''Just a crow''

-Theirs-

That night, the princess had gone to sleep in the bed of her brother.

And the next day, it was almost like last night was a bad memory.

Well, almost.

"Where the bird lady dad?" Had requested the child.

Mar wondered about telling her, not only has she been calling him dad instead of brother because of how only he cared for her before but if she also starts with the crow, it might make things complicated. She does get attached to people too fast for her own good.

Hellebore pecked at the throne, making him look up, oh how he wished his wife would be back to help him make this choice. He wanted to do something about yesterday already but he wanted his wife her for that announcement too... So he was a bit stuck.

He'd keep trusting the crow.

He let her perch on his finger and he held it up to the child standing in front of him.

"Hi bird, you know where the lady is?" Mar almost laughed, too friendly, way too friendly, but that was good in this situation, not having been exposed to the fears of the death bird by the world.

"Hellebore." He gently scolded at the bird hopped on the princess' shoulder and used her beak to mess up her hair, making the princess shriek like how only a surprised child can. "She already knows, no need to cover it up."

A crow laughter came, crows can also imitate voice can't they? Probably why she could do that.

The bird took flight and in a wind of feather, Hellebore landed on the cold black marble floor in a bow.

"I am always here princess, just looking a bit different then you might thing."

And against all odds, the first question out of the amazed princess was not something neither adult expected.

"Why are you bare feet? The ground is dirty."

Hellebore was a bit taken aback but laughed it off.

"Oh princess, I am a crow, crows don't need shoes." That was her best explanation because in between transformations, even if she changed outfits, she always came out looking like this as a human.

"Oooooh... Understandable." The princess nodded like this was the key to the question of life. "Pick me up."

"Yes princess." She complied, sitting the princess on her shoulder, the child holding her head, she was around 7 so she should have been heavy to any human to carry her like this but she was not a human.

Mar smiled, glad his sister felt happy despite what happened.

Putting an end to the games Hellebore decided to comply with when his wife arrived, she turned into a bird while he called a maid to take care of his sister.

She turned back into her human form when she left.

"So now that we are all here, what did your Grace's want to talk about?" She asked with her endless smile.

"You seem to get along with his sister." Was not the thing they wanted to say, Hellebore knew, the winds told her but she still gave a reply.

"The wind favors her and I am of the wind." Simple and to the goal. "As the wind protects all those of the wind, it has called for me to take the lives of these threatening it."

Mar still remember the night his sister was born, one of the worst storms that hit the kingdom, the night his mother died too. The mage's of the castle also said she would not be an elemental, he'd be sad to lose another sister to that, he barely knew Calypso because she left so young before he was born. But they also said she seemed sensitive to the shift of weather, able to tell when a storm would come way before seeing it, they think it will be some wild magic she could learn later on when she is older... The crow's words reinforced that theory.

"Well I am grateful for your acts anyway, my sister is very dear to me."

"Of course your Grace." She bowed like she always did. "Pleasure's mine."

"We'd want to offer you a proper place in the court." The queen went on.

"But I am just a simple crow."

"You might see it like that but you are more, for both of us, so will you accept it?"

"If so your Graces wish, your wish shall be my goal."

"As a crow, as bird, you wouldn't be suspected and our previous one is getting old so Hellebore, legacy of a mage, the one given thought, daughter of the wind, spirit of the wild, omen of death, will you be our spy master?"

"I'll be anything for as long as I can remain by your side your Graces."

And their smile could almost rival her own.

They'll be fine with this for now, they'll ask their true question after planning it through.

They only talked a little about it but neither of them could bare this death bird being someone else.

They didn't want to ask if she'd be their spy master.

They wanted to ask if she'd be theirs.