“Hi, Marta.” I turn around. Suis is behind me, looking
pretty in a pink dress.
“You look beautiful,” I say.
This causes a blush to rise in her cheeks. “Thank you.”
A hush falls over the barn as Mirium the storyteller takes his
place at the top of the barn. He is five hundred years old so he
walks with a white staff. He has a long white beard and kind
grey eyes. He swings his heavy gold tunic out as he sits down.
Lots of people believe he is an oracle. Some girls go to him to
see their future match and how many kids they will have, but it
never interested me.
“Greetings. Must I say, ladies, you all look glorious on this
fine night.”
Giggles sound around the barn. I let out a sigh, causing
Corrona to give me a harsh look. She is a believer. Then she
squeezes my leg to let me know she isn’t mad at me. Corrona
couldn’t get mad; she has a kind soul. That is one of the reasons
I like her so much.
Mirium starts with our history of how we came to be. It is
one told to all girls before being matched. I heard it when I was
younger, but this is tradition. He starts in a hushed voice.
“A long time ago in heaven, there were four angels who did
their best to always please God. God looked fondly upon his
faithful servants. When the time came, the angels were sent
down to earth to be born to the mortal world with free will.
The four angels, Veronica, Lucian, Jeremy, and Sarra, watched
as the other angels made their transition to life. The four angels
talked about being mortals all the time, they did extra things
to please God, yet they still remained angels. One day, Lucian
convinced the other three angels to follow him, as he believed
he knew how to become mortal without God knowing. Jeremy
and Sarra were swayed by Lucian, but Veronica was nervous, as
she didn’t want to upset God.
That day Veronica was bathing God’s feet. God noticed the
conflict within her soul. ‘My child, tell me what troubles you.’
So Veronica told him of Lucian’s plans. God was enraged by
this betrayal. He struck the four angels down. He looked at each
of their souls and he could see the greed to be mortals within
them. So God banished them to a world parallel to Earth. He
gave each of them an element. Lucian was given the ability to
control fire. Veronica was given an earth affinity. Jeremy, the
ability to control air, and Sarra, a water affinity. Spirit was
God’s. So each new generation was born with an affinity passed
down by our ancestors. God gave them these powers so they
could understand what he had created, and in time, he hoped
they would understand the values of each element that he had
given freely to the mortal world.
He built a wall of fire to divide the worlds and gave them
partial immortality so they could pay for their sins. And so
forth, our world Saskia was created by four fallen angels.” You
couldn’t hear anything in the barn. It was so quiet.
Mirium rose. “That was twenty centuries ago and our
founders have paid for their sins. God loves us, as we are as
much his children as mortals are. We know he has forgiven us,
as we can pass through the wall of fire to the mortal world.” I
felt as if Mirium was looking directly at me when he said this.
Several people gasped around us, drawing Mirium’s attention
away. I believe in God, but not a world called Earth. It was
a silly fairy tale. Mirium continued telling us about Earth, of
its sheer beauty and of its wars. It made me think of our war
against King Paulus and the question that was on everyone’s
mind. Was he truly still alive? If he was, would he seek revenge?
I shivered at the thought.
No wars had ever happened since King Morrick and Queen
Bellona came into power. Punishment for crimes was not by
public hangings or torture now. If a person committed a crime
against another, they were exiled from their community and
banished to the mountains. I heard tales of villagers seeing the
exiles late at night, scurrying through the villages, scavenging for food they say they are like wild animals, hunched over
with black teeth and hollow eyes. People believe their souls have
fled and all that is left is emptiness. A shiver of fear runs down
my spine.
The king and queen have the final decision over Luxpagus,
which is a village to the east of Saskia. Luxpagus was first
established by a family with fire affinities and lots of people
left the heart of Saskia and settled there. Aquaterra is another
large settlement to the southwest of Saskia. The settlement is
ruled by Musa, the tribe’s leader, and he is very strict. Musa
makes his own laws and deals with his own kind. They are left
alone. The last main settlement outside Saskia is Humus. This
is a community of people who follow the way mortals live and
study everything about Earth. They control all of the south.
They don’t have a king or queen, but a committee voted by the
people to make rules and keep everything in order. There are
other small settlements scattered on the outskirts of Saskia, but
these are the main three.
I continue to listen to Mirium’s tales of the mortal world,
of how mortals could live until eighty years old. We can live to
about seven hundred. It doesn’t seem fair for them to live such
a short existence. When Mirium is finished, everyone applauds.
Groups of girls whisper of Earth, of stories their mothers told
them.
Corrona and I dance as soon as the music starts, but we
exhaust ourselves too quickly, nearly forgetting we are both
having babies.
Afterwards, we go back to Corrona’s cottage. She pours out
two cups of chamomile tea that she grows in her garden. I can
tell by Corrona’s face she wants to talk about something.
“Marta, remember Mirium said we could pass through the
wall of fire since God has forgiven the four angels?”
I shake my head. So this is what she wanted to talk about.
“Corrona, you can’t believe that.”
“Marta, it is our history. Of course I believe it. I shouldn’t be
telling you this. I swore to Dominic I wouldn’t tell anyone, but
you’re my best friend.” She pauses. “Well, you know the horses
Dominic takes care of?”
“What about them?” I say.
“Well, that’s how they get through the fire.”
“What! The horses will not get burned?” I am not smart with
my reply, but it just doesn’t seem logical. When I see Corrona’s
serious face, I decide to just listen.
“I am telling the truth. Dominic explained to me that the
guardians, which all have air affinities, can create some kind of
protection around them and the horses, which allows them to
pass from here to the mortal world. The king and queen have been
there, Marta, to the mortal world.” I give Corrona a skeptical
look, but she continues. “Look at it this way. Every baby is born
with an
affinity: air, water, fire, or earth.” She doesn’t add spirit,
as only Queen Bellona seems to have that gift.
“Okay, what’s your point?” I say.
“Well, the queen only takes babies with air affinities to
become guardians.”
I already know this, but it doesn’t make sense.
“But you have an air affinity, yet you are sitting here,” I say
with a small smile to try and lighten the mood.
Corrona gives me a disapproving look, obviously not enjoying
my humour. “Yes, I know. She only takes boys. Dominic said
that’s because they are normally stronger.”
I sit there and ponder over what Corrona has just told me.
It does answer the question of why every guardian has to have
an air affinity, yet I just can’t bring myself to believe in another
world. I am not saying Corrona is being untrue. She truly
believes in what she is saying, but I just can’t accept such an
explanation. I leave shortly after, but our conversation rattles
around in my head.
The village is quiet as I pass through the empty streets. I start
to walk a little bit faster. I feel as if I am being watched. I glance
around me, seeing nothing, yet the feeling of being watched
doesn’t leave. On the square, there are still a few lanterns lit,
but the light doesn’t touch the shadows.
“Aren’t you pretty?” I turn around and have to crane my neck
back to look up at a drunken guardian. Funny how he manages
to get alcohol. He is over six feet tall and bulky. I turn to leave,
but he grabs my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I am going home.” My voice shakes as I speak.
“Sir… That is how you will address me.” He pulls my arm,
dragging me behind him to a side street.
My stomach drops; panic sets in. I hit him with my free arm,
making no impact. “Let me go!” I protest. He pushes me up
against a wall of a house. I try to protect my stomach as best I
can.
“You know, you have no manners. Maybe I should teach you
some.”
I am about to scream, but then Morrick is there, standing behind my attacker. He is over six foot tall with jet-black hair
that falls just below his jawline. I can see a muscle tense as
he looks at my attacker’s back. His eyes shoot up to me, deep
grey eyes surrounded by long black eyelashes that still take my
breath away.
I watch as he places a knife at the man’s ever-paling face.
“Taurus, release the lady at once.”
Taurus raises his hands in the air. “Forgive me, your
highness.”
I move away from the wall after being freed from Taurus’s
arms. Morrick’s hands are visibly shaking with temper. I can
see the knife sink into Taurus’s cheek as blood trickles down
his face. “King Morrick,” I say to make him stop, and he does
immediately, sheathing his knife.
“Apologise to the lady,” he tells Taurus through gritted teeth.
Taurus stands and faces me, all his drunkenness gone. “Sorry,
ma’am, for my actions.”
I harrumph. “Leave now,” Morrick orders, but I can see he
wants nothing more than to hurt him. Taurus bows and walks
away. That just leaves me and Morrick, who does not come any
closer, in case someone is watching us. “Are you hurt?” he asks
while averting his gaze to my stomach.
“No, your highness, I am fine.” I keep with the formalities
also.
He moves beside me and his closeness makes me look
around. He bends his head and whispers in my ear, “You look
so beautiful with our child growing inside you.”
I freeze with fear and excitement at what he is saying, but
fear wins. I step back and bow. “Thank you, your highness, for
helping me. Good night.”
“You should be more vigilant this late at night. Be careful.”
I look back over my shoulder, but he is gone. Walking briskly
back to my cottage, I feel I am still being watched.
While I try to sleep, my mind will not stop thinking through
all of tonight’s incidents and remembering the festival is
tomorrow, but I finally fall asleep.
Queen Bellona -Saskia-
I look upon the paintings that hang in the library of all the
people that went before us. Their stories never interested me,
not even as a child. My father spent my childhood drilling
stories of the past into my head. My hate for him pushed me to
pray to God and ask him to take my father, but he never did.
His fist was his way to discipline me.
My mother would clean my wounds after my father’s rages. I
could still hear her voice. “Oh why, Bellona, do you upset your
father and force his hand upon you?” She would look at me
with no remorse, only disappointment.
I hated her, but as always, I bit my tongue. “Sorry, Mother.”
It was just a whisper, as it was too painful to speak with
broken ribs. For weeks after beatings, I was left to recover in
my sleeping chambers. There were no children my age so the
servants became my toys.
Shaking my head, I come back to here and now. I run my
fingers along the spines of the books until I come across the
one I want, the one my father used a long time ago. A shiver of
pleasure runs through my body as the memories pour in. Her
face frozen in a mask of pain. Her pleas for life. I was so young,
yet every moment was truly enjoyable, watching her very soul
the book again. Only this time, I know exactly what to do. I am
not a frightened little girl anymore. I am the queen of Saskia.
Holding the book firmly to my chest I leave the library.
Taurus, my personal bodyguard, is waiting for me outside to
escort me back to my chambers. A small, fresh cut is on his
face, something I must inquire about later, but not right now. I
have too much to do. We walk in silence. The castle is empty, as
everyone is preparing for the festival.
Reaching my chambers, I turn to Taurus. “I do not want to
be disturbed.”
He inclines his head. “Most certainly, my lady.”
I close the door and cross the floor to my bookshelves that
are mounted against the stone wall. Sliding the bible out causes
a draft as the hidden door opens. I nearly laugh at the irony that
my father used a bible as the passageway to enter such a dark
place. I light the torch just inside the door and carry it down a
winding stone staircase. I remember the day I discovered the
secret passageway. My father was raging, full of wine, turning
over tables in the library. I had never seen him so angry. He tore
the books from their shelves; pages fluttered around me. I was
truly terrified. I knew what these books meant to my father. He
crossed over to the mortal world, taking all kinds of books. He
was obsessed with their world.
He looked at me; the look of madness in his eyes terrified me.
Racing towards me, he picked me up and threw me on the white
marble floor, breaking my arm. A scream rose i
n my throat.
“Get up. You disgust me,” he said while moving towards me
again. He tripped over an overturned table and fell. I got up and
ran to my mother’s chambers. Tears poured down my face as I
cradled my arm.
When I entered, my mother was lounging on her four-poster
bed. She took one look at me and asked, “What have you done
now?” At that very moment the realisation hit me. If he came
after me, he would finish what he started, and my mother would
not stop him this time. I ran and locked my mother’s door. She
got up off her bed.
“Bellona, what do you think you are doing? Unlock that
door at once.”
Placing the key in my dress pocket, I glared at her. “You
won’t hurt me anymore.” I could hear the venom in my own
voice.
Her face turned red with anger. “You spoilt little…”
She never got to finish her sentence. Anything I put my hand
on I flung at her. She screamed, startled. After emptying her
dressing table, I moved around the room and started throwing
books at her.
“Stop this at once—” She was cut off midsentence by a book
I aimed at her head, but I missed. I reached to get another book
and that’s when the bookshelf opened. “Close it, and close it
now, Bellona.” Her eyes darted to the door. “Your father will
kill you if you go down there.” She actually looked frightened.
She darted across the room, but before she could reach
me, I opened the door and closed it behind me. She was still
screaming her protests from her chambers. I raced blindly down
the stone steps until I ended up in a large, circular room. The
room I stand in now. My father never knew I found his secret
room and my mother never told him.
I place the book on the stone stand that is in the centre of the
room. Opening the cover causes a breeze to flutter around the
room, stirring the candle flames, making them dance wildly.
I close my eyes and breathe in the musty smell of the book. A
low sob pulls me back. Bethany, the servant girl, is curled up
sobbing in her cage. I move towards her, making her move back
into the cage. Her ratty, dirty hair covers her face.
“Oh, Bethany. Shhh! It will be all over soon.” She looks at
me and starts sobbing again. She has a poor existence. I am
doing her a favour.