The sun burnt bright in the sky, the late summer breeze blew softly against the still green leafs of Appleforest. Casin lend against a stone wall of his parent's house. Listing to the rustle of the leafs and the songs of the various birds. With his eyes closed he took a bite of a juicy apple, he had earned that apple after a whole day of hard labor on his parent's farm. Working on the fields and taking care of the chickens. He took another bite, while the sun stroked his face. This was live, and he wouldn't change a thing. He opened his eyes and frowned for a moment. No that was not true, he would change one thing. 

"Casin?" There she was right on time, the one thing he would change. Morgana passed the corner and looked down on him. "Ahh, I should have known that you would be here."

"Yes you should have, I am taking a break after all." She started to laugh, music to his ears. "Pick an apple and come sit next to me." Normally she would join him, and they would talk until the sunsets. But this time she shook her head. 

"I am sorry, Casin, but I can't. Mister Maret asked me to start early. There is a traveling caravan and my mother sings tonight." Casin already knew that, but still she had time to sit down. 

"But that is not all, is it?" He asked and she nodded.

"You know how he is, trying to spend more time with his son instead of you. The son of a tavern owner brings a better future than a farms' son." Casin sighed, he had heard this more too often. 

"He has a point, his son will give you a better future." He stood up and took her in his arms. "But his son those not know what you really are." She smiled and looked straight into his eyes. 

"And what am I?"  He pressed his lips onto hers. This was one of the rare moments that he wished to change. He wanted a lot more than those stolen kisses, he wanted so much more. He wanted to pull her skirts up and to drop his trousers. Casin wanted this so badly that it hurts, but he knew that he couldn't have her unless they were married. He broke off the kiss.

"You are a magic user just like I am." This was their little secret. Alright they shared this secret with her mother who was also a magic user and their teacher. Morgana nodded and took a step back, breaking their embrace.

"I need to go." He nodded.

"Me too, break is over. I need to go back to the fields before my father kills me." She wanted to turn around, but he grabbed her by the arm. "I will see you tonight." She smiled and pulled her arm free. 

"See you then."

*****

The sun was setting behind the Dragons Teeth, the mountain range that laid behind the Appleforest. Casin just closed off the barn where his family kept all the tools. 

"So are you going to the tavern tonight?" Asked his father. "Of course you are, stupid question." Casin grinned. 

"A question not asked is a stupid question. At least that is what mother always says." His father started to laugh out loud. 

"You are right about that, my boy. You are right about that. I will tell her that at least one of her men listens to her. But I will be of otherwise I will be late for diner. Do not drink too much, because a hangover will not excuse you for work."

"Yes dad." He watched as his father went straight towards their home. His mother would be waiting for him with a warm meal, she knew better than to set a plate for him. Lately he ate in the Apple Cider, the local tavern, and his mother did know why. Casin walked through the streets of the peaceful village. Music and laughter already greeted him when he got too close to the tavern. He knew what he would find inside the building. A lot of the locals, a few strangers. Music, the smell of ale and salted food. It was not that late in the evening otherwise the smell of vomit would be thrown into the mix. Casin didn't like the dusty place, or the smell that came with it. But Morgana worked here, and he had taken upon himself to watch over her, while she was working. Something that pompous son of the tavern owner never did. It was not that he disliked Wilfred, but he didn't like him either. Casin moved between the tables to his usual table in the corner, Morgana walked towards him. 

"Good evening Casin, the usual?" She asked with a wide grin on her face. He nodded and sighed.

"Can you ask Darwin to be easy with the salt? Pops told me that I will not be excused from work if I have a hangover." Her grin only widened even more.

"I will ask him, but I doubt if he would listen." Casin nodded again and Morgana went over to the kitchen.

"My daughter likes you." A female voice reached his ears and he looked up. 

"Good evening, Madam Donnet- Châtaigne. I can not wait to hear you sing." Claricia Donnet- Châtaigne, Morgana's mother, gave him a smile.

"Nice one Casin, avoiding the topic." Casin shrugged, he had to try. "But if I have to be honest, I am not looking to preform this evening." She had Casin's attention. He knew Claricia very well, at least that is what he hoped, and all he knew was that she loved to sing.

"May I ask why?" She nodded. 

"Of course you may, otherwise I would be a bad teacher." So it was magic related. "I feel a prediction form in my mind, and I'm afraid what it will bring." Carsin frowned for a moment, normally Claricia couldn't tell in which way her predictions would go. So if she could feel a bad omen hanging around this prediction... His thoughts were interrupted by Morgana. 

"Here is your meal, and Darwin promised me that he held back the salt. And one ale to wash his bad cooking away." She placed the plate and the wooden mug on the table and looked at her mother. "Are you feeling a bit better?" Claricia shook her head. "Wouldn't then be better if you didn't preform. I think Mister Cider would understand." Again Claricia shook her head.

"We couldn't afford it, my sweet child. Your father is buried in his work, and you feel obligated to work double shifts in this hellhole. No I need to sing." Casin didn't know that they were having trouble with money, but if he would offer his help. He wanted to shake his head, no they would decline his offer. Claricia even refused the idea to let him pay for the magic lessons. Morgana looked at him and he nodded. He understood that this was to be a secret, and she knew all too well that keeping secrets was his specialty.

"You want to know what my mother always says ?" He said, both women nodded. "Where a will is there is a way, and where a way is there is a... O, hello Wilfred." The son of mister Cider came towards their table, but he didn't pay much attention to Casin, as usual. The pompous ass had only eyes for Morgana. 

"Morgana, you look radiant this evening. Madam Donnet- Châtaigne you too of course." Claricia rolled with her eyes. Casin was glad that he wasn't alone in his opinion. 

"Good evening, Wilfred. Is it time for me to get on stage?" Claricia said with a forced honey sweet voice. Wilfred didn't hear that it was fake.

"Yes it is, Madam." Claricia stood up and walked over to the stage. "Morgana, father is giving you a break so that you could listen to your mother. Shall we sit somewhere?" Morgana gave him a fake smile. But sat down on the chair next to Casin.

"No thank you, I am fine and thank your father for me." Wilfred sighed and looked annoyed.

"Morgana you know that he can't give you the future that I can give you." Morgana's gaze snapped at him and a dark aura appeared around her. Wilfred was lucky he couldn't see the aura, because he was a normal human. But Casin knew what that meant, Morgana was angry. Casin reached out his hand, but she pulled away from him. 

"No let me, this once." She looked at him, and he raised both his hands. A clear sign that he wouldn't stop her. Still in silents he spoke out an enchantment to protect Wilfred against Morgana's magic. "Wilfred, I know what you can give me. And to be perfectly clear I couldn't care less. I am working for your father now, but that those not mean that I want to dish for the rest of my life. Yes all what Casin could offer me is a place on his families farm, and you know what I prefer that option." Wilfred looked stunned, as he should be. 

"I didn't know that you disliked working here."

"No woman in her right mind, would like working in a place where harassment is normal. She would only do it if she has no other choice." Casin had seen more than one spell being fired at Wilfred during Morgana's speech, that pompous ass needed to thank him on his knees. But of course he would never know what Morgana was, and what she could do. 

"Morgana, your mother is about to begin." He said to break up the tension, Morgana's gaze snapped towards the podium, and she visibly calmed down. She sat down again and left Wilfred to think about the stuff she had told him.

"That ass didn't deserve your protection." She whispered.

If I hadn't done it, people would know what you are." Morgana grabbed his hand and squeezed in it. 

"Thank you."