Unexpected Visitor
I was sitting in my room at my window seat discussing lycans for a third day in a row with Jess when we heard the doorbell. We hardly ever got visitors and father usually mentioned when we were expecting one so this was a complete surprise. My mother and father had to make a quick trip to Vellum but I doubt it was them who rang the bell. Grandfather was likely on one of his morning walks in the woods so I had to be the one to greet the guest. No doubt Delilah had already answered the door. Jess leaned in, “Were you expecting anyone?” I shook my head, “No, that’s kind of why I feel a little confused right now.” I got up from my seat and checked myself in my vanity mirror to make sure I was presentable. Mother would be furious if I greeted anyone with bed head. I looked fine and I was fully dressed because I had expected a little lesson with Jess and didn’t want it to feel like pajama party or something. I walked over to the door and Jess had followed. I turned to her, “You know? You don’t have to go with me.” She shrugged, “I have a feeling you’ll need the support.” It was that lycan intuition she had told me about yesterday. It wasn’t always accurate but it was two thirds of the time. I was hoping this time would be the one third but my luck it’ll be the police again coming to arrest me. I let out a deep breath as I opened my door. I came to the stair case and saw a hooded figure standing in the foyer staring out the front window, their hands behind their back and off to the side the Pretre was sitting nervously fidgeting. As soon as he looked up to see me, he rose to his feet and pronounced, “Grand Pretre, may I present The Batiste?” I had read yesterday that the Grand Pretre was the most important figure in all of Vellum. She resided over it’s religion and the Fates. I knew I had to bow because I had read this and saw Jess run down the stairs to do the same. I ran down the stairs, kneeled and kissed her robe just like Jess was doing. She turned and placed a hand on Jess’ head, “My child, I am not here to see you. Please go back to your room.” Her voice was like an angelic whisper and reverberated in my head. Jess pulled herself out of her kneeling bow but kept her head down. You weren’t supposed to look the Grand Pretre in the eye, it was disrespectful. You only could if she allowed it and father had told me after a barrage of questions that you would know when she allowed it but he doubted I should ever get the chance to be in her presence. Oh father, how wrong you are. Grand Pretre waited until Jess was gone and placed her hand on my head. I felt the warmth of father’s hug, mother’s gentle touch and grandfather’s calming presence all in this one touch. She spoke, “The Batiste I am here to speak with you about your ceremony, I have had your parents summoned from Vellum. They should be here right...about...now.” The door opened and I could smell mother’s perfume. I had not looked up because I had not gotten permission to do so and with the Grand Pretre, you would definitely need permission. Right next to me a figure kneeled it was father because I could see the wedding ring on his hand. Mother must’ve fallen in next to him because her perfume became stronger. The Grand Pretre spoke, her hand still on my head, “Your Grace, now is the time to discuss your daughter. She has been in my mind since her birth and with her unusual ceremony, I felt like I had to come see this child. Please lead me to your study.” She tapped in on the head. He got up with his head bowed no doubt because she still had her hand on my head. She then tapped my mother who got up. I could hear their footsteps out of the room and I heard her speak again, “Pretre Jean, leave us.” I knew he had a name but I couldn’t cheer because it dawned on me that I would be in a room alone with this all-important figure of Vellum.
I kneeled there, with her hand on my head, for what seemed like eternity in the silence. No one dared come out of their designated areas. I could only hear the birds chirping out side in the tree. Her hand then came to my cheek and she crooked her finger under my chin and pulled. I took this as permission to rise but I could not bow my head so I cast my eyes down as I came to be fully standing. She took her other hand and gently stroked my cheek for a few strokes before bringing her hand down to grab mine. Everywhere she touched me I could feel the warmth linger on my skin for a few seconds. She spoke again, “Alexandra, I will need to you to look at me.” I felt a tug in the corner of my brain and my eyes shot up to look at her face. She was very pale, her lips were grey, she had shadows across her face where you would normally put some rouge and her eyes were an icy blue. She looked almost like a movie corpse. Framed around her face was dark black hair like the abyss itself sat on top of her head. She smiled, “My child, you are indeed special and I can now see it by touching you and looking in your eyes. Come, we mustn’t keep your parents waiting.” She walked me to the study, hand in hand. We entered the study and all that were present again came to bow at her feet, all except me. I had tried but she stopped me, “No my child, you are just about my equal.” I could hear my mother and Pretre Jean gasp. I take it he did not hear her thoughts on me before hand. She tapped each person and instructed them to take their seats. She led me to the settee and sat me down with her. My father spoke, “Grand Pretre, I hope it is not impertinent to offer you a refreshment if She so chooses.” She shook her head, “My time here is precious so I would like to get straight to the matter at hand. I cannot be away from Vellum Cathedral for too long. You understand?” My father said simply, “Yes.” He sat down in his chair. Mother was in grandfather’s chair and Pretre Jean was instructed by the Grand Pretre to sit in the chair next to the study door.
She then spoke, “I have had a chance to study the charts for Alexandra these past few days, it has been my sole purpose. I even had to turn the King away because it was more important. I do have important business with him regarding his charts but hers were life and death. Her ceremony has changed her charts from when I studied them at birth. Something shifted in her fate and it was a choice she has made recently to do so. She also met a young man at her ceremony that will shape her fate that the charts had not accounted for. She was supposed to meet this young man but much later. I cannot tell you who that is because he has been touched by the Aphrodite ability. The ability, because it is so strong, had blackened the souls of those it touches so I cannot reach this soul to identify it. He must have had a resistance to the lasting affects because she was in no danger.” She paused to reach up and stroke my cheek again. She peered at me lovingly which confused me. I could see that my father had tensed up about the mention of the boy being touched by the ability and then he relaxed when he said I was in no danger. She spoke again, pulling her hand away from my cheek, “I had a moment with the young lady as well to peer into her soul in person. She will indeed save Vellum from cataclysmic disaster. She was sent here by Aphrodite herself which is why I can say she is my equal. There are only two Vellinians touched by the Gods, she and I. She is beautiful and her soul is the most beautiful, like the warmth of the summer sun. Her fate is to not only save Vellum but birth my predecessor.” My mother gasped, “Grand Pretre, are you saying she will be sent another soul that will be touched by the Gods?” Grand Pretre nodded, “Your daughter will be mother to a few and mother to all at the same time.” There was silence as I let the thought roll around in my mind until I formed a question, “Who would want to marry me?” She laughed which sounded like an echo, “You will be more popular with the men in Vellum. There are two souls in particular that will fight for your love. You will have to choose between the golden one or the jade one.” Golden one and jade one? What was that supposed to mean? I had to know though, “Grand Pretre, I hope it is not too impertinent to ask...” She nodded as if she knew what my question was. I forgot that she was touching me and likely had the same ability Pretre Jean had when I touched him. She stroked my hand, “The purple during your ceremony was Aphrodite giving you her blessing, she always has and always will be your guiding Goddess. I know your family prays to Frigg but she is truly your deity and Frigg has allowed this. By the way, Golden one and Jade one are given because these are the color of their souls. I know who they are but I am bound by rules not to reveal that information because that could shape your fate and spell disaster for Vellum. Just know that the wrong choice will change your fate and that of your unborn child. Tempting as it is to ensure that you give us my predecessor by revealing whom to choose, I would be in grave danger and I cannot leave Vellum to fall apart. My job is to keep the fates in line to do what they must and no one else has the ability. You see, they are cheeky and mischievous when they are not supervised.” I nodded, somehow understanding all of this information given to me but still no pressure or anything. Just the fate of the world tied to my decision of whom I fall in love with. She patted my hands, “You’ll also want to keep Jesslynne away from the Jade one. She doesn’t want to go down that path but she will be tempted. Not saying he’s bad news, he’s just bad news for her.”
She rose from her seat and the others followed. She leaned down to kiss me on my cheeks, “Farewell, destined one. When we meet again, you will not bow to me as you are to be the mother of all.” She straightened herself up and everyone came to kneel at her feet again. She tapped mother and father, “You have done well raising her. You shall be rewarded by the Church.” They rose to their feet, heads bowed. She tapped the Pretre, “You will ensure that she be attended to whenever she needs our help. It is now your responsibility to be her protector.” I hope that doesn’t mean this old dude will follow me around though. She walked to the study door, Pretre Jean followed and so did my parents. She turned and looked at me, “I would like Alexandra to escort me to the portal. I would like her presence with me as I step into our world. No need for you two to come see me out.” My parents bowed at the waist and walked backwards; my father brushed my hand as he went by. It was his way of reassuring me that I would be fine. I took my place behind Pretre Jean but Grand Pretre shook her head, “No up here with me. We will take a carriage, it is faster. There should be one still outside from your parents return trip as I had requested. I opened the front door for her and just like she said, there sat the carriage with the Batiste family crest on it and under the shield it said, “Semper Familia Primum.” Grand Pretre must’ve read the motto because she said as she climbed up into the carriage, “Indeed, always family first. A good motto for you little one.”
