Making of a Magister

by Frank David

  “Silence, or I will take her mother as well.” Her eyes fixed on Diana.

  “Take your queen and leave Hulsteria. Tell your people, if they seek a war, Hulsteria will be ready. And we will be victorious.” The guards took the body of Svetlana and rushed from the palace.

  She turned to face the others. “Who will be next?” She looked at Diana, Braynard, and finally, Courtney. “Do I strike down two deities who relish the suffering they cause? Of do I end the life of my dear cousin. A cousin who gave me the strength to face Edmund. Or was that all part of the twisted plan?”

  Without a thought the blade swung to her side and removed Courtney’s head from her body. The crowd screamed in horror as the lifeless corpse fell to the ground.

  “I will allow both of you to leave here this day.” She turned to Diana. “Tell Daniella, I am ready and look forward to the day I can strike her down as easily as I did Edmund and Courtney.”

  She turned to Braynard. “As for you, you will leave here today and never return. I will no longer be the pawn in your games. If you come before me again or make a move against any that I hold dear, the Divina Mundi will have another kill.”

  Diana looked at Stela. A new respect for the woman was growing inside of her. Perhaps she was the right choice. Braynard was not mistaken. “I take my leave but accept this as my wedding gift.” She pointed to the doorway of the hall. “I saved her from the death Braynard had planned. Do not worry, she does not have any of my blood. She is as I found her.”

  Stela turned to see Thomasine standing in the doorway.

  She rushed to the woman as both God and Goddess vanished. She hugged the woman, as tears rushed to her eyes. “I thought we had lost you.”

  “He tried but he failed.” Thomasine smiled. “Diana stopped my fall and offered me protection until she could return me to you. I never took any of her blood, there was no need.”

  Stela led Thomasine to a seat. The crowd remained at a distance, still unsure it was all over.

  “Did she treat you well?” Stela said, offering Thomasine a drink.

  “She did. I was surprised. After all that Braynard had shared about her, I thought she would end my life or force me to follow her, but she did neither.” Thomasine took a sip from the cup. “I do worry about what you are about to face. Her followers are organizing but I cannot say where. I was never allowed to leave the cave.”

  “Cave?” Stela asked. “Was Courtney there?”

  “She was there for a bit with her daughter,” Thomasine replied. “Why?”

  Stela suddenly remembered Autumn. She looked and saw the girl hiding at the table. She had seen Stela strike her mother down. What the girl must think. “I believe I know where they hid. Please excuse me. I must go to Courtney’s daughter.”

  Stela rushed to Autumn, who quickly hid under the table. “Please do not kill me, Cousin Stela.” The child’s voice was filled with fear.

  “I am not going to kill you, Autumn,” Stela reached for the child, but she moved further back, away from her hands.

  “Stela, leave the child. We will tend to her,” Orthia and Madeline took Stela by the arm to move her away. “She is terrified of you. She saw you kill her mother,” Madeline whispered as Orthia retrieved the child.

  “Mother, can you remove the memory? I cannot bear the child living with such images.” Stela pleaded.

  “I will do my best,” she said as she and Orthia led the child out, shielding her from her mother’s body.

  Stela stood in the room and looked about. She could sense the fear and disgust that radiated from everyone present. She walked to Harris. The sword hung at her side, still attached, and dragged against the stone at her feet. Harris stared at her as she approached.

  “I am sorry,” she said, as she collapsed into his arms.

  Chapter Nineteen – Stelaphina

  Stela laid in the bed staring at the ceiling. Had she really killed her cousin and the queen of another realm? What was she becoming? She felt no remorse over her actions, just disbelief.

  She sat up when she heard the door open. Harris entered, carrying a tray. When would he stop and allow the servants to do such tasks?

  “Why are you bringing my tray? You should leave that to the maids.” Stela smiled as he placed the tray over her lap.

  “If I continue to disobey, will I be your next victim?” He looked at her with a serious glance.

  “That is not funny, Harris,” Stela glared at him as she lifted the cup to her lips. “I did not wish either of them dead.”

  “Obviously, you did. The sword seems to react to what you desire, not just to danger.” Harris went to the other side of the bed to join his wife. “I believe everyone in attendance will find it hard to forget the wedding.” He smiled.

  “Again, not funny,” she said, taking a bite of the toast on the plate. “What do you think will happen now? I have not only angered Diana further but now also Braynard and a realm we know nothing about.”

  “I do not think you have much to worry about. I believe everyone received your message loud and clear. If any wish to fuck with Hulsteria, they will fail,” he stroked her hair as she ate.

  “At least two of my enemies hate each other enough to not join forces against me. What of Autumn? Was my mother able to remove the memories, giving the girl some peace?”

  “Your mother said they were able to calm her. She returned with her father to Colonstay. Your mother attempted to remove the memories but was not sure if it was successful.” Harris worried about Stela. She was changing. He worried she would change too much.

  “I am sorry, I ruined our wedding.” She looked up at him, holding back tears.

  “It wasn’t only my wedding you ruined. You ruined your own as well. Apologize to yourself,” he gave a small laugh, trying to ease her fears. “You will not be my last marriage, so I am sure the second will be much better than the first.”

  “Oh, so you are just waiting for me to die, so you can marry again?” she frowned.

  “No, I dread the day I am to lose you but Braynard has seen it. Though I wonder if the events that occurred may have changed his visions?” He leaned over and kissed her.

  “We have not seen nor heard from him in three days. Do you think he will stay away?” Stela had mixed feelings on the man’s distance.

  “If he is smart he will,” he laughed again.

  “Has there been any word from Xasha or Charity?” Stela worried about her cousin. She could not understand why she would not have attended the wedding.

  “Charity did stop by the day of the wedding. It seems she and Chris forgot about it until later in the day. I found it odd.” Harris took a bite of Stela’s toast.

  “How could she forget? That is not like her. I had heard rumors she has been seen wandering the streets talking to herself. Do you think she is ill?” Stela was concerned.

  “She seemed perfectly fine when she was here.” Harris knew she worried. “Everyone has been under stress. Perhaps she has learned to cope with things better.”

  “What of Joseph? Have Sofia and Felicia returned?” Stela moved the tray. Her appetite had waned.

  “Nothing. I am sure everything is fine.” Harris moved the tray back in front of her. “You need to eat.”

  “I am not hungry.” Stela moved the tray again.

  “If you are to get pregnant, you need to eat. What if you are already pregnant?” Harris insisted.

  “You are rather confident,” Stela laughed. “I am full. I could not eat another bite.”

  “You barely ate one bite. I am worried about you.” Harris shifted to look at her. “Are you sure you are alright? I know you worry about everyone else, but it is my job to worry about you.”

  “Did you not take notice of what happened at the wedding? I am fine,” she laughed.

  “That is what I am talking about. You seem indifferent to what happened. You seem unmoved by the deaths you brought.” Harris moved the curls from her eyes.

  “I am fine,” Stela sa
id, standing from the bed. “I had no choice. I will not be pushed around by Gods, Goddesses, queens, or cousins. I need everyone to understand I am not the frail woman who took the throne a year ago. I will not sit by while anyone tries to take what is mine. I will not allow anyone to harm my lands or my people. As for my children, if anyone wishes to raise a hand to any of them, they will share the Queen of Zabytyy’s fate.” She began to pace the room. “If I were a man and reacted the way I did, I would be called a hero and determined. Because I am a woman, people think there is something wrong with me or they need to worry about me.”

  “I do not mean to upset you. I will leave you.” Harris stood to leave.

  “Again, because I am a woman, you do not mean to upset me. If I were a man, would you mean to upset me? Would you walk away because I was asserting myself, if I were a man?” She walked up to him. “No, you would stay and argue with me, not slither away.” She began poking him in his chest.

  “I fear this conversation has taken a path I had not anticipated,” Harris said rubbing his chest.

  “You are not leaving!” she screamed as he went for the door.

  Harris tried to open the door but could not. He used all his force, but the door would not budge. “Stop this Stela!” he yelled.

  “No, you stop. Confront me like a man, not a woman who you see as weak.” With a look she watched as Harris flew across the room, slamming against the far wall. “Harris, I am sorry.” She rushed to him.

  “A man would never let his emotions dictate his actions,” Harris said standing. “Please allow me to leave until you are more reasonable.”

  “I am sorry, you are free to leave.” Stela motioned to the door as it opened for him.

  Stela collapsed to the floor. She could not hold back the tears. She longed for Braynard. She wanted him to explain what was happening to her. She knew he would not come. She had banished him. Even if he did not fear her, his pride would prevent him from returning.

  A knock at the door stopped her tears. “Enter,” she said, standing and wiping her eyes.

  “Stela,” the old man entered her room. “May I have a moment of your time?”

  “Antonio, of course, come in.” She gestured for him to join her.

  “I fear you are lost. Much has been revealed to you but no one has been available to explain it to you. I hope this will not anger you, but I can help you to understand and answer your questions, if you will allow me.”

  “Please.” Stela attempted a half-hearted smile.

  “You must promise I will not be sent flying across the room. I ran into the Emperor Consort outside. He explained the exchange that occurred between you.” Antonio returned her smile.

  “You have my word,” Stela blushed.

  Chapter Twenty – Braynard and Diana

  Antonio took a seat and tried to get comfortable. “Since you have forbidden Braynard from returning, or harming those you care for, I believe I can share with you his plan. But first, I should ask, do you care for me? I must protect myself,” he laughed to put her at ease.

  “I am beginning to.” She returned his laugh.

  “I will not go into Braynard’s story because it is his to tell. I can tell you he is not the original God. He was the one chosen to take God’s place when God grew weary of his duties, similar to how an Imperial or Royal can abdicate their throne to a younger, more capable ruler.”

  “He was the one that encouraged Declan to face, and defeat, Drevniy. Drevniy was the leader of the barbarians and son of Diana. He was her first child, but as you know, he was not her last. Diana knew that Braynard had a hand in her son’s death, which is why the two hate each other as they do. The old God made Braynard swear he would not strike Diana down. He has the power but agreed to not raise a hand against her. She, on the other hand, does not have the power to take Braynard’s life. Instead he decided to strike out against her through her children and her followers.”

  “Diana’s only retaliation was to go after those who followed God, or Braynard. She has spent years trying to turn those from God, to her. As you know she has been successful with some. Others were turned because their parents did not understand the consequences. Rupert was one such victim. He was close to death and his father took him to Diana to be cured, giving him to her. In turn, his parents sealed his fate with Braynard. I am still unclear how he discovered Rupert had been turned.”

  “Daniella, was she a victim or did she convert willingly?” Stela stopped him. She needed to know if she too was merely a pawn or a willing participant in what was to come.

  “Daniella…When Roderick came to Carpathia to see me, he said the girl’s name. I knew immediately who she was and who she followed. Braynard seemed unaware of her connection to Diana initially. He only saw her quest to take your throne. She willingly converted to Diana. The Goddess promised she would secure the throne for her. Daniella, like Diana, is driven by hate and revenge. Braynard, though you may not see it, is driven by love. He is old and out of touch. His idea of love is not the same as ours. You cannot blame him for this. It is his way.”

  “Braynard regrets his promise to the old God to spare Diana, which is where you come in.” Antonio took a deep sigh. He knew he was giving her insight Braynard did not wish her to have, yet.

  “He wants me to kill Diana?” Stela held her head.

  “He does, and you will, but first you must deal with her followers. Daniella will bring the war to you. You and the other pure Imperials will face her. Her blood is muddied, a combination of weak Imperial blood, traces of Diana, and the blood of commoners. Your blood is pure. The two lines that created you have kept the lines clean, only mixing with other true Imperials. Some lines have weakened because of mixing with Royals or commoners, such as Harris. He has the gifts, but his mother’s blood is not pure, so only traces of the line course through her veins.”

  “You need time to trace the purity of the lines of the Imperials and select only the purest of blood lines. Look to Savien, Xasha, and Trokha as well. Do not limit your search to Hulsteria. You have the gift of connections. You can sense, with a touch, the intensity of the blood that flows in one’s body. Use this gift to discover your most powerful allies. Daniella is doing the same, with the help of Diana. However, your gift is more powerful. You were able to sense Diana in Courtney. Neither Braynard nor Diana is capable of such an act.”

  “I thought we were granted one or two gifts? It seems I am continuously discovering mine. How is this possible?” Stela inquired.

  “It is a mystery to me. Perhaps your pure line allows you to have more of God’s blood in you – giving you more gifts.”

  “So, it is true? The Imperials are the children of God?” Stela was trying to take it all in.

  “You are. You are the descendants of Braynard’s children.” Antonio lowered his head, knowing what lied ahead of her. “Do not let this fact stop you from fulfilling your destiny.”

  “What does that have to do with facing Diana? Why would the fact that I am related to Braynard impact my dealing with Diana?” Stela was confused.

  “It is not facing Diana. It is when you face Braynard.”

  Stela stood and walked away from him. “I am to face Braynard as well? He has orchestrated all of this, so he can strike me down?”

  “He has orchestrated all of this, so that you might replace him.” Antonio stood and approached her. “That has been his plan all along. He has grown weary of his duties. He tires of watching his children turn from him. In you, he saw the future. He believes you will be his perfect replacement. He had hoped it would have been Declan, but Declan proved to be a poor choice. The man was strong and determined but he lacked the compassion that you had.”

  “Braynard said I needed to protect my heart. He seemed delighted when the emotion seemed to leave me after I faced Edmund.”

  “He was. He also knew that your passion would never truly leave you. It would serve you well. He lost his passion long ago, when he lost Tabitha. It was when he became the
God you know today. He tested you with Edmund to see if you would change. The change was momentary. You also learned to control your emotions, for the most part,” Antonio laughed.

  “I am so confused. Do I hate him or pity him?” Stela looked at Antonio, her eyes revealing the conflict.

  “You pity him. He is not a perfect God, which makes him a perfect God. He experienced human emotions, something his predecessor never knew. The love he once felt for his children, and the children of Diana, died when his wife died.”

  “How did she die?” Stela asked.

  “The story of her death is unclear. I have heard she reached the end of her mortal life and Braynard could not save her. There are also stories that the barbarians killed her. The latter would also explain his hatred of the people.”

  “He is God, can he not see her as he wishes?” Stela asked.

  “The stories in the bible are not all correct. He does not have dominion over the realm of the dead. Once a soul passes beyond the mortal world, he can no longer walk among them.” Antonio knew the pain Braynard suffered at this shortcoming.

  “Charity has the gift to bring the dead to her. Does Braynard not have the same ability?”

  “He does. He discovered quickly the pain it brought him every time he had to say good-bye again. I fear, Charity will learn this pain as well. She spends much of her time with Rupert and experiences the pain of his death every time he leaves.”

  “What of Heaven and Hell?” Stela began pacing.

  “They do not exist. They were stories created by men to keep the people obedient. If people were to know there were no consequences for their actions, what reason would there be to follow laws, or obey the Imperials and Royals? Rupert, Calvin, and Samuel all share the same eternal realm. It is sad, but true.”

  “Who wrote the bible then, if it is not accurate?”

  “Braynard instructed the stories to be written and helped to narrate the stories through divine inspiration but man has free will. The authors did not follow God’s instruction completely. They allowed their own hate and prejudices to find their way into the book. Braynard could have forced the corrections but allowed the flaws. Speaking of flaws, I owe you an apology. Braynard and I spoke at length about homosexuals after you pushed the agenda as you did. It seems God does not have issue with the subject. He sees love as love, regardless of gender. Again, it was the men who wrote the words injecting their own hate. Since there is no Heaven or Hell, there can be no abominations. Just another example of men trying to control the actions of others through fear.”