Elves, how do they work?

"It was a natural process that occurred over several centuries." Anastasia answered. You grabbed your stylus and started making notes. "Trees that were growing around areas of significant magic confluent absorbed the magic. Over time the trees were developed the ability to communicate with one another. Eventually those trees were able form a body they could move around in."

The teacher's mouth broke into a wide smile. "You are correct your Highness. I am glad the royal family has extended your knowledge to cover the other races." She walked to the front of her desk and sat on it. "I recall how resistant your great grandmother was to my coming here." A wistful look passed over her face. "I also recall how your grandmother shouted at her when she tried to have me removed from the capital. She was about your age at the time."

"The royal family should always endeavor to learn of their subjects." Anastasia answered as the picture of grace.

The teachers eyes flicked to you for a moment. "And I am honoured to assist. However, you missed the most common method of our creation." The teacher got off her desk and walked to the board. She wrote two words, 'self-consciousness' and 'nonself-consciousness'. "Does anyone know what those words mean?"

You recall your talk with Lucia. This was this world interpretation of the conscious and sub-conscious. "That of which we are aware and that of which we know but do not know how we know." Vatarie answered. You were a little surprised she beat you to it.

"Correct Lady Vatarie." The teachers eyes lingered on Vatarie for a moment.

"There is that which we know, such as how to used magic." A sphere of dull green light grew in her hand, "And there is that which we don't, such as how to grow." A wooden statute grew out of her other hand, a miniature replica of herself. "My kind are the duality of this concept. The first of us developed self-consciousness. Those first few then taught other trees nonself-consciousness, molding the trees into thought and feeling and shape." She brought her hands together and the green light infused the statute. As the light spread the statute began to move. "Unlike our kind, your kind has both self and nonself-consciousness, you do know why you take the form you do, and yet take it none-the-less."

You found this enthralling. Less the primary subject and more the hint of how elves exist. You were jotting down your thought as you went, incorporating your understanding of magic. "Magic wants to be used." You say recalling one of your first observations.

"You are correct young Master." The teacher said looking at you. "Magic wants to be used. But more than that it wants to be used correctly." The statute on her palm created its own sphere. "How your kind uses magic is by directing your self-consciousness through your nonself-consciousness." The sphere pops and the statute hold a miniature statute of itself in its palm. "At least that is the currently prevailing theory. Yes young Mistress?"

"What's nonself-consiousness?" You hear Edin's voice and are a little surprised by the lack of comment about the mistake gender.

"nonself-consiousness is how your body perceives and understands itself and its surroundings." The teacher pauses as she looks at Edin. "Of course there can be misunderstandings between nonself-consiousness and self-consciousness. For my kind that is simple to correct." Her face contorts into one with more elfin features. "I am sorry that your forms are not so easily corrected." Her face returns to it previous matronly form. "However we are getting ahead of ourselves. First," she starts writing on the board, "we much ensure you understand what magic is."

The lesson proceeds as the teacher goes over the basic theories of what magic is, how it functions and why it functions. You remember all of this from your first lessons about the subject. The refresher is somewhat interesting but you would have preferred more of a discussion on either the elf species or the two consiousnesses, partly because from the way the teacher described it as if she only has one and not the other.

At the end of the lesson you have still written out several pages worth of notes. Anastasia had written out just as much and you were curious to see if she, like you, had made personal notes along with the information provided.

"Edin please speak with me." The teacher said as everyone packed up. You looked at him hoping to see a happy expression, something to indicate he was better than when had left. He looked sadder than he had when he left.

You slow your leaving so you can try and talk to him but Anastasia has different ideas. "Christopher this way." She loops her arm in with your and don't feel like you can refuse. With a glance back at Edin talking with the teacher you leave the room being carried by Anastasia.

She leads you to the dorms and up to your room. You open it and you walk in.

"What the fuck happened?" She demands the moment the door closed.

"What?"

"What the fuck did you do to Edin? He was almost crying when I found him. He'd made it all they way to the royal estate in a backward tunic. What, the fuck, did you do?" She was clearly trying to control her anger at you.

"I just," you feel very defensive the cut off as you realise you're going to have to mention the dress, "I put one of your dresses on him."

"Which dress?"

That wasn't the response you expected her give. Sheepishly you walked to the wardrobe and opened it up pulling your the dress you had put on Edin.

She took it from your you held it out, letting it wave slightly. With a sigh she handed it back. "You know Edin isn't, he wants to be." She sounded uncomfortable as she spoke and you nodded, whatever her feelings she clearly knew something about this so she might be able to explain. "He doesn't like it when his body reminds him of who he is. When he puts on the dress he get excited and it stands out."

Oh, you get it. You think as your brain explodes with realisation. Your studious avoidance on his front lower half wasn't as beneficial to Edin as you'd thought it would be.

You blink a few time trying to put your recently exploded grey matter back into it's original casing as Anastasia goes on. "He can put the dress on with me and I was going to teach him to put it on with you." She shakes her head then glares at you. "If you break my toy again, powerful or not I'll punish you." She turns and walks out the door. You were wrong, she wasn't angry she was furious. Guess that meant she liked Edin more than you thought she did, thinking of him as a toy or not there was clearly something deeper to their relationship.

You put the dress back into the wardrobe. She hadn't mentioned any way to make things better with Edin so it might just be time. You still wanted to talk to him. To try and make it better somehow. You looked at his empty bed and hoped something would happen that would make it clear what you should do.

You grabbed your book and walked to your next class.