The Widow

Morrigan sat in front of a huge mirror. Her snow white skin reflected the morning sunlight. She wore the maid's outfit. The one that was given to her yesterday. In order to avoid any suspicion.

She was brushing her long dark hair for the first time in the last two years. Thereby she had some

Difficulties...

"Ah" She suddenly dropped the brush and grabbed her head.

That's it! I am going to cut it all down. I won't miss it anyway. I never liked having long hair but it helped me cover my face while I was on the run. Even back in the Alchemist Workshop It was mandatory for everyone to have short cut hair. Chief Alchemist Acher believed it would mess up the whole formula if even one piece of hair falls in a place where it shouldn't belong.

At least the pain proves that I am not dreaming, hard to say because armed guards are nowhere to be found. Only outside of the house. It's strange. Anyway, I still can't wrap my head around what happened in just one day...

Suddenly Spring stormed in: "Witch lady come!" Grabbed her hands and pulled Morrigan out of the room.

This kid again! I didn't even spend a day in this house but she can't get off me. In the morning she said she is sorry, but I am not sure why she did that and gave me a brush as 'compensation'.

I also noticed that her sister is always watching me. She thinks I didn't manage to catch her glance.

I spent two years of my life running; I know when people are watching me.

Shortly after, Spring dragged Morrigan in front of Machiavelli's room. Where Margherita was waiting for them. When they arrived Margherita grabbed Spring's hand and slowly pulled her over. Completely shielding her from Morrigan's vision then turned to her, leaned closer and said in a soft tone:

"Spring you shouldn't talk to... "Cough" "Cough" a lady shouldn't drag other people." After she said that she grabbed Spring's hand with a stronger grip and went in to the room. Leaving Morrigan behind.

I am a complete stranger after all. If I were her I would do the same.

When Morrigan entered she saw that Machiavelli was writing feverishly on a makeshift desk. Half of its parts were broken. Then he looked up and said" Come closer. I have something important to say."

"We already accepted your apology; you have nothing to worry about..."Said Margherita.

"No It's not that" He grabbed the back of his head. "It involves Morrigan. I am going to make her part of the Machiavellian family." He then picked up a chest. "She will be a noble, just like us."

Everyone remained silent in the room in the room for a couple of seconds. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard even the carts and the horses that pulled them stopped making sounds. It seemed like all the birds were also affected by what he just said. Only Spring was unaffected. Then Machiavelli stood up and looked at Morrigan while his hands were on the chest.

"From this day on, your identity will be Morrigan Machiavelli. Widow of my deceased brother Totto Machiavelli. You are here because my brother kept this marriage a secret from us in order to avoid the anger of our father. However this marriage was fully legal and thereby you are part of the family. I made all legal documents in the morning. No one will ever suspect otherwise and also to prove everyone outside of our family that you are one of us. You will wear this."

He opened the chest and there was a golden wristband in it. It looked completely identical to the one that Margherita was wearing.

"This will prove that even if you look nothing like us, you are part of the family. All adult members wear this and you hadn't got the change to take this so far, since the marriage was a secret. You arrived to Lakefall not long ago and forced me to consider my options and I chose to take you in. Any question or uncertainty?" He leaned back into his chair. Like he was preparing for a storm.

Margherita rushed forward to the desk and hit it with both of her palms. "WHY!"

"This is the best solution to make everyone avert their eyes of her. If we make her just our maid, that will be suspicious to many. They might think I hide her as a maid to keep her close to me. However with her being a widow. No one will approach her like that. She won't be harassed or suspected of being a witch. They will think she is just an unlucky woman. That way even the nobles above me will keep their distance from her, and she also won't be the topic of gossips."

"But a WITCH is going to bear our family's name!"

"It is the best solution. Now take this and make sure, you show it to every person who suspects you. Our family's name will protect you." Morrigan went to the makeshift desk and picked up the golden wristband from the chest. It fitted her left arm perfectly, but the cold gold made it uncomfortable to wear.

"Bu-but what about the documents! What about the fact that she never saw Totto!"

"I am the best at fabricating false documents..." He grabbed the back of his head and a sign of embarrassment could be seen on his face." And about Totto, she just has to vaguely describe the same facial features that I have."

"But still! Even if it's just in the documents. You are going to marry her into our..."Margherita's voice began to fade away then Machiavelli looked at her with an uneasy expression.

"It's not because I don't respect him..."

"I will show you the welcoming ceremony Wi-tch "Cough" Lady Morrigan." Spring grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room, carefully locking the door behind them.

They did not stop until they arrived in the hall. There not far from the exact middle, they stopped.

"First I have to think where you will stand..." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes looking like someone lost in thought.

"Why... Why does it matter where I stand? Can't I just stand here?" She stepped right next to Spring

imitating her.

"No you can't..."Her voice became quiet and soft, completely opposite from her usual behaviour." That was Totto's place...he was 7 years older than me but that still made him the second youngest... We don't stand where our family members once stood, because we will never be able to fill the void they left behind..."She then stood out of the line and started to point at the empty spots. "So here I am. Next to me is Totto, Next to him is Ermo, Next to Ermo is Margherita. Next to Margherita is mom...and right infront of all of us is father."Whenever she spoke the name of a family nember that wasn't present in the house her voice became weaker, until it completely disappeared just when she said

"Father".

I shouldn't have gone this far..."I-I thank you, you gave me your brush although I am just a stranger."

"Oh that." She started to grinn once again. "That not my brush." Then she burst out in laughter.

"Anyway it was about time I can finally call someone my sister-in-law."

She put up the same posture as before and said "I think I have the place for you. Stand next to me. Since you weren't born into the family I will be generous and count you as 1 day old."

"That's one way to settle it...So what should I do on the ceremony?"

"You just have to follo..." All of the blue a strong and rabid knock echoed in the hall. Then just a couple seconds later it once again filled the empty hall. Spring hastily went to the door where a man in leather armour was panting heavily and he barely stood on his legs. He suddenly spoke in a panicked and terrified voice.

"Lord Machiavelli! Where is Lord Machiavelli?" He looked around and didn't even care about Spring who was just outside of his field of vision because of her height." The Lord is needed in the castle! "He went to Morrigan "Where is the Lord!" Suddenly a voice came from bit further away.

"I am here. Tell me the situation." Machiavelli ran to the guard, who in an instant kneeled in front of him.

"My lord we-we have witnesses that claim that an army is approaching Lakefall. It consists of more than a 2000 men." His face became terrified and cold sweat covered his face. "M-My Lord somehow the other soldiers fond this out and began deserting...We caught all those we could but... We really can't spare the men guarding them...We are just waiting for your orders to deal with these traitors..."

"There is no need for that. That is just mindless violence, the tool of the fools. Give them this option:

'If you tell us who told you about the incoming army we will set you free'. "He touched his forehead." We don't want to fight against our own while we are being invaded... Write down all the names they say, if a person's name is told two or more times he will be suspected of being a spy. We will interrogate those people. Know more about the set-up of the advancing army and with that information we can conclude, when will they arrive..."

He then leaned closer to the guard.

"I hope you managed to note down everything I just said..."He gave a meaningful glance

The guard's face became even paler..."I-I can't wri-te..."

"How unfortunate, then you have to tell everyone before you forget all of it."

"I-I am going to do just that my lord." He then sprinted out of the house towards the castle.

"I am not a big admirer of the etiquette either but… at least don't come in just like that." murmured to himself then turned towards Morrigan" I am going ahead to the castle, change your clothes then make sure to show your wristband to everyone. Now is clearly not the time for explanations.