Valentine

Mother always treated me well. Even before her mind decayed from time’s trials, I was her favourite. She preferred me over my brothers, Elliot and Tommy, and in what seemed like a daydream, she preferred me over my sister, Veronica. They were all dead now, so, I owned her heart, but back then, I could never fathom her deep love. She was ill, and though it took her three hundred years to admit, she was growing senile. Ageless allure, with her soft smile, raised cheeks and all round stunning features, she could have ruled our coven for eternity had a thousand years of sorrow not weighed on her turned mind. My mother; a beautiful burden. “My son. Is that you?” She called, when I entered the room. “Yes, mother. It’s me.” The handmaids scurried from the room. Each gave me a glare more vile than the last. Could I blame them? This was a coven for the egocentric female, after all. “Orion, come and sit.” Mother’s bedroom was furnished, the same way it had been since I could recall. It was old, with rustic charm, oak wood finishing’s, books upon shelves and a thick, fluffy rug that never withered with time. Even then, walking to her bed, the soft wool that made it up, caressed my feet gently, tickling the soles with every step. "You called for me, mother?" I sat beside her. She lay beneath the sheets, seldom leaving her place in bed. On her better days, she could describe what went on in her mind. Trapped within her own thoughts, suffering hallucinations of her family, my brothers, sister, and father; spending countless hours with them, in her hollow mind. Mother was always ruthless, so watching her now, as it all melted away to the soft core, left me uneasy. “I did. We both know it to be true, Orion, I am ill and not long for this world. It’s in the moments of clarity that I realize what I must do. That is why, my son, today I must do it in haste. I must let you in, so that we can keep this coven alive.” She spoke fast. “Yes, mother. I understand.” I took one of her hands in both of mine, stroking the knuckles. I almost felt bad for her. “With the death of Veronica, there is no queen to lead. We face the same dilemma now, as we did when I first took the throne. With no one to take the monarchy, my predecessor tasked her most trusted to find their new heir. I don’t know who I can trust other than you, Orion. In the clear moments, everyone is out to get me, in the hazy, I am lost in my own thoughts. It leaves me uncaring with what happens to this coven.” Her eyes flicker as she speaks. We both knew it wouldn't be long until she drifted back to insanity. “Elaborate.” "You need to find a queen. It's that easy and it's that hard." My mother snapped. I could hear a rage in her voice that was common of her. When she spoke, I was to listen and know the answers. No questioning, only doing the task given. But now there was no time. She needed to bring her message across, without delay, "I don't know how much longer I have and I don't know where this world will take me if I stay. You must complete your task soon, Orion. This is all the advice I have to give." I nodded in agreement and rose. “Rest, mother. I will do as you command. I will bring you, your queen.”