She exhaled. The trial's done. Her grip tightened.
"One week… I've got one week… Stupid royal council!" she thought aloud.
She looked at the sky. Slowly, the memories during the trial have been flowing on her mind…
Her trial was different. Perhaps, because the community wants to limit the information about her to the whole moroi-dhampir community. Queen Tatiana led her trial. Every royal family has a representative. Just one together with their dhampirs. Hence, at the trial there were 12 morois, 12 dhampirs, Queen Tatiana and her family plus their dhampir Arthur Schoenberg.
The trial was more of like an interrogation.
"Prince Tarus, everyone knows that both you and Princess Beatrice Tarus were infertile. Is Thea Marie Tarus, really your daughter?"
Prince Tarus? My dad was a prince?
Yes! it was actually funny. During the trial only had she learned that her parents were the Prince and Princess of the Tarus Royal Family.
"Yes." His dad firmly said.
"How? Please, explain."
My dad exhaled. "That will be a very long story."
"We're listening." Queen Tatiana said.
My dad cleared his throat. He looked at me with the kind of stare that says: I will protect you. I smiled.
"I know everyone knew how we (me and my wife) badly want a child. We were also both stubborn to refuse the idea of adoption. Rosario Anne Voda is the best friend of my wife Beatrice Tarus. She was an excellent earth element user. On my wife's 200th birthday she received a bottle of potion from Rosario with a card that says,
To my dearest friend Bea,
Happy happy 200th birthday to the person whom I owe my life. I made this potion with the desire to make your dream come true. I really wish that a person as kind and caring as you to be happy. Drink this and believe that you deserve to be happy.
Yours truly, Rosario
A week after, I had noticed the sudden weakening of Bea's body and the sudden increase of her need for food (blood). Andrea, our ob-gyn verified that Bea was pregnant. Later, had Rosario informed as that she think it was her potion that made it possible. We were amazed. For centuries, we have been trying different medicines and potions but nothing worked. Rosario, told us that the potion was something she experimented. We were very grateful to her. However, there were complications in Bea's pregnancy. First, her craving for blood is more than what a pregnant moroi crave for. Bea's usual monthly blood consumption equaled her daily blood consumption when she was pregnant. Second, Andrea cannot identify the cause of why my wife's body is gradually weakening. Rosario who was deeply worried then created a potion she believed can help my wife and it worked. Slowly, Bea felt better.
Five months later at Artus…
Queen Tatiana seemed bothered. "What is Artus?" she asked.
"Artus is my grandfather's island."
The court was filled with murmurs.
"Why does it seem nobody knew about the island?"
"Artus, is an island where my grandfather, my father found solitude. For them it is a place where they can be free from all the stress from the moroi society. That island was bought for the purpose to be away from the whole moroi community. It has been a place they want to be kept a secret from the community perhaps for eternity."
She bit her lower lip. And for her sake a family secret has to be revealed.
Queen Tatiana was silent.
"The community does not impose a rule that all place and location owned by a moroi must be informed to the public. Mr. Tarus did nothing against the law."
The murmurs stopped.
"Proceed with your story." Queen Tatiana instructed.
My dad nodded. "At Artus, we celebrated my father's death anniversary party. Because of the party's location and the desire of my dad to keep Artus a secret we chose to invite selected trusted friends and relatives. At the party something unexpected happened: Bea labored. We were lucky Andrea was one of the guests.
Finally, Thea was born but her organs had not yet mature. It was so soon. There was no nearby hospital. Thea is dying. Bea was hysterical. I was hopeless and afraid to lose the child I had dreamt for centuries. Andrea then proposed an out of this world suggestion which they all agreed since we were left with no other choice. Using our elemental powers we (every moroi present at the party) created an incubator for Thea."
The queen and the crowd and even her were surprised with her dad's statement.
"How?" Queen Tatiana asked.
"The procedure was similar in the creation of the silver stake. Using the earth element as a frame and filling it with the fire, wind and water element. It worked. At the end of the party, we all made a pact to keep everything that happened a secret. We (me, my wife, Andrea and Rosario) noticed how fast Thea had grown while at the what we call silver incubator. When we were about to transfer her to a customary incubator...she had a cardiac arrest. The moroi doctors managed to save her however we deduced that Thea's body had adapted to the silver incubator. Hence, we decided to transfer Thea once again to the silver incubator. However, the silver incubator's aura is impermanent once drained it turns into wood. Looking back it seemed Thea has absorbed those auras."
"If it is impermanent, when it extinguished did you transfer her to the customary incubator?"
"No. As I said earlier, Thea's body has adapted to the silver incubator. Hence, secretly we once again asked the help of all the visitors at the party that night to fill the incubator with their aura. And then, Thea was born."
The queen nod.
"When did you discover her power?"
"On the day she was born."
"Explain further."
"On the day she was born. She was crying so loud. We immediately rushed to her room only to see fire consuming her incubator. Immediately, I extinguished the fire and removed her from the incubator. However, she won't stop crying. Then, suddenly the room was on fire. Upon hit by the realization that my daughter is a very powerful fire user just like me, I with my wife's aid as an air user flee the mansion before Thea can burn the mansion down.
When she stopped crying, the wind blew hard and it started raining. My wife had no choice but to land on the forest. At the forest, I can see Thea staring at me. I was so happy. I made funny faces. The same way, my friends usually do when their kids are crying. Suddenly, she was laughing and the grass grew. I thought it was either a coincidence or I am merely imagining. But my wife saw the same thing. And when Thea started laughing again. The grass grew taller and taller that we knew it was not just an imagination or a coincidence."
"So, will you agree if we say that your daughter can control all elements?"
"Yes."
"And will you agree that when you allowed Thea to attend school at St. Vladimir's she has full control of her powers?"
My dad was silent for a moment.
He exhaled.
"Yes." he finally answered. This time a bit uncertain.
"Then how come there was this recent fire incident at the Vampire Academy?"
My dad exhaled. "Lemme explain by explaining how my daughter's power works. If it's alright?"
Queen Tatiana nodded. "It is. Please proceed."
"Ever since young, my daughter did not have a hard time in controlling her wind and water elements. But she prefers using the air element. However, the earth element and fire element are something very difficult for her to control. That is why it is at the age fifteen when we finally decided that it is about time to introduce her to our society but Thea was against the idea. We believe she was afraid. Hence, we decided that we should not pressure her. Hence, we decided that why not attend school first, get to know co-morois and gain friends. Uncertain at first, she agreed. Perhaps, because we left her with only two options. First, is we will conduct a party where we will introduce her as our daughter and second, go to school and get to know the society at her own phase provided that she will contact us at least once a month.
When we decided that she is capable of controlling her power, we were aware of a fact that we are willing to risk: Despite my daughter, capable of controlling all four elements. Every time her emotions are over pouring her earth and fire elements are subconsciously triggered."
My father paused. He stared at me. I smiled. I am fine, dad.
"Every time, my daughter is very happy. Trees bear fruits, grass grows and flowers blossoms. This, we believe is not a threat. However, if my daughter is very mad an uncontrollable fire is produced. For years we had observed her, it happened only twice. One, when she was five years old when her dog died and the recent death of Rica her best friend. So the fire can only be triggered when her loved one dies. I assure you, other than those instances my daughter can control all elements. When we decided for her to attend school at St. Vladimir's, we were certain she was no threat. We never imagined that the school's barrier will be broken and strigois will attack the place and my daughter's friend will die. Perhaps, it is our fault for fully trusting the school."
Well, as the trial is about to end the the trial's conclusion was beyond her expectation. Queen Tatiana has two proposals…
The first proposal: She will be locked up forever in their palace in the deep forest where she lived all her life and be under observation
Second proposal: She will continue attending school at St. Vladimir as an air user. Her ability to control other elements must be kept a secret from other students. Moreover, at an early age she will be assigned a dhampir since it is not impossible that people will take interest in her power and will be under observation while at school. However, after graduation, she will live at the Royal Court and be under observation.
She was expecting that she will be the community's experimental subject. But it was never brought up.
The second proposal won. 7 is to 13.
The trial was dismissed and she was given a week to choose for her guardian.
She went back to reality when she heard a knock on the door.
She walked towards the door.
She opened the door.
"Mom, you're fa—"
"Yo." It was Luke.
She shut the door but he was fast and strong enough to stop her attempt.
"What the —"
The jerk! he must have heard the result of the trial from his dad or her parents asked him to come. Oh no!
A/N. I am sorry if the whole trial was a mess. I really don't know what is happening on trials. So, sorry if there are a lot of scenes and conversations inappropriate for the trial. However, don't you think you understand Thea now a little better? (Laughs) If yes, then this chapter is a success! Hurray for me! (Giggles) Watch out for the next chapter! :D Sorry for grammatical errors. =)
©EIRAMAROC