“Prophecy? Cursed Herald?” Mara questioned.
Isabella rolled her eyes. “Great, you’re now going to spill that drivel?”
Mara looked at her. “What is it?”
Isabella glanced back at her. “The Prophecy of Kallikratés foretells the return of the Dark One. An entity, known as the Cursed Herald, will break all the seals and awaken the great beast. However, the God-King shall return. Reborn as a human, he will return to his goddess’ side. Together, they’ll vanquish the Dark One and usher in a new Golden Age.”
While listening to Isabella, Mara could sense the disdain in her voice. It was obvious that Hema’s ruler wasn’t fond of the gods or the Faith. Even the two disciples noticed. Ignoring her tone, Mr. White approached Mara with a meek expression on his face.
“Ardana will be the first to face its wrath, then the rest of the world,” the old man added.
The commander rolled his eyes. “I don’t think it is mere coincidence. You’re the Cursed Herald. I’m sure of it.” He stared her in the eye. “You killed Heru. You broke a seal to the Dark One. Now I’m beginning to believe that you killed Saskia as well!”
She began to tremble. What nerve he had—accusing her of Saskia’s murder. There was more evidence on Lady Isabella and the Faith, and Mara was proven innocent. Now it seemed Commander White was shifting all the blame back onto her. She never heard of this Cursed Herald before. Sounded like he made this up on the fly.
Speaking of evidence and proof, Mara recalled the letter from Heru. She reached into her pouch and retrieved it. Everyone noticed.
“What is that?” Mr. White asked, looking at the letter.
“Heru had this,” Mara explained. “It was addressed to him and signed in my name, but I didn’t write this.”
“Then who did?” Isabella questioned.
“Before he died, Heru said a man gave him this last night,” Mara replied. “Whoever did this must be responsible.”
“The castle is guarded,” Hema’s queen responded. “The culprit must have been inside the whole time.”
The father continued to gaze at the letter. “May I see it?” Mara glanced back at him and decided to hand it over. With the letter in his hands, he began to study it. After a few seconds, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. “It can’t be,” he muttered.
Mara looked at him with a questioning glance. “What is it?”
Mr. White glanced at her. “I recognize this writing,” he replied grimly, and then he looked at Commander White. “It’s yours!”
The commander gaped at his father in confusion. Snatching the letter from the older man’s hands, his eyebrows furrowed while studying it. One hand held the letter while the other gripped the glass. Mara watched in surprise as Lady Isabella folded her arms in amusement.
“Seems we’ve caught the true culprit!” Lady Isabella gave a smug smile.
Commander White gave Hema’s ruler a death glare. “I didn’t write this letter, nor did I give this to Heru!”
“But Karl,” Mr. White said, “this handwriting is yours. Even I recognize it.”
The commander glowered at his father. “This is a mistake,” he began to shout. “I didn’t write this letter!”
Evan stepped forward. “Sir, my apologies, but I saw you deliver a letter to Master Heru last night.” Mara gazed at him. All the pieces came together. She looked back at Commander White. Even the steward wasn’t safe from his glare.
“No, I didn’t give him this letter,” Commander White maintained, but his composure began to falter. “I… I… don’t remember.”
Mara remained silent, unaware of the old man’s gaze on her.
“What do you think?” Mr. White addressed her. She glanced at him and noticed everyone looking at her. Even the commander’s fiery gaze fell on her.
“Yes, my dear,” Lady Isabella said. “What do you think?”
Mara folded her arms and pondered the evidence. “It’s obvious. He did it.”
A powerful force threw her off balance. She was on the ground in an instant with distorted vision. A stinging sensation could be felt on the left side of her face. Eventually, she came to terms with what happened. She was struck across the face, knocking her down. Mara glanced up to see the culprit responsible. Commander White glared down at her with a dark and angry expression. The rage radiating from his face made him appear demonic.
“How dare you make such accusations?” Commander White raged. “What do you know? Nothing!” He threw his glass down, shattering it into several shards. Mara winced, hoping to not get any glass in her eyes. Taking the letter, he ripped it up.
Everyone looked on in shock as he destroyed a crucial piece of evidence before their eyes. Even Mr. White was stunned at his son’s behaviour. He stepped in between the two.
“Please, let’s calm down.” The old man gazed at Mara. “This is all a misunderstanding.”
Evan approached Mara and helped her to her feet. She looked down at the ground, not wanting to look at anyone, especially the commander.
“Hitting a woman and unprovoked too,” Lady Isabella said, frowning at the commander. She folded her arms. “Thought you followers of the Faith possessed a shred of decency, but it seems I was proven wrong… again.” She gazed at Evan. “Take her to her room. Make sure her injuries are tended to.”
Evan bowed, and then escorted Mara to her room. She could still sense the commander’s hateful glare on her.
“It seems I may have to reconsider our treaty,” Isabella said, but Mara heard no more of their conversation. Evan escorted her to her room, where she was to rest for the next couple of hours.
***
Mara sat on the edge of her bed, feeling the left side of her face. It still stung from the hit.
“Are you okay?”
She looked up and saw Isabella in the doorway. Standing up, Mara shook her head. “I’d be lying if I said I was,” she grumbled.
Isabella folded her arms and gazed down at the floor. “Unbelievable,” the ruler muttered. “He would stoop so low to hit a girl, regardless if they were human or not.”
“That’s okay,” Mara said. “I know he’s drunk.”
“Yes, but still,” Lady Isabella continued, “the Holy Blades are the largest guild in Ardana, yet they let him be Commander. I’d never allow such a man to become captain of my knights.”
Mara shook her head. “He’s been struggling since the death of his wife. His father told me.”
Isabella tilted her head to the right. “I see. Perhaps I should have helped him overcome these issues as well?”
“I guess…” Mara changed the subject. “You think he orchestrated Heru’s death?”
Isabella gazed back at her. “Is it not human nature to get defensive when caught? Besides, they’re followers of Kallikratés. I do not trust them.”
“Why would they do it?” Mara asked.
“Heru was very critical of Kallikratés. Long ago, he was once a loyal general to the gods, but was assassinated thanks to a rumour.”
“What was the rumour?”
“He was conspiring to murder the God-King and take his place,” Lady Isabella explained. “The King found out and ordered his assassination. Since then, he never trusted them.”
Mara began to wonder if the deaths of Saskia and Heru were Kallikratés’ doing. Master Harold mentioned their notorious reputation of being intolerant. Her thoughts and views were aligning with that of Hema’s queen.
“Saskia suspected the Faith’s involvement in Khan’s disappearance,” Mara revealed.
“Is that so?” Isabella turned away. “Khan was also very critical of them. The gods and their followers were responsible for the loss of his daughter.” She gazed back at her. “Does Master Harold know about this?”
“Yes, and he warned me about Kallikratés.”
“I see,” Isabella smiled. “You’re very smart to not cross the Faith.” She beckoned her. “We shall have dinner soon. Come, join us.”
Joining
Isabella, they both walked to the dining hall.
“We need to solve the murders of Saskia and Heru,” Mara muttered.
“And finalize the treaty, which is why Commander White and his father are here.”
“Master Harold mentioned this. Also overheard you talk about it.”
“Yes, according to Kallikratés, my outlawing of the Faith is an attack on religion,” Lady Isabella said. A frown formed on her face. “But I believe they are corrupt and power-hungry, as they have been since the gods came into existence. After the fall of the old kingdom, the Faith has dwindled in Ardana. Now they target my kingdom to hold onto whatever power they have left. That priestess threatened war if I don’t accept the terms.”
Mara stared at Isabella with wide eyes. “She threatened war?”
The ruler’s face grew more grim. “Yes, it’s very unfortunate. After witnessing the commander’s behaviour, I reconsidered my position on the treaty. Unfortunately, I was reminded of the consequences for refusing. The Holy Blades outnumber my knights. Mirahyll is controlled by the Faith and Davis is nothing but a puppet. The Silver Thorns prefer neutrality and their numbers are dwindling. So, I’m left with fewer options.”
Mara looked away. “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you outlaw the Faith?”
“Kallikratés and their gods murdered my family.”
Mara was surprised to hear this.
“Yes, I remember it as if it were yesterday,” Isabella began her tale. “While their empire grew, many kingdoms fell. But my family, the proud Bartharoy Royal Family, stood in their way. We wielded a mighty army, preventing them from advancing north. We were matched and neither side won. In order to prevent further bloodshed, we agreed on a peaceful truce. We were to be a vassal—allowed to keep our kingdom and rule as long as we worshipped the gods. However, they betrayed us.”
“What happened?”
“They were power hungry and wanted no opposition. Kallisto had her followers poison my family. Kratés rallied his armies and decimated our military, destroyed defenceless villages, and slaughtered several innocents.”
“I’m sorry,” Mara murmured.
Isabella gave a sympathetic smile. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Her grim expression lightened up. “My family may be gone, but I remain. The strange magic of this land allowed me to return. I was fortunate to witness the fall of that kingdom. It was such a wonderful night to see the Dark One emerge and raze their palace to the ground.”
Mara looked disturbed. “So many people died.”
Isabella gazed at her. “It’s true. I remember the day Master Harold approached me, asking me to join him and five others to seal the Dark One away. I agreed to help and in exchange I requested two things: to be reinstated as the rightful ruler of Hema and demand compensation for the crimes committed against my people. Unfortunately, the gods were gone and the Faith refused to acknowledge my request. So, I took my land back and outlawed the worship of Kallikratés as long as I remain ruler.”
Mara was quite impressed with Isabella’s story. Despite hearing such praise for the gods, not many ever revealed what they were truly like. Not many were willing to talk about the peace and prosperity at the cost of several lives. One side would say that it was justified, but what about the other side? Lady Isabella was once a victim of their cruelty, someone on the other side.
“Very sorry to hear that, but can’t you use recent events as leverage?” Mara asked.
Isabella gazed at her. “Ah, yes—the attack on Hemal,” she said. “Under normal circumstances, justice would have been dealt. The commander would’ve been hunted, yet you chose to spare him.”
Mara shook her head. “You can’t persecute him?”
“The Faith will come to his aid. I’ll be on the losing side.”
“So, he’s untouchable?”
“I’m afraid so,” Isabella replied. “He’s very important to the Faith. They’ll never let anything happen to him.”
“Why is he so special?” Mara asked.
Isabella smiled. “You seem so curious about him—do you care for Commander White?”
Mara’s face heated up. “No! Not after what he did.”
“You sure? I’ve seen your eyes upon him at the meeting a few days ago. He would’ve been a true prince had he not done or said those things to you.”
Her face grew hotter. Mara didn’t want to admit she was infatuated with him, though it was all plain to see. Who else knew about her attraction to the commander? She felt embarrassed, knowing her gawking had drawn the attention of others.
“Oh, you poor thing… you love him, but he’ll never return your feelings,” Isabella cooed.
“I…” Mara didn’t want to admit to being in love, but she’d be lying to herself.
“I can help you,” Isabella offered.
Mara looked back at her in confusion. “How?”
Reaching out with her cold hands, Isabella took Mara’s face. The vampire guided her eyes to her own. Seeing her glowing red eyes, Mara became paralyzed. She felt something come over her. Isabella’s glowing eyes drew her in.
“Turn off your humanity,” she ordered.
“What?” This confused Mara. She didn’t know what Isabella was doing to her.
“You’re no longer human. They fear us, but humans commit more crimes to their own kind.”
“But… I…” Mara’s words became slow. So hard to think when looking into Isabella’s eyes.
“You are one of us. Now, turn it off.”
A part of her began to fade away. Like being stranded in a vast ocean, she sank deeper into the darkness. A distant voice told her it was okay and the fear melted away. Mara felt light-headed, like a weight being lifted off of her shoulders. She no longer had a care in the world. All the terrible things she endured became a distant memory.
“There, that must feel much better,” Isabella said, releasing Mara’s face. “It’s for your own good, to become what you’re meant to be.”
She blinked at Isabella with faded eyes. Mara remained silent, while the ruler of Hema smiled at her.
“Let’s go to dinner. Our guests are waiting for us.” Isabella walked ahead of her.
Mara’s motions were slow and robotic, trailing behind Hema’s queen.
***
The two finally reached the dinner table. Commander White and his father were already seated. They noticed the stiff movements of Mara, but remained quiet. She turned to stare at the commander with cold eyes. He glared at her, still mad about her accusation. He should get over it. She ignored his fiery gaze and sat down. Mr. White watched her, appearing more concerned.
“I apologize. We were having a conversation,” Isabella explained, gesturing to Mara. The father and son exchanged glances. They looked at Mara for confirmation. After a few seconds, Mr. White gazed at Isabella while Commander White kept his eyes on Mara.
“That’s fine,” Mr. White said.
Commander White watched Mara with folded arms. “What did you two talk about?”
Mara gave him a cold stare and removed her mask.
“None of your business,” she replied in a cold tone. Mara gazed down at her plate and began to eat, ignoring the commander’s angry expression.
“Excuse me?” Commander White hissed.
Even Mr. White looked surprised. “Oh my… How rude!”
Isabella smiled at her. “There’s no need for hostility.” She looked at the two men. “I’d be glad to talk about our conversation.”
Armoured guards filled the room. The two men looked around, stunned by the number of knights surrounding them. All the exits were blocked. Mr. White looked frightened while Commander White scowled at Isabella.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Commander White questioned. He gazed at Mara, who was still eating. She didn’t acknowledge the guard’s presence. Even he was taken aback by her lack of response. He looked back at Isabella.
The ruler of Hema took a sip from her wine glass. She pulled away and gazed
at her guests. “I think you already know,” she said dismissively. “Perhaps now you want to confess?”
The commander rose from his seat, glaring at Isabella. His father joined him.
“That accusation is ridiculous, even you know that!” Commander White exclaimed.
“Why would we kill them? Chances are, it was you!” Mr. White cried.
“Once again you blame me.” Isabella rolled her eyes. “Yet you have no evidence. The Faith had more reason to kill Saskia and Heru than I do. And I’m going to get the truth out of you, one way or another.”
The guards closed in around them. The commander and his father looked around, but escape was impossible. Commander White glanced back at Mara, noticing no change. The old man gazed at her.
“Please, you must help us,” Mr. White pleaded, but his cries fell on deaf ears.
Commander White stared at her in anger. “How can you sit there and eat? Don’t you see what’s going on?”
Mara didn’t respond. She could not care less what was happening to them. Angered, he slammed his hands on the table, causing everything to jump.
“Answer me goddammit! What the hell is wrong with you?” Commander White shouted with intense hatred burning in his eyes. She froze for a moment.
“Not my problem,” she said in a singsong voice, as if to taunt him. He glared at her in bewilderment. The guards grabbed them. Mara watched as they shouted and screamed, yet nothing would make her move.
Isabella smiled at her. “You’re welcome to join us anytime.”
Mara watched Lady Isabella leave. The guards hauled Commander White and his father to who-knows-where. They yelled and shouted, demanding to be released. Eventually, the dining hall grew silent.
Evan approached to serve her. She gazed at him and pointed to her plate.
“Can I have more gravy please?”
Chapter Nine
Change of Heart
After finishing her dinner, Mara pulled her mask back up. Evan guided her to another location. While being led down the hallway, she wondered how Isabella will get a confession from the father and son. Her movements remained stiff, but her muscles began to relax. She could move more freely.
The Lost & Cursed Page 11