i was trying to focus on family issues in this chapter. also sorry if i got the relations wrong, i was trying to make sense what Jenna's and Elara's relation might be. anyway, please review!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CHAPTER 4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cleaning the Library took a long time. Almost as long as when Rose and I were filling out paperwork two months earlier. I sighed. Sometimes it felt like Septimus was just trying to annoy me. I couldn't blame him though, after what I did with him that morning. I laughed to myself. That was good. It was 7:00 PM and I needed to go to the Palace, at least before ten. It was a chilly autumn evening and I wrapped Xenia in the blanket I had made the night before. After a long while of travelling outrageously slowly on the stairs, I finally stepped off and ran out of the Wizard Tower. I reached the Palace in fifteen minutes. The stairs took a blasted half hour. I sighed and walked inside. Everyone in the Palace trusted me, although not willingly at first. Jenna had in fact demanded they respect me, but as the days and weeks passed, they came to understand I meant no harm and my monster was a thing of the past. I was able to walk in and out freely whenever I wanted. I found Jenna in the sitting room, staring into the fire. At the sight of me she jumped up and smiled. "Elara! It's been so lonely here. I haven't had any work in a while and no one has come to visit." I wasn't entirely sure what to feel. But then I remembered what I actually had to say. I took Xenia out from under my cloak. Jenna had a mixture of anger and astonishment on her face. "What did Septimus do?! Did you and Sep…" she looked at me. I understood what she thought. "I thought the same thing when I found her but no, that's definitely not what happened. Her hair is actually brown." Jenna breathed a sigh of relief. "But there is something I have to tell you. Remember when Marcellus said my great great and then some grandmother was the sister of the Queen?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, so both of their children were cousins and then their children were cousins and blah blah blah."
"Okay?"
"We're cousins."
"So?"
"You haven't had any children yet."
"I'm seventeen! Of course I haven't had any children yet!"
"And this is where Xenia comes in. Apparently she is another form of my insanity. She was created when you killed it and was born two days ago. I am her mother and she is my child."
"Okay, so?"
"She is the Princess."
"But I'm the Queen."
"I talked to Marcia about it. We have to rule together. One, you'll have company. Two, your work will be easier. Three, when you can't rule, I will, and vice versa. Since I will be EOW and Queen, I have to fix some Palace problems with Magyk and Septimus will fix Castle stuff. When Sep can't be EOW, I will be. Apparently, 'everything will be balanced'. So there will be two Queens and two ExtraOrdinary Wizards. If you never have children, Xenia will be the next Queen. If you do, she will rule and then Xenia will. Then Xenia and your child will have children and so on and so on." Jenna stared at me, Xenia, then back at me. She grinned. "This is going to be so exciting! We'll get to work together, and we're related! How cool is that?" Say thank you. You thought it would turn out much worse. Okay. "I'm glad you think so, because I can't be the mother of a ShapeShifter, ExtraOrdinary Wizard, and Queen alone. I'm glad you took it so well because now we can help each other." She smiled and nodded. Then she looked at the clock. "We have some time. Do you want to sit down for a while? I guess I need to know my niece." Jenna brought in some biscuits and tea from the kitchen and played with Xenia. Xenia enjoyed her aunt and laughed with Jenna. We ate and drank and had fun. At about 8:20, Jenna looked up and said, "Well, I suppose you aren't going to have a seventh child, are you?" I raised my eyebrows. "She has all the power and Magyk a seventh child would have. And if she does have seven children, the rumor that people of royal blood are not Magykal will by then be a false statement. But if she doesn't, the royal family will grow from her. And with every generation that passes, they lose one of their abilities. By the thousandth generation or so, the royal family will go back to being UnMagykal. Unless, of course, Xenia dies before she has any children. Then things will stay the same and your grandchild will take the throne."
"Ah. So it all depends who has children first."
"Exactly."
"That is really confusing. Did Marcia tell you all this?"
"No, I just figured this is how it would be. It makes sense, though. I just want to focus on the present for now instead of our descendants and what they're going to do when they're older. Besides, I'm going to need help with this little one. Soon, she won't be able to control her ShapeShifting abilities." Jenna smiled. "Grandpa Benji can help with that. And I suppose he's your grandfather too." I nodded and checked my timepiece. It was 8:30. "Sorry, Jen. I have to go. If I hurry, maybe I can get back to the Wizard Tower by 9:00. Bye!" I waved to her as I rushed out into the night. It was colder than I remembered, and I held Xenia close. Talk to Septimus later. He needs to know about these new arrangements. Will do. I muttered the password and the great silver doors swung open. The floor read, "Hello, ExtraOrdinary Apprentice. Welcome, little Princess." I smiled. The floor always knew everything. I carried Xenia a little faster up the stairs, but only a little. I found Marcia sitting on her sofa patiently when I finally came up. This was so unlike her, it scared me. "What did Jenna say?" she asked. I was shocked but I was determined not to show it. Marcia saw it, however, despite my efforts otherwise. "I know you're used to me being cranky and strict, but I know how the people of the Castle treat you. I love you as a teacher loves a student, and I want you to feel better in the Wizard Tower." A mixture of emotions bubbled inside me. I smiled and told her, "Jenna took it really well. She said things were going to be way easier and she would have some company."
"That's good. Where's the Princess?" I gave Xenia to Marcia. "She has to stay in the Palace but she also has to stay with her mother. But you have to stay here."
"Could we b-" Marcia cut me off. "We can't build another Wizard Tower. That would take many years. Even if we brought Hotep-Ra to help us, he would die before the construction. And it would never be the same as this one."
"But you're forgetting something."
"What might that be?"
I put the backs of my hands on my knees and looked at her. I think she understood. "What amount of energy would it take for you to do that?"
"As much as it takes." Marcia nodded. We both went to our rooms. It was later, after watching Xenia fall asleep, the last thing I said was not me. I had not actually said that. But I heard it. It had my voice. Marcia had also thought it was me. I did what I had to. And it will take as much as it does.
Does it matter? Who are you to take control of my voice?
Marcia does not think bad of you. Relax.
You've lied to me before.
I am not now. You also don't know how much energy it will take to recreate the Wizard Tower.
That's true.
I helped you in the Palace. You did think that it would turn out a lot worse than how Jenna initially reacted. Don't you trust me?
Now that you mention all this, I do.
And I promised you would be trusted.
You did.
Will you listen to me?
Okay.
