Nathia speaks of witches

I embraced them both and returned to my chamber, where I undressed down to my shirt and threw myself upon the bed. I rested atop the sheets as my mind raced, consuming all that I had faced in the last hour or two. I might have been nearing sleep when I heard someone enter. I looked up to see my wife with a smile upon her face, and she greeted as though the entire last few days had not even existed.

I was hardly in the mood for this emotional swing, so I merely asked how her night had gone, making no effort to get up from the bed. I was not deeply concerned about her whereabouts, although I was curious to know if she had spoken with any of the ladies I had seen that night.

“It was indeed wonderful. I enjoyed the pleasurable company of several new ladies.” She listed a few names that I neither recognized nor cared to learn.

“None of the same, then?”

“No, I believe it is good to make new friends every once and again.” She continued on with some story of what they had discussed, droning on about what and whatnot.

Finally, after she had run out of steam, I decided to discuss my end of the night with her. I knew that Nathia bore no sympathy for Ariane, but I could not help but bring up the allegations that night, as they were so raw in my head. I was more cautious than I had been with Kate, leaving out important details like my having sought these ladies out and even their identities. When I was finished, Nathia seemed unimpressed, so I began to muse in the hopes of drawing some sort of reaction from her.

“How could anyone in this day make an honest accusation of witchcraft?” I wondered aloud to her. “The fact that anyone initiated such a thing is preposterous unto itself, but to hear it actually gain some traction? Now Nathia, I know you harbor no strong love for Ariane, but surely even you must be shocked at such a thing!”

This had hooked her. “Andrew, do you know what witchcraft is?” She altered the subject slightly, perhaps to gain control of the conversation. “Do you know what makes a witch?” Her voice had fallen to a whisper.

“Yes, of course I do! It is a woman who brings evil through magic. I know a witch well enough to know my sister is not one.”

“You pretend to be so wise. You claim that no civilized person could make such a claim at witchcraft, but before denouncing something you must obtain a better view thereof.”

Was she defending the accusation, or merely attacking me? “Very well,” I challenged her. “Enlighten me.”

“A witch does use magic to stir evil, but that is not all. Her primary goal is to disrupt the procreation, to bring about the end of upstanding society by destroying its offspring. A witch dabbles in midwifery, but only in order to destroy little newborn lives when they are still at their most delicate. Witches are often wet nurses, poisoning babes by their breast. And witches can often be found in nurseries, where they infect children with various poxes and plagues and whatever else might snuff out their poor lives.”

“So that is a witch. And Ariane is none of those: she is neither midwife nor wet nurse nor child’s nurse.”

“But there are witches amongst the nobility and gentry,” she told me, keeping her hushed tone to emphasize the terror of the matter. “These are the most dangerous of all, for they are the most learned in their craft. They know how to target their enemies with frightening accuracy. They can murder a child with one instance of contact, perhaps even while several feet away. It is the noble witches of whom we must be most wary, for they can do the most evil.”

“Nathia, do you truly believe in witchcraft?” I had assumed that she was merely arguing the point of the ignorant Hiellouans who feared such mythical demons. That I might actually have a true hysteric in my midst had not occurred to me until that very moment.

“Of course I believe in witches!” She cried. “There are many sources of unspeakable evil around us, wreaking death and destruction, ruining men and families and whole empires! Witches are but one of these sources, but we must always be vigilant of them because of the gruesome way in which they carry out their work.”

She had some sort of crazed look in her eyes, as though another spirit had taken hold of her. If I believed any of the drivel that came out of her mouth, it would have demanded that I suspect her for a witch just then. But for now I merely walked off, realizing that Nathia was entirely immune to reason, and that reason was the very foundation of my life. “I shall be at Nieburn, consulting with my family of witches and wizards. Perhaps I shall find you here tomorrow.” I gathered a few things and stepped out of the door.

“Andrew, do not make such jokes of a serious matter!” She called after me. If I were not deeply upset about the further damage done to my sister’s reputation that night, I probably would have offered a mocking laugh just then. Witches in Acrola. What had I married?