“Belle how are you?” he asked her taking her hand in his own and tapping it gently.
“I’m well, are you back now?” she asked, looking up at Galean’s face as he entered the music room looking downcast and sad. Dropping her hand from Theodore, Belle walked over to Galean holding out her arms. Galean lifted Belle into his arms and forced a smile upon his face. Belle leaned into his ear and whispered.
“Will he marry Eveline?”
“He’s not allowed to,” Galean replied noticing Theodore’s eyes on him.
“Well now that your back you can sort out those men,” demanded Estelle watching the interaction between Theodore and Galean with some amusement, “if you can spare the time that is,” she ended sharply.
“Off course we will,” Theodore smiled across at the old lady happy to see her once again. Galean and Belle strode away in a deep discussion leaving Theodore alone with Estelle.
“It is good to have you home, if you have time you could help Galean and Belle to assemble the Christmas tree in the morning room,” Estelle asked politely.
“Off course I would be happy to oblige,” Theodore answered unsure of where this conversation was headed. Estelle walked up to him, peering up into his face solemnly.
“It seems your absence has affected Eveline, you will find her weak and unwell,” she warned, “and Theodore, remember she is my granddaughter, she is my responsibly and she is engaged.”
“I understand,” Theodore answered quietly.
“I hope you do, because whatever it is you both have, it will either lead to happiness or brokenness.”
“I do not mean to cause Eveline any harm Estelle, her wellbeing is my main priority,” he urged in earnest.
“I will hold you to your word.” Estelle ended walking out of the music room. Exhausted, Theodore ascended the steps and made his way to Eveline’s room gently knocking on her door. Standing outside he could hear small cries from within and opened the door. Eveline was crying in her sleep calling out to him. With instant speed he made for her with all urgency and bade her to wake up. Now they sat in silence, Eveline still clinging to him afraid that he would disappear.
“Eveline it was a bad dream,” he soothed, looking down into her eyes.
“You’re really here?” she smiled weakly.
“Yes, I’m not leaving you again,” he promised kissing her forehead gently. Eveline let her arms loosen about Theodore and drew her hand up to his face smiling warmly.
“Promise?” she whispered raising her face up to his own.
“I promise,”
Eveline kissed him on the lips, wrapping her arms about his neck, losing herself in his safety and light.
Chapter IX
Fate
Galean slipped out of the sleeping house and onto the street. Bram stood by the railing that bordered Victoria Park. Quietly Galean made his way over to Bram, his face shielded by the high collar of his winter coat.
“Evening,” Bram smiled whilst rubbing his gloved hands together.
“Are they still here?” Galean asked standing beside his old friend and looking around.
“There are five behind me, Peter and Ada have been keeping an eye on another two somewhere to our left and right,” murmured Bram who was leaning against a street lamp, covered in snow.
“I’m guessing Theodore filled you in about Lier?” Galean asked looking up at the dark sky above him.
“Yes, Peter heard a rumour about Lagmar, I thought you had killed him Galean?” Bram enquired curiously, “I saw you put your sword through him.”
“I thought I had killed him,” Galean muttered unable to answer Bram because he had never heard of a dead demon coming back to life and if it happened that Lagmar had arisen from death then there was no hope left.
“What is happening to us Galean? This mission it was meant to be simple, but now with all that Theodore has told us, it just seems to get more complicated, how can we defend ourselves if our enemy can rise from the dead?” whispered Bram anxiously.
“I have no idea, really I am flummoxed, I need to speak with Gabriel at once,” Galean answered firmly his gaze on Belle’s window.
“How can you summon him here? Theodore said that Gabriel could only heal Eveline at Westminster,”
“I know, but I am not in need of healing, I am in need of understanding,” Galean stressed, wiping away the light dusting of snow that had formed on his shoulders.
“Why don’t you try to summon him to Bath Abbey? He might come?” Bram added helpfully.
“I am going there now, if something happens you know where I will be,” he commanded softly before leaving under the darkness of night. Bram watched Galean walk away and sighed, his old friend bore too much whilst his other friend had become infatuated with their masters granddaughter, this was not going to end well he thought shaking his head in frustration.
Galean found the Abbey undisturbed as he opened the door quietly, keeping an eye on his surroundings. The cathedral felt eerie as he made his way up the nave toward the altar. The large stained glass window glimmered slightly as Galean knelt down before the altar summoning Gabriel. Half an hour passed and nothing happened and with withering hope and grief Galean pleaded for help from Heiden.
“I need help, please someone, someone help me,” he cried his head bent into his cold hands. A flash of white light hit Galean in the face and he fell backwards onto the marbled ground, shielding his eyes from the intense light that radiated around the cathedral. Curling up into a ball, Galean kept his eyes shut tightly, until the light vanished leaving him alone in the dark.
“When you first entered my court I thought you arrogant and head strong,” a beautiful but firm voice spoke. “And at times I still believe you to be head strong, but you earned your place among the highest ranking commanders with honour, all those beneath you envied your talents and intelligence.”
Galean slowly opened his eyes and looked up.
“Take my hand,” the voice commanded. Galean raised his right hand up to meet the strangers and clasped it tightly. Quickly and carefully Galean got up onto his feet and found himself facing not Gabriel his own commander but Heiden. Quickly and without thought he bent low into a bow.
“My lord,” he announced firmly, keeping his head bent.
“You may rise Galean son of Ballour, blood of Gabriel.” Commanded Heiden. Galean slowly rose up to meet Heiden once again. He stood tall at least a three feet taller than Galean and was gowned in a golden robe. Galean noticed that Heiden wore no shoes, he was strong but old, his long silver hair fell to the floor and his head was adorned with the most beautiful crown Galean had ever seen. Heiden’s golden eyes were somehow more beautiful than those of Eveline and they complimented his firm, squared face. Everything about Heiden was beautiful, he was more than any human could have imagined.
“As I was saying, you rose to great heights in my kingdom. Why did you fall from such greatness child?” Heiden asked looking down into Galean’s eyes thoughtfully.
“My family, he murdered my family and you did nothing,” Galean responded blandly.
“He was sentenced to death,” Heiden argued, “and yet my decision was not good enough for you?”
“No, it was not,” whispered Galean.
“I know what it is to lose your family, I too have lost my wife and children,” Heiden replied calmly.
“He wanted to die, it seemed wrong to hand him over to death when he willed it so,” retorted Galean.
“It was not for you to act on your anger Galean, the law is the law and it must be obeyed or you will be punished, no matter how glorious you are in battle,” Heiden turned from Galean and looked at the Abbey.
“I am sorry,” Galean whispered feeling shame and guilt spread throughout him.
“In the eyes of the law you acted wrongly, but I would be lying if I did not understand your anger, it is indeed through that understanding that I allowed you to return to your homeland and your father.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you here?” Heiden turned to face him again.
“Don’t you know?” Galean replied lowering his eyes.
“Let me tell you a story Galean son of Ballour, come sit with me,” he motioned to the pew nearest to them and bade him to sit by his side. Galean followed his master’s orders and sat beside him, his eyes on the high altar. “When my daughter Unyae was born I had a vision, the vision included you.”
“Me?” Heiden asked breathlessly.
“You,” Heiden confirmed before continuing, “I saw my Celestine and you bound to one another.”
“How? How can you have visions? You are God almighty you are the decider of fate?” Galean asked politely not wishing to offend his King.
“Everything comes from something son of Ballour,” Heiden replied thoughtfully.
“You cannot mean that you come from something higher?” Galean asked curiously.
“I am someone’s son too,” Heiden declared, “this you must say to no one; but before your time and the time of your fellow angels, I too was a prince, an heir to my father’s throne.”
“It cannot be!” whispered Galean. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Have you not been listening?” retorted Heiden angrily, “You are bound to my granddaughter, who happens to be the heir to the throne of Caci and Heaven.”
“What do you mean by bound?” Galean asked.
“Celestine is bound to you in every way a person can be bound to another, for humans they are bound by love, for you and Celestine, you are bound by fate, love and time.”
“No,” whispered Galean, “not me, she does not love me,” he pleaded, looking at Heiden with urgency.
“Fate does not always run smoothly Galean, it can alter, this is your mission,” Heiden ordered, “You must save my granddaughter from Cael, if not your paths will alter, time will alter and the battle between darkness and light will alter.”
“How can I stop her from loving another?” Galean begged.
“You must separate Cael from Celestine, it is the only way,” replied Hieden his voice sad with sorrow.
“I cannot my lord, he is my best friend, he has done nothing wrong,” Galean answered trying to defend Theodore.
“His actions will bear terrible consequences, consequences that will be felt in every corner of the universe. Should those who have fought the darkness with courage and bravery die so needlessly?”
“You cannot ask this of me, I cannot do it!” cried Galean standing up and walking away, his head in his hands, how? How could he be asked to separate Theodore and Eveline? It was cruel and wrong, what if fate had it all wrong?
“Fate never lies,” Heiden answered, watching Galean pace around the altar, torment etched on his face.
“How do you know?” replied Galean franticly.
“Because, I am the hand that wields fate, it is the voice of my past, the voice of my present and the voice of my future,” answered Heiden standing up tall and strong. Galean bowed his eyes afraid of Heiden’s anger.
“Why me?” cried Galean leaning against the altar, shaken and confused.
“I believe you have greatness in you still, I believe that with your strength, courage, bravery and compassion you can lead your people towards a future filled with hope and prosperity. I believe you are the right man to stand by my granddaughter, to help her find Calhuni, to help her overthrow her enemies. You are not filled with pride like Cael, you do not answer only to yourself, and you are and have always been driven to do your best by others. You are selfless when you need to be, you believe in the light. Cael is consumed with pride, his vision is clouded, his reason mute, he is not the right man for my granddaughter.”
“But what about her half-brother?” whispered Galean carefully, watching Heiden’s body become rigid.
“He is driven by darkness, he must not take the throne of Calhuni, and he must not kill Celestine.” Whispered Heiden.
“He is your grandchild.”
“He hates me,” cried Heiden quietly, tormented with grief, tormented with the pain that his daughter endured. “I should have killed him that would have been the kinder thing to do, but I turned my eyes away from Unyae, I left her alone.”
“You did not know,” soothed Galean.
“It makes no difference, I should have shielded her, protected her.” Answered Heiden, his head turned from Galean. “She was my only daughter and I loved her with all my heart, she was the image of her mother, beautiful, kind and giving. I in my grief turned from her thinking she was safe in Calhuni.”
“She loved you,” Galean whispered, remembering a brief conversation he had had with Unyae a few nights before her death.
“She should have hated me,” growled Heiden, “as I hated myself.”
“I cannot believe that of you, you are our God!” pleaded Galean. Heiden turned to Galean and walked towards him, taking him by the arms and looking down into his eyes, his face pale and full of sorrow.
“Greif blinded me, I, your God and Lord, do you love me less for this?” whispered Heiden.
“No, I love you more for it, you are not without emotion my Lord,” Galean replied gently.
“Celestine will look upon me with disappointment when she comes to know of my error,” answered Heiden darkly.
“She will understand you My Lord,” Galean reassured Heiden, “she is compassionate and understanding like her mother.”
“I have only met her once,” Heiden began standing away, “she was seven, her adopted parents had died and she ran away from home, sheltering in the nearby forest. I heard her cries and I couldn’t ignore her, and I met her in the forest.”
Galean looked at Heiden in surprise, had Eveline realised who He was? Did she remember Him?
“She was huddled against a great oak tree, tiny, thin and crying. I watched her kick the tree with hatred, and made my entrance. She is the image of Unyae, but she did not recognise me or wonder at how alike we were.”
“What did she do?” Galean asked.
“She followed me through the forest as I made my way back to her home. She spoke to me of her grief and I told her of my own. She is an intelligent woman, like her father, she is head strong and determined. She asked me who I was and I told her that I was her grandfather,” Heiden smiled, “she believed me.”
“She was not afraid of you?”
“No.”
“I wonder if she remembers,” Galean pondered out loud.
“She does not I erased it from her memory for her own safety,” sighed Heiden.
“Why did you bring her to earth? Why not bring her to heaven to be with you?” Galean asked curiously.
“She is safer here. If I had brought her to Heaven she would have been in great peril and,” Heiden began, “it would have been futile to hide her in Calhuni especially now as the southern kingdoms are under the rule of Islaer and Heidan. No she was safe here for a while longer, until she is ready to face her destiny.”
“But how will she know?” Galean asked rubbing his hands together.
“She is nearing her coming of age, her mind has awoken and soon she will come to understand who she is,” Heiden answered flatly. “You must protect her Galean.”
“I will try,” promised Galean.
“You must do more than try,” commanded Heiden. Galean bowed before his King full of uncertainty and confusion. Heiden bowed his head and kissed Galean’s forehead before evaporating in a flood of light leaving Galean alone.
*
Eveline sat on the music stool, made up for the Christmas ball. Estelle had given her a beautiful dark green, silk dress with emerald earrings. Hannah had styled her hair back and placed a beautiful, golden hair jewel within her curls. The dress which Eveline guessed dated back from the twenties was a halter neck, the long ties of silk flowing down her bare back. The beautiful and daring dress made Eveline feel scandalous and some part of her liked to push the boundaries. The light of the candles beautifully captured the dress as it flowed arou
nd her slight frame. Placing her fingers above the keys, Eveline began to play Clare De Lune gently. Having Theodore home again despite only knowing him for such a short amount of time, made Eveline feel better, he made her feel warm and safe. Eveline had noticed that Galean had become withdrawn and quiet since his friends return, unwilling to meet her gaze or to even speak with her. Belle too seemed to be withdrawn, spending a great deal of time with Galean. Despite her happiness at Theodores return, she felt bereft of her friends, of the unit she, Galean and Belle had formed. Eveline had missed their daily walks and had even missed the fleeting glances and tender blushes Galean had commanded in her presence. Theodore had reassumed his place beside Eveline and privately they had succumbed to their feelings for one another, although Eveline dreaded inwardly that her own feelings did not quite match his. She had noticed a strange change in Theodore, he was more ardent and passionate, quite unalike himself.
Eveline missed Galean, missed his friendship and easy going nature. How was it that during Theodore’s absence she felt lost and now he had returned she felt the loss of her friendship with Galean to be more profound and deeper? Eveline felt like a spoilt child in need of a good talking too and she had a slight feeling that her grandmother felt the same.
As Eveline played passionately, observed Galean standing by the door watching her. She looked beautiful, the candlelight illuminating her beautifully fair skin and fiery hair. As she played, Galean fixed his tie deep in thought. She seemed happier since Theodore’s return, yes he admitted she still looked pale and ill, and he observed thinner, but she was happier, and that was nothing to do with him. What Heiden asked of him was too much, he couldn’t break her heart, and she didn’t deserve to be broken hearted merely because fate dictated it to be so. Theodore despite the events of the last few days seemed happy in her presence too maybe a bit more intense and proud but alive and merry in her company. Galean had watched them, jealous, confused and sad. She didn’t feel the bond he had felt with her, and she only looked upon him as a friend of Theodore’s. Galean didn’t believe it was right to force her into his arms no matter the consequences. True love he knew was allowing the person you love to be happy and content and she was both. What kind of man would he be to strip her of those feelings?
One Crown & Two Thrones: The Guardians Page 20