The Mistress' Revenge

From the Scrolls...

That was twenty years ago. Many moons had shone and waned after the Great War. In the battle that started as soon as it ended, the Dragons had bowed their heads to peace. Bartot Canton, had emerged as a marvellous King, and as an even better negotiator.

But that could only mean one thing. Bartot Canton had many enemies. The Spear Of Ultimate Will had been compromised. However, when the dragons themselves have refused to go for war, who could've started one? Which is why it was important for King Canton to die.

Years of expertly smuggled Salvarsan, taken meal after meal had begun to show its effect. The King coughed blood everyday now. Rashes marred his weak skin. And the Spear had vanished into a mere hologram.

"Everywhere you go, there's a secret that awaits you. You must find it before it finds you," the dying King, who could barely talk had mustered all the courage to tell the young, Duke Lewis Canton.

Sadly... Those were his last words. The old king had lived for three hundred years. His glories weren't unsung. His name was known to create an uproar of joy and hope amongst the court. To think he would perish at such vile hands.

Lewis Canton pressed his hand on his father's heart.

"You could have left the crown. Like you always wanted to," Lewis had begged him to. The King For The Man had given Commander Bartot more than what he could handle.

The wretched man who had caused him his father. Wasn't it enough to have the Commander Canton at his beck and call, that he had to make him the king, and a subject of jealousy by all council members! And now they were all betrayed.

"Father, the mages ought to know," Lewis had argued. But the King was gone. His skin turned pale and then cold. Lewis' silent tears gouged in his eyes. He wanted to cry. But for what?

The dragons' curse will find his lineage. He will be reduced to a tool of ambition. And then, he too would die. All because of the treachery that the Council had forged together.

The sun hasn't set and its warmth had pooled in on the dead king's face. For a moment Lewis wanted to do nothing but stare. Then the truth dawned on him. The glorious walls of the palace made him nauseous. The gilded chandeliers hanging about the ceilings.

The gold embellishments. And the magical spear marred with the hide of the dragons. War called the sky. He had done the unthinkable and yet failed to save his father.

Nothing good could ever come from the throne of the Men. He had heard his mother say it so often he could barely get it out of his mind. He wanted to find a way to put the curse to an end.

All he had was but a hundred years. Hundred years to put an end to the curse, or watch his whole lineage perish to the deadliest plague.

***

Jane

A few minutes later

I didn't care if I died. I am going to catch the bus. It was the only one at this hour. The evening could only bring bad news. The walls of Montreal State mocked me as I walked past. My feet aimed for longer strides.

I skipped stairs, turning into alleys that led to the main road. My backpack went flying many times but I couldn't be here. Maybe, the medications are wearing off. Hallucinations. No, it can't be.

I cursed my choice of footwear. Heels. Fucking stupid heels. Maybe if I remove them, I could scale more distance. I hopped on one feet, removing the strap of another. Almost done. And then, the other leg-

I lost my equilibrium. I had put pressure on the wrong side. My torso propelled forward. I felt the twist in my waist, as my ankle struggled to get a hold of its stance.

Next, went my arms, as wide as they can, catching air as the gravity caught upto them. Pain shot through the arc of my back, flirting with the base of my head. And then. Thud.

"Hey-"

Black eyes. Beautiful black eyes. Coming for me. God. Pain. So much pain. It all coursed through me like shorts fired in a second. Hallucinations. I needed to go home.

"Shhh. It won't hurt like the last time. Don't move now, Vanya. You are so beautiful. Part your legs for me now. Be a good girl," the voice seemed familiar but distant.

I hated when my brain pulled up tricks like these. This is why I couldn't read those parts. It's always the most sensual ones that come to haunt me at the worst of the times.

"Jane? Can you hear me? Jane?" Cool. It felt cool. And then. I couldn't breathe. Too cold.

"Ah-" My body jerked up. My head was aching as water flowed down from the crease of my nose. The fuck had happened. I looked around to find my stuff scattered on the sidewalk. Professor Hank looked at me disappointed. His hand securing a bottle of water and the other one... Around me?

"So- Sorry," I was quick to jerk away, removing his touch from my body. I didn't want to talk. Or ask questions. I just wanted to be home.

"Are you okay?" He asks, and I can't help but say, "No. I have to go home."

"God. You are always so annoying," he says, no longer bending on his knees.

His pants are creased and there's water and dusk on his long coat. I realised that I was in a worse state that him.

I was drenched in water, face up. My hair dripped with water and I was wet. It took me a minute to figure out what that meant. My shirt! My white shirt!

To my absolute horror, when I peeked a teeny bit down, my white cotton tee was giving a see through. It perfectly highlighted the lace of my bra. Shame crossed my face, as I tried to gain my composure.

"I-"

"Cannot even offer a thank you," Professor Hank sounded so cross. I wondered if he was ever nice. I knew it was him who had made me look like an absolute disaster.

"You made me all wet!" I complained, and he lifted a brow in annoyance.

"You should be thanking me for saving your life. You could have hit that," he points at the fence. And I realised I had only missed by a centimetre.

"I am sorry. Thank you, Professor," I said, lowering my gaze. Something between the fall had made me forget about our previous encounter. The world no longer seemed to small. I could breathe.

He walked away, with his usual scowl and frown as I gathered my stuff. I watched the queue walk up to the bus as it left. The last one for the evening back home. And then I did the most stupid thing I could do.

"Professor Hank! Can you give me a ride?" I screamed at the top of my voice, and to my amazement, he turned around and nodded. Did he just say yes?