Harry Potter and the Fortunate Queen - Chapter 368

“You are late,” Rosaline said standing in front of the hallway leading to Queen Vasilisa’s chamber.

“Sorry about that,” Chris quickly apologized.

“No need, Lady Christina,” Rosaline looked at Oziyat with an odd expression. “I was talking to Oziyat.”

“I was busy, Sister,” Oziyat replied looking intensely at Rosaline.

Before Chris could ask what this was about, Oziyat ushered them towards his mother’s chambers. However, before they could walk straight to the Queen’s bedroom the guards stopped them.

“Her Majesty is waiting for you in the sitting room, Your Highnesses, Lady Christina,” a guard bowed to Rosaline, Oziyat, and Chris, one by one.

“Of course,” Oziyat said without much of a reaction but Chris thought there was an inpatient and frustrated edge to it.

The guard took them to a side door and opened it for them. As soon they entered the room Chris felt the atmosphere change. Oziyat changed his posture and straighten up looking commanding as he waved the servants out. Chris had never seen him like this before.

“Rosaline . . . Oziyat . . . and Lady Christina . . .” the Queen’s voice caught Chris’s attention and it took an effort for her to hold in a gasp. Queen Vasilisa was sitting on a plush throne-like armchair gesturing them to sit, and even with her perfect extravagant dress and makeup, she looked ill. Her body looked like a skeleton and her red eyes dark and gashed with tiredness. There was no denying that she was having the same illness as Wilma. But what made Vasilisa look harsher than Wilma was the fact that there was no smile on the current Queen’s face. She looked dead serious.

Chris followed Oziyat and Rosaline and sat down on the armchair opposite the Queen. An uncomfortable silence settled in and everyone looked tense.

“I heard . . . you, Lady Christina wanted to meet me,” Queen Vasilisa said at last.

“Yeah, I know you had your reasons not to meet me,” Chris cleared her throat and confidently spoke. “But, maybe you already know. . . that I tried to go to the Southeast.”

“Yes, I heard you were injured?” Vasilisa tried to sound concerned but it was clear that she was bothered by something else.

“Yes, and that’s why I wanted to learn more about that ruined fort before heading there again,” Chris said.

“I see. So what happened there?” the Queen asked curiously.

Chris was about to answer when Oziyat interrupted.

“We are here to listen to you, mother.”

Vasilisa’s eyes snapped towards Oziyat, who looked calm. After glaring at her son for a moment, she gave a thin smile.

“I just wanted to hear Lady Christina’s tale, Oziyat. I think I have the right to know how capable our Saviour is, no?”

Chris opened her mouth and closed it, and looked back and forth between Oziyat and Vasilisa. She could tell something was off.

“We could discuss that some other day, mother. However, you can not stay here all day. You need to rest. So I think we should start asking questions,” Rosaline spoke seriously but without showing much concern.

“Thank you for your concerns, Darling,” Vasilisa didn’t look too happy while responding.

“May I, mother?”

“. . . yes, Rosaline.”

“So let’s start from the beginning I know Mal—ahem—the thief had come to Titian during Queen Wilma’s rule. And he fought some war with us and gained trust to steal our secrets, right?”

The Queen didn’t look interested even one bit in this topic. “Yes.”

“Yeah, that is why I wanted to talk to you,” Chris spoke. “Was there any other war in Titian apart from Queen Wilma and her brother? As far as I know, he came after the Queen had ruled for at least eighteen years.”

“And how do you know that?” Vasilisa asked narrowing her eyes and Chris felt her stomach drop. Queen Vasilisa was being extra cold for some reason. Was it her health or something else?

“Mother,” Oziyat called loudly. “As you know, Christina has proved again and again that she is the one. And I would appreciate it if you get to the point without avoiding the answers we need. I don’t think it’s benefitting anyone at this point.”

Chris’s eyes widened in surprise. Oziyat being so direct and commanding with his mother, was not normal. The Queen looked furious and looked at Rosaline hoping that she would stop her brother, but Rosaline stayed silent. Vasilisa angrily clenched her fingers around the glass she was holding and it shattered into pieces in her hands. Chris flinched but nobody else moved. Oziyat’s eyes were still fixed at her mother who was glaring at her children, while Rosaline calmly looked at the shattered glass.

Finally, Vasilisa let go of the glass pieces, and instantly her wounds healed and stopped bleeding. For a fleeting second, she looked normal without any sign of illness but as soon as it came, it was gone and Vasilisa looked weak and pale again.

Rosaline calmly took the wine bottle on the table and poured two glasses. She passed one to her mother and the other took for herself.

“I see,” Vasilisa said dryly before taking the wine glass from her daughter.

Rosaline slowly took a sip from her wine glass and leaned back looking expectantly at her mother. And Chris had no idea what was going on.

“The piece of history that is taught to a vampire child is about the First Vampire who came into being million years ago,” The Queen began with a somber look. “The First Goddess, we call her. The legend says she was the daughter of two very ordinary humans, her mother was a priestess and her father was an artist of some kind. And she was born with unbelievable strength, speed, and beauty. She could also perform strong mind-controlling things and she healed from many injuries within moments. She was an immortal. Also, she didn’t need to drink blood like us, though her blood could heal any injured living being. She was a gift from the Gods, as they say. She helped people around the world and got the title of the First Goddess.”

Oziyat was about to interrupt but Chris looked at him and shook her head. She wanted to listen. And there was no need for Oziyat to make his mother furious again.

“But things started to change when one by one her family and friends started to die. She got worried. She wanted to make them immortal as well.” Queen Vasilisa watched the swirling wine in her glass as she spoke. “She knew she had to use her blood somehow for that. After years of attempts, she finally made her son and daughter immortal by making them drink a bit of her blood. After she succeeded with her children she made two of her friends immortal the same way, thus they became the first four vampires. However, as time passed The First Goddess realized that her gifts were working on the four immortal she made, but to continue that they all needed blood once in a while. At first, it wasn’t a problem but soon The First Goddess noticed that those four’s bloodlines inherited her gifts but they also were born with the immense thrust of blood. She couldn’t give out her blood anymore which made them insane with bloodl.u.s.t and they started to drink blood from humans. Without restrictions, all nine vampires killed and drank blood creating havoc, and to the Goddess’s surprise the more they drank the stronger they became. The Goddess acknowledged that without wanting she had created beasts and she needed to fix this. She captured all nine vampires and restraint them but she knew that this will not go on for long. She either needed to kill all of them or find another way. But no matter what, she couldn’t bring herself to kill her own children and friends. So she looked for another way. How she thought of this is not clear but somehow she knew her blood which created this problem will also solve it.”

Nobody in the room said a word as the Queen paused to take a sip of her wine. She then scowled at Chris over the rim of her glass. Chris was surprised but she met the Queen’s gaze unflinching. Vasilisa lowered her glass and hissed,

“The thing I am about to tell you, should not leave this room, Lady Christina. Because if any harm comes to my kind after I tell you this then I will rip your head myself.”

Queen Vasilisa looked so vicious for a moment that Chris felt like the Queen will pounce at her and rip her head off right now. But Oziyat suddenly reached for Chris’s hand and held it tightly before Chris could pull away. This made the Queen glare at her son and she shot daggers looking at their joined hands. After a moment, rolling her eyes, the Queen took another sip of wine and continued,

“The First Goddess made . . . a crystal with her blood. The Crimson Crystal. It took a lot of her power and blood, she became very weak. But she couldn’t stop because for the Crystal to work she needed to bind the other vampires’ blood to it immediately. After a little struggle, she took all the nine vampires’ blood and bound them to the crystal. The power which created the bloodl.u.s.t was gone as soon as the power changed its source. All the vampires were connected to the crystal but the power was not overpowering them. Like this, they were wielding the power not the other way around.”

“Why was nothing ever mentioned about this Crimson Crystal in the history of vampires we read?” Oziyat asked.

“I think no one else was supposed to know about this apart from the monarchs in our bloodline,” Rosaline said looking at her mother. “Isn’t it mother? After all, we are Dragozeras, the direct decedent of the first Goddess’s son, Xreios Dragozera.”

“I think now I have an idea where this is going,” Oziyat leaned back in his chair with a smile.

⟦To be continued⟧