For the next two months Diane managed to avoid Victor. She sent him on missions, kept him busy with all sorts of assignments but Victor was not dumb he knew what she was doing and eventually he made his way to her private chambers. Though the guard had been told no visitors she went in anyway and announced him. He was let in.
`What do you think you are doing?' he asked as he was walking in. he didn't care about the others in the room and they didn't know if they were supposed to leave or not.
`Victor,' she called but didn't go to him this time. She just stared at him through the mirror. `I had a feeling you would know but I guess I was wrong.' Victor didn't answer. He just stared hard at her. She decided to change the subject, ‘I want a competition to be arranged.'
`What kind of competition?'
`Fighting of course!'
`For what?'
`For everyone who wishes to compete in.'
`What's the grand prize?'
`I don't know,' she paused as she looked down on the desk she was sitting on. `The winner will gets to face Alice in a fight!'
`You are losing your mind you know that,' he said softly.
`I think my mind is clearer today than any other day,' she said not looking at him though their were tears in her eyes. He moved towards her but she raised her hand to him. `Not yet.' she was quiet for a long time then she said, `You have confidence in your student?'
`It is too soon for her to face anyone in a competition.'
`But this thing is happening, as soon as a week from now and if she wants to have me acknowledge her then she has to try. It will be some time before Alice is allowed to make appointments on her own. As long as five years at times.'
`Okay, I will make the announcement and any person who is willing and capable will be required to sign up within three days. The competition will commence in a week.'
`No cheating. I want a clean competition. Everyone who wins at the various stages of the competitions will be assigned to be the personal guards to any of the royals or if there is no other place then they will be given official duties and a medal of honor. You have all that?'
`Yes, your majesty.'
`Then start making the preparations.' Victor started walking to the door when Diane called him back. `I forgot. One more thing, no killing.' And Victor walked out without any other word.
The news traveled fast before Victor got organized to make the official announcement and within two hours the news had come to Gorham's castle where it got to Wendy. `You are Victor's student aren't you?' someone asked her.
`Yes,' she answered.
`I hear that you are certainly going to be in the competition.'
`Where did you hear that?' she asked curiously.
`Word travels around. Are you prepared?' she was asked.
`Prepared for what?'
`You are going to face some people who have been training all their lives. You have to be prepared. They will slaughter you.'
And Wendy was left wondering if it was true. She waited and every single minute that passed made her more worried. Victor didn't show up for the lesson. She figured he must be busy with the competition plans. She became so nervous that every time someone called her name she found herself startled.
Gorham noticed and called her back after she had dropped some books that he wanted. She was again startled, `Yes sir,' she went to him.
`What's going on?' he asked. He knew that Wendy probably found it strange that he was always concerned but she never commented on it.
`I heard that there is a competition in the Queen's arena and I am going to be in it.'
`What competition?'
`The announcement hasn't been made officially but what everyone is telling me is that I am definitely going to perform.'
`I haven't heard anything like that. Jared?' he called. His personal guard came into the study, `You've heard something about this competition?' he asked.
`Yes sir,' he answered.
`What did you hear?' Gorham asked impatiently.
`Anyone can register to compete. It is going to start within a week and the winner gets to fight Alice but there are other prizes before that.'
`What did you hear about Wendy here?'
Jared looked worriedly at Wendy and finally said, `It is said that the Queen requested that she be entered in the competition.' Wendy collapsed on the chair nearest to her and took a few deep breathes.
`Who's organizing this competition?'
`Victor Raymond, sir. He's expected to make the announcement today evening.'
`Thank you Jared.' the guard left.
`Can I be relieved from my duties in the library until after the competition, sir?'
`You are going to compete?' Gorham asked incredulously.
`Yes, if they both think that I am ready, then I must be ready.'
`She's probably organizing this competition as a ruse to get you killed.'
`Then I'd better not get killed. Can I take like two weeks, please sir?'
`Of course.' He watched as Wendy went away. He wondered where she may be going but he would get a report of that later. He was being updated that the training with Victor. So far he was just driving her hard but she seemed to be keeping up with him. She was running everyday in the morning then she would come to work and whichever time Victor saw fit he would come to get her from the library. She seemed to be getting better in her fighting every time according to the spy and now she was going to be in a competition that he knew she was in no way ready for. To Gorham he thought that Diane's obsession with Victor was probably the cause of this strange competition.
Wendy went home directly after coming from Gorham's study. She took the horse and rode home then took the weapons she had been given and mounted and headed to the general direction that Victor normally went to. She didn't know what she was doing but she found herself in Victor's compound. She just knew that that was his house. She didn't see anything special about the outside but she could bet anything that that was it. She dismounted and walked around the house.
She found a stable behind the house and put the horse in it. Now behind the house was different than the other houses. He had a poles which seemed to be used for target practice. There was a clear round patch on the grass but she didn't know what it was used for. She took the bow and arrows and tried to hit the pole nearest the house. She was good with the arrows and always seemed to hit the targets. Eventually she got tired of that and went to see to it that the horse had enough to eat then she went and sat in front of the house. Darkness fell and she found herself woken up by the sound of hooves. She sat up and watched Victor approach then dismounted the horse.
`I should have guessed you were here,' he said as he led the horse to the stable. Wendy stayed where she was until the door opened behind her. `Come in,' he said as he left the door open for her. She went into the house wondering how he had put on the lanterns so fast. She closed the door behind her and watched as he lit the wood in the fireplace. `Sit down,' he said then disappeared again.
She sat down and watched the fire for a while. She failed to notice Victor coming back. He put a plate in front of her with a spoon. `You haven't eaten, have you?'
`No,' she said as she looked at the plate. `What is this?' she asked as she looked at it. She had never seen anything like it before.
`It's a simple dish from where I am from,' he took a spoonful of the noodles and watched her. She took a half a spoonful as she tasted it and seemed to like it.
Finally after eating half the plate she turned to him, `Why is it a must for me to participate in this competition.'
`She thinks you are ready,' he said simply. He was standing by the fireplace with his plate almost cleared.
`Why would she think that?' she asked as she looked at her plate.
`Because you haven't quit yet.'
`So it's a way to get rid of me.'
Victor laughed for the first time with her around, `She doesn't want to get rid of you. She just thinks that you are ready and you will survive through most of it,' he paused but Wendy didn't say anything else, `She doesn't expect you to win.'
`Well, everybody else seems to think that she wants me dead and I am inclined to agree with them.' She looked at him. `Are you having an affair with her?'
`What answer do you expect?'
`Yes. Nothing else can explain her fascination with you.'
`No, I'm not having an affair with her.'
`Have you ever kissed her?'
`No.' he saw the relief on Wendy's face before he said, `However she has kissed me.' he went to put his plate down ignoring the questioning look on Wendy's face but he had her wait before he explained, `She thought I was someone else. It was a misunderstanding.'
`She has never kissed you again?' Wendy asked.
`No.' he looked at her, `You want something to drink?'
`Yes, water please.' He took the plates to the kitchen and came back with two cups handed one to Wendy. She took it as she looked at him. `Why are you being so nice to me?'
He was thoughtful for a minute as if wondering what the appropriate answer to that question was. `You are in my house. So what brought you here?'
`Yes, I asked for permission so that I can train this week and be ready for the competition next week. Do you have anything I could use in the competition?'
`Do you even know the rules?'
`No, I was here during the announcement.'
`First rule, no cheating.' Wendy frowned. `I can not tell you anything that will make you be at an advantage against the others.'
`But these are your rules. Can't you bend them?' Wendy asked. Victor shook his head. She started tapping her feet to the ground.
`You don't know how to relax, do you?'
`Not when I'm nervous, no.'
`Okay sit down on the floor and fold your legs.' He sat opposite her. `You have to relax. You know all that you need to know and if you start worrying then you will forget them all. All that you are required to do is keep from being seriously hurt and try your best to proceed in the competition. Close your eyes now.' She did that. `Stop thinking. You can listen to my voice but don't think anything about it. Don't answer any questions in your mind, don't think of putting what you feel in words. All I want you to do is follow my words. If they go down you go down. If they go up you rise up with them. Leave your mind blank.' Then he was quiet for a long time. Wendy started to worry that he was not going to say anything. `Stop thinking Wendy, you are interrupting me.'
She started to think. Well, say something...
`Stop,' he said a bit harshly.
Wendy let herself go. It took sometime but she managed to put everything else aside. Finally Victor started saying, `It is in your blood to be a warrior and not just a royal guard. You know everything that you need to know. Your weapons are your trusted allies and your horse your best friend. The environment is your protector.' He repeated the same thing over and over again as his voice faded. Then almost as if a slight breeze passed her she barely heard it. `You know where to go.'
She felt as if she were floating in the night she was covered with darkness all around her but she was calm. Then everything was changing all so slowly as the darkness transformed to light and everything around her was being molded into something. It settled into a field with long grass but the grass was drying up. There was a slight breeze and the sun was gentle on her skin then Victor showed up from nowhere.
`Where are we?' she asked starting to be worried.
`Relax,' he said in a soft voice as he looked at the horizon. It was like a storm brewing. She took deep breaths and saw that the storm was dissipating. `Very good,' he said smiling. `Come on, we will walk.'
He took her arm into his and started to walk. `Where are we going?' she asked.
`Really Wendy, you can't go five minutes before saying something, can you?' he asked but Wendy knowing that he didn't need an answer just kept quiet. `We are going to see your friends.'
She wanted to say something but she opted to keep quiet. They walked for almost an hour or maybe more but she couldn't tell because the sun wasn't moving. Victor seemed to be at ease and she envied him. Then he suddenly stopped. `You have to go on your own,' he said as he removed her arm from around his, `They have been waiting for you.'
`Where will you be?' she asked as calmly as she could.
`I'll be on this side. You can see me from there,' he said as he pointed and when she looked to that direction she saw a group of girls. She looked back at Victor and saw the reassuring look in his eyes. She started to walk toward the group without another word to him. As she approached the group one of them looked up first then the others looked up at her.
She continued to walk towards them and could finally see their faces. She was looking at five replicas of herself except their hair were pure white. One of them came and met her. They examined each other. Wendy stood still as the other one walked around her and then she touched her hair and came and stood in front of her. `How come your hair has white strips?' Wendy heard her voice ask.
`It's been like that ever since I could remember.' Wendy answered. She saw a smile slowly develop from the one standing in front of her.
She turned to the others and called out, `She's back girls, come say hallo.' she turned to her and said, `I'm Esther of earth.'
The others came around her and started introducing themselves one by one. `I'm Felicity of fire.'
`I'm Winfred of water.'
`I'm Lucy of light.'
`And I'm Daisy of darkness.'
Then Esther asked, `You are?'
`Wendy,' she answered surprised at the similar voices and faces.
`Just Wendy?' one of them asked unbelievably.
`No, Wendy Summer.'
`Of what?'
`Girls,' Esther interrupted, `She just got here. Can we at least welcome her first before heaping the questions at her.' They started to walk back to where they had been standing. `The rest have a strange thing about accepting someone new. They want to know everything on the first meeting.'
`Who are you?' Wendy asked.
`I thought I had answered you. I'm Esther,' she said then turned to the others, `Clear the path,' she ordered and the others stepped out of the way. Wendy watched curiously. Esther moved close to the others and seemed to be concentrating then she felt a tremor on the ground and watched as the ground slowly rose up and the soil on it cleared away. A smooth stone emerged and then it stopped when it was table height. Then smaller ones emerged. When it was done the others sat down. Esther pulled her to one of the seats.
`How did you do that?' Wendy asked.
`How did I?' she asked humorously. The others round the table laughed. `We can all control an element.' she saw the confused look on her face. `The hair,' she pointed at the other. `Shows that we are in complete control of our powers.'
`Powers?' Wendy asked shocked.
`Yes powers,' Esther narrowed her eyes. `You must have powers. You are one of us.'
`No I'm not. I just got here. I don't even know where here is?' she was panicking now. The storm cloud showed up at the horizon again and was making its way to them. Esther took Wendy's hand and a strange calmness took over her but she felt the light tremor on the ground.
`Wendy, there is no need to be scared.' She looked into her eyes. `We are friends.'
`Where am I?' she asked.
`We are in our mind.'
`Our mind?'
`Yes, our mind. We are you and you are every single one of us.'
`No,' she said standing up and taking her hand away from the former's. `I am Wendy.'
`And I'm Esther, she's Felicity, Lucy, Winfred and Daisy.' The storm got to them. There was thunder and the wind was blowing all around them. Esther was trying to say something to her. They started holding hands but Wendy was afraid. The wind came and took her and she felt she was rising up higher and higher much faster and so much violently. She screamed.
She suddenly sat up and found herself on a strange bed. She looked around the room and noticed the clothes that were hanging in a closet. Victor's clothes. She jumped out of the bed and ran outside. The sun was shining it was morning. She went to the stable and took her horse. She saddled it and mounted then she rode to her house. She found the house empty. In her room she examined herself and couldn't see any difference. It took her another hour to decide to go and ask Victor what happened.
When she got the castle she was informed that Victor was out at the arena where people were registering. She found a long line but didn't join it. Instead she walked right through and went to the desk where Victor was seated. He looked up and saw her but didn't say anything. The others in the line were starting to complain but she ignored them.
`I need to talk to you.'
`Then talk.'
`In private.' She commanded. Victor stood up and signaled to someone to take his place. She followed him aside and for some unknown reason to her, she was handed a bow and arrow. She thought that it was just for appearance.
`Hit the target.' She did so then turned to him. `What did you want to speak to me about?' he asked as he handed her another arrow.
`How did I end up in your bed?' she aimed the arrow and shot then turned to him again.
`Straight to the point, are we?' She frowned but he handed her another arrow. `I carried you there.'
`And where did you sleep?' she asked as she shot another arrow.
`On the chair.'Another arrow.
`What did you do to me?' Another shot.
`Nothing.'Another arrow.
`Are you sure?' she asked raising her eyebrow questioningly. Another shot.
`Yes, I'm sure. What do you think happened?' He handed over another arrow.
`Nothing.' she tried to avoid him. Another shot on the target.
He handed her another arrow. `I was expecting you to sleep for another day or two,' he said.
She lowered her arm and turned to look at him. `What's that supposed to mean?'
Victor pointed to the target. Wendy took another shot. `I thought you met your spirits?'
`Yes I met them if that was who they were.' She took another arrow. She shot. `You were there, you saw them.'
`No, I wasn't.' He handed another arrow.
`Yes, you were,' she insisted. She took the arrow as she studied him then she shot.
`If I was there then I was a figment of your imagination. I can not be in your mind.' He handed her another arrow.
`So what you are saying is that you were there because I wanted you to be there.'
`Yes. Now shoot.' She shot the tenth arrow without a miss. `How many were they by the way?'
She turned to him. She shrugged, `Five.' She noticed that Victor barely managed to stop his mouth from dropping. `Is that bad? Am I going crazy?'
`No, you are not. But do me a favor and try doing that again.'
`But I need you,' she suddenly uttered and her mouth stayed open with the shock of saying that to him. She looked away shyly. Victor took his time before he tilted her face to his.
`After I'm done here,' he said. She was going to say something but he added. `In the evening.' He walked back to the desk. Somebody came to her, `Congratulation. You are officially in the competition.' She started to walk away but Wendy pulled her back.
`What do you mean by officially in?' Wendy asked.
`You shot ten arrows to the target without a single miss,' she said then walked away. Wendy looked at Victor but he was busy. He hadn't even told her what was happening? What if I'd have missed? Would I have been disqualified? she wondered. But Victor knew that if she didn't worry about that then she would not miss. She went to another training field and watched as Alice was practicing. She was good. After a long time she went home and tried not to worry about that yet.
Gorham had been doing his research on wizards in order to understand Victor better. The information of wizards was very little in his own library. He knew that the bundle would be in Diane's library but he doubted whether she would agree to let him see through them but for now he had a reason to go to her castle. He had to see that the competition that Diane wanted did not go against any rules. He also wanted to know why Diane insisted on having Wendy in the competition.
He called up Jared to have someone send news to Diane that he wanted to see her. When the messenger came back and announced that she would see him at anytime. He took his coat and his carriage was called up. Jared took his horse and was riding alongside the carriage while the other guards were either in front or behind. The streets were cleared as the carriage went along.
Finally he was at the castle and Diane was waiting. She seemed like she didn't have anything better to do and that receiving him was the only thing in her agenda. The door opened and she was coming down the stairs. `Welcome,' she said as she put out her hand and he took her hand to his lips and kissed it slightly.
`What did I do to be received by the queen herself?' he asked as he put the hand back down.
`I'm just bored out of my mind,' she said smiling. She put her hand around his and dragged him into the castle. `What brings you here, Gorham?'
`The competition...'
`Yes the rules and the rights I have to hold such a competition?'
`Precisely.'
`Well, let me tell you the main things about it. The finer details will be handled by Victor.'
`Speaking of Victor, did you know that Wendy spent the night at his house?' he studied Diane but she appeared surprised.
`Did she?' her eyes were wide looking at him with interest.
`Yes she did.'
`Did anything happen?'
`No, not that I'm aware of. You really didn't know?'
`No,' she shook her head slowly as if in thought. Then she laughed suddenly, `Really Gorham, you and Nathan underestimate me.'
`How is that?' Gorham was confused.
`I am the one who assigns the guards to you. I hand pick them myself and that should tell you that they are the loyal ones that I pick. Then you use the same guards to spy on me or on someone else in my department like Victor. Obviously I will know about it.' She noticed Gorham looked at Jared who was with them. Jared never looked at them. He was continuing in the same walk as if he didn't hear a thing. Diane continued, `Of course I have your safety first and so I put at least one or two people who will be loyal to you and only you.'
`Jared?' he asked questioningly.
`He's all yours,' Diane answered then paused, `Of course if you part with him, I will be forced to reassign someone else to you.'
They got to her very small office but it was functional. They were left alone. `Is that a threat Diane?' he asked.
`Certainly not!' She sat down on the other side of the desk. `All I am saying is that, the loyal guards I put to each of you are supposed to put your safety first and should they be sent on spying missions that will not be of any advantage to you, protection-wise, then they are not doing their job.'
Gorham realized that this was the Diane that he had known before the arrival of Victor though she seemed older. Her eyes still had the youthful shine on them but her skin seemed to be creasing with age as her hair was thinning but one couldn't tell unless they watched her very closely like he always did.
`Please don't look at me like that,' he heard Diane say.
`Like what?' he couldn't take his eyes off her even then.
`Like you know that I am getting older.' Gorham didn't say anything. `Does age matter?' she asked herself. `Because I know I am getting older and I don't look as beautiful as I once was. And I know beauty is the first aspect of attraction.'
`Diane, I didn't come here to talk about that.'
`Well, I want to talk about it.' And just like that the old Diane was gone.
`You maybe older but you are still the same Diane who some people love, a few hate and everyone is afraid of,' Gorham tried to console her.
`Flattering. What brought you here?' she asked looking at him like it was the first time she had seen him.
`The competition?'
`Yes, well...' she paused for a while before she said. `The basic rules: no cheating and no killing. Is that alright with you?'
`Yes, those are the ground work to good competitiveness. But I don't see how no cheating will be taken if the person arranging the competition and setting up the fights is training one of the competitors.'
`You are talking about Victor and Wendy?' No reply from Gorham. `I have explained explicitly to Victor that there will be no cheating. If you have seen him fixing the matches or telling Wendy the strengths and weaknesses of her opponents then tell me and she will be disqualified.'
`Because of Victor trying not to get her killed?'
`No killing, remember? Anyway the student's morals are only as good as the teacher's. Should Victor cheat then he will be out of the royal guard and Wendy will never be able to be a guard.'
`That is setting the stakes too high.'
`No, that is being fair. A fair competition is what you want, don't you?'
`Yes.'
`Then that is what you will get.'
Gorham adjusted himself on the seat. `Diane, being fair should not be done only because I am here. It should be your own desire to have it in whatever you do.' Diane didn't even blink. `If you don't enforce that in what you do then what are you teaching Alice?'
`I don't teach fair. In the battlefield there is no fair. That will be your job to teach her morals. You are the most moral person around. Nathan is far from it and don't even think that I am close because if you knew everything that I have done...' And the old Diane was back. `You would think twice about the fact that you are in love with me.'
`Diane...' he tried to cut in.
`Don't try to tell me that I am wrong. I know it, everybody knows it and I know you know it. It is for the same reason that you keep your eyes closed to the bad that I have done. It is for the same reason that you fail to see what is right in front of your eyes but you will not admit it. You will not do what needs to be done.'
`I wanted to have a look at your books on wizards.'
She chuckled unbelievably, `Why don't you just ask me what Victor is doing here? You have to try to have theories about that when you could just ask and I will tell you the truth. You are afraid of the truth that is why you wouldn't dare ask.'
`I asked and you told me.'
`No you didn't. If I can remember correctly you said and quote; Did you? There was no question what I did and did not, no references to names, no nothing. You are afraid of the answer I might give you if you asked the right question.' She stared at him, challenging him.
`You want me to ask the questions?' he asked after sometime. Diane didn't answer. `You will just lie to me when you see fit.'
`I have never lied to you!' Their eyes were locked on one another's.
`Then answer me, why is Victor Raymond here?' he asked.
Diane leaned back on her chair, quite relaxed. She answered, `He is here for two reasons more or less related.'
`Do I need to ask again because you haven't answered the question.'
`No, I haven't answered the question.' she took a deep breathe before saying, `I am dying, Gorham.'
`That's why you are training Alice to take over. I know that.'
`No, you don't understand. I'm not talking figuratively. I do not mean that my line is dying, I do not mean that I have to step down,' she paused and saw the questioning look on Gorham's face. But she kept him waiting for a while then eventually said, `I am dying physically and I will join the spirits soon.'
Gorham was lost for words. He stared at Diane who seemed to have accepted her fate. Now that he looked at her he could see it. There wasn't an old Diane and a new Diane. There was just one who was still ruling and the other putting her affairs in order. He wanted to ask but he didn't know how. Instead he said, `You lied that Victor was just satisfying your craving for power.'
`No, it was true. After receiving the rejuvenating breathe for a long time you finally start craving for it more and more each time you receive it.'
`For how long have you been receiving it?' Gorham asked curiously.
`Almost two decades.'
`Two...' his jaw dropped. Diane didn't say anything. Again after a long pause he said, `Victor has only been here for five years at most.' Again Diane didn't reply. It was common knowledge that Victor had showed up approximately five years ago. `How did you get it before he got here?' he asked.
`Brief encounters with another.'
`You know of the existence of two of our foremost enemies and you keep it to yourself?'
`I wouldn't have if my life hadn't depended on it,' she said simply then got up. `Can we go for a walk?' Gorham stood up and they went out. She waved the guards away and they went out of the castle. They were walking with no one around them arm in arm. Privacy in the open, she thought. She turned to him, `You have something else that you want to ask?'
`Yes, you said Victor was here for two reasons,' pause, `What's the second reason?'
`I will answer that later. Any other thing?' she asked. They were heading to the training sectors.
Gorham thought for a while. `Why now? Why are you telling me all this now?'
`Because I am dying.' She laughed at that then