Chapter 2
The Enchantress of Los Oceana

Hope wasn’t sure how she knew what she was doing but she re-entered the castle and turned right and started to walk down a long maze. After around ten minutes she came to a door and pushed it open. A blinding light of color erupted in her eyes as she saw many colored gem stones lining the walls, ceiling and floor. There was a white throne at one end and several smaller ones all around the room. On those thrones were people like the girl she had seen in the rose garden mere minutes before.
“Welcome Hope,” A tall bearded man spoke to her from a throne to her right. “I’m Theodore Lexon”. Hope gasped in shock and was welcomed by another balding gentleman and finally by Rose Lexon herself who was sitting in a throne beside the big white one.
“Come and take your place Hope,” She said gently. Hope stood there, stock still for a few seconds and then inched her way forward.
Hope stood before Rose and smiled.
“My heart is telling me to do the right thing and my curiosity is feverish for knowledge of this place,” rose smiled at Hope warmly.
“Hope you will make an excellent enchantress!”
“What if I do something wrong?” A booming laugh came from behind her. She turned sharply to see the plum man with long silvery hair laughing jovially.
“With all us ancients to help you? How could you go wrong?” Hope smiled shyly.
“You will all help me?”
“Yes Hope,” Rose touched her hand and Hope felt a surge of warmth shoot through her body. “You have us to guide you but you’re a strong and intuitive girl. I have no doubt you’ll be able to handle your duties with little effort.” As Rose released Hope’s hand, a white dressed engulfed Hope and a faint pink light surrounded her. She could hear voices echoing in her head.
“We the ancients of Los Oceana, give you all the power we are able to give and proclaim you enchantress of Los Oceana!” A swirling light engulfed Hope and she found herself seated on the huge white throne.
“We will always be nearby, we always know,” Jessica informed her.
“I’m not sure what I’m to do,” Hope felt very uncertain of her next actions and looked around the room for guidance.
“You’ll know,” Theodore kissed her hand. They escorted her out and the pink light diminished and she was left in a beautiful white dress.

“Hope?” Ray looked up from the table in the Amber room.
“Yes father,” Hope grinned back at him. “I accepted”.
“I knew you would,” He hugged her.
“I’m going to change,” Hope left the room, with a clear idea of where she was heading. She had opened Rose Tower and knew her room was there.

Hope walked up a set of marble stairs that spiraled beautifully. As she reached the top landing, where the windows allowed a beautiful view of the mountains outside, a oak door stood with a knocker in the shape of a rose hung. She looked around her. The silvery light from the moon streaked the marble stairs and floors and the stone walls. She looked at the door and wondered how to open it. She reached out and as she touched the door, it opened. She smiled.

“That was easy,” She beamed at her self walking steadily and yet nervously into the moonlit room. As the door closed behind her, engulfing her in moonlight, small lights all around her turned themselves on. It gave the room a celestial glow. as she stepped further into the room, she gave a small shudder at the coolness of this room. She knew that no one had used this room for at least a century and yet it looked so clean and inviting but the chill was evident. as these thoughts flew around her head, she felt a heat coming from her right. She stepped further into the room.

Inside the room she saw a round room with a door she had just come through at one end and a large, glass door at the other end. She stared at it. To her right was an open fire place, where a warm fire was now burning brightly, and a huge comfy looking sofa with white covers all over. The fireplace was done in white marble and in the centre of the room stood another staircase, also made of white marble. There were curtains hanging from the doors at the far end of the gigantic room and everything, including the carpet was white. she stepped onto the bottom step and slowly ascended the stairs. a pinkish glow emitted from everywhere.

At the top step, she stepped onto white carpet and this room was probably as big as the one below but the ceiling was pointed. She looked across the room and saw a huge bed that moulded itself the rounded circumference of the walls. a wardrobe stood opposite another fireplace, this one also alight, emitting a gentle glow. Beside the bed was a dressing table and at the far end of the room was a huge window. In the corner of the room, by the window was a huge rounded bathtub with a piece of equipment that looked awfully like a oversized shower-head. She smiled gratefully. The room was beautiful! She was so pleased with its beauty and elegance.

She knew she wanted to change her outfit and so with a little curiosity she strode over to the giant wardrobe and opened the door. Inside she found countless robes of varying colors and styles. She pulled out a sky blue one and swapped it for the pretty white one. She placed the white robe upon a hanger and placed it carefully in the wardrobe with the others. she closed the door gently and smoothed down the robes and smiled at herself in the mirror.

“So what’s next?” she asked herself, looking into the mirror.
“Supper,” a voice said.
“Who’s that?” She spun, searching for the voice rapidly around the room.
“I’m down here,” a little voice retorted with a slight giggle. She looked again and then saw a little fairy like creature sitting on the bottom of her mirror.
“What’s your name?” Hope knelt to see the fairy closely. She was very pretty with blonde fluff for hair and a beautiful set of silver wings.
“I’m flora,” She giggled. “I’m your servant”.
“O, I don’t need a servant thank you Flora,” Hope said kindly. The fairy began to weep. “O no, what’s the matter?” Hope asked urgently.
“Flora is no good for enchantress; Flora must be banished from fairy kingdom!”
“No, no,” Hope said urgently, afraid she’d offended Flora. “You are very good I’m sure, I’ve just never had a servant before. I wouldn’t know what to do”.
“O well its very easy!” Flora stood up proudly now. “You ask me to do something, and I do it for you!”
“O, OK, like what?” Hope inquired, curious of how a fairy could possibly lift a cup of tea or coffee or make breakfast.
“Make your breakfast, bring you some cake! Anything you want!” Flora informed Hope.
“O, OK. How about you bring me a nice cup of tea?” She was doubtful but within seconds, a cup of tea was on Hope’s desk.
“That’s amazing!” Hope congratulated the fairy.
“O that’s easy!” Flora boasted now with a renewed sense of confidence.
“O yeah?” Hope challenged the cute little fairy. “So can you help me change?”
“Absolutely!” Flora lifted a tiny little wand and soon the white dress was out of the wardrobe and on Hope’s body again and the blue one was back in the wardrobe. Hope gasped. The fairy flicked her wand again and put the pretty white dress back into the wardrobe and the pretty blue robe was back on Hope’s body, crease free.
“You’re amazing!” Hope complimented Flora.
“Thank you!” The fairy curtseyed cockily.
“So what is to be done around here about the decoration? I like the pinks and whites but the brass stuff has got to go. And Flora, how do I listen to music?”
“Woa, slow down Miss Hope,” the tiny fairy giggled. “What would you prefer instead of the brass?”
“Silver of course,” Hope smiled warmly.
“Then use your wand,” flora smiled proudly. Hope shrugged.
“I don’t have a wand Flora. I’m not perfectly trained at the minute.”
“OK, never mind. All you need to do is to ask someone of magic to change the color for you. And as for music, your radiolious is on the table by the window”. Hope walked over to a brass box that had no buttons or switches on it.
“How do I get it to work?” She asked her fairy companion.
“Magic,” Flora said dismally, knowing her mistress couldn’t yet perform magic sufficiently.
“I hope I start school soon,” Hope sat on her bed. She heard a slight tap on her door and told the knocker it was safe to come in. It was Ray her father. He entered her bedroom smiling. she was confused for a second and then Flora spoke again.

“If someone knocks, you can hear i even if the music is playing or you’re up here as though you were standing right by your tower door, Miss Hope.”
“Thank you, Flora,” Hope smiled gratefully and then turned her attention to her father who was sitting on a brass chair.

“OK, I’ve registered you at the Loso Tierras School for Magical Arts. You begin lessons on Monday. Hope I have been thinking you should live at school, spend the nights there, not separate yourself from the rest of the student population.”
“And what about my duties?”
“You can perform them from school sweetheart,” he smiled warmly. “You’ll do a great job. And there’s someone downstairs waiting to see you”. He left and she sighed, what other nasty surprises had he in store for her?

Hope made the journey downstairs to the Amber room where she discovered her younger sister sitting with Erida and Thawson, smiling and happy.
“Luna?” Hope hugged her tiny sister who was a few years younger than her.
“Hi Hope,” Luna’s face was filled with excitement and curiosity. “What is this place?” And what are we doing here?” Hope smiled warmly at her younger sister.
“Well Luna” Hope took her sister’s hand. “This is white Rose castle and I’m an enchantress of Los Oceana. It means I have to protect the entire kingdom from any evil”. She heard Erida snigger behind her. Hope had taken a distinct dislike to her older half sister as apparently she had of Hope. “Do you have something to add?” Hope spun to Erida.
“O no, no,” Erida sniggered. “You’re handling it just beautifully, just has daddy would hope you would”.
“Are you being sarcastic?” Hope hadn’t come across many mean people before today but now it felt like a little person had a grip on her heart and was squeezing it tightly. A shock of pink rose into her cheeks and she felt herself glaring at Erida.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Hope stood abruptly from where she had seated herself.
“Just that,” Erida sniggered.
“Now, now, come along girls,” Thawson stepped in now quite awkwardly. “What is this all about, you young ladies are sisters.”
“No, she’s my half sister,” Hope spun to Thawson, “As you are my half brother. Luna is the only real sister I have.” Thawson looked crestfallen.
“I-I apologize,” he stepped back.
“I wouldn’t want to associate myself with dirty scum anyway,” Erida sneered.
“Meaning?” Hope snarled.
“You’re not real magic,” Erida snapped.
“Then explain how I became Enchantress and you didn’t if only being half magical is such a terrible thing?” Hope screamed. “I’m new to all of this’’’”
“Exactly!” Erida yelled. “What are the ancients thinking, giving the Enchantress’s crown to a half witch who hasn’t even got her own wand yet”.
“How dare you question the Ancients decision!” Hope snarled greatly. Suddenly a red light surrounded Hope and Luna was knocked off of her chair. “You shall never insult the ancients in my presence again. Any more of that Erida and you shall be heading straight to Thorn Prison! Do you hear me?” Erida nodded and left the room sheepishly. Luna stood up as Erida left and gazed at her sister.
“Wow! What was that?”
“That Luna,” Thawson knew Hope wouldn’t know what had just happened to her. “Was Hope’s enchantress powers kicking in and as a true enchantress should, she was defending the ancients and judging by the strength of that aura, Hope here is going to make an extremely powerful enchantress”. Hope felt her cheeks blush and she smiled as she sat at the table again.
“I’m sorry Thawson,” Hope felt a touch embarrassed about her dismissal of him. “I didn’t mean to be rude. You must understand it was a great shock to discover my father had a whole new family before us and we knew nothing of you or Erida.”
“It’s OK Hope,” Thawson touched her hand with his shovel like hand. “I understand”.
“I have another question,” Luna looked around. “Why couldn’t mum come with us?”
“She can’t?” Hope stared at Thawson, hoping he could provide an answer.
“Carrie has openly dismissed our world and as a result, she cannot exist in it. Most true mortals are able to survive our world but it is extremely difficult without magic or a magical family. The ancients see fit that she cannot live here as she forbade father to show you and Luna magic.”
“I can understand that,” Hope sighed. “Am I allowed to visit her?”
“Of course,” Thawson returned reassuringly. Hope sighed with relief.
“What’s there to do for fun around here?” Luna looked around, apparently having noticed as Hope had the lack of entertainment they had both been accustomed too.
“Well, there’s sonic ball,” Thawson told them. “But first I need to teach you both to fly a broom”.

Thawson, Hope and luna spent the afternoon on the huge lawn by the river, Thawson teaching the girls to fly beautifully pristine brooms. Hope felt herself learning so quickly and before she knew it, all thoughts of Tamorik, her mother and the sadness of leaving her friends had gone. She was loving the freedom and even the crisp air of Loso Tierras. The feeling of flying on a broom was unbelievably unreal and surprisingly magical.
“This is wonderful!” Hope exclaimed to Luna as they sped along on the brooms, across the river, up to the highest tower and back again.
“So how do we play sonic ball?” hope inquired.
“It’s a very complicated game but I’m sure you two will learn fast. But first of all, I need to take you shopping for wands and your school supplies.”
“The mall?” Luna asked curiously.
“Cast Away Avenue,” Thawson grinned. “The only place we have all the wonderful magical things we witches and wizards need. I bet you girls would like a Dragon Fly each”.
“A what?” Luna grinned.
“A broomstick,” Thawson smiled taking the 12 year old’’ hand.
“OK, let’s go,” Thawson grinned at both girls.

At Cast Away Avenue, Hope realized that witches and wizards shopped just as much as humans did but with much more passion. They had flown to Cast Away Avenue on the unicorns Hope had flown to White Rose castle on and landed a few feet from the entrance to the Avenue. Luna gaped as she spied many unicorns and other modes of transport left in what appeared to be the parking place for the magical community. There were carpets, brooms tied to what looked to be the magical equivalent of a bike wrack, even a vacuum cleaner and to Hope and Luna’s ultimate shock, a bright, neon green dragon tethered to the far fence with a huge sign above it reading,
“Magical Transport, capable of injuring pedestrians.”
“It’s a dragon!” Luna gasped looking at Thawson with fear in her young eyes.
“It’s probably had its flamer removed,” Thawson said calmly, looping the unicorns chains to a nearby post.
“what are their names?” Hope asked, timidly petting the nearest unicorn to her.
“Moonshine and Smog,” Thawson informed Hope, indicating the one nearest to her was the one named smog.
“That’s a terrible name for a beautiful creature like that,” Luna piped up quite indignantly.
“Well I didn’t name them,” He looked quite taken aback by Luna’s sheer aversion to the unicorns name.
“Who did?” luna asked, with a look upon her face that suggested to Hope and Thawson that she might just have to take this matter up with the namer personally.
“no one knows,” Thawson smiled at hope and she nodded, understanding what he was conveying to her. “Unicorns whisper their names when they come to us. Moonshine and Smog are White Rose castle Unicorns, they were born there. Legend tells how Lily Lexon had six unicorns come to her and when she was slain in the battle of Fleuresse, we are told the unicorns fled into the Forest Magique and bred for hundred years until Hirmira became enchantress and brought them back to the castle. They have lived in the castle grounds ever since and live primarily in the Forest of Enchantmente. So Luna, we don’t name the unicorns”. He took her hand and she looked slightly perplex that she would never be able to name her own unicorn.

They entered the avenue and were pushed along quite feverishly by the crowd.
“everyone’s rushing to get their school supplies,” Thawson stated quite matter of factly. “Come on, we’ll grab your school books, cauldrons, ingredients, robes and if any of you want a pet and not to mention your wands”.
“And brooms?” Luna asked hopefully.
“Of course,” Thawson grinned. He was thirty-three with shocking black beard and hair that gave the impression he was much older and more severe than his age.
“Good Afternoon General Midway,” People kept calling to him on the street. “how’s your family? Your father OK?” Thawson seemed well liked and respected here.
They were busy buying Hope’s and Luna’s things for school and Hope kept smiling as she saw other people doing the same thing. Luna begged Thawson for a cat which he permitted she buy as long as she promised to take care of it properly. Luna named her cat Midnight as the cat was a deep inky blue/black color.
“She’s just beautiful,” Luna kept cooing.
“Yeah, she is pretty,” Hope smiled proudly. She hoped she saw her phoenix soon. She was missing her.
They finally wandered into a huge shop with many shelves with wands placed upon them. Hope felt an instant magnet draw her towards a purple box with the description reading:
“Stardust based, rosewood material, meant for women!”
“Try it,” Thawson urged. She pulled the purple wand from the box and waved it as he demonstrated. A rabbit appeared on the floor.
“I didn’t, I mean, I’’’”
“It’s OK, that’s a test,” Thawson grinned. “You’re good to go, if you liked it?” She nodded. Luna had found a pink wand that was comet rock based and made of beech wood.
“Now girls, you can practice good magic only at home. I recommend the simple book of spells and Hope you will have to take wandology as a class until you get the hang of your wand. Normally first and second years have to take it but you will have to join in for a little while. I don’t think it’ll take long for you to pick up the general gist of using the wand”.
“So what other classes are there?” Luna asked, stroking her cat through the basket.
“Spellology, meant to teach you all the basic spells you may need,” Thawson began to tell them about their new school as they walked toward the sweet shop. “Then there’s Combat class which teaches you to defend yourselves. And, potion class, study of biology including plants and animals, astronomy studying the stars, history, magical sports and elementation. I’ve probably forgotten a few. I teach combattment and Erida teaches potions. The head Ebony Heartley teaches spellology, she’s very nice. I’m sure you’ll love all of your teachers”.
“What’s elementation?” Hope asked.
“Study of the elements, how to control them and how to create them. You, as enchantress,” he lowered his voice “Will need this class more than anyone”. Hope nodded understanding.
“What’s our school like?” Luna asked.
“It’s in a old castle, built in 1183 and Rose Lexon bade all magical children should be taught there.”
“They like their castles here in Loso Tierras don’t they?” Luna asked giggling. Thawson smiled gently at his youngest sister, feeling his relationship between Luna and Hope was what he’d always wanted from Erida. She was cold and mean most of the time and extremely selfish. He understood she had been devastated when their mother Ursula had died but Thawson always knew deep down that Erida wanted to be enchantress no matter what it took. She scared him sometimes with her mean ways and forbidding mind. He knew if she wasn’t careful she would get herself thrown into Thorn prison.
“Thawson, can we go inside?” Luna was asking him as he was deep in thought.
“What?” he looked up uncertainly and then grinned and nodded. “Of course!”

They arrived back at White Rose castle around eight P.M that evening bundled up with parcels and packages.
“I’m going to pack,” Luna ran up the crystal staircase treasuring her cat’s basket in her arms. Hope smiled to herself, looking at her wand and then having a sudden thought. She wandered down the long hallway that was decorated in blue velvet and as she pushed open the door to the sapphire room she knew what she was looking for. She walked toward the portrait of Rose Lexon and peered in her hand. In the pale hand sat a purple wand, very similar to her new one.
“Wow,” she stepped backward and sat in a chair. “You were so beautiful and so brave!”
“Thank you Hope,” Rose smiled from her portrait. “You will be too!” At that moment she heard a flutter of wings and the pink and gold phoenix flew into her lap.
“Hello,” she stroked her beautiful plumage. “Stardust,” she echoed. “That’s your name”. The bird cooed with agreement.
She leaned back in the chair, wondering how the next few days would go. If any of the past few months events had anything to go by, she expected nothing but incredible things to occur.

Hope returned to her room with a nice hot bubble bath waiting for her.

“Thanks Flora,” She smiled, stepping into the tub and relaxing. As the bubbles gushed all around her, she knew life was not going to be easy but it would somehow be one of the most enjoyable things she undertook.