by Thandi Ryan
‘Good evening Empress,’ he began cautiously. ‘How are you faring this day?’
‘I am faring well thank you Michael. How do you fare?’
‘Well thank you.’
‘Yesterday was not a good day for us,’ Michael began.
‘I know.’
‘I hope we never have another day like yesterday.’
‘Nor I.’
‘Empress I care for you, not just as a friend of your father, nor as just an Empress. I care for you. I want you to know that. I care for you as a friend, for who you are and the woman you are becoming. All I ask is that you believe that and that you trust me.’
‘I trust you Michael,’ she said emotionally, the tears welling up in her eyes and at the same time smiling at him. ‘I trust you but when I feel vulnerable or under attack…’
‘I would never attack you,’ he said vehemently. He moved towards her and put his hand on her shoulder. ‘I will never do that,’ he said looking her in the eye.
‘Promises, promises,’ Amara whispered.
‘I do not make promises lightly Empress. I have made three in my lifetime and this is the fourth. I will never do anything to hurt you.’
She looked up at him, only this time it was a look of warmth. ‘Thank you,’ she said, placing her right hand on the left side of his chest.
He took hold of her hand and kissed it softly. ‘You took on the world all by yourself, but you are not alone,’ he said softly to her.
‘Somewhere deep down inside I know that I am not, but still, I feel that I am.
‘But you are not. I am here for you, by your side.’
‘And I am glad of it.’
The two of them remained standing close to each other, Michael holding onto Amara’s hand that was still touching his chest and when the moment had run its course the two of them separated. They made small talk before Michael left and went in search of Garrick and Häkan, and Amara went in search of Ellora and they talked until the early hours of the morning.
Days went by in the nations and the days turned into weeks and in that time Amara returned to being irritable once again, only this time she became worse. Soon her frayed temper was becoming legendary and the people who had worked there for so long began to leave the palace and those that had recently joined, were often unable to bear the brunt of her now unpredictable wrath.
The regular Council meetings were often tense and always ended with someone having a few strips torn off them publicly. Michael tried to reach her in those days but even he, her most favoured one could not. Ellora the most light-hearted of children had also noticed the change in her sister and became more concerned each day. Amara had usually reserved her irritability for the staff, but now, no one was spared; not Michael or the other four men, nor were the five boys when she was in their company and neither was Ellora.
Michael became extremely worried and he spoke with his four friends in turn and they all spoke with the Empress, whose temper had now become so foul that her ears had closed to any semblance of right or reason and so the words of the five men fell on deaf ears and she paid them no heed.
‘What now?’ Raynor asked at another meeting the five men had called. He was clearly exasperated and very worried.
‘We wait,’ Thaddeus answered.
‘For what?’ Garrick asked.
‘For whatever it is that troubles the Empress to be resolved,’ Häkan said.
‘Let us hope the wait is not long,’ Garrick said. ‘She maybe an Empress, but who can reign over an alienated nation?’
‘Then let us pray that whatever ales the Empress is dealt with swiftly,’ Michael said joining in the conversation.
The five men adjourned their meeting and went their separate ways, each of them contemplating the Empresses future. Ellora watched as her sister began to change before her very eyes. She knew she was losing her, she could see it and she despaired for days but then her despair turned to anger and her anger turned into resolve. She was not going to watch her sister lose herself and she was not going to lose another member of her family either.
Ellora dug deep into her mind and thought of what she could possibly do and when the answer finally came to her she stood up and raced out of her room and went in search of Rakan. Ellora wandered through the halls and the rooms in search him.
She went out into the gardens and to the big old oak tree where they all liked to sit in the summer but he was not there either. She called his name but there was no answer and so she ventured further into the gardens. She had been walking for over twenty minutes among the trees and the bushes when she heard a cracking sound, her ears pricked up immediately and she headed into the direction from where the noise had come. She walked slowly but surely towards the noise and called Rakan’s name. He appeared from behind one of the trees.
‘Ellora,’ he said smiling widely at her. ‘What brings you so far out into the gardens?’ he asked.
‘You do. I came in search of you.’
‘Oh!’
‘I need your help Rakan.’
‘With what?’
‘Amara.’
‘To do what?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said honestly. ‘I really don’t know, I have some kind of idea what I want to say to her but I need you to be with me when I speak with her.’
‘Ellora, I don’t know if I can do anything for you or for her, what good will I be?’
‘I am losing her!’ she said desperately. ‘Day by day I see her slipping away from me, from herself. The others they only see the rage and the bad behaviour but they do not see her lose herself, like my mother was before...’
‘Ellora, what can you do?’ Rakan asked earnestly
‘I don’t know,’ she said, clearly frustrated. ‘Face her! Confront her! I have to do something, anything. But what I cannot do is watch as my sister slips away from me. I have lost my father and my mother. I will not lose Amara too – I cannot. Rakan, you just being there with me will help, I cannot face her alone, I do not think it would be wise of me to face Amara alone with her temperament of late.’
‘When do you want to see her?’
‘Now,’ she said with a determined look on her face.
‘If your sure,’ Rakan said, looking searchingly at Ellora.
The two walked to Amara’s study and stood outside staring at each other. Rakan gave Ellora another searching, to see if she still wanted to confront her sister.
‘Are you sure?’ he asked.
‘No,’ she replied; ‘but I’ve got to do something.’
Ellora knocked on the door and Amara gave permission for them to enter. Rakan and Ellora entered the room and greeted Amara who greeted them both back.
‘How nice to see you both,’ Amara began. ‘But what brings you both here?’ she asked curiously.
‘You do,’ Ellora said quickly. ‘Amara I am worried about you, you have not been yourself of late.’
Amara was immediately on the defensive and the scowl on her face, told Ellora that she had been a little too blunt with her sister.
‘Everyone seems to have something to say about me,’ Amara began, the ire in her voice quite clear.
‘I am not everyone Amara, I am your sister,’ Ellora replied, her tone firm and grounded and not betraying how scared she felt inside.
‘Then be a good sister and leave me alone,’ an irked Amara replied.
‘No,’ Ellora said obstinately.
‘What?’ Amara asked, glaring at Ellora and then at Rakan, who seemed only intensify Amara’s feelings of anger.
‘No,’ Ellora repeated, standing firm, ‘I cannot. I see the changes in you, everyone does…’
‘So you are taking their side?’ Amara interjected.
‘This is not about sides Amara and I am not here about other people. I am here about you, as your sister. People see the change in you but they do not see that you are losing yourself as each day goes by.’
‘Ellora, leave me,’ Amara said raising her voice. ‘I do not
think that you are in any position to talk of my behaviour,’ she said bristling. ‘And how dare you bring Rakan here while you begin to launch your attack on me,’ she angrily.
‘I brought Rakan here because I dare not face you alone,’ Ellora said softly. ‘Amara look at what you are becoming, it cannot go on.’
‘Get out!’ Amara screamed. ‘Get out now, how dare you?’
‘I dare because I have to. You are all I have left Amara. Please,’ she begged, trying not to cry; ‘listen to me. I don’t know what is wrong with you but the path that you are on can only be causing you more pain, and it will bring about your downfall and mine.’
Amara stood and faced Rakan and Ellora and it was clear she was incensed. Ellora and Rakan did not need her to speak to gauge her anger and Amara was growing more incensed by the second as she stared at them. She could stand discontent among the ranks of the guard and the people who worked for her, but from her own sister; the sister she had taken care of since her parents had died. “How dare she,” she thought to herself.
‘How dare you!’ she shouted. You ungrateful…’ she stopped short of calling Ellora names. ‘I take care of you, I am there for you and I have seen to your every need since our parents died, and now, now you come to me,’ her voice growing louder; ‘with Rakan at your side to embarrass and attack me.’
‘I am not attacking you Amara,’ Ellora insisted, raising her voice too. ‘I love you, but something is wrong. Surely you must know that! You used to treat everyone well and now you are treating people as though they are beneath you, and you are so angry all of the time. Amara listen to me,’ Ellora begged.
It was more than Ellora could bear to hear and once again, Amara’s temper got the better of her. ‘Get out!’ she screamed. ‘Both of you get out, get out now,’ she ordered Ellora and Rakan.
Rakan turned to leave but Ellora stood her ground.
‘No,’ Ellora said defiantly, causing Rakan to turn back around to stay by his friend’s side.
‘You dare defy me?’ Amara raged. She outstretched her arms and pointed at Ellora. ‘You, who claim to be my sister, come here and attack me and then defy me.’
‘Amara wait,’ Ellora pleaded.
‘Get out,’ Amara screamed and as she yelled at her sister, the arm that had been pointing at Ellora swung violently towards the door, and something happened that stunned all three of them.
Amara had felt a surge of power course through her body and her arm and when she swung it towards the door, bright cobalt blue streaks of energy left her hands and hit Ellora like a thunderbolt. The energy picked Ellora up off her feet and flung her towards the door with great speed and power.
‘No!’ Rakan shout; he instinctively pushed both of his arms out towards Amara and to his and Amara’s surprise; a stream of violet energy flew out of his hands and hit Amara. It broke the stream of energy that was hurling Ellora through mid-air and towards the door and she dropped to the ground with a thud and when she was there – she did not move.
‘Ellora!’ Rakan cried and when she did not move, he glared at Amara. ‘What have you done?’ he yelled.
Amara looked on at Rakan who was now standing over Ellora. ‘You started it,’ she screamed back. You came in here and dared to attack me,’
‘You were out of control,’ he said, his voice raised as he got to his feet.
‘Don’t speak to me about control, she screamed. Everyday, I have to control…the palace, the nations, everything. When do I get time to cry, tell me?’ she barked. ‘You who dares to come in here and tell me, how I should behave,’ she said angrily.
‘You do not get to attack your sister,’ Rakan snapped back.
‘STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO,’ Amara raged.
It was the final straw and all at once, the rage and grief within Amara was unleashed as her magical power was born.
‘I am sick of everyone telling me what to do,’ she said, hurling her arms forward and unleashing more of the blue energy from her hands, sending Rakan flying ten feet across the room.
Amara had lost control, her emotions were feeding her power and her power was intensifying her emotions and soon, she was consumed with her rage and her power and she had no idea how to deal with both.
Rakan writhed about in agony, as another bolt of energy that Amara had hit him circulated through his nerves and muscles. The energy was powerful and it was causing him excruciating pain. Amara walked towards Rakan slowly, passing Ellora who was still unconscious on the floor. She continued to walk towards him, she seemed to be in a trance but her face was contorted with rage. She was staring at him with angry glinting eyes, all the while, her hands discharging cobalt blue sparks of energy that crackled intermittently.
Rakan was still in pain and he was trying to catch his breath, which was difficult for him to do and so he made do with short shallow gasping ones.
He watched as Amara grew closer to him, he knew that she was no longer in control of her own body but he had no idea of how to stop her. He spied Ellora out of the corner of his eye, lying still and he watched as Amara drew her arms up ready to attack him again, he knew he had to reach her somehow.
Rakan steeled himself and somehow managed to draw in a deep breath and then suddenly, he lifted up the arm that he had been using to support himself with and hurled whatever energy he had at Amara and it flew towards her, this time in small balls of violet energy. It was enough to send her hurtling across the room and it gave him enough time to get to his feet.
‘Then why don’t you behave like a grown up,’ he bellowed at her. ‘Attacking your sister, and your friends this way.’
Amara let out another scream as she flew back towards the wall, she hit it hard but slapped her hands against it, letting them take most of the impact. ‘And why don’t you mind your own business?’ she screamed as she hurled more energy at Rakan.
‘Because you’re out of control,’ he said, as he jumped through the air to avoid another volley of energy coming from Amara. Rakan sent a volley of energy towards Amara and this time, it seemed to send her flying and it was her turn to land on the floor in a crumpled heap.
Amara didn’t seem to be moving, so Rakan rushed towards Ellora and in seconds, he was on his knees by her side checking on her; she was still breathing but she would not open her eyes. He stroked her hair and quickly examined her head and when he came to the back of it, he felt a solid large lump and he hoped she would be alright.
‘Shouldn’t you be more worried about me?’ Amara asked menacingly. Rakan turned around to see Amara getting to her feet and glaring at him,, her lips curled in a malevolent smile; ‘after all, I am the reason why you came here.’
‘Amara, I don’t want to hurt you,’ Rakan said sincerely.
‘You already did.’ she said acidly. ‘You all did… you…’
‘Amara stop!’ Rakan shouted. ‘I don’t know what is happening to either one of us and we should not find out this way,’ he said pleading with her.
‘I don’t mind,’ she barked, as more of her repressed rage consumed her and more of the cobalt blue energy began to emanate from her hands.
‘Amara!’ Rakan warned.
‘Rakan!’ she snapped in retort.
‘Stop this, please, I beg you.’
‘Yes you will be begging,’ she said coldly, her voice now deep and unrecognisable.
She expelled more energy out of her hands and towards Rakan, but this time Rakan was ready for her and he jutted out his hand, which held off her energy with his own.
Amara took her other hand, quickly pointing it at Rakan and then swung it towards the right-side wall, sending Rakan flying through the air in the same direction. He speedily dropped both hands to his side, raised them up again and flicked them towards Amara sending out volleys and streaks of energy, which hit Amara directly in the chest.
Her hold over him collapsed and Rakan fell towards the floor but unlike Ellora, his reflexes were lightening quick and he turned his plummet into a summersault, before l
anding with both feet firmly on the ground, with his back to Amara.
As Rakan had turned around, he could see Amara was getting ready to attack him once again but he was ready for her. Unlike Amara, Rakan was still in control emotionally and he had the wherewithal to try and work out how his powers worked. As he moved his hands and arms, he began to catch on:
‘Flick of the fingers sends out energy balls,’ he told himself; ‘remember, palm out means stream,’ he said as he sent out a stream in confirmation. Rakan was working on logic and anger, whereas Amara was working on instinct and rage alone but both seemed to be effective as they faced each other.
‘You’re not the only one with power,’ he taunted, as he dodged another of her salvos and sent one back to her.
Both of them were angry at each other and were taunting each other verbally as they continued hurling balls of energy at each other and luckily, for the most part, they missed each other, hitting the walls, pictures and ornaments behind them instead.
The noise could be heard in the palace halls and a maid and guard who were walking past both rushed to the door to see what was happening; they opened the door slightly and when they peered through and saw what was happening, the maid closed the door quickly and they both rushed off to find either Michael, Garrick, Häkan, Thaddeus or Raynor.
The study was being destroyed as Rakan and Amara battled it out with their new found magical powers, both of them were covered in cuts and bruises where the energy had hit them or gone past them but sliced them on the way past. Rakan was clearly the worse off out of the two of them; there were bruises covering his body from being hurled against the wall or to the floor. He had taken the brunt of Amara’s power to his arms as he had tried to protect his body and Ellora who had now began to stir and Rakan and Amara both saw her move slightly.
‘You can protect yourself Rakan, but I wonder – can you protect Ellora?’ the deep and unfamiliar voice of Amara asked.
‘Leave her alone,’ Rakan bellowed.
‘No,’ A glowering Amara replied.