by Monica Doke
“Melly, my goodness! You have grown so much, dearest Sister. You look radiant,” Thane said. The siblings embraced as two best friends too long separated should.
“Oh, Thane! It is so good to see you again,” Melody replied with tears in her eyes.
Thane laughed and held her away from him as he spoke. “You are wearing an enchanting gown, Sister. Where did you get such a thing?” Melody grinned and did a small twirl for him.
“It was my mother's. I think Father gave it to me for my birthday,” Melody replied, smiling brightly. She could hardly contain the joy of her reunion and thought this would be her absolute favorite birthday. She heard Andover's voice booming behind them. Thane felt his face grow warm as his father spoke of him to Genewen. He turned to a seat down the table on the other side of his father and spotted a young man, too short to be a C’ghalie and too strange-looking to be a Human, staring unabashedly at Melody who had taken a seat beside her newly arrived brother. Thane poked Melody in the side. She started and turned her smiling face to him with a questioning look.
“The strapping young man over there,” Thane said, indicating Jax who sat staring at her with a confused expression on his face. Thane continued in a secretive whisper, “What did you do to him?” Melody's face flushed a deep red.
“I landed on him,” Melody replied hesitantly. Thane suppressed a loud laugh.
“You were flying?” Thane asked jokingly. Melody shook her head, fighting back a grin.
“I have not solved the riddle, as of yet. No, I was going down the banister - I missed you and I just decided to do it,” Melody told him. Thane shook his head and averted his attention when he heard his father's voice. Andover signaled Melody who stood and took her place beside the Pacretine.
The Pacretine smiled down at the Pramacretine as he made his announcement, “Tonight is our celebration of my young daughter’s birthday. It was twenty years ago today when she was brought to our world, and we have raised her with joy and gratitude. Without Melody, we would not be a family. Every day she becomes more beautiful, intelligent and stubborn.” Melody blushed furiously as Andover finished with a chuckle that resonated through the entire hall. He held Melody in a strong embrace for a moment before he allowed her to take her seat. Before Andover could progress in his speech, a man in the crowd stood to make his presence noticed.
“We celebrate the Divine!” The man shouted. Melody froze as all of the air left her lungs. It was only just earlier in the day when she had learned of this being the truth, though lastingly rumored. She felt heat rush over her face and neck and tears filled her eyes. Even though the crowd roared, the Pacretine shot an angry look at the man, who recoiled. Melody hid her face behind her hair.
Andover attempted to gather his thoughts after the interruption and continued, “Back to the matter at hand, birthday wishes and delights for my lovely daughter. I would also like to welcome back my youngest son who has been away from us these past three years. Thane has finally been declared a Healer by the Conclave and I would like for us to all salute his accomplishment!” Thane stood from his seat and took a gallant bow to the crowd. The Healer had always been able to charm a crowd. The gathered crowd was loud with approbation.
“My eldest son Alastaf has finished his formal training in the guard, as well,” Andover added, indicating his other son. The Pacretine beamed at Alastaf who looked embarrassed and unhappy. Andover continued, ignoring Alastaf's stoicism, “I would also like to announce two very special visitors to our palace, Jaxon Callfah and Nicolai, Lord of Fae. Welcome to our home.” The two men mentioned stood and bowed as Thane had. Andover smiled warmly to each person around him. The gathering cheered wildly as the Pacretine bellowed over the noise, “Now, eat!”
Gradually, the raucous died down and Thane turned to speak with Melody again.
“You missed me so you threw yourself down the stairs?” Thane teased, smiling.
“Yes, Brother. I was inconsolable!” Melody cried dramatically covering her heart with one hand and fanning her face with the other. Thane laughed heartily until she went on. “Of course I missed you, Thane. I have been without an ally for far too many years, now.”
“Oh, you can hold your own, I know,” Thane replied with a smirk, “And you are learning to fly!”
“Yes, of course. It is simply not as easy to live here when everyone I like has to be respectful and everyone else is too busy or too indifferent towards me to even take a moment,” Melody’s smile faded. “I do not know what I am going to have to do to Alastaf.”
“What do you mean?” Thane asked. Well-worn concern weighed heavily on Thane’s heart.
“Alastaf has been getting more and more hateful. He threatened me this morning. He pushed me against the wall,” Thane glared wrathfully at Alastaf as Melody continued; “He wanted to know what Father had told yesterday.” Thane looked at her wearily.
The Healer patted Melody's hand as he said, “Do not worry your pretty head over it too much, Sister. You know how Al hates secrets.”
“Yes, that is why we learned to speak Serare,” Melody replied with a grin.
“That was why I wanted to learn it,” Thane corrected, “you wanted to learn it because of the little Seraren boy you were in love with.”
Melody nodded thoughtfully as she replied, “Oh, yes, I remember.” The two laughed and proceeded to enjoy their meal.
“You are up,” Genewen said to Melody after everyone had eaten. “We are going to have you sing and then a group will take over for the dancing.”
“Hi, Gen,” Thane said. Genewen laughed and hugged Thane.
Melody stood nervously as she asked Genewen, “Which group is performing?”
“Your favorite,” Genewen replied, barely able to contain her excitement. “It was my gift to you, Melly. They will be singing all of the songs you love.”
Melody smiled and hugged Genewen carefully. Alastaf escorted the Pramacretine to the stage. The Prypacretine did not appear displeased by the task, but he was clearly not excited to perform it. Melody was very nervous. She ascended the steps of the stage and greeted the band, which would follow her. They all bowed to the Pramacretine and took her hand in welcome. Melody was very excited to see them again. She projected her voice using a small amount of Ether as she spoke.
“I am supposed to sing a song,” Melody said to a hushed crowd. They laughed. Melody sat on a stool before an enormous harp. She began to pluck the strings of the harp with confidence. Her playing was so beautiful the crowd remained completely silent. Melody sang. Her voice was a sweet, tender alto that lilted with the harp perfectly.
Her singing was not only singing, which was why she requested. Melody was half Meta. Her Ether was as much a part of her as her arms and legs. When Melody was young, they had discovered her Meta side was most prominent when she made music. As she sang, her voice became more than sound. It became light, movement, emotions spread among the listeners. They watched her in awe as her skin became illuminated and her eyes lit up the stage with a deep blue glow. The words to her songs spun around her until they became images. She was singing an old ballad about a Fae ruler from long before their time.
He was a good ruler, fair and just to his people. The Fae ruler had gone into the mortal world to find a wife as he could not find one in his world. As he searched, he met many different people he liked so much that he invited them to return with him and live in his home. Finally, the ruler found a woman and fell madly in love. Sadly, the beautiful woman was with another man. The Fae ruler was so unfamiliar with the world's customs that he won the woman over. She was going to return with the ruler but insisted she return home to tell her husband. She was kind and did not want him to think she had vanished or died. She felt compelled to say good-bye.
When the fair woman returned to her home, her husband had been waiting for her. He was angry when she told him she was leaving him for a Fae lord. He was livid when he found out that she had already been with the ruler. The man did not want to lose his wif
e so he locked her in her home away from the Fae lord. However, locks on wooded doors did not deter the Fae ruler. He easily gained entrance into the home to retrieve his love. The enraged husband died attempting to fight the Fae. When he unlocked his ladylove he found her so frightened, she did not want to be near him. Heartbroken, the Fae ruler returned to his home alone and no one ever saw him again.
While the story unfolded in the ballad, it played out before the crowd's eyes in the luminous Ether of their Pramacretine. They were transfixed. When the song ended, the leader of the band to perform for Melody projected the same way the Pramacretine had. He was a tall C'ghalie with crisp golden hair and beautiful pointed features.
“Well, I hope you will not all be disappointed with our music after what you just experienced. Pramacretine Melody is an impossible act to follow,” the C'ghalie singer told the crowd. He bowed to Melody, who blushed so fiercely the whole crowd could see her redden. Alastaf escorted Melody back to her family as the band began to play their music. They disappointed no one, and in particular, the Pramacretine.
In the crowd, Jax stared still at the spot in which Melody had been singing. He did not move or speak for the rest of the evening. A pained expression dominated his features.
...
Melody and her Father went out late the evening of her party to enjoy the sunset on horseback. Melody had requested the jaunt months before and the Pacretine had hardly any other time. He thought her birthday a good time. Andover considered the song his daughter performed. It had been an old Fae ballad and Melody’s voice put it in a new light.
Suddenly Willow nudged the Pacretine in the side to alert him from his musings and stop his horse. She had been leading him to the edge of a waterfall. Willow was Melody’s Pegasus. Willow was pure white with gray-tipped wings and tail. The horse mind-spoke when it found it necessary, but Andover only knew the beast to speak to Melody. The Pacretine stared at the sunset. He felt comfortable and wished to remain in that moment - one moment of peace and serenity.
It was not to be so.
The Pacretine's young daughter spoke and her voice trembled with uncertainty, “Father, I need to talk to you about a book I found in the study.” Andover looked into his daughter’s face.
“Yes, my dear. Please talk to me about it,” he replied, attempting to sound reassuring. Melody looked uneasy in her majestic saddle.
“Well, I found a book without a title on the top shelf and I tried to pull it out. I almost fell trying to remove it and when it budged, the whole shelf spun around, revealing a row of books I have not read before. They are volumes written by the same prophet who wrote the famous words which mark me,” Melody detailed, her voice pitched high with anxiety. Andover felt his stomach flip. He had forgotten completely about the hidden volumes and had not anticipated his only daughter being the one to find them. Andover remembered the little of what his father told him when he found the books. “I read them, Father; every one of them. I stayed up all night and they were so strange that they frightened me a little. Why hide the items? The books detailed only partial explanations of the staff and the sword. Why are they in the palace?” She asked as her voice cracked. Andover paused for a moment, thinking.
“Can we talk about this in privacy? I would much rather be in the palace,” Andover finally managed to reply. Melody nodded and prodded Willow into a quick trot. Andover followed apprehensively behind.
When the two reached the palace, they found the most comfortable place to speak was Serendipity’s study. The whole room was resting untouched under an incantation of secrecy, protected by the contents of the room itself. Melody knew the whole palace sat shrouded in incantations of secrecy and safety, but the atmosphere of the room made it seem so much more secure. They sat quietly for a long while, looking affectionately at the late Macretine’s collection of odd items and many books she had written. The whole study was an array of foreign artifacts, gifts from different races and objects she found in her travels. Before Serendipity met Andover, she had been a member of the Healers Conclave and traveled around the world helping people.
When Serendipity met Andover, he was the Prapacretine and the war of Fae had just begun. She fell in love with him as she renounced her place in the Healer’s Conclave to marry him and became an integral part of their success during the war against the oppression of the Helacorn and their Fae allies. Melody found everything about the woman fascinating. Andover coughed, breaking the silence.
“You want to know about the books, but the only thing I can offer is an explanation as to why they are hidden. I know as much as you about the rest. I came to my father with this query when I was just a little younger than you are now and I received the same answer I shall give you,” Andover explained. Melody stared at him anxiously. She felt her heart beating hard inside her chest.
Andover continued after a pause, “They have been passed down since the beginning of the world and before they were written there was no written knowledge. Every man or woman who receives the staff inherits the volumes. By the most current person, the books translated and hidden afresh along with the staff and sword.
“When they are passed down they must each be hidden somewhere different so only the writer knows and they are not to tell the next generation until it is time. They hide because those who truly need them and those who can hold the secrets must find the items. It has to be by chance…” Andover trailed off for a moment, thinking about his words. “As much as possible, anyway. The line of fate makes decisions before we get the chance, but still we cannot see it,” Andover supplied. As the Pacretine explained, he strangled his handkerchief nervously.
“So,” Melody said, her head reeling from the information. She had never heard the story before in her life, which left her at a distinct and uncharacteristic loss for words. Finally, her question emerged, “Were you the last to inherit the items?”
Andover shook his head as he replied, “No, my first wife was the last to inherit the items. Unfortunately she never had the chance to change the hiding place for the volumes, as she had not found them until she had no time to change their location.”
“So, she knew all of the secrets?” Melody wondered. Andover nodded sadly.
“She was given the books when she touched the staff, which I thought would mean she could use it all to fight the war. I was wrong. She never explained how, and the books do not say,” Andover explained fully. He paused to drink a bit of water before he could continue, “She claimed she could have easily used the staff to win. She refused with the explanation that her own inner strength and the power of her army would fight the war and end it without the addition of an unchecked source of Ether.”
“She was right, was she not, Father?” Melody replied evenly.
“She was right, Melody. She was the only person I have ever met who would have denied the use of such power. I just wish she had not have been as right as she was. It was that indomitable will of hers, her determination and power which took her away from me,” Andover replied, his voice quaked with emotion. For the first time Melody had seen her father mourn his late wife.
Genewen had taken the throne before she had become Andover’s wife. No one protested because a Pacretine had to have a Macretine or risk challenging the balance of power. That was why the first Pacretine, Andover’s father, had hardly any control over the world. His wife died of an illness shortly after giving birth to her only child. Melody felt a sinking in her stomach.
“Father?” Melody asked hesitantly. The Pacretine looked at her inquisitively. Melody struggled to find the correct words, “I am afraid to die. I am not like Serendipity. I am not brave, strong or selfless the way she was. I am afraid to give up my life and Ether for the world and every day I live it becomes harder to conceive of it as a fair trade.”
“Why is that, Melody?” He asked with genuine curiosity.
“The people, although I love so many of them, they doom themselves and they make every sacrifice meaningless. I am afraid if I die f
or people to live, they will not. I am afraid if I die to end the madness and chaos that evil renders, it will not. I am afraid if I spill my blood to end the spilling of blood, it will not,” Melody said emphatically. Andover took in the sight of his young daughter, fractured by her people and marked by her destiny. He felt a pang of guilt and wished he could trade places with her. Upon his guilt rode, the pride of a father for having a daughter made perfect by the universe.
“There are many fears in life even without the trials in which you have been so cruelly placed. My daughter, my joy - you will walk your path, and I will support you in every way. Unfortunately, you cannot share any of this information. These items, they are hidden for their inheritor to find and there are dangers to their accidental discovery. I do not even know what these dangers are.
“You must be wary with what you tell your friends whom you have and will gather throughout your life. You are not the one to divulge the information about the staff. Many know you are the Divine, so you may use your own discretion in divulging the information. Remember the dangers of someone finding out, however. The Eyes of Life is a dangerous secret. It will be revealed when it is time and only to the chosen Healer,” Andover spoke gently to preserve the young Pramacretine from falling apart. She nodded; her movements stiffened by the anxiety of knowing secrets. The Pacretine dismissed his daughter, encouraging her to retire for the night.
Crime and Punishment
Melody sprawled out on the floor of the study, books surrounding her. Thane knelt beside her to see what she had spent the night doing. He saw beside her books about the Prophecy of the Divine. He wondered if the rumors had all been true. He shook his head and attempted to wake her. Her eyes opened slightly, and a small smile graced her lips. She was young, but Thane noticed a drastic alteration in her youth which had been absent before he left. Indeed, she had aged.
“Good morning, Melly,” Thane rolled her over. She let herself roll lethargically, her limbs landing dead on the ground around her.
