Eden Forest (Part one of the Saskia Trilogy) Read online

  “Hi, Marta.” I turn around. Suis is behind me, looking

  pretty in a pink dress.

  “You look beautiful,” I say.

  This causes a blush to rise in her cheeks. “Thank you.”

  A hush falls over the barn as Mirium the storyteller takes his

  place at the top of the barn. He is five hundred years old so he

  walks with a white staff. He has a long white beard and kind

  grey eyes. He swings his heavy gold tunic out as he sits down.

  Lots of people believe he is an oracle. Some girls go to him to

  see their future match and how many kids they will have, but it

  never interested me.

  “Greetings. Must I say, ladies, you all look glorious on this

  fine night.”

  Giggles sound around the barn. I let out a sigh, causing

  Corrona to give me a harsh look. She is a believer. Then she

  squeezes my leg to let me know she isn’t mad at me. Corrona

  couldn’t get mad; she has a kind soul. That is one of the reasons

  I like her so much.

  Mirium starts with our history of how we came to be. It is

  one told to all girls before being matched. I heard it when I was

  younger, but this is tradition. He starts in a hushed voice.

  “A long time ago in heaven, there were four angels who did

  their best to always please God. God looked fondly upon his

  faithful servants. When the time came, the angels were sent

  down to earth to be born to the mortal world with free will.

  The four angels, Veronica, Lucian, Jeremy, and Sarra, watched

  as the other angels made their transition to life. The four angels

  talked about being mortals all the time, they did extra things

  to please God, yet they still remained angels. One day, Lucian

  convinced the other three angels to follow him, as he believed

  he knew how to become mortal without God knowing. Jeremy

  and Sarra were swayed by Lucian, but Veronica was nervous, as

  she didn’t want to upset God.

  That day Veronica was bathing God’s feet. God noticed the

  conflict within her soul. ‘My child, tell me what troubles you.’

  So Veronica told him of Lucian’s plans. God was enraged by

  this betrayal. He struck the four angels down. He looked at each

  of their souls and he could see the greed to be mortals within

  them. So God banished them to a world parallel to Earth. He

  gave each of them an element. Lucian was given the ability to

  control fire. Veronica was given an earth affinity. Jeremy, the

  ability to control air, and Sarra, a water affinity. Spirit was

  God’s. So each new generation was born with an affinity passed

  down by our ancestors. God gave them these powers so they

  could understand what he had created, and in time, he hoped

  they would understand the values of each element that he had

  given freely to the mortal world.

  He built a wall of fire to divide the worlds and gave them

  partial immortality so they could pay for their sins. And so

  forth, our world Saskia was created by four fallen angels.” You

  couldn’t hear anything in the barn. It was so quiet.

  Mirium rose. “That was twenty centuries ago and our

  founders have paid for their sins. God loves us, as we are as

  much his children as mortals are. We know he has forgiven us,

  as we can pass through the wall of fire to the mortal world.” I

  felt as if Mirium was looking directly at me when he said this.

  Several people gasped around us, drawing Mirium’s attention

  away. I believe in God, but not a world called Earth. It was

  a silly fairy tale. Mirium continued telling us about Earth, of

  its sheer beauty and of its wars. It made me think of our war

  against King Paulus and the question that was on everyone’s

  mind. Was he truly still alive? If he was, would he seek revenge?

  I shivered at the thought.

  No wars had ever happened since King Morrick and Queen

  Bellona came into power. Punishment for crimes was not by

  public hangings or torture now. If a person committed a crime

  against another, they were exiled from their community and

  banished to the mountains. I heard tales of villagers seeing the

  exiles late at night, scurrying through the villages, scavenging for food they say they are like wild animals, hunched over

  with black teeth and hollow eyes. People believe their souls have

  fled and all that is left is emptiness. A shiver of fear runs down

  my spine.

  The king and queen have the final decision over Luxpagus,

  which is a village to the east of Saskia. Luxpagus was first

  established by a family with fire affinities and lots of people

  left the heart of Saskia and settled there. Aquaterra is another

  large settlement to the southwest of Saskia. The settlement is

  ruled by Musa, the tribe’s leader, and he is very strict. Musa

  makes his own laws and deals with his own kind. They are left

  alone. The last main settlement outside Saskia is Humus. This

  is a community of people who follow the way mortals live and

  study everything about Earth. They control all of the south.

  They don’t have a king or queen, but a committee voted by the

  people to make rules and keep everything in order. There are

  other small settlements scattered on the outskirts of Saskia, but

  these are the main three.

  I continue to listen to Mirium’s tales of the mortal world,

  of how mortals could live until eighty years old. We can live to

  about seven hundred. It doesn’t seem fair for them to live such

  a short existence. When Mirium is finished, everyone applauds.

  Groups of girls whisper of Earth, of stories their mothers told

  them.

  Corrona and I dance as soon as the music starts, but we

  exhaust ourselves too quickly, nearly forgetting we are both

  having babies.

  Afterwards, we go back to Corrona’s cottage. She pours out

  two cups of chamomile tea that she grows in her garden. I can

  tell by Corrona’s face she wants to talk about something.

  “Marta, remember Mirium said we could pass through the

  wall of fire since God has forgiven the four angels?”

  I shake my head. So this is what she wanted to talk about.

  “Corrona, you can’t believe that.”

  “Marta, it is our history. Of course I believe it. I shouldn’t be

  telling you this. I swore to Dominic I wouldn’t tell anyone, but

  you’re my best friend.” She pauses. “Well, you know the horses

  Dominic takes care of?”

  “What about them?” I say.

  “Well, that’s how they get through the fire.”

  “What! The horses will not get burned?” I am not smart with

  my reply, but it just doesn’t seem logical. When I see Corrona’s

  serious face, I decide to just listen.

  “I am telling the truth. Dominic explained to me that the

  guardians, which all have air affinities, can create some kind of

  protection around them and the horses, which allows them to

  pass from here to the mortal world. The king and queen have been

  there, Marta, to the mortal world.” I give Corrona a skeptical

  look, but she continues. “Look at it this way. Every baby is born

  with an
affinity: air, water, fire, or earth.” She doesn’t add spirit,

  as only Queen Bellona seems to have that gift.

  “Okay, what’s your point?” I say.

  “Well, the queen only takes babies with air affinities to

  become guardians.”

  I already know this, but it doesn’t make sense.

  “But you have an air affinity, yet you are sitting here,” I say

  with a small smile to try and lighten the mood.

  Corrona gives me a disapproving look, obviously not enjoying

  my humour. “Yes, I know. She only takes boys. Dominic said

  that’s because they are normally stronger.”

  I sit there and ponder over what Corrona has just told me.

  It does answer the question of why every guardian has to have

  an air affinity, yet I just can’t bring myself to believe in another

  world. I am not saying Corrona is being untrue. She truly

  believes in what she is saying, but I just can’t accept such an

  explanation. I leave shortly after, but our conversation rattles

  around in my head.

  The village is quiet as I pass through the empty streets. I start

  to walk a little bit faster. I feel as if I am being watched. I glance

  around me, seeing nothing, yet the feeling of being watched

  doesn’t leave. On the square, there are still a few lanterns lit,

  but the light doesn’t touch the shadows.

  “Aren’t you pretty?” I turn around and have to crane my neck

  back to look up at a drunken guardian. Funny how he manages

  to get alcohol. He is over six feet tall and bulky. I turn to leave,

  but he grabs my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I am going home.” My voice shakes as I speak.

  “Sir… That is how you will address me.” He pulls my arm,

  dragging me behind him to a side street.

  My stomach drops; panic sets in. I hit him with my free arm,

  making no impact. “Let me go!” I protest. He pushes me up

  against a wall of a house. I try to protect my stomach as best I

  can.

  “You know, you have no manners. Maybe I should teach you

  some.”

  I am about to scream, but then Morrick is there, standing behind my attacker. He is over six foot tall with jet-black hair

  that falls just below his jawline. I can see a muscle tense as

  he looks at my attacker’s back. His eyes shoot up to me, deep

  grey eyes surrounded by long black eyelashes that still take my

  breath away.

  I watch as he places a knife at the man’s ever-paling face.

  “Taurus, release the lady at once.”

  Taurus raises his hands in the air. “Forgive me, your

  highness.”

  I move away from the wall after being freed from Taurus’s

  arms. Morrick’s hands are visibly shaking with temper. I can

  see the knife sink into Taurus’s cheek as blood trickles down

  his face. “King Morrick,” I say to make him stop, and he does

  immediately, sheathing his knife.

  “Apologise to the lady,” he tells Taurus through gritted teeth.

  Taurus stands and faces me, all his drunkenness gone. “Sorry,

  ma’am, for my actions.”

  I harrumph. “Leave now,” Morrick orders, but I can see he

  wants nothing more than to hurt him. Taurus bows and walks

  away. That just leaves me and Morrick, who does not come any

  closer, in case someone is watching us. “Are you hurt?” he asks

  while averting his gaze to my stomach.

  “No, your highness, I am fine.” I keep with the formalities

  also.

  He moves beside me and his closeness makes me look

  around. He bends his head and whispers in my ear, “You look

  so beautiful with our child growing inside you.”

  I freeze with fear and excitement at what he is saying, but

  fear wins. I step back and bow. “Thank you, your highness, for

  helping me. Good night.”

  “You should be more vigilant this late at night. Be careful.”

  I look back over my shoulder, but he is gone. Walking briskly

  back to my cottage, I feel I am still being watched.

  While I try to sleep, my mind will not stop thinking through

  all of tonight’s incidents and remembering the festival is

  tomorrow, but I finally fall asleep.

  Queen Bellona -Saskia-

  I look upon the paintings that hang in the library of all the

  people that went before us. Their stories never interested me,

  not even as a child. My father spent my childhood drilling

  stories of the past into my head. My hate for him pushed me to

  pray to God and ask him to take my father, but he never did.

  His fist was his way to discipline me.

  My mother would clean my wounds after my father’s rages. I

  could still hear her voice. “Oh why, Bellona, do you upset your

  father and force his hand upon you?” She would look at me

  with no remorse, only disappointment.

  I hated her, but as always, I bit my tongue. “Sorry, Mother.”

  It was just a whisper, as it was too painful to speak with

  broken ribs. For weeks after beatings, I was left to recover in

  my sleeping chambers. There were no children my age so the

  servants became my toys.

  Shaking my head, I come back to here and now. I run my

  fingers along the spines of the books until I come across the

  one I want, the one my father used a long time ago. A shiver of

  pleasure runs through my body as the memories pour in. Her

  face frozen in a mask of pain. Her pleas for life. I was so young,

  yet every moment was truly enjoyable, watching her very soul

  torn apart. A smile plays on my lips just thinking about using

  the book again. Only this time, I know exactly what to do. I am

  not a frightened little girl anymore. I am the queen of Saskia.

  Holding the book firmly to my chest I leave the library.

  Taurus, my personal bodyguard, is waiting for me outside to

  escort me back to my chambers. A small, fresh cut is on his

  face, something I must inquire about later, but not right now. I

  have too much to do. We walk in silence. The castle is empty, as

  everyone is preparing for the festival.

  Reaching my chambers, I turn to Taurus. “I do not want to

  be disturbed.”

  He inclines his head. “Most certainly, my lady.”

  I close the door and cross the floor to my bookshelves that

  are mounted against the stone wall. Sliding the bible out causes

  a draft as the hidden door opens. I nearly laugh at the irony that

  my father used a bible as the passageway to enter such a dark

  place. I light the torch just inside the door and carry it down a

  winding stone staircase. I remember the day I discovered the

  secret passageway. My father was raging, full of wine, turning

  over tables in the library. I had never seen him so angry. He tore

  the books from their shelves; pages fluttered around me. I was

  truly terrified. I knew what these books meant to my father. He

  crossed over to the mortal world, taking all kinds of books. He

  was obsessed with their world.

  He looked at me; the look of madness in his eyes terrified me.

  Racing towards me, he picked me up and threw me on the white

  marble floor, breaking my arm. A scream rose i
n my throat.

  “Get up. You disgust me,” he said while moving towards me

  again. He tripped over an overturned table and fell. I got up and

  ran to my mother’s chambers. Tears poured down my face as I

  cradled my arm.

  When I entered, my mother was lounging on her four-poster

  bed. She took one look at me and asked, “What have you done

  now?” At that very moment the realisation hit me. If he came

  after me, he would finish what he started, and my mother would

  not stop him this time. I ran and locked my mother’s door. She

  got up off her bed.

  “Bellona, what do you think you are doing? Unlock that

  door at once.”

  Placing the key in my dress pocket, I glared at her. “You

  won’t hurt me anymore.” I could hear the venom in my own

  voice.

  Her face turned red with anger. “You spoilt little…”

  She never got to finish her sentence. Anything I put my hand

  on I flung at her. She screamed, startled. After emptying her

  dressing table, I moved around the room and started throwing

  books at her.

  “Stop this at once—” She was cut off midsentence by a book

  I aimed at her head, but I missed. I reached to get another book

  and that’s when the bookshelf opened. “Close it, and close it

  now, Bellona.” Her eyes darted to the door. “Your father will

  kill you if you go down there.” She actually looked frightened.

  She darted across the room, but before she could reach

  me, I opened the door and closed it behind me. She was still

  screaming her protests from her chambers. I raced blindly down

  the stone steps until I ended up in a large, circular room. The

  room I stand in now. My father never knew I found his secret

  room and my mother never told him.

  I place the book on the stone stand that is in the centre of the

  room. Opening the cover causes a breeze to flutter around the

  room, stirring the candle flames, making them dance wildly.

  I close my eyes and breathe in the musty smell of the book. A

  low sob pulls me back. Bethany, the servant girl, is curled up

  sobbing in her cage. I move towards her, making her move back

  into the cage. Her ratty, dirty hair covers her face.

  “Oh, Bethany. Shhh! It will be all over soon.” She looks at

  me and starts sobbing again. She has a poor existence. I am

  doing her a favour.