Chapter 22

22

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All three women released from their cards at the same time and all turned to watch each one crumble into blackened soot and float away with the desert tide. The Two of Swords, The Ten of Pentacles, and most surprisingly all four Knight cards fell. Casterline was deeply impressed by Her Ladyship's ability to fight four to one. Chise was terrified and hid behind her master, placing her long nails upon Casterline's shoulders for comfort. Chise was barbaric when in combat, but Caste understood her childish behavior in the presence of Fiaerna. She truly had a way of making everyone in her path feel small. However, this was no time to cower. The death of six Arcana rippled through the entire tarot deck. Enraged armies emerged from their metal prisons. Fire wielding archers and self-propelled wands set ablaze by the telepathic rage of the entire troop of cards. Slithering mermaids and mermen wielding heavy two-handed pikes and maces. Sword dancers gliding on gales of hot air. Shinobi, samurai and shoguns clad in solid gold armor surrounded the women from all sides. Chise went straight for the Pentacle wielders. Fiarena's weapon of choice against the merfolk was a purple wand, identical to the emerald green one that had mysteriously reappeared in Casterline's inventory after having been ground to dust in the harrowing encounter with Redrik. In spite of Fi's expectation, Casterline called forth a bow and arrow to fend off the tribe of Fire wielders. Using the trick she'd learned with The Two of Swords card, she accumulated the moisture from the wind gales and the merfolk's fins to frost the tips of each arrow with ice. Once everyone became engulfed in the ensuing chaos of war, Caste took the opportunity to climb and jump from card to card in order to sneak into The Ace of Cups. She wasn't sure what she'd find therein, but her intuitive risk turned out to pay off big time. A large silver chalice, encrusted with sapphires the color of the ocean was set upon a white Roman-style pedestal. Surrounded by peach and gold clouds as far as the eye could see. It was truly reminiscent of Mount Olympus. Being that the keepers of the Chalice were off fighting her comrades, Casterline grabbed the drink with both hands and gulped down its questionable contents without a second thought. She'd hoped it was plain water, but she'd never tasted anything quite like this before. Unable to stop herself, she drank to the very last drop. The drink was truly intoxicating. With no time to spare, she made her way through to the Ace of Swords, The Ace of Wands, and finally The Ace of Pentacles. After drinking from The Cup she'd gotten an immediate adrenaline rush. Alone in the last card of the Aces, she transmuted the large Pentacle into a golden shield and secured it tightly to her right arm. Afterward she set about sharpening the Ace of Wands with the Ace of Swords. As a result of her sharpening, The Ace of Swords caught fire. "Beautiful." Caste said as she proceeded to tie her fire sword and fire wand together with rope she'd nabbed from her battle with The Hanged Man. She dubbed her new blazing bayonette-type weapon the first and only Blazonetta of its kind. Her heart was racing. She couldn't wait to test her new adornments on the Pages and Wizards that had emerged from the remaining tarot cards.

Whatever the Ace of Cups had been laced with, be it a poisonous, hallucinogenic tonic or an overpowered Strength booster, was kicking in hard. Caste felt incredibly strong, so much so in fact that her entire body became enveloped in a glowing halo of golden light. More than strong now, she felt absolutely invincible. Hordes of card dwellers were rushing into the fray. As Casterline emerged, she was met with a flying wand. Her Blazonetta was meant to wipe out the army of Cups, but in this situation she had no choice but to jump into the nearest card. The wand followed her through but instantly dropped and went out. Her Blazonetta was ripped from her grasp and rendered equally as useless when its flame burned out as well. She'd immediately bent down to retrieve it, but it was suddenly too heavy to lift, in spite of her glowing power. Perhaps she'd landed in a corresponding card from the Wand Arcana, thus canceling out the effectiveness of fire weapons within? She shrugged, having no choice but to assume her hypothesis correct as she ventured deeper into the card. The room was stark white with one granite monument, even larger than the tarot cards themselves, standing tall and proud. Suspended in the very center, it was so far up into the air that Casterline couldn't possibly reach it the same way she'd been hopping from card to card outside. Most of those entries were mere flukes. She'd hijacked the Wind Magic from the Sword troop to reach the Aces. But now she had nothing to utilize for high jumps. Gazing up at the statue, she noticed two striking features. The first were the two ruby red jewels encrusted in the monument's eyes. The second were the incredible wings protruding from the monument's back. The thing was clearly modeled after a king, as a large crown sat atop the man's long hair. She took inspiration from the wings and envisioned a pair of white angel wings, tinged with a bit of ruby red, appearing on her own back. Unfortunately her vision hadn't been as precise as she'd liked. Her mind and heart were still swimming from the effects of that delicious mystery concoction she'd enjoyed earlier. The wings painfully grew from her shoulder blades. The bursting of skin was excruciating, but the drink nullified the pain within seconds afterward. She practiced flying beneath the statue for a while before gaining enough confidence to fly up to it. Once she reached those deep-set ruby eyes, she poured a glass vile of Pure Sight onto each one. Nothing happened. "Well, it was worth a shot. Now what, big guy?" Her heart wrenched as soon as she'd said those words. She was reminded of the playful banter she so enjoyed with Haru. He would always respond to her query of, "Well, now what, big guy?" with "You tell me, tough girl." One tear escaped, then two. Then three, then four. She had no one to turn to. No one to rescue her. And so she found herself leaning against the statue, wings enfolded around her. She was grateful to the silent spectator for his stoic, non-judgmental gaze. At last when she'd composed herself, she felt compelled to caress one of the ruby gemstones. She reached out to touch but a fierce, roaring hot wind blew her back. A large white lion appeared. It was his roar and hot breath that had enough power to move her. The massive beast lunged at her, went straight through her, then disappeared as quickly as it had come. She once again reached a tentative, shaking hand out and touched the stone. She'd never melted into someone's memories through an inanimate object before, but in this world there was a first time for everything. It seemed she constantly had to remind herself of that. Possibly °because° she was seeing through the eyes of an object, she was able to watch the scenes herein as if she were in a movie theater. She wasn't bound to The Blonde Woman's body here like her usual glimpses. She was more like an observant apparition. She could glide through people, just as the lion had done to her. She was so delighted by the beauty and grandeur of this movie that she couldn't help but feel like a character in a fairy tale. All around her were beautiful gardens, white cobblestone walk ways, women and men in luxurious masks and gowns. A white and gold carriage rolled up onto the path, and Casterline's ghostly jaw dropped when a small version of The Blonde Woman emerged from within. She was greeted by a woman in a lovely purple gown, adorned meticulously with shimmering gold jewelry that highlighted her long lilac hair and eyes. And beside her, a handsome older gentleman with black and silver hair, decorated like a soldier, held out his hand to help the young child and her parents down. When she stood at full stature, there was no mistaking it was indeed the five year old version of The Blonde Woman. Casterline glided with the troupe of fabulous people all the way into an extravagant room containing a bejeweled cradle and a darling crying three year old with striking red eyes, pure white hair and long, lovely white lashes. "He's a bit too big to be sleeping in there. I have a big girl bed, he needs a big boy bed like me. Mother says I'm a big girl all the time." The Blonde Child stated proudly. The baby's crying was obnoxious, but he reminded her of the baby dolls she loved to play with at home so she decided in that moment that she approved of this little prince and would happily play with him when he stopped crying. A servant knelt and announced loudly, "Queen Amathyst Krowne and King Tourmaline Krowne, along with all the Krownesfolk of our humble Kingdom wish his Highness Prince Karnelian Krowne and her Highness Princess Delia Rosequartz of the Rosequartz Dynasty a very happy third and fifth birthday today." "May you both flourish into fine rulers." Amathyst said kindly, clinking glasses with Clera Rosequartz, a kindly woman with silver-white eyes and blonde hair tied back into a low bun. Then Tourmaline Krowne and Kyanite Rosequartz led them into the throne room where a lively party took place. Graceful dances, fine wines, dozens of exotic cakes from around the world of Odinsai. In name only, this was a birthday bash to celebrate the children. Caste found herself more in awe of discovering The Blonde Woman's true identity at last. Delia Rosequartz. It was amazing to finally know her name after so much time spent swimming around in her memories. At the end of the birthday ball, Delia and Karnelian were presented by their mothers to all of the High Nobles. Karnelian was held proudly on Amathyst's hip. He was so shy at seeing the large audience that he buried his face into Queen Krowne's shoulder, all the while sucking his thumb for comfort.

Delia was nervous but too brave to show anything less than regality and poise as she climbed the large red velvet steps to stand before the two proud fathers bearing gifts. She squeezed her mother's hand as hard as she could the entire time. And luckily enough, her birthday gown was long enough to hide her knocking knees. She glanced back at the crowd, all smiles and cheers at the sweet little Royals. She blushed profusely, then whipped her head back round to face her father. Kyanite was a man with kindly ocean eyes and hair to match. Slicked back into a spiky high ponytail, his bright blue hair was nothing compared to his shining demeanor. The Dynasty Leader was always grinning, always happy. His people openly referred to him as "Wild Man" and he loved every second of it. His genuine, loving smile soothed Delia as she chanted a mantra of courage in her mind.

I'm a big girl. I'm a big girl. Mommy says I'm a big girl. The Kings held their hands up and the gallant, glittering audience fell silent. "In honor of your bright future together. In hopes of a harmonious union and the continued fortitude of our esteemed Kingdoms, I present the future King and Queen of Krowne with these red jewels as a symbol of peace and good will. They've been imbued by our very own hands with a spell of prosperity. May the Gods smile down upon you. Always." The crowd repeated the blessing, "May the Gods smile down upon you. Always." And with that, the gold and red necklaces were placed gingerly over the children's heads. The guests cheered and whistled and soon they took their leave. The festivities had concluded on a high note. The Royal families couldn't be more proud. When it came time for Clera and Kyanite to return to Rosequartz Castle, Delia finally let slip her brave facade and wept the whole night through. This had been the tradition of all the Royal families of Odinsai since the dawn of time. The princess chosen in arranged marriage would come to live in the realm of her future betrothed from the age of five onward. In the event that the pair were unsuited to one another, negotiations could be made to break the engagement. But this was a rare occurrence and it certainly didn't happen with Princess Delia and Prince Karnelian. In all their years growing up together, they would never take those matching necklaces off. Caste noted immediately that these were the very jewels within the statue's eyes. She felt a pang in her heart as the scene shifted to a few years later.

There stood Karnelian "The Cursed Child" Krowne. The red-eyed Albino and future king of the Kingdom of Krowne. Elder Twin Brother to pouty, jealous Gwenavier. "You are no lion, Brother, you are a frightened little lamb!" Sneered Gwen, a princess of average Magical powers, who had refused to partake in any of Karnelian's birthday celebrations since Delia's arrival ten years prior. She loved her brother but loved tormenting and bullying him so much more. As if being born first and beating her to her rightful place on the throne wasn't hell enough, Karnelian was also born with a rare power that only appeared every few thousand years. This rare and unique Magic was called White Fire. Along with the ability to conjure white flames, Karnelian assumed that the white lion cub that leapt from his chest every time he was sad or anxious was some kind of dark omen. A cursed familiar. He assumed this not because the lion cub had ever caused anyone harm, but because Gwenavier had said so. The commoners had whispered as much in the taverns late at night. The Nobility smiled often in the young Prince's presence and treated him with a kind of fearful, piteous respect one might give to a dying animal. But on this day, when Gwen was at her worst using the most scathing words she could think of to gut Karnelian, Princess Delia stepped in to stand before him in defense. The white lion cub leapt from his chest and purred loudly, weaving back and forth at the hem of Delia's dress. "Witch." Gwen scoffed. "Jealous old hag." Delia shot back. "You're thirteen now, you should be addressing your brother with the grace and eloquence befitting of his role. Instead you scar him with that snake's tongue of yours every chance you get. You cause him pain at every turn." Karnelian tried to look manly and stoic behind Delia's back, but she could hear him sniffling as she spoke. "He is a kind and gentle boy. His soft demeanor will help him to raise a new generation of people to be better than the last. Our peoples may fear him now, but I promise to make them understand someday." Gwenavier laughed in Delia's face, poked her in the chest with a brightly polished purple index finger and said, "Ha! That'll be the day!" "Hush!" Delia commanded with such authority that both twins stood at attention. Delia turned round to speak directly to her betrothed. "That little lion cub isn't your familiar, Prince. That is the purest form of your soul. In other words," Princess Delia whipped her head back for a quick glare in Gwenavier's direction before she continued, "You have the heart of a lion...the essence of a true king." Gwen opened her mouth to retort. "Ah! I'm not finished, dear Sister-In-Law." The sharpness in little Delia's tone made Gwen twitch. Delia turned to look at Karnelian again, held his hand in her own and rallied him on even further. "When you are too timid to speak, let your virtue be your voice. Be so rare in your actions and deeds that the rarity of your looks become overshadowed by the rarity of your heart. Fight your demons. Love your enemies. Hold your head high so that all may see your crown. Embrace your destiny. Never forget you are a lion." She turned to Gwen, curtsied, and went on with her day. Gwen awkwardly curtsied low to her brother, refusing to lock eyes with Delia, her nemesis. She then turned on her heel, tripping over a mischievously loosened cobblestone as she went on her way. The whole ordeal left Princess Gwenavier fuming, but in turn this moment had an impact on the future king of Krowne that was so profound it would stay with him until the day he died.

Just like the Light she was born with, Delia had completely destroyed the shadows of Karnelian's past and pulled him from the Darkness of Solitude. From then onward he vowed to always protect her and to never leave her side. After learning the true nature of his little lion cub, Karnelian decided to take on the role of a student under the tutelage of The Grand Hermit Merlinite. A retired Priest and a man of great wisdom in the art of taming one's soul. He too had traveled to these lands from the Rosequartz Dynasty in his youth and so he knew all too well the inner workings of Delia and Karnelian's Astral power. He called them Spirit Projections, though there was no formal name for these mysterious familiars as the gift was so rare. While Karnelian's subjects feared him, the commonfolk of Delia's Dynasty worshiped and revered those born with the power of Spirit Projection and would most likely view Karnelian's albinism as a sign of great Holiness. She promised to take him to visit her homeland and introduce him to the wonderful people living there someday. After many lessons with both Delia and Merlinite acting as his instructors, Karnelian's curiosity got the best of him. He asked if he could see the shape of their souls. Merlinite's soul took the form of an elemental being that flickered from one element to the next depending on the old man's mood. Sometimes it was a smiling body of fire, other times it appeared as a forlorn body of water. When Merlinite was hyper-focused on his lessons, the being showed itself as a stoic body of lightning. The young Royals never got tired of watching the spectacle of change. But Karnelian was much more in awe of Delia's Spirit Projection. Hers was a gorgeous pure white angel with sapphires for eyes. She was truly a vision. The lion cub jumped into her arms and fell asleep there until the day's lessons were done. The young ones learned with the passage of time that their souls not only matched well but were also growing alongside them. And so it was that in the next scene shift, Karnelian's soul was now a full grown lion. It stood beside the twenty year old King-to-be purring loudly as he ruffled its mane. The young prince had won the day by fending off hostile ogre and fairy forces just outside the kingdom's borders and was now being hailed before all as Karnelian "The White Lion" Krowne. Just as Delia had promised, he'd become a warrior adored by those who'd once feared him. And so it was that his status amongst his people had given the courage to propose to Delia, a silly act mayhap, considering they'd been destined to wed since birth, but a grand gesture all the same. The setting was of extreme importance to Karnelian. It had to be springtime. It had to be beneath the rose-pink cherry blossom trees. Through nerves and anxiety, Karnelian's confession of love went as perfectly as he'd wished and his beloved accepted with all the joyousness women always dream of. The day of their wedding took place one year later on Delia's birthday. It was also chosen by King Tourmaline as Karnelian's Coronation day. "The crowning of our new King, the birthday of our new Queen, and a wedding to bind the hearts of the two? Truly a triad of celebrations." Merlinite said when his former pupils shared the wonderful news. "Truly! And that is why, good sir, we beseech your presence thereupon to bind us together with your own words." Delia said clasping her hands together. "Please, Merlinite. It would bring us such comfort for you to officiate our wedding, kind old friend." Karnelian said, clasping Merlinite's hands in his own. The Master Magician had relinquished his place among high society long ago, wishing to wash his hands of the constant greed and disputes he'd witnessed among those at the bottom and those at the very top. He shook his head and waved his hand as if to shoo them away. "I couldn't possibly. I stay to my lonesome for a reason, you know. I've seen Hell in the likes of others. The life of a Priest showed me nothing but the worst of mankind and the silence of our beloved Gods when we needed them most..." "But we are not others, Merlinite. We are your friends. We love you. We want you to share in our happiness. You'll see, the Gods will be with us as we walk down the aisle. The Gods will be smiling beside us as we take the throne. And we will be seen the realm over as bound forever by none other than you. We will accept no one else. It must be you." The Hermit relented and gave in immediately. No one could refuse such genuine warmth. And so it was that Merlinite appeared shaven and dressed in white robes trimmed in gold to reign in a new era of love for his sweetest comrades. "Dearly beloved, we gather here today to unite two lovers on this strange journey we call Life. Let us bow our heads in prayer to wish Delia Rosequartz and Karnelian Krowne a very prosperous and loving mar--" "Wait!" the blushing bride yelled out at the end of the red carpeted aisle of the outdoor wedding. She held her gorgeous gown up a ways so as not to ruin such a treasure with grass stains. Everyone stopped and turned to look at her. "I demand a duel with the groom! If he wins, the wedding shall proceed." Delia said with a broad, beautiful smile. "And if you win?" Karnelian asked with genuine bewilderment and curiosity. He wasn't worried, though. For it was this level of mischievousness that he loved most about his future wife. This was yet more proof that their lives would be filled with spontaneous adventure and the spark of love between them would never die. "If I win the duel, I relinquish our place on the throne to Gwenavier." "You cheeky devil. You can't be serious!" Gwen yelled from the outdoor pews with amusement. Since the time of that fateful battle at the border, whence Karnelian and Delia both had saved Gwen from a mace to the head and a spear to the back, she'd vowed undying loyalty to the two and officially approved of their rightful place as the future Rulers of her kingdom. The idea of Karnelian losing might have exhilarated Gwenavier in her immature youth, but it honestly horrified her now. She'd learned quickly enough that Royal Studies simply weren't her thing and that holding the weight of an entire Kingdom on her shoulders was a bothersome chore to say the least. "I accept your terms and conditions, my love. Let us be about it then." Everyone was herded out to the brick laden arena on the opposite side of the cliff where the wedding was being held. Though they were allowed to choose any weapon from the treasure room, the bride and groom chose identical swords without realizing. Karnelian's was a silver rapier, Delia's was gold. Neither expected the other to go easy on them. Casterline watched as the two danced a graceful ballet of blades, every strike so much fiercer than the last that sparks of red and white flame flew from the clashing steel. There was a gentleness in their movements, especially when they drew close to one another for melee attacks. At long last, after almost an hour of nonstop swordplay, the two began to tire. Karnelian and Delia had thoroughly ruined their white wedding attire with dirt, sweat, and the pesky grass stains the maids had warned Delia to avoid at all costs. Even her incredibly expensive glass slippers were scuffed and cracked. So much so that Princess Delia's heel snapped and crumbled underneath her sending her into a blind tumble. Karnelian's reflexively moved to catch her before the fall. "Your sword may be strong, but my love is stronger." He leaned in for a kiss and the moment Delia closed her eyes, he swept her legs out from underneath her. He used his White Flame to lift her into the air, catching her in his arms in a very fitting princess carry. "That was a cheap shot, Your Majesty." Delia said amidst the clapping of onlookers "I know," Karnelian said shyly and leaned in so that only Delia could hear, "But I've been waiting my whole life to marry you...so I had to win. Now, Princess Delia Rosequartz, will you do me the great honor of becoming my bride?" "Was there ever a doubt in your mind, My King?" The crowd went wild with whistles and cheers. Once again, the wedding was on.

After the I do's were said and done, Merlinite gave a tearful speech, something he thought he'd never ever do in this lifetime. "Hell truly is other people. But I see heaven and hope in your eyes. You bear your Souls to the world and wear your hearts on your sleeves. And for that bravery, I am proud of you. Live long, my dearest friends. Live long and be forever happy." With that, the newlyweds climbed the grassy, flowers-filled cliffs where the Fairy refugees now made their home. Tourmaline bade them both to kneel, anointed them with Holy Water, prayed lovely prayers over them, and finally placed two dazzling golden crowns atop their heads. Queen Delia's life was so beautiful and dreamlike up to this point that Caste couldn't believe this was the same world she'd been summoned to so many months ago. And yet the next scene shift would be the event that set the stage for all that would befall this beautiful royal family in the future. After the wedding, the King and Queen postponed their honeymoon to the Rosequartz Realm just long enough to undertake a secret project deep in the forest. Every day they left at dawn and returned at dusk. This went on for months and months. It was something only they could do and Delia forbade the use of Magics on their architectural journey. Finally, on the day their project was completed, they ventured out to visit Merlinite deep within his cave. They called for him and he followed on horseback in a red blindfold. The company of horses halted.

"Look, Merlinite. A thank you gift for your many years of service." The old man pulled the blindfold down to reveal a quaint little cottage...made of solid gold. "I can't accept this. It's...it's!" The Royals smiled. "Worry not. We've doused the entire area with an invisibility serum that's proven to never wear out regardless of the passage of time. This is yours along with your most coveted desire for solitude and privacy." Not one for fluff, Merlinite leapt from the horse and hugged Karnelian as tightly as he could. Words could not express his gratitude. As he opened his arms with the intent to give Delia a bear hug as well, Karnelian spoke up, "Woah, woah. Embrace her gently, friend. Gently. For she is with child."

Scene shift. Karnelian is tossing and turning with excitement in his bed. Delia is perusing The Great Library for books on parenthood. Karnelian is deep within a dream in which he's speaking to his unborn daughter. No one knows the child's gender yet. But he knows. A father always knows. His daughter is beautiful, her name will be Fiaerna. He chose this name. It's an ancient word from a long-dead language meaning "fearsome". He loves it. He wrote it down on his night stand just before bed. He knows that when he wakes up, Delia will love it too. He knows that when he wakes up, Delia will send for some ice to ease his burning fever. He knows he loves his wife. He knows he can't wait to raise his daughter. He knows something is wrong and that his body is on fire, but he's just too enamored by these vivid dreams of his little baby daughter to rouse himself into a waking state. He tells Delia he loves her to the moons and back. He tells his daughter he cannot wait to meet her soon. And then, he is consumed by his own White Fire. And his consciousness slowly fades away. Casterline stood watching all of this in horror. She dreamt his dream with him. And then her perspective moved back into his chambers, where his body lay burning. His flames had gone out of control due to the sheer excitement of future fatherhood. His elation had consumed him, mind, body and soul causing an incredibly rare case of spontaneous combustion the likes of which no medical practioner had ever seen. It took hours for skilled Water Weavers to put the Fire out. All that was left were Karnelian's charred remains and Delia's despair. This was the turning point from Light to Dark for the entire Kingdom of Krowne and from then on, nothing had ever been the same.