CHAPTER 7
The following day, Anita woke up early, as she always did, and completed her usual yoga session in the garden, surrounded by her grandmother’s spectacular flowers and listening to the stream at the bottom of the garden gurgle by. As she lay on the ground afterwards, her arms outstretched, she couldn’t stop her mind from speculating about how that night would play out. She wasn’t worried about leading the first dance, that would be a walk in the park, but what did worry her was how everyone would react to her turning up with Marcus, not to mention what was going on with schizophrenic Alexander. One minute he wanted to ‘help’ her (although she was still far from clear on what this meant) and the next he was insulting her. She lay there, eyes open, staring blankly up at the puffy white clouds sliding seamlessly across the powder blue sky, her thoughts racing, when she suddenly became aware of powerful energy very close by. She held her breath, adrenaline spiking through her veins, poised to take defensive action at any moment as she waited for movement.
‘Fancy seeing you here,’ drawled a voice from near the house, and Anita immediately relaxed.
‘Still a master of originality I see,’ Anita smiled sarcastically, staying where she was on the ground, looking up at the sky. Marcus walked towards her, Anita feeling his energy intensify as he came closer and hers responded in the same way. Thank the Gods he wasn’t a reader, she thought again. ‘Did you come for any particular reason, or just to watch me doing yoga?’ she flirted, turning her head to watch as he approached.
Marcus said nothing, but kept coming steadily towards her until he was standing right over her. He crouched down beside her and she half sat up as he took hold of her hand, seductively kissing the back of it. ‘Are you always so feisty?’ he mused.
‘As a general rule,’ she answered sulkily, pouting a little.
‘I just came by to tell you that I will pick you up at seven o’clock, if that’s to your satisfaction?’
‘Seven o’clock it is,’ she said, flashing him her sweetest ‘see, I’m not feisty when I don’t want to be’ smile.
‘In which case, I will look forward to seeing you then,’ he said, with a matching ‘now that wasn’t so hard was it’ face, as he stood up, gently released her hand and disappeared back the way he’d come.
Anita slumped heavily back to the ground and took a long, deep breath, relishing the excited anticipation she felt bunched in her stomach, butterflies fluttering endlessly around, their wings brushing her nerves, sending tingles to her brain. Eventually she got up and headed back inside; she would be late for the Crownings if she didn’t get a move on. As she approached the back door, she stopped in her tracks, spotting an enormous bouquet of dusky pink peonies sitting against the wall. She opened the attached card, reading the words ‘until later…’ that had been scrawled across it, in perfect, old fashioned script, and rolled her eyes; trust him to have perfect handwriting.
Anita showered and got dressed, paying quite a bit more attention to her appearance than she normally would. She told Cordelia this was just in case Marcus had mentioned to anyone he was going to the ball with her and she attracted any resultant attention. Cordelia knew full well it was really just in case Marcus clapped eyes on her; she had never cared about looking good when drawing attention before. Anita walked with Cordelia to the Temples, just about managing to suppress an enormous grin, but unable to curb it completely, so a faint smile played across her lips all the way.
As it was a double Crowning, both the Temple of the Body and the Temple of the Spirit would be used. Most of the ceremony would take place in the Temple of the Body, but Alexander’s actual Crowning would take place in the Temple of the Spirit. This would take place after the Descendants had gone to whatever it was beneath the Temples, to do whatever it was they had to do. Anita and Cordelia once again sat at the back of the Temple of the Body and luckily, this time, Marcus was already at the front, so no opportunity for embarrassing looks as he walked past, Anita was relieved to discover.
Once again music flooded the Temple, however, whereas at Christiana’s funeral it had been haunting, today, the hidden organ boomed out a theatrical, moody, full-bodied piece as the procession began. First came the Spirit and Body Councillors, all in full length cloaks with hoods up, so no-one could see their faces. Nobody was quite sure why they did this, other than to make sure the main focus was on those being crowned, but it invoked powerful visions of cult members on their way to make a sacrifice to the Gods and therefore looked utterly terrifying.
After the Councillors came Peter, looking easily the best he ever had. But despite his cloak, he still didn’t quite feel like a Descendant. He was tall and reasonably good looking, but had a sort of scrawny, wispy look about him, his wavy dark hair tinged with grey, making him look tired, robbing him of the gravitas of the others. Next was Alexander, looking frankly like a God, his cloak billowing around him, his hair cut slightly shorter for the occasion, and Anita could feel her energy rise as he ascended the steps into the Temple. Alexander felt it, but kept his head facing forward down the aisle, ‘she has got to learn to control that,’ he said again to himself as he strode after Peter, every female pair of eyes making no attempt to hide that they were following him, transfixed.
Last and most melodramatic of all was Austin. He had his floor length, red cloak on, but also had a hood over his head, so nobody could see his face. He moved down the aisle as theatrically as he could, relishing his time in the spotlight. He’s not going to like sharing that with the other two, thought Anita, as he made his way to the front of the Temple. She got the impression that Peter would go along with whatever Austin wanted, but she wasn’t sure Alexander would be so easy to control.
By the time Austin had reached the front, the Councillors had taken their seats and Peter and Alexander had sat down in the elaborate gold thrones that had been placed in front of the altar for them. Austin stopped a couple of metres in front of them and turned to face the congregation, throwing back his hood, revealing his face with a flourish.
He paused, surveying the scene before addressing the crowds. ‘Descendants, Councillors, children of the Temples of the Mind, Body and Spirit. We are here today to observe a momentous occasion in our history; the Crowning of two Descendants, Alexander, son of Anthony, and Peter, son of Christiana. As ever, a Crowning evokes mixed feelings; a sense of loss for those who have moved on from this world, yet joy for the instatement of two new Descendants, about to begin their reign. As the ceremony is being held here in Empire, rather than in Kingdom by the relic, some of the ceremony will take place privately, below the Temples. However, this will only form a small part of today’s proceedings. Peter’s Crowning will take place here in the Temple of the Body, and Alexander’s will take place in the Temple of the Spirit, however, the main part of the ceremony will take place here. I would like to take this opportunity to say how proud I am of both Peter and Alexander for the way they have handled this difficult time, and I look forward to having them join me as reigning Descendants.’
Patronising bastard, though Anita, ‘how proud’ he is of them? Please. As Austin moved to his front row seat, a Body Councillor stood gracefully, then moved slowly and purposefully to the centre of the altar, behind Alexander and Peter. She still had her hood up, her cloak falling elegantly from her shoulders, but despite this, it was clear she had an athletic build and was still fit and toned at the age of 55. Anita knew her well; her name was Helena. She was the cousin of Celia, Alexander’s mother and she resided in Empire. Helena had been a great source of counsel and guidance to Anita growing up. When Anita was thirteen and displaying considerable Body abilities, Helena had helped her harness and use her skills. She’d been there when Anita had been teased about being different and when people were scared to be friends with her, because, with her abilities, the other children imagined that she must have been sent from the Gods.
Despite her help, Helena had never been a motherly figure and had always kept Anita slig
htly at arm’s length. She was not warm and cuddly, far from it, she was the most formidable person Anita knew; she made even Austin look like a pussy cat. But she had always been there to guide her, and there had been a curious connection between them that Anita found both strange, yet oddly comforting.
Anita had hardly seen Helena for the last few years. She was now the most senior Body Councillor, hence why she was performing today’s ceremony, and spent a great deal of time with the academics, studying and teaching Body skills to those, like Anita, who displayed potential. Helena had invited Anita to join the academics a couple of years back, but she’d turned her down. Cordelia hadn’t been keen on it; she’d never really liked Helena, and anyway, Anita had been far more interested in continuing to study the energy. Luckily, Alistair had offered her a job at the Observatory a few weeks later, so it had ended up being the right decision, but Helena and Anita had barely been in touch since.
Helena bowed her head when she reached the centre, facing the audience but not looking at them directly. She paused there for several moments before lifting her head to reveal her deep green eyes. She raised her arms out and upwards, her cloak fanning out with her arms, making her a striking figure at the front of the Temple. The congregation held their breath. You could hear a pin drop, the anticipation almost palpable.
In a low, controlled, powerful, rich voice that instantly commanded the attention of everyone who heard it, she began. ‘In the beginning, there were three Gods, Theseus of the Mind, Tatiana of the Body, and Jeremiah of the Spirit. The three Gods created three worlds, each with a mix of the three God’s unique skills. In each world they created people who lived to serve the Gods, and in return, the Gods would keep the energy stable, so resources would be plentiful. The people built Temples to thank the Gods for their generosity and worshipped the God to whom they belonged. For hundreds of years, the people of this world lived like this in harmony, serving the Gods and living with all the food and wealth they required, until, in the year 769, the Gods decided it was time to make a change. In that year, they sent three people to the world to rule for them; Janus for Theseus, God of the Mind, Georgiana for Tatiana, Goddess of the Body and Julius for Jeremiah, God of the Spirit. Each was known as a Descendant of the God that had sent them, and each would pass their Descendancy down to their children, Janus and Julius through male heirs and Georgiana through her female ones. It was the job of the Descendants to rule the world for the Gods, ensuring energy harmony and plentiful resources. The people showed great respect for those who had been sent to lead them and there was harmony for over two hundred years, until at the turn of the century, the Gods decided to make another change; they sent the relic. With the relic came a prophecy, that one day the Descendants would send the relic back, and this act would free the world. The energy would be stable, and the people could rule as they pleased, free to choose their own leaders. The relic brought great hope, yet great disruption. The world’s energy has been volatile ever since, and we live in hope with each generation of Descendants that they will be the ones to free the world.’
Helena was joined at the altar by another Councillor, this time one that Anita did not recognise, from the Temple of the Spirit. He was a short, portly man who had the look about him of someone who had enjoyed one too many long lunches and a great deal too many cigars. He too faced the congregation, standing directly behind Alexander, Helena moving to stand behind Peter. ‘Children of the Temples,’ he started, in a voice that conveyed far more authority than his stature suggested, ‘we have heard the history and the prophecy, and it is now time for our Descendants to begin their journey to rule.’ He paused and raised his arms as Helena had done earlier. ‘Alexander, son of Anthony, of the Temple of the Spirit, do you promise to uphold the quest for energy balance, to seek, before anything else, to fulfil the prophecy, and to rule according to the wishes of Jeremiah, God of the Spirit?’
‘I promise,’ Alexander’s unwaveringly steady reply floated through the Temple. Anita’s energy rose at the sound of his voice, but she didn’t even notice, she was too busy gazing at Alexander’s god-like form. He looked every inch the confident ruler, a tad dishevelled perhaps, but only in a way that seemed to enhance his right to reign. By the time Anita wrestled her attention back to the proceedings, Helena had started talking.
‘Peter, son of Christiana, of the Temple of the Body, do you promise to uphold the quest for energy balance, to seek, before anything else, to fulfil the prophecy, and to rule according to the wishes of Tatiana, Goddess of the Body?’
‘I promise,’ answered Peter, in a confident, clear enough voice, but that somehow hinted at nerves. Whereas Alexander had conveyed a sense that he was meant to be exactly where he was, it was almost as if Peter wasn’t quite sure. Then again, he may be the one to break the prophecy entirely, so he’s probably at least a little bit worried about being mobbed on his way out, let alone about ruling, Anita chuckled inwardly.
‘The Descendants will now privately perform the next stage of the ceremony in the sacred place below the Temples,’ the male Councillor’s voice rang out, ‘they will return shortly.’ Alexander, Peter, Gwyn, Marcus and Austin all got up and approached the circle in the floor in the centre of the Temple. Anita didn’t know where to look; both Marcus and Alexander were walking directly towards her, and both seemed to be looking directly at her. Her energy was sky high again, so she concentrated on trying to get that under control, trying desperately to tear her eyes away from them. She failed on both counts, obviously, succeeding only in making herself look awkward. As they descended the steps, through what was now a hole in the floor, both Alexander and Marcus smiled. Marcus, presumably, because he thought he alone was having this effect on her, she made a mental note to put him firmly back in his place later, but a great deal more embarrassingly, Alexander, whose smirk was doubtless because he could feel her ridiculous energy. Both reactions made Anita cross, which meant that Cordelia had a rough fifteen minutes trying to make conversation whilst they waited for the Descendants to return. Cordelia gave up after a few attempts and resigned herself to listen to the music that was once again filling the Temple.
Almost exactly fifteen minutes later, the party of Descendants returned. Austin looked a bit put out, but the rest of them seemed to be in high spirits as they made their way back to the altar. This time, instead of sitting in front of the altar, Alexander sat in the front row with the other Descendants. His throne had been moved out of the way so that Peter’s actual Crowning could take place and Helena was once again directing proceedings. Peter was now sitting alone, all eyes on him.
‘Peter, son of Christiana, I summon you to the altar of your Goddess to make public your allegiance to your ruler.’
Peter stood up a little too quickly and made his way to the altar where he knelt, arms open, looking up towards the ceiling. ‘I, Peter, son of Christiana, of the Temple of the Body, declare myself at the disposal of my ruler, the Goddess Tatiana.’
Helena, who seemed to have conjured a crown from nowhere, stepped in front of Peter and held the simple gold band above his head. ‘I, Helena, Councillor of the Temple of the Body, and servant of the Goddess Tatiana, crown you, Peter, son of Christiana, of the Temple of the Body. May you be always guided by the Gods, as you seek to free the world.’ Helena slowly lowered the crown onto Peter’s head. Remarkably, it fit, which seemed strange given that it was a crown made for a female head. They can’t possibly have resized it, thought Anita, that must surely be against the rules. Helena removed her hands from Peter’s head and backed away a couple of steps as a fanfare flooded the Temple. Peter stood up, looked at Helena, who gave him an uncharacteristically reassuring nod, and stiffly turned around to face back down the Temple. As he did so, the congregation begrudgingly bowed to him. Peter paused, seemingly unsure about what to do next, when Austin rose from where he was sitting and made towards the aisle. This seemed to galvanise him, and he hastily started the proces
sion back out of the Temple and into the sunlight beyond. He was followed by the rest of the Descendants, along with the Body and Spirit Councillors that had processed in earlier. Anita was very pleased with herself for this time managing to avoid looking at either Alexander or Marcus.
The procession immediately turned to head towards the Spirit Temple where the same ceremony would take place for Alexander. Unfortunately, the Spirit Temple was full of Spirits, which meant that Anita and Cordelia had to stand outside at the back. Anita managed to scale one of the pillars, which gave her a pretty good vantage point from which to view Alexander’s majestic performance at the altar. When he turned to make his way back down the aisle, there was no hesitation; he confidently strode out of the Temple and through the cheering crowd. He shot Anita a quick glance as he approached her perch, internally remarking at how she had managed to get up there at all. This time, it was Anita’s turn to feel Alexander’s energy rise at seeing her, which improved her mood significantly. She was really quite jovial by the time she dropped back down to where Cordelia was waiting for her.