Act 1 "The Portrait in the Room of Broken Windows"
The unfamiliar scent was the first thing that crept into Helios' mind as he began to regain his consciousness. Slowly, as if his mind was dragging through a viscous fog, Helios began to comprehend the information his other senses were gradually conducting to him. He was laying on something soft and smooth and a similar material was coving him on top. It was warm and he realized he was laying in a curled fetal position. There was no sound reverberating in his ears, only the soft breath that comes when one awakes from a deep sleep. No penetrating beam of light blinded him from behind his eyelids and as Helios gradually opened his eyes, all he saw was a hazy picture of a large dim room with a dark gray floor.
What's going on…this isn't my room…! At that, the memories predating his sleep rushed back into his mind. There were three strangers, one of who was a senshi; she was the one who had blown that powder into his face. Helios' drowsy eyes snapped open as he bolted up from the bed. He looked around franticly, seeing a totally unfamiliar bedroom spread out before him.
He was lying on a giant four poster bed with golden silk sheets. The floor was covered in a deep, Prussian blue carpet upon which various furniture were placed. Beautifully upholstered chairs, oak colored cabinets and drawers sat beside walls where masterfully painted pictures of foreign scenery were displayed. Curtains were pulled over round windows one fourth the size of the Big Ben's clock face. The window closest to his bed had been partially drawn, allowing some light to pass through into the room. The walls, which in the dim light looked gray and silent, were in fact cream colored and their color matched the gold trimmings in the room when the sunlight shone upon it.
Helios squinted his eyes as he looked to the window, his eyes adjusting to the bright light outside. Lifting the covers aside, Helios looked down and discovered his clothes have been changed while he had been unconscious. He now wore a long white tunic with a thin band of intricately designed gold vine creeping around the loose cuff and below the collar. Two buttons below his collar were fastened together and the neckline was high enough to cover his collarbones. A slit in front of the knee-length skirt went from the bottom of the pullover to his waist, allowing him to freely move his legs without the clothes confining them. The shirt fitted his figure perfectly, as if someone had tailored it to his measurement. The same goes for the white pants he wore, with matching borders to the shirt running half ways down from the waist on the side of the pants. Realizing that whoever took the liberty of changing his outfit might have removed his precious memento as well, Helios quickly raised his right hand and was relieved to find the necklace still hanging around his wrist.
Looking back to the partially opened window now, Helios frowned. Where am I? he asked inside. Pulling the cover completely off of him, he stood up and walked to round window. Helios took a moment to adjust to the bright afternoon sunlight then drew the curtains apart and saw to his amazement, a huge city not far in the distance. The city was built beside a vast coastline, and from his vantage-point the natural harbor that stretched to the south was dotted with boats and ships. The fact that the city looked so small puzzled Helios until he looked down and realized the building he was in was constructed on top a small mountain. Below his window, the blue triangular roofs of other structures could be seen. A tall bell tower rose to his right with a silver rod on top that extends into the air. There was a small courtyard directly below him and Helios saw two young women, both dressed in the same conservative maids' outfits walking past a patrolling squadron of armored soldiers.
At that moment Helios hears a click behind him. He turned around and found another girl dressed in the identical costume as the two other girls he had just seen standing by the door. Her eyes fluttered in astonishment then clumsily bowed and hurriedly left the room.
"Wait!" Helios went after her, but as he got to the other side of the room, someone else walked in; it was the girl with long lilac hair.
Ophelia was breathing deeply, as if she had just ran but her hair was neatly arranged and a relieved expression was on her face when she saw Helios. "You're awake, Helios-sama" she smiled and a look of gentle happiness washed into her blue eyes. The entrance of this unfamiliar girl whom he recalled vaguely in his mind startled Helios. Looking at her dress, Helios began to recall that she was the senshi he had seen appearing in a whirlwind of sand.
Her dress was similar to the senshi fuku, but only the obi and bow were the same. The top of the dress was royal purple and had a waved line in the middle of the chest make by two colored bands of varied width and color. The top also had a short shoulder flap that covered the edge of her shoulders, bordered by a band of gold around the edge. Her skirt now was much longer than her fuku's skirt. It reached all the way down to her ankles and the rose pattern at the bottom of her fuku wasn't reflected on this relatively simple dress. On her arms were glove-like sleeves with a large section of white fabric hanging out by the forearm, like the sleeves of a Japanese kimono. Gone were the choker and the floating transparent fabric, giving the girl a more earthly quality than Helios had perceived upon their first encounter.
Just as Helios finished his observations on Ophelia, other people rushed into the room. First was the young man with the round glasses, now carrying a folder in one hand. When he came to the door his eyes immediately flew to his sister.
"What's wrong Ophelia? You ran off after that servant spoke to you…oh," Laertes inquired until he saw Helios standing in the middle of the room. He coughed, quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty"
Next the boy with the red ruffled hair entered. Now carrying a sheathed cutlass at his side, his heavy boots pounded loudly against the floor as he entered. Like Ophelia his face brightened when he saw Helios. He immediately proceeded to tease the confused boy with good-humor "It's about time you woke up, I thought you were going to end up in a coma!"
Laertes sighed irritably and whispered "Please, show some respect Horatio."
"Oh come on, this isn't the Royal Assembly we're standing before, relax for once Laertes or else you'll become one of those grouchy old man before your 20th birthday!" Horatio joked.
Ophelia stifled a giggle at her friend's joke as she drew the curtains.
Helios looked blankly at the three; once again feeling utterly bewildered with the situation he was in. Then a hearty laugh came from behind the door and soon a middle aged man appeared. He had neat dark purple hair pulled back in a short ponytail, and the few wrinkles on his face were curved in merriment as he walked in with a smile on his face. The pointed mustache on his face was trimmed neatly and he held a walking stick cast with a broad silver collar around the top in his right hand. Two layers of silky white jabot were flowing down from his collar, each as white as a sheet of snow. He wore a simple white shirt underneath his knee-length hunter green overcoat which from its skilled tailored trims and rich fabric one could deduce he was a character with an impressive background.
"Well said there Horatio! My, my, young people sure are energetic. All of you got here before the old man did!"
The older man walked further into the room and to Helios' surprise the girl and the blond haired youth bowed their heads in respect. Even Horatio sobered a little but not before the sight of the man turned his lips into a smile.
After Ophelia had shown her respect, she looked to the man "When did you arrive Father? We thought you were supposed to be meeting with the other Parliament members today."
The man made a gesture of non-care "How could I! Remember; my foremost duty right now is to assist his majesty. Besides, people in Parliament are all peevish old men and all they ever do is argue and complain."
Laertes moaned and shook his head disapprovingly "You are the Chief Advisor, Father; you are suppose to stay for the entire assembly! That's your job!"
At this time Helios decided he's had enough of being the subject of a conversation he did not understand. Stepping forward, he willed himself to speak and said to everyone in the room "Excuse me but could someone please explain what this is all about? Where am I, why have you brought me here?"
With that, everyone's eyes turned to him. Helios suddenly got the feeling it might not have been a good idea to be so bold. The older man however, only smiled gently and shifted his walking stick to his other hand, "I apologize, forgive me for not explaining the situation we have put you in." Then unexpectedly, he held the walking stick behind his back and bowed low, placing his right hand over his chest "Please to meet you, Your Majesty."
"What…" Helios stared at the man in disbelief. The tone of the man's voice was filled with dignity and sobriety; it scared Helios to have someone speak to him in such a way for the first time.
The man straightened his back and walked closer to Helios "Please sit down, Sire. There are many things we have to explain to you. But first, allow me to make a few introductions. I am Polonius, former Chief of Interior. Even though I wished to retire I have been appointed by the 'old men' in Parliament to be the Chief Advisors of the Royal Assembly to you upon your return."
He smiled humorously, turned to the others and gestured with his hand. "This young man here is Horatio, the Captain of the First Imperial Battalion. He is a master at blade weapons, is an excellent marksman, and an expert in hand-to-hand combat. He's also only two years older than you." Horatio grinned and ceremoniously bowed like Polonius had, towards Helios.
"This two are my children, Laertes and Ophelia." Ophelia curtsied by folding her palms together by her waist and bending her knees. Laertes straightened his back then bowed with a serious attitude that bespoke his personality "Laertes is currently serving my former post in the government, and I might add he is the youngest person ever to fill that office." Polonius winked and Helios could tell this was one father who was proud of his son. "Ophelia is a year younger than you but she has attained the powers of Senshi at age eight. Another unprecedented achievement."
Helios looked surprised. Polonius seemed pleased with his reaction and went on "She has the protection and powers of the Blue Crystal and though she might not look it, is quite skilled in agility and knowledgeable in the use of the blue rose." Ophelia blushed at this comment and looked down at the floor with adverted eyes.
"The blue rose?" Helios asked. As far as he knew there was no such thing as a blue rose; not even in Elysian has he seen such species exist.
Polonius nodded, "Yes, the blue rose is the most important symbol of this country. In a way it is our identity as a nation, our insignia." He motioned for Helios to sit down, a sign that what he was about to tell him something lengthy. Helios complied and sat down in one of the nearby chairs. The others stood around him as Polonius walked to one of the round window and looked out into the city outside. "As you may suspect, the blue rose is indeed a famous flower that grows in this country. It looks just like an ordinary rose but its color is one of a kind. It also has many unique properties, one of which is its effects as a sedative." Polonius said with a light apologetic tone in his voice.
Helios nodded and the ex-Chief of Interior continued "The reason the rose is important is because it thrives here and only here, and as I've said, has long been a symbol of this country. Not only does it have aesthetic values and medicinal uses, but it is also used for other things such as perfumes, dyes, and is an essential component in certain fields of magical arts."
At this Helios raised a curious eyebrow but Polonius failed to notice and went on with his lecture "The name of our country is Rhodes and it is located on the planet we call Somnus. Rhodes is an island 84 miles off the East Coast of the Continent. The island has an area of about 60million square miles, is divided into 37 provinces and according to the last census, has a population of approximately 30 thousand people. This magnificent city, which is also the capital of Rhodes, is Elsinore and is located on the southwest coast of the island where the major trading with the Continent occurs. Agriculture, manufactured goods, and shipbuilding are some of the industries in our economic. Trade however, is the most important industry of our country. The blue roses are the main export since no powerful healing potion or conjuration can be performed without it. The rose is so important to us that it is illegal for most people to use it as a decoration. The only reason Ophelia is allowed to wear the blue rose you see in her hair is because it is a sign of her identity as a Senshi. Only the high nobility, the Senshi, and the Prophetess are allowed to wear the rose on their persons."
"Was the rose also used in creating the portal that brought you to Elysian?" Helios asked tentatively.
Laertes nodded once "Yes, the alchemists and mages had to use a large quantity of the rose to create the excursion circle needed to travel through time-space."
"But why did you bring me here in the first place? You say I am a king but that cannot be true! I am the priest of Elysian, you must have found the wrong person." Helios argued, looking intently at Polonius.
Ophelia shook her head "No, the kingship belongs to you and you alone. We are not mistake; you are the next king of Rhodes, Helios-sama."
Polonius nodded in agreement "She's right. That red jewel on your forehead is all the proof we need." Helios jerked his head back a bit, and frowned uncomfortably. Polonius knelt down before Helios and looked into the boy's eyes. "For ten years now, the throne of this kingdom has been empty and many had given up hope of finding you. But you are here now and you are the long lost heir to the throne, only you can take up the position of king" He emphasized.
A strange sensation went up Helios' spine as he heard this. This was preposterous! How could he possibly be a king? Helios reflected his thought in his words "Then why do I not know anything about this-this place? I had been Elysian all my life, I have never heard of Rhodes or anything relating to it in my life! And even if I was the king, why would I be on Earth?"
A heavy silence filled the room. Polonius drew out a long sigh and stood up "I cannot say how or for what reason you went to that planet called Earth. But I can tell you this Sire, this country needs its king."
Polonius' eyes bespoke a sincere earnest, reflected in his words "Although our country is prosperous, it has been in near constant civil conflict for the past decade. The late king, your father, passed away shortly after you were mysteriously abducted. Nobles and high ranking officials fought over who will rule the country. Some wanted to choose a leader from the pool of potential candidates from Parliament and have him lead the country for the time being, while others wanted the closest of kin to immediately succeed the throne. The issue was heavily contended and was finally decided by a narrow margin that the Parliament as an entity will take control until the chain of inheritance could be worked out. However many of the nobles did not agree, some of whom were violently opposed to this decision. Thus they decided to take control of the country by force. Many began amassing supplies and weapons while others tried to induce influential nobles who were undecided on the matter into their fold. However, the government recognized their plan and retaliated first by ordering the army to round up the rebelling nobility, charging them with sedition. Some were executed but others went into hiding and with their collective wealth and influence came together as a confederation to oppose the established administration."
"Thus the country was split into two, the Parliament forces and the rogue nobles. While they fought, conflicts between each faction began to develop and deepen until the people of the Parliament controlled government and the leaders of the rogue nobles were in conflict amongst themselves. Fighting amongst themselves and with each other, the country was torn to pieces. Families were torn apart, for many sons of the remaining nobility supported the rouges while their fathers were fateful to the Parliament. The economy was disrupted by the outbreak of civil war and innocent lives were lost amidst the chaos that ensued. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives and their home. Pastures were turned into battle fields and laid to waste with artillery, polluted with blood and death."
At this point Polonius took a deep breath and paused. Helios saw the jolly eyes he had beheld shortly before were now shadowed with the disturbance of turbulent memories. "It wasn't until about a year ago that having exhausted their resources, the two sides decided to finally work out a truce. They had tried negotiating before but things had always fallen apart due to the fault of one side or another. The reason the truce was established was because we have finally been told that the line of rightful kings has not been lost after all." Polonius' face began to brighten again as he smiled at Helios. "When an official went to the Holy Sanctuary to ask about the future of the country he was told by the Prophetess Pythia that the rightful king was in fact alive and well. She also gave clues as to the whereabouts of the lost prince and when this information was disclosed to the two factions they decided to relent, for the Prophetess never lies."
"She told that official that the prince was living on a planet with one moon, sitting in the third seat from its star. She also revealed that it was a hidden place, a place where the eyes of men cannot see but is very much real. Although these clues were not very specific, through careful assessment and investigations carried out by the court Mages it was discovered that you would be on a planet called Earth. I was that official, the one who went to the Sanctuary and received the revelation. I recruited these three to find you because they were most familiar with you, for you grew up together and known each other since your earliest days. We thought it would be easier for you if you met some people you had been familiar with but that turned out not to be the case…"
Helios was speechless, his eyes gliding from Polonius to his own hands. The information Polonius had just given him was still swimming in his head as he tried to absorb all of it.
Seeing the impressed mood the boy was in, Polonius tried to consul Helios, "You don't have to worry about taking on all of this in a day's time. There will be many eager people to help you along the way. The important thing right now is that you're back and slowly the country can fall back into shape."
Hearing this, Helios' mind realized what Polonius meant and he snapped his eyes back to the man, saying "But I can't stay here; my duty lies else where! I wish to return there as soon as possible. I cannot accept this position!"
A gasp went through the small crowd and even Polonius looked surprised. Helios stood up and turned away from them, suddenly afraid to face them and repeated more gently "This is not my place…"
"But this is your home, how could you just leave us again after we've finally found you!" Horatio asked, one hand tightening into a fist "We waited, never giving up hope that you were still alive. Now that you came back, you…" He looked away and drew his brows together "you don't even remember us…"
Ophelia put her hand on Horatio's shoulder and said softly "Be calm Horatio, you must consider the fact that it's difficult for him to make such a decision after being forced here and without his past memories." She looked to her father and said, "I think we should let Helios-sama rest Father, he's had a long day."
Polonius paused, then nodded in agreement. "Very well then, you have a point Ophelia. Farewell and good day to you, Your Majesty," he said neutrally before he bowed and walked out of the room. Horatio took a minute longer and took a hard long look at Helios before leaving. After him was Laertes, who bowed and exited soundlessly.
With everyone else gone, Ophelia looked back to Helios and smiled as best as she could "We are sorry if we have make you uncomfortable Helios-sama, but please understand, what my father has said is true. If you leave again then I'm afraid the fighting that has been going on for the last ten years will continue…I'm afraid it might never end after that…" She caught herself and quickly curtsied. "I will call the servants to help you change in just a moment. I will be taking my leave now, I shall come in to see if you need anything later in the evening."
She turned and slowly closed the door of the bedroom behind her, the hinges creaking slightly as they closed. Helios let out a deep sigh once the door finally closed. He walked over to one of the covered windows. Drawing the curtain aside, Helios stood looking out at the city below him. A city he had never seen before, people and places he does not remember, an unwanted crown waiting for him, all this had been piled upon him in one day's time. Helios ran his hand through his feathery hair then lifted his other hand to touch the windowpane. The glass felt cool, absorbing some of the heat that has built up in his body from the long, distressing and confusing conversation. The clear lens against his fingers felt pleasant and smooth to the touch, Helios realized. This simple touch of the glass has removed some of his anxiety, as if clearing his mind. Somehow, since he woke up about an hour ago he now felt more relaxed and comfortable in this place. But why, this room, this country is alien to him, why does he feel this way? Helios mused to himself as he took his hand off the window and buried his chin in his palms as he looked absently out the window.
Helios looked doubtfully at him reflection in the large floor-length mirror as three servants helped him straighten out his new outfit. He had never worn something as luxurious as the clothes that they had prepared for him. A long coat with square patches of velvet red coming from the chest down to the bottom was worn outside a crisp white shirt with a stand up collar buttoned by a ruby button. A dark red band served as a belt, wound tightly around his waist and tucked away in the back in accords with the traditional style of this country.
Helios tugged uncomfortably at the collar, looking at the mirror shadowing the red and snowy colored coat. The short period of ease he had gained while standing by the window had been erased when three male servants entered and politely declared that they were to help him dress. Initially, Helios had told them he could perform the task by himself but the elderly head attendant only smiled bemusedly and replied that this was a chore better left for the servants to do. Helios had given in upon the man's insistence but now decided he should have dressed himself after all, at least he could breath if he had.
A light knock came from the door and the head servant went to the door and spoke a few words with whoever was at the door before coming back into the room. "Lady Ophelia desired an audience with you Sire." The old man said courtly.
"Oh, let her in please…" Helios replied as he pulled his hands away from his collar. The man nodded and gestured to the two younger men. The trio bowed and silently left the room. As they went out Ophelia smiled to the elder and curtsied once again as Helios walked towards her.
"Good afternoon Your Majesty" she said without looking up.
Helios smiled and felt a little embarrassed as she looked back up again, "You don't have to be so formal, I'm afraid it makes me feel awkward…"
"Oh...very well then; Helios-sama" She smiled back timidly, her crystal earrings jingling slightly as she smiled. Helios smiled wearily, since in his mind "sama" wasn't all that different from being called "Sire". At this time Ophelia turned her eyes away and said softly "I must apologize for what I did to you, it was the only available option at the time and I had to take it. Please accept my sincerest apologies." She said with her face looking down.
Helios didn't say anything at first. He should be angry at her for putting him into that sleeping spell and kidnapping him here but he found that he couldn't muster up any anger towards her. She was just doing her job and having been around the senshis of Earth, Helios couldn't argue against that. With a small sigh he nodded "I accept your apology."
Hearing this Ophelia let out a breath of relief and smiled more at eased than before. She then looked up and said "I was wondering if you would like a tour of the palace...It hardly seems fitting for you to be cooped up in this room all day."
"I suppose…" Helios said reluctantly and at this Ophelia's blue eyes.
She turned and began walking away smiling "There are so many things I have to show you. Let us hurry before the sun sets " Helios staggered after her, surprised by the burst of energy such a delicate looking girl could display.
After being shown innumerable number of bedrooms, ten ballrooms, seven libraries, and five separate gardens, Helios and Ophelia stopped in the middle of a huge hallway. Looking at this strange person who a day ago had been his captor and now his subject, Helios was still amazed by the vitality a girl of her figure could be so alive and decided being a senshi, she's probably in better shape than he is. Though not ecstatic or giddy, Helios could tell by the expression on her face that she enjoyed this walking tour she had taken him on. It was almost as if she had been looking forward to this for a long time and it make her eyes glow. Why was that, Helios wondered? Perhaps being with a prince was exciting to her, though he had never felt anything like this when he was living with Prince Endymion. Polonius had said earlier that she was his childhood friend. Maybe that was the reason why she was excited. She hadn't seen him in all those years and now he's back. But Helios had a feeling that it wasn't completely that either.
Childhood friends… Helios thought to himself. That's what they say, but he doesn't remember anything about these people. Ophelia spoke to him as if she had known him forever and this bothered Helios somehow. It wasn't as if Helios dislikes her but being in this situation troubled him. Could it possibly be true that what they've said is real, that I am who they believe me to be…What should I do? Helios questioned himself, the doubt in his mind growing by the minute.
"We use to explore the palace together when we were children, Horatio, my brother, yourself and I." She suddenly said, turning her face to look at Helios, driving his thoughts away. He turned to look at her and saw the cheer on her face had dampened and she looked aimlessly at one of the large circular windows in the hallway "If that hadn't happened we might have found you sooner but…"
Helios looked questioningly at her. Just as he was about to ask her what she meant, she moved away and her smile returned "Oh, I almost forgot why we are here! You must come and see the Compass Chapel, it's beautiful at this time of the day!" so saying she led him around the corner and down another corridor. Soon they were standing in front of a giant door with designs of roses and vines creeping around the frame.
Ophelia lightly pushed against the doors and said "Watch." The doors opened and a flood of light rushed into Helios' eyes. He blinked and when his pupil has adjusted he gasped in awe at what he saw. The center of the chapel was decorated with a gigantic rose window with different colored stained class creating a rainbow of colors. As the light from the sun shone upon the glass, the light fall as dyed rays of sunbeam unto the white marble floor. The outside rim of the giant window was covered in stylized designs of blue roses in full bloom and a smaller circle with the arrows of a compass in the middle, giving the chapel its name. Other slightly smaller windows flanked the large central rose window except they were the same of two fused pale yellow diamond shapes rather than the round shape most windows took on here in the palace. The center of the smaller windows had a piece of clear glass in the middle of the upper and lower diamond. The glass itself was cut into a diamond shape, fitting in with the overall shape of the window. Looking down, Helios saw that each piece of the window was carrying light through its body, letting the colored light into the room and illuminating the floor into a pool of dizzying multicolored light.
Statues of people in unfamiliar robes, some carrying tablets and some carrying swords stood intermittently upon pedestals of stone between the windows. Below the central rose window was a semicircular platform, like one would see in a church except there was no altar. Rolls of neatly carved wooden seats stood in two roles from the very front of the room to the very back. Looking up, Helios saw a ceiling painted like the Sistine Chapel, with images of a religion he does not understand but the artistry and skill shown by the painter was unmistakable. Winged beings flew cross a pale blue sky, one of which was a man and the other a woman. Walking further down the isle, Helios took in the little details in the building, marveling at the man-made grace of the chapel.
"This chapel is incredible…but why build such a monumental structure atop a small mountain?" he asked Ophelia who followed behind him.
"There are a few reasons actually. We believe that the Sky helped to created the world as we know it. By building a place as close to it as possible it is a display of our piety. It was built for holding service on important occasions such as the celebration of the summer solstice and new years only so it is not used very often. The second reason is that the fog of the coast will often block out the sunlight and without the sunlight, there wouldn't be this beautiful effect with the stained glass windows," she explained.
"I see…"Helios nodded, walking towards one of the smaller windows and looked out the clear diamond glass in the middle. From this small point he could see the city below him and the palace to his right. Then he noticed that the palace walls to that side was heavily covered with ivy, even the windows were shrouded, a complete contrast to the well-kept areas he had seen in other parts of the palace.
"The other reason why this chapel was built here was because…because…"
Ophelia's voice began to fade but Helios hardly noticed when he asked her "That's odd, why is that side of the palace unattended to? It looks rather run down and abandoned."
After a long moment and not hearing a reply, Helios turned around and saw Ophelia looking down at the floor, her eyes hidden by her bangs. "Ophelia, what's wrong?" She didn't answer him so he walked away from the window back towards her. "Ophelia…?" He slowly approached her, wanting to ask her what was bothering her all of a sudden.
Ophelia quickly looked away and turned back to face Helios with a feigned smile "Oh-it-it's nothing…I'm sorry, you must be hungry by now." She said and began to walk out of the chapel "I will lead you back to your room to rest and ask the servants to bring you supper."
Helios stared at her back as she walked away, confused by her behavior. Then the muffled sound of her heels clicking against the carpeted isle stopped and Helios saw Ophelia had stopped walking and was standing dead still with her back still turned to him.
"Please stay Helios-sama…"
She whispered almost inaudibly but the concave space of the chapel amplified her voice just enough for Helios to hear. Helios heard a heavy breath taken in and released slowly before she continued faintly "This country can't go on without you…we can't go on without you. Please don't leave us again…Please…" Ophelia turned her face back a fraction and for a moment Helios caught two pleading blue eyes gazing at him, set against an exquisite melancholy expression. Shyness finally overcame her and Ophelia quickly took her leave, her hands folded in front.
The haunting expression stayed with Helios for the rest of the evening. After having dinner, he once again came to stand in front of one of the windows in his room. The sun had set and the sky was now ink blue, dotted with stars and two moons, one white and one azure, cradled in the arms of the gentle night. Down below on the coast the city of Elsinore was also decorated with gleaming spots of light. This was not nearly as intense as the lights he had seen in Tokyo but was gentler and milder than the nearly blinding light of that faraway country called Japan. In Japan the lights are there to entice and compete for the attention of people. Here the lights bring the gift of illumination to shops and homes, and avenues lined with street lamps to guide people as they travel.
Tilting his head a bit more so that his forehead touched the window, Helios watched the night scene silently as his left hand rested on the sill. There was too much to think about and Helios had no idea where to start. This was like a dream, he suddenly realized, like he had walked through the Looking Glass and was wondering in a fantasy world.
A soft knock on the door cleared away some of the dreamy air as Helios lifted his head away from the window. There was only three light taps and no more knocks came. Helios wanted to ignore the knock but then decided what were the odds of someone tapping on the wrong door in this place? He moved away from the night scene and walked across the room to open the door.
At first he saw no one at the door, only a dim glow from the chandeliers in the hallway. Then the back of a figure standing at the end of the hallway caught Helios' attention. The person was wearing a green coat and had his right palm was covered over the top of a walking stick.
"Polonius?" Helios waited but there was no one else in the hallway. What's he doing here? Was he the one who knocked? Before Helios could ask, the older man began to walk away. "Wait…!" But Polonius did not stop and didn't seem to have heard Helios at all as he continued to walk further away. Curious and perplexed, Helios decided to go after the former government official and slipped past the doors of his room.
Wordlessly, Helios walked down one hallway after another after Polonius. Polonius for his part, walked without so much as turning to look behind him and Helios felt a bit unnerved by this behavior. Their long shadows glided across the floor and around corners until finally, Polonius turned down one last hallway and entered behind a set of gilded doors. Helios' eyes widened when he recognized the room Polonius had just entered: it was the chapel Ophelia had shown him earlier.
Helios slowly approached the doors and glimpsed in cautiously. Only the light from the two moons shed into this place of worship and Helios felt a tingle in the back of his mind as he looked up to see blocks of dark or light colored glass, their radiant colors vanished without the sun's light. Turning his attention back to Polonius, Helios watched from the edge of the door as the man held up his stick and reached out with it to tap the tablet in the arms of a statue near the right of the chapel. A soft moan echoed in the building and Helios was amazed to see a piece of the chapel wall retracting. Polonius then lowered his arm and walked into the pitch darkness behind the trap door with perfect confidence.
"What in the world…?"
Helios narrowed his eyes. This was too bizarre; it was almost as if Polonius had intentionally led him here to this place and was now wordlessly instructing him to come find him. Not knowing why exacting the complaisant ex-minister had led him here or what lies behind that mysterious stone door, Helios thought to himself it would be best to have a look but remain discreet and ready in case he might regret this later on.
Cautiously, Helios approached the hidden door and walked in. He placed his hand against the wall to guide himself as he walked step by step into the tunnel. As he went he felt around corners and discovered that about half ways through the rough stone walls suddenly became smooth. Finally he saw a the dim flicker of a small torch at a distance and as he got closer to it, Helios could make out the walls of the tunnel. Surprisingly enough, the walls were not paved with stone but had an even surface of cream color to it, as if someone had carefully painted it. The wooden doors at the end of the tunnel stood behind the torch, which burned as it rests in a rack on the wall. There was no sign of Polonius and the obvious answer seemed to be that the man must have passed through the second set of doors. Helios paused as he looked at the wooden doors suspiciously. He had no idea what Polonius planned to do, and the strange and mysterious behavior the man displayed troubled Helios even further.
How can he trust the man, to know that this wasn't some trap set up by Polonius, since for all he knew, these people might be after the Golden Crystal? Thinking this, Helios involuntarily felt a shudder run down his spine. If that was the case then why bother with the pretense? The people here could have done what they pleased with him while he had been unconscious. It seemed like a waste of energy and time to set him up after he had woken up. This thought encouraged and emboldened him. Helios squared his shoulder and reached out to push against the cold doors. Creaking loudly, the gates opened and Helios picked up the torch that had been left on the wall to light the way as he entered the unknown.
The yellow glow of the torch threw long shadows against a dark and disused hallway. Heavy black soot on the walls and debris scattered across the floor, Helios thought this building must have been on the verge of collapse at one point. There was a dreadful stillness in the air here that chilled him as he examined the hallway. Dull, shattered chandeliers hung on the ceiling; no longer able to display the glory they once exhibited. Helios walked to the left of the hall and found the entry way into a large room. The doors were gone but splinters of crumbling burnt wood could still be found on the ground. Looking into the room, the once transparent windows had been covered with the vines of ivies, allowing only stray cracks of moonlight to seep through. Lifting the torch higher so he could see, Helios saw a room that had been utterly burned to ashes. The remains of furniture were present as small blocks of charred wood and melted metal. Shattered pieces of glass revealed that some of the windows had exploded during the fire and left their remains here on the floor.
Helios' face changed from apprehension to light horror. What had happened here? Was this the result of a fire? Why would there be a burnt and half-destroyed part of the palace be preserved and hidden behind a secret passage?
Looking down he saw the remains of a medium sized book, its pages blacked by the flame that had licked around it, having survived the infernal only to lay abandoned here on the floor. With his free hand, Helios kneeled down to pick up the book and gently blew the dust and ashes off the cover. The title was gone so he opened the book to a random page, trying to decipher its content and skimmed through it against the torchlight. The black letters that had once covered the pages were faded by water damage, probably from when the fire had been put out. However printed pictures of intricate details could still be made out on the opposite page and Helios saw two people, standing side by side in a large open field with wings on their back. It suddenly struck him that these were the same people depicted on the ceiling in the chapel and the book could have been a holy book of some sort.
While he had been engrossed in his find another dot of light began to approach from the far end of the abandoned hallway. Helios noticed the other flickering torchlight out of the corner of his eyes, turned, and saw Polonius watching him passively, standing a few feet away from the doorway. Without a word, Polonius turned away again, his cane producing a hollow click, click as it gently struck the ground.
Putting the book gently down where he had found it, Helios watched Polonius for a few demurring moments before following him. "Why have you led me here?" Helios asked gravely, his eyebrows drawn together as he finally asked the question that's been besieging him all this while.
Polonius did not answer; instead he went into a very large room that still managed to retain its doors despite the fierce fire that must have had rapt against it. Helios followed him in, still expecting him to answer when he froze. The windows in this room had been shattered like the others but it was not covered with vines and the light of the moons poured in like a muted sun. The sharp edges of the broken glass glistened in the cold night air; their edges sparkled at the tips. In the middle of this long spacious room was a large fireplace, set perpendicular to the door. Above the mantle of the fireplace was a painting, nearly the dimensions of the fireplace itself, sitting idly in this strange place.
The smoke and fire had damaged the fine oil painting, causing the picture to be missing a large portion of its lower left corner, the edges of which was charred to a thin jagged rim. The people in the painting however, could still be distinguished and their faces and features were still clearly outlined despite the damage from smoke. A tall man with lightly curled dark cobalt hair wearing an embellished formal white suit was standing proudly beside a seated woman. His deep, wine colored eyes stared stately at the space in front of him, almost as if he was anticipating an important meeting with an ambassador. But the gentle smile on his lips offset those serious eyes and made him seem like a kind and noble man. The woman sitting in the chair beside him was smiling too; her warm gray colored hair and lime colored eyes proved to be both charming and lovely in a simple, earthly manner. Wearing a gown of Parma violet, decorated with small gems, gold trimmings, and silk borders, she wore two magnificent blue roses in her elaborately dressed hair. Her head was slightly cocked downward and the reason for her adoring posture became apparent as one beheld the child sitting on her lap. The boy was no older than three or four years of age and had a small childish grin on his babyish face as he held onto the woman's arm. His white feathery hair was slightly curled and upon his forehead was a single red tear shaped jewel, just like the older man in the painting.
Polonius watched Helios' reaction wordlessly. Helios' face had an expression of utter astonishment. His eyes were opened wide and the golden orbs of his iris were locked on the little boy depicted in the damaged painting.
After a while, the spell over Helios' body faded and he looked down and turned sharply to look at Polonius. "Is that…me?" he said in a whisper, feeling his throat tightening as he glanced back at the picture of the family.
Polonius sighed and nodded. "That painting was made when you were four years old and was the only picture of them that survived the fire." He took out a candle from his pocket and lit it with the torch then snuffed out the brand. Respectfully he approached the fireplace mantle and said a silent prayer before dripping some of the melted wax onto the mantle and affixed the candle there. In the candlelight the painting and its characters attained a ghostly, almost haunting presence. Polonius kept his eyes on the picture, folding his hands over the top of his walking stick.
"This use to be the personal quarters of your parents, before it was almost completely destroyed in the Great Fire." He said slowly "This room was the drawing room your mother, the queen, use to sit in as she read you stories and played with you."
Helios let out a shuddered breath, trying to keep his wits about him as emotions were hurdling in his mind that made him head swim.
Turning around, Polonius looked at Helios soberly "A fire broke out somewhere in this part of the palace ten years ago, about two weeks after you disappeared. The inferno spread quickly and because it occurred at night almost everybody was asleep, very few people who were trapped here at the time survived…including your parents." He adjusted his grip on the stick and shifted his eyes away from Helios and to the blown out windows "Nearly this whole side of the palace had been burned down, along with the original Compass Chapel that was nearby. Immediately afterwards those in charge wanted to build a new chapel in the location of the smoldered palace, on the words that it was to be built in the memories of the king and queen who had perished here."
Polonius walked closer to Helios and looked at the young man. "I was able to convince them to leave a portion of the original palace intact, to preserve some part of this place since I was a personal friend of your parents and had quite a bit of influence at the time. The workmen built the new chapel exactly adjacent to the quarters of the former king and I was left in charge of its up keep. However in exchange I was not to tell anyone about this place since technically nothing was suppose to have survived."
Helios felt a lump forming in his throat as he listened, pushing against the already near suffocating collar. Unconsciously he gripped his hands into tight fits and swallowed. "But why was there a fire in the first place? What happened?" he said in a tightly controlled whisper.
"…No one knows the exact details about the fire. It might have been an accident but most believed it wasn't, but no suspect was ever pinpointed" Helios felt a cold shudder go through his fingers and his brain; he looked away trembling with a haunted look in his amber eyes "This is not the only mystery." Polonius continued persistently "In fact there are many mysteries that surrounds your family, Helios-sama" Polonius said, addressing Helios for the first time since their meeting earlier. "Your disappearance itself is considered a great mystery. Some say you had been carried off in the middle of the night by a woman, some even suggested you had been kidnapped and was being held ransoms or even dead!" Polonius shook his head and sighed "there's much more than just that, but that's not why I have led you here today."
"What…?" Helios looked suspiciously at the statesman who once again walked over to the portrait and turned his face to stare at Helios in such a manner that the young man felt like he was being observed under a microscope.
"I came here today because I wanted to show you this. This is a part of your past and it doesn't matter if you decide to stay or not, I think this is something you should know about." Polonius paused "There is also something I want to ask you, and that is have you ever wondered who you were and where you came from?" When Helios didn't answer, Polonius taped his walking stick once on the ground. "When Laertes and the others found you, you did not remember a thing about you past here. You didn't even recognize them, the three people you were closest to outside your family." Helios lowered his head as Polonius continued "Do you not want to know, to remember, what your family was like?" Helios remained silent. Polonius sighed heavily and cast Helios a pensive look "…Have you ever felt a hole inside your heart, an eerie emptiness that you can't fill in?"
Helios blinked and met Polonius' eyes. "The answers lie in the ruins of this room, in this country, in the minds of the people who watched you grow up. Helios-sama there is no substitute for a man's past, there is no replacement. If he cedes it to Time then he will loose it forever. And what you will lose is more than just memories; you will have given up the chance to know the truth behind your family's death, the truth behind their possible murder. That hole in your heart, whether you know it is there or not, will continue to be hollow forever after."
The room fell silent as Polonius' voice dropped and the candle light flickered as a small gust came in through the broken windows. Slowly, Helios held up one of his hands and looked at them mutely in the candlelight. He was right, the truth was there was so much he did not know about himself. Before Polonius' talk with him, he had never thought about his own origins, had assumed he was born and raised by Elysian itself. But now this matter weighted down his heart more and more as he thought about it. Just now as he tried to remember his furthest memories, his mind failed him. There was nothing there, nothing that to be recalled, like everything had been covered with a shroud. Yet here was proof of a life he had forgotten and lost to the ashes of time and the tongue of a fire. Was Polonius correct? Was that the emptiness he had felt earlier, the unspoken yearning for a past known to someone else other than the all seeing Time?
Yes it was, he answered himself, and if he didn't make a decision right now, there will be no more answers.
Helios closed his eyes and lowered his hand. By the time he opened them again, a light unlike anyone has every seen before was in his eyes. Aided by the light of the candle in the dark burnt out room, Helios said softly but firmly "I want to know about my past and that is why…that is why I will stay."
At this, a small smile broke over Polonius' face. He nodded and placed his hand on Helios' shoulder. "In that case, I feel honored to be by your side Your Majesty and I'm sure your family will be glad as well."
Helios nodded solemnly then looked back at the portrait, the portrait in the room of broken windows. One day, one day soon, Helios hoped he would be able to discover the cause behind the fire that blew out these once flawless windows and singed the one remaining physical description of his family. Strange that something which has never touched his mind before has now been pushed to the very front of Helios' conscious. Once he was a person who did not know and did not think about his past, was content with watching dreams float by day after day. But now a new duty has been crowned upon him and he accepted this duty willingly but with reluctance. Perhaps now Fate has deemed it fit for him find the missing pieces of Time that once belonged to him, and accepting his birthright was a part of their deal.
Helios closed his eyes to all this. By the time he opened them again, he was no longer a solitary priest guarding the realm of dreams, but a young sovereign waiting to ascent his throne.
A/N Hehe, I know this act is a bit depressing but I like it (smiles). Oh, I want to give the readers little more detail about Helios' country. Since I think the numbers that Polonius gave probably didn't mean very much, a realistic approximation might be helpful. Realistically, Rhodes would be about the size of Turkey and a population close to that of Thailand; hope that helps. I will also be posting up character sketches of the people from this fanfic some times during the winter (cross fingers).
I'll see you next act and don't forget to leave a review!
P.S. I've changed the name of the Compass Cathedral to Compass Chapel after I remembered something from my Art History class. No big significance in the change, just a little technicality.