by Jodie Pierce
She politely declined and hurried home where she got out all the materials she needed, including her Book of Alchemy, but not the one the Queen had and believed to be the oldest book of her people. Caleesy smiled. After perusing the pages and finding exactly what she needed, she started gathering the herbs:
A pinch of rosemary
A pinch of thyme
A ½ cup of black tea
Two pinches of nutmeg
6 rose petals
4 lemon leaves (whole)
4 mint leaves (crushed)
1 cup of sugar
4 Tbsp. of local honey
6 cups of boiling hot water for the end product
She kept these ingredients in her meager apartment’s hide-away room, which she used for this very thing. She would offer this potion to the Queen and place thoughts of Tuwa in her head while she slept. She would not need to give the rest to Tuwa, as would be customary, as he was already pining for her. Caleesy stirred the pot and started her incantation:
“Lend me your hearts and ears
You’ve been in love for many years
Allow this potion to revive your love
As you allow the heavens above
To comfort you in each other’s arms
Should let no other’s fall harm
I pray this in the name of Kleos, our Goddess.”
Caleesy ended the words with her arms raised to the sky, her head tilted back, and the moonlight from her skylight shining down on her face. It was the perfect night as the moon was full and more likely to grant wishes, desires, and transform potions.
She had two days until her meeting with the Queen, and she would try to extract information from Tuwa about his relationship with the Queen. She wanted to have ammunition when she returned to the Queen. Though she would be jealous and concerned for her position in the Queen’s life, Tuwa truly lovex her and never stopped doing so over the centuries.
* * * *
Tuwa
Tuwa spoke about how his people never accepted the Queen inside their hearts. They mistrusted her from the beginning and were right to do so. All she wanted was to bed their most powerful man to have a vampire baby that would rule the vampire world. She would also take with her handmaidens to use as she saw fit. Some were spies, others slaves, and still others her lovers. She covered her bases and owned the land the Seneca people occupied.
When the baby died at birth, the Queen killed all within the Kingdom, except her lovers, whom she treated like slaves for they knew her the most. She eventually killed them as well. By the time the Seneca Warriors arrived, the Kingdom was a slaughter house. Many lay dead in the open with flies consuming their decaying bodies. She was nowhere to be found and was only a mystical being to their people.
What the Queen didn’t know, was that her child was revived and sedated before she went on her rampage. The baby boy was found by the warriors and taken back to their mother tribe—two day’s ride away. The child had been raised with all the other children but with watchful eyes, as he had her blood running through his veins.
They named him Tuwa, or ‘earth-loving’ as his fondness for dirt and flowers became apparent in his second year of life. He was trained by the warriors, learned from the Seneca women, yet he was different. He was loved and feared by all.
Growing up, he felt like an outcast, yet he was already an Elder of the tribe at eleven years old. He went on hunting trips with the men and learned to carve and cook meat from the women. The goal of the tribe was to make him self-sufficient in the unknown.
At twelve years of age, he fell ill, and it wasn’t until one of the tribe’s Elders suggested that he needed blood that they were reminded he was a vampire, and of all the hell his mother had rained down on their tribe.
At fourteen, he became a man. He was given the essentials a warrior would carry and they sent him out into the world. He was taught to communicate with the spirits through meditation and had their blessing for his future travels. According to the Seneca, his mission was to find the Queen Mother who had murdered his people and exact revenge for all; however, after finding her, it was his lust that took over and kept her alive. She had fallen instantly in love with him, keeping him alive as long as he could keep his secret mission from her. One he no longer desired to fulfill.
He spoke about her love, lust, and desire for him. They were a match made in Heaven, despite each of their histories. They knew each other, finishing each other’s sentences as if they had been together for centuries. They enjoyed many of the same things, and their secrets and futures intertwined. It wasn’t until their third century together that Tuwa became suspicious of the Queen’s actions.
In fear for his life, he fled her side and went into hiding for the next three centuries. He got down her sleep and rising pattern and started venturing out while she lay dormant. With her early and long rising this century, it threw off his timing and plans.
He walked down the street one night, looking for a victim, when he spotted her walking into the blood bank with a few other vampires. She wasn’t in there for long, and he followed her when she left. She had gone to what they now called a school, and she was a teaching Head Mistress according to the articles he’d found.
He searched the vampire journals to catch up on her latest activities and was thankful for the level of commitment in vampiric journalism. He secretly followed the Queen through his power of invisibility to the school and her bed chamber. There were days he’d lay down beside her while she slept, and he was still invisible. He longed to hold her in his arms and get back what they once shared.
He witnessed her time with her Paramour, Caleesy, yet thought very little of the young vampire. She seemed inconsequential, yet provided a way back into the life of the Queen…if he played his cards correctly. He would attempt to be close to this Caleesy in order to get close to his Queen. He could no longer be without her.
* * * *
Caleesy
Caleesy was pouring her concocted tea for the Queen after their intimate evening of romping. The Queen always liked something hot to drink afterward. This was the opportunity Caleesy counted on to slip in her tea.
The Queen greedily drank down her cup and asked for more while Caleesy held the cup to her own lips, feigning drinking.
“It’s hot tonight and very good. I’ll have to ask my handmaiden if she’s switched teas and found something much more delicious than I’d already found.” The Queen lay back down on the bed. Caleesy quickly came to lie beside her for the second part of her mission.
“Tell me more about this young man from the blood bank,” the Queen said.
“Well, he’s got tanned, brown skin, dark eyes, and long dark hair. His eyes smile when he does, which makes his face more beautiful than it already is,” Caleesy complimented Tuwa.
“Tell me more,” the Queen cooed and rubbed her hands together.
Caleesy knew the Queen hadn’t bedded a man in many years, for she found them boring. Should Caleesy tell a good enough story, the Queen would be enticed to meet him, causing the spark she predicted.
“Well…he’s very strong and muscular. He’s polite and gentlemanly. He’s highly intelligent and sucks up new information like a sponge. He’s very well rounded,” Caleesy finished.
“And…he’s into you?” the Queen asked, disgruntled.
“Yes, but I don’t know what to do,” Caleesy said taking her gaze away from the Queen and looking at the bed.
“What do you mean?” the Queen asked with excitement.
“Well…my heart is with you, my Queen. It would feel like a betrayal to all we have if I were to be with him.”
“Okay. What about getting close to him, then sharing him during my time with you?” the Queen suggested.
Jackpot! Caleesy thought as she tried to look sad then as if she was warming up to the idea.
“Well…I suppose we can do that. I’d never even given it a thought. I would never want to disappoint you, my Queen,” Caleesy said slyly.
<
br /> “Oh, my dear Caleesy. You are truly a wonderment! Of course you would not be cheating if we were all together,” the Queen encouraged her.
“Okay. I’ll work on him, and maybe he’ll be ready by our next visit,” Caleesy said, trying to sound calm when everything had gone exactly as planned with the Queen.
“Sounds excellent! Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but I would like to sleep alone tonight,” the Queen said, slipping between the covers.
“As you wish, my Queen,” Caleesy said as bowed and gathered her stuff to leave the Queen’s bed chamber. She slinked down the stairs in hopes of not seeing any of the students. She slid out the doors and across the yard to her waiting green Kia Soul. She had loved the color when she went shopping for a car, and the fact that it was the only vehicle on the lot with a convertible top sold it to her. She loved to look at the evening stars and enjoy the raw smells of dusk and dawn. She was off to her own apartment to devise the second part of her plan…Tuwa.
* * * *
Over the next month, Caleesy worked on Tuwa. She played to the usual, primal aspect that appeals to all men—she was bisexual and had a lover. All men find that exciting and want to see two women together in sexual ways. She described her partner with the details that he could definitely recollect and picture the Queen. She used words such as majestic, queenly, and royalty. She even went so far as to trust him with the details of her arrangements with the Queen and the school. Tuwa snuck two bags of blood each day home for himself—a small detail he divulged as well, yet he failed to go into his history with his Queen. He did share his longing for her, and the void she left in his heart and soul.
Caleesy felt closer to her goal of the Queen and Tuwa together. Caleesy would think every day on what a great reunion it would be.
Eventually, it was the day before the Queen’s teachers would be coming to collect their blood. Caleesy called the Queen and pleaded to her to come with the teachers that night, as she missed her horribly. The Queen agreed, and Caleesy’s plan was in motion. She had started spending time with Tuwa outside of work. She guessed he maneuvered for a position between the two women. She included him in the coming night’s activities, and he was thrilled.
When the next evening came, the teachers and students came in as usual and started transporting the blood. The moment the Queen entered the building, Tuwa’s eyes were on her. She walked over to Caleesy’s side and slipped her arm around her waist, not taking any notice of Tuwa. Caleesy turned and kissed the Queen, then called over a stunned Tuwa.
The moment he stepped around the last teacher, the Queen turned a few shades of red, and her eyes felt moist. Could this be? Could this really be her Tuwa? She searched and searched for him but never found any trace of him for centuries. Caleesy broke her concentration with an introduction.
“Tuwa, this is the wonderful woman I have been telling you about for the last month…my Queen,” Caleesy said as she watched them carefully. Their eyes never left one another.
“Yes. I am Tuwa, a co-worker of Caleesy’s. It is my pleasure to meet you,” he said, bowing without looking down. The Queen held out her hand for him to kiss the back of it.
“Thank you. Caleesy has only mentioned you in passing, and I wasn’t sure if she’d met the same man I’d had a history with or if it was coincidence. I was not aware that you would be here tonight, though,” the Queen said, shooting an angry look at Caleesy.
“Oh, I’m sorry, my Queen. I practically forced Caleesy to let me stay and help. I’m a big advocate of education in our schools,” Tuwa said.
“Education, huh? Well…that’s very nice of you. Now, if you don’t mind, we have work to do and have to get back to the school quickly. Could you please help the two male teachers loading over there?” the Queen asked Tuwa. He nodded and strode over to the two men reluctantly. They put him to work right away as the Queen rounded on Caleesy.
“What is he doing here?” the Queen snorted.
“He? You said you wanted the three of us to be together. This is the Tuwa I have been talking about. I don’t understand,” Caleesy said innocently. The Queen looked aghast as she realized she had given too much away. “My Queen, what’s wrong? Did I do something to make you angry with me? He is your Tuwa, isn’t he?” Caleesy asked delicately.
“Yes, Caleesy. How could you have known? It’s my problem to deal with, now,” the Queen said before placing a kiss on Caleesy’s forehead, walked back outside, and climbed into the waiting van. It was just then that Caleesy noticed Tuwa standing next to her, watching the van drive away like a forlorn puppy.
“Didn’t I tell you she was amazing?” Caleesy said strategically.
“Yes. Amazing,” Tuwa pouted, looking down at the floor, now. Caleesy knew the beginning of her plan had started to come together.
* * * *
The Queen
The following evening, the Queen awoke to a movement on her balcony. There was a gentle breeze, but there was definitely something out there. The Queen rose and clothed herself in her purple satin half-robe. She headed toward the balcony when his head peered cautiously around the corner.
“Tuwa? What are you doing here? How did you get in?” the Queen asked, disbelievingly.
“Your aerial security really leaves something to be desired. I had to see you, again,” he said, moving toward her. She took a step back, and he stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. It’s been so long, I’m not sure this is real,” the Queen said, hesitantly.
“It’s real, my Queen. I am here in your bed chamber after all these centuries,” he said seductively. The Queen hated to show weakness, but when it came to Tuwa, he always made her melt. She ran to him at that moment, and he threw out his arms to catch her. They stood there quietly hugging for several minutes. “Now what, my Queen?”
“I don’t know. There’s so much I want to catch up on. And you, you! I need to find out why I could never find you all this time,” the Queen said, almost scolding him. “However, that’s going to take longer than just one night, and you have to go to work sometime.”
“Shhh. Everything is going to be okay. We will work it out,” he assured her.
“Do you promise?”
“I promise. I do have to go to work, but I just had to see you for a few brief moments, even if you were still sleeping,” he said looking guilty. She knew from the past that he slept very little and would spend many nights just watching her sleep. That made her nervous at times but also gave her a sense of peace and comfort with him watching over her.
“Okay,” she said, reluctantly letting go of his embrace but still had her fingers woven into his. They stood there looking at each other before they shared a passionate kiss.
“I really must go, now. I’m going to be late,” he laughed.
“Okay. Will I see you tomorrow?” she asked. She held her breath for his answer.
“Of course, my Queen, I will come to you after dusk. I couldn’t stay away this time.” He walked to the balcony and took flight. The Queen watched until she could no longer see him at all. She still stood there watching when Evania, Professor of the History of Elves, Witches, Warlocks, and Fairies burst through her door.
“My Queen,” she said kneeling.
“What is it?” she asked, perturbed.
“We have a situation in the courtyard just after the welcome fence. They banded together and overtook the two gate guards on duty,” he informed her.
“Who are they?” she asked angrily.
“The new witches.”
The Queen threw on her closest purple gown and rushed down the halls toward the courtyard. When she arrived, she was amazed at the amount of new Witch and Warlock students standing in the courtyard. She stood on one of the large rocks, cleared her voice, and commanded the group’s attention.
“What, may I ask, are you all doing in my courtyard?” she demanded.
The group quieted down and parted for a young girl in the back to come forward. She was dressed in a r
oyal green, velvet gown with a gold and diamond tiara buried in her long, curly orange mass of hair. She walked right up to the rock as the crowd behind her closed in.
“I am Dayana. I am the Brazilian Princess of Dictator Guilherme Pedro. These are my fellow witches and warlocks from all parts of Brazil, banished or driven out of their cities for their callings. They came to me for answers, and my father excommunicated all of us from his country. I had heard of your school, so I did a little quick research in Paraguay, raided Daddy’s bank account, and here we all are, waiting acceptance into your school,” she finished.
The Queen thought for a moment. How unusual for so many to come to her school at one time. She had never had that happen and would have a lot of work ahead of her just to find a place for them to settle into. This was the school for the unusual, so she agreed to open her gates.
“This is rather unusual for my school, and it will be a little while to get you adjusted. I agree to open it to you, as long as you abide by and understand my rules and policies,” she informed them.
There was a little grumbling within the crowd, but Dayana turned to them and raised her hand. The crowd immediately quietened down. It was clear to the Queen that this group respected Dayana. She would be the perfect ally to control this crowd of students.
“We shall humbly accept your gracious invitation and agree to abide by any and all your rules within the school,” she said facing the crowd. She turned around and flashed a smile at the Queen. “I know you are predominately a Vampire School, but I can be of much assistance in educating my people.”
The Queen realized this was her opportunity to bring Dayana under her wing and gain the respect of them all.
“Well, I thank you and look forward to working with you. I will show you to your suites. There are two girls to a room but all four share a bathroom. As vampires, we have little need for those kinds of things so I’m sure your people will be more than comfortable. We have an entire floor above the main one that has not yet been renovated to the same extent. We have always wanted to add suites to this floor but just haven’t found the time,” the Queen explained.
