by Reza Ali
The princess pushed her hand inside the system of roots towards his face. A long stem ascended from above and wrapped tightly around her hand. His eyes once more lit up incandescently and she felt something flash inside her. It was almost as if a surge of electricity coursed through her for a split second. His eyes returned to the luminous blue that it so beautifully reflected and the long stem loosened its grip around her hand. His eyes met hers in fascination.
“The child you carry is the Dark Prince; of that, there is no doubt. You have a glow in your spirit like none I have ever encountered. If Charlotte Grift came here to visit you, then you are something that belongs with her. I cannot read you and that is because you are no ordinary being.”
“Armoran, the reason we are here is to seek your counsel on how to save our princess from the grim fate that awaits her. The Dark Prince will need a mother to guide him through his early life; surely her death is an undesirable consequence that must be remedied,” Cecelia intervened.
“Your argument is logical. However, I do not possess the ability to influence such consequence. I would have been able to tell you more, but she is beyond my knowledge. She is something very unique, as is the child she carries.”
“I have to save her; she cannot be lost to this world. There has got to be a way.” Cecelia’s voice reeked of determination.
“Charlotte Grift is the answer. There is no doubt that you will see her again. If your fate is indeed death, then Charlotte Grift will appear personally to take you. At that moment, you could plead your case of being a mother to the Dark Prince. You must convince Charlotte Grift of the need to protect the child. If you ask my opinion, I think she will grant you life; in fact, I am sure of it. That is why she visited you in the first place. If I recall correctly, she did tell you already that you must not fear your fate. That could indicate that she will give you renewed life at that moment.” He looked at the princess as he spoke.
“She did tell me that she will reveal my fate when I next see her,” the princess replied.
“There you have it, then. She will tell you exactly what your fate will be; have no fear, Princess.” His head lowered and his eyes shut.
John lifted the princess onto the horse, then he mounted it. He moved his arms around her waist and grabbed the reins. He smiled broadly, which did not go unnoticed by the princess.
“You are enjoying this, I do not doubt.” She smiled.
“It is the best time of my life,” he replied, with noticeable sincerity.
Cecelia mounted her horse and they galloped back to the citadel.
* * *
Cecelia entered her cabin and stood before the large cauldron sitting above the big brazier. She looked up at Princess Evangeline and smiled.
“Would you like to see him?”
“See who?” the princess replied, her brows knitting in confusion.
“Your son, Princess Eve. I will need a portrait of you. We will place it somewhere he will be drawn to later in his life. You will see him as he casts his eyes upon your image in the portrait,” Cecelia informed.
“Where would I get a portrait painted, especially at this hour?” The princess sighed.
“I will do it. I used to be an artist when I was human. I painted many portraits, mostly women,” John interrupted, with a mischievous smile.
“I thought you were a knight. What were you doing painting women? Naked women, I do not doubt,” the princess replied, with a look of uncertainty.
“A man can be more than just one thing. Yes, Princess Eve, they were naked; it is called art.” He beamed broadly.
“Art! I call that highly inappropriate!” The princess glowered.
He smiled at her, taking great satisfaction in her obvious distress.
“Well, that is just perfect; I happen to have a canvass, brushes and paint. I meant to do it myself, but never got around to learning.”
John set the canvass upon the easel and began painting the princess, who sat ladylike on her high-back chair. John looked at her admiringly. The image she cast was truly regal.
“You really are incredibly beautiful.” He smiled.
“I trust you complimented the naked women you painted just as generously?” Her voice was tinged with jealousy.
“I have never seen a woman more beautiful than you.” His grey eyes gazed into her eyes.
She smiled back at him and then he was lost in concentration, furiously throwing his brush onto the canvass, gradually revealing her beautiful figure with every stroke. Soon, it was completed. The princess walked over with her fingers tightly over her eyes, diligently following his instruction. When she removed them, she saw the most wonderful portrait of herself, sculptured to perfection. He had captured every extraordinary detail about the princess. She smiled and kissed him on the lips, then handed the canvass to Cecelia, who placed it beside the cauldron and began reciting incantations.
She lit a fire in the cauldron, the flames of which burnt brightly, spitting and crackling incessantly. She threw a mixture of herbs and dried flowers inside and shouted incantations loudly. The fire responded by flaring up and burning a dark orange and red flame. The shadow of the fire seemed to move across the painting, almost creeping into it. The picture appeared to move within the portrait, almost as if the image had come to life. Cecelia gently pulled the princess next to her, gesturing that she should look into the flames. They both stared unerringly into the bright orange and red frame as it danced gracefully in front of them.
Cecelia shouted words unintelligible to the princess and the flames seemed to reflect something within its bright core. The princess watched as the refection inside became clearer to form the silhouette of man. The image of the man was clad in something large that protruded around him. She looked closer at the shadow and was convinced that he was wearing armour. A knight; he is surely a knight. The silhouette began showing colour slowly, then revealed the image of the man inside. He had golden-blond hair and turquoise eyes, exactly like the princess. She looked at his face and couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was. He resembles John Carter more than Prince Henry, but he is by far more handsome than either or even both of them together. He surely must be the most beautiful man I have ever seen.
Without warning, the image faded to nothing. Cecelia stopped shouting the strange incantations and the fire lowered in intensity, retuning to its mild orange and yellow flame.
Cecelia immediately turned to the princess. “Did you see him, Princess Eve?”
“Yes, I saw him. He is so handsome; he is an absolute dream.” The princess wore a broad smile.
“That is your son, Princess Eve. He will be our Dark Prince,” Cecelia informed.
“A most worthy prince, he is. He has my eyes and my hair. I felt something when I saw him, an indescribable feeling; he is my son! I have his image scorched inside my head now. It is the happiest thing I have with me.”
“What about me? Do I provide even a little happiness?” John asked, walking up to the princess.
“You do, John. You make me so happy I sometimes feel unworthy of the two of you. Madame Cecelia, you are the best person I have ever met. And wonderful John Carter, what more can I say to someone as special as you are? Thank you both for always believing in me.”
“You never have to thank me for anything. I am eternally indebted to you, Princess Eve,” Cecelia replied.
“My only desire in this world is to see your smile. When you smile, it gives me the motivation to fight a thousand battles. I will always be here for you, Princess; that is something you must always know.” John’s voice was again sincere and innocent.
“I wish you both knew how much you mean to me. I love you both.” She walked up to them and took them both into her arms.
Chapter 8
The Ambush
Princess Evangeline walked into the sanctuary. She had not been there in days and the place seemed perfectly functional in her absence. She smiled, satisfied that her presence was no longer needed to keep it in
operation. Melissa caught sight of her and ran from the other end of the room.
“Princess Eve, where have you been? I have been gravely worried about you. The prince came here on several occasions looking for you. He looked a man in turmoil. On his last visit, he left a scrolled message for you; I placed it in your back room.” Melissa’s voice reeked of anguish.
“Mel, I have some grievous news. I discovered that I carry his child inside me,” the princess whispered, careful not to let such news travel to any other.
“That is good news, Princess! Why do you refer to such news as ‘grievous’?” she replied.
“I have not told you all that you need to know. We… our kind cannot bear children without facing certain death during labour. It is known practice to abort the child well before birth in order to survive.”
“Then that you must do!”
“That, I cannot do. I will not do! This child is more important than anything in this world; someone so special just disposed of like an unwanted rag. So my fate must replace his; one must die for the other to live.” Her voice broke and tears welled in her eyes.
“That cannot happen! I will not allow it. There must be a way for both you and the child to survive. I will find it! I swear to you, I will!” Melissa’s eyes flashed with determination.
“Mel, your place is here in the sanctuary. Madame Cecelia is trying to help me with my dilemma, but that must not distract you from your obligation to these people and the many more you will invite as you expand our doors.” The princess’ words were gentle and warm.
“But Princess–”
“Mel, listen to me. Take this key to the back room. Inside the back room is a locker; inside the locker sits a chest with a red clasp at the top. Turn the clasp left and the hook will undo, allowing you to open the chest. Inside the chest are four bags containing one thousand gold coins each. That should be more than enough to keep our dream alive for a thousand years. It is all in your hands now.” She placed her hands on Melissa’s cheeks.
“I do not want to do this without you.” A tear descended down her cheek.
“Our dream cannot appease all our desires. It is our dream, though, and it must endure. It must be our legacy.”
“But I was going to die and you saved me…”
“You saved me, dear Melissa. You do not know how much this dream means to me. Death is far from the end.” The princess wrapped her arms around Melissa, who held onto her tightly and sobbed.
The princess heard approaching footsteps, so she lifted her head to see John Carter standing before her.
“Forgive my interruption, sweet princess; may I have a word?” he asked kindly.
“Certainly, John.” She broke away from Melissa’s arms.
“If it pleases you, may we talk in private?” John tone was delicate.
“There is a private back room. Follow me.” She took his hand and led him to the room at the back.
“Princess Eve, I have been thinking about our circumstances and, more specifically, my feelings for you.” His eyes were hard.
“John, I told you–”
“Princess, the druid, Allanon, said that you would survive the childbirth. He was certain of it; I saw that in his eyes. He is not someone to convey false hope; of that, I have no doubt. So I believe that you will survive the birth of your child. I want to be with you and help you raise him. I know he is our Dark Prince and I know that the vision you saw of him presented him to look more like me than the Prince Henry. Perhaps that means something; perhaps I am meant to be his father. I do not care whose son he is; as far as I know, he will be my son. That is, if you allow me that privilege.”
“You will accept another man’s child as your own? Are you sure of that?” Her slender eyebrows lifted.
“Princess, you do not understand. I have loved you from the moment I first cast my eyes upon you. I never believed that I was worthy of your hand for all the years, but, when I thought I had lost you forever, I felt dead inside. I lost my will for life. I promised myself that, if ever a chance with you presented itself, I would never cower again. I am not expecting you to run into my arms and embrace my proposition; I know you need time. I know you deeply loved Prince Henry; all I ask is that I am allowed to be part of your son’s life. I am not asking that you fall in love with me today.” John’s voice once more reflected calm sincerity.
“It’s too late for that, John. You do not understand how I feel. I discovered that life had allowed me a glimpse of unbridled happiness, then seized it away from me, leaving me in the depths of despair and completely without the ability to wrench free of it. Just when I thought all hope had abandoned me, that I was condemned to lose all that I held dear and I was left alone to face cruel and imminent death, someone walked into my life and picked me. A man who made me feel wanted, who made me smile through terrible misery; a man so wonderful I do not know who to thank for his presence in my life. That man is you, John Carter. It is too late to ask not fall in love with you, because I already have.” Her cheeks were moist with fresh tears.
He walked up to her and drew her into his arms. She looked into his eyes and smiled through her tears. He smiled broadly and inched towards her lips. Their kiss was deep and passionate and wonderful.
“I promise you, My Princess, you will never feel despair as long as I am with you. You have given my life purpose like I never knew before. I am a man reborn today.” He held her tightly, as if his body was her armour.
They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Please do enter!” the princess called out, releasing herself from his embrace.
A small man entered, wearing a black woollen tunic under chain mail armour. “Princess, John, we have some disturbing news from Old Town. A convoy of men, their faces fully covered in masks, are riding looking for Lady Evangeline Brooking and Lord William Cunningham. It has been estimated that they will arrive at the castle shortly.”
“No doubt these are Valkray men! Princess, we must leave here at once. Gather your belongings now while I bring the horses to the back and ready them. Please, Princess, be quick about this. We have little time.” John walked briskly to the door.
The princess hurried to her locker, ensuring that all was in place for Melissa, as she had promised. As she closed the locker door, she noticed a scroll with a large red seal attached and bearing the symbol of the British Empire. She took it from the table and carefully undid the seal. It was from Prince Henry.
She began reading.
Dearest Eve,
I write this letter in a state of great sadness. I have finally resigned to the realisation that you no longer wish to be with me. It has been the most heart-wrenching time since you left me standing at your gate, never telling me that the image I saw of you walking away would be the last one I would ever have of you. That I love you more than anything in this world cannot alone be enough for us to find a path together; I have no other alternative to offer you. I offered to abdicate the crown, leave this place for good and find a way for us to live happily together, but you would hear none of it. I know the fine woman you are would not countenance any such cravenly act and for that you always have my complete admiration. There is not another woman quite like you in this world. Your beauty knows no bounds and cannot be matched by any woman, nor can your level of intellect be compared to another. If I am made to make this concession, that of losing the woman I love, then I shall make many more concessions that will reveal the dark character that I am developing. I will never love another woman; I may lust over them, but never will there be love again. That will always belong to you and only you. I will find little compassion and charity in this cold heart you left me with; if that is something you wish to change, then I ask of you to defy the odds and come to me. If I do not find you, my character will remain dark until I am allowed freedom to love the one I love eternally. On the underside of the scroll, you will find a bracelet with a large ruby as the centrepiece. That is the largest ruby ever found and I give it to you
in exchange for a single request. Please wear the ruby when you finally do decide to come to see me with my son. Please do not keep my son away from me, as he is the most precious thing I could ever wish for; he comes from the only woman I will ever love. My coronation is set for a date two months and five days from this day. I have agreed to wed Catherine of Aragon as my father’s dying wish. I will never love her, because I can only love once and that will always remain the way it is. I miss you every day and night. All I see are your blue eyes and your enchanting smile. I will always love only you, Eve.
Yours forever, King Henry
A tear descended, sliding down her cheek and splashing onto the page as she stared at the letter for minutes after reading it. Her heart felt as heavy as the largest boulder on the mountain she had visited with the prince. I do truly love him, but I must be brave. Our lives cannot merge; it is simply not possible. She was crudely interrupted by a loud bang coming from Lord Bradley’s castle.
John burst into the room and spoke with pressing urgency. “Princess, we must leave at once! They have arrived at the castle.”
She tucked the scroll into her dress, then opened a drawer that held a set of daggers. She grabbed three and placed them into the sheaths around her thigh. She ran to John, who took her hand and pulled her towards the back door. She mounted a mighty grey destrier that John had brought her and they rode off on a gravel pathway towards her cabin deep inside Sherwood Forest. The horses galloped through the pathway, leaving behind a plume of dusk and stone.
The town ended abruptly, allowing the dense shrub freedom to seize the ground leading into the forest like sentries outside a castle. The pathway veered left, then twisted right, then left again like a serpent’s tracks in the desert sand. The convoy sped through the pathway, twists and all, as if riding the jet stream through the open air. The sound of thumping horse hooves fleetingly bellowed through the forest as they passed, before silence once more took back the space.