For once, I'm updating on-time! This chapter is a bit more uplifting than the last one. Although I know anything will seem uplifting compared to that. Thank you for your reviews, guys; I really appreciate them!
CHAPTER 12: SEARCHING FOR WARMTH
"Priestess, you've got to do something," Maire said breathlessly, her voice ringing through the air.
There was a silence, and Saraswati answered, "What is it you wish me to do, Miss Griffin?"
Maire gritted her teeth. She was absolutely desperate. Darius had just given up on the mission, and she had no idea what she was going to do. In desperation, she'd tried to call Saraswati, but the woman didn't seem to be providing much help.
"Just tell me what to do!" she burst out. "Darius just won't listen to reason. I tried to tell him that we can't give up, but he screamed at me and nearly called the guards to have me thrown out. I've never seen him like this, Priestess! Something's seriously wrong!"
"Of course something is wrong," Saraswati answered calmly. "His sister has just died. He has every reason to be upset."
"Do you think I don't know that?" Maire cried. "But – Priestess, he's just given up! It's like he doesn't even care about Aria anymore!" Why is she so calm about this?
"Well then, you need to remind him why this is so important," Saraswati said. "The way I see it, you all have a connection to Aria – you are her best friend, and Mr. Fulgur was her boyfriend. Although he refuses to recognize it, he loves Aria just as much as you do."
"Okay, sure," Maire snapped. "But how are we going to do that? You're not exactly helping, you know!"
"Calm yourself, Miss Griffin," said Saraswati, and there was a warning note in her tone. "Be patient for a second. If you wish, I can call him for you."
"Can you?" Maire said, desperately.
"I can do that," Saraswati said. "I believe Mr. Fulgur needs to be spoken to. But I cannot persuade him alone. You do understand that it must come from within him. And for that, you will need to be there as well – so that you can help him recognize why he loves Aria. After all, you know her much better than I" –
"Yeah, yeah, sure," Maire said. "Could you call him now?"
"Give me some time to speak to my fellow priests," Saraswati said. "I will call you in about half an hour." Half an hour? thought Maire incredulously. "Please, Maire, do not lose yourself in impatience. No matter the outcome, we will overcome."
The call ended, but Maire didn't put down her phone. She paced wildly, trying to figure out how she was going to get herself – and Aria – out of this mess.
If anyone had asked her twenty-four hours before, she would've said that the mission was impossible. After all, they were trying to rescue a girl who wouldn't let anyone help her, and who could destroy entire cities when provoked. But the information Arishtat had given them had now changed everything. Now, they knew she was being held in Glacia, by a woman named Isolde.
But Darius had utterly refused to continue, and now, no royal supplies or ships would go towards freeing Aria. It was a huge blow to their mission; without their advanced equipment, how would they ever get to Glacia?
She wondered why she was so supportive of this. After all, not so long ago, she had told Darius that she didn't want to continue with the mission anymore. And it had been him who had slammed her down, telling her not to be so negative. But now… their roles had completely reversed.
Why do I care so deeply about Aria? she thought. Honestly, she wasn't even that good of a friend. So why am I so deeply invested in her? Why am I the driving force behind this now?
She stared out the window, at the Fulgur spring. The wind was blowing freely, and a yakand-gul, a dark red blossom with a jewel-like appearance, was floating to the ground, joining its sisters in a pile at the base of the tree. According to a story King Cyrus had told at dinnertime, the first yakand tree was planted by the founding king of the Fulgur Empire thousands of years ago, after a brutal war had destroyed much of the planets' vegetation, leaving them black and charred. As the tree spread its seeds all across the realm, new life began to flourish, and a new civilization dawned.
Maybe, a small voice said in her head, maybe friends don't have to be exceptional for us to have an urge to protect them. Maybe there's something in this imperfect bond, something that makes me want to strive forward and protect her. Maybe I've finally learned how to let the past be the past, and work harder towards the future. A dawn of hope began to descend on her, and for the first time in days, she smiled. And maybe… maybe I'm ready to figure out how to resolve things between me and Mom…
Maire ran out of her room and tore up the steps. "Queen Elaheh!" she called. She ran as fast as she could, up to the queen's private apartment, but as she reached the final steps, a guard came in front of the passageway and blocked her.
"You cannot go in there," she said.
"Dame Jaleh," Maire panted, "I've got to. I need to talk to Her Majesty."
"She is in mourning," the woman answered. "You cannot pass."
"Let her in," a voice said. Queen Elaheh walked out of her room, looking tired. She smiled wanly at Maire. "What is it you need, child?"
"Queen," Maire gasped, climbing up the last set of stairs, "I'm sorry to disturb you, after everything you're going through, but I need… advice. Do you mind helping me?"
Queen Elaheh hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Come on in." She walked into her chamber, and Maire followed.
She was surprised at how… normal the queen's room looked. Yes, the room was spacious, about four times the size of the room she'd shared with her roommate at Alfea, and eight times the size of her room at home. But other than an advanced computer, the décor looked like that of an ordinary civilian's. No wonder Darius isn't full of himself. I thought he was at first, but he really is like an ordinary boy. With a mother like his – there's no way he has any leeway to become a brat.
"Have a seat," the queen said, sitting down at one of her chairs.
Maire remained standing. "I was wondering, Your Majesty. I – I, well"… The queen's eyebrows rose in questioning, but Maire forced herself to continue. "I don't have a… great relationship with my mother. She, well, she kicked me out of the house, last Saturday, for being a pain."
"What do you wish me to do?" Queen Elaheh asked. "I cannot order her to let you return."
"I know that," Maire said. "It's just – we never had a good relationship. We were all poor, back when I lived in the village. We could barely make ends meet as farmers, and we were all expected to do our fair share. And the other villagers were so judgmental. That kind of atmosphere was just sickening. I mean, I love my family and my brothers and all that stuff, but I hated how everyone there was so simpleminded. And so… I decided to make something of myself. Which is why I went to Alfea." It was all tumbling out in a flash. "But my mother didn't approve, and neither did the villagers nor my brothers. We began to argue with each other all the time, about how I wasn't doing anything to help the family stay afloat. But I didn't want to remain an ignorant bumpkin – I mean, my friend Aria was always so confident, and, well, I wanted to be like her." She took a breath. "And things really escalated, to the point where after they closed school, I decided I didn't want to go home. It's just – we never really understood each other, and we always fought. I – do you think you can help me?"
Queen Elaheh remained silent. With a sinking feeling, Maire realized that the queen wasn't going to help her; she was so stuck in her grief, she didn't have time to worry about anyone else's problems. "I – I'm sorry, I guess. I guess you can't relate. Your kids love you, and you're a great mom and everything." I shouldn't have bothered to come here.
But to her amazement, a smile appeared on the queen's sad face. "I, a great mother? What are you talking about? I make mistakes every day. I'd be lucky if my kids thought I was anywhere near an okay mom, much less a great one!"
"But Your Majesty," Maire said, feeling even more confused, "you look after your kids every day. You ask them how they're doing, and you – you and His Majesty care about them. Why aren't you" –
"No mother is perfect, Maire," Queen Elaheh said, cutting her off. "No parent is, for that matter. We all make mistakes, and we all get on our children's nerves – particularly our teenagers. My husband always has to remind me to stop putting pressure on Darius. Oftentimes we do things that our children disagree with, or even resent – which is why we must always promote open and honest discussion."
"My mom never used to do that," Maire protested. "She always used to shut me up before I could even get a word out."
"Then you need to think about the type of discussion you're having," Queen Elaheh answered. "Do you accuse one another? Do you go up to her calmly, or are you screaming? And do you lie? Be honest with yourself, Maire. You're going to have to do that if you wish to repair anything at all."
If this had been coming from anyone else, Maire would've been horribly insulted. But the way the queen spoke, she had an air of complete neutrality and calmness, without even a hint of accusation in her voice. Her mind whirled, and she thought back to her life on Summa.
And she realized that, long before she'd gone to Alfea, her relationship with her mother had already begun to fray. It was easy to blame Aria's negative influence for their problems, but not so easy when she remembered how much of it she herself was to be blamed. She remembered the times she'd snuck out of the house while she was grounded. She remembered the times she'd been disrespectful towards her mother for absolutely no reason, just to anger her or get her way. Not all of it had been solely her fault, but she now saw that the deterioration had happened, in part, because of her.
It would be so much easier to keep hating her, to keep feeding myself the lies I've been creating for the past Natura-knows-how-many years, she thought. But I can't anymore. I've got to face up to what I've done.
"Have you spoken to her at all in the past few days?" Queen Elaheh asked. "And what about your father?"
"I haven't called her – I've rejected all of her calls," Maire admitted. "My father – he, well, he's never been around. He ditched my mom before I was even born. I don't even know why he left – none of my brothers will tell me. I – I wish someone would tell me."
The queen's eyes hardened for a moment, but then a softer look appeared on her face and her blue eyes filled with sympathy. "I am going off on a wing here, Maire, but it sounds like your mother didn't want you to leave the village because she was anxious about losing you. When we are anxious, we often project that anxiety onto our own children, and commit actions we're bound to regret in the future. And we do all of this because we love our children, because we want them to grow up to be self-sufficient and successful – and because we don't yet have the all-clear power of hindsight. You can't change the past, but you can make amends for the future." She looked at Maire. "Are you following me here?"
Maire looked down at her phone. "You want me to call her?"
"It's not what I want," Queen Elaheh answered. "It is what you want, in your heart. And remember, Maire – no matter what you have done, your mother loves you. She may be angry with you at times, but she will never stop loving you, no matter what you do. So I advise you: do not fail to reconcile before it is too late. I speak from experience, and within the last twenty-four hours, my life has been dramatically changed." Now a bit of her composure began to slip away, and tears came into her eyes. "Once my husband arrives back home, I will have to officially bury Sharzad, though there is no body to be found. I failed to protect my child, and I will live with that guilt for the rest of my life. But Tistyra forbid anything was to happen to you, Maire. If you were killed, your mother would never be able to forgive herself. If nothing else, please try to reconcile. It will not happen instantly, but you can make it happen."
She's right, Maire realized. As angry as she'd been with her mother her entire life, she knew that she loved her, and that she couldn't let her go. I won't let what happened to Sharzad happen between me and Mom. She smiled at Queen Elaheh.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," she said gratefully.
"You may just call me Queen Elaheh." The woman smiled. "I know that only other members of royalty are allowed to address sovereigns by their names, but we are almost like family, are we not?"
"Sure," Maire grinned, reaching forward and giving the queen a hug. She could hear the woman's shallow breathing, and knew she was grieving more than she could ever possibly imagine. It's up to me to make sure my family doesn't tear apart. Even if it takes forever for Mom and I to build up our relationship, I'm gonna make sure she at least knows I'm willing to try.
Aria stretched back in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was nearly noon, but she still hadn't gotten out of bed – she hadn't had the energy or the heart. Isolde hadn't chained her after yesterday's incident, but she might as well have, for she had no desire to do anything but lie down and sleep all day.
She had contemplated suicide before, but had never had the guts to go ahead with it. Even though she'd known the wrongness of the world too long to count the years, she'd never done it, for fear of what might happen to her. But six days ago, her world had come crashing around her. It had taken a kidnapping, a failed dream, and many attacks on her self-esteem for her to realize how wrong the world was. No matter what, she couldn't win. She couldn't do anything to disentangle herself from hatred and pain. And so she'd gone ahead with the plan, which would have succeeded had Isolde not caught her.
But that worldview didn't match up with what had happened yesterday. After all, just when she'd reached the lowest moment probably in her entire life, Angéle had come along. That girl had stood up to Isolde, the scariest woman in the Magical Dimension. For her. She'd seen her suffering, and stopped Isolde from inflicting any punishment. No one's ever done that for me…
She didn't know why Angéle had done it, but didn't dare to find out. She somehow got a bad feeling at the thought of Isolde catching her with Angéle. So far, Angéle hadn't come by her room, either – probably for the same reason. But I really need to find out…
"Girl," a voice barked from outside. Aria turned her face towards Isolde, who was wearing her icy-blue dress, as usual. "I'm going out. There had better not be any trouble here when I get back. No funny stuff from you. Do you understand?"
Aria nodded. "Yes, Your Iciness," she said meekly.
"Good," said Isolde with a curve-lipped smile. "I'll be off, then." She stood still for a moment, and in a blast of frosty air, vanished.
I can't just stay here, Aria realized. I've got to find answers. With great difficulty, she pulled herself out of bed. She's gone now, so I can talk to Angéle.
She headed down the hall, her mind a whirl. Her heart pounding, she knocked quickly on the door.
"Aria?"
Darius lay on his bed. He was bereaved, but to the point where he couldn't cry. He just couldn't. If he let anything out, then all the memories would come back, the pain and the anger…
It was his fault that Sharzad had died. He could blame it on Daewon for as long as he liked, but the truth was, he had been the one to let her slip under his nose. He had failed in his duty to protect his sister, to defend according to the creed of Red Fountain. And she would never come back home again.
He rolled over, staring at the ceiling. More than anything, he wished he could turn back time. Jump forward and take the blow that was meant for him, and not for his sister. Or better yet, deflect it so that it hit Stormy, and she fell into the Gate of Glacia. Then two sisters would've been down, and they could've easily dealt with the last one. But there was nothing left. Nothing but him and his miserable thoughts.
I can't stop thinking about this, he thought. There – there's got to be some way to numb the pain. To stop thinking about Sharzie and how… how I didn't protect her…
He forced himself to sit up, thinking of all of the ways there were to stop from feeling the pain. Maybe I should ask Babak for a Calming Draught. He was well aware that the potion would only be temporary, but at that moment, he couldn't care less; anything that stopped the pain was welcome. He began to get up, but as he stood up, the phone began to ring.
Who is it? Irritation rose in his chest as he looked at the caller ID. It was a video call. To his surprise, he saw that it was Maire calling him. What does she want?
His first instinct was to grab the phone and smash it against the floor. He had no desire to talk to anyone about what had happened. But he knew that if he didn't talk to Maire at some point, she would find a way to make him talk to her. I might as well talk to her… Sighing, he picked up the phone.
Almost instantly, he could tell that it wasn't an ordinary phone call. Maire's face popped up from the screen, grainy and shrouded in a green light. But there was another face, one that he'd only seen a few times in Magix – High Priestess Saraswati Iyer of the Temple of the Thirteen Realms.
Darius yelped in surprise, almost dropping the phone. "Priestess?" he stammered. "What is this? Why are you" –
"I am sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Fulgur," the priestess said. "I am aware that you are in mourning. However, we have come to speak to you exactly about that. Maire called me this morning, telling me about the crisis that has occurred here, and I have been asked to give you advice."
"If you've come to tell me that it's my fault that Sharzad's dead, believe me, I know." Darius snapped. He had no patience for this phone call, and even less patience for those who were trying to tell him how to manage his grief.
"We didn't come to say that," Maire said.
"Then what?" Darius shouted. "What have you come to tell me about, then? YOU'RE WASTING MY TIME!"
"We're not talking to waste your time!" Maire cried. "Get it together, Darius. We get you're angry, but" –
"SHE'S GONE!" Darius bawled. "AND SHE'S NEVER GOING TO COME BACK! YOU DON'T – FREAKING – UNDERSTAND! WHY SHOULD I WASTE MY TIME" –
"That is enough," Priestess Saraswati commanded. Her voice radiated power, and Darius shrank back, like a scolded child. "Enough banter, Mr. Fulgur. Please, cast aside your rage, at least temporarily, and listen to what must be said. Do you know the story of Prince Arjuna and the Magix Civil War?"
"No," answered Darius brusquely. What the heck is she talking about? "Prince Arjuna – wasn't he the one who led the offensive against Sutoku in the Fifth Dimensional War?"
"Yes, he certainly did," Saraswati agreed. "However, there was a war before that, one that divided Magix bitterly. The Prince's cousins, the Kauravas, wanted the throne, but the Pandavas, Arjuna's brothers, were sons of the current king. Therefore, the Kauravas used deception to trick King Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava, into giving up the kingdom; through blood magic, they created an enchantment that sealed them off from Magix. However, the Kauravas were not as skilled with magic as they might have been, and the enchantment only lasted for thirteen years.
"When thirteen years of exile had elapsed, it became time for Prince Arjuna and his brothers to war against the Kauravas, for they had to reclaim the kingdom that was theirs. But this war, one of the most brutal that Magix has ever seen, cost millions of lives. And when Prince Arjuna's son was killed by the Kauravas, he began to doubt whether he should continue the fight.
"But High Priest Krishna of the Magix Holy Circle, the Prince's closest advisor, would not allow this. To forfeit the war would mean that all of the dead would have lost their lives in vain. But even more importantly, it would mean that the Prince would lose his honor, and forever be branded a coward. And hence he counseled the Prince: 'Do thy part! Be mindful of thy name, and tremble not! But, if thou shun thy duty and thy task, that shall be sin! And those to come shall speak thee infamy from age to age. Make thine acts thy piety, casting all self aside. Seek refuge in thy soul; have there thy heaven!'"
"And there's a reason you're telling me all this, I hope?" Darius asked through gritted teeth.
Saraswati fixed him with a steely gaze. "You are the Prince in this story, Mr. Fulgur. Similarly to Arjuna, you have endured a loss, and thus seek to give up on the mission that you hold so dear. Yes, I am speaking about Aria – for even though you are the only person who can help her, you choose to cast aside your role. I thereby counsel you that you should not give up on your quest, for it is your duty, and you must do it to save those who you love."
"Sharzad is dead," Darius snapped. "And if you think I'm going to let myself fall into that same tr" –
"Death is an unavoidable part of life," Saraswati interrupted. "You must accept that, Mr. Fulgur. There is a cycle that you and I and every being is a part of: it is the cycle of life and death and rebirth. Every realm has a different philosophy concerning life, but all agree that everything is a cycle. However, the spirit will always remain the same, throughout every phase. A body may become mutilated, or maimed, or frozen in ice, but a soul will always remain unchangeable. Sharzad's loving, joyous soul may not be upon earth with us, but it is still very much extant, and will never cease to exist."
Well, that still doesn't change the fact that she's dead, Darius thought savagely. Once again, the image of Sharzad's body freezing in the ice crystal appeared in his mind, and he winced. Did she really have to remind me of that?
"You may not understand yet," Saraswati continued. "But you must understand one thing, Darius: you are entwined in the search for Aria. Whether or not you like it, it is your duty to help find her. You cannot shirk from your responsibilities, not when you have such vital information about the girl you once loved."
Darius didn't care who Arjuna was, or Krishna, for that matter. His situation was nowhere near similar. My sister died – I'm not letting that go. He was about to say just as much, when Maire stopped him.
"The situation sucks, Darius," she said. "There's no way around it. But we – we've got to move on. I sure as hell didn't know Sharzad as well as you did, but I know that she was damn full of courage. She was courageous to the point where she got her Charmix last year, the first Alfea student in ten years to receive her Charmix before sophomore year! And she wouldn't have wanted you to give up, either. She'd want you to continue fighting, for truth and for justice. Please don't let her courage go to waste."
It was that which halted Darius. He remembered his sister, when she was five and he was eight. Their nanny had told them a story about a soldier who had died in a brutal war, because of a power-hungry king who had sent his forces too far into enemy territory. He remembered how Sharzad had been completely up-in-arms about the king, protesting that he had been an unjust king and that what he'd done was wrong. She had been in a funk about it for an entire week. Even back then, she cared so much about justice…
If she had known that Aria had been possessed, Darius knew she would have helped to find her and bring her back home. Her heart had been in the right place, even though her actions were not. And Darius realized that if he wanted to honor her properly in death, he'd have to step up and do his job.
"All right," he said grudgingly. "I'll continue to help." He raised his voice. "But don't think I'm happy about this."
"Thank you, Darius," Saraswati said calmly. "We will resume this conversation tomorrow, after you have rested and recovered. Please, take the time to feel better and think about" –
"Yeah, whatever," Darius interrupted. "Bye." He switched off the phone without a second thought.
He lay back on his bed. His head still ached, and all he wanted to do was sleep. "Babak," he called, "Calming Draught."
The servant bowed and left the room. As Darius lay silently, he wondered if he would ever avenge Sharzad.
Angéle pulled the door open. She stared into Aria's face, which probably looked bedraggled and exhausted. For once, Aria didn't care. I'm tired of putting up a façade to everyone.
"You came," Angéle breathed, her voice scarcely a whisper. She opened the door.
Aria followed her in. The two girls sat down on Angéle's bed. They sat rather awkwardly, not knowing what to say; finally, Aria looked at Angéle.
"Why did you save me yesterday?" she asked in a rush.
Then Angéle's gaze met hers. She lifted her head slowly, her eyes dark and soulful.
"I saw you in pain," she said softly, "and I didn't want her to hurt you more than you'd already hurt yourself. So I helped you. That's the reason why."
"But you didn't have to," Aria said.
"And yet, I did," Angéle answered softly.
Aria's mind was swirling. Throughout her entire life, she'd always craved attention. It was the primary reason why she'd kept her fan circle so close. But such attention had always been because she was a wonderful singer and everyone wanted to be in her crowd. And it had always left her feeling unfulfilled, always wanting more.
But this… this was different. It was an act of true kindness, something that Aria couldn't remember experiencing, much less giving out to others. If what Angéle had said was true, she was the kindest person Aria had ever met.
"I" – Aria lowered her gaze, for once truly ashamed. "Thanks," she said rather belatedly, not meeting Angéle's eyes. Another word she couldn't remember having used, either.
"You're welcome," Angéle said. Suddenly, her body let out a spasm and she gasped, falling onto the bed.
"What?" Aria was immediately above Angéle. "What happened? Why are you collapsing?" What is wrong with you?
"I'm fine," answered Angéle, turning on her back so she could face Aria. "These spasms have been coming often in the past week. I sometimes lose breath, and I feel drained of energy."
"Why?" Aria demanded.
"I don't know," Angéle said, but Aria saw a flicker in her eyes. Angéle was lying. She looked ill, and knew full well why she was so ill. Aria wanted to ask her, but she knew now was not the time, not when Angéle had practically saved her life the previous day.
The time soon lapsed into silence. Aria sat down as Angéle lay on the bed, closing her eyes. For a while, neither of them spoke. Aria stared out the window, as a blizzard of snow blasted past them.
Isolde could be anywhere out there, she thought. Now that I think about it… what does she do out there? A claw of suspicion began to nag at her heart, pulling it down. Why does she need me? What is she planning to do?
She gazed over at Angéle, who was staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes were dark and sad, conveying everything in one glance. Wait… why is she here? Her heart began to pound.
"Angéle," she said at last, "why did Isolde bring you here?"
Angéle finally craned her head up. Her brown eyes met Aria's blue ones, searching quietly. At last she spoke.
"I wanted to expose her," she said. "I wanted to open her realm so we could bring her to Magix and find true justice."
"Wait… what are you talking about?" Aria stared at her, puzzled. Open her realm? Aren't all realms open?
"The realm we are in is currently sealed," Angéle explained. "No one can get in or out. There are crimes the queen committed decades ago, and the UR still wants her back home."
Oh yeah, she did say that before, Aria remembered, still confused. When Angéle caught sight of her puzzled face, she smiled. "Did you not know? We are in the realm of Glacia."
Glacia… Aria vaguely remembered hearing about it in sophomore Realmwide History class, but it was not a class she'd paid much attention to. "And what's the deal with Glacia, exactly?"
"This realm is made up of two planets: Glacia and Nunangat," Angéle explained. "So it's really the Glacian Empire, if you think about it; the Glacian royal family has been ruling both planets since the Age of Discovery. While Glacia was a united kingdom at the time of the conquest, Nunangat was floundering, with tribal people at its northern pole and small kingdoms towards the equator; the southern pole is entirely ocean. It still remains that way today. In Year 5670 of the Age of Discovery, the Glacians staged a successful conquest of Nunangat; although they allowed individual tribes and kingdoms their sovereignty, they've all had to pay tribute to the monarch of Glacia, and have basically been treated as second-class citizens throughout the empire's history.
"About sixty-three years ago, Queen Isolde annihilated a group of people in Nunangat. The Panuk Tribe. She claimed that the group was planning to overthrow her as queen. The UR saw this as genocide, however, and sent in troops to capture her and bring her to justice.
"But instead of giving in, the queen got her best mages to work with her to create a wall around the realm. A shield appeared all around Nunangat and Glacia, the two planets of the realm. With the appearance of an icy-blue gate, it stopped all from entrance."
Now Aria remembered. That – that's the Gate of Glacia! She remembered that somewhere, in Professor Patel's torpid voice, those remarks had been made.
"But I don't understand," she said. "If no one can get in or out, how did Isolde bring us here?
"She must have some powers which allow only her to bring people in and out," Angéle answered. "That's why she's been able to do all this."
Aria digested the information in silence. Something's not adding up here. It didn't make sense that Angéle was part of a mission to expose Isolde; she looked barely the same age as Aria. "How old are you?" she asked suddenly.
"F-fifteen," said Angéle, startled.
"That's what I thought," Aria said, raising her eyebrow. "And I'm supposed to believe you were on a mission to expose evil across the realms?"
"I" – Angéle said, suddenly appearing very shy. "My mother trained me when I was very young. She was very skilled in the magical arts, and taught me how to acquire the status I have now. The king appointed me to my position a year ago, after my mother died."
Oh, right, the celebrity parents. "And what did your mother work as, exactly?"
Angéle closed her eyes for a moment, and then she opened them again. "She wasn't exactly hired for a job, as you call it – she was born for it. You see, my mother is the High Priestess of the Rêvian Unified Church."
Aria gasped, completely taken aback. "So you're" –
"Her apprentice," Angéle finished for her, smiling. With newfound strength, she had now pulled herself up to a sitting position. "I am Priestess-in-Training Angéle du Maurier. All my life, I've been trained to learn the hidden magical arts of my kingdom, and to one day, serve as a Rêvian national symbol. Not that it matters now, as neither of us is getting out of here alive." She sighed, looking down, and her shoulders drooped.
Aria stared at her, seeing Angéle in a new light entirely. Now she understood where her high breeding came from, her natural glamour, her precise manners and tone. Does her status give her any information about this place?
"Why does Isolde need us?" she asked.
Angéle jumped; she had clearly been lost in her own thoughts. "W-what do you mean?"
"Why are we here?" Aria demanded. "Why am I here? What's going on?"
"I don't know," answered Angéle nervously. "I mean, what did Isolde tell you?"
"She told me I'm here because she wants to help me," Aria answered. "So that I can rule the realms with her and get revenge on everyone who's wronged me."
"Do you want that?" Angéle's voice was barely an echo.
"I" – Aria hesitated. If Angéle had asked her that a few days before, she would have certainly said yes. But now, she knew she had no desire to rule the realms. And as for getting revenge… "I don't know," she admitted. She felt Angéle draw farther away from her.
"There are so many people who've wronged me." Now her eyes were on fire. "So many people out there have tried to ruin my reputation. I can't forgive them, Angéle. I will not!" Her heart was beating faster. "And if Isolde's gonna help me pay them back, I think it's worth it!"
"But to what end?" Angéle asked softly. "What if you never end your revenge? How many people will have to die before you're happy?"
"I don't know!" Aria ground her teeth in frustration. "I don't want to kill anyone, obviously. That's messed up. But – oh, you don't understand!" She glared at her. "No one has ever done you wrong, is it? You're the daughter of a priestess, so obviously everyone loves you! You have no enemies! You're not like me, when people can't understand how good of a singer I am!"
"I don't think it's that," said Angéle quietly.
"Oh yeah?" Aria snapped. "Then what could it possibly be?"
Angéle didn't answer. She lowered her gaze, and then looked up. She said quietly, "So, will you continue with your revenge or not?"
"I have no choice." Aria's eyes were on fire. "Isolde – she'll kill me before I quit. I have no choice but to do as she says."
"That is true," Angéle sighed. "We are all slaves to her, in this great castle." She held her gaze. "I'm sorry, Aria."
Aria somehow got the feeling that she was apologizing in more than one way. But what could she possibly mean? She stared at Angéle in confusion, but the girl had now looked away.
Slowly, Aria moved her hand towards Angéle. She slowly took the girl's darker hand in her own, marveling at how long her slender fingers were in such a small hand. It's like she was born to play harp… And this time, Angéle didn't resist. The two girls sat silently in their own thoughts, each wondering what Isolde wanted with her and what was about to come.
Here goes nothing, Maire thought. She sat in her room and opened her phone.
There was the number to her home phone, which she had not called in five days. Even her mother had given up calling; clearly, she had resigned herself to the fact that her daughter would likely never answer her. But I'm going to call her now. I've got to.
Taking one deep breath, she clicked the 'Call' button and the screen switched to video chat.
For a few rings, nothing happened. Maire held her breath, half-hoping that she would never pick up the call. But then Lily Griffin's red face appeared, and she said breathlessly, "Maire?"
"Mom," breathed Maire, looking at her mother's face. She was completely taken aback – and shocked – to see the state her mother was in.
Her mother's curly red hair was limp and listless. Her face looked wrinkled and aged, and her brown eyes were moroseful. She was wearing the same shirt she'd worn the day Maire had stormed out of the hotel; she didn't look like she'd showered since then, either.
"Maire," her mom breathed, "I'm sorry I kicked ya out."
"It's okay," Maire answered, "I was, well," – here goes, she thought with a sigh – "kinda a jerk" –
"No, ya let me talk," her mother interrupted. "No mothah has any right ta force 'er child outta the house. Can ya forgive me?"
"I" – Maire wasn't sure why she was so hesitant to answer. The truth was, she knew she couldn't forgive her mother so easily. Not after all the years of resentment she'd harbored, the feeling that her mother had never recognized her for who she was.
"I forgive ya," she said, "because trust me, I wanted out too." For a second, she thought she'd been too blunt, but it seemed to work; her mother let out a shaky laugh.
"Come home," she said. "Ya gotta come back, Maire. Our president has declart a state ah emergency, an' it's not safe wherevah ya are. An' I only wanned ta protect ya, Maire – I nevah wanned ya ta face the same problems as me" –
"Mom?" Maire asked, feeling more and more scared. "What are you talking about? What – what happened to you?"
Her mother looked up at her, and for the first time, Maire could see past the toughness in her face. It was a face she put up in front of her children, one she put up very well. But behind that was a fragile interior which had been hurt and hurt many, many times.
Her mother sighed. "Awright." She turned to face Maire.
"Just like ya, I have six brothers," she said, "an' none I speak ta anymore. I was da younges'. We lived in da provence Terra, were dirt-poor, an' barely managed ta put food on da table. There was no money fer anythin' extra."
Maire thought of her own childhood. Like the rest of the villagers, their family's income had been tight, but they'd never had to worry about getting food on the table. And even though many of her brothers were adults, they didn't leave the village; instead, they helped to work the farm. By the time she was three, Cináed and Aiden had already been working, and so even though her father had left, there were three people in the family with an income. What kind of existence is that? She stared at her mother, hardly able to believe what she was saying.
"In mah girlhood, I was just like ya, Maire. I wanned ta explore da world – there had ta be more then just bein' a farmer girl an' farmer wife. I wanned ta leave." Her mother's face was resolute.
"But mah father wounn' let me," she went on. "Alweady, many thought I'd too many liburties; I was supposed ta clean an' cook. I could hunt and fish and haddan appetite like a boy" –
"Same as me," Maire breathed. This was her life her mother was repeating. Well, except the present father part.
"My daddy bannt me from goin'. He beat me until I's scairt stuff an' told him I wounn' leave. He movt me to the cellar and ordert mah brothers to keep guard. And theys obeit his werd. Like chickens, theys did." She growled.
"I had ta leave da house. I was goin' mad. And so I managt ta escape. Ran inta town, I did. I found a job as a construcsion worker an' workt like dat fer a year.
"Then yer father fount me." Something in her mother's face hardened, and she looked as if she didn't want to continue, but continue she did anyways. "He offert ta take me back ta his home, Bláthnaid, as 'is wife. And I acceptd. We went dere an' had our farm, and I's grow seven chillen, right in 'ere." She patted her stomach.
Maire stared at her mother. That must have been a horrible life… She could scarcely imagine what her mother had gone through.
"We had a family fer some time," her mother continued. "Ya know, Maire, family's all I evah wanned. This is why I always tell da impornance ah family. An' you's goin' aroun', disgracin' our family values an' pretenin' we's don't exist."
Maire gritted her teeth. There she goes again. She should have known better than to call her mom. She'd hoped to resolve things and make it better; instead, all she'd gotten was a lecture. And it was completely uncalled for, especially because her brothers had never gotten the same speech. But for once, she couldn't think of a good retort. Everything her mother had said had completely stunned her.
"Ya nevah tol' me that," she settled on, childishly.
Her mother let out a sarcastic laugh. "How many times I told ya ta nevah turn yer back on family? Family's what raist ya, brought ya up, an' made ya who ya are. Ya dint wanna lis'en, Shannon. Well, I hope ya lis'enin' naw."
There she goes again, calling me by my first name. There was nothing else that signified more that her mother meant business. She was about to start yelling at her mother, telling her that she was wrong, when she remembered what Elaheh had said: "You need to think about the type of discussion you're having."
I can't make this into a screaming match, she realized. That never solved anything in the past, and it won't solve it now. She clenched her fists. But oh Natura, do I want to. She turned her face back towards her mother.
"I'd come home if I coul', Mom," she said. "But I can't. Mah friend and I are workin' on a mission."
"Whad mission?" her mother asked dismissively, and Maire could tell she didn't understand. To her mother, there was no mission more important than working on the farm, year after year, and making sure it stayed successful. Maire took in a breath.
"Ya remember my friend, Aria, who killt Galatea?" she asked. Her mother nodded. "Well, turned out she ain't done it on her own accord. A sorceress – she possessed her."
"Possesst her ta do it?" her mother said in horror. "Can that happin?"
"There's a lotta things that can happen in the world, Mom," Maire responded. "It's ain't just mah study at Alfea that's taught me that. I've seen it myself."
"Well, I don' like da sound ah that," her mother responded. "Ya're comin' righ' home."
"I can't," Maire pressed on. "Can't ya see, Mom? My friends and I – we gonna go track that sorceress down."
"What?" her mother let out a gasp. "Ya mad, girl! Ya realize how dannerous that is?"
"Mom" –
"Ya got bees in yer head if ya think I'm gonna let ya do that," her mother said grimly. "Yer comin' home right naw, and that's that. My little girl ain't gonna fight no demons and monsters!"
"Mom" – Maire had always found her mother's protectiveness and demandingness infuriating, a claim that she couldn't fly on her own two wings. It was no less irritating now. But now, she could understand why her mother was so afraid. I've got to make her understand why this is so important to me. Without screaming, or letting her face turn red with anger, she stared into the camera and looked straight down at her mother.
"Mom," she said, "I know this is gonna be hard for ya to understand. But I've spent a lotta time with Aria these past few years. She gone through a lotta the same problems you and me have, 'cept she ain't talkin' ta her parents at all." She saw her mother's eyes widen. "Her parents wanned ta protect her, 'cause dat sorceress put some voodoo spell on her, an' they had ta sen' her away, fer safety. And she hated them fer it, and" –
"You're talkin' like a hen with its fethers strait pluckt, Maire," her mother said. "What ya tryin' ta say?"
Maire sighed. "My point is ya ain't gotta protect me, Mom. Her parents tried ta protect her, and hated them for it."
"Of course I have ta protect ya," Maire's mother answered. "It's my job. Ya know I'd give up anythin' fer ya and yer brothers, I'd jump in fron' of a rifle for ya" –
"Yes, yes, I know," Maire said impatiently. "I get that you, well, love me and all, but yer too extreme. Ya've gotta be more lax, Mom. Aria's parents smothaed her with protection, and she shunned. I – I don't want that ta happen with us, Mom." To her shock, she felt tears forming in her own eyes. "I'm gonna work with ya so we can deal with yer – our – problems. And I'm gonna find Aria and bring her back home again, and well, let's just see if she can't have a second chance."
As she spoke, she knew her words were true and right. She stared down into her mother's face, who let out a rare smile. Her entire face glowed as she looked at her, mother and daughter reunited for once. For a second, Maire thought she could even see tears in her eyes.
"Yer a brave girl, Maire," she said. "I'm proud ah ya. An' I know ya'll be successful one day, with that aditude. So go out dere an' give 'em hell."
For the first time in months, Maire grinned at her mother. All she could feel was relief that she had passed. Relief that, no matter what Darius said, the task wasn't impossible. I'm gonna save Aria, and with my mom's blessing, find that Isolde lady and kick her butt.
So things are starting to look up! We still have a long ways to go before there's any kind of resolution, though, so keep your seatbelts tight! Review replies will come sometime next week, as I'm running out of time today.
For the part where Saraswati convinces Darius to rejoin the group, I quoted directly from the Bhagavad Gita. It is an ancient Vedic scripture, revolving around the hero of the Mahabharata, Prince Arjuna, and his charioteer, the Vishnu incarnate Krishna. Throughout the story, Krishna advises Arjuna, always making sure his path follows righteousness. If you want to check it out, I found an English translation here: www. sacred-texts. I find it very fascinating to delve into Vedic philosophy and history, as I find it very spiritual and enlightening. If you have the time, check it out!
Next chapter:
- Daewon lands in Magix.
- Sharzad explores past the cave, where she discovers something fascinating.
- Isolde takes Aria on another mission, this time to Whisperia.
- Saraswati calls a group meeting for everyone involved in the search for Aria.
That's it, guys! See you next week!