Viva la Vida

I don't own any of the characters in this songfic they all belong to the wonderful world and imagination of Jill Murphy. The song Viva La Vida belongs to Coldplay.

Constance had been dreading this day for well over a month now. Today was her version of doomsday and the thunderous weather was reflecting her emotions. Part of her soul was filled with sorrow, part of her soul was filled with anger and if you mix these two feelings together, you create an emotion so powerful that even the ice queen cannot surpass it. This emotion is fear, and nobody's fear was greater than Constance's when Amelia resigned for her health and Hecketty Broomhead signed the deeds to the school and by doing so took over Amelia's position as headmistress of Cackles academy.

Within one week of being there Broomhead had managed to destroy her own creation, she had melted the ice queen and had left her as a mere puddle on the floor. With new staff each as heartless as Hecketty, Constance found herself in the same position every night slamming the door to her chamber shut and sliding down it with her head in her hands, crying tears of such sorrow that a single magpie would sit at her windowsill to give some comfort and watch the distressed woman think over all that had happened since Amelia's departure. First of all there was her de-promotion from deputy headmistress to potions teacher and the loss of authority was practically killing Constance.

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word

Down to Hecketty her wage had been cut, she had less time to rest; this didn't affect her too much since she never got any rest with Amelia anyway. The thing that Constance hated the most was the fact that she had to play personal assistant to the new deputy, with nobody to turn to Constance was lonelier than ever.

Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

Not only had Constance lost all authority over the staff, but she had also lost the respect of many of the pupils, she was no longer their ice queen, she was the water that had dampened the once so unpredictable and fearsome fire that used to be in its place. There were a few students however, who still saw her as the most fearsome witch in the school. These students trusted Constance, and believed that the fire was still there, still simmering and as soon as the chance arose it would come out roaring, twice as dangerous and unpredictable as ever.

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes

Within the week it seemed as though the school had forgotten about Amelia, the beautiful and historic paintings had been taken down and destroyed and in their place hung daunting clocks which to Constance served as a painful reminder of her time spent at the witch training college. The strangest thing though was resisting the urge to walk onto the stage in her usual stolid manner and silence the hall awaiting Amelia's instruction.

Listen as the crowd would sing:
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

There were two sharp knocks on the door which immediately brought Constance back to reality, the magpie had took off upon hearing the knocks and like Constance it had evidentially sensed who stood behind it, this sent shivers down her spine and caused her whole demeanour to shatter. Constance gingerly turned the iron doorknob which clicked before allowing the door to come ajar before Constance peered around the oaken frame and was pushed over by the impatient crocodile slamming the door into her chest with as much force as she could muster.

"You look ridiculous girl, stand up at once"

"Sorry mistress Broomhead" Constance said through gritted teeth as she rose from the floor clasping her chest with her hand.

"I have come to collect your keys; since you are no longer deputy I doubt that you will be needing them." Constance stared down at Hecketty's outstretched hand as she felt a lump form at the back of her throat; Hecketty's hand was in a far too closer proximity for her liking.

"Constance the keys, now." Hecketty growled. She watched as Constance undid the belt from around her waist and slid the keys off the end of it. Constance reluctantly handed Broomhead the keys with a tear in her eye which didn't go without notice.

"Sort yourself out girl; I will collect you in the morning." Constance sighed with relief as Hecketty left the room her heart gave a sudden jolt as she heard the lock click into place and panic filled her joints as she tried futilely to undo the door.

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand

Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sand

Constance walked over to the windowsill and looked up at the full moon she found herself thinking of what was, the moon reminded her of Amelia so wise and calm it had seen so much over its life time and had experienced the many difficulties of the world. Then there was the stars, like the moon they were kind in years but they were scattered everywhere leaving them unorganised and delirious blind to all of the traumas of the world these reminded her of Davina, and the clouds, the clouds were Imogen so free always moving doing as they wished even if there were obsticals in their way. It was at this point that she remembered her promise to the school as its deputy, she would always be there in times of trouble, she would be its rock, the thing that supported the school in times of trouble yet here she was locked in her room like an animal in a cage when she should be in battle against Broomhead fighting for the students and freeing their spirits once more.

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Calvary choirs are singing

This only served to remind Constance of the let down that she must have been to Amelia. Amelia had always trusted her as her deputy to be there through the schools troubles and most importantly to help her headmistress through times of difficulties especially when dealing with the more troublesome and difficult of pupils however, thinking of this was doing her conscience no favours since she was now reliving all the arguments that she'd had with her colleagues including Amelia and each word that was said in anger or hurt, if only they knew that she never meant to hurt them with her words that could quite literally cut through a person like a knife through butter. Yet despite this Amelia was always there for her protecting her like a mother does her child this thought finally broke Constance's failing exterior as she was reduced to tears that coursed down her face like a river and she fell to the floor absorbed in her past, when she was happy, when she was with Amelia, Imogen and of course how could she possibly forget Davina? She had failed to keep her promise.

Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
Once you know there was never
Never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world

The next morning Constance was ready and waiting anxiously at the door for Hecketty to return and free her from her chamber, she listened for the harsh approaching footsteps for hours on end before giving up the wait and turning around. As soon as her back was turned Constance felt a cold presence behind her and a ghostly hand creep over her shoulder spinning her around sharply so that she was facing the hands owner before a frozen sting spread across her face causing her to stagger to the direction of the blow. Constance looked at Hecketty perplexed, what had she done to deserve that?

"Don't give me that look Constance; you know what you have done."

Constance was more than slightly confused by now she honestly did not have a clue as to what she had been found guilty of. As soon as Hecketty pulled the envelope from her jacket pocket Constance realised her mistake.

"Would you care to explain this to me Constance?" Constance was silent frozen to the spot by the sheer venom in Broomhead's words.

"No?" Hecketty questioned in a sickly sweet tone yet this did not fool Constance she knew the way that Hecketty's mind worked and this was her line up.

"well let's bring you up to date shall we, in this letter I have found a job application form, were you thinking of going somewhere without notifying me Constance?" Hecketty's tone dropped as the false grin faded from her face and was replaced by an evil snarl and Constance felt a sickening pain rip through her stomach causing her to collapse into a ball on the floor the pain was showing no signs of retreat and the last thing that Constance remembered was Hecketty warning her against deceit and betrayal and the consequences that would follow. Finally the lock on the door metallically clicking into place and unlocking.

Just the sound of the door and the position that she was currently slumped in was enough to bring her mind tumbling backwards to her first day at The Witch Training College the thunderous weather seemed to follow Hecketty even then. The pernicious woman had stood in the gateway and had immediately signalled to Constance that she was no friend of hers.

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in

In her final years of the college Constance's heart had turned into stone, Hecketty had destroyed her soul and had left in its place a brick wall that was un-climbable and unbreakable. Hecketty had quite literally shattered Constance's spirit, and over the years torn out the compassionate side of her heart and had replaced it with the facade of a soldier denied a battle and going to waste.

Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become

When Constance first came to cackles she was an empty shell, she had forgotten how to trust herself or anyone around her and all humanly emotions that should have been inhabiting her soul had long been dead. This is where she had fell in love with the castle; it was her healing place with a headmistress so kind and caring that the traumas and wounds of the past were slowly able to heal. No sooner had the final wounds closed Broomhead had put in an appearance as school inspector and once again crushed Constance within a couple of sentences however, Constance would not give in, not this time. As long as Amelia was there beside her Constance felt secure just like a young child did when beside its mother.

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh, who would ever want to be king

Constance was once again conscious, in a daze she could only just make out the colour of her hands, the blatant contrast of the red stain against her pale wrists made her head spin. As she cautiously got to her feet and examined her surroundings Constance could hear faint voices in the distance calling her name begging for her to get up to keep holding on but this made no sense to Constance, she was awake wasn't she?

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Calvary choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name

Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Constance's eyes fluttered open squinting at the dim light in her potions laboratory as her vision cleared she could distinctly make out the outlines and voices of her fourth years as well as Amelia's silhouette as she tried to get up she felt Amelia practically jump onto her holding her down.

"Constance dear, lay down for a bit longer you are in no fit state to be doing any movement what - so – ever"

"Amelia?"

"Yes Constance?" Constance gasped as panic filled her eyes.

"What are you doing here, where is Hecketty?"

"Miss Hardbroom I'm sorry, my freezing potion went wrong and spilt onto the floor, and then when you were checking the potions you slipped and bashed your head against the side of the desk, you've been out of it for hours." Mildred exclaimed nervously playing with her hands to keep her mind away from the look on her form mistress's face and she was more than surprised when she received no tedious lines or a detention for the rest of her life.

Constance looked like a ghost, with her complexion twice as pale as normal and when she spoke she had a slight quiver in her voice from the shock of the fall and blow to the head.

"So you're still headmistress then Amelia?"

"Yes Constance why wouldn't I be, and why do you mention Hecketty?"

"No reason, just a nightmare I had. May I get up now headmistress, I have allot of work to get through and precious little time in which to complete it?"

"Yes Constance you may stand however, you are to go straight to bed."

"But headmistress I..."

"Constance as your headmistress that is an order and as punishment for arguing with me about the matter you can take tomorrow off as well."


Hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Calvary choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter will call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Thank you for reading my pretties (fly, fly) :D