One Crown & Two Thrones: The Prophecy

by Iseult O'Shea

  “Oh look there is the lake, shall we cross over the bridge?” Ada proclaimed, his cheeks rosy and his eyes filled with life.

  “Of course!”

  The trio filled with light conversation about the beauty of the winters light and the ever changing cycle of nature crossed the bridge, stopping a while to observe the waters beneath them with reflective eyes.

  “It is hard to believe that so much darkness can exist when faced with such pleasing scenes,” Eveline said with an air of sadness clipping her tone.

  “That is the irony of life Eveline,” Bram sighed as he tightened his coat about his tall frame. “But we must trust in the beauty of life don’t you think?”

  “You must forgive Bram, he is a dreamer,” Ada smirked. “What is it that Oscar Wilde said about dreaming?”

  “How would you possibly know Ada? You hate Oscar Wilde,” Bram laughed, gently slapping his friends back with mirth.

  “A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world,” Eveline proclaimed with pride, her back straight and elegant. Ada and Bram turned to Eveline with eyes filled with astonishment.

  “Despite being at least fifty years older than you, you outmatch us both in intelligence,” Bram said with a pleasant smile. “It is most refreshing.”

  “Hardly that!” Ada groaned. “When we are not off doing a job we have to listen to Galean or Jophiel debating hotly on the subjects of morality and ethics, it becomes rather boring after a while.”

  “What do they discuss if you don’t mind my asking?” Eveline proceeded to ask as they once again made their way through the park.

  “Last night they were discussing Plato’s views on the relationship between a father and son,” Ada replied, plunging his freezing hands into his pockets.

  “Why ever where they discussing that?” Eveline asked with wide eyes, she knew the theory of Plato’s views on the subject but wondered if the discussion between Galean and Jophiel had anything to do with Galean’s family.

  “They were arguing over Galean’s brother, Beon,” Ada sighed heavily.

  “Ada she probably doesn’t know about Beon,” Bram chastised gently as the trio finally came to the end of the park.

  “Galean has told me about his family,” Eveline assured Bram and Ada as they made their way through the iron arched entrance.

  “How strange, he never discusses his family with anyone bar Jophiel,” Ada said with a confused expression. As the group made their way towards the centre of Bath town, passing Queen’s Square they argued over Galean and his family issues.

  “Apparently Beon’s wife tried to poison his father during a winter feast some years ago,” Ada explained to Eveline as they reached the guildhall.

  “Why?” Eveline replied with curious eyes as she tucked her gloved hands into the pockets of her coat.

  “There was an apparent plan for a coup d’état to take place, putting Beon onto the throne and in the process killing Ballor and arresting Galean and Loaki,” Bram said as they passed sweet old shops that lined the road.

  “What happened?”

  “Of course the plan folded, Ballor is too popular as far as I know and I have never been to his world,” Ada said, his eyes scanning the crowd diligently.

  “Beon and his wife were sent back to their Kingdom of Galgor and then Beon’s wife died a few weeks later,” Bram added. Eveline stopped and furrowed her brows.

  “How did she die so suddenly?”

  “Galean claims that she was killed by a disease that had spread throughout the North that winter, taking with it thousands of peasants,” Bram said, keeping himself close to her for safety. “Beon on the other hand claims that the High King had her poisoned in return hence Beon’s campaign of vengeance.”

  “But surely he cannot hope to claim victory against his father and brothers?” Eveline asked as they began to walk once more.

  “Well that’s the problem,” Ada interjected, him being the eavesdropper and main mouth of information. “Some Kingdom in the south, Taer I think it’s called is aiding Beon and his Kingdom, strengthening their armies and resources. That is why Galean will be returning in a few days.”

  “I see,” Eveline said quietly a pain shooting through her. She felt so much more connected to the world that Galean was born into rather than her own and it caused her great confusion.

  “I still cannot believe he will be a King one day,” Bram muttered under his breathe. “It is slightly unnerving to know that the man you spend most of your time with is a prince. He is just Galean to me and he shares not in many of the characteristics of a Prince if you understand my meaning?”

  “You should hear the stories about him, he is a renowned warrior who is greatly revered and loved among his own kind,” Ada smiled with pride. “But his heart has been badly done in and he wasn’t himself for a great while. I don’t know if either of you have noticed how he seems to be brighter and more himself lately?”

  “I have observed the same,” Bram murmured as they finally came to stand before Bath Abbey. The group stood still as Eveline beheld the beautiful Abbey, a sigh leaving her mouth. Ada and Bram turned to her with merry faces.

  “It is even more beautiful than I had hoped,” Eveline said quickly as a couple passed her by, shocked by her apparel. With quick hands she bent her hat down over her eyes and smiled weakly. “Sometimes I forget that people can be alarmed by my appearance.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much Evie,” Ada said with kind eyes. “No sooner do they see you before they clamp eyes on something else that takes their fancy, which is the way of human beings.”

  “How very insightful of you Ada,” Bram teased as the group walked closer to the magnificent building which was once a great monastery. Before its great doors were piles of sand bags, a symptom of the war. “Shall we go in?”

  “Yes lets,” Eveline laughed, her eyes filled with wonder and her heart intrigued. She could not logically explain her love of buildings, not in a simple way. But bar from being a lover of history she was too a lover of architecture and Bath Abbey had been one of her favourite buildings in England. Eveline knew that the Abbey had been built using bath stone which was a rare shade of yellow. It was in the perpendicular form of gothic architecture and cruciform architecture common of Christian churches. Inside her pocket was a small book on the Abbey and as the group made to enter the grade 1 listed building through the entrance she opened it up. With the book open in her hand she felt a strange force take hold of her as she passed under the tall arch, causing her to stop abruptly, her body tightening and her heart slowing rapidly. Quickly as though to venture forth would burn her internally she stepped back.

  “Eveline are you alright?” Bram asked, already within the building. Ada came to Eveline quickly and scanned her body with serious eyes.

  “What is it Eveline?”

  “I…, I don’t know,” Eveline whispered as a couple passed by her with confused faces. “When I stepped through I felt something force me to step backwards.” Ada looked to Bram with concern. Angels and humans where allowed to enter any religious building, those not allowed where the servants of Lagar and Eveline was no such servant.

  “Why don’t you try again?” Bram asked gently, coming out of the church to stand at her other side.

  “Alright,” Eveline said with anxious eyes. Eveline smiled in embarrassment as she stepped forward once more. Again the burning force took hold of her. Determined to fight the pain she forced herself forward only to fall abruptly to the ground a white light burning through her mind. Ada and Bram fell to the ground beside her lifeless form and looked at one another.

  “Something isn’t right,” Ada whispered as several people came over them. Bram stood up from the growing crowd and looked about with serious eyes.

  *

  Galean watched as Eveline fell to the ground outside the entrance of Bath Abbey and strode purposefully from behind the black railings of the pump rooms wh
ich were located on the right hand side of the Abbey. As he strode forward he felt something hit him and stopped, scanning the heavy crowds about him. He felt a familiar and unnerving presence somewhere close by and looked in vain for the source. Across the street over the heads and hats of the crowd he found his gaze falling upon his old nemesis Lagmar, who stood upon the corner of the street, his gaze on Eveline, a lingering smile upon his face. As though feeling Galean’s eyes upon him he tore his gaze away from Eveline who had awoken and was being helped away from the entrance of the Abbey. Lagmar lowered his eyes upon Galean, who stood very still, the world about them suddenly slowing down, time beginning to lengthen in a most unhuman way. Galean watched on as the faint smile upon Lagmar’s face faded away only to be replaced by a look of violent intention. Galean knew that he could not risk open confrontation but could not simply fade away into the crowd with Eveline in danger.

  “Lagmar no!” Belem hissed as he came to his side, taking Lagmar’s arm roughly. “Now is not the time!”

  “I promised Lagar I would kill him!” Lagmar spat venomously, ripping his arm away from Belem.

  “Not here, not like this and not when we are so close to succeeding!” Belem tried to argue as Lagmar began to move through the crowd. Lagmar stopped walking and took in a deep breathe. “She has submitted to the poison,” Belem whispered frantically. “She cannot enter the church, we cannot let Galean suspect or we will both be returning to our master empty handed.” Lagmar knew he spoke the truth and clenched his fists as Galean stood perfectly still, challenging him with fearless eyes.

  “We need to bring the plan forward,” Lagmar hissed as he turned away from Galean to face Belem whose face sighed with relief. “She is ready.”

  “There is to be a fund raising ball at their residence this Saturday night,” Belem whispered as they retracted into the crowd and out of sight. “That’s in two days’ time.”

  “Then that is when we will strike with such force they will not know what has hit them,” Lagmar said with such anger, Belem stepped away.

  Galean watched as the two demons retreated and disappeared before making his way through the crowd towards Eveline, Ada and Bram. He was suspicious that Lagmar had simply walked away but even more so he was greatly troubled that Eveline had been denied entry into the church. It was time to take matters into his own hands whether Theodore liked it or not.

  “Galean how did you get here?” Ada exclaimed as his friend came over to them dropping before Eveline who was sitting against the wall of the church, her eyes dark and her face pale.

  “I followed you,” Galean said quickly as he turned Eveline’s eyes up to his own. “Eveline can you hear me?”

  “Something happened when she tried to enter the church,” Bram whispered, waving the gossipers way dramatically.

  “Lagmar and Belem were here watching you,” Galean said with a serious expression.

  “But how?” Ada cried out his eyes infiltrating the crowds. “I scanned the area and found no traces of shadows.”

  “It is over populated here during the day,” Galean returned as Eveline sat still and quiet, her eyes glazed and unsettling. “We need to get her home now.”

  “I will fetch a cab if possible,” Bram announced running off into the mass of onlookers. Galean without speaking scooped the unresponsive Eveline into his arms and quickly strode away from the onlookers, making his way down the side of the church where it was quieter and less public. He brought her over to a small fountain by the side of the Abbey and set her down upon the steps.

  “Eveline nod if you can hear me?” He urged as Ada walked about checking the area, only turning to look at them briefly stunned by Galean’s gentleness and closeness to Eveline.

  “I can hear you,” Eveline mumbled, blinking her eyes as though they hurt.

  “What happened?” Galean asked with frantic eyes as he gently untied her scarf, exploiting her current inability to function so that he could get a better look at her neck. Cautiously he unwound the scarf until it fell away to reveal her blackened throat. “Oh my God,” he cursed out loud. Ada turned and stood still.

  “What the hell has happened to her?” he asked quickly coming to Galean’s side.

  “She won’t tell me,” Galean replied curtly as he softly touched the area, blackened and bruised.

  “Galean I don’t mean to scare you but it looks like she has been poisoned by something,” Ada said quietly as a tear fell from Eveline’s eye.

  “I feel strange,” she whispered.

  “Eveline I need you tell me how you got this bite,” Galean urged forcefully. “Please.”

  “I can’t,” Eveline retorted, shaking her head roughly.

  “Eveline! Look at me!” Galean said angrily forcing her eyes to look down into his own. “This is no fly bite, tell me what really bit you!” Eveline shook, frightened by his anger. As she looked down at him the sly voice within her whispered seductively. “Can’t you see how he hates you? If you tell him then he will only hate you more, just like the rest of them.”

  “No!” Eveline cried out to the dark creature within.

  “Eveline what is it?” Galean whispered, disturbed by her sudden change in behaviour as though she was fighting an internal storm.

  “There jealous of you Celestine, jealous of your power,” the voice hissed loudly. Eveline stood up abruptly and walked away to the wall of the Abbey, resting her hands upon the yellow stone as she battled with the inner beast within. Galean stood up and watched on in horror as did Ada.

  “She wasn’t like this when we arrived,” Ada whispered darkly. “I don’t know what has come over her.”

  “Lagmar and Belem where here, they know what’s happening,” Galean said with creased brows. “I know this may be considered a wild guess but I’m betting that she wasn’t bitten by a fly and that she has been bitten by a shadow or worse by Nagtium.”

  “Nagtium? Isn’t that a little far-fetched? Nagtium can only be found with Lagar?” Ada argued weakly as Eveline pounded the wall with her fists.

  “Lagar was there in Keswick you know this,” Galean said quickly. “If he was there then Nagtium must have been.”

  Galean walked over to Eveline and laid a hand upon her shoulder.

  “Eveline it’s me,” he whispered feeling her body relax under his touch.

  “Galean?” she cried quietly, her hands falling from the wall.

  “Yes it’s me,” Galean exclaimed as he turned her around. “Eveline tell me, did the snake bite you?” He watched as she struggled within.

  “I cannot say,” Eveline whispered as though scared of someone hearing.

  “Then nod your head,” Galean said gently, taking her trembling hands into his own, “Just nod, you don’t have to say a thing.” Eveline gazed into his calm eyes and closed her eyes briefly, the creature within becoming angry with her. She felt a sudden light of strength rise up within her, forcing the creature to retreat and nodded her head slightly. Galean closed his eyes, he had prayed in vain that it wouldn’t be so for if she had indeed been bitten by Nagtium then darkness was upon them all, for the venom of the snake could only be cured using an antivenin which had to include the venom of Nagtium. Galean knew that they would never be able to extract venom from the snake of Lagar. He looked into Eveline’s scared eyes and felt himself suddenly fall into an abyss of terror, if there was no antivenin then there would be no cure, she would in time die and dying wouldn’t be the hardest part, first she would be possessed and would change. He had seen it countless times before when Lagar had killed angels using his snake.

  “Galean…what is it?” Eveline whispered as a car came to a halt before them.

  “Nothing Eveline, let’s just get you home,” Galean said with assuring eyes as he helped her to the car.

  “There were no cabs,” Bram exclaimed as he opened the passenger door for Eveline. “This kind man here offered to help.”

  “Thank you very much,” Galean said to the man as he jumped in beside Eveline, kee
ping her hand in his own for comfort. Eveline remained quiet and unspoken until they had arrived back home.

  “Eveline what’s happened?” Jophiel cried out as she ran down the steps, closely followed by Theodore who immediately took his wife’s hand from Galean.

  “What happened to her?” he asked Galean as they made their way into the house.

  “I just need to sit down please,” Eveline said weakly needing space from all the eyes and whispers.

  “Yes of course my love,” Theodore cooed as he brought his wife into the main room and helped her over to a regency styled sofa by the window. “Here sit down.” Eveline sat down upon the marigold sofa and drew in a breath. As she sat down, Estelle entered the room alongside Mary and made for her daughter.

  “What happened?” she asked Galean and Theodore in unison.

  “Eveline has been bitten by a snake,” Galean announced, as he closed the doors to the room. Everyone turned to him with confused eyes. “When Lagar visited her in Keswick he brought with him his most venomous weapon, Nagtium. Nagtium must have bitten Eveline when she had been forced into unconsciousness.” Everyone turned their eyes to Eveline, their gazes falling to her naked throat.

  “Oh my God!” Estelle cried out. “How did I not notice?”

  “She has been keeping her throat very well hidden beneath her scarf’s,” Galean replied as he glanced out of the windows, drawing the heavy curtains quickly and lighting the fire with a wave of his hand.

  “Eveline how could you keep this from me?” Theodore whispered attentively as his wife blushed crimson with shame.

  “I didn’t want to annoy you, you’re always so cross with me,” she whispered quietly so that only he could hear. Theodore found no words in which to reply and merely stroked her hands softly.

  “What can we do?” Jophiel asked Galean under her breathe as Estelle fussed over her daughter. “A snake bite can only be cured by antivenin you know that.”