The sweet chirp of the birds and the voice of rippling water woke me up too early in the morning. Blinking my eyes open, all I saw was darkness around me. My eyes were sore, and it hurt while opening. The revelations of previous night were still hovering around my brain. I turned on my back and stared at the ceiling, hands crossed at my chest. I sighed, thinking about  the new life that was beginning that day.

"Sarah! Wake up -"

"Yes, Eliza, I m already awake!" I answered before Eliza could finish her sentence. The flowing water stopped and I heard footsteps come towards my room. Turning my head to the door I saw Elizabeth, fully dressed and bathed, standing at the doorway, leaning on the pane.

"Wow," she exclaimed with a smile, crossing her hands, "you woke up early today." 

Probably for her, nothing had happened. Seeing her there, it thrusted more pressure on my brain as I tried to figure out the truth. I sat up on my bed, wiping away my dried tears. Eliza sat next to me, holding me by my shoulder.

"Oh, honey," she whispered, "I m so sorry," she said leaning down. I looked up at her, my eyes filling with water. Oh no, I didn't want to start the day by crying, please. I pursed my lips, holding back tears.

"Why are you sorry?"

She sighed, "I don't know, its just, I feel bad for everything that is happening."

"Like?"

"You know, you are so young that it hurts to see me putting a burden on you!" Her tone was sad. She was worried, for me. My heart warmed up. A smile spread across my face a d the tears automatically dried up. Cupping her left cheek with my right hand, I assured her, "I m old enough to know about all these, Eliza. I m nineteen already, and I can take whatever burden I have to take. If this is what I have been born for, I have to accept it, right?"

Eliza's eyes beamed at me, "Wh-yo-you mean, you don't want to run away or, you know, curse this life or pray god to make you normal?"

A sheer laughter escaped my mouth, sometimes, Eliza could be such a kid. "You thought I was gonna run away?"

Eliza blushed with embarrassment, "Ye-yes," she managed to say. I dropped on the bed, I was laughing so hard. Eliza frowned, "You could've ran away!" She complained. I wiped away the tears that came out laughing.

I sat up again, "Oh Eliza!" I touched her shoulder, "I m never going to leave you, alright? Never, ever. Even if you tell me you can see ghosts!" I consoled her. Elizabeth's face lit up again. She nodded and stood up.

"Well, now get out of the bed and clean yourself. After that, there is breakfast laid on the table. Eat it and come out to the main door," she walked to the door of my room, "you remember we have start practicing, right? Your training?"

"Yes, I do," I replied. Eliza walked out of my room with a nod before shouting, "Don't be late but!" After that, I sat on my bed for a few more seconds. I sighed, getting ready for a new day. Probably, my instincts told me, probably this new life was not going to be so bad.

***

The breakfast table was laid with delicious food, cooked by Eliza. It was the first time in a while when we two were having a proper laid breakfast. All these days, either I was asleep or away breaking rules or getting swooned by the Prince. Those days, as I imagined, were long gone. I knew it from that very day I used magic to vanish that men in the middle of the forest that I was not anything normal. And my guess was right too. Eliza had said that I was precious, now I knew what she actually meant.

I sat down on my chair, next to Elizabeth, all bathed and wearing a peach long skirt and white camisole.

"Eat," Eliza commanded once we were seated. I took the small bread rolls, special dish of Eliza, and started digging in. Eliza did the same. We ate in silence.

"You know," Eliza said, a roll in her hand, "when I was a child, my mother used to make these rolls, stuffed with veggies. Oh! How I used to love it!" Elizabeth seemed to have a flashback, but as frown appeared on my face. I flinched, remembering my mom. All I could remember was a face; a face all white because I didn't know how she looked. Biting my lip, I looked down on the plate, chewing quietly. When I didn't reply anything, Elizabeth sighed, as if realizing her mistake.

"I m sorry, Sarah," she apologized.

"No, its okay. Its just, I never knew how she looked, and I don't even know if I m going to ever. So, its, uh-" I smiled and stood up from the chair, "I m full! Shall we go? I m waiting to learn . ."

A smile automatically appeared on Eliza's face. I hate to hurt her feelings, after all she had given me such care. Mother or not, she was Eliza, and I knew that. She was the same like me, and probably, she too had the same life as mine.

"Yeah," she stood up, "we shall. I m waiting to teach you too!" She led the way out and I followed her, hoping for the best.

***

"So," Eliza said as she took her position in front of me, "before going into details, you need to learn the basics." I nodded. Basics. We stood a few fifteen steps away from the cottage, with a water bucket, some stones surrounding us and a huge tree to provide shade. That was Eliza's preparations to train me. It was past eight in the morning, took us three hours to get ready, and the sun was brightly shining in the sky. I was glad we were standing under the tree.

I waited patiently, crossing my hands behind me, standing like an obedient student. "So, what are these basics?"

She nodded, "Firstly, to use magic, we require some spells, ancient spells rather, which you will have to learn. Yesterday, I used the spell 'rah - IH - za' to create a fireball on my palm. Similarly, there are other spells, hundreds and thousands of spells, to create different magics. Everything else it done by your limbs," she moved both her wrist in circles, creating a pressure of air between them, "and your mind." She dropped her hand. I was lost in my world of magic; dreaming of using my hands the same way and mastering to use magic. But ancient spells? That seemed tough.

"Understood or not?" Her voice woke me up from my day dream. I quickly nodded.

"Yes, but all these ancient spells -?" I trailed off, my face pale enough for her to chuckle.

"Don't you worry, its not that hard. Just go with the flow, you'll soon master it!" Easier said than done. My fear was that I didn't even know to read and write, so, how I learn spells? On top of that, ancient spells? The task seemed harder as we went further.

"Bu-but," I stammered, "I don't even know how to read, or write."

Eliza broke into a laughter. She held my shoulder with both hands and said, "You will learn as you grow. And I m always there to teach you, alright?" She was so good. I nodded. Quickly, she took back her hands and resumed speaking the basics.

"So, the main control will be of your mind and your limbs. That's all!" She said, "secondly, creating magic needs a lot of energy. Remember, the first time you used it, and how after that you ended up unconscious on the bed for two entire days?"

I flushed a little at the memory. Nodding my head and looking down at the ground I said, "Yes, I certainly do!"

"Good! Well, that was because it was your first time. When one tries magic for the first time, and that too a very powerful magic, a lot of every is drained of the body. It always happens, even with me." While saying, she moved from her place and stood just behind the water bucket. She swivelled her hands in a spirally motion, and the water from the bucket started lifting, slowly . . . and miraculously. I glared at her, stunned at her actions, my eyes wide. "Now, look," she said, her eyes concentrating on her hands and the amount of flying water. She raised her hands higher, the water following the movements of her hands. She then circled her hands again, together, as one, like studying a ball with hands. She raised her hands more . . . more . . . more . . . more . . . until finally, she threw her hands loose towards the tree. The flying water fell on its roots, quickly seeping underground. My mouth was half open and my eyes were wide. No matter how many times she does tricks with magic and I know the truth, I still get awed every time.

"That was-" I gasped, words failing me.

"I know, it happens every time."

"What happens?"

"Your reaction, I mean," she giggled. I flushed.

"But, you said magic requires energy of your body, so why didn't you faint?" I asked out of curiosity.

"That is because I m trained, and an old learner. I have been trained all my life and I know the amount of energy I need to use. So, I don't faint." She informed me.

"Oh." I nod in agreement.

"So," she clapped her hands, "let us start, right?"

"Yes, sure," I said, though nervous.

Eliza nodded as she took her place just behind me. "Let us try lifting that stone." She pointed to a small stone that was a few meters away from us. "Concentrate on that!" She commanded. I did as she asked. I concentrated hard; clearing my mind off all other things. My breathing got heavier, tensed.

"Now say 'rïsa', without breaking your concentration," Eliza whispered.

"Rïsa!" I repeated, moving my hands forward and upward. I waited. And slowly, very slowly, the stone raised in the air. Magically! I gasped. And as soon as I did so, my concentration broke and the stone fell. But I did it. I raised the stone. My eyes were sparkling as I squealed.

"I did it!" I turned to Elizabeth.

She was smiling, "Yes, you most certainly did. But don't get too excited, you have to keep it in the air for long and then try to hit with it. So, try again." She commanded again. I frowned, but I implicitly obeyed her command. Turning back, I tried to lift the stone again.

I tried for hours, the stone raised for longer minutes. I was happy at my progress on the first day. Soon, night dawned and I got tired.

"Sarah, its enough for today, come back now," Elizabeth called out. I sighed, my body tired as all my energy was drained out by then.

"Yes!" I called back as I hurriedly walked inside for dinner.

Like that, my days passed. Every day would be the same, yet different. I would do the same task, but I got better and better every time. We would wake up early in the morning and practice till night, the only breaks being for lunch and dinner. Life, as for me, got very much different. It became something I couldn't have imagine about. Yet, I didn't complain to God. Maybe it was my destiny after all. And maybe, soon, I'll learn to adapt to my new changes. Because, the truth as I know is that I m never going to be normal again.