Jessa escorted Sabrina through the twisting hallways, many of which were paneled with the same dark wood as the outside of the building. Sabrina was surprised not to encounter any Helferin or other enchanted helpers, but it was possible the walls and floors were spelled to repel dust and remain clean without the need for scrubbing or mopping, or perhaps the members of the Coven were responsible for the cleaning and divided the tasks amongst themselves.

While she could sense Warren carrying her bags behind her, at least he remained quiet, as it would have been awkward to try and talk to him over her shoulder while walking beside his mother.

At last they reached a door painted a cheerful red, which Jessa opened before gesturing for Sabrina and Warren to follow her inside.

Once in the room, Warren busied himself with arranging Sabrina's bags on a low bench near the bed while Jessa showed her the attached bathroom, where a clawfoot bathtub was already filling with hot water. Judging by the various knobs, this coven obtained hot water the same way the Hexen did, piping it up from underground hot springs rather than using spells.

The bedroom itself was cozy and inviting, featuring a large pine-frame bed covered in a colorful patchwork quilt. There was a wardrobe for storing clothes, a table and high-backed chair for writing, and an armchair positioned in front of a small brick fireplace for more relaxed reading. There was also a door that led out onto a balcony, and Sabrina marveled at the blues and blacks of the night sky as the first stars of the evening made their twinkling appearances.

"There's absolutely no rush," Jessa assured Sabrina. "Take as long as you like to clean up. When you're done, simply tap the mirror in the vanity. I have an affinity for glass," she explained. "When you touch the mirror and speak, I'll be able to hear you, no matter where I am in the castle. I'll come get you and bring you to dinner."

"I'm more than happy to escort Sabrina to dinner," offered Warren.

"Oh, I don't want to be any trouble," Sabrina protested, but Jessa waved her concerns away.

"Once you're ready, either Warren or I will come and show you to dinner," she said, not entirely succeeding in fighting down the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Sabrina nodded and thanked Jessa and Warren before closing the door behind them. Leaning back against the painted wood, she sighed, thoroughly suspecting Warren might sit outside in the hallway simply to be the one closest by when she was ready for dinner. It couldn't be helped, though, and so she turned her attention to the bathtub, inhaling the steam rising from the lemon-scented water.

After bathing, Sabrina hung her clothes in the wardrobe, selecting a deep burgundy dress for dinner. It felt odd to be back in a dress after wearing breeches all day, and as she studied herself in the mirror, she realized there was no one present to make her wear the dress. If she wanted to put on pants again, no one would tell her otherwise...then again, word of her chosen dinner-wear might make its way back to her mother, and she didn't want her to regret sending Sabrina as an emissary.

Scowling, Sabrina ran her hands over the bodice of the dress. Here she was, miles away from her mother, and she still wasn't free to make her own choices.

Rather than dwelling on such a dismal truth, she walked over to the vanity and pressed the tip of her finger against the mirror.

"I'm ready for dinner whenever it's convenient to collect me," she said, feeling slightly silly speaking into a mirror but also admiring Jessa's cleverness at using her affinity in such a manner. A few seconds later, a voice floated out from the glass.

"Wonderful!" said Jessa, and Sabrina wondered where in the castle she was. "I'll come and...what? Oh, how nice, thank you, dear," she said, clearly speaking to someone else.

Sabrina clenched her jaw, having a good idea who that someone else was.

Jessa spoke again, addressing Sabrina this time. "Warren is on his way to your room, so I'll see you in just a few moments for dinner."

"Thank you," replied Sabrina, dropping her finger from the glass and pressing her lips together, trying to calm the annoyance surging through her.

I'm here on a diplomatic mission, she reminded herself. I must be polite.

A moment later a knock rang out from her door, and Sabrina schooled her face into what she hoped was a pleasant expression. Warren stood there, his hair damp, wearing a different shirt and vest than he'd been wearing at her arrival. If he'd changed for her, his efforts were a complete waste of time, as Sabrina couldn't have cared less what he, or anyone else, wore.

"Thank you for escorting me to dinner," she said, stepping into the hallway and closing the door behind her. She desperately hoped Warren didn't offer her his arm, as she couldn't see how she could politely decline such a gesture; to her relief, the hallway was so narrow at some points they were forced to go single-file, which meant Warren kept his arms to himself.

"The pleasure is mine," he said. "We so rarely get visitors here, it's such a treat when someone from another coven comes to visit."

"It was nice to have a reason to get away for a while," replied Sabrina.

"I trust your journey was pleasant?" asked Warren.

"It was," Sabrina nodded. "I don't have the opportunity to ride horses very often, and Schön was a wonderful traveling companion."

She managed to engage in small talk as Warren guided them along a handful of hallways, up two flights of stairs, and around three corners, until they reached a pair of double doors thrown open in welcome. A dining table took up most of the small room, which appeared to be meant for intimate dinners rather than large gatherings.

Jessa and Hermann were already seated, but both quickly rose when Sabrina and Warren entered.

"My, that's a lovely color on you," noted Jessa, gesturing to Sabrina's dress. Sabrina willed herself to smile and receive the compliment as graciously as she could, but she didn't miss the way Warren's eyes fastened onto her dress before darting elsewhere.

"Thank you," she replied to Jessa, quickly making her way to an empty chair and seating herself. While some rules of etiquette might have said she should wait for Warren to pull out her chair, she wasn't accustomed to waiting for anyone else to do anything for her; back home, no one would think twice about seating their self.

Warren sat down in the seat across from her as his parents returned to their chairs, and dinner began, with Jessa lifting lids off platters and instructing her husband what to pass in which direction. The room was soon filled with the delicious smells of roasted egglant and other seasonal vegetables, including mashed potatoes, asparagus, corn, and thick slices of warm bread drizzled with honey. Sabrina's stomach growled, and she hoped no one heard over the clinking of utensils.

"We thought perhaps you might appreciate a quiet dinner after a day of traveling," said Hermann, passing Sabrina a bowl of carrots dusted with brown sugar. "Tomorrow you can meet the Nichts, as well as the representatives of the other covens."

Sabrina very nearly dropped her fork...representatives of other covens?

She hadn't known other covens would be involved. Had her mother known about this? If she hadn't, did she need to be informed? And if she had, why hadn't she mentioned anything?

"What, exactly, are the Nichts planning to do?" asked Sabrina, hoping her discomfort hadn't been too obvious.

Hermann sighed. "Where to begin? You know the Waldkonig banished magic users from the Schwarzwald centuries ago, correct?"

Sabrina nodded.

"Well, the banished witches and warlocks founded covens on the outskirts of the Schwarzwald, such as the Hexen and the Zurasammen. I don't think the Waldkonig anticipated so many magic users would remain close by, so in a way, his plan backfired. While he emptied his woods of anyone who could use magic, by forcing them out, he actually created a barricade hemming himself in.

At one point, the witches and warlocks became aware of the power they'd inadvertently acquired and proposed a treaty...they wouldn't enter the Schwarzwald, so long as the Forest King never left it. The Waldkonig accepted the terms, and we've all lived peacefully these past two centuries...and by peacefully, I mean, everyone keeps to the terms of the original agreement."

Herman took a drink from his wineglass before continuing. "With the Nichts, however, no such treaty was ever established. The Waldkonig banished them from the Schwarzwald shortly after outlawing witches and warlocks; however, the Nichts never seemed to truly understand the seriousness of this, and every decade or so, they try and venture back into the forest."

He shook his head. "It's never worked. Building projects are destroyed almost as soon as they're started. Nichts come running out of the forest, screaming about nightmarish things...a few years ago, one man didn't return at all."

His expression became more serious. "I've spoken about the dangers of the Schwarzwald at length, but our local Nicht government is determined to get inside. It's possible they believe the old legends about precious gems littering the ground like stones and gold falling from the trees, but even if they don't put stock in myths, there's the very real opportunity for profit from the things right in front of them...lumber, for one, and mines filled with precious metals."

"What's their plan for tomorrow?" asked Sabrina.

"I'm not clear on the details," cautioned Hermann, "but I know they intend to make an appeal to the Waldkonig. If they don't receive an answer, or don't receive the answer they want, I fear they're going to try something they shouldn't. I've told them my position on this, but that's why I invited your mother, as well as representatives from the other covens. I don't know what's going to happen, but I fear it won't be good."

Sabrina nodded, lowering her eyes to her plate as she mulled over Hermann's words.

She knew better than to make blanket statements about Nichts, such as assuming they were all stupid and only capable of creating chaos; her father was a Nicht, after all, and he was quite intelligent.

Yet she also knew her father was most likely an exception to the rule—he preferred keeping to himself and didn't become involved in matters that didn't concern him, such as issues related to magic, which Sabrina viewed as further evidence of his intelligence.

It was odd how most Nichts seemed utterly determined to bend the world to their will without having any actual power to do so, unlike those who could use magic. They really ought to know their limitations.

Sitting there thinking about limits, as someone who hated not having her decisions respected, Sabrina suddenly felt an unexpected pang of sympathy for the Waldkonig. How tiring it must be to have an entire group of people not take you at your word and constantly attempt to steal what was rightfully yours.

Given the Waldkonig's history with her kind, Sabrina immediately tried to dispel the thought, since a murderous recluse who despised witches certainly didn't deserve to have her feel sorry for him, much less feel as if she could relate to him.

Try as she did, though, a small part of her quietly but stubbornly maintained that the Waldkonig had made his position with Nichts clear and if they didn't respect his boundaries, then he had every right to protect his domain from intrusions as he saw fit.

Surprised at where her mind had gone and aware of just how unacceptable such thoughts were, Sabrina searched for something else to say, feeling increasingly ill-prepared for the task she'd taken on.

Picture by Matthiasboeckel from Pixabay