`Charles, I wanted to tell you that my son Timothy will be coming to see me for the holidays. He will be staying here with me.'
Charles faced Greta unbelievably, `You know he's not supposed to come here.'
Charles was the butler and Greta was the head maid. Between the two of them, Charles was older and had lived in the secluded mansion longer. They had their own houses out of the mansion and at the moment there were no inhabitants in the mansion and it seemed eerie. But they did the general things like keep the compound tidy and clean the main rooms once in a while.
Charles was apparently worried that Greta forgot the rules. Outsiders weren't supposed to come to the house unless it was approved off by the boss. But the boss hadn't been around for almost two years and there was no one besides Charles to make that decision.
`Charles, he grew up here, he can come over and see me.'
`You are forgetting that he spent most of his life in boarding schools like the rest of our children. He only came here for the holidays and even then he spent most of that time visiting relatives.'
`But you just said it. He come over for the holidays, why can't he come over now?'
`Because Mr. Clay isn't here to approve of it.'
`Well I already told Tim to come over. It might take him a week to get here because they are coming by road and he is traveling with friends.'
`Then why did you ask?' Charles looked over the finances. Mr. Clay was very thorough and always wanted every cent explained for.
`I just wanted you to know, in case you see him walking about in the compound.'
`I'm not giving you my permission because it wouldn't mean a thing. Just promise me he will not head off to the house. We don't know when Mr. Clay will return and it is best that we do not surprise him with anything.'
`He hasn't been back in two years and all I'm asking for is three months at most unless Tim wants to go stay with his father.'
`I would prefer if he stayed with his father,' Charles stood up. The books were perfect for today.
`Well, I raised him and deserve to spend some time with him too.'
`I agree,' he caught Greta by the arms, `But you can get a time off and spend the time with him.'
`Twenty four hours with someone in college?' she appeared shock by the suggestion. `We would both die.'
`And that could happen if he does something wrong or says something wrong or even shake the wrong person's hand.'
`I get it. I will keep him away from the house,' she smiled. Charles nodded and left the table with the account book. Every month they got funds that payed the employees and paid for the maintenance of the house. It was also supposed to feed everybody and the remainder of the money was left in the account.
When Mr. Clay returned and checked the books confirming that everything was in order then the extra money would be the bonus of everybody. Though this was done it was unacceptable to limit the use of money so as to get a higher bonus.
The employees were paid handsomely and their children's school fees were paid by the boss. Their salaries were theirs to use as they wished and by age fifty they would be in line for retirement. Greta was getting close but it was not yet time. Charles on the other hand was above fifty but he was still there. He hadn't requested a retirement because he was very comfortable at the house. Unlike the others, he lived inside the house sometimes and knew most of it secrets, something that the others had a disadvantage over.
He had grown up in the house and was educated out of it like all the others though he came back and requested to work in the house. The pay was good, the advantages were unbelievable but he liked the mystery of the owner Mr. Clay.
He was fifty six and in all his years he had never seen him age a day and that was why he disappeared most of the time. He had something going everywhere and had to check on all of them, but he knew that the boss was about to come back and though he didn't know it, he was right!
Three days later, the elimination process had begun. There were several groups of people standing in line. They went into the arena fifty at a time. This wasn't much for watching because they would shoot arrows until half of them missed shots and then another group would coming in. Victor was watching the proceedings and every time half of them would go away, he would watch as the other half would go and register their names again.
It didn't seem fair that some of the groups had everyone almost perfect in archery but it was fate. They believed the even in the groups where only a hundred arrow would be the separating factor there were bound to be very good horsemen in there and there was bound to be good swordsmen in there also. He saw Diane and Gorham coming to him at the corner of his eyes but he didn't react. Lately they have been doing almost everything together and people were already used to them. Besides they had better things to do than gossip.
`Victor,' she called to him.
He turned to them. Gorham had his hands around her possessively. `Yes, your Highness.'
`How is everything going?' she asked as they walked to him.
`Very well.'
`Really?' but she didn't want an answer to that and so he kept quiet. `Join us please.' she said as they walked away. It was until they didn't have anyone around them that she spoke. `Has your student succeeded?'
`No.'
`What do you mean by no?'
`She's still asleep.'
Gorham raised his eyebrow questioningly but none of them noticed. `She's not supposed to sleep for so long. You have to wake her up.'
`The last time she woke up herself. I didn't need to wake her.'
`The last time she was scared and that was why she came out of it but I suspect that she has gotten comfortable with her spirits by now. If you don't wake her up she will fail to know the difference between reality and what's in her mind!' she seemed worried.
`How am I supposed to wake her up?'
`You were taught how to take someone to the deepest part of their mind but failed to be taught how to bring them back?' she asked incredulously.
`I was in a hurry to get here on time.'
`Okay,' she took deep breathes then finally said, `To bring her out of it, you have to form a connection with her. A strong bond.'
`How?'
`You have to kiss her.'
`Really?' he asked her narrowing his eyes at her.
`Yes really. If you have a better idea then say it.'
`Why kissing her?' he asked still not sure.
`She has to want to come back and that is the only way.' She watched Victor go home. Later when she was alone with Gorham she laughed and told him that anybody can be lied to.
Victor went home and went to the bedroom where Wendy had been sleeping peacefully for three days. Aside from a few tosses and turns she was in a perfect sleep. He brushed the hair off her face and wondered why it had come to this. He knew it was a bad idea but it was the only one he had. He leaned over her and his lips slowly brushing on hers. He felt an electric shock go through him and his heart started beating faster.
Wrong or a bad idea he wasn't backing down now. His hand went behind her head and held her head slightly up and kissed her full lips. He could feel her mouth opening to him and pulled back. `Wendy,' he called but no reply. She still wasn't conscious. He leaned over her again and the kiss came naturally this time. He'd wanted a woman to love so much but had held back. His life was too complicated, but now here was the one he had actually come to desire to be with. Her lips were responding to his and it was becoming more passionate as it was deepening. Her fingers dug into his hair as her other arm went around him. He held her up as he felt her body pressing on to his.
`Victor,' she managed to whisper. Slowly the kiss got less passionate and he slowly pulled away from her. He stayed there with closed eyes for a long time with neither of them moving. Then Victor stood up.
He walked to the door and said without turning,`You have to eat something.' He didn't want to look at her, not now because he wouldn't be able to stop himself from going back to her. He was afraid that he might see what he needed to see and would be distracted from his main mission. God! He had watched her for almost five years and knew he was drawn to her. He had his own reasons for coming here but the reasons for him had changed considerably over the years and Diane knew. She must have always known. It was hard to hide anything from that woman.
Wendy finally came to the living room. She seemed fine for someone who had slept straight for three days. Victor already had food for her on the table. Though she wasn't hungry, she ate anyway. `You have to be at the arena,' he said trying to forget the taste of her mouth and the feel of her lips but every time he licked his lips he remembered.
`How long have I been asleep?' she asked before drinking the water on the table.
`Three days.'
`Oh!' she exclaimed then got up. `Then I have to get to the arena now.' She suddenly stumbled and was falling. She didn't know how Victor got to her so fast but he caught her before she fell.
`Are you okay?' he asked still holding her.
`You kissed me?' her eyes were on his.
His own eyes shifted from hers to her lips then back again to the eyes. `Yes,' he answered simply.
`Okay,' she said. `You can let go of me now.'
But Victor held on. `Are you okay?' he asked.
`Yes,' she said as she pulled herself up. She didn't add anything more to it and neither did he. They proceeded to the arena where the competitors were continuing with the archery. She had to wait until she was called like the others. She went through everything as if she was still in a trance. She walked to the arena and was shown where to stand. She had no idea the number of people who were watching her.
Later on Diane called Victor to her study. She was there writing her journal and looked up at Victor. `Was she fine?'
`Wendy? Yes she was fine.'
`Was she herself?'
`No, but that was a good thing.' Diane was looking at him questioningly. `She doesn't do so well when she is under pressure the way most people do.'
`You can not underestimate her.' There was no words spoken to that. `How many spirits can she see?' Diane asked curiously.
`Five.'
`Including herself, six. She can control all the six elements?'
`It seems so.'
`She is very powerful.' She looked at Victor trying to see what was in his mind. She couldn't see any difference therefore she said, `Her father will be very protective of her.'
Victor sighed, `I'm just doing my job, Diane. Don't add things that aren't there.'
`Hm,' she said thoughtfully but decided to change the subject. `It will be soon.'
`What?' he asked not expecting that.
`I am about to die. What I want to know is how you will transfer my spirit.'
`I will need one of your possessions. Something that she can put on and carry around easily.'
She reached inside one her drawers and brought out a necklace with a diamond hanging from it. It didn't seem like it was from around there but it was familiar. She handed it to him. `Will that one do?'
He studied it and wondered where she got it from but didn't ask. He just nodded. `When do you expect...'
`Very soon. I doubt that the competition will even end.' Victor was waiting for something more and so she added, `Nathan is plotting something and it will be big. If I know him well enough I would think that he is going to involve Alice in on it.'
`You could just tell Gorham your theory and he will shut him down in whatever it is,' Victor suggested.
Diane smiled a very weak sad smile as she shook her head, `No, I have changed fate several times and it is about time that I let the events flow the way they are supposed to.' She paused as she scratched her head in thought. `I will also want you make sure that my diary gets to him and is read by no one else before him.'
`That is easy, anything else?'
`Yes,' she looked straight into his eyes. `Take care of her. I have written a letter.' She handed him a letter from underneath the diary. `Give this to her when she is ready.'
`How will I know that she is ready to read this?'
`After she meets her father.'
`And when will I give her the necklace?' he asked looking at the necklace in his hands.
`That, I will leave to you, but I would prefer you give it to her before she is overwhelmed with her powers.'
Nathan was in a position where he didn't know what was going on because he was now out of the loop. Gorham was mainly always with Diane which meant that he was a third wheel to the two. He preferred to stay out of it completely. But his mind was at work. He was going use this in order to boost his career. He was going to become an indispensable asset to the council.
He knew about Victor being a wizard and since Gorham wasn't watching his back every single second then he could do whatever he wished. He found out more about wizards and realized that they had all disappeared for sometime and this was the first time that a wizard was heard from for a long time. He also realized the danger that they possessed.
If he were the one who brought this under the attention of the council then he would be considered a patriot unlike Gorham was aiding and abetting Diane in causing a danger to the people. He would then be under the protection of the council and if anything were to happen to cause Gorham to re-examine his appointment then the council will stand by him. He realized that he could even throw Diane out of the power that she was not willing to leave and he would form an alliance with Alice who was going to be the next queen.
Yes, if he did things right he would be unstoppable and even more powerful than Gorham. Queen Alice will be on his side as the council which was headed by Alice's father will be. Gorham will be one man standing against an army and the people.
He stood up and headed to Diane's castle which will very soon be called Alice's after being informed that Diane was out going to Gorham's castle. He didn't want to meet with one of the people he was going to over throw. He asked to speak with Alice and he was taken to the study where she found him. He waited until they were left alone.
Alice started, `I'm not the queen yet. I'm sure the person you want to talk to is Diane.'
`No, I'm here to speak to the right person.'
Alice was still not convinced in whether he was not out of his mind but she went to sit down on Diane's chair and signaled him to sit down opposite her. `Okay, so you are here to see me.'
`I have a proposal to make to you.'
`I'm sure you aren't talking about marriage because you are married.'
`You are right,' Nathan studied her. She was pretending to know what she was doing but he could see she was clueless. If he was going to get through to her he had to pretend that she was the one calling all the shots. Pride was the one thing that he could use to get her to his side. He continued, `I am here to see to it that both our careers get a boost from what is going on these days.'
`What do you mean by boost? I am the next queen, what more can I ask for?'
`You are the next elected queen and if you are elected like me,' he paused and looked right through her eyes, `You can be replaced just as easily.' He saw the reality dawn in her eyes but she tried to keep her face straight. If Nathan had been talking to Diane he would have been shooting arrows through the dark expecting to hit a target which he would not even know he had hit. With Diane he would have been blind but here, he could see clearly when he was getting through or not.
Alice didn't say a thing and so he continued, `I need your help.'
`In what?' she finally asked.
`You will become the queen in a few months assuming that Diane steps down.'
`She is going to step down now that I'm here...'
`Here doing what? You are being treated like another high profile guest in the castle and she is supposed to teach you. What has she taught you?' Alice had no answer. `She has just accepted you here so that she can buy time and continue ruling. She is playing everybody and Victor...' he stopped as he noticed the change in her.
`What about Victor?' Alice narrowed her eyes at him in anger. But Nathan knew to get her completely under her control he had to be willing to hit hard sometimes.
`You like him just like every other young woman does. You want to marry him?'
`I have to marry the best warrior provided that he is not already married.'
`Yes, but does he feel the same about you?' he didn't wait for an answer as he continued, `You heard that Diane's husband, Eric tried to kill her a few days ago?'
`Everyone knows.'
`Have you talked to him about what happened after?' he was leaning back on the chair.
`It's none of my business.'
`Well, I took the liberty of doing just that. He said something interesting about what happened when Victor came to give him his sentence?' Alice stared at him stubbornly then she relented and nodded. `He said Victor did something to him. He couldn't move because Victor waved his hand to him and pinned him to the wall after the chains had miraculously dropped from his limbs. Then it was like a hand was squeezing air out of his chest and he couldn't breath. He knew for sure that he was going to die.'
`What are you saying?' Alice asked seemingly worried.
Nathan took his time before saying, `A few months ago I found out something shocking about Victor and only partly shocking about Diane.' Alice was hooked. `Victor is a wizard!' he said.
Alice smiled as if it was a joke. `Wizards don't exist anymore. You must be wrong.'
`Yes, the story that they have all been hunted down or are dead naturally,' he paused. `I heard Diane say it from her own lips.'
`But...' she was lost for words. She knew what it meant to have a wizard around. She had after all read the diaries of the other queens. `We have to tell the council,' she started standing up.
`No.'
`Why then did you tell me?'
`I wanted you to talk to your father alone before you inform the council.'
`Why?' she stared at him curiously.
`Well, I have been considering that for some time now but I think that telling the whole council at the same time will not work.' Alice was about to ask again but Nathan beat him to it. `If they all know at the same time then they will have to deliberate on it before seeing any evidence whatsoever and the delay may just be enough for Diane to cover her tracks.'
`Okay.'
`I wanted you to tell your father and he will give us the best way to handle it.'
Alice thought for a long time then said, `What evidence do you have to give if he asks?'
`Eric will testify to what Victor did to him, I have a spy who will say what he did to Diane whenever he went to see her.'
`Is that all?' Alice asked unbelievably.
`No, you can call Gorham and I to testify.'
`Gorham? Diane has her claws right into him. He would never testify.'
`He will, maybe not as much as we would like but he will.'
`Okay, who else?'
`What do you know about Wendy?' Nathan asked.
Alice thought. The only Wendy she knew was the one who was Victor's student. `I'm assuming that you are talking about Wendy, Victor's student?'
`Yes, the one and only.'
`Well,' she thought some more. `The only things that I know about her is that she is very ambitious and a hard-worker.'
`Besides Diane, the only other person that he spends so much time with is her. If anyone is to know that he is a wizard, it is her.'
`How can you be sure that she would know something?' Alice asked him.
`Apparently she has spent four consecutive nights at his house.' Nathan saw Alice's eyes narrow again in anger. `She seems to be the only one who has managed to get close to him.'
`And if she has become so close to him then how can you be sure that she will say anything about him? The last thing I know someone in love would do is say something to destroy the object of their affection.'
`You are forgetting that she is very ambitious. If we tell her exactly what she needs to hear then she could say anything in the world.'
`You are trying to compare ambition to love.'
`Nobody said that she is in love with him and even if she is I'm sure I can talk to her and change her mind. I am very good at my job.'
This time he could see that Alice was starting to suspect him of his motives but she didn't say anything. `When do you want me to tell my father?'
`Today if possible.'
`Hm,' she said. Then out of nowhere she asks, `What did you find about Diane?'
`Diane will never step down when Victor is still around.'
When Diane was done with Victor she got into her carriage and was taken to Gorham's castle. She found him as usual in the library. He was peering through the books on the table. He didn't notice her arrival. She sat some distance away and just watched him until he was finally closing the books. He looked up at her and a smile broke through the tired face. Diane walked to him and kissed him on the forehead and then the lips.
He stared at her with nothing to say and she stared back. He eventually stood up and took her in his arms. `Have I ever told you that I always remember our first kiss every time I see you?'
`No,' she said shaking her head and then she smiled, `When was the first kiss anyway?'
Gorham squeezed her slightly. `It was right here in the library.'
`Hmm, it must have slipped my memory.'
`Liar,' he said as he looked at her and they laughed at how true that was.
Diane stopped laughing before him and she heard his tired laugh, `You are so tired.'
`I just need to be with you.'
`We are going to get some fresh air. This library is stuffy.'
`Why am I not surprised?' he smiled and took her hand as he led the way out of the library and finally out of the castle. They started to walk toward the huge field. Jared followed but not too close. He was careful to give them privacy. They didn't talk for sometime until Diane found a nice spot to sit down. Jared left them and headed back to the castle. They were in clear view from the castle and so there was no need to keep a close watch. Gorham had been watching her throughout and noticed there was something wrong. `You want to talk?' he asked her.
Diane didn't answer for a long time that Gorham thought that she really didn't want to talk. `You see the stars?' she asked as she looked up.
`Yes,' he answered.
`What do you think of them?'
Gorham looked up again and thought of something to say. He turned to Diane but her eyes were on him. `They are stars, bright and they twinkle.'
Diane smiled and tilted her head back up. `A wise friend of mine told me something about them a long time ago,' she started, `He said that the stars we see are billions of years far from us. And I asked him, what is a billion? Do you know what he told me?'
`No,' Gorham answered. Instead of looking at the stars he was looking at her. For some strange reason he felt that she was about to reveal to him something big. So he listened and watched her.
`He told me that a billion was a lot. And then he continues to say that some of them are even dead before we see them.' Her head fell down at this point and she started concentrating on her nails instead. `And others are dead but we continue seeing them. Others are still alive when we see them and then there are those that shine but we can see them because they are so far away.'
`Your friend told you this?'
`Yes.'
`Do I know him?' Gorham fished.
`No,' she looked up again. `I really didn't want to come back here.' A tear trickled from her eye and Gorham wiped it. `I tried to do everything I could not to come back and I know it was wrong.' She covered her face in shame as she sobbed.
Gorham patiently waited then asked, `What was so wrong that you did?'
She took a deep breathe, `I tried to seduce him. Every single night that I had the chance, I tried to get him to sleep with me.' Gorham had enough common sense not to interrupt. `But a wise man he was. He knew what I was up to and maintained a distance from me. If possible we would go into one of the villages and he would put me in a room as he himself spent the night somewhere else. I tried for a long time . Knowing that I was approaching home he came to me and asked, Why?'
`Why what?' I asked.
`Why do you want to sleep with me?'
`I didn't know the answer to that question so I blurted out, `Because I just want to.' He thought my answer was not true and so he told me about the stars. I looked at him like he was crazy. I was asking myself why the story about stars was relevant in this case. I asked him and do you know what he told me?' she looked at him her eyes glistened.
`No,' Gorham couldn't believe what she was telling him.
`He said that the past has a way of catching up with the future.'
`Did you have the right answer?'
`Yes,' a long pause, `But I didn't tell him.'
`I'm assuming something happened...'
`Yes,' she looked away from him but Gorham turned her head back to him but she looked down. `I was right at the edge of the city and could have just walked back in but I hesitated. He told me he knew who I was and I told him I knew who he was. We stared at each other probably wondering the same thing and he came up to me the second time and kissed me. It was an experiment.'
`An experiment which lead you to his bed?' Gorham asked a bit harshly.
`No,' she was shaking her head, `The attraction was there. I can't deny it. I wanted him for a lot of different reasons all rolled into one. He was attractive, intelligent, knew almost everything about everything and he wanted me. Most of all he reminded me of you.'
`You slept with him because he reminded you of me?' Diane didn't answer. `So, did you spend the rest of your time missing with him?'
`I got pregnant shortly afterward.'
`He left you?'
Diane laughed uneasily, `No, he was scared though. He told me I couldn't carry the baby and I was against doing anything against the baby. You should have seen him,' she said and for the first time she really laughed as she remembered:
`What do you mean you are pregnant?' he was pacing around as Diane was seated down.
`Henry, I know my body and everything is telling me that I am pregnant. Don't you believe me?'
Henry sat down opposite her and eyed her curiously, `Don't you know what happens to the women who are impregnated by wizards?'
`I know Henry. I'm from the Izanami clan.'
`Then why do you want to keep the baby?' Henry was confused as he searched her face for any answer.
She stood up and headed to get something to drink. `I want to keep it.'
Suddenly Henry was behind her and holding her close to his body. He was breathing deeply into her ears. His arms were around her over her abdomen and then one of his hands went lower caressing her thigh slowly leaving Diane wondering what he was up to. He breathed on the skin on her neck and his mouth was trailing her neck as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to kiss her. Her heart was beating very fast and she found her eyes closed. `Tell me why you want to keep the baby?' he whispered in her ear again but she just groaned and turned to him her lips searching his. `Tell me, please,' his voice pleaded with her. Diane found his lips and when she was about to kiss them he pulled back only slightly. He did this several times and Diane got tired of it.
She sighed and left him standing there then she headed to the kitchen. She came back and found him still standing where she had left him. She looked away from him. He was too good at seducing her. She always ended up wanting him.
`It is something that you can't tell me.' She didn't answer. `You can't say because you knew when you met me. That was why you were trying to seduce me from the very beginning. You wanted to get pregnant by me.' Though she was not looking at him she could feel his eyes poring into her. He walked to her and turned her head up to his. `You knew the outcome and you wanted it because you wanted to die.'
`I am tired. I'm going to bed now.'
Henry didn't try to stop her. She crawled into bed expecting Henry to come to her but he didn't. Several hours later she woke up. The house was quiet. She expected him to have abandoned her but he found him sitting in a dark living room. `I can't let you to die. Not if I have something to do about it.' She heard his voice and followed it to him.
She was ready to try to convince him about how futile that would be but when she got to him, the floor started glowing in a strange shape and soon they were engulfed in a white bright light. Then she felt the light fading. She opened her eyes and saw that they were in the middle of a forest. `What have you done to my baby?' she panicked and seemed to give in to her fear as she screamed the question again.
`I've done nothing to the baby,' he assured her. He then led her through the forest and they came to a huge building. She stopped in her tracks as she looked up at it. `Come on,' he urged her. She continued to walk towards it and as they got closer the larger it was. They went to a door which was opened for them.
`Welcome back, Mr. Clay,' the young man said stepping out of his way. Henry didn't even pause to greet him. He was in and then somewhere along the corridor he stopped and came back to take Diane's hand. And they headed away from the door. Diane was led upstairs and they entered a large room with a huge