Trial Marriage of Joanna The Witch

[PART 1]

There were never come to her mind that she would considering a plan to leave this country. But, as the strange and unfamiliar atmosphere hanging in the air of the ballroom, Joanna started to think it wasn’t a bad idea. She looked and show a tackled smile to a bunch of unfamiliar face that capture her figure as she walked past them to the nearer desolate wall. She never thinks that there was a possibility of these people to make a conversation with her. Joanna use to think that having conversation with noble is boring. She couldn’t understand why her closest friend would sit comfortably with all of these people.

            “I probably should not come to this ball—no matter what they called this event is—even though they said it is a celebration for me… (sigh) Yeah, I shouldn’t come.”

            The Red hair girl grumbled herself while she trying to avoid a glance from everyone near the place she stayed. She placed her eyes on the pixie’s houses that hanging in form of vines that stick to the wall. Eigheghaum—not like it’s hard-to-spell name—is one of simple, yet prosperous country that adore Multiple Nordic’s Vanir Gods. The blessed of these god and goddess of Piece makes this country full of magic mana that really beneficial for myth creature to life, learn and meditate their power competence.

            Joanna is considered as one of the “creature.” Even though her physical appearance as normal as any humans in this room, she is different. She’s not one of these people who worship Nordic’s gods—a human. Her master a long- long ago ever mentioned them as the children of the night—Nyx’s children based on Greek mythology. But Joanna never really cares who she was and who she is. She only cared to her plant and when did they grow, what spell would increase their growth, which creature that could associate the plants for it’s beneficial, less she know about the regular and popular spell that being use by regular human.

            Now she thinks about her plants, she suddenly remembered that tonight the night sky decorated by the shining full moon. Her facial expression turned from oppressed to depressed.

            “Oh Crap! It’s a full moon, my little cutiepies must be in blooms tonight. I need to go home to harvest my little cutiepies soon. Those mythical plant would be screaming all over the hill if I didn’t get to my work now. It’s not good. The Werewolves would be disturb…”

            Joanna flinched when she heard someone respond to her grouse.

                        “Joanna oh Joanna! I beg you! Why would you grumble yourself while everyone wanting to talk to you? After all, this ball is for celebrating your achievement for exterminate those terrible disease. You should enjoy this night!”

            When Joanna recognized who are the voice that spoken to her fussily, she rolled her eyes.

                        “Marie.” She greet her with no spirit.

            Joanna not really surprise to seeing her in the ballroom—especially here, found her easily. Marie is also a witch like she is. It is natural in this country to found a witch. Witches lived in this country like the other myth creature lived in this country. The King and noble usually not really mind if they lived along with the myth. Of course, because the royal and paladin are always had its power to put everything in order—the myth would never dare to interfere human activity.

                        “I will not grumble here and enjoy the night if your favorite humans did not make me feel so boring. One conversation that is quite interesting is when someone told me that she have her cat grow bigger any minutes! ‘As big as my cauldron’—she said. And the cat burst out became millions of butterflies.”

            Joanna smiling admiringly remembering the extraordinary- beautiful lady who had spoken to her before.

                        “Wait what? A cat?” Said Marie with a laugh trying to free after her hands.

            Marie could have guessed who is the one who said that. It must be Arianne, the daughter of the most person that have bad reputation among the nobles in Eigheghaum. She didn’t like the fact that her witch friend seems to being friendly in human—especially the bad reputation one.

                        “Oh! I probably know who she was. But I don’t think you should talk to her anymore. Her family is considered as a freak. You are not supposed to talk with her.” Said Marie.

                        “I see, I think that’s why other humans were in such a hurry when they take me away from the lady. They didn’t want me to hang out with her.”

            Joanna always accept Marie’s advice even though sometimes she being skeptical about the advice. It is because Marie is her best friend. She didn’t want to argue make a tense in the relationship. But that’s the problem. Marie is manipulated person. She didn’t really like Joanna and only became her best friend because she think Joanna is just stupid little witch.

            When Joanna saved the country from the disease, Marie secretly hates her. She never realize it until the King himself make a ball for Joanna and secretly want to pay for Joanna’s Marriage Event—The King try to make Joanna Married with someone on this country. Everyone knows except for Joanna. But Marie think it would be good to spoil the surprise.

                        “By the way Joanna, did you ever heard something funny about this celebration?” Said Marie.

            Joanna frowned. If there is something suspicious about the celebration is that everyone who want to talk to her. She never think the noble would put an interest to talk to her—some strange nerdy witch. She didn’t think it was something that Marie refers to.

            Seeing Joanna’s expression make Marie happy—she wide her eyes and raise her eyebrows, make an expression telling her: “Are you kidding?!” It’s just in her face though, she guessed that and happy to know she didn’t know yet.

            “Oh my god, Joanna! You must be kidding me. You still don’t know? Anything about this.. Oh my god.”

            Joanna blankly stare at Marie, with her usual flat tone of voice she reply her, “What do you mean?”

            Marie glanced at her and said, “No, no. I must not tell you anything. I won’t ruining your surprise.”

            Joanna staring at her friend, hating that word she mentioned. Surprise. She never like surprise. Her Master always make her do something difficult for her training and said “Surprise!!!” whenever she show Joanna the “training session”

            One day, she have to take a divine plant that only sprout in dragon’s spine. Her master take her for vacation and casually point out her finger at dragon that lived in small island then said: “Surprise! Now then Joan, you want to plant a Falgrouth yes? Here you go, Falgrouth only sprout in dragon’s spine.”

            Just because she hated so much to see a witch that only focused on her plant—not a spell. Now, she thinks every surprise is never being surprise for her. She thinks the King have a request—Job, something to be done.

            Joanna finally said; “Marie, you know I really hate surprise. Please tell me. Does everyone know about this?”

            She started to realize that everyone seems to stare at her differently—like there is something funny about her or sometimes an envy glance. She never thinks that it was strange back then.

            “No, No, I must not!”

            “Too late Marie, you should tell me now”

            Marie without a single hesitation tell Joanna what would the King said. Joanna who listening quietly became more and more anxious about the information. With a sudden horror in her face, she can’t barely speak nor react.

            “this is terrible.” Said her inside.