The Crown Prophecy

by M. D. Laird

  Eve was surprised to have enjoyed the day though she was exhausted and relieved to return to the Guild of Asmodeus. Calab escorted her to her room and carried her gifts for her. He opened the door and allowed her to pass by him before entering and placing the gifts on the table.

  “Would you like me to get you undressed, Your Majesty?” he asked. Eve giggled, and Calab looked stern. “That did not come out as intended, Your Majesty.”

  She smiled at him. “Thank you, that is very kind,” she said, turning her back to him. “You know I preferred it when you didn’t address me as anything or just called me human.”

  “As did I. It is not appropriate now.”

  “Can you not call me Eve?”

  “No, it is not acceptable to address someone of a higher status by their given name—you should not encourage this.”

  “I can’t really think of myself as being of higher status,” she said, “I was raised in a working-class family in Manchester.”

  “From humble beginnings to the queen of the land—it could be a fairy story.” He smiled. He had finished unfastening her dress and had turned his back and waited while she slipped off the dress and pulled on her bathrobe before sitting beside her on the bed. Eve was again surprised that he did not leave immediately.

  “Except I am financially worse off. I was rescued by a brave prince, though.” Eve grinned though Calab said nothing and gave her a thin smile. “Will you dine with me tonight?” she asked. Calab pursed his lips. “It’s okay if you don’t want to. I’m not trying to force my friendship upon you. It’s just that this day has been overwhelming and I always feel calmer around you.”

  Well, mostly I feel confused and conflicted, but I definitely feel safer.

  He nodded. “I shall return at supper, Your Majesty.” He stood and gave her a bow before smirking and leaving her room.

  April arrived and Eve was beginning to settle into Arkazatinia a little more, and without the constant threat of danger over her head, she had some time to arrange for her house and her car in Nottingham to be placed on the market. Jason had moved out, and she had her things placed in the storage unit Thalia had ordered for her. She had barely thought about Jason since arriving in Arkazatinia and of all the things she missed in her old life, she was relieved to find he had not been one of them. Thalia had a few of her Procnatus visit him to issue him notice that their relationship was over and he had one month to find somewhere else to live. Being Jason he had taken almost double that, but he was finally out and gone from her life. She had wished she had been a fly on the wall when he was given the notice and had witnessed his reaction to her sudden departure, but she had quickly gotten over that. She was happy to be free of him, though she wished it hadn’t taken her to become the queen of a supernatural land to realise that.

  The Queen’s Guard used their powers to stay hidden from view but followed Eve closely while they escorted her to Lycea. While in Lycea, Eve took the opportunity to go shopping to purchase herself some new clothes that she could, at least, wear in Lycea, and some new nightwear—as far as she knew there was no requirement for midnight blue pyjamas.

  She spent a whole day in used books stores hunting down precious volumes for the library like Calab’s she intended to have one day. She purchased so many books that one of her guards had to help her to carry them. Eve had also made a few trips to the towns in Eurasia, especially the capital city of Tethys which was home to the Guild of the Crown.

  Having spent time at the Guild of Asmodeus, which did not have a single TV and the only computer seemed to be in Calab’s office, Eve had presumed that Arkazatinia was not as technologically advanced as Lycea. This appeared to be inaccurate and amongst the usual grocers, butchers and clothing shops there were some tech stores selling PCs, laptops and the latest vox models. She had learned that the Procnatus especially, were major shareholders of many Lycean companies and thorian—especially Procnatus—working under assumed names were involved in many major science and technology advancements in Lycea.

  There were also a lot of alchemical shops and work premises including alchemical architects, alchemical blacksmiths and alchemical IT specialists.

  Eve enjoyed the opportunity to meet some of the ordinary people of Arkazatinia though it overwhelmed her every time she went as an entourage of Queen’s Guard surrounded her. More of her guards accompanied her than when she visited Lycea, as she was something of a celebrity. It felt strange though she was pleased that their reaction to her was, on the whole, positive though she had overheard the occasional slur about her allegiance with the fae.

  The towns were pretty and well-kept as she would expect from buildings made of materials that did not require maintenance and she could see no visible signs of poverty. She made a note to look into the affairs of the people to ensure that it was representative. Having spoken to a few people, she learned that there were no public libraries in the whole of Arkazatinia and education varied wildly as people were educated within their own orders—she did not think this was essentially a problem but made a note for future reference.

  The weeks passed, and the alliance agreed that the threat to Eve’s life had decreased enough for her to move to the Impærielas guild with the measures of her guard remaining close by and escorting her wherever she went. Though she knew that she had to go she was somewhat apprehensive. She had seen very little of Calab since her supper after her ascension which had been an enjoyable evening though she got the familiar feeling that he felt awkward. However, he escorted her to her vector to see her off. Her guards loaded her belongings into the vector and Eve turned to Calab.

  “Thank you,” she said, “for everything, for keeping me safe and making me welcome in your home.”

  “You’re very welcome,” he replied.

  She wanted to hug him but knowing that he would hate that, she refrained. She climbed aboard the vector, programmed it with her new address and set off for her new home. Her stomach churned with anxiety at the thought of moving to the Guild of Impærielas, and she felt a pang of regret at leaving the Guild of Asmodeus. She was unable to stop the tears forming in her eyes.

  So, whene’er I turn my eye

  Back upon the days gone by,

  Saddening thoughts of friends come o’er me,-

  Friends, who closed their course before me.

  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Hyperion

  Part the second

  A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be a profound secret and mystery to every other.

  Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.

  August had arrived and Eve had been with the Impærielas for three months. They had been three arduous months. The demons were jolly and effervescent when compared with the Impærielas. They had little, if any, tolerance for Eve’s approach to allying them with the rest of the Crown Alliance and did not wish to associate with other Arkazatines outside of official state matters. They disapproved heavily of Eve’s personal relationships with the other rulers and frequently reminded her that her conduct was inappropriate.

  To keep the peace, Eve initially followed their lead and Calab’s advice and kept her relationships professional. However, after two months of only formal and task-oriented interactions she could not bear it any longer. She missed talking and laughing, and ignoring their instructions, she began to socialise, albeit infrequently, with other Arkazatines. The Impærielas were unimpressed. Many were vocal about their disdain and those who were reticent eyed her with contempt.

  Eve could not bear the thought of spending her immortal life without having another friendly conversation and once again adopted her ‘they’ll get over it’ mantra.

  To escape her strained relationship with her new people, Eve had spent a few days in the fae realm with Queene Orrla who she adored. They had spent time riding, and she had joined them for another beautiful concert in the forest. The trip was over too soon.

  Why couldn’t I have been th
e fae queene?

  Orrla had spent a day with Eve after a visit to Tethys for the Crown Reintegration Meeting or CRM, as it was now known—even business in Arkazatinia had silly acronyms. Calab had suggested they called it the CARPE, which stood for the Crown Alliance Revenue and Protocol Exchange, but the other leaders thought CRM sounded more professional.

  Eve used Orrla’s visit as an opportunity to ride out with her on the black stallion the fae had given her. Calab had arranged for the horse to be collected from the fae and taken to the Impærielas stables. He had given the horse the temporary name of Aethon, after the horses belonging to Hector in Homer’s Illiad and Pallas in Virgil’s Aeneid. Eve had read neither of the books, but she thought it seemed a worthy name for her noble steed.

  Aethon was perhaps a little too wild to be a lady’s horse but, as an experienced rider, she did not mind and loved the liberating feeling thundering across the planes brought her, even if she was followed closely by her guard.

  Much to Aethon’s disappointment, Eve had him stick to a light hack during Orrla’s visit allowing her to converse with Orrla who was mounted upon a chestnut mare from the Impærielas stables. Eve was wearing the new riding outfit the Impærielas had made for her after she declared that she would be risking her life riding the stallion side-saddle and could not possibly wear a dress. They had agreed and had made her a shirt, a very lovely fitted jacket and fitted pants all in midnight blue and finished with a hat and a cloak with the lynx stitched upon it. Eve loved her outfit, and it looked great with the boots Calab had given her. It was the first time she had felt regal.

  “He seems to have taken to you, Your Majesty,” said Orrla.

  “Yes,” replied Eve, stroking the stallion's neck, “he certainly makes sure I know my place.”

  Orrla smiled. “He is moody, demanding, and headstrong, he is also beautiful, courageous and loyal—I could not find a more perfect horse for our outlander queen.”

  Eve laughed. “How are you finding court? Are your peers treating you well?”

  “They are accepting me slowly. There are a few who would rather I was not there though they keep their opinions to themselves. I haven’t received any invitations to supper yet.”

  “They will adjust,” said Eve, “if it makes you feel any better they dislike me also, there is only Lord Thalia and Lord Tharazan who are pleasant towards me. I have an amicable and somewhat confusing relationship with Prince Calab. Otherwise, I think the rest of the alliance would happily see me burn and have me replaced with someone more amiable. That goes for my own people too. I haven’t even dared to invite anyone for supper to my guild as they are so intolerant of outsiders.”

  “Oh dear. What a pair we are. We must stick together; perhaps we can form our own order of abhorrent outsiders.”

  Eve laughed. “I think we already have.”

  Eve had remained behind in the office of the Guild of the Crown following the CRM and was completing her ledgers when a knock sounded at the door. Calab entered.

  “Your Majesty,” he said and bowed towards her. She invited him to sit.

  “Prince Calab,” she said. “How may I help?”

  “I merely wished to enquire of your wellbeing,” he said. “We have not spoken at length for many months.”

  It was true; she had not spoken to him outside of Crown matters since she had left his guild. She had attempted to be friendly towards him, even when she was maintaining her professionalism with everyone else. As her rescuer and advisor, Eve felt she shared a bond with him though he did not reciprocate her feelings. She had become frustrated that he remained insistent on making their relationship purely professional and had given up trying to talk to him. She was surprised to find him in her office.

  “I am well; thank you,” she said, “and you?”

  “Yes, I am well,” he said. “Have you settled into the Guild of Impærielas?”

  Eve groaned inwardly at the mention of the Impærielas. “It is a work in progress.”

  He smiled. “That well.”

  “Without wanting to sound harsh, I find them a…challenge to get along with,” she said sadly. “They make their distaste for me abundantly clear.”

  “You will warm to them in time I’m sure,” he said quickly before changing the subject. “How are you finding the role as Crown?”

  “Good for the most part,” she said, “but it’s also confusing, overwhelming and I feel out of my depth much of the time.”

  Calab nodded and seeming to be stuck for a response said, “You appear to be handling it well.”

  She changed the subject as he was clearly uncomfortable talking about her feelings. “Is the guild quiet without a moody and demanding queen screaming the place down each night?”

  His expression eased into a slight grin. “My dungeon has been restored to its former conditions of filth.”

  She laughed. “My first act as queen was going to be to have you executed for putting me in there.”

  He returned her smile; it was careful but warmer than usual. “What changed your mind?”

  She blushed. “The books and your note. I couldn’t possibly be angry with you after that.”

  “You were angry with me the next morning.”

  “That was a sample of my terrific acting talents.”

  “You were very convincing.” He laughed. She loved talking to him when he was like this when he let his guard down and conversed easily. She spoke cautiously afraid the slightest thing may unnerve him. “I… You…” he started, but then stood. “I should go.”

  Eve nodded and smiled weakly to hide her disappointment. “Take care, Prince Calab.”

  He left her office. Eve felt the same familiar ache she felt after every conversation with Calab. They all ended too soon and usually left her wondering what she had said wrong. A knock sounded on her door, and she was delighted to find that he had returned.

  “Your Majesty,” he said, “I’m sorry to interrupt again. I would be honoured if you would join me for supper this night.”

  “I’m afraid I’m dining with Lord Tharazan tonight.”

  Calab did not try to hide the disappointment that looked to have gripped him unexpectedly. “Oh,” he said. He looked lost for words and quite overwhelmed. He composed himself, nodded and left. Eve leapt from her seat and rushed to the door—he was already heading out the exit of the guild.

  “Prince Calab,” she called and felt relieved when he returned. “I am free tomorrow.”

  He gave a gentle, boyish smile she had never seen before. “You are?”

  “Yes.” She smiled. “But I will come only if we can have cake as it’s my birthday.”

  “As Her Majesty wishes.” He smiled, gave her a bow and then left.

  Eve returned to her office and sat at the desk. She felt the thrill of excitement that she would be dining with him the following night, but what had she just witnessed? He was quite crestfallen by her proclamation that she was dining with Tharazan. She might even say saddened. Was that normal for a demon? Deciding that her thoughts were better left unsaid and convinced that Calab would not appreciate her bringing it up; she left it alone and returned to her ledgers.

  Calab looked at the clock, it was six forty-five—she was due at seven. What was he thinking inviting her here? He picked at his talons. He hated the way she made him feel. He hated his reaction to her dining with Lord Tharazan. It pained him. His chest felt tight, and he wanted to tear Tharazan to ribbons. Then he was filled with relief that she said she would join him this night, on her birthday. He was excited. He had been unable to concentrate on anything else all day. He was annoyed with himself for that. He had spent time in Lycea working, working with another violent young man with another beautiful girlfriend. All he could see was the brute laughing as his fists rained on the girl, on Genevieve. He had almost intervened. Almost stopped the man. Almost broken the gravest rule of their decree. He left after an hour in Lycea.

  He had never
wanted to interfere before, no matter what despicable things humans did. He had never cared. But recently he had been bothered more and more by what he saw in Lycea. He had become more distressed by events from his past—events from so long ago they should not feature in his mind at all.

  What is happening to me?

  He did not know, and he did not like it. He was about to call Charon to ask him to send the queen away when he entered the library to announce her arrival.

  “Hi, Calab,” she said. It irritated him that she had dropped his title again, but the smile she gave him brushed the irritation away. He considered greeting her with a kiss on the cheek. The thought made him feel uncomfortable, so he refrained and simply returned her smile.

  “Many happy returns,” he said, inviting her to sit before the fireplace. The fire was unlit due to the warm summer weather. Calab found the fire comforting and was unaffected by the heat, even in summer, but he did not think his guest would appreciate a roaring fire in the middle of August.

  “Thank you,” she said, taking a seat. She looked pretty. He had no idea what she had done with her hair and her make-up, but it suited her, and the way she looked at him through her long lashes made him pause.

  “Have you had an enjoyable birthday?” he asked, recovering himself.