One Crown & Two Thrones: The Prophecy

by Iseult O'Shea

  “You know?” Jophiel exclaimed with slight shock. “We haven’t disclosed to anyone the news of his death, how come you to know about it?”

  “The death of Lier at the hands of Lagmar was sure to spread like wildfire Miss Schoenberg, surely this you know?” Alexis said with raised brows as though disappointed in his once fellow teacher. Jophiel coloured slightly with embarrassment.

  “Forgive my ignorance,” Jophiel mumbled as she clutched at her hat.

  “There is nothing to forgive,” the professor waved his hand before resting it upon his hip. “Are you not going to introduce me to your friend?”

  “Yes of course, this is Theodore Sampson, he is an old and cherished friend of mine, an angel like you and I,” Jophiel said with warm eyes. Theodore gazed at her with sudden attachment. “He is the husband of a woman called Eveline or to those of us with wings, Celestine.” At this the professor turned to Theodore sharply and strode forward, bending down to get a better look.

  “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Theodore announced, reaching his hand out. Alexis frowned deeply before placing his left hand into Theodores and shaking it lightly.

  “And yours Mr Sampson,” the professor said quietly, studying Theodore’s face carefully, taking in every detail. “Do you know if you were followed?”

  “Em - well no I don’t think we were,” Jophiel said with uncertainty.

  “We must take no risks, please if you will follow me down to my cellar were we may speak more boldly,” Alexis announced, his body and face etched with anxiety. Theodore looked over at Jophiel with concerned eyes wondering if this reclusive professor was to be trusted. Jophiel read his thoughts and merely nodded with a slight smile as they rose from the sofa and once again followed Alexis out of the room and into the dark corridor. Theodore stayed close to Jophiel, their hands touching lightly as they followed the tall man, dressed in a heavy black gown down a flight of winding stairs. The professor opened a door and showed them into a large cellar that was not filled with wine as Theodore had thought but had been turned into a laboratory. The walls of the cellar were stacked with heavy wooden shelves that housed hundreds of bottles of every size. At the end of the large room was a blackboard, which hung upon the wall covered in equations. Before the blackboard was a heavy wooden table filled with books, papers and a small antique banker’s lamp. A long wooden table filled the middle of the room, its surface covered with various instruments and papers. Theodore stood by the table and gazed at its contents, an Edwardian microscope standing near to him amongst an array of test tubes, slides and petri dishes. At the other end of the table were a small pair of forceps’ alongside probes and scalpels. The cellar once alight was filled with curious things much to Theodore’s curious eyes. Jophiel pondered around the cellar stopping to rise up onto her toes to get a better look inside the large glass bottles filled with dead snakes.

  “Shall we speak plainly?” the professor announced, heralding Theodore and Jophiel back into reality.

  “Yes for time is short,” Theodore exclaimed as he watched the professor walk over to his table, turning on his lamp.

  “Then speak plainly Mr Sampson.”

  “My wife, Eveline is known by another name, Celestine, you have heard of this name yes?”

  “Yes, she has been living right under our very noses,” Alexis smiled proudly. “But those of us who knew of her existence understood that this could not last. Lagmar and Belem are too clever and devious.”

  “She has been bitten by Nagtium,” Jophiel said with urgency, making her way to stand before the professor, her eyes upon his own vivid blue gaze. “We need an antivenin and you are the only one I know who has access to it.”

  “I need the milk of Nagtium if I am to make Celestine an antivenin, do you have some?” the professor asked with raised brows, shocked that Jophiel had procured the venom of the most sought after snake.

  “No of course we don’t,” Jophiel said with haste, placing her hat down upon the table. “We hoped that by using any type of antivenin that it would slow the poisoning down.”

  “The bite of Nagtium is not like the bite of an earthly snake Miss Schoenberg,” Alexis said with stern yet grave eyes. “If you wish to save Celestine then you must procure the venom of Nagtium and only Nagtium.”

  “You know that would be futile Professor,” Theodore interjected seriously. “Until we can devise a logical plan in which to somehow find access to Nagtium can we use the venom of another snake instead?”

  “Mr Sampson, procuring antivenin is an arduous job, it does not just consist of milking a snake,” Alexis said as he strode over to one of the shelves, casting his eyes upon a section of small bottles, picking one up and turning it to Theodore and Jophiel, holding it up before him. “You must cool it and then immunize it to create antibodies mainly through the use of horses. And even at that you must wait for the antibodies to form which can take a matter of weeks. Then you must bleed the animal drawing at least three to six litres of blood from the jugular vein before using a centrifuge to filter the plasma.”

  “I understand the process if only slightly, do you have any vials of antivenin that we can use?” Theodore asked as he swept a hand over his forehead, stress causing his temples to ache.

  “I have five, and altogether it had taken me twenty years to create them,” Alexis said quietly. “The art of creating antivenin is really very young and many scientists like myself who study the methods are still not a hundred percent sure if the antivenin works as we would like it too.”

  “Professor,” Jophiel walked over to the professor and found his free hand laying her own over it. “You know that Celestine is the grand daughter of Heiden yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you know how important it is that we keep her alive?”

  “I quite understand Jophiel. I am trying to warn you that my antivenin may not save her,” the professor replied gently. “Do you understand that?”

  “Fully,” Jophiel said with confidence. “But we must try.”

  “Yes I see that you must,” Alexis said with a nod of his head and slight smile which only enforced his wrinkled and aged skin to deepen. Jophiel smiled up into the professor’s face.

  “You are a good man Alexis,” she said with warmth. “And I’m sorry it has been so long since we last spoke.”

  “You once spoke to me of a Cael, is this him?” the professor whispered softly. Jophiels eyes fell to the ground in response. “Ah.”

  “Professor we don’t have a lot of time,” Theodore interrupted as Jophiel stood away, her gaze still on the floor. “Tell us what we must do.”

  “The Vials are filled with saline on top of the antivenin,” the professor said haphazardly as he collected the rest of the vials and brought them to his table. Jophiel and Theodore stood around the table and watched as the professor opened up one of the drawers and brought forth a small box, placing the vials inside. “I’m not entirely satisfied that five vials will be enough, especially considering the type of snake we are talking about. Nagtium is no timber rattlesnake.”

  “What happens when she has been injected?” Theodore asked as the professor handed him the small box.

  “The antibodies should bind themselves to and neutralize the venom giving the liver and kidney’s time to flush out the chemicals,” Alexis replied, his eyes shifting from Theodore to Jophiel. “Each vial contains a two hundred millilitres, give Celestine fifty millilitre’s over a twelve hour period.” The professor rounded his table and made for another shelve, collecting a green bottle and bringing it back with him. “Here is two thousand millilitres of Sulphapyridine, it usually comes in tablets but I have it in liquid form. Give her a five hundred every four hours to bring down the fever and level her breathing.”

  “Thank you professor,” Jophiel said with great appreciation, pocketing the bottle safely. The professor walked back around his table and opened another drawer.

  “You will need a syringe and needle,” Alexis said as h
e produced the instruments. “You know you may need more Sulphapyridine but I have no more so try to find a local pharmacist and procure some.”

  “Don’t worry there is a pharmacist nearby,” Theodore said as he watched the professor place the instruments into another box. As they stood patiently a noise transcended down through the house from above.

  “What was that?” Jophiel whispered, her eyes on the ceiling of the cellar.

  “You said no one followed you?” Alexis said with anxious eyes.

  “Who would have followed us from Bath?” Theodore returned with urgency as the house once again fell victim to more noise.

  “Cael is it possible that shadows were watching the house?” Jophiel whispered as the professor rushed to the door and locked it from the inside.

  “I suppose,” Theodore said with a confused expression. “But we would have noticed if they were following?”

  “Is it possible that they may have contacted shadows that live in this area?” Jophiel asked the professor as he rushed by them, his long thin grey hair flying about.

  “I suppose so you,” Alexis answered as he bent to the ground where his hand bent around a small metal handle. “Quick follow me,” he rushed as footsteps could be heard descending the stairs. Suddenly a secret passageway opened up. Jophiel peered down the dark passage. “No time for dwindling Jophiel, down you go!” Jophiel stepped down into the narrow passage with her hat perched atop her head. Quickly Theodore followed suite, followed by the professor who once down into the passageway closed the latch. Jophiel stood, disorientated and a little nervous. As she stood within the narrow passage she felt a hand cover her own, an electric shock coursing through her arm and piercing her heart. With a thudding chest her eyes found those of Theodore’s.

  “Are you alright?” he whispered calmly, rubbing her palm with his fingers, soothing her anxious state.

  “Yes,” she replied, their noses touching ever so slightly.

  “Quick we must hurry!” the professor whispered above them, as he passed them by, his heavy footsteps reverberating through the tunnel. Theodore smiled at Jophiel before guiding her through the tunnel behind a panting Alexis. It didn’t take long for them to come to the end of the tunnel. “There should be keys here somewhere,” the professor mumbled aloud, tracing his hands along the wall. The noise of keys filled the tunnel. “Found them!”

  “Professor where are you taking us?” Jophiel whispered over Theodore’s shoulder.

  “To my car,” the professor replied as he reached up and found the steps, pulling them down to the ground. Theodore turned to Jophiel and gazed down into her eyes for a moment. “Quickly! There is no time to saunter about.” Theodore turned about and sighed, following the professor up the stairs, waiting patiently for the elderly man to push open the hatchet. Jophiel quickly followed the men until she finally climbed out of the tunnel and found herself above ground once more. She looked behind her, they were in his back garden, the lights of his house now turned on with shadows passing by the windows.

  “Jophiel come,” Theodore urged as the professor opened the garden door and rushed them out to where his car was parked.

  “Take my keys and get out of Oxford as quickly as possible!” Alexis ordered darkly, handing the set of keys over to Theodore.

  “But this is your car?” Theodore argued as he opened the doors.

  “Well until you can bring it back to me safely I shall use your car,” the professor retorted hearing voices from within the house. “Do you have your keys?”

  “Yes in my pocket,” Theodore said as he rummaged through his coat pocket finding the keys. Roughly he handed them to Alexis before jumping into the professor’s car and starting the engine. Jophiel wrapped her arms about her old friend.

  “What will you do?” she whispered into his ear.

  “Don’t you worry about me Jophiel, just you make sure that Celestine survives, promise?” the professor said with wide eyes.

  “I will try my best,” Jophiel returned as she opened the passenger door and climbed in.

  “Go!” the professor cried out. Theodore put his foot down and the car sped into life, driving down the narrow back street towards the exit. Jophiel quickly looked behind her and spotted the professor walking back into his garden.

  “Will he be safe do you think?” she asked as they rushed up Banbury road.

  “I don’t know,” Theodore said stiffly. He kept the headlights off as he drove north out of Oxford. Jophiel felt herself tremble and tried to concentrate on the scene outside but found it hard to distract herself. She had lost Lier a few weeks prior and her world had been shaken, the thought of losing another friend was too much to digest. As if sharing in her fear, Theodore once again found her hand and placed it within his own, keeping his eyes on the road as she gazed over at him. How many times over the last twenty eight years had she tried to reguratate what it had felt like to hold his hand or to feel his lips upon her own, and yet in this moment of chaos and fear he was holding her hand, the man that had for weeks refused to meet her gaze or be in her presence. Despite her need to keep still and quiet, Jophiel felt her eyes water with pain, never had she imagined the pain that Theodores touch would evoke, the pain she had harboured so closely for so long.

  Theodore felt her hand tremble within his own and understood the fear that ran through Jophiel, feeling it himself. He cursed life, cursed himself for this was all his fault. He was stuck between two women with whom he loved. With each day that passed by since the veil of ignorance had fallen away, his heart had been resuscitated, awakened once again. The man that he had been before Eveline had been very different. Never had there been another woman but Jophiel, he had spent years hoping in vain that she would return his affections only to give her up for his own selfish needs. He knew now why he had felt the stirrings of regret when he had married Eveline, despite his own infatuation for the ethereal Celestine, beautiful and rare. He understood now that the veil had fallen that his heart had never truly lost touch of the love he had for Jophiel, a woman so graceful and kind. He supposed this was his punishment for being greedy.

  “Theodore can we stop please,” Jophiel whispered as a tear fell upon her cheek. They had been driving for over an hour and were driving through Bibury. Theodore turned the car off from the road and stopped by a gate. The sky was beginning to change ever so gently as Jophiel got out of the car. Theodore watched as she climbed of the gate and walked through the field, stopping with her hands upon her hips. Theodore took the keys out of the ignition and opened his door, stepping out onto the grass closing the door behind him. Cautiously he climbed over the gate and made his way to where she stood, crying.

  “Jophiel?”

  “Don’t!” Jophiel cried out, holding out her hand as though to caution him from coming any closer. Theodore ignored her protests and stepped forward, placing a hand upon her shoulder feeling her muscles flinch, her back bent over with grief.

  “What is it?” he whispered softly as the morning birds chirped poetically around them.

  “Nothing,” Jophiel lied, wiping her face with her sleeves.

  “It’s not nothing,” Theodore said as he stepped closer until his chest met with her shoulder blades. Cautiously he let his hand fall from her shoulder, wrapping it about her waist tenderly, leaning her mouth against her ear. With his other hand he found hers and took it within his own, resting it over his other hand. Jophiels body trembled as she felt a wave of pain wash over her.

  “So long…I waited so long for you,” she gulped, her body beginning to relax against Theodores.

  “I know,” Theodore whispered into her thick black curls. “What I did to you…was unforgivable.”

  “I spent so many years crying for you.”

  “I don’t know what else to say only that I am sorry,” Theodore said faintly. Jophiel pushed herself away from Theodore and turned to face him.

  “I happen to love your wife not because I feel I must,” she said aloud, straightening her back and
finding her courage. “I won’t betray her by falling into your arms.”

  “You must believe me when I say that I never intended on falling in love with Eveline,” Theodore pleaded holding out his hand.

  “And yet you did,” Jophiel retorted with a sadness that pierced Theodore deeply.

  “I love you too.”

  “You’re despicable! You’re a monster!” Jophiel cried out, striding up to Theodore and hitting him hard on the shoulder. “Your wife is dying and all you can think about as usual is yourself!”

  “That’s not true!” Theodore barked, grabbing her wrists and holding her tightly.

  “You left me before you met Eveline, don’t use her as an excuse!”

  “I wouldn’t!” Theodore pleaded, his blue eyes unwavering as they held her own distressed gaze.

  “You don’t get to have my heart Cael! You threw it away the moment you were given a chance to walk away from those who loved you.”

  “You wanted me to go Jophiel! You told me to go!”

  “I never wanted to force you to choose,” Jophiel whispered, her lips shimmering with moisture. “I wanted you to choose me by your own free will.”

  “You never gave me a choice, you ran away before I could make up my mind!”

  “If you loved me enough then you wouldn’t have needed time in which to make your mind up.”

  Theodore let go of Jophiel and turned from her, his head within the palms of his hands.

  “It doesn’t matter what I say, it will never be enough.”

  “No it won’t.”

  “What can I do?” Theodore’s voice cracked with emotion. “Whatever I do I let someone down.”

  “The fault lies with you Cael and no one else. It doesn’t lie with your wife who is dying, a wife you publically humiliate and control.”