This is Chapter 7 in the series.- Wild
The Pawns & The Puppeteer
The next time I open my eyes, I can feel a cool washcloth being placed on my forehead. My head is pounding now but at least I can see more clearly than before. I'm lying in a bed in a dimly lit room and I wince when someone across the room pries open closed shutters to air out the room and let in the sunlight.
"I'll get more blankets." The woman I recognize from the barn announces looking to another blonde woman coming through the doorway filling a syringe with something from a brown bottle.
"I'm going to give you some heavy duty antibiotics. This may sting." She announces before sliding the needle ever so gently into my thigh.
"Cassiopeia." I gasp when I see her face and hear her voice. She looks exactly like my mentor, a little older version but exactly the same.
"What did you say?" She asks me concentrating on the work at hand. She's so gentle I hardly noticed the stick.
"You look just like Cassiopeia." I say in amazement.
"I remind you of the vain Queen in Greek mythology?" She laughs softly and it's the same laugh I heard from Cassiopeia in front of my classroom last year.
"What is funny?" The woman from the barn returns with more blankets and smiles to see me awake.
"She said I look just like Cassiopeia." The woman sitting beside me smiles in amusement.
"Well, you are quite beautiful and certainly arrogant and vain, Maria." The woman from the barn raises her eyebrows and laughs, earning a glare from the woman beside me, whom I now know is named Maria.
"While the constellation is personally my favorite given that it remains constant in the sky above this house, always leading me home, I do not like the associated myth." Maria speaks quietly still smiling down at me, pressing the cool cloth into my forehead and completely ignoring the comments of the other woman other than the scowl. "How any mother could sacrifice her daughter to the Gods is beyond me." She shakes her head still speaking of the myth.
I realize she has no idea I'm speaking about a real person, a person who looks like her. "So you don't know Cassiopeia the person?" I ask through squinted eyes still amazed at the woman I'm seeing before me. So similar to Cassiopeia they could be twins if not for this woman being older. Twenty years or so going on looks alone and I wonder briefly if they're related. I think they have to be. I've never seen two people look more alike in all my life.
"There is a person named Cassiopeia?" She asks still wearing the amused smile helping the other woman to spread another blanket over me.
"Yes. You could be twins." I say quietly still in awe.
"Most people think that I could be twins with Grace Kelly." She laughs softly gently brushing the backs of her fingers down the side of my face and neck, feeling for fever.
"They say that about her, too." I add unable to look away from the woman beside me. I am completely bewitched by what I am seeing and don't know what to make of it. Before I say anymore, possibly exposing Cassiopeia in some way, I want to know more about this woman. "How do you know Marie?" I ask the first question that comes to mind. I met this woman before me because of the woman who sent me.
"We are family." Maria's smile tightens and I can see the other woman fussing over my bed sheets roll her eyes.
"Some family." She says under her breath clearly with disdain.
"Marna." Maria gives her a scolding tone and I finally learn the woman from the barn's name.
"Maria," I look at the gorgeous woman beside me with piercing blue eyes and long blonde hair, stating her name, and then to the woman beside her with the short blonde hair, dark brown eyes and obvious sassy nature. "Marna."
"Yes, child. Now you know our names. What is yours?" Marna smiles warmly down at me tucking the blankets in around my feet.
"Julia." I answer and see both of their eyes sparkle and then flash with concern.
"You wouldn't be the Julia from camp we hear so much about from both Nyah and Mikael would you?" Marna asks hesitantly both delighted and afraid of the answer it seems as she takes a seat on the bed beside me while Maria stays in the chair.
"I guess so." I smile shyly to hear these women know of my existence, wondering how they know Mikael and Nyah.
"We've heard a lot of about you." Maria smiles taking hold of my hand and giving it an encouraging squeeze.
"It's quite clear that you are Nyah's best friend." Marna smiles again and seems pleased.
"And the love of Mikael's life." Maria adds smiling and then shakes her head, "And a great source of tension for them both."
"They bicker about you endlessly at times." Marna adds in agreement.
"Why?" I ask feeling embarrassed that even these two strangers know I'm caught in the middle of Nyah and Mikael's never ending war over me.
"Because they both like to bicker." Marna says harshly with a smile and I know she's teasing.
"And because they both love you very much." Maria smiles squeezing my hand again and then running her fingers down my face again feeling the rising fever. Immediately, concern washes over her face. "Marna, can you please bring up some warm water? I'm going to re-stitch this bullet graze. Her fever seems to be going up. We may need to strip you of some of these blankets, my dear. I'm sorry." She apologizes and quickly sets to work with Marna pulling back my perfectly tucked in linens. "I was able to remove the bullet. You were lucky, child." Maria looks at me with concerned eyes. "No organ damage. You must have an amazing Guardian Angel." She smiles softly at me.
"I do." I answer softly thinking about my mother.
The women both disappear for a few minutes and return with the supplies in hand ready to take action.
"Julia, I'm sorry but I'll need to remove your nightshirt to remedy this situation." Maria is once again apologizing, noticing for the first time they changed me out of the clothes I'd been wearing in the barn.
"Please, don't apologize." I shake my head slightly struggling to sit up even with their support. "I appreciate the help. Thank you."
"What happened to you if I may ask?" Maria asks quietly helping me to lie back down again.
"It's likely better you don't know." I answer her and feel guilty when I see the real concern in her eyes.
"This one used to say the exact same thing to me when she'd come home riddled with bullets." Marna nods at Maria with a deep sigh while threading the last remnants of my gown off my arm.
My eyes flash to Maria and back to Marna who nods, its true. "You were like me?" I ask Maria astonished and suddenly it makes sense why Marie would send me here if she knew I'd need help. These women had experience with my kind because they were mind kind.
"Yes. I was. I knew you were a part of The Council if you'd been sent by Marie." Maria states quietly, gentling washing over my wound with the warm water, "But it saddens me to learn you are the Julia we've heard so much about. To know you're out on missions in the field at such a young age and getting shot at like this." She shakes her head clearly upset.
"Were you sent out on missions?" I ask cautiously not knowing how much this woman would reveal.
"Yes. I was. But I hoped for better for the generations that came after me." She sighed with beautiful blue eyes holding fast to mine, "I was nothing but a pawn being used for their gain and too young and naïve then to realize it."
I gasp softly that she does know, she does understand. "That's exactly how I feel. Like I'm just a pawn."
"I hope that whatever she sent you after was worth being shot over. The first time I was shot on a mission for her I was seventeen, and stealing plans from the KGB on nuclear weapons." She snips the end of the fishing line I've used for sutures and holds it up for inspection. "Fishing line?" She asks me seeing green tint to the plastic thread.
I nod, "It was all I could find at the time. Dirty fishing line was the best I could do." I answer embarrassed by the fishing line and also that I was shot on a mission not stealing super secret nuclear weapons plans like she did but a book instead.
"Smart thinking." She smiles softly at me and puts me at ease. "I used horse hair once when it was all I had. Worked wonderfully and so would this had it not been so dirty. Did you try to clean it first?"
"All I had was water and not a lot of time. The ferry was already underway."
"Ferry from where? " She asks rapid fire and I can tell she's quite experienced at this watching how quickly she removes my sutures and stars cleaning out the infection and so gently I barely notice.
"St. Petersburg." I answer warily not wanting to give away too much of my mission, mostly out of embarrassment.
"Russian or Swedish captain?" She asks not looking up from what she's doing.
"Russian." I answer not sure what that matters and shift my eyes to Marna whose wearing a curious smile obviously entertained by our rapid banter presently.
"Russian captains almost always keep a bottle of vodka in their cabins." Maria explains still focused on what she was doing. "Good to know if you're ever in need of a quick splash of disinfectant." I look at Marna whose smile has grown considerably wider, obviously proud of the woman cleaning my wounds.
"Or a pain killer." Marna adds smiling softly. "She came home intoxicated more than once smelling like a distillery riddle with those bullets, too." I can't help but chuckle softly at the comedy duo these two are turning out to be.
"You use what you can and do the best you can do." Maria looks up at me smiling and chuckling softly along to Marna's stories about her in the past.
"Any advice if I end up on a non-Russian captained alcohol infested ferry?" I ask smiling back at her and this time Marna laughs.
"Oh, you two are just alike!" She laughs looking between us, obviously amused.
"Yes, I do have some advice for that." Maria looks back down at my wound freshly cleaned of infection. "But it looks like you already know and applied it in your situation. When we first undressed you to take a look at your wounds, we found them packed with sugar and wrapped with plastic saran wrap." She smiles back at me.
"Jupiter said it keeps the bacteria out and promotes faster healing." I answer her and see her nod with a growing curious smile. "I know that every ship galley usually carries a pound of sugar and either plastic wrap or trash bags, so I made due."
"You did a very good job all things considered." Maria smiles her approval and begins to stitch my side. "Jupiter." She repeats the name and her eyebrows rise in wonder. "That's another interesting name."
"They're all named for the Gods." I answer quietly and realize I likely shouldn't be talking so much about all this but she was a part of The Council. It should be okay, right? I start to second-guess myself.
"Who are named for the Gods, child?" Marna asks just as confused and curious as Maria.
"My mentors and superiors. The First Class in my training program." I answer quietly and decide to switch topics before I reveal anything I'm not supposed to. "Please don't take this the wrong way," I begin and then pause biting my lip, "but how is it that you came to actually be in the field anyway?" I ask Maria not fully understanding given what I know. "To my knowledge, no heirs are ever assigned to the field." And she had to be an Heir living in a house on an estate like this.
"Because I was an exception. Much like Nyah. I was not born into an heir family. I was adopted by one." Maria flashes a brief sad smile in my direction and then concentrates on the delicate stitches she's placing.
My eyebrows narrow in confusion again trying to put this puzzle together going over everything she's just told me. "I'm sorry but whose family were you adopted into? Marie's?" I ask cautiously.
"Good heavens, no!" Maria shakes her head immediately.
"Just married into it!" Marna squeals from her perch on the side of the bed.
"Mikael's mother, Lena and I are sisters. I was adopted into her family. They are Swedish Nobility." Maria explains seeing that I'm thoroughly confused. "Lena was married to Marie's son, Mikael Sr., before he passed away." She smiles softly but I can see the sadness lurking there over this man she obviously remembers fondly.
"So Mikael is your nephew?" I ask following along.
"Yes."
"And Nyah is her granddaughter." Marna adds with a smile. "Such a welcome addition to this family. I was so happy when Anni brought her home."
'Anni' as in… "Annika?" I ask quietly feeling my heart start to pound with the implications of that last statement from Marna.
"Yes, Annika is my daughter." Maria smiles widely, brushing her hair away from her eyes and I see the birthmark on her hand I know well, only I've only seen it before on someone else's hand. I feel as though I'm going to vomit. The name. The birthmark. The same eyes and face as Cassiopeia.
"So Ulric Hendrix is your-"
"Husband." She answers before I even finish the sentence.
I want to scream. I want to cry, I want to bolt up from the bed and run as far away as I possibly can realizing that I'm in the home of my commander, the master of my fate and the monster of my misery. I don't understand how the beautiful sweet adoring woman who is taking care of me with the most gentle of touches could possibly be married to the man capable of so much of my pain. Unless she didn't know… my eyes flash to hers and I see only Cassiopeia's big blue eyes looking back at me. Maria says she has no idea who Cassiopeia is and I believe her given her reactions, which means she honestly doesn't know anything about the young woman who looks just like her. The woman young enough to be her daughter, I shout inside my head at the implications of all this.
Cassiopeia had always used the last name Hendrix and I'd assumed, like most of the other pupils in training about her, that it was because she was Ulric's project she'd been given that surname. Could it be that in actuality it was because she was his child? Was this why she was the Team Leader and Head First Gen and now Division General, his Right Hand Man? Had he trained his own child as his project? Was it possible that his wife didn't know? Surely Mikael and Nyah knew: one look at Cassiopeia and in knowing Maria, it was obvious. They were identical. Down to the same exact birthmarks on their hands even. Mikael's disdain for Cassiopeia was immediately explained if she were in fact Ulric's child, as was their constant battles for power and position by his side. My mind is exploding and I feel as though I am having an aneurysm.
"Are you all right, child?" Marna asks deeply concerned when I cover my eyes instantly and wince in pain.
"I think my brain is breaking." I answer quietly. "I had no idea."
"No idea of what, Julia?" Maria asks with just as much concern as Marna and I feel my heart start to pound.
"That you were married to my Commander." I answer softly shaking my head and motioning to stand even though Maria's not finished.
"Whoa! Whoa!" Maria holds onto my arm trying to slow and steady me with knit eyebrows, "Where are you going?"
"I can't stay here. I shouldn't be here." I try reaching for the gown as the only source of clothes I can see but Marna snatches them out of my reach.
"Why can't you be here?" Marna asks looking between Maria and myself and I know both women are confused.
"He doesn't know I'm here. If he did…" I can't even finish my thought, it is too terrifying given what he did to me last time and a shudder runs through me. Maria's eyes narrow even further in concern over my reaction. "I can't stay here."
"He won't know you're here." Maria says quietly and I can read in her eyes she's trying to gauge my reaction and how to respond. "He's out of town and won't be home until tomorrow evening to celebrate Annika's birthday." She pushes gently on my shoulder, "You need to lie down and let me finish closing your wound, Julia."
"I can't be here." I whisper out loud more to myself than anyone but do as she says. I feel enough relief in at least knowing he's not in the house at the moment to let her finish mending my wound.
"Why can't you be here?" Maria asks confused and resumes her suturing.
"Ulric forbid me from having non-mission related contact with any members of his family." I answer and can see the instant look pass between the two older women above me.
"But Marie sent you here?" Maria asks trying to understand. "Against Ulric's orders?"
"Yes. She did." I answer just as confused about that part.
"Why?" Marna asks me.
"I don't know why. She told me that if I did something for her, she would do something for me. Something to change my fate." I shake my head in exasperation feeling more like a pawn than ever.
"What does that mean?" Marna asks.
"I don't know. She was speaking about moving chess pieces around the board in moves and counter moves."
"Changing the game." Maria adds quietly thinking out loud processing what she's hearing. "I'm so sick of those two and their games battling for power."
"But why would Marie send her here if she knows Ulric is in the U.S. right now?" Marna asks trying to solve the puzzle along with the rest of us strategizing Game Theory.
"That's likely exactly why she sent her here now." Maria traces her bottom lip with her finger in thought and instantly I can see Cassiopeia doing the same thing in Marie's office the last time I saw her.
"But how does that change the game?" Marna asks still confused, as am I.
"Likely because she wanted us to meet. Especially if Ulric did not." Maria looks at me carefully and I swallow hard under her scrutiny.
"I'm the 'sacrificial pawn," I close my eyes in full realization what part I'm playing in their elaborate game of chess. To sacrifice a piece gets you closer to the King. "I'm the set up move."
"For what?" Marna asks me in barely above a whisper and I can see she's uncomfortable speaking about this.
"For whatever comes next." Maria answers her question for me coming to the same realization.
"And Ulric's move is next? I'm not a chess player, never have been into it much." Marna asks and clarifies for me why she doesn't 'see' what Maria and I, are able to so quickly. We both nod, 'yes.'
"And what is the 'Sacrificial Pawn?" Marna asks.
"The distraction." Maria and I both answer together and my heart starts pounding to hear her agree.
"So now what?" I ask looking at Maria hoping she'll help me figure out what all this means.
"The only thing we can do." Maria inhales a deep shaking breath while finishing my sutures. "Wait to see how this plays out."
November 25th, 1998
"Julia, what are you doing here?" Nyah gasps with wide-terrified eyes upon first sight stepping into the dining room and seeing me already seated.
"I don't know." I answer and see Mikael enter the room wearing the same expression upon seeing me.
"What is she doing here?" He asks panicked and his eyes flash immediately accusatory towards Nyah as if she brought me or planned this.
"This isn't her doing." I defend my friend.
"Then who did?" He demands and I can see both the anger and concern wash over his features.
"Julia Taylor," Ulric turns bright red the moment he lays eyes on me.
I have not personally seen the man in many years except for brief appearances now and then at camp. He's exactly the same as I'd remembered him and just as terrifying to those who know what he was capable of.
He is a lot older than her, is one of the first things that comes to my mind looking between them. Maria is only 52 if born in 1945 and I know that Ulric has recently celebrated his 70th birthday. Mikael had told me all about the elaborate celebration in Stockholm with the world's royals in attendance. Ulric was almost 20 years older than Maria and I could only imagine how it was they came to 'fall in love' as she'd said so happily in her story.
My skin crawls just looking at him knowing how evil he is. The man was fit and toned, muscular but lean in his physique with grey blue eyes and silvery short hair. There was no denying he was very handsome on the outside. But all I could see was ugliness beneath the surface and how he'd murdered that boy's father because I wouldn't shoot a horse and how he shipped me across the ocean while I starved surrounded by their rotting corpses.
Ulric's hands clench into fists at his side as he looks at me and force myself not to cry and bury my emotions. "Why are you here? I strictly forbid this kind of contact! Did she not give you the order? Did I not make myself clear?" He booms and slams his fist down loudly on the table making the china dishes and all the rest of us jump.
Maria immediately reaches for my hand in my lap and gives it a supportive squeeze staring down her husband.
"Ulric, Marie sent her."
"What?" He seems taken back, first at the physical contact of his wife reaching out to hold my hand to comfort me and then what she says. "When?" His tone softens a degree but his fists tighten as he zeroes in on me for an answer.
"Yesterday, sir." I answer quietly and make sure to address him with proper respect.
"She just sent word earlier this evening that she will be arriving at any moment to join us for dinner. She insisted that Julia be present." Maria looks at me and then, back at him. "Ulric, what is going on?
He stares at the both of us for only a moment, "Excuse me a moment." He says and turns quickly leaving the room.
"I told you this was a bad idea." I say under my breath, whispering to Maria and feel her squeeze my hand once more.
"It will be okay. His bark is worse than his bite." Maria tries offering a small smile to make me feel more at ease.
"Not in my experience, ma'am." I add and see the look of horror in her eyes at my suggestion. I nod at her and shift my eyes, signaling as I'm looking beyond her shoulder to the older gentlemen I know is one of the house staff.
"Lady Marie and company has arrived, ma'am." The butler announces speaking quietly over Maria's shoulder.
"Please show her in, Tomas." Maria asks the man politely, "And make accommodations in the staff's dining room for her entourage. I'm sure they're hungry as well."
"Yes, ma'am. Right away." Tomas bows slightly and spins quickly on his heel leaving the room.
"Jules, what's going on?" Nyah pulls on my arm gaining my attention and whispering loudly.
"I have no idea." I shrug at a complete loss.
"Do you have any idea who these people are?" She asks with wide panicked eyes, more quietly now leaning in as the others are distracted looking across the room at the older woman being escorted into the dinning room.
"I do now, unfortunately. Only after being used as bait for this trap! Why didn't you tell me before?" I narrow my eyes at her with an accusatory tone, expecting more from her as my friend than to let me fall into this blindly. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about him. The Prince!" I flash my eyes over towards Mikael who is watching his grandmother's approach, and then look back towards Maria. "And she looks just like her!" I whisper so that only she can hear me, staring with a heated glare directly into her pitch black eyes and I know, she knows exactly who I'm talking about. Cassiopeia. Nyah was related to our tormenting mentor all these years and never said a thing to me about it even though she had to know. Looking at Maria, her Nana and grandmother, and then Cassiopeia it was obvious and undeniable the two were related.
"I couldn't. I was forbidden." She says quietly. I can see the hurt wash over her face as Mikael takes the seat across from me.
"Good evening, everyone." Lady Marie greets us all with a pleased smile and we all stand to greet her as well. We wait for her to take a seat at the head of the table. Maria is seated between myself and Marie and I can't help but feel she's doing so as a protective buffer. Marna attempts to take the seat next to Marie opposite of Maria but is stopped by Marie waving her hand over the place setting.
"Please excuse me, Marna, but someone else will be joining us momentarily and I'd like them to sit here, right beside me." She maintains holding her hand over the space until Marna moves away. I can see Marna's eyes lock with Maria's across the table as she takes a seat on the other side of Mikael and directly across from Nyah.
"I should inform Tomas we need to have an additional place setting brought out." Maria makes a move to stand and Marie moves her hand quickly to stop her.
"No need, my dear. I have a feeling we'll have more than enough seating this evening."
"What do you mean, Marie?" Maria's eyes narrow but the older woman ignores her question entirely.
I can't help the ever-growing, sinking feeling in my gut as we sit in the candle lit silence waiting on the others to arrive.
My eyes widen to the size of saucers as I see who is entering the dining room on the arm of a very pale and confused-looking Tomas at the strangely familiar appearance, no doubt, of the woman he is escorting. I elbow Nyah next to me repeatedly until she looks up.
"Oh God," I hear her whisper as we both stare at Cassiopeia as she approaches. Cassiopeia swallows hard seeing the both of us, clearly not expecting to see me at this holiday family dinner. Nervously she brushes her long hair behind her ear, and adjusts the rest of long golden wavy locks over one shoulder as she approaches. She's wearing a beautiful form fitting black dress that hugs all her curves perfectly, with three-quarter length sleeves and cut just above the knee, it is the perfect dress for a winter dinner party. She looks absolutely stunning and I see even Mikael's mouth fall open slightly when he sees her for the first time as well. It's not his reaction though, I'm concentrated on as Cassiopeia approaches. It's Maria's.
When Cassiopeia is standing directly in front of her, waiting for Tomas to pull out her chair I hear it: the soft rush of air as Maria sucks in a sharp breath looking at the young woman before her and then Marna's at first sight. Maria is mesmerized staring at Cassiopeia while she sits down, just as everyone else at the table is now mesmerized watching her reaction in seeing the young woman who looks just like her for the first time. Everyone that is, except Cassiopeia who is refusing to look at Maria. Instead she turns her face away to look at Nyah and myself diagonally across the table.
Maria is as still as stone beside me, her eyes never wavering from Cassiopeia. Beneath the table, I look for her hand to give it a reassuring squeeze as she previously did for me. Only I find a tightly clenched fist instead. I decide to lay my hand over it anyway in support and can feel her shaking, out of the sight of everyone else beneath the table as she attempts to control her emotions about what she's seeing and what all this means.
"Check," I say quietly exhaling a long breath as I see Ulric now approaching from the other end of the dinning room and realize another piece of the game has moved into play within striking distance of the King.
When Ulric looks down towards the end of the table, we are all positioned together around Marie with the rest of the table empty waiting for the other guests to arrive. He visibly stumbles in his step, catching himself when his eyes land upon Cassiopeia sitting beside Marie and directly across from Maria.
"Good evening, Ulric." Marie smiles down the length of the long table while he takes his seat. I'm too afraid to look at him and notice that Cassiopeia is still looking only at me. I decide to do the same and focus back on her. She can be my tether in this unknown storm and maybe I can be hers. She has to know that Maria is her mother, I realize, if she's trying so hard to ignore looking at the woman. My sixth sense is picking up her emotions when I concentrate on her so intensely looking into her eyes and I feel as though she wants to crawl out of her skin mixed with rage and fear. I don't like this feeling about as much as the one I had before she locked me in the metal box. Picking up her emotions was a frightening thing.
I can feel Nyah, Mikael's, and Marna's eyes wildly flashing around the table to take in everyone's reactions. Maria is still staring only at Cassiopeia and the Lady Marie is staring only at Ulric.
"Lady Marie, this is very unexpected." He greets her and flicks his fingers at the servers stationed across the room that he wants a drink.
"I thought it had been long enough since my last visit." She smiles back at him like a Cheshire cat and motions that she too would like refreshment, waving her finger for the man to pour us all a glass. "And I thought, why not make a visit, on such an auspicious occasion," she emphasizes, "as your beloved daughters' birthday. A good time for celebrations, I think."
Maria finally looks away from Cassiopeia and finds her voice, "Ulric, what is this?" She asks with clear held back emotion threatening to consume her. I feel her whole body quiver next to mine she's trying so desperately to control her emotions.
"It is a celebration of life, Maria. A birthday party and in due time, all surprises shall be revealed." Marie smiles softly at her and then looks at me. "Julia, did you acquire the book?" Her tone is less pleasant when speaking with me but she smiles softly just the same.
"Yes, ma'am." I answer quickly and feel my heart pound as I reach beneath my chair and retrieve the book. I've wrapped it loosely in brown paper as to touch the pages as little as possible knowing its value and carefully pass the book over to Marie.
"Very good." She smiles at me genuinely pleased.
"What is that?" Mikael asks braving the question I know many others are thinking by the way they're looking at me and then to the book. Everyone that is, except Cassiopeia who is still staring at me as if I'm the only person in this room and Maria, who is still staring at her.
"The very First Edition copy," Marie carefully unwraps the brown paper, "of War & Peace." She smiles with a hint of both sadness and fondness as she gazes down upon the book for the first time in many years. "It was given to my mother by Leo Tolstoy on her birthday and when I turned eighteen, she gave it to me. It was the last book I ever read in captivity." She adds quietly and everyone remains silent in thinking about that. "Now that Julia has retrieved it for me," Her eyes flash to mine momentarily, "I plan to give it as a gift as well."
"Annika is not coming." Ulric announces and his tone is sharp and rough. My eyes immediately snap back to looking at Cassiopeia in wondering how to respond, even with my body language to what is happening around us. I trust her to lead me through this and in those moments of panic, I feel comforted by searching out my mentor as a touchstone to keep me focused.
"Well, that is shame." Marie sighs and takes a sip of water and Maria's eyes glance down the table at Ulric once more looking for an explanation as to why her daughter is no longer coming to her own birthday celebration. "I would like to have seen her, especially today."
"Nor is Elin or Lena." Ulric continues, "I called them all while they were still on their way here and told them to turn around. To go home. Annika and Johan will be staying with Lena this evening given the late hour. It's too far to drive back to Stockholm now."
"Why?" Maria asks with gravelly voice.
"I told them I was sorry but we had to postpone the birthday celebrations due to sudden illness. That I'd come down with the flu after my travels." He doesn't look at Maria when speaking but at Marie, and its then that I notice he's avoiding making eye contact with his wife. "I knew they didn't need to bare witness to whatever the evening's entertainment is you have planned, Marie."
"I'm here for a birthday celebration, Ulric. Isn't that entertainment enough?" Marie asks him quietly and then looks back to the book before her. She caresses the cover gently as if saying goodbye and then carefully picks up the time weathered novel and places it directly in front of Cassiopeia. "Happy 31st Birthday, My Dear." Marie smiles, "I thought it was time that you celebrate with your family."
Maria inhales a rapid breath and I feel her body sway beside me as though she will pass out. Her efforts to stop any show of emotion now are all but futile when I see the first tear slip down her cheek out of the corner of my eye.
And there it is. The role I realize I've now played. I was a 'sacrificial pawn.' I was the decoy to throw Ulric off the scent of what Marie really had planned. My heart is clenching painfully for Maria and Cassiopeia knowing how excruciating and horrific this moment is to be playing out the way it is.
"She is my child?" Maria asks Marie, and Marie nods down the table towards Ulric, that he should answer.
Ulric doesn't say anything, refusing to look at Maria and looks only at Cassiopeia instead. His face is burning red with his tightly concealed rage at the situation.
"Is she my child? Is she Annika's twin? The one you told me died at birth?" Maria's voice is rising in octaves as rage and pain take over. "Damn it, Ulric!" She stands suddenly, wildly throwing her chair back and with lightening fast reflexes throws her steak knife hurtling down the table where it lodges into the back of the chair near Ulric's head. "Answer me!" She screams and we all snap back in our chairs. My eyes are wide as are everyone else's, including Cassiopeia's at witnessing Maria's deadly throwing abilities first hand for the first time.
With the slightest of head nods Ulric confirms the truth, unwilling even now to give her a verbal answer.
"You bastard," Maria seethes as the tears flow freely now. Cassiopeia closes her eyes and I can see her posture fall. The secret is out, Maria knows and another move is made in Marie's efforts of taking down the King. Check.
"My God," Marna gasps in tears with shaking hand covering her mouth looking at Cassiopeia and then Maria at what has just been revealed. I'm shocked as well. Even though I'd already figured out Cassiopeia was Maria's child, I'm stunned to learn she is actually Annika's twin. One was raised in privilege and the other in the harsh realities of The Program.
Slowly, Cassiopeia glances down at the book set before her, still refusing to look at Maria. I can tell she's trying to process what her next move should be.
"You don't deserve this!" Mikael snaps in anger snatching the book from before Cassiopeia. Clearly he is furious at her for all of this, though I don't understand why.
"Mikael, give it back to her." Marie commands in dark but controlled tone.
"No, he can have it. He's right." Cassiopeia finally speaks for the first time and Maria and Marna both sob at hearing her voice. She not only looks exactly like her mother, she sounds like her, too.
"Grand MaMa, how can you do this?" Mikael is outraged, "Such a precious heirloom should be given to Elin if you want to pass it down. It should be kept in our family! Not given to this…thing! She is not family! She is a dog who takes orders! Nothing but a science project! She is a Human Weapon meant for war and nothing else." He waves his hand in disgust at Cassiopeia and I'm honestly disgusted by him. I've never seen him more vile and despicable than in this moment. He's gone completely crazy and nothing about him resembles the Mikael I know and love. The rage spilling off of him and disgust towards Cassiopeia leaves me feeling sick to my stomach at how he's treating her in this moment. I want to hit him but before I have the chance Maria has reached across the table and slapped him hard across the face.
"How dare you, you spoiled selfish brat." She seethes at what he's said and also his apparent knowledge of her child's existence and how she's been used. Mikael looks startled at first and then enraged. He caresses his jaw glaring at Maria with pure hatred in his eyes, seething "tyskerunger" under his breath barely above a whisper.
"Mikael!" "Mika!" Ulric and Marie shout simultaneously at Mikael and I'm taken back at their reactions to what he's said to Maria. I go over what he said in my mind. He called her Kraut-kid. Not in Swedish but Norwegian and I cannot make any sense of it or why but understand enough from everyone else's reactions that he means it in a horrible, derogatory way. Nyah stares at him completely unblinking with wide horrified eyes, Marna has has an instant flood of new tears and even Ulric looks outraged by what Mikael has said.
"Who are you?" I ask him in disbelief and horror with tears burning my eyes at his viciousness.
"Jules," He immediately softens seeing my reaction to his outburst, trying to explain as if only now realizing I'm here and seeing his behavior. That I understood what he'd just said to Maria.
"I don't know you at all." I shake my head thinking of how much I'd learned about him in the last few days: first with being a secret Romanov prince and now this. He was completely unrecognizable to me in this moment and I could finally see what Nyah had spoken about all these years of how Mikael was very different when not around me at times. How cruel he could really be.
Cassiopeia has had enough; she makes a move to stand and leave, clearly wanting to be anywhere but here right now and I don't blame her. I want to be anywhere but here right now, too and so I push back my chair standing and prepare to follow her lead.
"Not yet, child." Marie stops Cassiopeia from exiting by placing a hand over forearm and shakes her head at me once swiftly to stay put. She won't let her puppets off their strings and so I take my seat again. "It is my book, Mika," She addresses him by an apparent nickname, "and I am at liberty to give the book to whomever I feel is most deserving. In my mind, that is without question: Cassiopeia." She speaks roughly with a very commanding tone, obviously not impressed with his behavior. "Now hand me the book!" She demands with outstretched hand and Mikael reluctantly agrees.
"Cassiopeia." Maria repeats in a hushed tone hearing Cassiopeia's full name for the first time and her eyes dart to mine with realization. I nod softly to her confirming that this Cassiopeia, is whom I meant before, when I first asked her about knowing the Goddess yesterday morning upon our first meeting.
Cassiopeia flinches hearing her mother say her name for the first time and still she refuses to look at Maria. I have no idea how she's not sobbing right now except for that I know she's a master at compartmentalization and also as fearful as I am of how Ulric will treat us after all of this, especially if we dare show any emotion or disloyalty to him in anyway. I understand in this moment, that is why Cassiopeia won't look at her mother. To do so would be to acknowledge who she really is and in that, appear disloyal to Ulric.
"You took my baby away from me, to use her as one of your projects?" Maria's voice quivers in rage filling in more blank pieces with the information given during Mikael's outburst combining it with what I'd told her yesterday about those I spoke of named for the Gods being the First Class of my training program. Tearing her eyes away from Cassiopeia to look at Ulric she continues, "My child?" She rages in disbelief. "Our own flesh and blood? My God, Ulric, how could you? How could you do that to me? How could you do that to her?" She waves her hand in Cassiopeia's direction with body shaking in rage. "She's our child! Born in this very house!"
Marie reaches up and gently takes hold of the hand that Maria is flailing about. "Sit." She nods at her speaking calmly trying to regain some control of the situation as the Master Puppeteer of the evening, "Sit, down, Maria. Answers will come in due time. I promise." She nods at her reassuringly and maintains hold of Maria's hand even after she's sitting again to make sure she stays there. "There is still another matter we need to attend to." She says calmly and her eyes flash from Cassiopeia over to me and back to Ulric. "In regards to Julia."
I feel my heart start pounding and immediately Cassiopeia's gaze is intently locked to mine. Her own problems are momentarily thrown aside in concern for my own. I thought I was merely a 'sacrificial pawn' leading up to Marie 'checking' Ulric with the reveal of Cassiopeia but it seems we are in for more. There are pieces still moving on the board and their game isn't finished.
"Ulric," Marie addresses him, "Are you going to introduce Julia to her mother or should I?" She continues and I feel my breath sucked out of me. Checkmate.