One Crown & Two Thrones: The Prophecy

by Iseult O'Shea

  “What is it? What has happened that you should all be so quiet?” Estelle asked her daughter, whose face had grown very pale.

  “We were followed on our way home and chased by a strange man,” Eveline announced, taking in a deep breath as she took off her coat, hanging it up on one of the pegs.

  “Did you recognise him?” Estelle asked, filled with worry.

  “No,” Eveline whispered as she came to sit before the fire, her heart still thudding. “But he felt dark if you can possibly understand what I am saying.”

  “Explain to me what it is you felt,” Estelle asked softly, coming to sit opposite Eveline, whose golden eyes darkened.

  “You know when you meet a person and you can almost feel an aura radiate from them?” Eveline asked with furrowed brows.

  “Yes.”

  “Something about that man made me fearful, more so than I have felt before,” Eveline admitted quietly, letting her head fall into her hands whilst taking in deep breathes.

  “Did he follow you all the way home?” Estelle enquired cautiously, her eyes drifting to the window, roaming the garden outside.

  “No. Wordsworth became really very violent and stood his ground, growling at the man until he turned on his heels and walked away,” Eveline said, lifting her eyes to Estelle.

  “How strange,” Estelle murmured, sitting back into her chair.

  “Yes, strange indeed.”

  “Maybe I should delay my journey to Bath and stay here until all is back to normal,” Estelle said after several moments of silence.

  “No, no you must go to Mary, she needs you more than I do,” Eveline argued hotly. “I am sure he will not return.”

  “But you clearly are unsettled by this man, he may mean you harm Eveline,” Estelle said with great feeling, her eyes firm and steady.

  “I cannot see why anyone would wish me harm,” Eveline said, turning her eyes to the door of the kitchen.

  “We have been through this before, you are not like the rest,” Estelle said quietly, her tone of voice gentle. “This in itself may bring unwanted attention.”

  “But I have never faced unwanted attention, at least not like this,” Eveline said with aggrieved eyes.

  “I have always told you that you and Theodore belong to the forces of light in this world, yes?”

  “Yes?”

  “You remember what I told you about light?”

  “That for light to exist their must also be darkness…,” Eveline lifted her eyes to Estelle, fear reverberating through her body.

  “Both are inextricably woven together and both have their powers,” Estelle whispered. “And so if you are the light then there must be those who lurk in the shadows of darkness.”

  “A man once said that those who possess light also possess equal amounts of darkness,” Eveline whispered, voicing a deep and lingering fear that at certain points in her life had been brought forward diminishing traces of light within her soul.

  “And for all those who possess darkness, light also lingers, thus we all walk in the shadows of ourselves,” Estelle murmured placing a hand upon Eveline’s.

  “You believe that I am a servant of light, but I hold the power of serving the darkness that preys on the light.”

  “That as it may,” Estelle leaned in closer, her eyes wide. “You choose to serve the light. You choose to use the gifts that have been bestowed upon you to do good, does that not say enough?”

  “For all that I am, I am only a glimmer of light within a great ray.”

  “Such glimmers of light hold such power.”

  “The man that followed us home, he felt so cold, so distant and so very dark.”

  “If you believe in the creatures of light then you must also face the truth that there are creatures beholden to the darkness that linger also upon this earth.”

  “And you think he may have been one of those creatures?”

  “Indeed I do,” Estelle said with a firmness and certainty that shook Eveline’s core.

  “What could he possibly want from me?”

  “That I cannot answer,” Estelle said with a graveness in her voice. “But it would be foolish of us to assume that you have been blessed with gifts others do not possess for a reason.”

  “What can my purpose be? I am but a woman and wife, nothing else.”

  “All your life you have whispered to me in the dark how it is you feel older than this world, that you feel as though you are disconnected from it,” Estelle said softly. “As though you are awaiting enlightenment. Maybe the time has come for you to become enlightened as to your real purpose.”

  “How do I know that that moment has arrived?” Eveline asked through ragged breathes.

  “Maybe you have to face the darkness in order to find out,” Estelle whispered before sitting back once more as Belle re-entered the room, leaving Eveline to her thoughts. Belle stood before Eveline, her face withdrawn.

  “Can you play for me?” she asked, pointing to the piano that lay in the music room across the hallway.

  “Are you still frightened?” Eveline asked gently, bringing the child into her arms for an embrace.

  “My heart still feels cold, as though that man still lingers,” Belle said quietly into Eveline’s arm, causing Estelle to quip her brows.

  “Go and play for her, long has it been since the beauty of music has filled these walls,” Estelle said firmly, motioning for her to leave.

  “Alright if you really wish me to play, I shall,” Eveline smiled as she rose from her chair, taking Belle’s hand in her own. “What shall I play for you?”

  “The song you played on my birthday,” Belle said with a smile as she followed Eveline into the music room. Eveline picked Belle up and placed her upon the piano chair before taking a seat, straightening her back and letting her fingers hover over the ivory keys. “Clair de Lune it is.”

  *

  Everyone had retired to bed, leaving Eveline alone with her thoughts as she closed the door to her bedroom. Quietly she undressed and picked up her book on Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. Wrapping herself in a warm nightgown she went to her dressing table and sat down, unpinning her hair and letting her thick, auburn curls fall down her back. Randomly she opened the book and cast her eyes down to the first sentence.

  “Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present…How relevant,” she smiled before setting the book down and reaching for her brush. With a swish of her left hand she brought her candles to life and sat quietly, gazing at her reflection as she began the long process of brushing her hair. She had enjoyed playing the piano for it allowed her mind to wander outside its usual limits. She had taken to the piano incredibly well as a child unalike Theodore who had detested piano lessons, preferring to be outdoors with the other children. It had seemed like such an age since she and her new husband had been in one another’s company. Sometimes she found herself forgetting his face which led her into a vicious cycle of shame. Since their wedding day which had been so short and rushed, she had become so busy, filling in Belle’s days and taking on new activities within the local town. Sometimes when working in a field she would find herself glancing up at the pale blue sky trying to remember the contours of her husband’s face and instead finding tears upon her cheeks. The truth of the matter was that she had thought about breaking the betrothal, realising during their time apart that her heart did not break as it should have over his departure, that a few months after he had left, she found herself normal once more, missing him as a sister would miss a brother and not as a lover would miss a lover. These opinions she had kept to herself, for her mother had been stricken low by Theodore’s activities in the RAF, especially his missions across the channel.

  Many times she would cast her memory back to that day in which he proposed marriage and how she really felt. The truth was that she felt cornered. She had known no other men and therefore could not discern between affection and lo
ve. But as the year went by, she had made new friends who had been married or betrothed and she realised through various conversations with them that true love was very much different to the love she bore for Theodore. Often she found herself penning letters to him, writing of how she felt, but as soon as they were complete she would throw them into the fire. One summer’s day a letter arrived from Theodore stating that he had two days leave and wished to be married straight away. His letter had been filled with affection, devotion and a deep yearning to marry Eveline, how could she break his heart before he was to depart to France. She could not abandon him when his life was constantly in danger and so she buried her feelings of sisterly love and married him one rainy day in August. She wore a simple gown and tried her very best to glow with adoration as she walked up the aisle on the arm of Estelle, who was beaming with pride. Her heart had indeed stopped when finally her hands were placed within his own and she remembered why it was that she said yes.

  Putting down her brush she sighed lightly and placed her elbows upon the table, leaning her face ever closer to the mirror. A small picture of Theodore in his RAF uniform was placed to the corner of the mirror. With her fingers she traced all of her features lightly. They had not spent their wedding night together and she wondered how it would be, when he eventually returned to her. Blinking she let her fingers fall from her face, landing atop her heart, the gentle thud causing her pulse to race slightly. They had written barely a dozen letters to one another since their wedding day and with each week she grew anxious about Theodore, wondering if he had been hurt or killed in action. After a moments pause she rose from her chair and made for the window, looking out across the darkened lands beyond, that fell in a curve before the lake. With gentle eagerness she opened her window and let the night air sweep into her room, causing her auburn hair to dance lightly. She leaned out of the window and cast her eyes upon the full moon feeling an instant connection to it. Ever since she had been a young child, she had felt a very real and deep connection to the night sky, spending many a night simply gazing out of her window. It filled her with an insatiable sense of purpose, whatever that purpose may be. Every star felt as though it had its own soul and she in turn could almost feel them within her.

  At such times as these she often wondered about her parents, who had died when she was small. She had been adopted by a young married couple, who found they could not cope with special abilities, fearing the consequences and thus putting her up for adoption again. Eveline did not know if fate had played a hand in leading her here, but she was glad of it. Estelle had given her exactly what she had needed, freedom. She had encouraged her in every part of her life, stepping aside to allow her the freedom to evolve into the woman she was now. Under her frail complexion and shy reserve she was strong, strong in a manner unalike many who were outwardly strong and confident. Life had been bliss within the walls of thorn cottage, but it was not always so kind outside and she had been an outcast among the young community of Keswick for a long time, with only Theodore and Wordsworth for company. Taking in a deep breathe, she left the window slightly ajar and made for her bed. Gently she placed her nightgown over the end of her bed and slipped under the covers, turning her body onto its side and curling herself into the foetal position. Quietly she said her nightly prayer and fell into a haunting sleep as always, her dreams filled with mystery and darkness.

  The moon hung high in the sky and a distant owl cried out, its cry echoing across the lake. Eveline lay still and unmoving in her bed as the tiny ball of light entered her window, finding her face and gently touching her skin lightly, causing her to awaken. Sitting up straight, Eveline wiped her eyes harshly, re focusing her gaze. At the end of her bed she found a small ball of light hovering in the air causing her heart to tremble with fear. Curiosity eventually won and she slipped her long legs out of the bed and tip toed to the end, standing before the ball of light. Cautiously she held out her index finger and touched the light, feeling a flow of heat run through her arm and body, touching her heart instantly. All at once the ball began to move, disappearing through her door. Quietly, Eveline opened the door and stepped out onto the corridor, where the ball of light awaited her. She did not waste any time in putting on her nightgown or slippers for the ball of light began to move steadily, guiding her through the corridor towards the stairs. Silently she followed the light down the narrow and steep stairs, holding onto the banister for balance. The ball of light awaited her at the foot of the steps before moving once more towards the front door, disappearing once again through it. Unthinking and almost trancelike, Eveline opened the door and stepped out into the darkness. The sky was clear and filled with bright stars as she followed the light down the winding garden path. A light breeze caused the dying flowers to rustle about her as she opened the garden gate and stepped out onto the moist grass. Goosebumps formed upon her skin as her bare feet made their way through the long blades of grass, soaking the hem of her nightdress. About her the world stood dark and unyielding as she followed the ball of golden light down the hill and towards the shores of the lake which lay peacefully before her. Stopping she turned to look upon the cottage, seeing it in the distance, alight by the full moon. The ball of light touched her hand, causing her to turn about abruptly. Suddenly it began to move once again in the direction of the lake. Eveline followed once more, wading her way through the thicket of tall trees, her bare feet becoming buried within fallen leaves and patches of mud. About her creatures of the night shuffled within the trees, small animals skittering across the ground.

  Finally she found herself before the lake, the cold water splashing at her muddied feet. Above her an owl flew overhead causing her to cast her eyes to the heavens. The stars began to glimmer in a way that Eveline had never seen before. When the owl past she lowered her gaze to the ball of light that now hovered above the water in the distance. With speed it found her once again and touched her arm lightly bidding her to follow.

  “It is too deep,” she whispered to the light, coherent enough to realise that walking on water was impossible. The ball of light moved behind her and pushed her onwards, her feet suddenly entering the cold and merciless waters. Again the ball pushed her onwards and she found that her feet had found a platform, akin to a path that enabled her to walk across the water without sinking into it. The ball of light now satisfied with her movements hurled on before her, coming to hover over the centre of the lake. Eveline cautiously made her way out to the centre of the lake, stopping abruptly when the ball of light changed into a golden door, large and bright, causing the lakes waters to shimmer. Eveline stood still, scared of what was to come. She glanced behind her before turning to take a step back towards the shore. When she placed her foot down upon the water she found there was no platform to keep it afloat and turned around, facing the golden door once more. With trembling lips she stepped forward once more until she stood before the door, her long hair dancing in the cold breeze. As she stood before the door, she watched on as it opened, another smaller ball of light coming out of the door, settling behind her back, pushing her onwards until she found herself entering through the doorway, a beam of white light exploding around her, causing her to a have a momentary collapse of vision.

  Eveline felt herself falling through white light, her body being pushed downwards until she felt herself hit a marble floor, the white light disappearing. Biting down on her lips, Eveline opened her eyes and looked around. With wide eyes she struggled to her feet and took in her surroundings with awe. She was standing within an enormous palace, made out of white stone and marble. Lifting her gaze she observed the beautifully carved ceiling which stood at least three to four hundred feet above her. Lowering her gaze slowly, she realised that she was standing in between two thick aisles of people who were turned, their gazes travelling past her. Turning, Eveline watched as two enormous glass processional doors opened. A beautiful light filled the enormous hall as the doors opened to allow in a procession, headed by a couple, a man and woman finely dresse
d in robes of silver and gold. Behind them a large wave of applause filled the air, filling the great hall and sending shivers down Eveline’s body. As the light streamed into the nave of the palace, Eveline stood aside to watch the procession progress. Above her music began to play. Eveline could identify with some of the instruments that were being used, such as horns, lutes and even a harp. Standing perfectly still, Eveline watched on as the couple made their way up the long nave. She noticed that the woman who was beautifully dressed in gold held a small baby, wrapped in red cloth. Both the man and woman wore beautifully woven crowns of copper. What struck Eveline deeply was the likeness between herself and the young woman, who had like herself long, auburn hair and golden eyes.

  Slowly the couple and their child passed Eveline, causing her heart to skip a beat as she looked down at the babe, whose golden eyes were upon its mother. Without thinking, Eveline followed the couple up the nave, staying close to the young man, whose green eyes were ablaze with joy. Before them stood two thrones made of gold, silver and copper. Before the thrones stood a circular font made of white stone, filled with water. Quickly, Eveline looked behind her and observed a procession of men finely dressed in uniform, who were being led up the nave by a man dressed in white and silver robes, who had in his hands upon a small book.

  At once the music stopped and the great hall fell silent as the young couple stood before the font patiently. Eveline stood back and watched on as the elderly man she assumed to be some sort of bishop made his way to the font. A young boy, finely dressed stepped forward from the congregation, a small copper crown upon his head. In his hand was a copper cup and as he came to stand before the elderly man he handed him the cup and stood back. Eveline could not help but feel herself smile, such love was in the eyes of the young couple as they gazed down into the eyes of their infant child. The man dipped the cup into the water and held it up high above his head.