Chapter 7: Enter Jane, Stage Right

The room was cold and dark, a single candle was alight as well a fire of sacred wood in the hearth. Victoria was dressed in plain black robes and her long red hair was unbound, she had removed all her jewellery and the finery of an Empress. Victoria had fasted for days in preparation for this night, both moons had waned completely and the mists between the worlds were at its thinnest.

The Dark Forces were at their peak this night would be the night that the Dark one would hear her request and assist her in her plan to control Forks. In front of her were a small copper mirror, a small silver dagger and a goblet of water. Also there was small puppy tied to a stake in front of the fire. It moaned and whimpered its large eyes pleading with her. She closed her eyes ignoring its whimpering. She began to chant an incantation summoning into her presence the dark forces of the Dark one.

"Kuro, shasow. Lanthos. Sesiuo. Kuro, shasow. Lanthos. Sesiuo. Kuro, shasow. Lanthos. Sesiuo," she chanted over and over willing the power to grow well on into the night. Suddenly the chant changed.

"Cesu. Kerlno. Tuerna. Basoc. Cesu. Kerlno. Tuerna. Basoc," these words were whispered at first but as she could feel the power welling up inside her, her voice grew slowly louder until suddenly she stopped. Victoria's hands outstretched palms facing outwards, her hair wild, breathing laboured, eyes glazed. She felt the power rush from her like a raging tide. The time had come to call the Dark One. The air was thick, heavy and oppressive and seemed to crack with powers she had evoked. The dog howled with fear and struggled against its bonds.

She took the silver dagger and with a moment of hesitation, she sliced open the index finger on her left hand as deep as she could. She let the blood drip into the goblet of water. She sprinkled some of the bloodied water on the surface of the copper mirror. Clearing her mind of all conscious thought Victoria concentrated on the mirror's surface. Mentally she called out.

"Great One, Oh Lady and Mistress of Darkness and Shadow. I call thee come and grant thy guidance and aid to thy humble Servant," the surface of the mirror did not change. Victoria concentrated harder, staring into deep into the mirror searching for an image or a sign. Nothing. Victoria tried every chant and every summons she knew, but to no avail. On and on into the night she tried until her back and arms were stiff and sore and her legs were cramped. She could almost hear someone laughing at her. She relaxed stretching her weary limbs. She was ready to give up when she heard a weary whimper from the dog tied near the fire. A smile came over her tired face. She took the dagger and walked to the fire.

She stoked up the flames and threw more of the fragrant sacred wood unto the fire. The fire now blazing almost out of control, and Victoria felt sweat trickle down her back. She was thankful that she had planned for such a problem and had brought the dog. She went over to the puppy which pulled and strained against the rope. With one quick slash, she slit the poor creature's throat open. It writhed in agony and she held it over the roaring fire and let the blood spill into the fire. Great billows of smoke spewed into the room. She anointed herself with the thick crimson blood and threw the carcass into the fire.

More smoke filled the room and Victoria wrinkled her nose against the smell of burning meat and blood. Suddenly she could feel another presence in the room. Her long efforts had been rewarded, she knelt before the fire ignoring the searing heat and watched, fascinated as a figure appeared. She saw a hooded face and the only feature she could see were red glinting eyes burning out of the darkness. A deadly soft voice filled the room chilling her bones and sending icy shivers down her back despite the heat from the fire.

"Well done, thou have finally summoned me. For what purpose have thou called down the darkness," it said, whispering like an evil wind.

"Oh, Mistress, Lady of Darkness, it is I, Victoria Empress of Forks. I humbly ask for thy guidance," she said. The voice filled the room again.

"I know who thou are, what guidance are thou daring to ask me for?" it said.

"I need thou guidance, and alliance, on how to rid myself of Princess Isabella and the Promised One, should that son of a whore show himself," she replied.

"Thou should know that it shall not be an easy task to accomplish. Both have much hidden strength and power. To attempt this in Forks would be folly, as thou couldst not win. Yet, on the realm of Earth, thou chances would be better. The foolish ones of the Circle of Light, have forbidden the Gods from interfering in the petty problems of the Outer Realms," Victoria looked crestfallen.

"So thou cannot help me?" she asked. "However, it would be to my advantage if the Promised One and the Princess are destroyed. They are members of the Circle's chosen. It would affect the Circle greatly should they die. I shall give my alliance to thee, if thou are willing to help me."

"Aye my Lady, anything. What dost thou wish me to do?" Victoria asked.

"I shall fill thee with the power to defeat the Princess and the Promised One. The power of immortality. When thou have dealt with them, the people of Forks will have no one to turn to except thee. With none strong enough to oppose thee, thou shall have control of this country. What I want, in return is…my freedom. I need thee to speak the words of power here in the cave between the mists and free me of these shackles that the Circle have bound me with. Free me to aid thee, and work my vengeance upon the Circle that have imprisoned me and on the ancestors of that fool sorceress who murdered my sons. I seek to weaken the Circle of Light, so that I may take my rightful place at the head," The voice cackled, with depraved joy. Victoria smiled as she realised the plan.

"It would honour me to free thee," she said, the admiration plain in her voice. "Now what must I do?"

A ruthless triumphant laughter filled the room, an icy wind blew through the chamber blowing out the fire and whipping Victoria's hair behind her. She was suddenly frightened but she found that she was unable to move.

"Close thy pretty little eyes mortal," the voice from the mirror whispered. Victoria closed her eyes. "Come to me, foolish one," the voice seemed to come from inside her head. Over and over the grating evil voice whispered "Come to me, come to me, come to meeeeee," Victoria felt dizzy as though she was moving at an incredible speed. The stone floor wheeled away from under her leaving her vulnerable sprawled in space. Lights burst before her eyes, screams raced past her ears, the world spun and burst and shattered around her. Then as suddenly as it began the world righted itself. The dizzy feeling faded and once again solid cool stone was beneath her.

"Open thy eyes mortal and release me," the voice snapped, no longer a voice in a mirror or an evil presence in her head now the voice came from a definite source somewhere in front of her. Victoria opened her eyes. The cold grey stone of the chamber and fireplace were gone replaced by a soft creamy coloured stone of a cave. Mist shrouded the floor curling around Victoria's exhausted form like ghosts.

Victoria stumbled to her feet, what she saw in front of her though stunned her. Chained to the wall before her was the Dark One herself. Once a powerful Demigoddess, she had been reduced to a prisoner and chained in a cave between the realms for many centuries. Thousands of years of anger smouldered in her dark eyes. She looked old withered haggard, thousands of years trapped without the pain and fear of mortals to feed off had withered her.

"Free me," she hissed. "Speak the words carved above my head and free me," Victoria looked at the words carved above the crone's head. Slowly she read them out as she did so Jane began to snigger triumphantly. When the final word had been spoken there was a great cracking sound. The shackles binding the Dark One fell to the ground, for the first time in thousands of years the skeletal old woman stood straight and tall raising her arms in defiance of the heavens. She howled in glee then she turned on Victoria, dark clouds gathering above her head.

"As for thee my helpful little mortal, now thou shall get thy reward," Victoria stood still in terror as the clouds above the Dark One's head began to boil and writhe. Suddenly a flash of what looked like lightning shot from out of the clouds and struck Victoria full in the forehead. She screamed and fell back in agony as a hot searing pain spread through every area of her body. She groaned as the power raced through her, filling every inch of her, searing her flesh, the laughter echoing around her filling her head. The lightning disappeared.

Victoria lay there sprawled on the floor, barely breathing, trying to cope with this newfound sense of power racing through her veins. The crone howled and laughed and before Victoria's eyes transformed in the most beautiful cruel looking woman she had ever seen. Her glowing blue eyes, the colour of ice, resonated with her voice which seemed to send cracks and icy shards down Victoria's spine. Her long white blonde hair was pulled tightly back from her pale smooth skin, and up into a thick intricate bun. Her gown, whilst obviously old fashioned, was made of beautifully woven fabrics, and antiquated though obviously expensive jewellery, draped her arms, throat and wound through her hair.

"Get up!" the woman commanded, her voice echoing through the cave. Victoria sat up, feeling the rush of power that roared and burned through her, more intense than she had ever felt.

"Close your eyes; it is time that we returned to that nasty little castle of yours," the horror of journey was no less than before, only now coupled with the painful intense rush of power that flooded through her, meant that when she opened her eyes again Victoria lay sprawled face first on the cold stone by the fireplace, blood seeping from her nose.

"Get up weak little fool. Now listen to me. Thou wishes to know how to destroy the Princess and the Promised One. I shall tell thee how," she said. Victoria leant closer.

"Tell me Jane!" she cried.

"Once they meet, the Princess and the Promised One, the Princess shall do everything in her power to protect him, even over her own life. Yet the Princess be the key. She has all the qualities of a true warrior; courage, valour, strength and intelligence. With the exception of her heart. Over time, most warriors become indifferent to emotion and their hearts become hard and cold. Not hers, hers beats with more love and passion and other useless emotions than any other person in Forks. That be her weakness. She actually cares about the Forkian people, Break her heart and thou can crush her into dust," the voice laughed. "Without her, the rebels are cringing curs, and the Promised One be naught but a frightened child with a power that he does understand and does not even know exists. He shall be an easy kill," Victoria spent the rest of her night listening to the hooded figure as her explained her plans for conquest and victory. Neither of them saw the small stone slide silently back into place in the wall. In the early hours of the morning the Jane had finished with Victoria and left her.

She lay on the stone floor barely breathing, shivering with cold, as the ashes in the hearth lay cold and black. Her feet and hands were numb and blue and she knew that in order to claim the power that the Jane had granted her, the powers of immortality, she would first have to experience physical death. Gathering the little strength she had left, she began to struggle to unlock the chamber door. In her struggle with the door she jarred her fingers but her hands were so cold that she couldn't feel it, not even when several of her nails were ripped off and the skin tore and bled. She finally managed to open the door and she hobbled her feet bruised and bleeding up the passage to stairs.

She fell several times adding to her bruises, her knees scratched and bloody. She made it to the stairs but she only made it up several before she collapsed her last ounce of strength failing her and she fell unconscious, a thick oppressing blackness wrapping itself around her brain.

"Eh mates, her Majesty's unconscious on the stairs. Get a healer," a soldier called, picking up the comatose Victoria and carrying her to her room. She lay there half conscious, raving and delirious as several women tended to her. For several moments her heart slowed, her breathing stopped and the women wept for her death. Then her eyes opened and her lungs filled with air. She was alive. After a few days she was well enough to sit up and eat and soon she was on her feet again her bruises and cuts healed. She knew that without the Jane's power filling her, she would have died.

With all signs of fatigue now gone Victoria cut a formidable figure. The Dark Lady's power pulsed through her veins and she seemed to experience things for the first time. Her sense of smell was so much stronger she could smell the pig roasting in the kitchen at the other side of the castle and the smell of her soldiers in their barracks on the other side of the outer bailey.

Colours were brighter and seemed to dazzle her. Her entire perception of the things around her had changed. Victoria felt invincible, nothing could defeat her now. She only had to make her armies that way.

Her hair was pulled back in a tight braid intertwined with royal blue and burgundy ribbons. Her dress was once the Empress' and it was the same colour as the ribbons. She felt like a child again and she swayed her skirts around her and watched the colours as they swirled. She giggled slightly as she sat at the window drinking mead from the silver goblet.

Her giggling increased as some of the mead spilled down her chin. She tore the wing from a roasted fowl and chewed it reflectively. She suddenly picked up the carcass in her hand and hurled it out the window as hard as she could. She laughed and clapped as the carcass flew over the inner bailey and landed far below.

'That be all the future Forks has to offer,' she thought. Victoria was amazed at her knew strength, she downed the rest of the mead and slammed the goblet down on the windowsill, denting the wood. She turned swiftly and swept down the dark narrow winding passageway. She refused to slow down for anyone passing her sending people flying out of her way.

She soon reached the dungeons. The first soldier who saw her stood quickly to attention. She strode towards him.

"T-Thy Majesty, How are thou feeling this morning?" he asked, scared. She ignored the question.

"Take me to the Prisoner," she said, her lips curved into a large smile, but her eyes remaining cold and hard burning into his with such a harsh intensity that he looked away in fear.

"W-which prisoner, thy Majesty?" he said.

"The Emperor, idiot," she ground out, her very presence overwhelming.

"Oh, yes, yes, thy Majesty," he stammered. He escorted her down the passage. On either side of her moans, wails and cries for mercy poured from every dark gloomy cell. Victoria laughed like an insane woman at these cries banging on the door gratings. They stopped outside a thick oaken door, with a small, narrow grated window. The guard by this time was so nervous he fumbled with the key almost dropping them several times.

"Hurry up, dolt," she hissed behind his ear, scaring him almost out of his skin. He finally opened the door. Victoria wrinkled her nose at the dank, decaying odour in the air. Her eyes fell on a tall, but malnourished man sat slumped against the wall in one dark, damp corner. His thick black hair was now barely sprinkled with grey. She looked around, disgust evident on her face at the grey stone walls damp and dripping, and covered in green moss. She smiled insanely, looking at the mouldy straw the man was sitting on.

'Quite fitting for an Emperor,' she thought. She looked back at the man and her smiled withered. He had a neglected and decaying air about him, his once strong body seemed half dead already except for his eyes. They seemed to look directly into Victoria's soul with a deep hatred glowing from their piercing blue depths and for all Victoria's dark power she was forced to look away.

"What, dost thou want, wench?"

"Naught," Victoria said airily, enjoying the moment. "I just thought that thou would be interested to know that thy precious daughter, Isabella, have not much longer to live. Jane has given me the power to destroy her and the Promised One. Aye, he be going to die also. I do not understand why thou continue to refuse me dear Charlie. I have so much to offer thee," Charlie looked disgusted.

"Thou have nothing to offer me. I would rather die than dishonour thy family by being with thee," he said. Victoria shrugged, though inside she burned.

"Do not worry Charlie, my dear brother-in-law, after I have dealt with thy daughter and that prophesied one, I shall be more than happy to aid thee in joining them and thy lovely wife in Port Angeles. A sword perhaps, or a spear, a dagger slid between thy ribs to deepen thy sleep. So many exciting ways to send thee to thy next life," Victoria laughed enjoying her own joke. Her laughter echoed harshly in the dark cell then faded with a gasp as the once noble Royal Emperor of Forks struggled to his feet. Although constant beating, a lack of fresh food, and squalid conditions had taken their toll on the man, his anger and rage had given him the strength to stand tall and oppose Victoria. He fought against the chains that bound his arms and legs, muscles straining until he stood as tall and imposing as they would let him. His words rang out loud and clear though the small cell.

"Victoria! Murderous whore. Thou have made a grave mistake and it shall cost thee dear. Thou shall never defeat my daughter. Thou know naught about her. Isabella have more strength and courage and power than thou can ever imagine. She shall find the Promised One and return here and undo thy evil and thou shall be the one to be destroyed," he cried, tears of rage forming in his eyes.

"Do thou honestly believe that?" Victoria laughed. "Pathetic fool. Thy daughter shall die, just as thy wife did. By my hand, Jane wants her dead, the Promised One too. She have given me the power to crush them into dust and I shall," as she spoke Charlie began to laugh, a harsh choking cough.

"Thou are more of a fool than I believed. The Gods are forbidden to interfere in the Outer Realms. Dost thou honestly believe the Circle will allow her interference to continue without retribution? Thou time be drawing to an end," he said

"Jane is going to weaken the Circle of Light, and claim the seat at the head," Victoria cried, but Charlie only laughed harder, his chest aching like fire.

"Jane is only a Demigoddess, she have not the power to take on the Circle, nor be she strong enough to lead. Thou are a fool," Victoria had turned white. The Emperor tried to step towards her but was prevented by his chains. He spoke mockingly to her, "thou cannot escape thy fate, wench. Thou knows the Prophecy, thy evil reign be near over," he stated. Before her nerves failed before her completely she turned and raced out of the cell. As the guard slammed the door closed and hurriedly locked it again, Victoria heard the Emperor shouting angrily.

"Murderer! Thou killed my wife in thy lust for power. Thou shall not kill my daughter!" he roared. The rest of Victoria's courage deserted her and she raced up the passage, ignoring the other guards, but his words were like a sword in her back. "Murderer!" he slumped back against the wall, his strength gone, and slid down into the straw, tears of frustration and helplessness, spilling down his cheeks, for his only daughter and the only hope for their world. Suddenly the very words he had just spoken came back to him and he realised that he spoke the truth. He truly believed that his daughter would defeat Victoria's evil and save Forks. Suddenly comforted and full of hope the true Emperor of Forks slipped into a sleep that was no longer filled with nightmares of the horror and agony of his wife's murder but with dreams of his beautiful child.


A/N:

Sorry for the delay, hope you enjoy this chapter :)

xx Isobel