She Belongs To The Devil

Edwin turned around to face his wife with a smile on his face. He lightly squeezed her cheeks and tried to console her for the umpteenth time, "Jun, I will be back before you know it. You don\'t have to be so worried."

Edwin lovingly pecked Juniper\'s lips and reassured her, "Besides, Prince Theodore is sending the Chimera with me as my bodyguard. A demon will be guarding me all the time so I will be fine."

Juniper took a ragged breath and wrapped her arms around Edwin\'s neck. No matter what her husband said to her, there was no way she would be completely free of her worries.

"Be on your guard, okay?" she whispered to Edwin and kissed him passionately.

Edwin gave a loving gaze to his wife. And he nodded, "Okay."

"Let me help you with the robe." Juniper helped Edwin put on his Royal robe before he left for the journey.

And while she was doing so, Edwin asked her, "Where is Joyce by the way? Is she already attending her class?"

"Yes, she is already with her teacher." Juniper patted Edwin\'s shoulder to let him know that he was ready to leave.

"Did you tell her that I will not be home for a few days?" Edwin had asked his wife to do so because if he would tell his daughter he was leaving, then she would start to cry. And he couldn\'t stand to see tears in his daughter\'s eyes.

Juniper nodded with a sad smile. "She was crying when I told her." Juniper realized that she shouldn\'t have said that. And she instantly tried to joke about it, "It pains me to see our daughter making it so obvious that she loves her father more than me."

Edwin ended up bursting into laughter and hugged his wife. "I\'m sure she loves both of us equally."

"Father!" Suddenly, both of them heard their daughter\'s voice coming from outside the door. Her voice was soon followed up by the loud banging on the door. "Father! Father!"

Juniper gave a sorry look to Edwin and rushed to open the door for their daughter.

"Baby! Did you run away from your class?" Juniper leaned down and asked her daughter in a soft voice.

But Joyce ran towards her father without answering her mother. She stood a foot apart from her father and shouted, "You promised that you wouldn\'t leave!"

Edwin smiled and squatted in front of his daughter, "Joy, I\'m not leaving you forever… I\'m just going away for a few days."

He gently held his daughter\'s baby hands but she pulled her hand away and shouted in her sharp voice mixed with anger and tears, "No! Don\'t go!"

To everyone\'s surprise, her little hands threw a flame of fire on the curtain.

Both Edwin and Juniper felt a pinch in their heart. They were both reminded of Lillian.

An inaudible whisper left Edwin\'s lips, "No…" He covered his mouth while gazing at the curtain being engulfed in flames.

Juniper hastily looked around and grabbed a jar of water. She splashed the water on the curtain and sighed in relief. The fire was under control.

However, Joyce was scared by what she had done and she began to cry. She was scared that her father would scold her or hate her for being weird.

Edwin hugged his daughter and got up while lifting her in his arms. "It\'s okay, sweetheart. It\'s okay. There is nothing to be scared about."

But Joyce buried her face on her father\'s shoulder and kept on sobbing. "Why do I do bad things? Is something wrong with me?"

Both Edwin and Juniper looked at each other. They were both surprised that their daughter had already begun manifesting the magic but she was hiding it from them.

Edwin gently caressed his daughter\'s loose curls and tried to console her. "There is nothing wrong with you, Joy. It means that you are a special child. All you have to do is learn how to control your magic. And you will be a great witch someday."

Joyce lifted her head and glanced at Edwin\'s face. She sniffled and said with downturned lips, "But being a witch is a bad thing. Grandmother was punished because she knew magic."

Juniper clasped her mouth and turned around to hide her tears. She felt defeated as a mother for not being able to sense some changes in her daughter.

Edwin, on the other hand, couldn\'t believe that his little kid was so perceptive of what was happening around her.

But she had such a wrong belief about the witches and magic just because of one wrong person. He was enraged that his mother kept on haunting his present even after she was locked up in the darkest dungeon.

Edwin put on a smile on his face and wiped his daughter\'s tears. And he corrected her belief, "Being a witch is not a bad thing, Joy. Your grandmother was punished because she used her magic to do bad things. There are a lot of good witches who use their magic for good things."

Edwin recalled that the Mystic Coven was now residing in the Palace. And he asked his daughter with a bright smile on his face, "The good witches can make flowers bloom with their magic. How amazing is that? Do you want to meet them?"

Joyce pouted her lips and nodded her head.

And he said to his daughter, "I will ask aunty Adeline to take you to them, okay? I\'m sorry I cannot take you there myself. I have to help your aunty with something."

Joyce simply looked down and kept silent.

Edwin kissed Joyce on the forehead and said, "I will bring some sweets for you when I return. Will you allow me to go now?"

Joyce smiled and nodded her head.

Edwin walked towards his wife and gave Joyce to her. When she was in her mother\'s arms, Edwin softly asked her, "Be a good girl, okay?"

"Okay," Joyce looked sad again but she didn\'t cry or shout this time.

Edwin then glanced at his wife and said, "I will ask Adeline to introduce Joyce to the Mystic Coven. Maybe they will agree to teach her."

Juniper nodded her head while trying hard not to show even a shred of sadness on her face. "Take care of yourself. Do not do anything rash."

Edwin chuckled and joked before leaving, "You treat both me and Joy the same. Am I your kid or what?"

Juniper laughed and Joyce was the one to answer, "Father is also a child like me."

Adeline had already ordered the carriage to be prepared for Edwin. By the time Edwin reached in front of the court, the carriage was already loaded with some necessities and waiting for Edwin.

Princess Adeline was also standing by the carriage along with Prince Theodore and the Chimera called Kira.

Edwin rushed to their side and apologized, "I\'m sorry to keep everyone waiting. Something came up that I couldn\'t avoid."

He quickly explained everything about his daughter to Adeline and asked a favor, "Please convince the witches to take Joyce in as their student, will you? I don\'t want to send her to Frostford."

Adeline gave a comforting smile to her brother and agreed, "Don\'t worry about my niece. I will ask the coven. And I am sure that they would be more than happy to teach Joyce."

"Thank you for being so reliable. I will be back soon then," Edwin gave a gentle bow to Adeline and Theodore and got inside the carriage.

Theodore had already instructed Kira several times about his duties. But he still warned him one last time, "Do not leave Edwin\'s side. And if you feel that he is in trouble, don\'t hesitate to use the pendant I gave you. I will be there to pick you both."

Edwin was listening to Theodore from inside the carriage. And he couldn\'t help but smile. He peeked out of the window and thanked Theodore.

The carriage then set off towards the enemy territory.