Poisoned Magnolias

Orcus paced his den as he listened to the screams of his wife coming from the bed room. For the first time in his life he thanked God he wasn’t a woman. As it turns out birth sounds very painful. Continuing with his pacing he glanced outside his large window watching the rain fall against the glass. Pass the rain up on the hill rests the castle where he heard the Queen had went into labor around the same time his wife, Avice, did. A grin went across his face thinking how the king and him were both going to have their first born at the same time. The King had joked about how he’d have Orcus train his boy with his in combat. Something about how the captain of the guard should train the next ruler.

Leaning against the frame he crossed his arms falling into deep thought about what he’d do with his own son. First of course was to train him so he can become the next Captain, there was no doubt about that. The von Wolfbane’s line of men has always protected the royal family, and his son will be no different. He will learn hand to hand, archery, and how to strike down with a sword.

I will train him to be an assassin, Orcus thought happily to himself.

The thunder crashed and lightening brightened the room as the large oak doors were thrown open gaining Orcus’ attention. “Sir Wolfbane,” a man said coming into the room in drenched clothing. He took a few steps in wearing a smile, “the Queen has given birth to a healthy boy.”

“That’s magnificent news. What’s the young prince’s name?”

“It’s Prince Orvin, Prince Orvin Irving,” Orcus nodded when the screams of his wife silenced and were replaced by a crying child. He quickly moved passed the messenger and burst into the large bedroom.

Avice laid on the bed breathing heavily with her brown hair matted to her face with sweat. The nurse held the baby as the doctor cleaned the blood off his offspring. Orcus smiled as the woman handed his son over to his wife and she smiled. The doctor turned around and faced Orcus.

“Congratulation Sir, it’s a healthy baby girl.”

Orcus’ face dropped as he moved to the bedside to look at his child. It was indeed a girl.

“Orcus,” Avice said his name trying to take the attention away from the child in her arms. “You will not hurt Celest.”

He looked at her and noticed the determined look in her eyes, “Celest,” he repeated slowly looking at the thin brown patch of hair upon the baby’s head. She may not be a boy, but that won’t stop me, “you will be the greatest swordsman in the land.” Avice smiled at her husband before he turned to the messenger, “give word to his majesty that Avice has given birth. Celest von Wolfbane is her name and she will be the next Captain of the Guard.”

The messenger looked shocked, “B-but Sir. All guards are men.”

“And a man she will be, but this is only for his majesty and I to know about.” He watched the messenger carefully, “Lestat will be what she will be known as, the kingdom’s greatest weapon.”



King Liam sat in the nursery with his wife, Marelle, and his new son. After years of trying they had finally produced a hire and it made him proud beyond words.

“I wonder how Orcus and Avice are,” Liam said looking out the window at the rain.

Marelle looked away from the basinet to her King, “I wonder too, but I believe they should be just fine.”

Liam nodded when I knock came from the door and the woman they sent for walked in in a ratty looking cloak. The woman’s name had long been forgotten in the land of Seaver so the few that laid eyes on her called her Madame or Lady Prophet and that is all. King Liam approached her as she wobbled into the warm room, hand held out to help her short walked to the baby.

“Lady,” he greeted the old woman warmly, “I hope you had no trouble arriving in this weather.”

She looked up at him and gave a toothless smile, “Your majesty is a kind soul, just like your late mother. He smiled and gave a slight nod as she turned to Queen Marelle, “you have a beautiful mother’s glow your highness.” Marelle smiled as the old woman approached the small Prince who laid in his basinet. Madame looked at the new born and out stretched her old age hand above the infant startling the Prince. He began to cry and the woman gave a faint smile, “Don’t fret little one,” an angelic voice came from the old woman as her features changed dramatically. Wrinkled skin became smooth and youthful as grey hair became beautiful glowing white hair. The old woman became a celestial looking young woman before the King and Queen.

Her white hair shimmered as she over looked the now calm prince, “Now then let’s see what fate has claimed upon you.” Her voice put the babe into a trance as her shockingly bright gold eyes shined. “He will thrive through the tough and hard events that will descend upon him in his growing years. He will become a fine king,” the woman said looking at the now sleeping babe as her face turned grim. Her expression worried the King as he ask what was wrong, “his promised one will be a great and fine woman. She will help him raise the kingdom to greatness.”

“Then what is wrong?” the Queen asked.

The beautiful woman sighed, “this woman… if not watched upon can be the one to lead this kingdom into fire, destruction and bloodshed.” She traced a finger down Orvin rosy cheek feeling uneasy at the thought of his partner possibly being the Prince’s downfall.

She could see it, the Prince grown up sitting in his throne with a lovely woman at his side. Yet she could also see the prince crumpled on the floor with a nameless man sitting in the King’s chair. Behind the chair the same lovely woman wearing a sad expression, one that reached her eyes as she looked out a large window as the man seated held her hand. A wicked smile crept across Lady Prophet’s face as she realized who the Prince’s woman to be was.

“What do you see?” the Queen asked gaining the Lady Prophet’s attention when loud knocking came from the door. The King and Queen both turned their attention to the door.

The room doors opened revealing the King’s messenger, “Your Highness Sir Wolfbane congratulates you and the new prince.”

King Liam smiled, “and what of his child?”

“Sir Wolfbane has been blessed with a healthy baby girl by the name of Celest.” Liam looked to his Queen thinking of what they have just been told.

While the royal couple looked at each other the beautiful woman dropped an object into the basinet. “And so it begins,” the woman’s voice echoed around the room as a violent wind whipped out of the room throwing the messenger back a bit. Liam looked back at the spot she stood noticing the woman disappeared while the messenger walked back into the room.

Liam watched as Marelle went and sat beside their sleeping son. She looked exhausted and somewhat worried as she peered into the basinet. Looking away from his wife Liam thought of his friend knowing how much Orcus wanted a son, but knew he was probably still happy with a daughter.

“A daughter,” Marelle said quietly, “That’s splendid, the children will become great friends.” She thought for a moment, “maybe Orcus’ daughter can betroth this Prince,” and not fulfill Lady’s prophecy, the Queen thought. The von Wolfbane family has always been and acted for the good of the royal family. Orcus’ daughter will no doubt do what’s best for the Prince and the kingdom.

Just as Liam was about to answer to approve the idea the messenger cleared his throat, “I’m afraid my lady that will not be possible.” The messenger paused before continuing, “It would seem that Wolfbane wants to raise his child as a boy, and then make her become the next Captain of the Guard.”

“He will raise his daughter… as a son?” Marelle was astonished. Her plan to have her son wed her closest friend’s daughter ruined.

She looked to Liam who was in deep thought, “I presume he will have her go about under a different name.”

“Yes, he will call her Lestat.”

“Lestat,” the King mulled the name over before looking at his son, “she will prove to be a fearsome woman.” Orvin will have quite the challenge with her, Liam thought to himself.

“Sir Orcus wishes to keep his daughter’s sex a secret from the rest of the kingdom,” Liam nodded before sending the messenger away.

“The nerve of Orcus,” the Queen huffed, “to raise a girl in the brutal ways of man, it’s ridiculous.”

Liam smiled at his wife’s raving, “but she is his daughter. His ruthless blood runs through her veins. I’m now curious to how she well thrive in his way of raising her.”

“Liam! That’s mad to subject a girl like that.”

Liam chuckled before moving to Marelle’s side besides his sleeping son, “let’s see how much she blossoms. Who knows what will happen? As far as I know is that Orvin and Celest will be together as long as he’s prince and she is Wolfbane.”