The Crown Prophecy

by M. D. Laird

  Will ceased talking as the door opened and another handsome male entered with a tray of food and drinks.

  Eve stared at the man who was even more beautiful than the man who had answered the door.

  Breathe.

  The new arrival grinned and set the tray on the desk. He spoke in a jesting tone, “You called, my queen?”

  Thalia smiled at him and said, “William Farley and I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name…Miss?”

  “Eve Franklin,” said Eve, her cheeks burning.

  “This is Mikæl. He is my head Consiliario or consul if you will.”

  “And head tea boy and bringer of scones,” Mikæl said. He winked at Eve and she blushed furiously.

  “Mr Farley was filling me in on a schedule twelve incident that occurred earlier today in Lycea. Please continue,” said Thalia.

  Mikæl appeared intrigued. He perched on the edge of Thalia’s desk and folded his arms. Eve peeled her eyes from his bulging biceps when she realised that she was not breathing.

  Will continued, “Eve and I had taken a coffee to my father in the garden, and we saw that he was speaking to someone, and it appeared to be a heated discussion. I asked Eve to wait inside, and I approached my father. I noticed that he was speaking with a demon—it was humanlike with eyes like green glass and its nails were like talons.”

  “That’s an Asmodeus demon,” observed Mikæl. Thalia showed no reaction.

  “I called out to my father to ask if everything was okay,” continued Will. “And the demon grabbed me and said, ‘I could take him. I could take him somewhere you’ll never find him.’ My father shouted at him to let me go and said he would do what he asked. Eve heard the raised voices and came into the garden. The demon moved from me to her. He taunted me and said that he could easily kill her. I shouted at him to ask what he wanted. He laughed at me and squeezed Eve around the neck. I tried to fight him off, but he threw me across the garden.

  “He said that he had a message for the Imperium. He said, ‘You tell the Imperium that we want our seat and we will attack Lycea until we have it. We will start a war with the Imperium, with Lycea and with anyone who gets in our way. Here’s some incentive for you, I’ll kill your little girlfriend.’ I picked up a garden fork and drove it into his back, and he let her go. He just laughed at me and said, ‘You have spirit, little guardian, I like that. You pass on the message. Tell the Imperium if they want to keep Lycea safe and get their guardian back, then we want our seat.’ Then he grabbed my father, leapt over the fence and left.”

  Eve pulled down the collar of her sweater to reveal the bruises the demon had left behind.

  Thalia had stood and was pacing nervously as she listened. “This situation could have been avoided if the Imperium weren’t so stubborn,” she said. “I can only see things becoming worse.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Eve.

  “Our government, the Imperium,” replied Mikæl, “thought it wise to exclude the demonic officials from the court. Demons have always been part of the Crown Alliance—the Crown was like our monarchy. Now we have the Imperium, and the demons are not included, and they’re not happy about it. It’s a dangerous situation because the Imperium is unwilling to cave on giving a seat to the demons and the demons will up the ante.”

  “I’m sorry if I sound a bit dumb, but,” said Eve, “demons have officials and want a say in parliament? That makes no sense to me. I mean, why do they care? They’re evil; they can do what they want, right?”

  “It’s a common misconception,” said Thalia. “Demons aren’t inherently evil. Like everyone, they are both good and bad. They have a role to play in the world like everyone else and that role is to provide balance. They challenge people. Tempt them from righteousness to test who proves worthy to enter paradise. The demons were angels once, but they tired of the oppression they faced under Heaven’s strict rules and started a rebellion which got very messy and saw them cast out. They formed Hell, their own system and lived by their own rules.

  “They did eventually make a truce with Heaven, but they were never invited back—it seems they preferred Hell anyway. However, they did agree that they would work with Heaven to test for worthiness and have done so ever since. Demons now live and work between Hell, Anaxagoras and Lycea. The Imperator is of the opinion that the demons do not belong in our world, and he wants them cast out of Arkazatinia. He does not seem to realise the consequences of excluding them. The demons had been oppressed before and waged war on Heaven because of that. Even Heaven had to compromise with them eventually.”

  “So, what now?” asked Will. “How can I get my father back? Do I need to speak to the Imperium?”

  “That is what protocol commands we do,” replied Thalia. “I fear involving them will serve only to make matters worse. Mikæl, your thoughts?”

  Mikæl was on his feet, he was fiddling with the instruments on the display cabinets. “Taking hostages and revealing themselves to humans is out of character for demons, it seems they have grown quite desperate in their rage against the Imperium. I agree involving the Imperium will only fuel their cause against the demons and we risk the life of your father. Mr Farley, whatever action they deem appropriate is unlikely to be a course which will prioritise the life of one man. The Imperium has already proposed war against the demonic forces, and if we involve them, it will not end well.”

  “What option is there?” asked Will anxiously.

  “We have always had an accord with the demons,” answered Thalia. “I shall visit Prince Calab, the head of the Asmodeus demons, and try to reason with him.”

  “Isn’t that dangerous?” exclaimed Eve. “They could kill you!”

  “He may not listen to reason, but I shall not be harmed,” she replied calmly. “Mikæl, will you accompany me?”

  “Of course, my queen.”

  “I want to go too,” said Will.

  “If you’re going, Will, so am I.”

  “I will make the arrangements,” said Thalia, pressing the call button on the control panel desk. “Mark, could you arrange for transport to convey four to the Guild of Asmodeus and call ahead to advise we seek an audience with the prince.”

  The transport Thalia had requested was a vector. It resembled a horse-drawn carriage, but required no horse and propelled along silently at great speed. Eve could not identify a power source but assumed it had some sort of battery as it had an electronic control panel programmed with the destination. The vector sped away from the guild so fast that Eve could only see the distant landscape of Arkazatinia, anything closer blurred. It was charming and very like the English countryside.

  “Is your home based on the British Museum?” asked Eve.

  “It is a similar classical style,” she said. “The guild has changed many times; we usually model other buildings of interest to us. The last model was based on the Pantheon, though having a circular structure limited the available space considerably. When I was much younger, I had a thing for large empty spaces but, as I have gotten older, I have realised that we actually need to use indoor space for more than ‘gazing in awe’. We kept the columned frontage and changed the rest of the building and the interior so that it was more practical.”

  “It’s gorgeous.” Eve smiled.

  “Thank you.” Thalia smiled back.

  “Does everyone live at the guild? I’m sorry, I’m being nosey.”

  Thalia grinned. “Not at all. And no, many live out in Eurasia or in Lycea. The guild is mostly home to the younger generation and the troublemakers who can’t be trusted outside and would otherwise end up on the wrong side of Mr Farley’s sword.”

  Eve’s curiosity was piqued, and she had a ton more questions; however, she worried that she was becoming an annoyance and bit her tongue.

  Despite the speed, it still took almost an hour to reach the Guild of Asmodeus. The guild was also built in a classical style; it was smaller than the Guild of Procnatus but just as impressive. A demon
met the group at the door. He had the same eye colour as the one who had attacked Eve and Will that morning. Eve guessed the species of demons shared characteristics, and that was how Mikæl was able to ascertain who had attacked them.

  The demon led them through to an impressive library. Eve gasped—the library was so vast she thought it must house every book ever written. Sat in an armchair aside an open fire was the demon who had attacked them. His face made Eve pause, although he appeared much calmer than he had that morning, his appearance was quite terrifying.

  He looked to be no more than twenty and had a lovely mop of black, curly hair, but his thickset features and a cruel twist to his mouth gave the impression of an ancient evil lurking within. He could have passed for human, albeit an unattractive one, had it not been for his eyes. They were like brilliant green emeralds or marbles, or, as Will had described, like glass. He also had long, deadly claws which protruded about two inches from the end of each finger.

  “Calab.” Thalia smiled at the demon, extending a warm greeting.

  Calab looked somewhat puzzled when he noticed Eve and Will, but returned the greeting. “Thalia,” he said, kissing her cheek. “A pleasure as always.” He invited her and Mikæl to sit by the fire and motioned for Eve and Will to sit at a desk behind them. “Thalia, I must say I am somewhat concerned that you have arrived here with the two humans. Are you doing the Imperator’s bidding now?”

  “Not if I can help it,” replied Thalia. “Mr Farley came to me as his father had instructed him to seek out the Procnatus rather than the Imperium in times of need. I have not contacted the Imperium, and I rather hope we can avoid doing so. It won’t help your cause, Calab; it will only give them further ammunition against you.”

  “What choice do we have?” asked Calab angrily. “The other princes and I, we won’t be without rights and without a voice. We have existed peacefully in Arkazatinia for thousands of years, Thalia, we don’t deserve this.”

  “I am on your side, Calab. I have been very vocal in my opinions of your lack of presence in court. The Imperium has tried to have me voted out because of that. Fortunately, it wasn’t supported.”

  “Yet our exclusion was supported?”

  “It wasn’t—isn’t. The Imperium has not put it to a vote, I have implored them to do so, but they refuse. The other Arkazatines are supportive of your seat.”

  Calab bit his lip and relaxed into his chair. “Why are they so determined to run us out?”

  “I don’t know. But I do know that acts of war and attacks on Lycea will not help, and you risk alienating your allies.”

  “Including you?”

  “Calab, you know we won’t have a choice,” she said sadly. “We have to protect Arkazatinia and protect Lycea from threats from Arkazatinia. We have been friends a long time; I’d hate to see us fall out. The Imperium is the problem, I’ve already moved for a vote of no confidence in the regime. Please, let’s tackle this through the appropriate channels. Let us spare lives and the exposure of our world.”

  Calab took a deep breath. “Charon, release the prisoner,” he instructed the demon who had let them in. Charon nodded and left the room. “You’re right as always, Thalia.” The demon gently took the thorian’s hand in his taloned hand. “I have acted irrationally and out of desperation. I will listen to your counsel, but if your method does not amount to change, then we will take action.”

  Thalia nodded and said calmly, “I understand; however, I would urge you to speak with me before making any decisions.”

  The door opened, and Charon entered with a furious Andrew Farley.

  “You’re free to go, Guardian,” said Calab before turning Will and Eve. “I assure you he is unharmed and I offer my apologies for this morning. I would not have killed you, human, I was merely trying to be heard.”

  Eve nodded and gave a thin smile. She thought she would be filled with hate for the demon who had left her bruised and fearing for her life; however, she was surprised to find she sympathised with his plight.

  “That’s all well and good,” snapped Andrew, “but what happens the next time you don’t get your way. It’s only a matter of time before you kill someone!”

  Calab snarled at Andrew. “There will be a war if the Imperium does not allow us the same rights as everyone else, and unfortunately, wars have casualties!”

  “It isn’t just you. Guardians haven’t been given a seat either. We’re supposed to risk our lives defending our worlds, and we have never had a say. It baffles me that you thought the Imperium would be concerned for my safe return. If my son had gone to them, he’d have done them a favour and given them a reason to take action against you.”

  Calab shuffled in his seat, his brow furrowed with irritation, “Well, it seems everyone has drawn that conclusion,” he said dejectedly.

  “You would too if you thought anything through!”

  Mikæl stood and said sternly, “We should not be quarrelling amongst ourselves. The Imperator clearly has an agenda and fighting amongst ourselves or endangering the lives of the innocent will not help anyone.”

  Thalia looked thoughtfully at Mikæl and said, “Mikæl is right. The Imperator does have an agenda. I don’t know what it is, but it involves more than just levying and wasting taxes.”

  “So, we rally our armies and start a rebellion!” stated Calab.

  Thalia shook her head and replied, “We shouldn’t be so quick to resort to acts of war, we first need to try and settle this by non-violent means.”

  “I will go along with you, for now, Thalia, but,” said Calab, “there will be a war, I feel it, and you will need to decide which side you’re fighting for when it happens.”

  Eve woke the next morning in a comfortable double bed with a wrought iron style frame made of the Anaxagorean living materials. The room was light and simply furnished with a wardrobe and dressing table; the furnishings were beautiful and clearly antique. Eve was pleased to find that wood, at least, still behaved, as it should once cut down. She had been apprehensive about sleeping in a bed made of live material and did not know if she felt better or worse when Mikæl told her it was no worse than sleeping in a bed riddled with bacteria and dead skin. She was somewhat relieved to find her mattress and bedclothes did not move, and the living properties seemed restricted to metals, rocks, and things that, as Will had said, did not need to be killed to be used in manufacturing.

  Her room had a small en-suite, and Eve enjoyed a relaxing shower before dressing in the previous day’s clothes. She was glad she had thought to handwash her underwear. After messing with, and finally giving up with her long, curly hair, she pulled it into a bun and left her room. She was not sure if she was allowed to wander the guild’s corridors and was not sure where she should go. She knocked on Will’s room next door, and he answered wearing only a towel slung low on his hips revealing his muscular chest. He smiled at her and let her into his room.

  Eve had known Will all of her life after growing up with him through pre-school, then primary school, high school and they now attended the same college. They had seen each other grow through their awkward phases of puppy fat, acne and braces, but as handsome as he was, she had always regarded him as a brother, and he treated her like a sister.

  “So, could you sleep or did your bed suffocate you in the night?” he teased.

  “Ha ha!” she said sarcastically. “I did sleep, though, I didn’t realise I was so tired. I texted Mum as I got in bed to say I was staying at your house and I must’ve gone straight to sleep because she replied five minutes later and I didn’t hear it—isn’t it amazing that you can get a signal here?” She sat on his bed, and Will entered the bathroom with his clothes and closed the door. “What will we do now?” she called through the door.

  “We’ll hopefully get some breakfast because I’m starving and then we’ll get the train home.” A now clothed Will emerged from the bathroom and sat next to Eve while he pulled on his high tops.

  “You
mean we won’t help?”

  “Help what?”

  “Arkazatinia, there’s going to be a war.”

  “It doesn’t involve us. The guardians have no say in the running of the world. Like my dad said, we don’t even have a seat in court.”

  “There must be something we can do to prevent it, our world is in danger.”

  “Like what, Eve? You don’t go running to Downing Street every time our country comes under threat, what’s the difference?”

  “But you’re a guardian, that must mean something.”

  “Eve, it sounds grander than it actually is. We take care of rogue Arkazatines, we’re security guards—we have no real powers. To Arkazatines, we don’t matter—not even enough for them to consider giving us a say in the Imperium. We will just go home and carry on as usual, and you can go back to your life.”

  “You mean, never come back here?”

  “Yes, Eve, you should never have known about it in the first place—much less visited.” Will smiled at Eve’s disappointed expression and hugged her. “Trust me; you’re better off out of it. I wouldn’t be in it if I had another choice. Come on, let’s go.”

  Andrew was leaving his room as Eve and Will entered the corridor.

  “Good morning.” He smiled. “Mikæl said we could have breakfast in the annexe kitchen before we leave. Hopefully, I can remember the directions.”

  He did and led them to a business style kitchen with the surfaces in the Anaxagorean equivalent of stainless steel. A Procnatus female was the only person in there, and she stood at a stove frying eggs.

  “Good morning, I’m Calia.” She smiled at them pleasantly. Eve was not surprised to see that she was stunning and wondered if this helped them co-exist as they could flash beautiful smiles at their enemies. “You’ve timed your arrival perfectly. The bacon and sausages are ready, and the eggs are almost done. Help yourself to tea, or would you prefer coffee?”

  “Tea is fine, thank you, Calia,” said Andrew, pulling up a stool and helping himself to the food she had placed on the breakfast bar.