The Vampire & Her Witch

"Ashlynn isn’t like me," Jocelynn said, looking out the window and fidgeting uncomfortably. She done the right thing, she was certain of it, but whenever Eleanor brought up Ashlynn it made her wonder if she should have done things differently. If she’d had the courage to speak up before the wedding, things could have been rearranged to allow her to marry Owain instead.

Now, everything had become so much more complicated. Eleanor had become one of the only people she could talk to who knew the truth of what had happened but somehow, the conversations about her sister never brought her any comfort.

"Ashlynn always looked forward to these trips because she didn’t get out of the manor very often," Jocelynn said after spending a few minutes gathering her thoughts. "It didn’t matter whether it was hot or cold, raining or sunny, any excuse to leave the house was something she looked forward to."

"Did she do anything interesting while she was away from home?" Eleanor asked gently. "Was there something she looked forward to more than anything else?"

"It’s silly," Jocelynn said. "We’re supposed to be refined ladies but my big sister always played in the dirt with plants. On her first trip to Lothian March, she brought back a whole wagon load of plants in pots, just to try to grow them in her garden at home."

"Her garden?" Eleanor asked, sitting up a little straighter. "She had her own?"

"Mother spoiled her at home," Jocelynn said, though her voice lacked any trace of bitterness or jealousy. "Mother always tried to make sure that we were both given things together. If I got a new dress for a ball that Ashlynn couldn’t attend, then mother bought Ashlynn a new book for her library, or new stationery or whatever she liked."

"A garden all to yourself is different from getting a book instead of a dress," Eleanor pointed out. Each witch was unique but many of them drew power from natural things. More importantly, some of the most dangerous witches were adept with poisons and other foul concoctions which required rare ingredients. If she’d asked for a place to grow her own collection of deadly herbs, it would be another piece of evidence that she really had been a practicing witch.

"I asked my father for a horse of my own that year," Jocelynn said. "Mother said that since I would be able to tour the countryside as I wished to see its beauty, Ashlynn should have a place to bring the beauty of the countryside to her."

"When she came back from Lothian March, she brought a different kind of apple tree than the ones we have at home, but she never got it to bear any fruit. Some of the bushes wouldn’t bloom, but Mother said it was already a miracle none of her plants died after the hard trip."

"Did she make things using the plants in her garden?" Eleanor asked directly.