by C. E. Smith
Mimi was glad the images were on high speed. It was war after war after war. Bombs and guns going off and soldiers dying. The image quality was too good. She felt like she was there, and it made her sick. Unlike her brother, she didn’t spend her nights playing war computer games. She wasn’t used to these kind of graphic images, and she was glad Albert had left the room.
The Earth was starting to look very different. It looked advanced, like another planet with how great technology was.
“This is the year 3000, an important year because of the discovery of Alchemy. Some hoped that Alchemy would be the answer to all problems with the promise of prolonged life and gold. Another version of Alchemy developed during this era, called Dark Alchemy. This was the study of how to create sickness and death rather than prolong life. Science and space exploration also became very popular in this era. The discovery of Bubble Universes was confirmed. But only certain schools of thought practiced Alchemy and science. With the cultures of individual countries dying, only three main cultures, or schools as they were called, practiced it. The Truth of Blood. The Truth of Nature. And the Truth of Words. The Truth of Blood believed family was above everything, and no one else mattered. They were also violent, and tended to fight before reasoning. This is a very black and white explanation, for simplicity’s sake. The Truth of Nature believed in the Earth above all else. They believed in preserving nature and animals, as many were becoming extinct with the effect of the Great War. And finally there was the Truth of Words. This is the school that believed and practiced in Alchemy the most. They believed in knowledge above all else and spent their whole life dedicated to learning.
“These three Truths were part of the culture of the seven continents, and thrived for almost seven hundred years. They didn’t always get along, and often had their own battles on top of the ongoing war with terrorism, which never went away even if it wasn’t always a massive threat. It was always there, waiting. But even with the ever growing threat of the terrorists, it was difficult for the whole world to agree on something. There were many opinions on what the right way to win the War on Terror was. And so, eventually the three Truths, including the art and science of Alchemy, began to deteriorate, just like the cultures before them. And after a couple of hundred years with the Three Truths no longer the mainstream cultures of the world, the people felt lost. They were afraid the continents were going to be easy to be taken over by the terrorists. They were forced to work together, whether or not they liked it. That is how the Courts were formed. Because by working together, they were able to no longer divide the seven countries by continents, but by two massive countries separated by the eastern hemisphere and western hemisphere of the Earth. For a while, that satisfied most people, although many disagreed about giving any particular person that much power. There weren’t many alternative ideas, so the two Courts were formed.”
Mimi was having a hard time digesting this. Three Truths? Two countries only? How did that work? What about all the wonderful variety that came with having many cultures and countries? Coming from New York City, she loved the diversity her city had to offer. She couldn’t imagine only having two countries to choose from. She also happened to agree with the minority, it wasn’t right for someone to have that much power.
The history lesson droned on, briefly discussing the three previous kings and three queens and their Royal Divorces. Mimi was very confused and was about to ask Bas to explain when he turned off the video. She looked at him with outrage.
“I’m sorry,” Bas said and shrugged. “That’s all the history I can put up with for one night. You get the idea, there were kings and queens and sometimes they were divorced in the Royal Divorce, which is how my world became a worldwide civil war. The Kings are generally described as very not nice people, and the Queens are the world’s hope. Now then, can we call it a night? I’m bone tired, and tomorrow we visit the alchemist to turn Duke Ellington’s trumpet into gold to prove to you alchemy is real.”
Mimi frowned. She wanted to find out more about what happened, she loathed cliffhangers! But Bas was right, it was late. She had taken in a lot of new information in the last day, and she could use some sleep.
Bellator Impes hadn’t had much time to herself the last day or so. Between running into Bas again, and failing to capture his Diary by orders of the King, she’d been very preoccupied. It was weird seeing Bas again. She was still angry at him for taking her Time Phone, but he had acted concerned when the King refused to give her full pardon. Was he right? Was the King never going to pardon her? Would she be at his every beck and call forever?
She didn’t want to side with Bas, he had hurt her too much when he used her to get to the Time Phone. But she wasn’t happy here at the King’s Castle either. Was there any side safe for her? The stress of her predicament had her emotions running haywire.
She was usually stronger than this, but it had been difficult since Bas entered her life to think clearly. He had hurt her, yes, but he still affected her. He still caused her to doubt the King, if even for a moment, and that was a major worry to her. She couldn’t go switching sides or letting her emotions rule. She needed to keep herself in check, and not let anyone get under her skin. She had no one else, she had no friends, and she wasn’t allowed to see her family.
Deatherage hadn’t been her friend for two years. Bellator tried to push the thought from her mind. She couldn’t think of what Deatherage had done, and she couldn’t track down Bas when she was this upset.
But she was upset. How dare Bas come over here and make a fool of her like that! It was obvious now he was never the charming fellow she mistook him for. It made her long for a friend in this cold castle to share her worries with, but it seemed everyone here was either too selfish to care, or too busy saving their own head by not disappointing the King. Unbidden, her mind went to Deatherage’s betrayal two years ago.
LIGHTNING CRACKLED high above the King’s Castle. Thunder rumbled off in the distance. Safely seated inside in the Ambassador of Time corridors, Bellator was comfortable. She had tea on the nightstand beside her, dancing candles around her room brought her peace, and she was looking forward to relaxing for the night. They had been doing well this year, she and her partner Daniel, and she felt like she might finally make a name for herself in the eyes of the King.
Knock, knock. Knock, knock.
Four knocks. Bellator jumped; no one had ever visited her before. Cautiously, Bellator grabbed her weapon of choice: her metal-spiked whip. She placed the whip behind her back, ready to use it in case of trouble. The King had taught her to always be ready.
She opened the strong oak door. “Hello?” she greeted the guard in front of her.
The guard smiled. “Good evening. Sorry it’s late. But I’ve had special instructions.”
Bellator scowled. “Instructions from whom?”
The guard’s smile widened, his teeth practically glowing, and presented to her a package. Bellator stared at him. She did not accept the mid-sized box wrapped in brown paper right away. “Instructions from whom?” she repeated when he still had not answered.
“Daryl North,” the guard answered. “He sent me here. He said you were ready to receive this.”
“Ready?” asked Bellator in confusion. “Ready for what?”
“He said you might ask that. He said he knew your father. And he said your father wanted you to have this when you were ready. And all Mr. North said was you are ready now. I’m sorry I can’t be much more help. Will you accept, or not?”
Bellator frowned. North? Who was North? Why couldn’t her father just deliver the package himself?
“My father’s not dead,” said Bellator to the guard.
The guard shrugged. “Do you accept?”
Bellator bit her lip, thinking it to be a trap. As another crackle of thundered sounded, she realized her father wouldn’t send her a harmful package. She laid the whip on the table beside her and with both hands took the rather large package.
T
he package was heavy. She looked down at the labeling. To Bellator Impes, Ambassador of Time, The King’s Castle. From D. North, Somewhere Else. Thank you, Nathan.
Bellator raised an eyebrow. “Nathan, who is Nathan?”
The guard laughed. “I am Nathan. Goodnight, miss.”
Nathan bowed, but before he could leave, Bellator grabbed his arm. “Wait!” she said and rushed to her nightstand.
The nightstand was in shape of a dove gray steamer trunk with brass tufting around the edges. She opened the heavy lid and rummaged around the nightstand until she found a small pouch, then walked back to the patient Nathan. She smiled at him and gave him three small gold coins for his efforts. Engraved on the front of the coin was King Noctria the Second. Nathan’s eyes widened. Tipping wasn’t a practiced courtesy in the King’s Court.
“Miss, no, I cannot accept gratitude in this form.”
“Please,” insisted Bellator, “you can use it to find someplace warm for the night. The rain outside is cold. And in the morning, after the sun graces us, perhaps you can do me a favor.”
With that she gave Nathan two more coins in his hand. Nathan swallowed, clearly afraid of what favor the coins would cost him.
“Yes, miss?”
“Go back to Mr. North, and tell him...” she paused and grabbed Nathan’s shoulder and pulled him closer to her. Her lips moved close to Nathan’s handsome cheek; she wanted to ensure he paid attention. She smiled against his skin when she saw him gulp. Like her beloved King, she also enjoyed watching fear in others. “Please tell Mr. North next time he has a message for me, he best deliver it himself. Especially on a cold rainy night.”
With those words, she kissed Nathan’s cheek. “Goodnight, Nathan.”
Nathan nodded, looking shaken. He smiled no more. “Goodnight, miss.”
When he was gone, Bellator closed her door behind him. Nathan’s words echoed in her mind. He said to give this to you when you were ready.
“I don’t feel ready for anything,” she said to herself. “Father, what have you been up to?”
Removing the brown piece of paper, she frowned when she saw it was a book. How disappointing. She would have preferred a weapon.
There was another boom of thunder.
Why would he send her a book? Perhaps it was a book about a fighting technique. Somewhat excited at that, Bellator turned the book over to reveal its cover. She dropped the heavy book on her bed when she read the title.
“The Beginner’s Guide to Alchemy?” she read in a whisper. Tears leaked from her eyes. “Oh Father, what have you gotten mixed up in?”
She was afraid of the book. Alchemy was forbidden in the King’s Court. She should destroy it before it destroyed her family. She felt betrayed by her father for sending her this dangerous item, yet curious. Her curiosity rumbled as strongly as the night’s thunder.
It would be a shame to burn it before knowing why he had sent it. Bellator bit her lip and opened the front flap to find a letter inside. On the front of the short envelope, was her name written in her father’s script. Without hesitating, she tore open the letter. She craved answers.
My dearest Bellator,
If you are reading this, then you are now a young lady. And I am no doubt very proud of you. Years ago, I told my dear friend Daryl North to send this to you when you are ready, whether or not I am alive. My life doesn’t matter to me as much as your life matters to me. If you are reading this, and I am alive, that means I am also old. But you are young. You have your whole life ahead of you.
You are probably wondering about Mr. North, as I would not have spoken about him at home.
“Yes, yes, who is he?” cried Bellator impatiently.
He is an old friend of mine. We studied together. He comes from a land where Truth of Words is accepted. Although Alchemy even by the Truth of Words standards is out of fashion and not well practiced, he told me the ancient and powerful practice of Alchemy always fascinated him. He gave me this book as a gift. But I was too afraid to do more than read it myself. As you know, the Truth of Blood doesn’t accept Alchemy. We don’t need anything but our own strength. However, if your mother has her way, you are now an Ambassador of Time. And if indeed you are, I am so proud of you as well. It is because of her wish for you, to be an Ambassador, that I deliver this book to you. You don’t have to practice it, my dear; that would cause great risk. But it would please me if you do. Think of it Bellator. If you are an Ambassador, than you can use alchemy with your time travels. Think of the riches you can create with objects from the past turned into gold! Why, you can be richer than the King!
Bellator tore up the letter after that, not wanting to read the rest. She didn’t want to read anything bad about her King. She didn’t want to run the risk of being a traitor. She loved her King.
The candlelight illuminated the tome in front of her. She was shaken now, wondering how her father could have become so greedy. She always thought him a simple man. He had always taught her family was life’s greatest riches. How could he have been so greedy in his past?
Another knock disturbed her. She jumped.
This time it was only one knock and then the door flew open. She didn’t have time to hide the book.
Her eyes were wide as she saw her partner, Captain Daniel Deatherage.
Usually the sight of Daniel warmed her heart. She had started to grow fond of her partner. Though he was at times clumsy, he was strong, and always focused, just like her. But tonight she feared him.
“Daniel, can this wait?”
“No,” said Daniel, “we must go. We have an assignment. What’s wrong?”
Her distress must have been evident. “Nothing. Let’s go.” She placed the heavy book beside her and slid the box under her bed with her boot, praying he hadn’t noticed.
But he did notice.
“You never read,” growled Daniel.
Bellator tried to hide the book, but he pushed her aside onto the bed. “No!” cried Bellator in fear.
“The Beginner’s Guide to Alchemy?” asked Daniel, confusion on his face. “You’re an Alchemist?”
“No!” yelled Bellator again. If she told him the book belonged to her father, it would ruin her family. He’d be sent to jail, unable to work. Her mother hadn’t worked for years; she’d never be able to get a job. She couldn’t abandon her family for her father’s foolishness. “Yes.”
She saw his anger and stood. “I don’t want a fight. I will surrender.”
“How could you betray me like this? What about your oath to the King? After all he has given us! You foolish girl,” he hissed and grabbed her arm roughly, and without further ado led her to the King.
If she ever met Daryl North, he would pay.
REMEMBERING WHY Deatherage was no friend of hers helped calm Bellator down. She knew what she had to do now. One day the King would pardon her for her betrayal. Bas was simply getting inside her head, making her doubt the King.
She stared at the gray painting above her bed, the one with colored splotches looking like they would drip over the canvas frame. The peaceful painting brought her a moment of clarity.
She would give Bas’s time traveling secrets to the King. Perhaps time travel would be enough to barter her freedom, and she could leave the castle and return to her family. Bellator jumped as the door abruptly opened. “I didn’t say you could enter,” she snapped at Deatherage.
Deatherage looked confused by her sudden attitude, clearly wondering what he had done to deserve it.
“I don’t care. The King asked me to summon you. He wishes to see you now,” he said and pointed toward the King’s Hall.
Bellator sighed and nodded. “Very well. We both know the King gets what he wants.”
Midnight tolled in the Queen’s castle. The guard sent to fetch Captain Donnan was having a difficult time finding the man. He did not want to disappoint his Queen. Although she was more mild-tempered than her estranged King, she was still known to fire those who disappointed her on a whim.
Her impatience was her greatest flaw. The guard hurried his pace toward the Barracks.
He had failed to locate him in his dedicated sleeping quarter. That alone was an obvious sign he was a favorite, for most of the guards and military men slept, trained and ate in the Wellington Barracks.
As a Captain of the Queen’s Lifeguard, Donnan was often found training at the Barracks. An ancient tradition, the Queen’s Lifeguard were the chosen few to be her personal bodyguards. Although the royals had been ruling the Courts for only a couple hundred years, true to British tradition, the royalty never died, nor did their Lifeguards or Horseguards.
By horse, it took roughly ten minutes for the guard to reach the Barracks. The cool night air was refreshing and it woke the guard up properly. The quiet streets of the city of London made the ride uneventful. As many people had died due to the diseases spreading throughout the city, the city of London now had a worrisome low population rate. It rather made being a guard boring, because there was hardly ever any trouble. But the Queen was always prepared for the day the King would invade London, the obvious target.
The guard dismounted his horse, tied it to the front gate, and rushed inside the Barracks.