The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation as Elsa's words resonated through the silent crowd. The revelation of Elias, the village's wise and ancient elder, as Fredericko's biological father had left everyone in a state of disbelief.
"Mother... ?" Fredericko finally broke the silence, his finger pointing uncertainly at Elias.
Understanding the question behind his gesture, Elsa nodded, her voice gentle yet resolute. "Yes, Fred. He is your father."
The villagers erupted into a cacophony of murmurs, their voices mingling as they struggled to process this unexpected turn of events.
As the chatter began to subside, Elsa continued, her voice ringing clear and strong. "In our generation, women are not afforded the same treatment as men. As for my magical abilities, I was born with them. You call me a witch for using my gift to help others? How can you be so ungrateful?"
This new revelation sent another shockwave through the assembled villagers, their eyes locked on Elsa as they grappled with the implications of her words.
"I was born forty-five years ago," Elsa began again, her voice unwavering. "Even as a child, my eyes were different, as you can see – both the shape and color resemble diamonds."
Once more, the crowd broke into a murmur, their gazes fixed on Elsa's striking eyes.
Roxanne, her brow furrowed, spoke up. "But Machias and I spent ten days with you, and I never noticed anything unusual."
"I simply used magic to alter their appearance," Elsa explained. "I didn't want you to see me differently because of them."
Roxanne's gaze dropped, a hint of sadness in her eyes as she listened.
"If a simple spell cast upon a sword I crafted could provoke such a reaction from Machias in my own home, imagine how you all would have responded if you had seen my true eyes," Elsa said, her voice carrying a note of weariness.
As Roxanne took in Elsa's words, she couldn't help but feel a sense of regret for their earlier mistrust and the unfair judgment Elsa had endured.
Elsa's voice remained steady as she continued her story, the crowd listening intently to her every word. "My mother never understood why my eyes were different, but she knew they made me special. I never had the chance to ask her about my father, as there were other pressing issues at hand. People treated me like a monster because of my eyes, but my mother believed I was unique. When I was ten, my powers awakened, allowing me to make anything happen with just a wish. I shared this with my mother, and she warned me never to use them in front of others."
The villagers exchanged hushed murmurs as they began to understand the hardships Elsa had faced.
"My mother told me my powers were a gift given to me for a reason, though she didn't know what that reason was – it was something I would have to discover on my own. I spent years trying to unravel the mystery, but no answers came," Elsa said, a hint of sorrow in her voice.
As Elsa paused, the people continued to listen, their whispers filling the air.
"Eventually, I grew tired of seeking the purpose behind my powers and stopped searching. When I was fourteen, my mother and I worked on our farm together. After we finished our daily chores, she would return home, and I would stay behind to hunt. My powers made me a skilled hunter – I could locate and kill animals with ease, providing food for my mother and me. I became adept at concealing my abilities, ensuring no one discovered my secret. One fateful day, I found my mother lying motionless on the ground, a tiger looming over her. Overcome with anger, I used my powers to kill the beast, but it was too late – my mother was gone, and I couldn't bring her back."
Sympathy welled up within the hearts of the villagers as they saw the pain in Elsa's diamond-like eyes.
Elsa's gaze then shifted to a man of similar age, a bittersweet smile gracing her lips. "Hello, Davy. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Davy sighed deeply before responding. "Elsa..."
Elsa's voice took on a melancholic tone as she continued. "I fell in love with Davy when I was seventeen. My feelings for him were genuine, and he loved me first. We were happy together and eagerly anticipated our future – marriage, a family, a lifetime of shared joy. But everything changed when I became pregnant at nineteen. When Davy learned of the child, he broke up with me on the spot, accusing me of being unfaithful. I refused to answer his questions, and he left me, finding solace in the arms of another woman. I was heartbroken – Davy was the only person who had accepted me for who I was, apart from my mother, and I loved him deeply. The reason I couldn't answer him was that I didn't want him to know I had been raped by his own father, Elias."
Elsa's confession sent shockwaves through the assembled crowd, their hushed whispers rising and falling like waves crashing against the shore.
Davy's eyes widened in shock as he turned his gaze towards Elias, his father, the man who had shattered the life Elsa had tried to build for herself.
Elsa continued her story, her voice steady despite the turmoil of emotions that swirled within her. "When I was fifteen, I decided to use my powers to heal people and create medicine, believing that perhaps this was the reason I had been given these abilities. I became a doctor to my people but continued to hide my powers, fearing their reaction. Two years later, when Davy and I began our relationship, I confided in him about my abilities. He accepted me for who I was, and his love for me only grew stronger. But then, when I was nineteen, Elias raped me, and I became pregnant. My relationship with Davy crumbled after that, and when I was twenty, during the eighth month of my pregnancy, I discovered something strange about the baby. To ensure his well-being, I used my magic to examine him, but this time I was caught. I was arrested, and Elias banished me, warning me never to return. That was how the rumors of me being a witch began to spread. To everyone else, Elias's actions were noble, an attempt to protect them from a dangerous witch. But to me, he was merely trying to conceal his own misdeeds."
As the villagers absorbed Elsa's heart-wrenching tale, a heavy silence settled over the crowd, their eyes darting between Elsa and Elias.
"Mother," Fredericko called softly, his voice cutting through the quiet.
Elsa lifted her gaze to meet her son's.
"Let's leave this place," Fredericko urged, his frustration and fury evident in his tone. "These people don't deserve your love and kindness."
Elsa, understanding her son's anger, nodded in agreement. "Okay."
With the Oathkeeper's Shadow securely sheathed in Fredericko's hand, Fredericko and Elsa turned to leave, making their way towards the mountains. Roxanne, however, was not ready to let them go, and she pursued them, her voice filled with desperation.
"Fredericko! Please don't leave us!" she cried, her voice echoing through the still air. "Come back to us! We are your people! We are your family!"
Fredericko let out a bitter chuckle. "Family? Hah! Roxanne, my mother is the only family I have. I want nothing to do with any of you. Leave us alone!"
Roxanne's eyes welled up with tears as she watched Fredericko and Elsa vanish into the mountains, their figures growing smaller and smaller as the distance between them grew.
"Fredericko! Fredericko! Fredericko!" Roxanne screamed, her cries growing more and more desperate with each passing moment, her pleas for his return left unanswered as the mountains swallowed the figures of Fredericko and Elsa, taking them away from the village forever.