Insidious Prophecy

by JH Terry

XXVIII: The Rose Garden

  Tom ran through the streets of Lupo towards the palace. Soon, however he reached a crowd that was standing around a street. Tom could not see why they were doing this, but soon made it through to the street by pushing past several others. Looking to the street, however, Tom saw that there was only an open street with no one doing anything at it.

  Puzzled, Tom asked a man next to him, “What is wrong?”

  “Princess Penelope is coming,” said the man. “We are waiting for when she comes to see her.”

  “Is she that important?”

  “Yes, and more,” said the man.

  “Why?” asked Tom confused by the man’s answer.

  “She is the longest to rule over Jellytot Land, an achievement of the highest magnitude.”

  Suddenly the people began to cheer to the right of Tom, and as they cheered more people from the right started to cheer until those to the left of Tom were also cheering. To his right Tom saw that there was a man in a grey uniform approaching on a black horse. He wore feathers on his hat and gold trimming and several medals on his uniform. Soon came into view a carriage approaching behind the man. It was carried by four horses and was covered with sparkling objects of different colors with golden axels and wheels. Holding the reins and leading the carriage was another man with clothing similar to the man on horseback. There were two doors into it and it had several glass windows so that the person inside could see those outside, and vice versa. Behind this carriage were two men each on a horse similar to the man in front of the carriage. All of the men looked forward, as if the cheering crowd was not there at all.

  As the carriage passed on through the street the people waved, some even wanting to touch the carriage for some luck from the princess, and a few even tried to take some items off of the carriage walls. However, there were soldiers from Lupo holding them back and protecting the princess’s carriage from any harm. As the carriage came into Tom’s view, he could see that the sparkling objects on it were jellybeans with sugar all around them. Soon Tom could see that inside the carriage was a little girl, no more than four feet in height with long, curly, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. As the carriage was passing Tom, Princess Penelope looked at him in interest. As the carriage passed on she even moved her body from where she sat to get another glimpse of Tom, but Tom was already gone, passing out of the crowd, out of the view of Princess Penelope. Princess Penelope resumed her waving to the people of Gordana, but was still struck by the boy she had just seen.

  Tom had left, seeing what the commotion was about, but not understanding why such a commotion should have been given to Princess Penelope. Many people on Earth lived past the age of one hundred, but not all of them were given such parades or looked upon with such eagerness.

  Soon Tom reached the palace. After some time of waiting, he was able to pass by the guards undetected. In the palace he tiptoed down the hallways to get to the staircase to his rooms. As he was doing this he suddenly heard a noise coming from outside. Looking out, he saw that it was Akemi fencing with a cloth dummy in the rose garden. She was wearing a white fencing suit and hit the dummy with precision each time with her sword. Tom walked out a door that led to a staircase to the rose garden.

  As Tom carefully walked down the steps of the staircase he heard a whizzing sound in the air. Looking to where Akemi was to his left he saw a sword approaching him. He watched as the sword quickly flashed in front of his body in level with his neck and was stuck into the wall to his right. He walked back up a step and turned his head to see Akemi laughing at him. It was she who had thrown the sword.

  “The look on your face, you should see it,” said Akemi still laughing. Tom pulled the sword out of the wall and continued to walk down the stairs as Akemi continued to laugh. As he came near to her and gave back her sword, Akemi stopped laughing and asked, “You’re not happy?”

  “No, I am not happy,” said Tom.

  “Maybe you should’ve spent more time sleeping than going about the city,” said Akemi with a slight harshness in her tone. “What did you do?”

  “I just walked around, seeing others.”

  “Does that include going to the university and being with a young woman at the library and sports arena in a long conversation?”

  “Why do you ask me if you already know?”

  “I just need to check your trustfulness,” said Akemi, “but seeing your attitude, I guess I can’t trust you.”

  “I never asked for your trust,” said Tom.

  “No, you did not, but that is all in the past. Let’s walk in the rose garden and talk.” They walked through the garden as the dimming sun hit the beige palace, making it appear to be gold. The sky was cloudless and all around them, autumn leaves were cascading down, making the scene picturesque. It was something out of a movie or perfect dream, the kind that no one wants to wake up out of. “Tom, many will try to say things about me, but they are untrue. You must trust what I say. I may seem different at times, but what I say is true.”

  “What about that sword a few moments ago? What was that meant for?”

  “Just a joke, a laugh here and there. Tom, I noticed we have drifted apart during our journey. It does not seem right. I think that we should try to patch it up again.”

  “There is no need,” said Tom. “I am here, am I not?”

  “Yet there is a harshness in your tone. Do you not remember how I helped you with the pain in your head, saved you countless times from Norbis, and dealt with all of these problems with a leader’s authority. Tom it is hard being a leader and it takes a lot of work to be a perfect one. I must tell you now I have never been a leader, but an outsider. If I seemed in anyway out of line in our journey, I am sorry. However, we are here and that is what matters, right?”

  “Right,” said Tom still in an unsure manner.

  “Did you know that you are a very handsome young man,” said Akemi with a smile.

  “No, I never thought about that,” said Tom in an indifferent tone.

  “You should. Pretty soon all of the girls will want to ask you on a date. You are very lucky to have such looks.”

  “I do not care for my looks.”

  “Modest,” said Akemi. “Yes, very modest and humble. However, one should only be humble to a degree. When one has good looks they should always show them off.”

  “Why?” asked Tom puzzled.

  “It is a thing of beauty, and beauty should always be shown to make the world even more beautiful. Tom?”

  “Yes, Akemi.”

  “Do you think I am beautiful?”

  “I never really thought of it.”

  “Tell me, I am not that good at this type of thing. I am only a humble princess who does not understand the full meaning of beauty when it comes to women. Could you help me?”

  Looking to Akemi Tom saw that she was indeed beautiful, but there was something wicked in that beauty, something false. She seemed too beautiful, and she knew it, and used it to her advantage. “Yes,” said Tom. “You are very beautiful.”

  “Really,” said Akemi as she lowered her eyes. “You are just saying that.”

  “No,” said Tom as Akemi raised her eyes again. “It is only the truth.”

  “I guess then it could never be changed my beauty since the truth can never be changed.”

  “I suppose so,” said Tom feeling as if Akemi were grabbing him closer to her. Suddenly he was looking down onto her in a dream-like trance.

  “Let’s share our beauties together,” said Akemi, her bewitching eyes looking into his. “Forever!”

  However, just as Akemi was about to kiss Tom, a small man in official attire ran over to Tom and Akemi, it was the Royal Herald. Hearing the herald hoot his horn and his footsteps Tom turned his head to see him and realized the precarious situation around him. He moved away from Akemi. Akemi, seeing her plan foiled, looked over to the herald.

  Suddenly the herald stopped ho
oting and said to Akemi, “The council is to be in ten minutes, you must hurry and change into the appropriate attire. Do you know where the princess is?”

  “Why should I care?” stated Akemi. “She is probably reading as usual.”

  “Thank you,” said the herald to Akemi as he ran away again hooting his horn.

  Akemi then turned away from Tom and picked up a rose. This caused her finger to be pricked by a thorn, but she seemed not to notice it. As blood oozed from it Akemi turned around to Tom. Tom looked to her hand to see what was happening, but saw that Akemi seemed to sense nothing.

  “What are you doing?” asked Tom of Akemi as if she were crazy.

  “Pain is only physical, Tom, never let it embroil your emotions, for then it is more than pain, it is trauma.”

  “I do not understand.”

  “Of course you do not. Go and get Peter and Kate. I need to change my attire,” dictated Akemi as she turned around again to the rose bush.

  “Where are we to go?” asked Tom.

  “Gerald shall show you, just get ready,” stated Akemi. Tom hurried up through the rose garden and up the stairs to his rooms. As he did this Akemi stayed a moment longer in the garden. Once he was gone Akemi said, “Now not even bewitching will keep her away from him.”

  Akemi walked out of the rose garden to her rooms to change her attire.