Chapter Ten – Breakfast is Served

Clara was awoken by a loud banging on the bedroom door and Danielle calling her name.
“Wakey, wakey, Willow’s making breakfast. You better hurry up otherwise I’ll have the lot”. Clara could hear her giggling as she ran down the stairs.
Clara begrudgingly slid out of bed and headed for the bathroom, a faint waft of bread was floating through the door. She checked herself in the mirror and sighed, her hair was a mess again and she noticed she had very faint bruises on her wrists. In her half asleep state she simply ignored it and went through her normal morning routine. After a quick once over she grabbed the pink silk robe hung beside the door and made her way downstairs.

Danielle almost toppled down the stairs in order to get to the kitchen, from which a sweet aroma of fresh bread and sweet sugars radiated. As she burst into the kitchen she called out to Willow, a bright smile on her face.
“Morrrrrrning, that smells amazing. How long have you been up?”
Willow laughed, she was wearing the same robe as Danielle and Clara with a floral apron on top paired with thick oven gloves.
“An hour or so, I don’t tend to need much sleep, I usually meditate to assist my energy levels. You seem very active for this early in the morning, what’s your secret?”
Danielle danced around the kitchen taking in all the sweet smells.
“Me? I’m just a morning person, I could get an hours sleep and I’d still be cheerful, well unless I don’t get coffee…then I’m a nightmare”.
Willow giggled. “Well lucky for you I grow my own coffee beans so I’ll set you right up”.
Danielle stood in awe. “Are you serious?” Willow nodded as she collected a jar from the cupboard. “Well Willow, I’m afraid you’re not going to be able to make use of that room upstairs anymore as I’m calling dibs”.
Willow pulled the last of the bread out of the oven and placed it on the rack. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you wish, it’s always nice to have like-minded company”.
Clara entered the kitchen. “You’ll regret giving her that offer, she’ll never leave now”.
Danielle pouted at her.
“Then again, that means I get my apartment all to myself…WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME DANIELLE”. Clara hugged Danielle tightly as Willow giggled behind them.
Danielle pushed her off. “I’ll have you know I’m a great roommate, I’d get five stars on yelp! Besides you can’t cook at all, so you’re lucky to have me…that and you’d miss me if I was gone”. She stuck her tongue out at Clara.
Clara shrugged. “I suppose I would for the first few days but then I could move some hottie in and all will be well with the world again”.
Danielle eyed her sheepishly. “You mean like Jacob?”
Clara gave her a killing glare. “No, not like Jacob”. She stuck her tongue out at her as Willow set the jams and preserves on the table.
Willow sternly pointed a finger at the pair. “Now ladies…Or should I say children, settle down and eat your breakfast before I send you to bed without it”. Both Clara and Danielle were about to argue but Willow picked up their plates and pretended to take them away.
“Noooooo we’ll behave”. Both Danielle and Clara cried in unison.
Willow smiled and put the plates back down. “Well if you both were to move in, I have dibs on not having to be the adult next”.
Danielle cut in. “Not it”.
Clara sighed. “Fine, I’ll adult next”.
They all laughed as they ate and talked over breakfast, Danielle ground some coffee for her and Clara, Willow had herbal tea. They talked and laughed over everything and nothing for over an hour before they changed to a more serious topic.
“As much as I would love for this moment to last, I’m afraid we must move on to some more important matters”.
Danielle let out a dramatic sigh. “Should have known it was too good to be true”.
Both Willow and Clara looked at her puzzled.
Danielle turned to them both. “I mean, I thought this was a lovely dream where everything was working out and I was going to be in a poly relationship with you two and maybe that hot guy from before and we’d all live here happily ever after”. She paused as they both stared at her waiting. “What?”
Clara replied. “What are you talking about?”
Danielle sighed dramatically again. “Well now I’ve realized this is actually all happening, let’s be honest, in these situations I am definitely gonna get stuck with the nerdy guy, meanwhile you two get married and kick me out”. She slouched into her seat.
Clara laughed. “First of all, you’re the one that said you were gay not me, and how do you know Willow’s gay?”
Willow coughed. “Actually, I’m asexual”. She paused. “I’m not a virgin if that’s what you’re thinking. I’ve had sexual relationships, I just never saw the necessity really”.
Clara and Danielle stared at her blankly, their eyes wide.
Willow blushed. “Sorry that was a little out of the blue and far too much information over breakfast, let’s move on shall we”.

Once the kitchen was cleared, they returned to the living area to continue their conversation.
Willow began with the book from the other night.
“So, Clara”. She picked up the book and handed it to her. “The Jacob you mentioned, the one who brought you to the den, did you manage to find him in this book at all?”
Clara took the book and opened it up. “I’m afraid not I only got part way through before all the dramatics came about, I can continue looking while you talk though”.
Willow nodded. “That would be very helpful, thank you”.
Danielle put her hand up to speak. “Quick question, what is this den you mentioned? I remember you mentioned it yesterday, but I forgot to ask”.
Willow nodded to Clara to continue as she spoke specifically to Danielle.
“The den is a gateway to our world, they are almost like portals which allow us to travel instantaneously to different locations in the world. Normally they are only accessible by those of our kind who are imbued with magic. Clara and Jacob not only managed to see the building as it truly was but also enter inside and access the portals.”
Danielle intervened. “Wait, so Clara is able to perform magic?”
Clara looked up at Willow as she shook her head. “That is something I’m not sure of yet but I can be sure Jacob definitely could, otherwise there is no way he could have known about it in the first place. A human can gain access, but they have to be brought through with another. If I was to return to this world with you both there would be no need for the spell that binds Danielle presently”.
Danielle continued. “So, Jacob is one of your kind then?”
Willow nodded. “That’s what we can assume for the moment. From what Clara described, it seems pretty certain he was a member of The Shadow Knighthood. By using an illusion spell or potion he likely hid his true form from you both to gain your trust. These ‘blessed beings’”. She air quoted the words, her lip curling in distaste. “Will often corrupt them and use them by turning them against us and our cause”.
Clara looked up. “So he might be one you? But why would they turn against their own?”
Willow sighed. “Unfortunately, there were many cases before the wars where the children of a species that are skilled or powerful will be taken and raised as one of their own. They will receive no special treatment or be treated well in any way for that matter. But through the abuse and punishment they become disciplined to their ways and teachings. This escalated into human women allowing themselves to be impregnated by ‘superior races’ who show potential in magic to create powerful hybrids that they can then mould and use in their ranks”.
Clara gasped in shock. “That’s horrible, why would anyone willingly give their child, knowing they’d be used to do such horrible things?”
Willow looked down. “Unfortunately, there have always been and always will be those who care not for others and only for their own power. The women that offer themselves do so in hopes of producing powerful offspring that will raise their ranks to that of Baroness and Countess. They will never want for anything again”.
Clara shook her head in disbelief. “Has anyone ever managed to escape? To give warning about these places. Surely something could have been done?”
Willow smiled brightly. “Yes actually. My mother was one of those who managed to escape, it was there she met my father and shortly after that, she had me”. She hugged herself tightly as she reminisced about her parents.
“She was a prisoner of an encampment that had murdered most of those in her village, they spared only the women and children to be taken as prisoners, any men not killed during the siege were slaughtered like cattle. During the siege, she had shown great potential and had killed many of their soldiers. Upon seeing this their commanders used the children’s lives as bargaining chips against her. She laid down her weapons and accepted her fate to spare them.
For many years after that day, she was sent to the pits, merely a slave for their entertainment. Her talents included incredible magic and hand to hand combat, which would usually assign her to be forced into mating. Luckily for her, the leader of the encampment took a liking to her skill, so instead she was sent to the pits.
Fortunately, while there she learnt a lot about their ways, their hierarchy, their weaknesses, and their strengths, most of the knowledge in that book was thanks to her”. Willow pointed to the book on Clara’s lap. “And it’s with her story some of the greatest legends we have now made their debut”.