The Crown Prophecy

by M. D. Laird

  “You’re welcome. I need to go and help with breakfast in the main hall, you can dial zero if you require anything.” She left them alone.

  Will and Andrew had already plundered most of the breakfast, but there was still a generous portion left for Eve.

  “Do all the female names rhyme?” asked Eve. “Thalia, Calia. Is it a Procnatus thing?”

  “They’re from another time to us,” said Andrew. “In Ancient Greek and Roman times, females were named after their fathers, and the ending was usually changed to a feminine suffix. Lord Thalia’s father was called Thales I believe.”

  “Was?” asked Eve. “Is he not alive, I thought they were immortal?”

  “The thorian are, but their parents aren’t. They aren’t born as thorian, they are born into another species known as hominem, they are human but are native to this world, and when they reach their late teens or early twenties some become thorian. That’s why they all look so young. I guess nature only picks the attractive ones too. One will become the ruler of each order when the other dies.”

  “Do they vote for the ruler?” asked Eve.

  “Only one can be the ruler, they know they are the ruler, and everyone will recognise them as such. They have abilities that the others don’t have.”

  “Like what?”

  “They have some sorcery abilities.”

  “Seriously?” asked Eve. “That’s amazing! So, Thalia can do magic?”

  “Yes,” said Andrew, “but don’t address her as Thalia, only a lead should address another lead by their given name. It is extremely frowned upon—even Mikæl does not address her as Thalia.”

  “Oh, are they involved?”

  Andrew nodded and said, “Yes, they are married.”

  Eve remembered the way Mikæl addressed Thalia as my queen and assumed this was probably his way of avoiding calling her by her name without having to call her my lord like everyone else.

  “Will we see her before we go?” Eve asked before draining her cup.

  “Who?” asked Andrew.

  “Lord Thalia. I want to ask her something.”

  Andrew frowned, his brows knitting together to form a crease. He patiently said, “Eve, I know she is very friendly, but she is not your friend, you can’t just nip in for a chat whenever you like.”

  “I know, but it’s important,” she pleaded.

  “What’s so important?” he asked. Eve did not answer as Calia arrived in the kitchen.

  “Can I get you anything else?” she asked, flashing another brilliant smile.

  Andrew was about to answer when Eve interrupted, “Do you know if Lord Thalia is free this morning?”

  “I wouldn’t know,” Calia replied.

  “Could I see her? I would like to speak to her about something important.”

  Calia glanced at Andrew who looked very annoyed. “I would need to ask her assistant,” she replied and picked up the telephone.

  “Eve, what are you doing?” hissed Will.

  “It’s probably my only chance to speak to her.”

  “About what?”

  “I will tell you later.”

  Calia returned from the phone and said, “Her Lordship has said that she can see you for five minutes before she leaves for a meeting if you go now. I’ll show you the way.”

  Calia led Eve out of the annexe and through a series of corridors until they reached the corridor she remembered from the previous day. On the way, Eve had passed many beautiful faces who eyed her with a curiosity that made her feel self-conscious.

  I must be the ugliest person here.

  Calia showed Eve into Thalia’s office. Thalia was seated behind her desk and making an entry into a thick, leather-bound ledger.

  “Miss Franklin,” she greeted. “How can I help?”

  “Thank you for seeing me, my lord,” said Eve, finding the use of titles unnatural and somewhat awkward. “I wondered if I could be a guardian. I’d like to help if I can.”

  Thalia gave Eve a curious smile and said, “That’s a generous offer, Miss Franklin, and one I’m sure you are making impulsively without full consideration of what the role entails. However, it is not in my power to select guardians, it was the responsibility of the Crown and now the Imperium. The role has been passed down through human families for millennia, I am not aware of any guardians being selected outside of this process.”

  “Oh, I didn’t realise,” said Eve, trying to hide her disappointment.

  “Might I enquire of the reason you wish to become a guardian?”

  “I want to help keep my world safe.”

  “In an ideal world, the role of the guardian would be given to someone who chooses it. Instead, it is forced upon people, many of whom do not want it. The role can be dangerous and is rarely appreciated. I should consider it a blessing not to have been given such a ‘cross to bear’ as they say in Lycea.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” said Eve.

  “Just live your life. The conflicts of Arkazatinia will no doubt span a hundred human lifetimes, I urge you not to spend yours worrying about it.”

  “I guess you’re right,” replied Eve quietly. “I shall leave you to your work. It has been a pleasure to meet you.”

  Thalia smiled. “The pleasure is mine.”

  Eve left the office and headed towards the waiting area. She could not help feeling a void inside her. Yesterday, despite fearing for her life, she felt she was on the brink of a great adventure, and now it was gone. Like reaching an exciting chapter of a book before losing it and never knowing how it ends.

  Andrew and Will waited for her in the reception area on the same seats Eve had refused to sit on the previous day.

  Andrew raised his eyebrows, “Well?”

  “I asked if I could become a guardian,” explained Eve dejectedly, “but she said she can’t make guardians, and it’s only passed through families anyway.”

  “Yes,” said Andrew, “I could have told you that if you’d only asked. Come on, let’s go home.”

  Then they returned home. Life progressed as normal and Eve and Will returned to their lives. Eve asked for frequent updates on the status of Arkazatinia, though Will would tell her nothing, and she eventually tired of asking.

  After completing their A-Levels, they were both accepted into the universities they had chosen: Will had decided to study physics in Manchester and Eve studied biochemistry in Nottingham. After this, Eve rarely saw Will and their contact was limited to meeting for drinks during the holidays, but this, too, became rare. By the time Eve had completed her master’s degree, she was living in Nottingham permanently and had not seen Will for two years.

  September 2008

  Eve rarely thought about the supernatural world which now seemed like a surreal and distant dream. That is until she saw a familiar figure while she was walking through Nottingham Arboretum.

  Eve hesitated. She was unsure whether or not to approach him. She wondered if his presence had anything to do with her. He did not seem to have noticed her. He had his attention focussed on a group of young men kicking a ball between them. It was odd that he should be here in the same park she was passing through.

  It must mean something.

  Eve took a deep breath and walked towards him. “Hi…Calab isn’t it?” She smiled nervously at him.

  “Do I know you, human?” Calab snarled.

  “We met five years ago. I came to your guild with Thalia,” replied Eve.

  “I thought your stench was familiar,” he said, glaring furiously. “Tell me, human, have you become the queen of the humans?”

  “No, why?”

  “Then you will not address me by my name.”

  “I forgot the etiquette,” she said. “What do I address you as?” He growled fiercely at her. “I’m sorry, I’ve only been to your world once—five years ago—I don’t know your customs.”

  “Hmm,” he said and was silent for a moment. After a
time he replied, “It’s Prince Calab.” He turned his attention back to the men.

  She gave a thin smile and asked, “So, did you get a seat in court?”

  “What?” he said, snapping his head in her direction.

  “Did you get the seat you wanted in the Imperium?”

  “No, we did not.”

  “Did you go to war then?”

  “Is there a reason why we are conversing as though we’re old friends?” Calab exclaimed angrily.

  “No, I was just making conversation.”

  “And how is it you can see me, human?” he grumbled.

  “I don’t know. I saw you in the garden.”

  “I revealed myself that day.”

  “Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen you before.”

  “It doesn’t work like that, or it shouldn’t,” he said coldly. “Have you seen any other evidence of Anaxagoras since coming back?”

  “No.”

  “You’re not gifted, so it isn’t that. It’s probably something the Imperium would be concerned about, and if I had a seat, I would tell them.” He was clearly still bitter.

  “Tell them what?”

  “Never mind. I have work to do, so if there’s nothing else, I’d like to get back to it.”

  “What work?” she asked. “Will they go to Hell for playing football in a no ball games area?”

  He turned to glare at her. “You dare to mock me, human?”

  “Sorry, I was being friendly. I guess you don’t like humans much.”

  He grinned wolfishly. “On the contrary, I adore you all. You make my work very easy.”

  “You mean it’s easy to tempt us from the right path?”

  “Very easy indeed,” he replied with a cruel smile. “I observe the most depraved wretches of humanity, so forgive me if I’m not filled with much regard for your species.”

  “We’re not all bad.”

  “Really? You’re not going to Heaven.”

  “Why?” she asked, alarmed. “What have I done?”

  “It’s breaking the rules to tell you.” He gave her a sly grin. “I shouldn’t have even said that.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Of course.”

  “How do I know this isn’t a trick to make me think I’m going to Hell anyway so there’s no point being good?”

  “You don’t.”

  “Lord Thalia said that it was a common misconception that demons were evil,” Eve snapped, “but you seem to be quite mean.”

  Calab laughed and gave her another wicked smile. “You’re a feisty little thing aren’t you?” he said, raising his hands and flashing his sharp talons. “And you’re either very brave or very foolish speaking to me as you are. I could kill you before you knew what had happened.”

  “Well, if I won’t know about it there’s nothing to worry about,” said Eve plainly.

  He snarled. “I can also make it slow and incredibly painful.”

  “And why would you do that?” she snapped. “Your job is to tempt people from righteousness not murder them in cold blood.”

  Calab appeared startled. He lowered his hands and growled at her. “If you insist on speaking to me, then you should do so in a manner befitting my station.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know any princes. I do not know how to address them.”

  “With respect would be a good place to start,” he grumbled.

  Eve said nothing for a moment, and Calab continued to watch the men who were beginning to pack up their belongings. Feeling awkward standing in silence beside the demon she asked, “Is it your intention to go to war?”

  Calab’s emerald eyes seared into hers. “What has that got to do with you?”

  “Nothing. I’m just interested. I assume Lord Thalia is still against going to war?”

  He gave her another angry stare. She thought he would tell her to beat it and was surprised when he answered her—even if his tone was not pleasant. “She disagrees with every decision the Imperium makes, but all she wants to do is talk about it. She is too concerned with the risks to lives any conflict will bring to prioritise tackling the Imperium’s oppression.”

  “Surely you want to keep her on your side?” asked Eve. “She is a strong ally.”

  “And what would you know? You have been to Arkazatinia once that does not make you an authority on its dynamics. The Procnatus are loyal to no one; they only fight for causes they believe to be worthy or just and only then if it is no risk, at all, to anyone. She doesn’t consider oppression a risk.”

  “You make that sound like a bad thing,” stated Eve. “What is so wrong about protecting people?”

  “Nothing,” Calab said. “Except, it isn’t always practical. The Imperium are oppressing us, turning Arkazatines against us and trying to drive us out of our home, but we can do nothing about that because of the risk to lives. Does that seem just to you?”

  “No,” admitted Eve, “but she did say she would help.”

  “She is pleading our case in court periodically,” said the demon prince, sounding bored. “She has tried, unsuccessfully, to move for a vote of no confidence. She insists on continuing with this line in the hope that eventually they’ll vote on whether to keep the current Imperator or replace them with some other greedy and corrupt supremacist with the same agenda.”

  “You’re very patient. I would be driven mad if nothing happened after five years.”

  He gave her a curious glance before turning back to the men and said, “Protocol takes time.”

  “But five years? Surely you’d have another election by then?”

  “In a world where most are immortal or live for thousands of years, five years is the blink of an eye,” said Calab. “I don’t know why I am telling you all this anyway, the politics of Arkazatinia are no concern of yours.”

  “I am interested, though. I find your world fascinating.”

  Calab’s eyes flamed at her. “As thrilled as I am to be entertaining you with my people’s sufferings, I have work to do,” he said as the men began to leave the park. “Good day, human.”

  “Wait,” Eve said. “Can you tell me why you think the Imperium would be interested that I can see you?”

  Calab grinned and said slyly, “No, human, I will not.” He started to fade away.

  “Please, wait! Am I really going to Hell?” she asked anxiously. Calab laughed loudly and disappeared.

  February 2012

  “Charon, I would like a vector immediately,” said Calab through his desk panel.

  “Yes, Prince,” Charon replied.

  Soon Calab was on board the automated carriage and on his way to the Guild of Calahad in Laurentia. It was almost twenty hours travel from the Guild of Asmodeus, even at the vector’s high speeds. Calab—stocked up on food, wine and books—settled in for the journey. He examined the note he had received,

  Asmodeus Prince Calab of the First Order,

  Your attendance is required at the Guild of Calahad tomorrow night at the hour of seven. Please come alone and inform no one. It is a matter of great importance.

  Manu Propria

  Lord Tharazan of Calahad

  Calab felt intrigued but apprehensive. He had never been summoned to the thorian Guild of Calahad before, and rarely had cause to venture south into Laurentia. He had considered requesting to borrow an aerial vector from the Guild of Procnatus that would have flown him the distance in four hours, but he had decided against it after the note made it clear he should inform no one where he was going.

  Calab eventually alighted the vector at his destination. A Calahad male greeted Calab and advised him that he would be moving the vector and urged the prince to enter the guild. Calab stepped through the front door and found that he was not the only Arkazatine to have been summoned. The hall was full of the rulers of Arkazatinia: his peers the Berith and Astaroth princes, the angel sons of Michæl, Raphæl and Uriel, the hominem patriarchs of Marya, Tamien and
Exalon, and the other thorian lords of Elion and Procnatus.

  Calab accepted a glass of red wine from a Calahad and moved towards the princes who were engaged in conversation.

  “Avalon, Tarrin,” he greeted and kissed each of their cheeks.

  “Calab.” Berith Prince Avalon smiled, his glassy amber eyes gleaming. “Have you had any word on why we are here?”

  “Nothing,” replied Calab, sipping his wine. “It’s most unusual. Are the Imperium here?”

  “We haven’t sensed them. Perhaps they are on their way,” said Tarrin, casting his amethyst eyes around the room. “Do you think they may relent and give us our seat?”

  “They will most likely not be here,” said Calab. “Why would the Imperium hold an engagement at the Guild of Calahad, and why would they keep it a secret? And why invite us? No, this must be about something that does not involve the Imperator.”

  Tharazan appeared in the doorway and announced, “Honoured guests, thank you for attending on such short notice. Please, join me in the library.”

  The rulers entered the library and took their seats around an oval table. Calab noticed there was an empty seat beside Tharazan who stood and said, “Please rise for the Lady Ariana of Impærielas.”

  The party stood, and the room was filled with hushed tones as a figure cloaked in a midnight blue entered through the door connecting the library to Tharazan’s office. She took her seat next to Tharazan and motioned for all to be seated. She removed her hood and revealed a face that was both ancient and youthful. The room stared in awe—no one present had ever seen the Lady of the Impærielas.

  She started to speak. “Dearest friends of Arkazatinia,” she began, her voice croaked and withered as she spoke. “Thank you for joining me on this evening, and for making the long journey to Laurentia. I felt it was more sensible to have the gathering far from Eurasia. I have grown fatigued of late so forgive me if I get straight to the point.

  “I know the Impærielas are something of a mystery to you all, we have always been a private people, some may say secretive. The affairs of the Impærielas have been kept very much within the community, and we have carried out our duty without much interference from the rest of the world. That is until the Imperium emerged. The Impærielas have always provided a Crown to oversee Arkazatinia, its protection and the protection of Lycea—it is our mandate as it is of us all. The Crown is appointed like all rulers; they become the Crown when one passes. However, when the last king faded there was none and a custodian was appointed until a crown emerged, but that did not happen. The custodian, who enjoyed his status as a leader, decided it was time to change the practices of old and said the Crown should be elected rather than chosen by Arkazatinia. However, he went on to form the Imperium and appointed himself Imperator; he threatened all who opposed him within the Impærielas.