12 | ACT I, SCENE XII

P R E V I O U S L Y

"Tristan Valmont and Edwina Tremayne, I now proclaim you man and wife."

CALCHESTER CITADEL, STEFFITH.

COSMO

"CALL EDWINA HERE. TRISTAN AND Eric as well," I ordered, flinging off my cape and putting my feet up. The man scurried away like a mouse as Titania lingered near her cupboard, finding something comfortable to wear before changing for the evening.

It was still a lazy afternoon. The wedding had been a few hours ago, the coronation was a few hours later. The morning had been both dramatic and solemn, now I only hoped Edwina or Tristan did not put up a fight at their coronation.

I leaned back, watching my wife and sister, Titania, shimmy her royal dress down to her hips. She stepped out of it, naked save for her underwear. I looked at the curve of her hips bemusedly. The sight of my lovely wife would have once stirred passions in me, but those affections were long forgotten, the fires long doused.

I had loved her with all my heart, once. I truly had loved Titania. But then, we were immortal. I could not count how many thousands of years we had been alive and together, my Queen and I.

Boredom got hold of both of us, seeking us to seek other lovers.

Every god had the same chapter in their life.

I had long learned to accept it, as had her. Being alive so long, immortality was now a curse. And we both yearned to break free of its prison. Hence our wish to leave Endollon, reincarnate in the mortal world, and leave behind three new Monarchs in our place.

I could not wait to escape this body of a god. I had had enough.

"Something bothering you?" she asked with a cocky grin, surveying her closet and picking out a black dress.

"I see Eros finally charmed his way past your underwear," I observed, moving past her. I took the dress from her hands and held it open for her as she stepped into it delicately, drawing it up.

"He's quite good with his tongue, you know?" Titania muttered, doing the laces, unabashed.

"Turn around," I ordered, and she did so, as I tied the strings at her back. She watched herself in the mirror as I concentrated on knotting the laces, her ocean blue eyes excited and bright.

"And quite... ah, reaches all the right places, that Eros," she added thoughtfully.

"I know."

"Seriously - you too?" she asked, surprised. I gave Titania a grin of my own, and she plopped herself right on top of me, curious as a cat.

"You're not the only one who has lain with the god of love, my love," I said with a chuckle.

"I know," she giggled. "He is quite good with his tongue, isn't he?"

"Yes," I said indulgently, and we both laughed like a couple of lovesick teenagers.

It felt good, sometimes, to laugh for a while and forget about the monotonous curse of immortality. But the warmth soon faded away, as all things do, and it wasn't long before we heard a knock on the door. I opened it.

It was Amphitrite, with three baskets full of hair combs dangling from her hands.

"Edwina can't come right now, your Grace!" she murmured. "She's getting ready for the coronation ceremony, I've just started doing her hair! Olinda is helping her dress and Vanessa is busy with the makeup-" the goddess rambled on hysterically, losing her head.

"-it is important," I said.

"but she can't, your Grace, she absolutely can't, the wedding ended just two hours ago, besides she needs to eat-"

"Amphitrite," I said firmly, making her stop. "It is important. Tell your sister to come here now."

"But, your Grace-"

"Now, Amphitrite. Right now. Go and call her," I said firmly, in a tone that brooked no argument.

Amphitrite looked at me pleadingly, half her eyelid covered in bright blue eye shadow. Then she dropped her baskets and brushes and ran, her dress flying behind her.

"Timid, that one," Titania observed. "Nothing like her sister."

"They both have a good heart," I said. "But Edwina Tremayne is one of the stronger ones. She is the Queen Endollon needs."

"One of the stronger ones?" Titania snorted. "She is the only one capable of handling this crown without losing her head. Besides, imagine, do you think any other of the women might be able to hold her own and be able to rule with Eric and Tristan? What with Eric's way too sunny optimism and Tristan's acidly dreadful pessimism," she laughed, tipping back her head.

We were both very fond of the three, and were glad that we would be leaving some sensible Monarchs in our place.

"I, for one - cannot wait to see her handle all this mess."

The door was knocked and Titania opened it. It was Eric, and Tristan, who was dressed in his dark robes, his hand resting casually on his sword's hilt.

"You called?"

"Yes. Come in," I said, opening the door further and he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall as Eric took a seat.

The door opened again and Edwina sauntered in, and we all suddenly stopped talking, taken aback.

She was already in her ceremonial robes of black and purple, with defined shoulders and a long cape that rolled on the floor. Black diamonds were scattered on every inch of the silk, shining every time she moved. Her hair was half done, with one side rolled into an elegant crown, and her eyeliner had still not dried as she glared at us angrily.

And yet she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Tristan Valmont was one lucky man.

"Yes?" she snapped. "Since I've had to endure my sister's larger than life tantrum, you'd better have a good reason for calling me!"

I had seen Tristan's eyes light up when she entered the room, and his breath had hitched as if seeing her for the first time. I chuckled. Even from here, it was not hard to see how much he wanted her. His fists curled as she sat down in front of me with a demanding look on her face, trying to ignore her new husband.

"I had to tell you something before Titania and I take the reincarnation potion and leave Endollon," I said. "We will do it right after your coronation, which is tonight."

"You're saying I had to listen to Amphitrite chide me so I could come hear a pep talk?" Edwina hissed. Titania put a hand on her shoulder, calming her down, as I prepared myself to speak.

"Do you intend you give us a history lesson?" Tristan muttered distractedly.

"History has always had its eyes on him," Eric gestured to me, before shrugging and taking a seat. "What do you want to tell us?"

"Thousands of years ago," I began in my clear voice, "I killed my father, Uranus, and ascended the throne."

"Wow, I definitely did not know that," Edwina muttered sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

"Our siblings, Zadicus and Pandora, got jealous of us," Titania continued, raising her hands high to the ceiling. "They regretted not being the ones to kill Uranus, for they would have ascended the throne then."

"So Zadicus and Pandora broke off from our family, and formed House Tytos," I went on. "The words of House Tytos became 'we play to win.' Zadicus believed that as Uranus's eldest son, the throne was his. And so, he waged war on me, his very own brother!" I continued, trying to catch everyone's attention.

"Touche," Tristan added, and Eric groaned, slamming his hand on his head.

"Pandora was the goddess of peace, Zadicus, the god of destruction. Together, they gave birth to six more monsters, together forming the legendary House of the Titans, House Tytos. They challenged me to a fight and I accepted. And yet, none of my offsprings came to my aid. Except for my eldest son and daughter, Helios and Nyx."

Everyone was fully silent now, interested to hear what was coming next, now that the King was recounting his own stories from the bloody history of Endollon.

"Our own brother, Emerick, the god of law, refused to help us," Titania confirmed with a sigh, looking at me. "Our other sister, Justaline, was the goddess of justice. And yet she too refused to abide by it when it came to helping us."

"They were not interested in war," Eric spoke, lost in his thoughts.

"For sixteen years, Titania, Helios, Nyx, and I fought the Titans. It was the war of history, the war of death. The war called the Titanomachy."

"Our Titaness sister, Pandora, performed Blood Rituals to give her family of Titans hordes of power, and weakening us at the same time. It was impossible to defeat them. After sixteen years of blood, after sixteen years of fight, we understood that Titans could never be killed."

And I had banned Blood Rituals after Pandora started them.

"So I got hold of Pandora, the performer of rituals, and struck her," Titania stood up and spoke. "Her blood fell on Vezort Island, giving birth to the mysterious race of the Dessari."

"The Vezort Island is an island of mystery. It seems none can get into its magical barrier, and none can come out if you get in," I shook my head. "Over the centuries, countless gods have tried to figure out the mystery of Pandora's Vezort Island. I lost a son and daughter when they attempted it."

I was referring to the night fifty years ago, when my son, Atherton, and my daughter, Cymbeline, along with Eric's mother, Erida, disappeared on a venture to Vezort Island.

They were never seen again.

"After Pandora's fall, the power holding her Blood Rituals together was affected. Hence, the Titans became weaker and though we were not able to kill them, we fastened them in chains and left them in the third realm of the world, called Seattoria."

"But everyone knows that," Edwina interjected impatiently, pulling at her cape. "We all know that the realm of Seattoria was made by you to hold the Titans captive as they could not be killed. It is a broken, dead world, where the eight Titans of House Tytos are supposed to be imprisoned in chains for eternity."

"Titans are still alive yet weak, chained in Seattoria. Right?" Eric asked, looking around rather self contentedly and I gave him an indulgent nod.

"You're right," Titania said. "The world has three realms. One is the mortal world, the dwelling place of the humans," she ticked it off her finger. "The second one is Endollon, the Realm of the gods. And the third," she added in a dramatic voice, "is Seattoria. The realm of the undead Titans."

"Titania struck Pandora, and her blood fell on Vezort Island, giving rise to the mysterious race of Dessari," I justified.

"But we don't know much about the Dessari or the Island except for the fact that it has swallowed whole three missing gods," Edwina protested.

"That," I said, "is where you are wrong."

"What do you mean?" Eric asked slowly, and my lips tugged up in a smile, knowing that I had their full attention.

"There is one thing you do not know," I added softly, feeling all eyes trained on me. "And that is the very reason I called you here."

"Cosmo..." Titania looked to me, her voice soft. "It was a myth. Why do you place belief in such things?" she asked, stroking my arm. I took her hand in mine and looked into her eyes.

"It is not a myth, sister."

"What is not a myth?" Edwina excitedly asked, rubbing her palms. I saw the other two look on curiously as well, and knew that there was no point hiding it. I took a deep breath and opened my lips.

"It is said that Pandora apparently crafted a device to bring back the Titans one day. An instrument of unparalleled power. They say that she hid its pieces, but if assembled, the device will mean the death and destruction of all gods, and allow the Titans to return."

Three minutes passed in shock before anyone said anything. Tristan was as still and motionless as stone, a cold sweat had broken out on Eric's head, and Edwina was hyperventilating.

"What.. what do you mean?" she stuttered slowly. "The Titans cannot come back! Ever!"

"Exactly!" Eric agreed. "The Titans are chained in the realm of Seattoria.  It is preposterous to think that they will ever return!"

"Silence!" I shouted, quieting them all, but the three were busy arguing and creating a ruckus.

"All three of you, calm down," Titania asked weakly, but her voice was hardly heard in the din. "Look, I told you it was a myth. Why do go about spreading such rumors?" she asked me.

"SILENCE!" I yelled, and the three gods stopped at once, eyes blazing and flashing. It was dangerous to have the sky, fire and water angered at once, and it was actually scary knowing that Edwina, Eric and Tristan could actually destroy the whole world if they put their minds to it.

"You mentioned pieces," Eric said at last. "Pieces of what?"

"See..." Titania said slowly. "The device to bring back the Titans from Seattoria does not exist. He is just-"

"-I am just warning the three of you about the rumors of its existence. Consider it nothing more," I said firmly.

Eric gulped and nodded, his face white, and Tristan scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"You mentioned that this... device has three pieces. Where are they? How does this thing work?" he questioned.

Edwina looked back at him with a glare, absentmindedly touching her new wedding ring and they both exchanged a stare sharper than knives. I saw Eric roll his eyes frustratedly.

"Some believe that the Logogram needs three pieces to complete it. One is hidden in the mortal world, one in Endollon, one in Seattoria," I said quietly, and now Eric's eyes lit up the mention of the mortal world, and he looked quietly at Edwina.

"But gods never live in the mortal world," she said with a frown on her brow. "We never live among humans."

"Speak for yourself," Tristan said darkly. In the meantime, Eric exchanged a glance with me.

Because we both knew.

Amphitrite, Eric, Lucius Tremayne and I knew that Edwina had lived in the mortal world.

I still recalled how they had approached me for my rings to transport Edwina to the mortal world and keep her safe from the Rotavelles who would have assassinated her. My rings were the only means of transport between all three realms.

She had been living there for a long time, unintentionally dying, but that was the price Lucius had paid to keep her safe until she became Queen.

"You were... telling us about how the device works, your Grace," Eric nudged me significantly. "Weren't you?"

"Ah, yes..." I said delicately. "The device is called the Goldberg Logogram."

"All a myth, of course," Titania said worriedly, waving her arms about like a fluttered bird. "It's a myth. We locked the Titans safely in Seattoria, and they are bound there by strong powers..." she continued.

"The Goldberg Logogram is a device which will alter history as we know it. A weapon of unparalleled power that no single man should ever yield," I said with a shudder, closing my eyes.

"How does this... Logogram work?" Tristan inquired curiously.

"It is rumoured that the Titaness Pandora created the Logogram in three or four pieces, one hidden in each realm. She knew that if the Titans were captured after the Titanomachy, they would need a backup plan to escape and come back," I explained.

"So what happens if you, say, find all the pieces and put the Goldberg Logogram together?" Eric asked.

"It is believed that the moment all pieces assemble together, the device will emit a sound. The sound will have a particular frequency that will be lethal to all gods and races on Endollon. Everyone shall perish. Millions will die."

My unspoken words hung heavy in the air. Millions will die. Millions would perish. Every last drop of water, every last blade of grass, every last grain of wheat and every last cell of every last living being of Endollon would crumble in a matter of seconds if the Logogram was ever completed, emitting its lethal sound.

Blood would flood the streets, tear down the castles, drag out the dead, if the Titans escaped from Seattoria and set their path to the throne of Endollon.

"It is crucial that you prevent the Logogram from being completed. At any cost," I requested, words falling like soft feathers from my hopeless lips, watching the three young gods standing before me. "If it exists."

"It is a myth," Titania repeated, and I raised a hand for her to stop, concentrating still.

"It is a myth, isn't it?" asked the fierce goddess of fire. "The Titans can never break free of Seattoria, let alone find the Logogram, complete it, and enter Endollon. It must be a myth."

"It is a myth, yes," said the god of the sea, cool and patient. "The idea of Zadicus and Pandora breaking free of their chains is insane. House Tytos will remain where it is, right in its immortal prison. We will pray to our ancestors for luck."

"How lucky can our ancestors be? They're already dead," observed the black tempered god of the skies, his dark blue eyes flashing like thunder.

I sighed, looking at the hourglass. It was time for the coronation, and time for Titania and I to leave this world.

The end was finally here.

• • • • •

Keeping Edwina in the mortal world was costly and painful, but it has served a purpose. She just might know how to find a piece of the Logogram! Anyone wondering where they all might be hidden? Let's take guesses! Our three soon to be Monarchs are acting quite immature right now, aren't they? ;) don't worry, I want them to be like that! By the end of the story, I promise you tons of character development!