IGIWS FIRST DRAFT: Ch.402 Amelia the Shadow Mage.

Amelia slipped through her window and rolled over the top of the window sill with a cute comedic-like squeak and thud on her bedroom's plush rug. She couldn't help but smile as she thought about her secret rendezvous with Ben and how she was able to sneak past her parents guards. She had never felt so alive, so free, so... loved. She knew that her mother would never approve of her relationship with a stable hand, but she didn't care. She was tired of living her life according to her and she knew it was a matter of time when her parents try to find a suitor for her. Too bad none of them wanted a talentless girl as a wife. Even though she was no longer cursed. But she could have had a Common-Level Vein for all she knew, regardless of her mana lust at the Divalo Manor a few days ago.

Her sister-in-law, though, told her that it was unlikely for her to have a common-level Mana Vein due to experiencing the mana overflow at the party. The only thing that she could think of that made sense was that she had a Grandmaster or higher level vein for how strong the Mana Lust was. Amelia didn't believe she was that lucky to have an Elite Vein. However, she couldn't deny that she was stronger than she was before the curse was removed from her. She could feel it in her bones, and she could see it in the mirror. Her body had changed in ways she never thought possible, and she was starting to enjoy having such curves. She knew that it was all thanks to Princess Rya. But her mother saw it as a curse, a demonic transformation that had turned her daughter into a harlot.

But she was wrong. She was wrong about Rya and she was wrong about her. The Princess was a kind and generous woman, while she only had an eye for Ben. Sure she was the one to initiate the romance with the handsome stable hand, but that was her choice. And she was proud of her choice.

'Tsk! Mother thinks I'm a loose woman for being with Ben. But who else was I going to be with? She wants me to be with some stuffy noble who only cares about my family's title? And who's going to want me with no mana? It's not like I was blessed with my brother's vein. Although, if I'm being honest, I would have been a terrible mage even if lucked into having one... Whatever. I should double check to see if that guard spotted me,' Amelia thought as she crawled over to her window.

She peeked over the sill and saw the guard continue his patrol. She let out a sigh of relief before getting to the next task at hand.

Now she had to figure out how to wash up before her mother finds out that she was gone all night. The servants would come soon to help her get ready for the day, and she didn't want to raise any suspicion.

She pushed herself up from the floor, but she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Well, you are full of surprises, aren't you?" Rya's voice was a low, melodic hum, laced with an amusement that made Amelia's skin prickle.

Amelia spun around in a panic and her shadows shot towards Rya at an incredible speed.

"AAH!" Amelia yelped in fear, her hands instinctively going up to shield her face. The moment the tendrils were about to touch Rya when they hit her anti-magic barrier. Causing a surreal view on the floor that made it look like the shadows had just slammed into an invisible wall. The tendrils tried to find some type of opening like a octopus that was trying to find a way into a clam shell. But it was no use, the barrier was to strong for Amelia's magic to penetrate.

Amelia took a second to realize that the stranger was someone she knew. "P-Princess Rya?..." Amelia relaxed a bit, which made her shadows return back to her own shadow. "What are you doing in my room? And how did you get in here?" Amelia asked, her voice a mix of trembling and irritation.

'Well, look at that? It is totally emotional based. That's pretty neat,' Rya thought to herself as she studied Amelia with a newfound respect. The young noblewoman had a power that she didn't even know she possessed, a power that was both beautiful and dangerous.

"Um? Your Highness? Why are you in my room?" Amelia asked again as she tried to straighten up her attire and hide the small bit of milk that had soaked through the front of her dress from her leaky breasts. She was also hoping that Rya wouldn't see the hickey on her neck that was peeking out from her collar.

"Hm? Oh! I got distracted." Rya let her anti-magic barrier fall and her shrunken sword returned to its dormant state. She put it away stealthfully before she walked over to Amelia's bed and sat down on the edge, her posture relaxed and casual. "I was sent here to find you and bring you downstairs for a little chat with your mother and Queen Rianna," Rya said, her voice a calm and steady purr.

Amelia's eyes widened in shock, and her face went pale. "The Queen is here? Why didn't my parents tell me that they were expecting her?"

"They weren't. The Queen and I decided to drop by for an unexpected visit. And let's just say your mother is... not too happy about me being here," Rya said, a small, knowing smirk playing on her lips.

Amelia grimaced as knew her mother's weird stubbornness about Rya and the changes she's brought upon her was going to cause trouble. But Amelia was happy that her secret about her love affair with Ben was safe. Or so she thought. 'I-I need to play dumb. I can't let Princess Rya know about Ben. Or she could use it against me for political gain. That's what always happens. Ugh! Why was I born a noble!'

"Okay. Then why are you in my room? Why didn't you just send a servant to get me?" Amelia asked, her voice a little more composed than before. However she was on guard as she could feel her heart racing as she was worried about her mother finding out that she was gone all night.

Rya's smirk widened as she stood up and walked over to Amelia. She stopped in front of her and looked her up and down, her eyes lingering on the hickey on her neck. "I wanted to talk to you in private before we went downstairs. I have some... news for you."

Amelia's eyes widened in surprise, and she instinctively took a step back. "N-News? What kind of news?" she stammered, her voice a little shaky.

Rya leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I know about you and Ben."

Amelia froze, her heart stopping for a moment. She thought she was being clever, thought she could hide her secret life from everyone. But this dark elf, this Princess who seemed to see everything, had found her out. A wave of panic washed over her, cold and sharp.

"You... I don't know what you're talking about! I-I-I must take a bath. Please, leave," Amelia's voice was barely a whisper, her face a mask of pure terror. She tried to push past Rya, to escape the suffocating intimacy of her bedroom and the accusation hanging in the air.

Rya didn't move, her body an immovable wall of calm assurance. "Now, now, Amelia. No need to be frightened. I'm not here to judge. I'm here to help."

"Help? How could you possibly help?" Amelia shot back, her voice rising with a hysterical edge. "You're going to use this against me! Against my family! Just to solidify your position with the House of Lords! That's what you people do, isn't it?"

A flicker of disappointment crossed Rya's face, quickly replaced by a amused smile. "Amelia, you're my friend, and you deserve to have the life you want. And let's say that if you were in love with a certain man, I would have a very good reason to get your parents to approve of him if you and your man had a certain... potential. A potential that could elevate your family to heights that your mother can't even comprehend."

Amelia's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you talking about? What potential? He's just a stable hand! My mother will never approve of him! She would rather see me married off to some old, stuffy noble so I can keep my status. Like anyone would care about a girl that has no mana—"

"Amelia... What do nobles do when they find someone who has a Demi-god level Mana Vein?" Rya asked, her voice a low, seductive murmur.

Amelia's eyes widened in shock, and her hand instinctively went to her chest. She thought she was being played with, but the longer she stared at Rya's serious expression the more she believed what the dark elf was telling her.

'A-A Demi-god Mana Vein? Ben? No. That can't be right. She must be joking! She has to be! But why would she? She wants my parents to help her get married to Quinus. She wouldn't risk it by telling me a lie? WAIT! If Ben is... Then that means he could help my family! Mother would have to approve! But I can't believe it. Not until I see it with my own eyes,' Amelia thought as she looked at Rya with a mix of hope and doubt.

"You're lying," she said, her voice a little more confident than she felt. "You're just saying that to get me to do what you want."

Rya's lips curled into a small, amused smile. "Amelia, I have no reason to lie to you. I know what I saw through my Seer Stone when you were riding that stud of a man... And I can assure you, Ben's mana vein is... special."

Amelia's heart was pounding in her chest from hope and embarrassment that Rya was watching her. She wanted to believe Rya, but she couldn't let herself get her hopes up. She had been disappointed too many times in her life, and she couldn't bear the thought of being disappointed again.

"A Seer Stone? Y-You used that demonic monocle during Lydia's Party, correct? Everyone was talking about how it's an unnatural artifact. How can I trust something that is not of this world? H-How do I know that you're not just trying to trick me?" Amelia asked, her voice a little shaky.

Rya's smile widened. "Would you like to see how it works?" The Dark Elf reached into her cleavage and pulled out the Seer Stone. The pitch black crystal lens, the size of a dove's egg, pulsed with a soft, purple, ethereal light around the rim that seemed to absorb the morning sunlight in Amelia's room. It was held in an intricate silver and gold setting, carved with interlocking spirals that twisted in impossible directions.

She held it out for Amelia to see, her eyes locked onto the young noblewoman's. "It's quite simple, really. It allows the wielder to see the auras and mana veins of others. Do you want to take a look?"

Amelia couldn't help but stare at it, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and fascination. It was beautiful, but it was also terrifying, and she couldn't shake the feeling that it was staring right back at her. She could feel a strange energy emanating from the stone, an energy that made the hairs on her arms stand on end.

"I-I don't know. What if it's dangerous?" Amelia stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

Rya chuckled. "Oh, it's perfectly safe. But I will tell you this, Amelia. It has been the key to unlocking the potential of many of my friends. Just ask your sister-in-law, brother, my sister, or the Queen. This allowed me to see that your mana vein was inflicted with a curse that prevented it from growing. And with a little help from me, I was able to break it. You remember your mana overflow at the Revelia party, right? I'm sure that was an embarrassing day for you, but it was also a sign that you had a very rare Elite-level mage," Rya said, her voice a low, confident purr.

Amelia snorted at Rya's remark, "Me? An elite-level mage—" She paused after the words finally set in, "Wait! A mage!? Th-That impossible and improvable. Rya, I was cursed, yes, but to go from a talentless girl with no mana to an Elite-level mage? That's... That's something that only happens in fairy tales. My mother would have a fit if she heard you say that. My father would faint in disbelief, and my brother... He would probably laugh at the absurdity of it all. A talentless girl like me? An Elite Mana Vein? I don't believe it," Amelia said, her voice a mix of disbelief and defiance.

Rya's smile never wavered. "Believe what you want, Amelia. But you can't deny the changes in your body. Your breasts, your hips, your ass... They've all gotten bigger and are you pregnant? Because you are lactating," Rya said, her voice a low, teasing whisper.

Amelia's face turned a deep shade of crimson, and she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide the small wet spots on the front of her dress. "I-It's just a side effect! I don't know why it's happening! But it started after whatever you did to me at the party! So, it's your fault that my body is changing like this!"

"My fault? I only broke your curse. Your body's reaction to that, and your developing mana, is all on you. My own body is changing too, you know," Rya said, her voice a low, husky whisper.

Amelia looked at Rya, her eyes wide with curiosity. She had noticed the changes in the Dark Elf's body, but she hadn't thought much of it. She just assumed it was because she was a Dark Elf, and they were just naturally built like that.

"What do you mean?" Amelia asked, her voice a little shaky.

Rya gestured towards her slightly swollen belly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Let's just say that my weight gain is becoming a problem. I think it might be something to do with all the mana growth I've been going through. But I'm still trying to figure out what is going on with my body as well. So, I know how you feel."

Amelia stared at Rya, her mind racing. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Dark Elf Princess, the woman who seemed to have it all, was just as confused about her own body was going through some issues. No woman or friend, Amelia had before, ever talked about their bodies like this. It made her feel like she wasn't alone in her struggles, and she couldn't help but feel a little closer to the Princess.

"I... I didn't know," Amelia said, her voice a little softer. "I thought you were just... well, you know... perfect. And I don't see any weight gain. If anything, you look healthier than you did at the party. You seem to have more of a glow to you."

Rya let out a small, genuine laugh, "That's because I'm using a very good corset to hide my annoying potbelly. But it's getting harder and harder to conceal it," she said with a wink.

Amelia couldn't help but relax a little at the Princess's admission. She felt like she could trust her, and she was starting to feel like she could confide in her about her own body changes.

"So... You aren't lying about Ben? Right?" Amelia asked, her voice a little shy.

Rya's ears twitched and then she gently grabbed Amelia's shoulders, and guided her towards the window that overlooked the stables. Amelia was confused but she aloud the Princess to lead her.

Once at the window, Rya held up the Seer Stone to Amelia's right eye. "Alright, Amelia. I want you to see for yourself."

Amelia looked and saw Ben walking out of the stables with a bucket of water for the horses. He looked like he was in a good mood as he was whistling a tune that she had never heard before.

"I don't see anything. He's just... Huh?"

Rya channeled her mana into the Seer Stone and in Amelia's vision popped up all these different colors of viens that were running up and down everyone's spines. Most of the servants had dull gray or white veins that were as skinny as a single strand of angel hair pasta, while the guards mostly had these thicker green glowing veins. But Ben's stood out from all the rest of her family's servants. His vein was a solid purple and it looked like it was pulsing with a need to grow bigger. It wasn't as thick as the guards that were walking around but something told her that if Ben slain a few monsters or some bandits then his mana would rapidly grow.

"I-Is that what...?" Amelia's voice trailed off, her mind struggling to process the impossible sight before her.

Rya nodded. "That's a Demi-god Mana Vein. The highest possible for any mortal on this world. It's a testament to your taste in men, and he is one hell of a man. All he needs is a little training and he'll be a force to be reckoned with... Especially when he's married to a fierce, stunning, Shadow Mage of a prominent family."

This time Rya's remarks weren't met with the same denial. Instead, Amelia's gaze snapped back to her. A Shadow Mage? The name was new to her. She knew of the main elements and the more common ones like Earth and Water. The uncommon ones like Lightning and Ice. Or the rarer ones like Light and Dark magic. But Shadow? She's never heard of such a thing. "A Shadow Mage? I-I'm not..." she stammered, her brow furrowed.

"Your magic seems to be a defensive, subconscious thing right now," Rya explained, her voice patient and calm. "You haven't noticed that the shadow around you have been moving around weirdly?"

Amelia looked back at Rya with a confused expression on her face. "What are you talking about? My shadow hasn't been..." She paused again and recalled that the shadows occasionally seemed to warp around oddly in her peripheral vision, but when she did turn to look, the shadows seemed normal. She always thought it was just her eyes playing tricks on her. "A-At times. But I just thought it was the way the sun was hitting it. Or my eyes playing tricks on me."

Rya chuckled and looked around Amelia's room and spotted a lovely hair brush on Amelia's vanity, which was about fifteen feet away from them. "Listen. I want you to try something for me. See that hair brush on your vanity? I want you to try and make your shadow grab it for you."

Amelia looked at her like she was insane. "How? I don't know any magic. And you're just messing with me."

Rya shrugged and gave her a reassuring smile, "You might be surprised. Just relax and stand here next to me," she said as she stood behind Amelia and put her hands on her shoulders. She then pointed her finger to a spot in front of them where the sunlight was hitting the floor, creating a perfect spot for their shadows to be cast. Amelia's shadow looked like it was a normal shadow, but Rya's looked a bit hazy. It was a bit weird to see a shadow of a Dark Elf's ears being so long, and her eyes looked a little sharper in the shadow.

"Alright, Amelia. I want you to think about waiting your brush, and try to reach for it from here. Don't move your physical body. Just think about your shadow stretching out and getting it for you. Like you wish you could brush your hair but you don't want to walk over to it. Or maybe you want a piece of fruit from the bowl on your desk but it's too far away. Just think of what you want and let your shadow do the work."

Amelia felt a little silly, but she decided to give it a try. She took a deep breath and then she reluctantly reached out toward the brush sitting on her vanity. She didn't know what the hell she was doing or if she was supposed to feel something inside her when casting magic. But tried she did and all that happened was... Nothing.

'What am I doing. I look like an idiot,' Amelia thought as she let out a frustrated sigh.

"Don't try so hard, Amelia. Let it come naturally. You've been doing this subconsciously for a few days now. You just don't know it. And I think it's because of your strong desire to protect your relationship with Ben that your magic has been manifesting in a way that protects you. Just relax and try to replicate that feeling of hiding from the guard this morning. You didn't want to be caught, right? So, think about not wanting to be seen. Think about being... a shadow," Rya coached her, her voice a low, soothing whisper.

Amelia frowned as she didn't know what Rya was talking about and she tried to stretch her arm out further. However nothing happened.

"You're doing good, Amelia. Just try to—"

"Rah!? I can't, okay!?" Amelia huffed and turned towards Rya. "I don't know what in the hells you are talking about!? I didn't do anything to the guard when I snuck past him and I have no clue what I'm supposed to feel when casting magic!?" She said adamantly with a look of frustration. "You can't just expect me to reach my hand out." Amelia motioned her hand blindly towards her vanity while she was focused on Rya. "And have my shadow go and grab my bru—"

In the middle of Amelia's rant she pointed at her vanity, her finger aimed at the brush. The shadow of her arm stretched out across the floor, a silent, dark tendril that elongated with impossible grace. It flowed over the plush rug, then it snaked up the leg of the vanity, and coiled delicately around the ornate silver handle of the hairbrush. The brush looked liked it melted into the vanity leaving a shadow of the brush and then the tendril snapped back to Amelia's shadow. The brush seemed to materialize in her physical hand that was still pointing at her vanity, causing her to gasp as she felt the familiar weight of her brush in her fingers.

Amelia's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the brush in her hand. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her mind racing to comprehend the impossible.

Rya couldn't help but be amazed too. Amelia's shadow literally pulled an in adamant object out of existence then it reappeared in her physical hands. 'Wow! If she can make a brush hide in her Shadow, then could she do the same? That's fucking cool!'

"H-How? Wha—?" she stammered, her voice a breathy whisper. She looked from the brush in her hand to Rya, who was now standing next to her with a proud smile on her face.

"See? I told you, Amelia. You have a rare and powerful magic inside of you. You just needed to relax and let it flow," Rya said, her voice a low, reassuring murmur.

Amelia's mind was reeling from the shock and the thrill of what she had just done. She looked at the brush in her hand, then at her shadow on the floor. It was still, and lifeless, but she could feel a strange connection to it that was hard to describe. She looked back at her vanity and saw some of her favorite hair clips that had rubes embedded in them.

Amelia took a deep breath and extended her left hand at the hair clips. She focused on the feeling of wanting them, of needing them, and then she reached out with her shadow. The tendril of darkness shot out from her arm's shadow, a silent, graceful serpent that coiled around the clips. They turned into shadows as they dissolved into the vanity, then like last time, the tendril snapped back to her, and the hair clips reappeared in her left hand.

"I... I can't believe it," she whispered, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "I'm a... I'm a mage."

Rya smiled, her eyes twinkling with a knowing light. "Not just any mage, Amelia. You're a Shadow Mage. I have no idea how rare they are or if there's any record of them, but you're the first person I met that has this affinity. I'm kind of jealous."

"Jealous? But you're the strongest person I know, Princess Rya. You're like, a legendary warrior, and a powerful mage! Oh! And you're a healer! There hasn't been one of those in centuries! You're ridiculously powerful," Amelia said, her voice a little shaky.

"Ha! I'm still learning. And I'm starting to think that your type of magic could be a hard counter for my Time Space Magic. But it's nice to know that I have an ally that has a unique style of magic that could catch my enemies off guard," Rya said, her voice a low, confident purr.

"Oh, I-I wouldn't be good in a fight. I don't think I could... I'm not like you or my brother. I'm... I'm not brave," Amelia said, her voice a little shy.

Rya's smile softened. "Amelia, you snuck out of your bedroom, past multiple guards, and spent the night with a man you love. You've been doing this for three days in a row. All while your mother has been breathing down your neck. I'd say you're pretty damn brave."

Amelia wanted to argue, but she couldn't. The Princess was right. She had been brave, and she had been doing things she never thought she was capable of. And it felt good. It felt... right.

"So... You really think Ben has a... a Demi-god Mana Vein?" Amelia asked, her voice a little hopeful. She was still clutching the hairbrush and the clips, unable to let go of them, as if they were tangible proof of her newfound power.

"I don't think, Amelia. I know for a fact he does," Rya said, her voice firm and confident. "And with your own Shadow Magic, the two of you would be a formidable pair. Your mother might have a conniption at first, but even she wouldn't be able to argue with the potential your union represents. A stable hand with a Demi-god vein? He could become a Royal Knight, a General, or even a Duke one day. Especially if I become the next Queen... Speaking of which? Do you know much about your mother's family history? I'll I know is she's from a noble house of one of the bigger kingdom states in the Northern Lands of Independent Kingdoms. I'm curious about her lineage," Rya asked, her voice a low, inquisitive purr.

Amelia looked at Rya with a confused expression. "My mother's family? Not really. She never talks about them. All I know is that her family's influence was in decay as they family line was producing less heirs with mana veins. Maybe there would be a generation that doesn't shows signs of Mana growth. But usually the next generation shows some signs of being a Maja... Th-That's why my mother was married off to my father... She showed no signs of Mana growth, but my great-grandfather on my mother's side promised that she would give House Dule heirs that they would be proud of... Or that's what Grandpapa told me when I was a child... But the we were manaless like our..." Amelia paused as she almost forgot about her new gift. "Like my mother," she added, a flicker of pity for her mother in her eyes. She was beginning to feel bad for fighting with her mother these past few days and she needed to show her that what Rya has done was for the better.

Rya's ears twitched, her mind processing the new information. 'Did someone curse Elizabeth's family line because they have this affinity to become these rare mages? Does she have Shadow Mage Veins like her daughter? Or maybe she has Illusion Mage Veins like her son? Or both?... And if she does then who was it that cursed her family in the first place? It's like there's a hidden organization that's culling powerful mage veins... But why?... Hahh, fucking more questions that I can't find answers to. But that can wait for now,' Rya thought as she looked at Amelia with a thoughtful expression.

"I see... Well, you know what this means, right?" Rya asked, her voice a low, teasing whisper.

Amelia shook her head, her eyes wide with curiosity. "What?"

"It means you're going to need to practice your new magic. And I'm going to be the one to teach you," Rya said, her voice a low, confident purr.

"B-But my parents... Well? My mother won't approve! She'll think you're corrupting me further!" Amelia said, her voice a little shaky.

Rya's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Oh, I don't know about that. I think your mother will be more... understanding once she learns about Ben's potential. And yours. And your brother's. And possibly hers..."

"W-We aren't keeping this a secret, like my brother's magic?"

"I think it time for your parents to know that their children are doing better than fine... Now, let's get you cleaned up. The Queen is waiting, and we don't want to keep her waiting," Rya said, her voice a low, commanding purr.

Amelia nodded, her mind still reeling from the morning's revelations. She looked at the brush and hair clips in her hands, a small smile playing on her lips. She couldn't believe what she had just done, and she couldn't wait to learn more about her new powers. And she couldn't wait to tell Ben about his.

"Alright. But what about my mother? What if she—"

"Then House Dule has become more formidable than the Kingdom has seen in centuries. And your mother should be proud of her children and the legacy that they will leave behind. And if she can't see that, then she's a fool. And I'll make sure that she knows it," Rya said, her voice a low, confident whisper.

Amelia's eyes widened in surprise, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration for the Dark Elf. Things were going to change for her and her family. For the better.

But just as she was about to say something, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Lady Amelia? Are you in there? Your mother has requested your presence in the dining room. The Queen is waiting for you," a maid's voice called out from the other side of the door.

Amelia's heart skipped a beat. She looked at Rya with wide eyes, her mind racing. Rya just shrugged and whispered. "I'll see you in the dining room with the Queen."

With that Rya blinked out of Amelia's room and left the young noblewoman to deal with the maid.

Amelia took a deep breath and opened the door. "I'll be down in a minute, Kate. I just need to take a bath. Please get my best dress ready. I think it's in the Garderobe," she said, her voice a little shaky.

The maid nodded and curtsied. "Right away, my Lady," she said and hurried away.

Amelia quickly undressed and hopped into the fae-bath. She needed to wash the sweaty smell of sweet sex that was clinging to her body. She also needed to wash away the dried milk on her massive breasts before Kate came back.

And in fifteen minutes, Kate came back with the new tailored dress that she ordered to fit her new proportions. It was a little more revealing in the top. But Amelia couldn't help but like the feeling of having more exposed cleavage. It made her feel more confident and a little sexy. Something that she had never felt before.

Once she was dressed, she took one last look in the mirror. She looked like a woman, not a girl. And she was ready to face her mother and help the Queen.