The Tormented Goddess

by Sarah Saint-Hilaire

  Chapter Five

  In the morning Venus apologised for her irrational conduct, Edward said nothing in return; all he could think of was how much time it would take till they arrive at destination thus he asked the coachman. “In less than an hour Monsieur” replied the man. Edward pulled back his head into the carriage, and looked towards her direction.

  “Who is Mr. Dubois?” he asked.

  “He gates some of the most precious inventories of the revolution.” responded Venus.

  “May I ask you how you know him?”

  “As you are aware multitudes use to break into the palaces at the time, including his ancestors, instead of going for the gold and jewels as the flock they went for the books and the hidden knowledge of the court, very educated people. I met Mr. Dubois last winter while I was having an exclusive tour of Versailles a snow storm hit making my return to Paris impossible, so he offered me to stay with him and his family. Anyhow I began discussing of the topic and thus he revealed me his little secrets, since I am a very trust worthy person we became good friends soon enough.” Edward nodded as she spoke to show that he was attentively listening to her. “You’ll see from your eyes he has a peculiar attitude making him rather repulsive, but he is most certainly essential.” The morning light glimmered onto her face as she held on her windows curtains.

  Edward spent the remainder of the trip looking down at his black shoes glaring occasionally towards his protégé. The time seemed to be endless; a minute left enough emptiness to ponder on one’s existence, but eventually they arrived to the golden sanctuary of their curiosity. Descending the carriage they walked to the dazzling gardens, finding a round timid looking middle aged man sitting on a bench staring at the grandness of a dead mutilated rat at his feet. Immediately recognised by Miss Venus she rushed over to his side to greet him, it was Mr. Dubois, he stood up kissed her hand exclaiming “Welcome mademoiselle, and who may this fine young man be?”

  “This is my colleague Edward Charleston from the University of Oxford.” stated Venus.

  “It is nice to meet you Mr. Charleston.” Mr. Dubois said soberly clearly interested.

  Edward nodded and cordially followed the party into an exceedingly warm green house. The diversity in specimens which roamed this room sprouted everywhere invading the artificial perimeter imprinted of the smell of a Turkish bath house. The man approached a vivid red plant woven with yellow strikes; he caressed it and began defining it.

  “This little specimen produces venom ten times more lethal than the one of a python, Marie Antoinette the deceased today headless queen of France brought it with her from her native homeland, Austria. She used it to get rid of those who dared to compete with her beauty. Venus you must be rather familiar with this plant. Any how I would give you some for a souvenir but its very touch could end your days.”

  Edward questioned him. “Sir, if the touch of this plant is as lethal as you say, than how come its power seems indifferent at your touch.”

  “That my boy is due to my antibodies.”

  “Excuse me, what in the world are antibodies?”

  “We have only begun to scratch the surface of science; let’s just say that my immune system has been trained to repent such threats from this potentially deadly plant. Now if we wish to have enough time we must run along a little faster, excuse me for the delay.”

  Venus's piercing eyes drove Mr. Dubois to hurry, for his little childish habits would draw suspicion from her mortal companion. They took a little walk through the long enchanting hallways before entering a luxurious pavilion. Mr. Dubois handed Venus a little case then turned his head toward his lit fireplace.

  Venus turned her head towards the roaring fire and exclaimed. “I wish to have a word with you Mr. Dubois, privately. Edward, would you be so kind to hold this and wait outside, it will only take a few minutes.” Her sincere smile bothered him enormously, but he obeyed her took the box and left the room closing the door behind himself. Venus began the conversation saying. “Louis I need the copy of my map of Atlantis I left safely with you, it is of great importance.”

  “For what my dear, will you use it to enchant your little friend as you have done with many others?” He looked amused as he teased her, hoping that Edward was a gift to add on his dinner table.

  “Edward has no idea of my current position in immortality, and I desire to keep it this way till I restore him home, the maps please!”

  “I don't do favors at no price, the boy interests me, besides his flesh seems perfectly ripened.”

  “I ask of no favor, besides the maps are all mine.” She said in an angered tone. “I didn't save you out of charity, you were my friend, and I left your wife Marie to the grave because she never ceased trying to murder me by every means. Why did you show that plant to Edwards any way, do you wish to ruin my disguise. I saved you from the bastille because you seemed fit enough to do good deeds, never did I intend that you shall deal with the devil, due to your hunger for immortality. What good does it bring you; you've become a murderer who seeks little children as your breakfast. Have you no humility?”

  As Venus grasped for another gasp of air to continue her argument Mr. Dubois, Frances last king Louis interrupt her in a pacific tone. “Venus beautiful Venus, never mind our little arguments of the past, if you wish to have your map back I insist of you to come to tonight's little banquette given to all our friends servant of the full moon to rest after their night of labour. The only mortals invited are those for supper, so make sure your little Edward is well tucked into bed, so no harm comes to him. Now let’s rejoin your friend before he gets lost, we wouldn't want that would we?”

  They opened the door, Edward was leaning on the wall, when they stepped out of the doorway he stood back up and made his way towards them. “There you are, I was beginning to think you forgot Me.” exclaimed Edward.

  “We wouldn't want you to spend the night here wouldn't we Venus?” Mr. Dubois and Edward looked at Venus's face, with a pale face her forced smile rapidly faded away.

  “Edward, we should go back to the hotel now!” said Venus in a hesitating voice.

  “But we only got here less than an hour ago; we don't even have all the information for our research yet.” he argued.

  “Yes we do it's all in that case your holding.”

  “Yes but coming all the way from England for something that could easily have been mailed is simply ridiculous.”

  “We will come back tomorrow...” Venus concluded “... till the next time Mr. Dubois.”

  Mr. Dubois replied in a snaky fashion “Indeed, till the next occasion my dear.” Venus dragged Edward out far from her so called friend; she then came to a sudden halt.

  “Edward look at me, never come here without my company, never.” She warned him.

  “What are you talking about, it's a museum?”

  “Promise me Edward.” She said as she grew paler.

  “You look seriously worried Venus, what's the matter?”

  “Never mind, let's just leave now.”

  “Is it that man, because he surely doesn't seem like the reflection of innocence if you want my opinion?”

  “No I do not want it.”

  “Want what?”

  “Your opinion Edward…”

  “What was he talking about; I just overheard something about tonight.” Ignoring him Venus made her way towards the carriage at a fast paste, with Edward following her trying to have his say. “This too you probably do not wish to here, your terribly irritating.”

  After hearing this as climbing onto the carriage she turned brusquely around having her face less then foot away from Edward's, and stated in a melancholic tone “Oh really!”

  As brutally silenced was the carriage ride towards the hotel, they arrived promptly in the mid-afternoon hours slowed down by the dense traffic of the world’s jewel city. Once in their suite, exhausted by the long voyage Edward rapidly found the first armchair in view to sit down. He reached for a new paper and relaxed. Venu
s seeing his momentary moment of peace hurried over to hand him the content of the wooden box to occupy him, hopefully keeping him busy enough not to wonder of her absence. The sun seamed already to set faster than usual, but doesn't it always? At that note she came up with an alibi for her coming disappearance. “Edward...” she started “...I am meeting someone later at the reception, it might take some time. So don't come looking for me, you need some good merited peaceful sleep.” Making her way to her chamber she opened up one of her luggage crater and took out an exquisite black dress, enrobed by gold thread and accompanied by a daring décolleté. She harnessed a new corset and brushed her cheeks with her signature perfume, rose water. Once in the tight non breathable garment she made her escape.

  Edward hearing her chamber door open turned around for a clarification on one of the documents but to his surprise she was dressed for no simple rendezvous. Thought unseen Venus hurried out the suite and made her way down to the lobby. Edward puzzled by her overdressed fashion wondered what she might be up to and though he presumed that she might be off to one of her lovers, a highly probable possibility considering her divine beauty, he decided to follow her anyway, besides what harm is there in getting a cup of good strong coffee in the café after he saw where she was up to. The problem was that she did not halt her trip in the reception, no embarking a carriage he took a taxi and commanded it to follow Venus's carriage. The fearsome black stallions roared through the night sky, Edward then realised that he was on the route to Versailles. Outside the palace gates he stopped his horseman indicating him that he will continue afoot. Though he had probably no right to follow her in such obsessive manner he wondered what she was up to in the place she forbid him to go on his own. As he stepped out of the carriage he handed over the drivers pay. The old man warned him “Boy beware, the palace is haunted by the old court, some say that who goes in after a full moon never comes out.”

  “Thank you for sharing that sweet piece of information sir.” added Edward in a troubled confident tone.

  “All the better to keep you safe.” said the horseman, instantly after he whipped his dark beauties and galloped away into a lightless alley.

  Edward made his way into the castle through the gardens, the way he learnt that very morning, hoping to draw the least attention as possible. One in the palace he started walking towards the ballroom when all the sudden he heard multiple weathering scream, the cries of a woman begging for her life and then silence. Frozen by the horror of those sounds he stood still as stone but when the noise of footsteps approached he took refuge behind the long velvet drapes that covered the windows. Leaving a creek for his eyes he saw two filthy looking servants dressed in ragged suits from the seventeenth century aristocracy carrying a corpse covered by white linen on a mat out of the ballroom. When he thought that he could finally escape from his hiding spot the piercing voice of Mr. Dubois haunted the hallway. As the man walked his voice magnified. Muted by fright Edward did not even dare to breath as Mr. Dubois voice approached him dangerously, the man started commenting on his meal. “That was succulent!” exclaimed Louis.

  “That was a repulsive murder.” Edward immediately recognised the voice, it was now Venus who spoke, but what in the world was she doing with this murderer, thought Edward.

  “Well it's not my first.” laughed Mr. Dubois. “Why are you in such a hurry to perish anyway, you have eternity in front of you, without even needing an energy source.”

  “First of all I have my studies to return to, and second of all I feel like a thousand years is long enough for one life time.” replied Venus.

  “That's ridicules, your century’s in advance in comparison to those pathetic professors.”

  “Stop praising me, it won't change anything between us. Besides my friend you forget that they are older than me naturally thus brighter then I, being eternally young prevents me from attaining such wisdom reserved for the old. ”

  Mr. Dubois sniffed the air giving himself a peculiar smile upon his blackened teeth “And...” he started “...what about your relationship with that Charleston boy?”

  “As I told you, he's a classmate of mine nothing else.” Replied Venus, at the mention of his name Edwards blood began to rush madly within him, the little air behind the curtain became suffocating, as he gasped for air with little success he still managed to over here the conversation. Venus continued to speak “Are you jealous? You know very well that I never loved you, that I am incapable of loving anyone. You have nothing to be jealous of!”

  “You loved, it just happened not to be me.” Answered Louis, following what he said gave birth to silence, bored by the absence of amusements he reminded himself of the persistent fresh smell in the air and said, “That's quire, it's as if I can smell his flesh at this very instant, I presume it must be imprinted in your clothes my dear.” Knowingly aware of what he was referring to which never took place, Edwards’s presence washed her face into a blank expression. Trying to mask the horror of what could take place if he would be found she forced a pitiful smile and stepped into his office.

  In the dead kings study Louis handed over to Venus her treasured map, acquired during the dark ages of the medieval times. Holding the map which leads to the island unknown to men with a firm grip she walked out leaving the heartless demon behind in his study. Closing the door behind her she looked around in hope to find Edward, investigating behind every window till suddenly she was pulled behind velvet drapes, the heat was infernal, when her eyes acclimatised to the darkness she saw whom she was looking for. He held both of her arms tightly locked within his grasp and asked her “What are you doing here?”

  “A reciprocal question, besides it's none of your business.” She whispered in vain.

  “Pardon me but did you not see the corpse they transported, it seemed the woman's fate was worse than death.”

  “You saw that.” She said in voice full of sorrow.

  “Not only did I see it, I heard the woman's piercing screams till her end.” He said. “In fact your conversation with that so called friend of yours seemed as absurdly unhealthy. I heard Venus.”

  Hoping to convince him to flee she tried to lecture him once again on his defiance. “Listen to me, I told you not to come here Edward I warned you, please leave before anyone sees you. I beg you.”

  “Seriously Venus what's happening?” He asked her, but seeing her helplessness in her eyes he tightened his grip and hushed loudly “Answer me!”

  Time may seem endless for some but that very instant seemed as if it was eternity. Venus finally gave in. “Edward if you wish to know the truth, never will you be able to sleep again, never will you look upon me the way you did, with your innocence, and never will you believe me. What does death mean to you? What your imagination dares to create to frighten your conscience, it's all true, every piece of it; dragons, witches, demons, all. But Edward you cannot stay here another instant or your loved ones will never have the opportunity to see you again. Believe me, for I care for you and desire no harm to come to you, go.” Noises were beginning, they accentuated. “Go Edward!” She repeated. He started off, then realised still holding her that she wasn't moving thus wishing him to go alone, he looked at her divine face a rushed away.

  Edward Charleston raced out of the palace gates in hope to find a cab outside, but all he met with was a deserted road. The light poste flickered and then died into the darkness of the night leaving Edward only the moon. His heart accelerated in the pitch blackness of the nocturnal face of the worlds most praised city. Slowly but surely he made his way afoot in hope of find his hotel before dying of fright.

  Chapter Six

  Edward finally arrived when the morning sun beamed in full bloom. Passing the reception the Maître d'hôtel welcomed him. “Good morning Mr. Charleston.” The twittering birds could still be heard from inside the hotel.

  “What time is it?” Asked Edward, wondering how long his escapade took him.

  “Six o'clock sir, you know I didn't see you leave
this morning, it's as if you were out all night.” Laughed the man, but the grim exhausted face of Edward told everything. He smiled and nodded his head in courtesy, mounting the stairs towards his suite he began to wonder what will he tell Venus, a detail he hadn't the time to think of while he was the victim of the obscurity of the night. Opening the door prepared to speak he discovered Venus asleep on the couch holding a document, beside her was an untouched breakfast tray. Taking the papers from her he read the title:

  OXFORD UNIVERSITY REPORT

  FRENCH REVOLUTION

  With her hand blackened by ink, and still dressed in her ball gown Edward realised that she has worked on the report all night. Of course he felt betrayal but this act of devotion for their trimmest assignment eased his urge for an explanation. Sleeping like an angel he could simply not bring himself to wake her up just yet, thus he decided to have his breakfast in his room as reading what she wrote. The whole suite was chilli so before leaving her he took the initiative to throw his coat on her so she wouldn't freeze.

  In the late afternoon when everyone had had a reasonable amount of sleep Venus went towards Edwards room, she knocked softly three hits on the cheery wood door. “Come in!” said Edward. She went in as she made her way closer to him, he stated “The report is brilliant!”

  Venus sat on the chair beside him and began with “Edward what do you remember of last night.” Tears began forming on her cheeks “Do you remember what I told you before you left?”

  “You do not need to speak of it now.”

  Relieved Venus took Edwards hand. “I was terribly worried!” She exclaimed.

  “Let's go for a walk.” suggested Edward.

  The gazing sunshine reflected on the luminescent waters of the Sienna. Gazing down at the magnificent boats sailing under the bridge they walked upon, both made their way into a park. Venus seeing an bench hurried over to sit on it, Edward initially did the same, and sat next to her. “You have a right to know!” started Venus spontaneously. “Though all I am about to say will sound absurd to you, here how it begins: What roams this world is separated into two categories, though both are technically living there are the mortals and the immortals as...”