by Reza Ali
Lord Cunningham looked at the baby and smiled. His eyes moistened and his heart filled with happiness. She will be safe. There will be no suffering.
He now understood what the princess was trying to do. If you have no compassion in your heart, then you heart has a terrible aliment. He remembered her telling him that. How right she was. This was what he needed in his life, to do something meaningful. He felt he wanted to help more people like Fred Webster; help them out of dire circumstances; help them feed their families. He felt ashamed of his conduct towards the princess, but he resolved to make it right again; he would help her, stand by her. John Carter was right; nobody was more deserving of all the happiness in the world than she was.
* * *
Princess Evangeline ran toward the drawbridge and shouted for the watchman to lower it. A single watchman stood on duty that night, mounted atop a large tower and wearing a hawkish stare. When he saw the princess, dishevelled and drenched in blood, he immediately undid the hatch and lowered the bridge, but he dared not go near her. She ran across, her boots whispering along the wooden surface, then tapping the stony floors of the courtyard. She ran straight through the open doors and up to her room. The washerwoman always left a few pails of hot water for her bath; she found them as expected. She wrenched free of her stained tunic, tore of her breeches and ripped away her boots, then dived into her bathtub. She sobbed incessantly as she scoured her skin – trying in vain to wash away the blood – to purge the indelible stain that her actions had forever cast upon her shadow.
“Princess Eve,” Lord Cunningham called softly from outside her door.
When she greeted him, her hair was still wet, but combed back neatly. Her turquoise eyes were moist with fresh tears and a look of sheer despair cloaked her like a melancholic aura. He felt a resurgence of his overwhelming love for her. He remembered when they were younger – he was her hero; she clung to every word he spoke, she supported his every endeavour and she defended him fiercely. It was he who had built the chasm between them, he who had become jealous of the attention she drew for her dazzling beauty, for her unwavering compassion for humans and for regarding him lesser. He realised that admiration of the kind she harboured for him had to be nurtured; he had given her little love and destroyed something – something more precious to him than anything he had ever known.
“Oh Will!” She threw her arms around him and held on tightly. “I have committed a grievous act, one that is beyond redemption. I do not know what to do.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She seemed to forget the decorum of his title; he once more found that little girl who adored him, who always looked to him first.
“What have you done, Eve?” he asked curiously.
“You were always right! I was so stupid believing we are different, believing we should help humans. We are their curse, Will, their worst nightmare!” She sobbed over his shoulder.
He placed his finger under her chin and lifted her head so that her eyes met his.
“No! You have opened my eyes, Eve, to something so extraordinary. I was angry with you earlier today, so I stormed into your sanctuary to have words with you. The people there gathered around me, telling me I am the reason for their hope and happiness. Then I met a man who told me how his baby starved to death because he could not provide food for her, but now his second child is safe and happy. You were always right. There is a secret to our purpose in life and I think you have unlocked the door to it.”
She smiled under her despair, yet her tears fell faster.
“You will always be behind my purpose. I never stopped believing in you, Will. You taught my heart how to find compassion. Nothing will ever change what you mean to me.”
“I believe in you, Eve. I will never let anything change how I feel about my little sister. I will never doubt you again.”
“But Will, I killed four men today. It was brutal – I ripped them apart and took their blood.” She breathed heavier and felt a cold shiver at the thought of her actions.
“Good grief, how did that happen?” His eyes widened in surprise.
“They lured me into a trap, convinced me to follow them, then they surrounded me and attempted to kill me. I had no intention of killing them; I just wanted to go back to home. I struck them on their arms; I wanted to wound them enough so that they would not follow me back. Then one of them had his blood spilt everywhere and it fell upon my lips. That is as much I remember before I stood over their mauled bodies, blood dripping from my mouth.” She whimpered as she took in quick breaths of air.
“It was the bloodlust; when it sets in, there is no conscious ability to control it. Even great men have failed to supress it once it is stirred. It was unfortunate that the man’s blood spilt on your lips; there was only one outcome from that moment. It is not your fault, Eve.”
She was still in his arms. “I was there, Will; I did the deed myself. I am a monster! How can I ever account to those people who look up to me? Those people in the sanctuary, they tell me that I have restored their belief in humanity; how do I face them? They have given me so much joy in my life. I love them all, Will.”
“They love you as well, Princess. There must be more than four thousand people who use your sanctuary; you have provided them with sustenance, given them life. Those men came to you with the intention of committing cold-blooded murder. You defended yourself! Their vocation was murder! He who chases the wind will reap the whirlwind!”
“I feel afraid… afraid of the monster that lives within me. I am afraid of what I am capable of doing. I am so scared, Will.” She held onto him tightly.
He felt she was ten years old again. “Do not ever be afraid; I am here with you, my little sister. So is John Carter! You should pay more attention to him; he cares for you infinitely.”
She smiled. “I do care for you, Will; you are dear to me. John is my guardian; he has always been there for us both.”
“We need to clean up the bodies before anyone finds them. We must go now. I will go and get John; meet me in the courtyard.”
He hurried down the stairway and the princess dashed back to her room to dress.
* * *
Princess Evangeline pulled the reins of her horse slightly, slowing to a trot. The alley was still dark and they fought a freezing headwind, howling into their faces and greeting their cheeks with invisible spikes of ice. She heard the familiar hooting of an owl emanating deep within the forest; it reminded her of the prince’s exit earlier. What will he think of me after this? She frowned at the thought, but there were other issues that required answers. Who were those men and why did they want to kill me? It had to be from the king’s council. I must warn of this nefarious intent! She could faintly see the silhouette of the forest ahead. Then she saw the bodies lying strewn across the scrubs leading into the forest. The first man lay flat on the grass, his body ripped open from his belly to his throat. His swollen belly sprouted entrails spilt over him like molten rock over a volcano. She felt physically sick looking at the carnage. Even more sickening was the realisation that she was responsible for this. A hot flush crept over her. She closed her eyes and calmed herself. I have to be brave.
John Carter and Lord Cunningham followed her, with two helpers in tow. They dismounted and walked over to the body.
“Princess, were you alone?” John asked, looking incredulously at the remnants of her rampage.
She bowed her head and a tear rolled down her cheek.
“John, let us burden the princess no more; we need to clear this mess now,” Lord Cunningham ordered.
“Forgive me, Princess; I never meant it in a bad sense. Trust me, I have done far worse to far more.” John looked at her, hoping his words could will away her tears.
She looked up at him and gave him a smile of appreciation.
John rolled the dead man into a long white sheet. The helpers gathered the spilt intestines and smothered the bloodstained earth, concealing evidence of the slaughter.
“This one’s a li
ttle gristly to the touch,” John remarked as he looped the rope around the body.
“What do you care if he is stout or spindly? Just get on with it!” Lord Cunningham shouted.
“At least we know what we are dealing with,” John replied as he hoisted the corpse over his shoulder and dispatched it over the other three bodies that were bunched up on a cart like a haul of fish.
“Come, Princess, we must return now. The sun will soon rise and you need to rest after this night. John will attend to this.” He cast his eyes towards the stacked bodies.
* * *
That morning, Princess Evangeline could not sleep. She felt horribly nauseous and her belly twisted like a pair of mating serpents. She sat up on her bed, drenched in perspiration, her hair dripping wet. What is happening to me? I must see Madame Cecelia. She pushed off the bed and got herself ready.
Madame Cecelia’s cabin was redolent with the fragrant smells of aromatic oils mixed with flowers and leaves. She kept quantities of that on wooden shelves, which accounted for most of the space inside the cabin. The rest of the space was filled by a small table made of oak shavings and many books stacked from floor to ceiling. A large black cauldron sat over a large brazier that held its fire.
“Princess Eve, I am so pleased you are here.” She walked to the princess and took her hand.
The princess grimaced, then smiled.
“You are not well; what is the matter, Princess?” Cecelia clutched her hands.
“My belly hurts like the fires of Hell. I do not know what is happening to me.” She wore a despairing look.
“Come, Princess, we will find the cause of this and make you right again.”
Cecelia placed some grains and herbs in a vial and asked the princess to urinate inside. She studied the contents of the vial, adding more ingredients and furiously checking her books to verify the results. She shook her head in disbelief.
The princess looked at her disconcertedly. “Tell me what is wrong.” Cecelia’s reaction had her nerves on edge.
Cecelia hesitated, then asked, “Princess, tell me, did you… engage in…? Did you lay with a man in the past weeks?”
“My answer is affirmative. It is true.” She avoided eye contact.
“It is confirmed, then. You are with child.” Cecelia’s tone had an ominous ring to it.
“Oh dear!” the princess replied in shock. How could I be so careless? Childbirth means death. What have I done?
“Fear not, Princess Eve; I can have it removed. I will make a concoction that I promise is as vile in taste as it is effective in action.”
“Would that mean the end of my child?” The princess felt dread coil up inside her like a resting serpent.
“Princess Eve, a choice has been presented. There are dire consequences on either end of this. You die and the child lives, but he will be motherless. The child dies and you live, but you will be childless. I have learnt that such choices bend the arc of one’s destiny; often, either choice brings happiness or despair. I understand that some choices are difficult; the one you have been presented with will have only one outcome. You are too precious to lose and I will not tolerate such thoughts.” Madame Cecelia leant to the princess’ face and placed the palms of her hands on either cheek.
The princess did not say word. The thought of her child being ripped from her womb, its flame extinguishing before it even burnt, seemed too much for her to contemplate. How cowardly am I to consider such action? Is my life that important that I must deny my own child its life? It was strange, but, ever since Cecelia had told her she was pregnant, she felt an excitement for the life inside her. It was her baby, a life she had created with the man she loved. If there is another way, I will explore it, but I will not lose this baby. Her resolve grew stronger with every passing minute.
It took her some time before she spoke. “I do not want to lose my baby.”
“I know it is a difficult choice for you. Fear not, My Princess, I will find a way. Here in the spiritual forest there lives a druid; he is more than ten thousand years old. He lives in the roots of a methuselah tree deep inside the forest. There is a map to his exact location. I will find it and he will have the answers to keep you and your baby alive.” She took the princess into her arms, trying to comfort her, trying to find relief from the overbearing melancholy.
* * *
Princess Evangeline sat amongst the people at the sanctuary. They laughed and talked and spoke of their happy days, but her mind could not help drifting to thoughts of her dire situation. She was stuck in a state of perpetual despair. Her empty eyes looked ahead. Despite people revelling in happiness and dancing around a brazier, the princess saw nothing. Happiness seemed incomprehensible at that moment – a concept so far removed from her situation it seemed impossible; a smile would mean the widening of her lips and nothing more.
“Hello, Princess Evangeline.” A woman, her hair ethereal white and eyes ocean blue, wearing a plain long silk dress sat beside her.
“Hello there.” The princess could barely muster a smile.
“I am named Charlotte Grift when I am here. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”
The princess felt her piercing stare. “When you are here?” the princess asked, confused.
“Yes, when I am here. I travel much and I have many names.” She smiled warmly.
The princess smiled back; it felt a difficult action in her melancholic state. That did not go unnoticed.
“Do not despair, my child; everything will be right in the end. As right as it is meant to be.”
“I wish I could believe that, Charlotte; my future does not hold such promise, I am afraid.”
“My dear, life is precious. Do not allow the dark clouds of the morrow to shade the glorious sunshine of today. Look around at what you have created. Their smile of appreciation is a wonderful reward for your great soul. You are God’s special child.” She placed a soft and warm hand over the princess’ hand.
“I have been forsaken by God. I can never be his child because of what I am.” She lowered her head.
“No, my dear, that is where you are mistaken. All life in all realms has been created by one entity. All that you are, perceived as good or bad, is what he intended you to be. Morality is something that civilised man created; it has nothing to do with God. But God has endowed all life with some gifts; one of the most important is the gift of compassion. You, my dear, you have taken that gift and shone like a polished diamond. Your light has been so bright, even I have recognised it.”
“But you do not understand. I killed four men, brutally. I... I…”
“That makes you no less the person you are. Remember, Princess, your instincts are God given; what you are is exactly what he intended you to be. You killed them in response to their action; do not forget that they tried to kill you. Death is but a small part of the cycle of life; far from the end, it sets in motion the process of new beginnings. But acting on compassion, as you had done so many times in your life, that is the work of God’s children. You are his precious child. You have nothing to fear.”
The princess realised that this was no normal conversation. This woman must be some kind of messenger; she knows so much of me. She knows so much of everything.
“I am no messenger, but my vast knowledge is a product of my work. I am just small a cog in a large wheel. I have never come here to see someone before, but for you I am honoured to be here.” She smiled a warm smile, and the princess noticed an aura that glowed faintly around the woman’s face.
“Forgive me, Charlotte, but might I ask what you are?” The princess looked at her curiously. How did she know what I was thinking?
“What I am is not important; why I am here is of utmost importance to you. You carry a child inside your womb. A child born of a human king father and a vampire princess, conceived atop a crown of fire, when the light of the red, blue and yellow suns converged. The child shall be the incarnation of the Dark Prince. Your people have been without a home, living in the
shadows, cursed with a terrible affliction. The Dark Prince has the power to unite the realm and find a permanent home for all of them.” She leant forward towards the princess’ face. “Your son is the Dark Prince.”
“My… My… son! Am I having a son?” Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Yes. A beautiful son. A powerful son.”
The princess touched her belly, her tears falling faster.
“Wi…? Will I survive? Will I see him?” Her eyes opened wide in desperation.
“I do not have the answer to that question. But I promise you that I will have the answer the next time you see me.” She leant towards the princess and kissed her on her forehead.
The princess grabbed her and sobbed uncontrollably.
“My dear, you have nothing to fear. Hold your head up high and go boldly forward towards the destiny that awaits you. You are his special child, in all your incarnations. Now wipe away those tears and smile.” She stood up, turned and disappeared out through the large doors.
“Princess Eve, please wake up!” Melissa shook the sleep out of the princess.
“Mel, what happened? Where am I?” She blinked sleepily.
“You fell asleep, My Princess. The prince awaits you outside. This is his third visit since yesterday; he looks such a wreck,” Melissa replied, gently stroking the princess’ hair as she spoke.
“I am a wreck too. I must look a nightmare!” she said, pushing back her hair with her hands.
“You are always so beautiful, My Princess. You look perfect. Go to him now.” Melissa helped her up.
The prince stood beside his horse. When he saw her, his heart accelerated to drumming speed, but he stood waiting for her as she walked slowly towards him.