One Crown & Two Thrones: The Prophecy

by Iseult O'Shea

  “Ah reverend at last, come in,” Mary said with delight, beckoning the minister to come it. As he entered the house he placed his tweed hat upon the table and turned to Mary.

  “How is she today?”

  “She is playing the piano isn’t that something?” Mary replied with a glorious expression of joy on her face. Matthew a little perplexed at such a welcome simply groaned before being shown into the morning room but as the minister sat down they both stopped moving as a low cry rang out from the music room. Mary’s beaming face suddenly darkened as she looked down at Matthew. “I shall go to her at once.” Matthew waited patiently until the door opened and Theodore entered with a forced smile upon his lips.

  “Good morning,” he exclaimed coming to sit opposite the minister.

  “Is she alright?”

  “The music was a little off setting,” Theodore smiled weakly as he clasped his hands upon his knees. “She will settle in a bit I assure you.”

  “She is despite her current mood, improving wouldn’t you say?” Matthew asked, his eyes a little distressed causing Theodore to become suspicious.

  “Yes,” Theodore frowned. “Is something amiss reverend?”

  “I have had two pieces of news today, the first assuring and the second unsettling,” Matthew replied gravely, bringing forth two letters from his jacket pocket and handing them over to Theodore who took them within his hands and opened the first. Matthew watched on in rigid silence as Theodore read the letter, his hand seizing instantly as the information infiltrated his mind.

  “How?” he asked darkly his eyes glued to the letter.

  “Gabriel brought him back to his father in Meer,” Matthew replied with a frown. “I thought this news would please you slightly?”

  “I thought he had died,” Theodore said, lifting his blue gaze and meeting Matthew’s. “You are sure he is alive?”

  “Barely, my source does not think he will last the week his injuries are too serious,” Matthew replied solemnly, folding his legs beneath him.

  “Eveline must not hear of this do you understand?” Theodore said harshly, his voice cold and his eyes dark.

  “Will she not be glad to know that he lives?” Matthew asked with a confused expression. “I am aware she had been greatly pained by the notion that he had indeed passed away, this may ease her suffering slightly and improve her mood? It may even give her the encouragement to return to her world knowing he may yet live.”

  “How certain was your source that Galean would not live out the week?” Theodore asked absentmindedly.

  “Quite certain, but there is still hope,” Matthew smiled quickly unable to register his friends response. “This brings you comfort I am sure to know that he lives?”

  “Of course it does,” Theodore lied to the minister. “But I think it best to keep this piece of news from Eveline for now, it wouldn’t do her any good in getting her hopes up if he is likely to pass away in mere days.”

  “If you are certain,” Matthew replied calmly. Without another word, Theodore flung the letter into the fire before opening the next, much to Matthew’s shock. Theodore opened the next letter and read it quietly.

  “This cannot be true,” Theodore whispered frantically the letter falling away from his hand, landing upon the rug beneath his feet gently. Matthew leaned forward and picked up the letter.

  “Five of the high masonic council were murdered last night,” Matthew said with graveness, his brown eyes dull and pained. “They were among some of my closest of friends.”

  “How?”

  “The knights have been sighted in London by some of our spies you will know them well, George Berkeley and Anna Whilde?”

  “Yes I was their mentor at one point long ago,” Theodore replied, getting up onto his feet and pacing the morning room. “Why did they attack the council?”

  “Information I believe,” Matthew said with a sigh. “As to where Eveline is.”

  “And they know?” Theodore stopped in his tracks and turned to the minister whose back was bent.

  “They would have to be stupid not to know that this could be one of several places in which she would return, if not the most prominent,” Matthew replied with an anxious look. “It is not that that bothers me as such, it is whether or not they have been informed as the where she is going.”

  “But you have kept such information to yourself yes?” Theodore asked quickly, his pacing quickening as the situation became clearer.

  “Not entirely no, I had spoken of it with my superior a few weeks ago after I had received my orders from Heiden himself,” Matthew replied slowly. “Of course then I had no idea that these knights had been resurrected. If I had had any notion that they were hunting Eveline I would not have passed along such a message.”

  “What do we do? They will be on their way as we speak,” Theodore said as he ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes in torment.

  “I have spent the whole night trying to come up with a plan,” Matthew said quickly as he also got to his feet and walked to the window, casting his eyes out across the expanse, seeing some of his masonic friends nearby. “We have no time, we need to leave and soon.”

  “Eveline isn’t ready yet,” Theodore replied with earnest eyes. “She doesn’t even know that she being hunted by these…knights.”

  “Then maybe we should tell her,” Matthew said turning his eyes to Theodore. Theodore held his gaze for a moment before nodding his head.

  “She may not take this well at all.”

  “Even so she must know.”

  Theodore let his head fall backwards, everything had changed in the last fifteen minutes. His plans to return with Eveline to Unas had been torn in half with the news of Galean’s survival. He could not risk the prophecy taking effect, he had to do something to stop Eveline from returning, anything to stop them from finding one another.

  “Theodore?”

  Theodore looked up at Matthew and smiled weakly.

  “I will go and get her now,” he said, his voice distant.

  *

  “Drink this,” Mary said, giving to Eveline a small glass of water. Eveline took the glass and drank the water obediently.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cry,” Eveline apologised quietly as she wiped her eyes.

  “No need to apologise,” Mary smiled warmly as she took the glass from Eveline and brought it to the sink. “You play beautifully.”

  “Thank you.”

  Eveline bent her head down into the palms of her hand and sighed before the kitchen door opened and Theodore entered.

  “Eveline?”

  “Yes?” Eveline looked up from her hands and met her husband’s anguished gaze. “What has happened?” she asked quickly.

  “There is something that the reverend and I wish to speak with you about,” Theodore replied kindly, holding out his hand to the confused Eveline.

  “Right now?” Eveline enquired cautiously.

  “If you please,” Theodore said with an assuring smile. Eveline looked over at Mary who urged her on with kind eyes.

  “I will be right here if you need me,” Mary said under her breathe as Eveline clasped her husband’s hand and got to her feet, following him out of the room and into the morning room. Across the room stood the reverend, his hands behind his back and his face expressionless as she came to sit down.

  “Theodore what is it?” she asked her husband, gazing up into his face.

  “There is something we must share with you, something we have been harbouring these past weeks as you have been recovering,” Theodore said, taking the seat opposite her and clasping her hands within his own.

  “Yes?” Eveline asked, her eyes now upon the minister who came to stand before the fire.

  “Of course you know that you are in danger wherever you go,” Matthew said with a slight smile.

  “Yes I know,” Eveline said suspiciously. “Why? has he come for me again?” Eveline asked with wide eyes, the horror of such a notion filling her
body with dread and anxiety.

  “No, Lagar has not come,” Theodore assured her with a smile and gentle touch of his fingers against the palms of her hands.

  “But there are those who work for him that have been searching for you since your disappearance from Bath,” Matthew explained calmly.

  “Shadows?”

  “They are not known as shadows,” Theodore said with an anxious gaze. Eveline frowned as she tried to digest the information.

  “What are they then?” she probed quickly, her blood beginning to turn to ice.

  “They are known as the four knights, simple in title but in truth they are anything but simple,” Matthew said with a sigh, his left hand upon his brow. “They are stronger, older and more powerful than any shadow, so powerful Lagar himself had to kill them in order to control their power.”

  “So they are dead?” Eveline asked with innocent eyes.

  “No, they have been resurrected from the dead as they were before,” Matthew said with caution seeing the despair in her face.

  “How can that be? Surely no one had the power to resurrect those who are dead?”

  “Unfortunately Lagar does,” Matthew said with tight lips. “All great arch angels are blessed with incredible gifts, among the many that he possesses, the gift of giving life to someone who is dead is his deadliest.”

  “And these knights, what do they do?” Eveline enquired, her skin sickly and cold under Theodore’s touch.

  “They have names if you wish to know them,” Matthew replied lightly, seeing the confusion in her eyes.

  “If I am to run from them, I would rather know who I am running from,” Eveline replied coldly.

  “Adragon, Zazel, Nacromos and Belzamon are their names,” Matthew declared quietly, his words a mere whisper. Eveline sat back as the names pierced her like ice. Even their names put the fear of God into her heart, so merciless and so cold they were.

  “And their powers?” Eveline asked calmly, her eyes now falling to Theodore who was looking at her with intent.

  “Adragon is known as the knight of fear; Zazel the knight of wrath; Nacramos the knight of lust and Belzamon the knight of greed,” Matthew replied, turning from the fire and looking down into her pale face.

  “They sound rather like the seven princes of hell don’t you think?” Eveline smiled weakly.

  “Even the seven princes of hell seem kinder than the knights of hell are,” Theodore whispered darkly. “Even Lagar found them too powerful which leads me to feel confused as to why he has suddenly brought them to life again, surely that is a great risk?”

  “Indeed it is,” Matthew agreed with a nod. “But he will unleash all manner of creatures to hunt Celestine down, he will do whatever it takes to ensure she does not return to her people and world. If you,” he turned his gaze to Eveline, serious and deep. “Are crowned and blessed with the powers of Heiden, on top of the powers you already possess, you will be equal to Lagar and your half-brother. If you are crowned Queen you will have the power to bring down a whole army. The four knights will be like flies to you. Lagar will not allow that to happen, he will do anything to stop you from entering that garden and becoming Queen.”

  “And they know I am here in Keswick?” Eveline said with a quiver of her lip.

  “Yes, they were informed last night of your location.”

  “How do they travel?” Theodore asked the minister.

  “They will be bound to human form and so can only travel in the way that a human can,” Matthew said quickly.

  “That gives us two days at least?” Eveline mused thoughtfully, her eyes upon the hearth to where a shrivelled letter lay.

  “Yes, two or at the very best three,” Theodore added as Eveline got to her feet, coming to stand alongside the minister.

  “I am not strong enough to go on another journey,” Eveline argued lightly as she pushed the letter into the fire without a glance and walked away to the window. “I am not ready either.”

  “Eveline there are other options,” Theodore added quickly to the surprise of Matthew who sent him a confused look. Theodore looked away as he came to Eveline and wrapped an arm about him. “If you do not wish to return to Unas then there are other options. Other places we can hide.” Eveline turned and looked up into her husband’s face.

  “I thought you wanted me to return to Unas? You have been pushing me for weeks to consider it? Why the sudden change?”

  “You cannot stay here, they will find you wherever you go,” Matthew insisted, his vice laced with frustration and anger at Theodores suggestion. “To stay here would be suicide, you know this?”

  “Eveline is not strong enough to return to her world yet,” Theodore announced turning on the minister. “We can find somewhere else to seek shelter until she feels stronger.”

  “Eveline is this what you want?” Matthew asked the young woman, his eyes pleading. Eveline looked at the minister before looking once more into the face of Theodore, his eyes also pleading. With a sigh she placed a hand upon Theodores.

  “Do you think it best that I wait?”

  “Yes, for now.”

  Matthew rushed forward to the couple.

  “You cannot be serious? Can you?”

  “I am not ruling out returning to Unas minister, but as I have already said, I am not yet strong enough for such a journey, it would be futile for me to return now.”

  “But where will you go?” Matthew asked as he stood back, unable to understand Theodore and his sudden change of attitude.

  “Scotland is far enough away to keep these knights off our tracks until such a time as Eveline is ready to travel south to Anglesey,” Theodore exclaimed as he wound his arm about Eveline’s waist.

  “Scotland?” Eveline and Matthew replied in unison.

  “Why not? It is far and vast and it will take these knights months to seek us out in the highlands,” Theodore replied steadily, his voice and gaze unwavering.

  “But so far?” Eveline whispered into her husband’s ear. “Can we not simply journey to wales instead?”

  “These knights may know you are bound for Anglesey so no, it would be silly to try and find shelter in Wales,” Theodore replied kindly, his grasp at her waist tightening ever so slightly.

  “Are you truly serious about this?” Matthew asked again, still shattered by the turn of events.

  “My husband is wise minister, he is also an angel, he would not warn me against returning unless he had his doubts,” Eveline smiled weakly, still unsure about her husband’s sudden growing affection for her, a little dazed by his kindness and touch. “I have great faith in his wisdom.”

  “But your grandfather instructed me to take you to Anglesey,” Matthew argued quietly as Mary’s footsteps could be heard.

  “I know but he promised me that he would stand by whatever decision I made, even if it displeased him,” Eveline said again with a small smile upon her cold lips. All of a sudden Theodore dropped his arm from her waist and walked away as though repulsed.

  “She has made up her mind Matthew,” Theodore said with a sombre face, his eyes betraying his straight lips. Matthew looked up into Cael’s eyes and frowned, wondering what it was that had changed him so.

  “When I am ready to travel to Wales I shall write to you immediately,” Eveline added as she came once again to the fire, looking down into its embers and finding the letter once more shrivelling into ash. As she looked down at the parchment she could make out four words. He is alive, barely. Eveline froze and found the sounds of her husband and the minister fading as she watched the words turn to embers before her.

  “Eveline?”

  Eveline turned her gaze from the fire and met the stares of Theodore and Matthew who were embroiled in a heated exchange.

  “I need to lie down,” she whispered vaguely.

  “Eveline are you alright?” Theodore asked as he came to her suddenly with anxious eyes.

  “I am fine truly,” she lied as Theodore took hold of her hand. “I think I sha
ll go upstairs for an hour and rest my eyes.”

  “I shall get Mary,” Matthew exclaimed suddenly.

  “Thank you,” Eveline whispered as Theodore helped her to sit down. Upon his knees he looked up into her face, searching her eyes for any clues. “Really Theodore I am fine, you worry too much.”

  “I have too my love,” Theodore declared, kissing her lips lightly for the first time since their return. Eveline blinked her eyes as her husband’s lips brushed her own. “You are all that I have.”

  “I know,” Eveline whispered with glazed eyes as Theodore kissed her once more a little more urgently this time.

  “You are my best friend, remember that when you are afraid that I do not love you,” Theodore smiled kindly, enfolding her in a gentle hug.

  “I will remember,” Eveline smiled weakly as she wrapped her arms about her husband, closing her eyes briefly at their exchange. He was her husband she cried out within and he had purposefully kept the news of Galean from her because he was afraid of losing her to him once more. Without another word Mary entered the room and quickly came to her side.

  “Ah Mary, Eveline is feeling a little tired,” Theodore announced with a smile as he stood away from Eveline and let Mary handle matters.

  “Come I will help you upstairs pet,” Mary cooed, taking Eveline by the hand and helping her up.

  Matthew and Theodore watched as Mary and Eveline ascended the stairs. When they had both disappeared upstairs Matthew turned to Theodore.

  “What are you playing at?” he asked outright.

  “My wife is not ready to leave yet,” Theodore said with a shrug.

  “But you were so certain of her returning, why the sudden change?”

  “I must respect her wishes,” Theodore lied to the minister. “And if that means staying here a little longer then so be it.”

  “You are putting her life on the line, you know this?”

  “I do,” Theodore said with certainty as he showed the minister to the door. “Eveline’s life has always been my priority, her security, her health all of it. I will protect her and keep her from harm this I assure you.”