Seven years ago, in a small town up in the cold Northern Europe. Early morning, sun has just come up and cast its cold rays across the landscape. There's a small house at the edge of the town, with light pouring out of its warmly glowing windows. There's a loud woman's voice coming from inside the house.
"Lilia Trine Martinson. Get your butt downstairs at this instant!"
"Uuugh, okay, Mom, okay! I'm coming!" a child-like voice answers.
"Don't you 'okay Mom' me, young lady. It's your own damn fault if you're still sleepy. You should've gone to sleep earlier!" the older woman’s voice continues. Light tippy-tap noises ensue when a young girl, not even a teen yet, wanders down the stairs.
"Mom..." She says and pouts.
"Lilia, you're already 10, you have to start behaving less like a baby." Her mother says and looks at her.
"Alright mom…" Lilia says, defeated.
"What did you talk about at school today?" her mother asks. Lilia’s face brightens up considerably, and she flashes a wide smile.
"Future!" she yells loudly.
"Oooh, interesting, what did you want to do, in the Future?" her mother asks and smiles at her. She’s sitting on a chair and knitting something.
"I wanna be a Mage like aunt Cecilie and I want to get married and get a cute wife like Pål!" Lilia says briskly and smiles happily. Her mother’s expression sours a bit and she shakes her head at her.
"Lilia... you're a girl. Girls get husbands, not wives." Her mother says.
"But I don't want a husband!" Lilia says and slams her foot down, "I don't like boys, Mom. I want a cute wife!"
"Okay, we'll talk about this some other time, Lilia." Her mother says and smiles at her. "But you wanted to be a Mage, then? Like Cecilie?" she says.
"Yeah!" Lilia answers enthusiastically.
"You'll have to go to school then, for Mages." Her mother says and nods at her.
"School?" Lilia says and raises her eyebrow, "Don't Mages just learn like Cecilie? Can't Cecilie just teach me?"
"Oh my Lilia…" her mother says and lowers her knitting down to her lap. "Cecilie went to school too, and I'm sure she can teach you some, but you will have to go to a school anyway, little Miss Martinson. Sooner or later you'll need to go to a school for Mages."
"But mom, I don’t like schools!" Lilia says and crosses her hands in front of her and pouts.
"Lilia, the magic school will differ from normal school," her mother says, "you’ll do just fine there. Don’t worry, it’ll be a few years before you can attend anyway, you’ll change your mind - on many matters, hopefully - before then."
"Eehh.." Lilia says and looks at her mother suspiciously.
"Now, put on your clothes and eat, you’ll be late from the singing exercise if you dally too long!" her mother says.
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