Chapter 9 – The Fallen Garden

Corelle La’Tor, Headmistress of the Academy, watched as Telerine was brought away from the Academy. She was not too concerned about why it happened. She was, as always, only interested in one question: What does this mean for me? This means a conflict between the Academy and the Crown. This is what I need to further my plan to liberate the Academy. A trip to Castle Wevis is in order.

—

Ambassador Kobiniaskilovus of Gilban stood nervously in the center of the Hearing Chamber waiting for High Queen Viona to grant him a seat. He did not feel comfortable with the situation. King Bola was absent, for one thing. He always felt more at ease dealing with the King than the High Queen. As an ambassador, he should have been granted the seat upon entering the Chamber. Instead the High Queen spoke nothing, only staring at him, measuring him. Perhaps her Highness is waiting for me to speak first? No, she is waiting…but for a chance to bark at me if I get impatient.

“So,” High Queen Viona spoke finally, “what wind brings you here, Ambassador? Ah, perhaps you bring with you the tribute due the Crown?”

This is going to be harder than I expect. “Greetings to Thy Highness, too.” Let’s see who’s the uncivilized one. “Emperor Ocrusantinanus wishes Thy Highness and King Bola the best of health.”

“The moon was kind of blurry last night,” Viona said. “I wish to have roses along the Kingswalk this year…Is that you Ambassador Kobin? I thought the heat has made me ill and caused me to see things because I had asked a question and, imagine my surprise when I didn’t get a reply! Why would anyone not answer the High Queen’s question unless the High Queen herself was hallucinating about an audience?” Try to be civil, are you? Let’s see how long you can keep up the act.

Very funny.  “My apologies, Thy Highness. If Thy Highness does not feel well, I could come back another time. Perhaps His Majesty could join us then as well?” Caught in your own words, haven’t you?

“Silly. After all, you are here. That means I have not been seeing things, does it not?” Viona leaned forward and deepened her tone. Prepare for the kill, you little worm! “Perhaps you feel that I am unsuitable to speak for the Crown and decide to ignore this aged lady?” Her words sounded more like an accusation than a question.

Kobin raised his hands and shook them. “No, Thy Highness.” Damn you. “I am but concerned…”

“Then answer me!” she raised her voice and interrupted. “Where is the tribute from Gilban?”

Ambassador Kobiniaskilovus began to sweat. This is not going well. “There has been a drought…”

“My sympathies. But we are not here to talk about Gilban’s problems. All I am interested to know right now is, for the last time, the tribute from Gilban. Is it so hard to understand?” His expression is getting more and more interesting. Keep lying, Ambassador. Keep trying to hide things from me, Ocrus. The more things you try to hide from me, the better I know what you want to surprise me with.

 

“His Majesty would like to request…” Inform, you stupid fool, inform! What are you afraid of? You are the Ambassador, you speak for Gilban!  “request an extension.”

Viona exaggerated a surprised look. “Really? That’s interesting. Since when does the Gilban Ambassador not deliver the word of his Emperor?” She clapped twice and a squire handed Kobin a letter.

Kobin trembled at the look of the letter. It can’t be. I thought I’d ordered it destroyed. This isn’t real. He barely unfolded it before it dropped on the floor. The Emperor’s seal was there, and he did not need to read the letter. He knew very well what it was all about. It was an order from the Emperor for him to inform the King of Centa about a drought and request for Centa’s aid. The letter would not have made him so frightened if the last paragraph was not there:

My dear Ambassador, as you will agree, Centa shall not obtain another bronze from Gilban. My Kingdom has suffered enough from the fear of our ancestors. Centa has grown so weak she even has a man-loving kinglet. Gilban will not bow to an inferior kingdom. Thus it is of utmost importance for you to change the situation around. You are my best man and I trust you with my life. Thou Shalt Not Fail Me.

 

“Aren’t you going to destroy the letter?” the Queen asked. “After all, I could use it to challenge Ocrus’ loyalty to Centa.”

Blood rushed up Kobin’s head and impaired his hearing. He was not listening to the High Queen but he knew what she was saying. He just knew. How much more does she know? Why is she letting me destroy the evidence that could start a war with Gilban? Surely she’s not letting the matter drop. Or maybe His Majesty is right. Centa has gone weak and is afraid of any confrontation. But if so, why show me the letter at all? What does she want? Shall I destroy the letter, or is that what she really wants? He could think of a million reasons why he should eat the letter. He could not, however, find any reason not to, except that the High Queen had suggested him to and he knew it must be a trap. Cautiously, he reached out for the letter. The letter suddenly went up in flames before he could touch it. His hand jerked back before it was burned.

“Good reflex.” High Queen Viona applauded. “I’m sorry, but the weather in Centa is very hot this time.”

“Why?” Kobin could not help asking. “Why burn it?”

“Are you ‘questioning’ me now, Ambassador? You know what, I will grant you this wish and tell you. But not now, now I need to do a little service for friend Emperor Ocrus. It saddens me to find out a man in His Majesty’s service has committed treason.”

Kobin was shocked. “Who? Me?”

“Of course you. And you know very well what you did. Ocrus gave you a message to deliver and you chose to make up your own. I’m truly disappointed in you, Kobin. You represent Gilban, you are Gilban on a diplomatic capacity and you decide to be a coward. Won’t Ocrus be heart broken if he ever finds out? I care for his health, however, and have decided not to let him know what you’ve done. I’m also going to rid His Majesty of this embarrassment we call Kobin.”

Kobin stepped back a few paces. “You can’t! I’m an ambassador! His Majesty will know!”

“And what if His Majesty does? Come and admit having written the letter? And how will he find out anyway? Spies? Ocrus is too proud and stupid to use spies. With your death and the destruction of the letter, Ocrus will never know that I know. And I intend to keep it that way. Ocrus never thinks Centa ever bothers to spy on him and I don’t want to give him any doubts now — which is also why I chose to destroy the evidence.”

Ambassador Kobin tried to run for the door but was blocked by two pikemen. He felt a sudden chill at his back and realized doom was upon him. I have failed… failed Gilban, failed myself…

 

“Scribe,” Viona said without a second look at the dying man. “Write me a letter to Emperor Ocrus of Gilban. Send His Majesty my grief for the death of Ambassador Kobin. Tell His Majesty that the Crown is sorry to find the Ambassador waylaid by brigands. The Crown is putting her best efforts to find the murderers. The Crown apologizes for the recent lax in her protective force due to insufficient funding to her guardsmen. Make sure you put in the reason for our lack of funding is due to the tribute Gilban owes Centa.”

High Queen Viona’s eyes suddenly turned distant, her mood swinging fast. She now looked sorrowful and sad. How many more killings? Can I go on anymore? “I shall be at my chapel. None shall interfere.” She regained her post again. “One last thing. The King does not need to be bothered with this little incident caused by Ambassador Kobin.”

—

Harks awoke with a start.

He did not remember falling asleep. He felt he had only blinked but the day had already slipped away. Losinia. Harks looked about to regain his orientation. She went that way.

How come it’s so misty now? What do I do when I catch up with her? Harks got up and started to trail Losinia’s path. He was startled to see Losinia standing around the corner.

“Losinia, I…”

“I’m sorry, Harks. I overreacted. Why should I blame you for loving me? I’m just too unnerved by everything that’s happened lately. Harks, will you hold me?”

This is how Losinia should behave. I’m glad everything finally worked out. Harks ran over to Losinia and hugged her tightly. She held him tight as well. Too tight, in fact, it ached Harks. But it did not matter now. “It’s all right, Losinia.” Then a sudden frightening feeling gripped his heart and stunned him.

“Is it?” The voice that spoke the two words was deep; an old man’s voice.

Harks felt Losinia’s body move, no, not move, change. Who? What?

Losinia, or who Harks thought was Losinia, pushed him away…

Harks awoke with a start.

How come it’s so misty now? What do I do when I catch up with her? Wait, has this happened before?

 

The dream. Panic rose in Harks. He looked at the corner where Losinia waited in the dream. He then looked at the other end of the path. It’s only a bad dream, nothing more. He started to follow Losinia’s path. He did not finish three steps when he felt an aching sensation in his arms. He back stepped a few paces and looked back. There’s no way I can catch her up. It’s very late anyway. I’ll just wait till the morning and decide then.

Harks sat down at the same spot he fell asleep earlier. The summer was hot. He wished for a gentle breeze to ease his condition. A breeze went by as soon as he made the wish. It brushed against the trees and made the leaves rattle. Harks looked around again. The mist was gone. It probably was never there. He was just not awake then. The path looked very different now. What a baby I’ve been. Harks stopped his rest and moved on.

—

Losinia hated herself for running away. Anyone else who had tried to mock her love had answered to her sword. Why have I grown soft so suddenly? There has to be a reason. She finally reasoned that she needed to keep as low a profile as possible in this strange land. If I see him again, what will I do? Foolishness. He’s behind me now, I won’t see him again.

She was glad that the path did not split. To take her mind off, she tried to admire the scenery. There was some subtle difference between to two worlds, but she could not tell what. She only knew that if she were blindfolded and brought to any of them she could distinguish between the two.

The night was uneventful other than the very little sleep she had got. My first night here is safely past. That’s a good sign, I suppose.

Losinia began to see a few people on the next day along the road. They all cast strange glances at her and seemed to be talking behind her back. They don’t look all that strange to me. What do they see in me that makes me different? She tried to chat with two cart riders but they turned their face in disgust when they saw her. What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with THEM? She began to miss Harks a little. At least he doesn’t look at me like I’m a monster or something. He can probably tell me what’s with these people. If only Harks behaves like a friend…How come it’s always a choice between bad and worse? Will good never come to me?

The road began to change. It was laid with cobblestones. There were fewer trees than before. Up ahead, Losinia could begin to make out some houses. She was unaware of when she had entered a town. There was no town gate to mark to entrance. She could see more peasants now. People here, unlike those outside of the town, minded their own business. Of course, if Losinia wanted to put it that way, the people here were avoiding her. She felt the whole town was conspiring against her. If they won’t talk to me, how will I know where to go from here? She had finally decided to try to find a tavern, a place where everyone talked. I sure hope they have something like that in this place. But what about money? Do they use the same coins we use? Do they even use money? There’s one way to find out…

 

Losinia tossed a coin on the ground and pretended she did not notice. Meanwhile, she studied the faces of the people surrounding her, looking for those who eyed at the fallen coin. She rode around the corner of a house and waited for someone to pick up the coin. A child went by and picked it up, looked at it curiously, then brought it to an older man. The older man looked excited. He flipped the coin to look at both sides. Then he flipped it again, and again. He finally threw it behind him in anguish. The child tried to go back for it but the older man held the child’s hand and dragged the younger away. So much for high hopes.

Hm…I might not gain anything if I keep going, but I’ll absolutely learn nothing if I stay here. Losinia rode to what she believed to be the center of the town. It was a square with a fountain housing two marble statues. This is beautiful. Losinia rode closer to get a better look at the statues. It was a man and a woman. They somehow looked vaguely familiar. She was sure she had never seen them before. Yet looking at the statues stirred some childhood memory of her. But the memory escaped her, just out of her arm’s reach. There was a plaque. It read: Antarica Luth and Julion Harid, Heroes of the Mage War. She looked up at the statues again, this time disappointed to see a flaw in the art piece. It was on the left arm of the woman statue. It looked like a crack. What a disappointment. Hold on maybe it’s not a crack. Losinia left the horse and walked to the side to get a better look of the statue’s arm. The flaw turned out to be a brand that was carved into the arm. It was not clear to Losinia what the brand looked like at first, then her mind seemed to draw it out clearly for her. It was three circles, two smaller ones touching each other’s sides and a larger one in the middle. And the branded one that was the Mother betrayed the Father, casting Him out of the Place of the Parents. And the Elders who came before Him was aghast that the Mother could be so cruel. And the Elders proclaimed that the land they called the Garden has fallen. Color drained from Losinia’s face. She was paralyzed, she could not think. She knew where she was now. She was at the Fallen Garden.

And then she fainted.

—

The High Queen’s chapel was located in a seldom used part of the Castle. A long and dim lit corridor paved the way. Despite its lack of use, the way was well maintained. No one knew why the High Queen needed to have her own chapel, but everyone knew better than to ask. If there was any secret in the chapel, it was hidden very well. The cleaning maids had spent countless time searching the place while they were doing their job to look for a gossip topic but the only strange thing about the room was the fact that nothing strange was there.

The corridor, named Zombie Lane by the servants, never got enough sunlight. At night, it gave a chilling sensation to all who passed it. Incidentally, it became a nice hideout for servants during hot seasons by day. The High Queen seldom visited the chapel and no other royalties was interested to venture in this part of the Castle at all.

Which was why they were all alarmed and confused when someone yelled “Get out of the Zombie Lane! The High Queen’s coming!”

‘High Queen’. The mere words shuddered their bones. They immediately picked up all their gear and left the corridor. If this was someone’s poor attempt at humor…

High Queen Viona was preoccupied with thoughts. It was lucky for the servants since she would have heard the faint noise coming from the direction she was going. When will the killing end? So much blood in my hands…Kobin must die. He must. Any other treatment would make us weak. We can’t be weak. Can’t…just can’t…Is it food I’m smelling?

 

Viona’s servants opened the door to the chapel for her. She went in alone and locked it. She glanced around. So simple. So…so chapel. The chapel was regular except for a strange fixture sitting on a small table at the side. Even that was not very strange, a green gem surrounded by four spikes of gold. Very few people would recognize that as an art piece from the days of the Weave-Crafters, and only one knew it for what it was. Viona revealed a necklace that was hiding in her clothes. It was a smaller version of the object on the table. She pressed the gems against each other. A section of the wall behind the artifact ‘rippled’ then faded to reveal another chamber. The secret chamber was unmistakably another chapel.  This one had an alter holding a wooden casket the length of a human. The box was surrounded by strands of Threads that lit up at random. In front of the altar was a small carpet with blunt spikes protruding from it. Viona walked over to it and lifted her dress to knee high. Faint bruise marks dotted her knee caps. Gently, she knelt on the spikes.

Sharp pain surged her body, making her weep. But she did not falter. Pain, pain, please, let my physical pain ease that of my heart. She relied on this torment to remind herself that she still had feelings. It was so close. How many more killings must I do before it all ends? Damn Harks. I shouldn’t feel responsible for all these deaths. It’s him. He’s the cause of it. If he’d cooperated, none of these would have happened. None of these will ever happen again…She looked up the casket. Please, lend me strength. Help me go on. She was afraid to address whoever or whatever was in the casket, fearing it might disturb its sleep.

Slowly, Viona pulled herself up. The pain in her knees was overwhelming. She did not remember it ever being so painful. Her legs could not hold any longer. She let herself fall on the side. Now her shoulder hurt as well. Must be strong. Must stand and walk. No one can help you now but you, Viona, she told herself.

—™

King Bola was still at a stage of melancholy. But life kept going, and so must he. That much he understood and was capable of doing.

“So mother has killed Ambassador Kobin.” He appeared to be calm. In truth, he was unnerved. Yet he must look as if he had expected anything to happen. It enforced his authority as the true Ruler of Centa. The best leader, the best actor, what’s the difference? “Ocrus will be mad, whatever the excuse we give him. Send a letter to Ambassador Jacus informing him that his Majesty may have plans to visit Gilban. He would triple his guards when he gets it. This will make any revenge plans Ocrus might have harder to succeed. At the same time, mother would not know what I do know.

“Keep me informed of mother’s search for Harks. That will be all. Before you go, I must remind you again that should mother even suspects that you’re working for me, kill yourself. Your family will be well cared for. If not, well, that’s something I don’t want to go into details again.”