Discoucia

by Nicholas Lovelock

  “You had to walk?” she asked.

  “Yes, the ship wouldn’t work for some reason. I suppose the Emerald Levitator Engines wouldn’t work, so yeah I had to walk every step of the way but the worst thing was sleeping, since the sun was shining permanently for 117 years,” he explained.

  “How are we going to sort out all the problems she created?” asked Jo.

  “When I removed the all her influence from the major cities, I left a letter explaining that the particular ruler was fooled into thinking that Lilia was younger, but in fact she died in the experiment and her second in command was trying to take over. But since the plan didn’t work it won’t make any difference. However if you want to keep your dignity and respect intact, then you won’t mention this to anyone,” he said.

  “So Lilia is dead?” asked Jo.

  “Legally, yes,” replied Arthur.

  Walking along the long corridor they reached a large door, which when opened led into a large hall. At the end was Lilia, slumped in her large throne completely alone and not a servant or friend in the world. “Queen Lilia the Young, in her marvellous throne, sits there now, completely alone…” said Arthur.

  “How long did it take you to think that up?” she asked.

  “About ten minutes,” he replied.

  “So, here she is,” said Jo.

  “Sleeping like a baby thanks to my new experimental sleep potion, but I couldn’t stick her in Icester like the rest of them so I brought her here in a small boat. I had another conversation with Seashorelle as well,” he said, walking up to Lilia.

  “How is she? How did she recognise you?” asked Jo.

  “Archie told her but she never talked to me at all for all that time, but don’t worry I’ll see her in Lesiga and we can have a nice chat; but this isn’t about her, it’s about my sister, and she can tell me what she intends to do now,” said Arthur.

  Lilia’s eyes opened slowly and she rubbed her forehead and felt her eyes sting as she adjusted sunlight. She looked around and saw that Arthur and Jo were standing in front of her; only Arthur now looked much older but Jo was the same. “You used the time machine?” she asked.

  “Yes, now 117 years of my life has been pretty much wasted,” replied Arthur.

  “What have you done?!” she shouted, alarmed.

  “Your army is now a thing of the past, or present, I forget which one. Also you my dear sister are now legally dead so no angry leaders of the major cities will be coming after you for vengeance,” said Arthur.

  “I don’t understand,” said a perplexed Lilia.

  “I think I do, he’s saved you,” said Jo.

  “You may be a complete nutcase but you’re still my sister, and I still love you. You could have executed me straight away but you didn’t, because I think deep down inside you’re not as evil as you would have everyone believe,” said Arthur.

  “Do you know how hard it is to be feared?” she asked.

  “You seemed to be doing a good job of it,” said Jo.

  “You have to do so many bad things so that people will follow you and do what they are told,” she said.

  “What’s your point?” asked Arthur.

  “For years now I’ve hated the thing I’ve become, but how could I stop?” she asked rhetorically.

  “What do you mean?” asked Jo, with a suspicious look.

  “I don’t want to be an evil person anymore, but to get the attention of all those stuck up high and mighty snobs there was really no other way, they will never really love you, so being hated and feared is the only alternative,” she explained.

  “Is this really the problem? Acceptance?” asked Arthur.

  “When did Mother or Father really care about anything that we did?” asked Lilia.

  “They never did, but it didn’t stop me giving up,” said Arthur.

  “When Father gave me control of Harrha and saw me being merciless, he was so happy and I felt happy,” she said, standing up and walking over to a window. Jo watched as Arthur walked with her. “Father thought I was doing the right thing and so I then carried on,” she said.

  “I think I finally understand everything sis, and that’s why I did everything I did, for you,” said Arthur.

  Lilia turned around in amazement. “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “If I made you powerless you would listen, if you would listen then you would talk, and I think you have needed to talk for a while,” said Arthur.

  “Then tell me what you intend to do with me?” said Lilia.

  Arthur didn’t say anything; he just hugged Lilia, who went rigid as she hadn’t been hugged for years. “I just want my sister back,” he said. Lilia finally hugged him back and she remained silent. Jo just watched, and when they were finished she sat on the throne as they both looked out across the ocean.

  “What are we going to do?” asked Lilia.

  “Firstly Jo is going to change your entire look completely, because if you’re deceased then you can’t look like you did before” said Arthur.

  “I suppose I do to be honest, I’m getting a bit sick of purple,” she said.

  “I never thought I’d hear you say that. Is there anything else I should know?” asked Arthur.

  “You can find that out later on but we need to leave here, have you got a ship?” she asked.

  “Mine is back in Cesta, and I told Corky to wait,” said Arthur.

  “You still have Cornelius driving you around?” she asked.

  “I cannot think of a better driver,” he said.

  “Neither can I, I tried to hire him but he wouldn’t leave you,” said Lilia.

  “He never told me, but that’s lovely,” said Arthur. There was a puff of blue smoke, and a message floated down into Arthur’s hand. “’I think it would be much more feasible for me to meet you in my garden of Vertise, since you will be soon visiting. To get you there I have upgraded your ship so it will be big enough for five passengers instead of three…A’,” read Arthur.

  “A? Is that who I think it is?” asked Lilia.

  “It’s Archie; Arthur really annoyed her on the way here and I think that when we see her Arthur should apologise,” said Jo.

  “You shouldn’t mess with her, she is more dangerous than you could possibly imagine,” said Lilia.

  “More dangerous than you?” asked Arthur.

  “I’m tame in comparison to the things she has done, all the people she has befriended in thousands of years she has existed they have all ended up disappearing,” said Lilia.

  “Then you can ask her yourself when we meet her, I’d like you to join us if you want, and come along on all our fantastical adventures,” he said.

  “Why would you want me? After all I have done to you?” she asked.

  “I think you know the answer to that,” said Jo.

  “I haven’t got anything to give you in return for this,” she said.

  “Look, Lilia, you don’t owe me a thing, if you come with me, and we forget everything you have done, since I understand why,” said Arthur.

  “I agree, on one condition,” she replied.

  “I thought so,” said Arthur.

  “I am not going to be constantly apologising for anything, and I am not your assistant,” she said.

  “That’s two, but fair enough,” said Arthur.

  “In that case, lead on,” she said.

  When they had finished talking, there was a thud on the roof, and they all looked up, wondering what on earth that could be. “Follow me,” said Arthur, but Lilia was running to a spiral staircase that lay at the end of the hall near a door. She ran up it, followed by Jo and then by Arthur. They reached a small room and Lilia opened the door to reveal the outside of the roof, which was a vast open space, and at the end of it sitting in the sunlight was the Nostradamus, but it had changed greatly.

  The body of the ship was much longer and wider, about twice the size that it was before, and the back was very ornate. Arthur didn’t see what new rooms were built, and he
decided to walk on the ship and find out. He was followed by Jo, and then by a stunned Lilia, who was trying to figure out how a ship had appeared out of nowhere. “It’s my ship but it’s huge, it’s bigger than Yage’s ship” said Arthur, climbing up some rigging that was hanging over the hull. Jo followed, but found it difficult since she was wearing such an elegant dress. Lilia found that she had the same problem, but she made a good attempt and jumped onto the deck. It was now very large and spacious, and it had a wooden grate where the hull of the ship could be reached.

  Arthur was busy inspecting all the changes that had been made to his ship while Jo pulled Lilia back for a second. “You changed your tune quite quickly, too quickly for someone with a fearful reputation like you,” said Jo.

  “I don’t know what to tell you Jo, I guess it’s how committed Arthur is,” she replied.

  “He is committed, and he’s also not as strong willed as you would hope, so please tell me now if you intend to change or you’re just doing this to escape,” said Jo.

  “Why should I explain myself to you?” she asked.

  “I love Arthur, and I don’t want you to hurt him anymore,” said Jo.

  “I never wanted to, and I don’t intend to,” said Lilia.

  “Are you two coming?” asked Arthur.

  They walked up to the door, which was made of solid oak and had an ornate pattern carver into it, with a large letter ‘P’ surrounded by ivy. “I see the ship is perfectly tailored for you” said Jo. Arthur just smirked and opened the door. They walked into the sitting room, which was larger than before, and was missing the large amount of bookcases and Arthur’s desk. There was a set of stairs in the same place, but they were larger than before, and there was a door in the middle of the back door. Arthur opened it and it was a study, with large windows and a larger desk for Arthur. It had more bookcases and on the wall was a large map of Alavonia, with the different continents there. There was Roltio in the far north, and Colsolia just south of that.

  Then there was Discoucia in the centre and to its right was Lesiga, and between the two was the Luminosity Archipelago, where Archie’s Island of Vertise lay. Then to the east of Lesiga was the land of Neo Firmania, and even further in the east was Tela Bileiaga, which was a very strange land that was not inhabited; or at least so Arthur thought. Then above this land and Colsolia was Immoratia, a land full of mountains and dark brooding clouds. To the right of Discoucia was the land of Insatia, which was three times the size of Discoucia, but most probably uninhabited too. Finally, at the bottom of the map was Caparonia, an ice waste, which was also uninhabited by people.

  “This is a complete map of Alavonia, no one has a complete map of Alavonia,” said Lilia.

  “Apart from us, but let’s carry on looking around and see what is upstairs,” said Arthur. Arthur walked back into the sitting room, followed by Lilia, who had to pull Jo away from the map. After reaching the top of the stairs, they walked along a corridor that was a sort of ‘T’ shape, with the top looking out across the deck, and the middle line went past two bedrooms. “I wonder what happened to my wardrobe,” said Arthur.

  “Let’s look on the second floor,” said Jo.

  There was a second set of stairs at the end of the corridor, and Arthur went up first. The second floor had Arthur’s bedroom, and it was twice the size that it was before, and still in the same position, only the bed was much larger and the wardrobe seemed to be much larger too. When they entered it, though, it was full of boxes, but nothing was on racks. There was a letter on one of the boxes, which Arthur opened and read.

  “’I’m sorry that I didn’t have enough time to sort this room, but I’m sure that you three can have a good go at it on the way to Portalia, but after that you won’t have any time for such trivial things’,” he read.

  “This is a little strange, I wonder what she meant about not having any time, what are we going to be doing?” asked Jo.

  “No idea, it’s all part of the mystery I suppose,” said Arthur.

  “Is this what you do, go around solving mysteries and helping people?” asked Lilia.

  “Yes, I know it sounds odd, but we get paid for it, by Jo’s father or by the people we help, so it’s quite fun,” said Arthur.

  “Oh, makes sense, how much were you paid on my account?” asked Lilia. Arthur whispered something in her ear, and Lilia’s eyes widened.

  “How much?! I should try to take over again and we can split the difference,” she said loudly.

  “Come on, we need to return to Evermore, but first you need to pack,” said Arthur to Lilia.

  “There is quite a bit, but I suppose one of the rooms downstairs is mine,” said Lilia.

  “I think that is what Archie meant, and are you going to continue staying in my room? I don’t mind,” asked Arthur.

  “You have a bigger bed, of course I will,” she said.

  “Carry on, see if your suitcases are under the bed,” said Arthur. Jo found that they were, and she followed Lilia downstairs and saw that her room was just as big. It was filled with everything she could possibly need. “Come on Leels, I need to ask you about your time machine” said Arthur.

  A Time to Live

  “So, how do you plan to turn your Time Machine into a way to help the king?” asked Arthur.

  “I have an idea, and hopefully if I do this he won’t overreact,” said Lilia.

  “I think it will be a gesture of goodwill and repentance,” said Arthur, carrying a small wooden box up the staircase. It was one of many that were to be loaded aboard the ship, as the Time Machine was being loaded.

  “And it gives me a chance to show off,” she said.

  “Good point, remember you don’t have to pander to every royal and aristocrat that you meet, let them watch you and envy you,” said Arthur.

  “I’ll try” she said, sticking the boxes in a pile by the ship, which was being taken aboard by Jo and Corky, who had woken up suddenly and panicked until he saw Jo, who explained everything to him. The side of the ship had an airtight hatch that could be opened out onto the roof. Jo loaded the boxes into the hull. She had recently changed back into her green combat gear, which made it easier to move.

  When everything was loaded, Arthur asked Lilia a question that was playing on his mind. “Since you will probably not come back here, what do you want to do about your wealth?” he asked.

  “I want to take it with me, we could probably stick it in the hull with all the other boxes,” said Lilia.

  “How much do you have?” he asked.

  “Nine trunks of gold, silver and precious jewels, enough for a little trip around the world,” she said.

  “Let’s get going then Jo! You stay here with Corky and get the ship ready to leave!” shouted Arthur.

  “Hurry up then!” she shouted back.

  After lugging the nine trunks up the stairs, they were finally ready to return to Evermore. “Why does gold have to be so heavy, and you didn’t carry anything!” said Arthur.

  “I’m a girl, I don’t have to carry heavy things. Maybe you should have stayed as Princess Alexandra,” said Lilia.

  “Can we please forget about that,” he said.

  “Nope, that’s going to follow you until I mention it at your wedding,” said Lilia.

  “Sure you will Your Highness,” said Arthur.

  “Can you handle the new ship?” asked Arthur, standing with Corky at the front of the ship.

  “She seems the same, just twice as big,” replied Corky. The ship lifted off and flew across the sea. Lilia stood with Arthur in his study, looking at the Island that had been her prison for so long, but was now getting smaller and smaller as she left it for a better life.

  Jo joined them after she left the hull. “You have how much gold down there?!” she asked.

  “Enough, now what do we know about our path?” asked Arthur.

  “Well, we need to get to the Great Rim, which is thousands of miles away,” said Jo.

  “That path will lead to th
e south east of Discoucia, to the country of Portalia, which is on the far south east coast,” said Lilia.

  Arthur looked at the large map, and put his fingers to it. “I wish that I could make this bigger” he said. Suddenly, the whole map changed, and just focused on the group of islands between the coast of Portalia and the coast of Lesiga.

  “That’s amazing, how did you do that?” asked Jo.

  “I have no idea,” said Arthur.

  “Try it again,” said Lilia. Arthur then moved the map all around by sliding his finger and he could see all the places of the world, but again focused on the Luminosity Archipelago.

  “This is where we are bound, and it looks a bit different from when I last stayed there,” said Arthur.

  “What is the capital?” asked Lilia.

  “Arkellia, and the Palace of Azahad Sir Nabelle rules, but he has a big screw loose,” said Arthur.

  “And I assume that all the islands are ruled by Lords?” asked Lilia.

  “No, they are all ruled by Sirs or Ladies, who wanted their own islands to rule,” said Arthur.

  “Oh, how many islands are we visiting?” asked Lilia.

  “I don’t know,” said Arthur.

  The ship had now reached the shores of Cesta and it was now dark. “Could you do me a favour Jo?” asked Arthur.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Could you cut my hair please? I want to look slightly presentable when we see the High King again,” he said. Jo then went about sitting Arthur on a chair with his back and head across the banister, so all the hair would fall off the edge. When Jo was done, Arthur had the same hairstyle as he always did; only this time it was platinum instead of brown.

  “I think platinum is a good look for you, when do you ever see a guy with that colour?” said Jo.

  “I hope Archie can change it back,” said Arthur.

  “I don’t know, it depends on how she feels I suppose,” said Jo.

  Lilia had changed her look completely; she now wore a yellow version of what Jo wore, and her hair was now half purple and the front was now bright red. She felt a lot better to be in the company of friends rather than servants, since they didn’t fear her, but she found it difficult doing things for herself when she had originally been given everything she ever wanted.