~~~~~~~~~~~~
`Hold it there, perfect. Now place it slowly down. You are doing it too fast. Slowly, slowly.' A breeze blew through the trees. The voices were quiet then there was a disappointed sigh. `Ah.'
A woman's laughed cut through the forest. `If I knew spending the day with you would be so torturous, I wouldn't have signed up for this.'
`I'm just trying to maximize the use of the time that we have.'
`Laying out a mat with such precision?'
`You have a better idea?'
`Yes, I do. First we have to sit down. And then we can talk.' Past the undergrowth that surrounded the clear patch next to the pond where Sidney had chosen that they set up the picnic area, Gorham was seated on the ground and was watching Sidney who had on a floral dress and her hair was tied away from her face. She looked beautiful with the rays of sun gently touching her skin and seemed to make her glow. Gorham was not trying to lay out the mat in the perfect position but just liked the way she was trying to do it just right. The way he wanted it.
`Talk about what?'
`I don't know. You are the one who always wants to know something about me.'
`Okay then, tell me about your family. Were your parents ever anything close to being merchants?'
`No,' she turned to look at the pond. `You already know Victor is my brother, more like half-brother but we are related which you should already presume that my parents were anything but merchants.'
`So tell me.'
`I- I was not born in your world but had to come here because of circumstances. I grew up in another world thinking that my mother loved me and she did until some point when she thought of me as an enemy. And I thought that my father had abandoned me like every other wizard father I had heard information of. This was also probably true like everything else.'
`Why did your mother think that you were her enemy?'
`Prophecies.' She shrugged like it was no big deal but she went on explaining anyway. `Mother is obsessed with eternity. She wants to live forever even though she has seen everything that she could ever want to see and everything she does is to make that a surety. So she consorts with seers and witchcraft to enable her get her means.'
`There are seers who still existing?'
`Not in this world but in the other. With the right sort of help from a wizard, the ones on the other side can see clearly what's to come but they don't get to live long enough to even say what they saw. That is why my mother, went to witchcraft and with that she found out eventually what was coming. You see,' Sidney turned to look at him. `The future changes with every decision that we make but we don't know which ones will change it or even make it come to what it is.'
`What are you saying?'
`My mother saw her children as being threats and when she started seeing us as that something changed the future. She found out that she would die facing one of her female descendants. You can imagine how panicked she was knowing how many children she had and how many grandchildren she had.
She started hunting them down one by one but she not only was killing them, but taking their powers and their youth. Just like she had done with countless others before.' Sidney looked across the pool.
`That's how you lost your powers?'
`Victor and I were the last ones to remain but seeing that I was a female, my chances got slim. As long as Victor remained childless then he was safe. I didn't believe that though and my mother knew of my attachment to Victor and so she put him as bait and set up this island where she lured Victor with the intent of training him. Of course I got wind of this and tried to rescue him but I was caught.'
`Victor fell into her trap? I always thought that he was wise enough to see a trap before him.'
`He was not always wise. It was just when he started being trained by Henry that he started seeing things in a new light. Anyway, Victor saw what mess he had put me in and knowing that I was his last remaining sibling alive, he did the only thing that he knew he could do. He went to Henry for my sake and made a deal with him.'
`What was the deal?'
Sidney looked away. `He pledge his allegiance to him.'
`Why would Henry want Victor's allegiance?'
`Within the circles of the wizard community, survival is the key element to any of them. It is within this circle that you see families sticking together but ours had already fallen apart. By giving
Henry his loyalty he ensured his own survival and mine in one stroke.'
`But that doesn't answer why he wanted Victor's allegiance.'
`Victor was from one of the most powerful families of the wizard community. By just knowing that he was Madison's son...'
`Madison?'
`Yes, my mother name.'
`Wendy was sent to Madison's Island for training.'
`My mother's front for her crimes.'
`Victor said that Henry sent her there to finish her training and after that kill Madison.'
`But I don't understand. Wendy might be the last of the Izanami but that doesn't mean that she can kill Madison. I tried for heaven’s sake and failed.'
`Wendy is Henry's daughter as well as Diane.'
Sidney's jaw dropped. `How was that possible?'
`I remember Victor telling me that the connection between wizards and the Izanami was that they shared the some part of their powers maybe that was why it was possible.'
`That would explain a lot. The Izanami and the wizards had always hated each other and no one ever considered a union between the two. For Henry to make that bold move was very daring.'
`You think he knew what he was getting into when he met with Diane?'
`Probably. Henry doesn't do things like that without thinking. There was a reason why Victor chose to join him instead of any other person. He was the closest person to Madison and knew of her plans very well. Some people think he had even shared some practices with Madison. Practices such as the witchcraft. He probably knew his future just like Madison.'
`Then he knew all along that he would meet with Diane?'
Sidney looked closely at him, `Maybe not. When one sees the future, they only get a glimpse of it. Whatever he saw may have been about Diane, Wendy, Madison or even himself. There is nothing about the future that is planned. Look at my mother who because of her fears, the future changed for her.' Gorham looked away in guilt. `You don't want to accept that he might have loved Diane really for who she was rather than the child they may bear together?'
`I just don't think that he loved her.'
`Because you don't think that wizards can really love.'
`Not Henry.'
Sidney was quiet for a long time. `I've met Henry and he is not a bad person.'
`But your brother thinks so.'
`Did he say that or did he say they don't agree on some things?' Gorham didn't answer. `Let it come from me then, if it will even change the way that you think. Henry always thought about how to survive and there is no doubt that he was in league with Madison just so that he may learn from her and pick up a few things to go along with it. It is what I would have done in his shoes.'
`But forcing Victor in his alliance?'
`Victor wasn't forced in anything and there was no ultimatum placed on anyone. Henry was going to help either way. He wants Madison dead and every wizard knows that. The only thing they don't know is how he plans to achieve that.'
`Then Madison knows that and knows that Wendy is probably there to kill her.'
`You are forgetting that Henry also saw the future. It is a sure thing that Madison is going to
die.'
`The prophecy said she would die in front of her female descendant. Is Wendy in anyway related to Madison?'
`I don't think so. Madison kept tabs on her every child. There is no way that she would let something like this slip under her fingers.'
`That leaves you.'
`Yes.'
/> `But you don't have your powers, how can you kill her?'
`I can't. I thought I already told you that I had tried once before and failed.' She stood up suddenly and seemed annoyed. She walked away from Gorham and stopped a short way before him. She turned. `If the prophecy said that she would die in my hands that would have happened before but it didn't. I'm not the one powerful enough to stop her. Certainly not now.'
`What about the necklace?' `What necklace?' confused.
`The Ikhnaton stone.'
`So you know about that too,' she barely whispered. Gorham gave her a chance to say the truth. `I suppose that you somehow got Victor to tell you the truth about that?' `He told me.'
`The necklace only comes alive when I'm around you or around Cognoscenti.'
`Nathan!'
`And you know that too.' Gorham didn't answer. `You should know that the necklace has nothing to do with who I am.'
`I don't know. You said that you felt complete when you put on the necklace. Maybe you are being possessed.'
Sidney smiled. `I said I felt complete because of the powers it has and nothing more.' She suddenly turned very serious. `How much more do you want to know?'
`I still have a few more things that you need to clear up.' He glanced at the picnic basket. `Do you mind joining me?' ~~~~~~~~~~
`Where are they? The festival is about to begin,' Jared was saying. He had trusted Victor but if Gorham didn't turn up soon then he will be forced to make the unfortunate announcement. The cancellation of the festival in light of the disappearance of the king. Then he saw somebody running towards him from the castle. `What is it?'
`The king is asking to speak with you.'
`But he isn't here.'
`He's in his office with the gentleman you called Victor.'
Jared smiled at that. How had he managed it? He walked back to the castle. Sure enough he found Gorham sitting there looking over some documents and Victor was sitting across from him. `How did you do that?' he asked
Gorham gave him a strange look. `You of all people know that Victor is a wizard and back to business. I assume you have already checked the security of the royals?'
`Everything has been arranged and I assure you that there should be no problem whatsoever.'
`What about the delegates that are in the city, how many of them are going to join us in this celebration?'
`Ten of them. The others are on diplomatic assignments and cannot afford to miss the opportunity will celebrating.'
`What was Nathan doing if he didn't inform them of the importance of this festival to the people?'
`I don't know what goes on in his mind but he is also going to join us but it will be later when he is done with signing the Carter treaty.' Gorham shook his head in disbelief. Maybe going away wasn't such a good idea but it did provide him with a lot of insight. `I wanted to inquire how Miss Storm will be traveling, sir.'
`Why?'
`She is now engaged to you and the plans we had earlier on were that she travels there before you.'
`What changes?'
`She will come after you and join you in the podium before the festival officially begins.' `I don't get it.'
`You are the one supposed to welcome her to the podium as a sign of her significance to you.'
`Surely all this is unnecessary.'
`On the contrary sir, it is significant to the people. And those are your subjects.'
`Okay fine. Be done with it.' He turned to Victor. `You never told me why you came back exactly and I fear that you are almost going away.'
Jared knew that Gorham was done with him therefore he just left. `You are worried about
Wendy?'
`Your idea of getting to really talk with Sidney paid off and yes, I am worried about her.'
`She will be fine. Henry has people already planted within Madison's rank that are there in case Wendy might need help. He's keeping a close watch over her.'
`How does Henry plan on using Wendy?'
`Using her? Where did you get that idea?'
`He knows what is going to happen in the future.'
`He has never told me about that.'
`But he used to be close to Madison. What if he is working with her?'
`Okay, I think that your brain is working overtime.'
`For Madison to die, Sidney had to be there.'
`We are trying our best not to involve her in any of this. She has no powers, no nothing to protect her. That is why Henry brought her here where she could be safe.'
`What about now that Diane is dead, how can she be safe?'
`I keep track of Madison. The minute that she will transport herself here, I'll be right behind her.'
`Why does Henry want Madison dead? He wouldn't have been doing this if he had nothing to gain.'
`I don't know his reasons but he probably knows that Madison will turn against him sooner or later. They know each other too well I'm afraid and could always anticipate what the other is going to do. That is the real reason why he is not training Wendy himself. Madison would have seen right through her intentions if he did.'
`So you are agreeing that he had every intention of sending Wendy to face Madison whether or not you crossed the line.'
`I'm not saying that. I am just making assumptions.'
`Then let me tell you something. Whatever assumptions that you just made, you have to confirm that they are not true. If they are then you have to assume that Wendy is in danger.'
Victor stood up. He didn't seem pleased with what Gorham had just said that but he knew part of it was always true. He had asked himself why Henry had been so quick to send Wendy to Madison's Island but never really thought about it like that. `I've informed you about what I know and what Henry is planning and I think that I should start making my plans to go home.' He went away.