She noted there was no one about as she closed the door behind her. She was not familiar with the palace, but felt safe enough to explore. She found the interior of the palace truly amazing, and was soon mesmerised with all its rich beauty. Her eyes sparkled with the light reflected from the petrified chandeliers and she was unable to concentrate on where she was going. Familiar voices wafted by her senses and without hesitation she reached out and pushed open a door. She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. A half-finished sentence, one that was still hanging in the air and not made for her ears, was digested.
‘Crystal is our flesh and blood, our daughter, we must …’
Crystal felt her brain go numb.
‘What did you just say?’ she whispered, pushing the door aside. She saw Amella and Bridgemear stiffen as though turned to stone and found she could not move for fear of falling. Her knees were starting to shake and she reached out and held onto the doorknob for some kind of support. She cast her gaze from Amella to Bridgemear and the pain she saw in their eyes was mirrored in her own. Bridgemear’s face turned pale and tears spilled down Amella’s cheeks like falling raindrops.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she cried, taking a step forward. ‘I never wanted you to find out like this.’
Crystal shook her head.
‘I don’t understand, there must be some mistake, I must have misheard you. How could you possibly be my mother and father?’
‘It’s no mistake,’ said Bridgemear, clinging to what was left of his composure. With purpose, he walked over to her and placed his arm around her shoulders. He waited for the rebuff, but none came, and he exhaled with a sigh of relief.
‘Crystal, we have much to tell you, Amella and I; please come and sit by the fire, you look frozen.’
Crystal allowed him to lead her to the nearby chair and he placed her like a babe in its cradle. Her beautiful blue eyes, so like his own, looked up at him in total bewilderment.
‘I think it’s time you knew the truth,’ he said, pulling a chair close. ‘I think it’s time we told you who you really are …’
*
Matt sat in his bedchamber with Arhdel as his only companion.
‘What’s going on?’ he asked, pushing his food around his dinner plate. ‘Why can’t I see Crystal?’
‘There’s been a development,’ said Arhdel, frowning. He walked over to Matt and with a swift movement took the plate away.
‘They’re her parents, aren’t they?’ Matt asked, peering into Arhdel’s face. ‘I guessed,’ he added with a sigh when he saw the warrior turn pale.
Arhdel tried to change the subject.
‘Look, tomorrow you will be leaving us,’ he said, trying to sound light hearted, ‘so why don’t you just enjoy what little time you have left with us.’ Matt shook his head and Arhdel walked over to the window, letting out a deep sigh. From this high vantage point he could see something huge and black hurtling towards him. Instinctively he knew it was Elveria returning from his meeting with the Elders and his blood ran cold. He turned away from the window, pretending not to have seen him, but all too soon the heavy caw of the bird was heard, demanding entrance. Arhdel choose to ignore his cry, knowing that whatever his news, it could wait a while longer.
‘There’s a big, black bird at the window,’ said Matt, looking up in surprise.
‘Is there? Oh, well, let it find its own way in.’
‘But it wants to get in here.’
‘Really? Then let him know what it’s like to want.’
‘You said him, who is it?’
Irritated by the boy’s probing questions, Arhdel snatched the door handle to make his escape. The beady eye of the raven twitched towards him and its wings flapped whilst Elveria clamoured for his attention. Arhdel flicked his gaze to rest upon the bird who he could see was growing more and more impatient, but he still refused to open the window and so Elveria flew away.
‘Come on, we might as well go downstairs and meet the others, there will be an assembly once the bird has gained entrance.’
‘Will it be about Crystal?’
‘Yes it will; hurry boy, so we can be there first, I don’t like walking in halfway through.’
They entered the hall as the assembly was starting to gather and Matt was guided close to the front by the firm hand of his mentor.
Amella stood alone next to her throne and she watched Matt take his place before observing the entourage of the royal courtiers and council members who were following close behind. Her mouth was dry with nerves for she was waiting for Elveria to bring news from the Guild of Elders. She realised she was pacing the floor and her thoughts flew to Bridgemear, wishing she could have him by her side. Her courage was failing yet she knew she dare not show it, for those assembling before her would like nothing else than to devour her if she showed any signs of weakness.
The select few fell silent when Elveria’s boots echoed his arrival against the highly polished floor. The click of his heels grated upon Amella’s nerves, causing her to wince.
‘Your Royal Highness,’ Elveria cooed, throwing back his cloak and kissing her outstretched hand.
‘What news do you bring?’ she asked, ignoring his friendly manner and pulling her hand away.
He drew himself up, acknowledging the unexpected rebuff.
‘Where’s the girl?’ the elder mage demanded, throwing a quick glance towards the council members.
‘My daughter,’ Amella stated, flashing him a warning look, ‘is with her father.’
‘So the child has been told then?’
Amella lowered her eyes, her lashes hiding what her eyes could not withhold. She finally brought her stare towards him.
‘Yes, she has been told. Now enough of these questions and tell us instead what the Elders have to say.’
She moved away from him then. Her long, slender body looking radiant dressed in an exquisitely jewelled gown. The soft swish of her garments could be heard as she sat on her newly appointed throne and the emeralds from her slippers danced like green fire in her eyes.
‘She is to leave,’ said Elveria, dropping his head but unable to hide the tone of satisfaction from his voice.
‘But she can return?’ Amella gasped, and her eyes creased with worry.
Elveria’s own eyes narrowed and he looked up to display a tight smile playing at the corners of his lips.
‘I am here only as a messenger,’ he said, unable to wipe the smirk from his face. ‘The Elders have decreed that Crystal, your illegitimate daughter, cannot be a part of this world. They have declared this order to stand, regardless of the fact that they’d agreed with King Gamada to bring her back to help fight Forusian. Her return was never to be permanent, she is not one of us and so their decision is to be written in the Scroll of Immortals and Crystal is to never return here again.’
His voice turned hard and he shook his hand in the air as he continued.
‘Let it be a warning, the Elders still decide the laws of these lands.’
‘That’s enough!’ shouted a voice from somewhere behind Amella.
Everyone turned to watch Bridgemear appear from the shadows and take his place at Amella’s side. His blonde hair stood out against the dark backdrop of silk and his ice-blue eyes shone as clear as glass.
‘What are you doing here?’ hissed Elveria in disgust. ‘How can you show your face, you are not welcome here, especially after what you have done?’
‘I have done nothing to be ashamed of,’ Bridgemear said, raising one of his blonde eyebrows. He reached out and touched Amella’s hand and she smiled, showing him she was reassured by his presence.
‘Oh, and as for not being welcome. Here sits the lady I have always loved, the woman who gave birth to my child. I believe I most definitely have the right to be here. All my life I served the Elders and their laws,’ Bridgemear continued. ‘Yes, it’s true, we did break the ancient scriptures, something which, I have to say, cost us both dearly.’ Elveria squirmed under his gaze.
Bri
dgemear broke eye contact and placed his hand on his belt. His fingers moved to his side and he grappled within his tunic. Elveria watched Bridgemear pull out a small scroll and saw him quickly untie a strap holding it together. Bridgemear caught his stare and their eyes locked. He waited an age before looking away, refusing to be intimidated by the elder mage, and then he started to speak.
‘To all here present, I should warn you now that the Elders are unaware and will not learn of how I have acquired the information of which I’m about to reveal to you,’ he said, addressing first the council and then Elveria. His lips twitched in a faint smile and his legs appeared to tremble with excitement. ‘The source of how I came to have this evidence in my possession I will never betray, but I now hold in my hands the means to tell you what is going to happen with our daughter.’
Elveria spotted Tremlon hovering in the wings and a wave of suspicion washed over him. With a loud, clear voice, Bridgemear began to read from the tatty piece of vellum.
… And if the child who has been born of mixed blood should be wronged and brought back to the extraordinary world, then the Elders must break the claim they hold over the child and grant her freedom in both of her parents’ realms, for the pact will have been severed by another’s greed and the child must know of their true birthright and be allowed back into the bosom of their family …
Still holding the parchment, Bridgemear walked up to Elveria and thrust his face within inches of his.
‘What pact was this?’ he asked, suddenly shaking his evidence in the air. Elveria looked aghast, but remained tight-lipped.
‘Were you one of those who knew my child never had to leave in the first place?’
Elveria shuffled his feet and averted his eyes, but Bridgemear hadn’t finished.
‘I had no need to give my daughter to the ordinary world, did I, Elveria? Come on, tell them all the truth!’
Something inside Elveria snapped; why should he take all the blame?
‘You dishonoured your people, you had to be punished,’ he snarled. ‘You were born to be a part of the elite magicians of Oakwood, yet you abused your place in our society. It was the chosen ones who made the decision to punish you for your crimes; I was merely the advocate. The Elders used the forgotten scrolls from our ancestors to deliver your punishment. You had to give a living part of yourself to another, or you would have been banished to live in an indeterminate state forever or taste the sword of death.’
‘Such despicable lies!’ spat Bridgemear. ‘None of you had a reason to be so cruel. The Elders knew I had already fulfilled your pact when I gave Amella my child, as the child grew in her belly that was already a living part of me. All I had to do was give Crystal to Amella, but you knew that already, didn’t you! Instead you gave our daughter to someone else!’
‘You had to suffer for your crimes against your own kind, it is the law and we cannot have mixed blood here.’
‘No, my daughter, an innocent child, was the one who suffered, not me. And for that alone, I can never forgive you.’
‘You are a fool, my lord, you have no jurisdiction here,’ Elveria scoffed.
Amella could contain herself no longer and rose from her throne.
‘Oh yes he does,’ she broke in, her face aglow with indignation, ‘because Bridgemear is my husband.’
A gasp echoed for several seconds around the hall.
‘Say it is not so,’ said Elveria in dismay. ‘These stupid games you play are not amusing,’ he added, noting the room had turned thick and warm.
‘Don’t you think he makes a fine king?’ Amella teased.
‘What is this abomination I hear against our ways?’ Elveria shouted, his face having become so red it looked ready to explode.
He turned away and the council members stared at him as though he had gone mad. The Rank Master quickly left his seat and walked with a brisk pace to where Elveria stood. The atmosphere was nothing more than electric.
‘Is this nonsense true?’ he demanded towards the queen. ‘Have you taken a wizard as your husband?’
‘It is not nonsense, Rank Master, and I do not care for your tone. You are quick to forget our laws, which clearly state I can choose anyone to be my husband once I have taken my place as queen.’
‘Yes, but …’
‘No buts. I have chosen the father of my child to rule by my side and that is the end of the matter.’
Looking composed, Amella moved closer to her husband, taking his hand when he offered it to her. She entwined her fingers within his and their eyes locked for a fleeting moment before she turned to face the council one last time.
‘We are retiring and preparing our daughter to go back to the ordinary world, where she will once again hold the Spirit of Eternity. Crystal will be a part of our lives from this day forth and will visit the extraordinary world as a free citizen whenever she wishes. This is my decree as queen.’
Turning her back on her audience, she allowed Bridgemear to escort her back to their daughter. As the royal council left in silence, Elveria stood alone, staring blankly at the empty throne.
‘So be it,’ he said, when his frozen blood began to thaw, ‘but beware, Queen of Nine Winters, for you have not heard the last of this.’
*
Outside the great doors and along the sweeping corridors, Amadeus stood waiting. He smiled when the handle was released and an elf warrior entered his room, but his smile did not reach his eyes.
‘Hello, Phaphos,’ he said, giving a menacing glare and his sword glistened like silver in the light. ‘Glad you could make it, you see, it’s time I settled an old score …’
Read the remainder of:
‘The Magic Trilogy’
Book 2 - Betrayers of Magic
Book 3 – Defenders of Magic
The author’s last word …
I really hope you’ve enjoyed the first book of the trilogy as much I have enjoyed writing it. For me, the pleasure of writing is knowing that you, the reader, have enjoyed every word. However, Crystal’s amazing adventures haven’t finished yet! There are far more exciting characters waiting to meet you and make you believe in magic. All you need is a little imagination …
Follow the author:
Twitter: @Creswelllyn
Facebook: Facebook/Sinnersofmagic
Website: Www.Lynetteecreswell.wordpress.com
Sinners of Magic Page 31