The Crown Prophecy

by M. D. Laird

  “Who?”

  “My fae brethren, on the orders of the queene.”

  “How did they find me?” Eve’s throat was burning with every word, but she was desperate for answers.

  “Prince Calab told them where to find you.”

  What? He betrayed me! Why would he do that?

  “Calab! Why?” Eve exclaimed initiating another fit of coughing.

  “You should rest.”

  “No!”

  “The queene will speak to you when you have recovered.”

  The fae woman gave her a look that told her she would answer no more questions. Eve stared at the ceiling and was asleep within minutes.

  After travelling throughout the next day, Calab and his demons finally returned to the guild at nightfall. The alliance planned to stay close by and they had arranged to meet in the morning to plan their next move. The alchemist and his guards had made a mess of the guild looking for the girl. Calab was relieved to see they had done little damage to his library, but they had destroyed the girl’s quarters and even her room in the dungeon. He winced as he picked up the volumes of Blake he had given her and saw that two of them were now unreadable. He replaced them on the table and took the two volumes that were still intact back to his quarters. His quarters had also been tossed.

  What is there to gain from hacking through my shirts?

  He grumbled at the thought of having to visit the tailor. Charon knocked at his door carrying a tray of supper and a jug of wine and offered to straighten his room. Calab accepted and invited him in. He had known they would attack his guild and was glad he had ordered everyone to stay out and just have a team follow them in the midspace as they left. The Imperator and the two alchemists were down, but there was still more to do before it was finished.

  Charon had long since left, and Calab had, despite not having slept in days, spent several hours sat at his desk sipping at the wine. He looked at the time—it was four o’ clock in the morning. He tapped his claws on his desk as he thought through the events of the last few days, well, the last month actually since the girl had arrived. He pictured her face sat opposite him in his quarters before she left. She was a pretty little thing, and she had been so relieved that her face lit up when he told her of the new plan. He smiled softly to himself and took another sip of his wine. His vox rang, and he answered it immediately.

  “She’s on the move, Your Highness,” said Nakhiel.

  “I’m on my way,” replied Calab, hanging up.

  He did not bother with the door and midspaced through the wall. He flew at speed and quickly caught up with Nakhiel who was tailing the vector travelling south towards Laurentia. Calab eyed the sky; it was still dark though dawn would break soon. They stayed in the midspace to avoid being seen. The vector entered the Forest of Cambria, stopped in a clearing, and waited. The two demons remained hidden in the midspace in the trees until another vector pulled into the clearing and an alchemist stepped out. The alchemist’s presence forced Calab and Nakhiel out of the midspace though they remained concealed by the trees.

  Another alchemist? How many are involved?

  The woman left her vector and stood beside it facing the alchemist.

  “The strike did not go according to plan,” said the alchemist. “You told me you would see to it the other alchemists were assassinated, but I hear they are alive and well and detained in prison.”

  “The alliance ignored the plans I suggested. It won’t be a problem; I can urge the alliance to execute them quickly for treason. If they will not, I will do it myself.”

  “And where is the queen?”

  “She seems to be missing, that wretched Asmodeus prince no longer has her.”

  “She must still be with the demons, I cannot trace her.”

  Calab breathed an inward sigh.

  “He said that she isn’t,” the woman replied. “He told the Imperator to kill her, but they could not find her when they raided the Asmodeus guild.”

  “So he must be hiding her.”

  “The alliance is meeting tomorrow; I will have him followed afterwards and find out where she is.”

  “We need her alive,” said the alchemist. “We cannot secure your rule unless we remove the bind of the Crown from her. More crowns will just keep emerging. We need you to bind with the Crown.”

  “The Imperator is dead, that will be awkward. The alliance will displace his allies from their positions, and they think they have destroyed the Imperium.”

  “The Imperator was a pawn; he was never going to survive after we had the queen anyway. It is unexpected that she would be hidden from the alliance. The prince must have suspected a traitor amongst you. I hope that he does not know who. If we can find the queen quickly, then all is not lost.”

  “We must find her. We haven’t come this far to fail. I shall send word when I have more news.”

  The pair started to separate. Calab motioned to Nakhiel, and within seconds, he had assassinated the alchemist and Nakhiel had hold of the woman with his claws poised at her throat.

  Calab gave the woman a wide grin. “Lord Thanis, what a pleasant surprise.”

  She glared at him as he cuffed her in adamantine shackles. The metal of Hell was enough to restrain the strongest of demons and leash the most powerful of magic. The metal burnt to the touch and she grimaced at the pain as she glared at Calab with hate-filled eyes.

  “Demon scum.” Thanis snarled, spitting the words. “How did you know?”

  “I have suspected for some time,” he said, loading her into her own vector and setting the destination for the guild.

  “Where have you hidden the queen?”

  Calab laughed. “I have hidden her where no traitors will find her. Now you are under arrest for treason which carries the penalty of death as I’m sure you are aware, you may make things easier for yourself if you can offer a few teeny weeny details.”

  “I won’t tell you a thing.” She growled.

  “I did not imagine you would. I’m sure the rest of the alliance will be interested in talking to you so perhaps you'll confide in one of them. It is rather early so you can wait in my dungeon. I don’t mean the nice room I had made for our queen when she kept everyone awake screaming from the nightmares she had that traitors were coming for her, I mean a particularly horrible and uncomfortable one.”

  “You don’t scare me.”

  “I don’t need to scare you, Lord Thanis.” Calab chuckled. “As demon scum, I already know what will be in store for you after you’re executed, and you’ll have plenty of time to be scared in Hell.” Thanis swallowed, and her arrogance faltered. She did not speak again.

  The room was bathed in sunlight when Eve opened her eyes. She could already feel her limbs were more responsive though her body ached as though every inch of her had been beaten. She pulled herself to sit and saw the fae woman seated in the rocking chair by the stove embroidering a piece of fabric.

  “Good morning,” the woman said. “You look much better. You have colour in your cheeks.”

  “I feel dreadful,” said Eve. “What did they give me?”

  “It was a vapour made from a species of hemlock that only grows in these parts,” she said. “It’s not lethal though it can leave you feeling like you have had too many glasses of mead the night before. Would you like tea?”

  “What’s in it?”

  “Nothing poisonous,” she said. “We do not wish to harm you.”

  Eve nodded. “Why would Calab hand me over to you? Are you working with the Imperator? Is Calab working with the Imperator?”

  “Goddesses no.” The woman laughed. “He sent you here to protect you.”

  “The demons were protecting me.”

  “Yes,” she said, “but he wanted to make extra sure you would be safe. He suspected the Imperator’s alchemists may be able to find you if they knew you were with demons.”

  “I’ve been hiding at the guild this whole time.” />
  “Prince Calab believes they knew where you were. He believes there has been a traitor amongst the alliance.”

  “Who?”

  “I do not know. Prince Calab wishes you to stay here until he finds them.”

  The fae woman handed her a cup of tea. It smelt funny but tasted delicious. She downed it, and the woman fetched her another cup which she sipped more slowly.

  “What is your name?” Eve asked.

  “I am Queene Orrla of the Fae.”

  Eve spluttered and tried to straighten herself. “You’re the queene?”

  Orrla smiled. “Did my palace not give it away?”

  “Well, it was more that you spoke of the queene as though she was someone other than yourself.”

  The queene laughed. “That was someone else. I have a twin, her name is Sofia, and this is her house. It was my family’s house when we were girls, and Sofia wished to stay here after I became queene and moved into the guild. My brethren brought you here as Sofia is a skilled nurse and you were affected more than expected by the poison. I came to relieve her a few hours ago to wait for you to wake. Sofia is asleep upstairs.”

  Eve looked more closely at Orrla, but her memory was far too hazy to make a comparison. Their voices seemed identical. “How is it that I can understand you? Does everyone in Anaxagoras speak English?”

  “We don’t speak English,” replied Orrla. “You speak the common tongue of Anaxagoras. The Procnatus introduced it to England, and the English introduced it to the rest of the Lycea. It was a feat of the Procnatus and English arrogance.”

  “I’m starting to think everything I know about history is wrong.”

  “All history is an abridged version of events. The Procnatus have been…careful to allow their preferred version to take its place in Lycean history. Any facts that have made their way into Lycean texts have been dispelled to the realm of myth and legend. It allows them to integrate themselves in Lycean affairs and keep our world a secret.”

  Eve frowned; she did not like what she heard. She thought it was a discussion for another time and changed the subject. “How do you know Calab?”

  “I have known Prince Calab for a very long time. Before Lord Thalia ruled the Procnatus; they were governed by a tyrant named Malia. She was the most despicable being and encouraged the Procnatus to engage in all manner of atrocities: they captured and tortured hominem and human slaves, and they survived on the blood of humans which made them vicious. Malia was convinced that the fae had some treasure hidden within our realm and wanted to have it for herself. It was before we Cloaked our realm, she found us and attacked us frequently until our numbers were depleted and our defences were weak. We are able to shield and use magic to fight, but it does not last long, and she was happy to sacrifice as many Procnatus as it took to achieve her aim. She was relentless.

  “Calab arrived with his men one evening, and they fought off the Procnatus and drove them from our realm, then he contacted the Crown and requested that Malia was removed from her rule. Malia was assassinated the next day. We waited for an attack to come from the new ruler fearing they would have the same agenda. They did come, but instead of attacking us, they gave a peace offering of salted meats and spiced wines. Every year after, this day was celebrated as the Festival of Peace to mark another year’s peace in our lands. You may be interested in learning that your Lycean Roman Emperor Constantine adopted the Festival of Peace as Christmas when he changed the Empire to Christianity.”

  “So you invented Christmas?”

  “Well, Lord Thalia did if you would like to give anyone credit.”

  “And you have been friends with Calab since?”

  “Yes, although I rarely see him. I hadn’t heard from him in over a century until he telephoned a few nights ago.”

  Eve smirked at the thought of a faery realm having a telephone. “Why did Calab come to your aid?”

  “We had pleaded for an alliance against the Procnatus amongst all of the orders. The Calahad and Elion were at war with each other and the witches and dark alchemists were rising, so our pleas were ignored. Prince Calab was the only one to respond.”

  “Is that not uncharacteristic for a demon?” Eve asked. “What was in it for him?”

  “I never knew. Prince Calab has never been like the other demons, there has always been something more…well, I suppose you’d say there was something more human about him.”

  Eve smiled. “I thought so too. Does anyone in the alliance know he was moving me here?”

  “He said he planned to move you in secret and let everyone think you were still in the guild.”

  “Why haven’t you seen him for a century? Do you not have a seat in court?”

  “The Crown has never welcomed the fae.”

  “Why not?”

  “They view us as a form of witch and exclude us. The thorian leaders have powers, but the rest of their brethren do not. In witch and fae people, all have magic and the Crown do not allow powers amongst their subjects to be greater than their own. They only tolerate light alchemists because they need their ability to manipulate material and control the entrances. It is the way it has always been.”

  “That is quite ridiculous,” said Eve. “Why exclude people for having magic when it surely makes more sense to ally with the magic and have it on your own side?”

  “Prince Calab said you were quite opinionated.” Orrla laughed.

  Eve smirked. “He is always reminding me of my place. Would you like a seat in the alliance? I am the Crown now, or I will be soon, and I don’t agree with your exclusion.”

  “As much as I would love to accept that offer I am not sure it is one you are entitled to make. The Crown has never given us a place, and I'm not confident that we’d be accepted now.”

  “I think Arkazatinia has chosen an outlander queen to change the way things have always been done.”

  “Your alliance may be furious.”

  “They’ll get over it.”

  “You don’t know us; how can you be certain this is a good idea?”

  “Calab trusts you and I trust him, and that is good enough.”

  “You barely know Prince Calab.”

  “I know him enough to know that I can trust him with my life.”

  “You thought he’d betrayed you only moments ago.”

  “I didn’t believe it; I just could not come up with a rational explanation. I can’t blame myself, though; I was coming down from drugs.”

  Queene Orrla laughed. “Are you quite sure?”

  “Positively so.”

  “In that case, I gratefully accept,” said Orrla smiling.

  Eve returned the smile. Yes, they may be furious.

  Let them be.

  She knew it was the right thing to do.

  The alliance met as planned although Calab had contacted them to request they meet at his guild instead of the Guild of Procnatus. Thalia was still angry with him and barely acknowledged him when he had invited everyone into his library.

  “I shall get straight to the point,” he said.

  “We are not ready,” said Jacob. “Thanis is yet to arrive.”

  “I followed her last night, and she met with an alchemist,” said Calab. “I overheard her discuss their plans to take the queen, unbind her from the Crown and bind herself with it. She had betrayed our plans to intercept the Imperator, and they had intended to use the opportunity to capture the queen and eliminate the other alchemists. It seems the Imperator was a pawn and it was Thanis and the alchemist she met last night who were behind everything.”

  Tharazan shook his head. “I might have known. This is Thanis’ modus operandi. I did not want to suspect her when the Imperator suggested there was a traitor, but I am not surprised that it is her.”

  “If they don’t have the queen, then where is she?” asked Jacob.

  “She is safe,” said Calab. “I have suspected there was a traitor amongst us for some time, I coul
dn’t be sure, but I felt Thanis was the traitor. She first suggested that the Imperator was working with an alchemist and filled us with fear that they may be a power greater than we have ever known. I suspected that was so the meeting would distract us. I believe they wanted us to meet with the Imperator heavily manned and leave the queen under little protection so they could take her easily. I took the liberty of sending the queen away where no one would know where she was. I intended to do that at the time of the meeting in a few weeks, but she was becoming so distressed that I encouraged the new plan. I was more convinced that we had been lied to when we took out the alchemist on the road with ease.

  “I suspected Thanis, but I wasn’t entirely sure, so I tried to exclude her from our plans at the keep just to be safe. I became convinced when I watched her make her way through the keep as though she was familiar with the layout. I had one of my men follow her and contact me if she made a move. She did, and we followed her to the third alchemist. I took out the alchemist and Thanis is in my dungeon ready to be questioned. I do not know if there are others involved, but we cannot bring the queen back until we do.”

  “So you let us think you had sacrificed her?” asked Thalia.

  “I had to. It was the only way to keep her safe and weed out the enemy.”

  “And where is she now?”

  “She is safe.”

  “You can’t trust us enough to tell us?”

  “You don’t need to know.”

  The alliance made their way to the dungeon and found Thanis laid on filthy rags in the dark cell. Vicious red welts were still visible on her wrists from the adamantine shackles.

  “Good morning, Lord Thanis,” said Lord Tharazan, “or should I say Thanis as traitors to the Crown do not usually have titles bestowed upon them.”

  “I am not the traitor.” Thanis snarled. “Prince Calab is the traitor. I followed him last night, and he met with a dark alchemist, I overheard Calab say he has handed the queen over to him. They took her when we were all meeting the Imperator.”

  “And why should he go to such lengths when he could have handed her over during one of the many days she has stayed at his house under his own guard?”