the thought of what Amelia must have gone through before he had rescued her. “You have nothing to be nervous about,” he reassured her. “You're safe here and I'm not going to kick you out.”

Why would he kick someone like Amelia out? Sure, she didn’t really appear in the game or he didn’t really remember someone like her appearing but it didn’t mean that she didn’t have potential. Oh, the truth was far from it in fact. 

In the past weeks that they had been adventuring together, despite Amelia’s potential being locked with her only being able to use one element at a time despite her multi-elemental potential, she was still able to provide a number of support especially with wind magic, in which she was most proficient in. Although many of the times she does cast wind magic, it usually ended with Willow being flipped upside down, with his fat arse on the view for everyone to look, but he could endure a little bit of mistake if it meant that Amelia was improving. 

Soon, his dreams of retiring in the countryside while secretly being backed by the most powerful members in the myriad realms was going to come to reality. 

Willow placed a soft hand on Amelia’s quivering shoulder. He knew exactly what to say to lost, little lambs like her. “You can count on me, like 1, 2, 3 and I’ll be there. Don’t worry.”

Did he just do that? Yes, he did. 

“Oh!” Amelia's eyes fluttered open, revealing her bright green irises. She looked up at Willow, her expression a mix of gratitude and nervousness. 

“Tha-Thank you, Willow. I appreciate it. I'm just...not used to staying in one place for so long. And living with someone who isn't trying to hurt me,” she said, a slight tremor in her voice.

Willow reached out and took her hand in his. “I understand. But you don't have to worry about that anymore. You're safe here, I promise.”

Amelia squeezed his hand and a small smile cracked on her face. “I know. It's just...I don't know if I really belong here. I don't even know where I come from or who my real parents are. All memories I can’t seem to grasp at anymore.”

Willow's heart ached for Amelia. He knew her past was full of pain and uncertainty. “Have you ever thought maybe the spirits were your real parents? They've been with you since you were a child, right?”

Amelia nodded, a faraway look in her eyes. “Yes, they've always been there for me. They love me, I know that. Just like they love you,” she said, a small smile returning to her lips.

Willow chuckled. “That’s wonderful of you to say. You know, a wise man once said, that family isn’t who you grew up with, rather who you choose to be with.”

Amelia's eyes widened in realization. “I-I never thought of it that way.”

Willow smiled. “Don’t be too sad. Me and Raegis will always be here for you, no matter what.”

At his words, tears welled up in Amelia’s green eyes but she stopped. She didn’t want to cry, not in front of her benefactor. So, she took a deep breath. “I don’t remember much of my past, or my family but I. . .I did remember that they were harmful towards me. For what reason, I’m not sure but I remembered that I had a fight.”

“With one of the elder’s son,” Amelia’s hands trembled slightly, but Willow placed his own above hers. She smiled thankfully. “It went out of control, he called me a freak nad I. . .I couldn't control my anger. The next thing I knew, I was in the forest, under the full moon, blood-soaked.”

“He was there beside me,” Amelia whispered. “Without an arm, a leg, an eye or an ear.”

“I brutalized him. And then, I fainted.”

Willow reached out and took Amelia's hand, gently squeezing it in support. He could only imagine how traumatic that must have been for her at such a young age.

“By the time I woke up, I was being accused of being a witch,” Amelia continued. “I have faint memories of my parents watching, simply watching as I was sold off, and I moved on from one castle to the next, one vile lord to the next until. . .” 

Amelia's voice trailed off and she looked down at her trembling hands, the memories still too painful to fully confront. Willow's heart ached for her, and he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

“Until you met me,” Willow said. 

Amelia looked up. “Yes, until I met you.” 

“I'm so sorry, Amelia,” he whispered. “No one deserves to be treated like that. But please know that you have a new family now. The spirits may have guided you, but it was your own strength and resilience that brought you here. Don’t be scared anymore.”

Amelia's eyes filled with tears as she buried her face in Willow's shoulder. She had never felt so accepted and cared for in her entire life. And she knew that she wasn't alone anymore. 

“Hey, Willow?” Amelia spoke up from Willow’s shoulders.

“Yeah?” Willow hummed. 

“Thank you.” 

Willow smiled. Once in a while, it wasn’t bad to comfort his future bodyguards like this. “Your welcome.”

***

“Well, it’s getting late,” Willow said, before stopping as he remembered what he was going to do. “But, before I forget, let me help you with something.”

Amelia tilted her head. “With what?”

“Your potential,” Willow said. “How would you like to be able to finally cast two or more magic together?”

Amelia’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry?”

Willow chuckled. “You don’t have to be.”

Amelia looked around the room, before settling on Willow again as if she didn’t believe what she just heard. “You’re going to help me. . .”

Willow nodded. 

“Do what I fail to do in the past century?” 

Willow stopped. Oh, how he forgot the elves had a long lifespan. “Yup. But, before that, let me ask you a question.”

Willow looked directly into Amelia’s green eyes as he asked, “Do you trust me?”

Amelia didn’t fail to answer. “Yes.” She continued. “But trust and being able to cure me of a century old curse isn’t the sam-”

“I know,” Willow said. “But as long as you trust me, I should be able to help you. Although, we should probably go outside for this.”