“Were are you taking me?” commanded Eveline, now sitting up straight and taking control of her body. The dragon growled before turning its head and flying downwards slightly. Another forest came into sight, it was smaller and was in the shape of a large circle, a lake in the middle and an island at its centre. In the distance Eveline heard another dragon cry and shook as the dragon she was riding cried back in response, spiralling downwards towards the lake suddenly. Ducking her head once more, Eveline looked down as they flew over a river that ran through the forest, the dragons long, golden wings spreading far to their left and right, nearly touching the trees at either side. Peeking over to her side, Eveline could see what looked like another dragon, standing on a water platform. Flying over the lake, Eveline could feel a mist of water soak her feet, as her dragon slowed down, making its way toward the other dragon, and stopping suddenly on the water platform that stood some distance from the island, a beautiful bridge connecting the platform to the island.
Eveline sat still on her dragons back afraid to show her face to the other, much larger dragon, who was nuzzling her own dragon’s neck in adoration. Eveline wondered if they were siblings or lovers, if it was possible. Her own dragon was talking to its friend and motioned to her with its head, causing the other dragon to look down at her, its bright yellow eyes, wide with curiosity. Eveline bite her lip in nerves as she looked into the great big eyes of the red dragon, which was much bigger and stronger than her own. Quickly the larger dragon turned to its friend and groaned. Eveline sat and watched the pair interact in a friendly manner, before the red dragon once again turned to her, bowing its head. Eveline frowned at the regal gesture looking down at her own dragon in confusion. The smaller dragon bared its teeth again in what Eveline took to be another, rather bizarre smile.
“Is this your friend?” she asked brazenly. The dragon shook its head causing Eveline to frown again.
“Your sibling?” offered Eveline, looking from one dragon to the other. Both dragons shook their heads in unison. Eveline sighed deeply, biting her lip. “Wife?” she said carefully. Both dragons nodded in delight at her, once again nuzzling each other, “wait who is who?” she quizzed, “nod your head if you are the husband,” ordered Eveline. The larger of the two dragons nodded its head regally, its large yellow eyes on her. “Ah that makes sense seeing as you are much larger than your wife,” mused Eveline, stroking her dragon’s scales. Eveline did not feel scared anymore, she felt as though she had known these two beautiful dragons her whole life, which obviously was prosperous. Merrily she jumped down from her dragon and patted it gently, making her way between the pair and standing on the bridge looking over at what looked to be some sort of palace, un alike the palace at Caci.
“Will you be here when I come back?” she asked the pair of dragons. The female dragon nodded her head before settling it under her husbands in comfort. Eveline smiled at the dragon before turning on her feet and making her way over the bridge and onto the island. A path was alit by lanterns, standing tall above her, guiding her towards the stone palace, although to Eveline it looked more like circular castle, sat atop a hill which had three levels each bordered with thick outer walls. As she came to the edge of the forest, she looked up at the mighty castle, it looked similar to a medieval castle, with its many windows and circular battlements. However it felt different, it felt mysterious. The lower outer wall had what seemed to be a gate house, which had an entrance that was open and also alit with lanterns. Eveline made her way up the steps and entered the gate house, walking into what seemed to be a glorious garden, hidden by the darkness of the night. All around her were beautiful plants, not planted in any order, but wild and unruly. Eveline walked uninhibited, gazing in adoration at the beauty that surrounded her, flowers and plants she had never seen before.
The air wasn’t so cold in the gardens as Eveline made her way up the path, a sudden wave of song filling the air, ethereal and peaceful. Entering under the next, smaller gate house, Eveline found herself in what looked to be a small city of sorts, not huge like Caci, but big enough. Houses stood on either side of the path, beautifully carved and arched. The path was quiet as were the houses, dark and silent. As Eveline passed the houses and shops, the singing became louder, it was coming from the castle. Just as she found the next gate house, the gates opened wildly and a rider came forth, charging towards her on a black horse, bigger than any horse she had seen. Eveline quickly stepped aside, taking a good look at the rider, who seemed very familiar to her, he looked like, “Galean,” she whispered in disbelief. If that was Galean, then this must be Meerethe, the great city of Meerin, his birthplace. Eveline felt torn, should she follow him or go on, sighing loudly she turned on her feet and began to run after the rider, sure it was Galean.
Breathing heavily, Eveline ran past the gardens, making sure not to trip on her gown and hoisting it up above her ankles. With speed she followed the rider who was now slowing down before the bridge, jumping down and crossing the bridge with swiftness, clearly in a rage. Eveline ran past the black stallion and made for the bridge, watching Galean jump onto the red dragon whilst scolding the other harshly. Eveline watched as Galean turned his dragon abruptly and took off into the night, the red dragon soaring up into the night sky. Eveline ran up to her dragon, roughly stroked its head noticing that she was sad obviously after being chastised by Galean.
“Ready to follow?” she asked hurriedly. With a suddenness that scared Eveline a little, the dragon stood up and bent its back for her to climb on. “I really ought to name you,” she said climbing on, “Is it okay if I give you a name?” she asked finding scales to cling onto. The dragon nodded its head, “You probably already have a name but just for the sake of it what about em..,” she let her mind wander as the dragon took off after her mate. “Aurora? She is a roman goddess of the sunrise?” yelled Eveline, her eyes on Galean’s dragon, who was flying off into the distance, heading back towards the mountains. As if answering Eveline the dragon cried happily, turning her eyes to Eveline and nodding in agreement. “Good if ever we meet again I am Celestine and you are my Aurora, understood?” the dragon nodded her head again, turning it round and speeding up.
The wind brushed Eveline’s face coldly as she and Aurora neared the mountains, snow falling on them both. Galean and his dragon had disappeared into the cave and soon Aurora and Eveline followed, stopping in front of a puffed out dragon. Galean was nowhere to be seen as Eveline jumped off, patting Aurora and smiling at her mate.
“Where is he?” she demanded softly. The enormous red dragon lifted his head to the staircase and Eveline followed, running up the winding stairs, careful not to fall off. Grabbing the wall, Eveline bent over herself in agony and shortness of breath, when she eventually lifted her eyes she saw the rider enter one of the caves and followed. Quietly she stopped at the entrance and looked on. The rider’s hood was up and she couldn’t see him, but felt his presence, she knew it was Galean, dream or not, he was here with her. Carefully she entered the cave and gasped as he turned. Sighing with relief she stepped forward once more, he could not see her, which was strange because his dragons could. Kicking the wall in front of him Galean cried out,
“Married!” he cried, shedding his cloak aside and revealing himself. Eveline covered her mouth in shock as she looked at his once smooth and beautiful face, which was now scarred. Tears filled her eyes, even if this was only a dream, which she doubted as this was the Northern Kingdom of Meerin.
“Galean,” she whispered affectionately holding out her hand, and touching his cheek lightly. Galean stood still his eyes searching.
“Who is there?” he asked out loud.
“It’s me, its Eveline,” cried Eveline, touching his scar with a deep sadness. Galean dropped his eyes and turned around, beginning to take off his silver and blue robes, casting them onto the wet ground. Eveline watched as he quietly took off his shoes, leaving his leather trousers on and getting into the warm water, soaking his scarred back in the healing waters o
f the mountains. Eveline stood and gazed at Galean, his long, blonde curls now wet with water and clinging to his skin. He swam to the opening of the cave and looked out to the night sky sighing. Eveline stood motionless as his shoulders tensed.
“I should have stayed, I shouldn’t have left,” he cried out loud, “she is lost to me forever.”
“You died,” Eveline whispered, “This is a dream.”
“At least she has the necklace,” Galean told the moon, his arms folded on the floor of the cave, his body warm under the water.
“Necklace,” Eveline said, letting her fingers hover over the yellow diamond. This could not be right she thought to herself, this is just a dream. But it wasn’t just a dream she realised as she felt the jewel in her palm, she was walking in her own time, she was witnessing the pain and grief that her marriage had caused Galean, the man she thought only loved her out of a sense of duty. “Now you are lost to me forever too,” she cried, kneeling down and getting into the warm water, her dress sticking to her legs. Swimming towards him Eveline stretched out her hands.
“And now my brother plans to kill the Dunaman tribe,” Galean went on, “I am too late, too late for everything.” Eveline found his strong and wide body, and wrapped her arms about him, leaning her head against his scarred back, closing her eyes tightly. Galean shivered at her touch and sighed. “I can feel her now,” he whispered sadly.
“That’s because I am with you,” Eveline whispered, “I will always be with you, even if we are separated by marriage and time.”
“Eveline,” he cried and she felt her necklace burn against her skin.
“Galean,” Eveline whispered holding him tight. “I will find you,” she promised, “I will find you.”
“I must marry the chieftain’s daughter, I am stuck,” Galean cried pitifully.
“Don’t marry her!” ordered Eveline, “you don’t need to marry.”
“A marriage of convenience,” Galean said sorrowfully, his voice shaking in anger, his muscles contracting with emotion.
“No,” cried Eveline selfishly, “no you cannot,” she shook her head violently, feeling her body being pulled away by an unseen force. Tightly and without luck she tried to hold onto Galean, but found her body being pulled back into a familiar darkness. Galean’s body fell from her view as she fell once more through time, her arms outstretched willing him back.
As she awoke violently, Eveline felt a tear fall onto Theodore’s sleeping chest. What had she done?
Chapter XVI
A Letter
Eveline and Theodore had spent the morning training in the garden after their breakfast. Theodore had lent her one of his swords, it was called justice, which she rather liked. Instead of wearing her normal clothes Theodore gave her trousers, making the training easier on her. She was a good swordswoman, with much training still needed, but with great hopes. She wasn’t so good with a bow and arrow, an old bow she had found in the garden shed from her childhood.
“I visited farmer Timothy this morning before you awoke to see about two horses,” smiled Theodore, bending Eveline’s elbow back and showing her how to accurately point the arrow towards the marked tree.
“And?” she replied, bending her head to one side, focusing on her target.
“He will bring us over two black stallions this afternoon,” Theodore replied happily, letting go of her elbow and standing back, “ready?”
Eveline nodded and let the arrow go, watching it fly through the air and hit the round target, walking forward the couple looked at the target and smiled in unison.
“Brilliant you hit the red dot,” Theodore clapped, kissing his wife on the cheek.
“Wow, I can actually do it,” gushed Eveline, still shaken from last night’s dream.
“Off course you can!” laughed Theodore, “you are very able I have high hopes for you my love, imagine my wife a warrior princess.”
“Oh don’t say that it sounds so silly, I am just me,” Eveline sighed rolling her eyes and taking the arrow out, turning and making her way back, placing the arrow on the bowstring and getting ready to shoot again. Theodore stood with his arms folded watching as Eveline made ready to shoot, trying to hide his smile, he had never seen her in trousers before and really she did look odd, in tweed trousers shooting an arrow, her face serious and determined. Eveline let the arrow go and Theodore watched it fly by him and hit the red dot again.
“I think we can safely say that you now an accomplished bowman,” applauded Theodore again going to retrieve the bow.
“Bow woman,” smiled Eveline putting the bow down and stretching her arms. Theodore ran his fingers through his black curls and walked up his wife kissing her firmly on the mouth this time, and lifting her into his arms.
“I think it is time for refreshments don’t you?” he teased, his eyes hot with intention.
“Theodore, it’s not even lunch!” Eveline protested, not willing to tell him the honest truth, that she was still shaken from her dream. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to enjoy his company, especially in an intimate way, but it just felt wrong on so many levels, to be enjoying their married life when in truth she was desperately aggrieved for Galean.
Life in Keswick was quiet and Theodore and Eveline stayed away from the village concentrating on more important matters, such as archery, sword fighting, defence, intelligence knowledge, geographical knowledge and off course married life. Eveline spent many afternoons at the cemetery talking to her grandmother about the issues she could not discuss with her new husband. Early one morning in May she walked to the local cemetery in a new spring dress, sent up from London by Jophiel as a gift. With her hair nicely set and the summer sun warming her legs, she sat down in front of the grave which was still settling, the grass not yet growing and covering the stump of mud that entombed Estelle. May was growing old and in only a few weeks’ time, Eveline and Theodore would be crossing the veil of time and going home.
“I know this isn’t the last time I will see you,” Eveline smiled, a letter in her hand, “but I couldn’t read this alone, I needed you here with me to give me guidance.” Eveline opened Galean’s letter which sat atop his box of fudge which she had brought with her. Quickly she smoothed the paper out and took in a deep breath, filling herself with courage and bravery and began to read it aloud.
“Eveline,” she began, “I am scribbling this before I set off to find Belle for you and for me. You are currently unconscious and in the safe hands of Gabriel and Theodore, but if I shouldn’t make it back to you there are a few things I need to tell you. Firstly you and Belle have brought hope and life into my heart once more, and that has invigorated my soul. I have been so caught up in grief and darkness I hardly recognised myself anymore until I met you. We actually met before Bath in Bristol,” Eveline said, “Bristol?” she mused a little confused but willing to go on, the summer breeze causing little strands of her auburn hair to flit about her face gently. “The demon I am about to fight, caused a bit of a scene after the wedding, I and Theodore’s friends were there to help. You will be confused at my information, well your right to be confused, Theodore erased the fight from your memory, including our meeting, but it was the right thing to do, do not be angry with him. Secondly,” Eveline breathed in, “it was true, my wife and daughter were murdered, by one of Lagar’s shadows, quite a reputed one at that, and I killed him in my anger, that is why I have been banished from Heaven, sent home to Meerin to help my father. I should have gone home a long time ago, I should have brought my wife and daughter but, there were so many bad memories tied to my home. My father Ballour loved my mother Methal, a strange name I grant you but anyway. When I was ten, during the feast of moonlight, she was executed by Islaer, now king of the eastern kingdom, Ruarr.” Eveline stopped for a moment and took in the information steadily digesting it, he had endured so much heartache no wonder he was prone to phases of depression. “I became a handful for my father and so he sent me to train with Gabriel’s legion and it did me the world of good
, I became a commander, met Theodore and eventually my wife. I do not have much time to write you my life’s story, but there are some things you need to know, some things I am afraid will not be made clear to you, if you become aware of the truth. It is true, your grandfather told me that we were bound by fate, you and I. I laughed in his face at first, because my thoughts and heart were still full of my wife and the love I had for her. I argued with Heiden, I knew you to be in love with Theodore, I could not take you from him nor him from you. But then he left for London and I found myself falling in love with you, slowly and shamefully. I realised that your grandfather was right about Theodore, there are reasons why we have rules, and Theodore’s love for you became irrational, he lost sight of himself and you. He was your guardian, he was to protect you, not to fall in love with you and thus make you vulnerable to danger.” Eveline dropped the letter into her lap, what did he mean? Off course she knew Theodore was disobeying Heiden but she thought her grandfather would support her no matter the decision she made.
“Theodore was ordered to bring you straight to Westminster, Gabriel had foreseen you being bitten and commanded Theodore to bring you to Westminster to be healed, but he refused. Theodore believed that Gabriel was lying only to separate you both, he became angry and in a way he was right, he had obeyed his master all his life, why shouldn’t he be able to fall in love? I cannot deny I did not feel for his cause despite my own regard for you. My refusal to win your heart and Theodore’s refusal to bring you to Gabriel ultimately led to the terrible events that have occurred tonight.” No, Eveline thought, no this was wrong, so very wrong, did he mean that her grandmothers death, Galean’s friends deaths could have been prevented? Eveline got up from the grass and cried out loud, stamping her feet. For a while she paced to and fro trying to get over the shock, why had Theodore not said something? And really was she much better? Was this not karma? None of this would have happened if she had just stayed in Keswick, if she had just not questioned her purpose in life and had been content with her own quiet existence. Anger rose within her and she threw the letter to the ground, crying.
One Crown & Two Thrones: The Guardians Page 37