POWER OF LOVE

The Family Battle and Bond

  Tessa walked inside their bedroom looking at the beautiful woman lying in bed. Gisel is still sound asleep. She looked more peaceful now and her wounds have already healed. It’s been three days and I still don’t have a clue what really happened in the mountains, Tessa now very curious and worried about what effect would that encounter leave Gisel in. In a state of bliss with you, of course my darling!, Gisel said loudly that made Tessa jump on her seat beside the bed. Mother of God!, You scared me, and you are awake all this time?. You can read my mind???, Tessa replied in a shock. Yes, even when the time you pursued me and seduced me in the bath, heheheheh!!!!, GIsel added teasingly. Really, haha!, I missed you, Tessa jumping to hug Gisel and kissing her on the lips repeatedly. Ahaha, you sure missed me huh, ouch, wait, ahh, my shoulder still hurts, Gisel complained. Oh, I’m sorry, I love you, Tessa said while recovering her lost composure and touched Gisel’s shoulder. Hey, Nana, how are you feeling?, Em walked in the room with her baby bump slightly showing from the tight rainbow colored sweat shirt and white tights she’s wearing. Oh, my, God, Em, my baby, Gisel said kissing her on the cheek and touching her baby bump, happily, Hi, you baby, get out as soon as possible so we can play magic and Grandma Gisel will teach you how to do it!!, Gisel said while moving closer and baby talked to Em’s tummy. Hihi!, Tessa and Em laughed. Victoria and Leopold came right in to kiss Gisel. “This will be a long day, so, hold on to your seats and Gisel will tell everything that happened in the mountains”, Tessa said then she went out of the room to get some drinks and snacks. Will you tell us Gisel?!, Victoria asked with so much concern. Gisel hesitant at first but closed her eyes and breathed for some confidence.

           It was all about Cronus, Beatrice and her when she was just an innocent, naïve girl many years ago. It was when my father and mother died in an accident at a farming village we lived in near St. Paul Vill. We were poor but my father always makes sure we have food to eat every day, so by working hard at the mill, he never failed to feed or provide for me and my mother. But then a rumour spread out that there were witches lurking in the palace. So the king made a decree that all witches would be burned at the stake and my parent were the first ones to die. They were suspected to be witches when in fact, I was the only one in the family who had powers which I believe their way of protecting me. To get my revenge for the death of my beloved parents I roamed around Maximilian Castle and though I was really poor and in truth an orphan, I would use my magic to steal food and all. But King Cronan saw me and advised to help me, if I will stop doing bad things, which from then on, we became friends along with King Cronus. Though both brothers weren’t fond of each other they were good to me and I decided to join the Montfort Family after I celebrated my 14th birthday. Cronan and Cronus were my only friends that even if they were older they treated me as their little sister, and I liked that. Cronan suggested that I live in the castle and be their step sister. Beatrice was still one of the old King’s maiden then. When King Cronus became king, everything changed. Cronan pledged his love to me and I refused because I loved him as an older brother though inside I wasnted to scream how much I care for him. Cronus heard of the news about Cronan’s confession of love so he went to me and asked about it. I told Cronus the truth but he got mad and he said that he wanted me to be his bride. I was surprised and since I truly love Cronan I also rejected his love for me. I thought Cronus would be leaving when he locked my bedroom door behind him. He then turned around crying, went up to me, grabbed and torned my clothes off. Cronus forced himself towards me and I sobbed all through-out the night because of it. Though I love him too as a brother, I only know that I was in love with Cronan and that fact he couldn’t accept at all, so he did what he did to me. I wasn’t able to use my powers for I still had hard time distinguishing how to use them and that really broke my heart since Cronus knew I was pregnant when he told me about it when he was r****g me. Cronan knew about what happened and with rage he stormed inside the kingdom’s mess hall where leaders from all over were having a meeting about the peace and climate talks. Cronus knew why Cronan was there, so he adviced his leaders to adjourn the meeting right that very minute. Cronan talked with him and figured why he would do such a thing to me. Cronus admitted that he loved me, but Cronan lied about his true feelings about me but Cronus knew that’s why he did the horrible thing to me that caused me nightmare after nightmares. Cronan visited my room to check if I was okay. And since I didn’t come out of there for days and that the maids were so worried about me. I finally gave in and opened the door for Cronan and talked with him. I was hurt to know that he did love me and he is still willing to marry me if I would accept him as a husband. I was so happy and cried at his shoulders for comfort. But Cronus didn’t want that to happen though he is about to marry Lady Beatrice then, he still wanted to take me in as his mistress. And by Montfort Law, he can if he wishes to marry another, since I was an adopted daughter by law, I am a princess by law and wouldn’t have the right to oppose the king’s wishes. I became pregnant and I needed to think of a solution to all these problems.

       Which an answer finally came to me when a friend in Polynesia who was my classmate in magic school pointed me to that very place I wished to have my baby born, to live in peace. So I decided to leave St. Paul Vill to travel to Polynesia and there I met your grand dad, and the rest is history. Cronus was angered by my running away, so he ordered to post in all the walls of Tunisia that I was an evil witch and was wanted for many things. I guess he still couldn’t accept that I loved Cronan more than him and I was already pregnant with Cronan even before he r***d me. Gisel was emotional but she finally made her peace with the past and fully accepted her fate. She never regretted that day because she would never have a beautiful family now if she didn’t have Victoria then. Gisel told about the fight in the mountains. She already forgiven Beatrice and Cronus for what they did before and also forgave the Montfort Family for her parents ill-fated end. For without the Montfort Family she wouldn’t have experienced a wonderful teen age life and the family she currently have with Victoria, King Maxim, Tessa, Leopold and Em in the picture. All were teary eyed after hearing the story. It was long but very inspirational. Gisel smiled at how her family ‘s status is now. “ I couldn’t ask for anything else but have a long life seeing my great granddaughter and the future of Montfort Family thriving, loving, caring, protecting and providing the people of Tunisia all the good and to serve as inspiration to all in Asia and the world.

                                               **********************************

               In the olden days beasts and blood sucking animals were a talk of townsfolk in Transylvania and countries where porcelain like beings were seen roaming around city after cities, even in the dark, cold and dirty streets or alleys and corners of New York in the 1900’s at night, especially when the moon is full of its beautiful splendour. Epidemics caused by flu, measles, tuberculosis or malaria plagued the world that until 2000’s came more complicated diseases such as AIDS or transmitted diseases caught through s****l i*********e. Then 2020 came with massive deaths caused by the pandemic or Covid-19 virus. Year after year the diseases became complex and mutated faster that caused people to catch the virus easier and quicker, killing them in a rapid unpredictable manner. There was even a time in the same year that people were afraid to go outside their homes when it’s dark due to rumours on invisible monsters taking away lives and eating babies’ souls. Insect and wolf like animals were seen on public places unexpectedly especially when young children are involved. Some cases were calm several were brutal and hideous. These human changing beasts were called wolves and porcelain dolls or blood sucking monsters were vampires. It was said in many tall tails that they only appear or devour their prey at night. A pandemic can only mean one thing, that these invisible shape shifting beings were there to strike and kill many for food and for them to maintain their immortality forever.

                                               ********************************

      But what does this matter to the Montfort’s. It was reported that a couple of weeks ago, a baby was bitten by a big dog while the mother was running up the stairs of her apartment. She didn’t see it coming for her child but she was sure it appeared to be big dark hairy dog with luminous blue lighted eyes to see where to bite its prey. The moon was so low and huge that day, that people were very curious why since it was the first time it happened and of all places, it’s in Tunisia.

       Witches and beasts were seen in the 1500’s and more on the 1700’s but not really common in the 1900’s though some saw it as a coincidence, when a young man was reported to have committed suicide by hanging himself at home but mysteriously acquiring an ugly huge bite on his neck like it’s been bitten until it was torned from his vertebrae. Reporters claim that this is odd since the dead man didn’t have any rope anywhere to hang himself on and didn’t have any one to tell it otherwise since he lived alone in the unit. His neighbours were maybe asleep that time or maybe they didn’t just want to get involved at all to maintain the peace in the area. Tunisia isn’t a big country but people talk and they said that large dogs have been seen roaming around near cities near St. Paul Vill. The church at Montfort is the centre for all spiritual and religious gatherings, events and prayers that maybe these strange and monster like beings won’t or couldn’t touch or hurt the people there because they don’t want to mess with God.

I know that vampires, werewolves or whatever type of animal these beings are, they are still part of this world. Science claimed that humans are sophisticated animals that think. And maybe these mysterious beings are more advanced than typical humans since they have powers or magical ability, strong like super heroes in the movies and are immortal. What a news, I didn’t know that Tunisia has been having these reports on big dogs being seen in many parts near St. Pall Vill and as king what can I do to resolve this?, Maxim asked himself scratching his head while reading the news on the paper this morning at the dining hall fit for 20 people at a long of gold and white brass table. Tea or coffee your highness?, one of the maids asked him. Oh! Black coffee please, I think I need that to kick start my day and it’s going to be a long day, he added smiling jerkily. The maid just smiled back and poured him a cup of coffee. Good morning my King!, had a bad night sleeping, you look pale and your bags are bigger than a cucumber and as black as your coffee???, Waldo came in with his usual air of confidence wearing his long sleeves and tie, starting off the conversation with a joke. Waldo now is currently Maxim’s right hand and head of security since Ralf is already been assigned to guard and protect Victoria and the rest of the family.

Haha!, how I wish I could’ve slept but not really, I had a strange dream last night like I was watching a horror film about vampires and wolves. Anyway, I just read the news and well!, have you heard anything about this big hairy dog that the woman saw a couple of night ago?, Maxim asked curiously. Well!, I have asked my men to check the areas where our people saw these animals and I’ll check on the woman myself later, Waldo now seated on the far end of the table, putting butter on his toast, smiling back at the king. Don’t worry, I’ll work something out and find these monsters. Maxim gave him a worried and serious look, he has never seen before in him. Waldo suddenly got chills when the king explained what happened to the baby the big dog or whatever that it bit.

On the other end of the country of Tunisia where the demarcation line or grid is adjacent to St. Paul Vill at the very far end, we can see a land where believed to have been acquired by a man named Pastor Samuel along with his wife and two kids. They lived there for over centuries and believed to still live until the present. Maxim knew this from a long time ao his dad mentioned something about the pale faces and porcelain dolls that lived in the far end of the country. Then there are those whom were called a wolf pact near the pale faces land. They both lived in harmony even before my dad became king. His dad’s father before him made a treaty that “Blessed Land and Waste Land” will have an agreement that they can only use the lands as farmers, gardeners, tillers or portion land owners. Maxims fore fathers knew that these beings are people too and needed to be taken cared of. So, I will make sure they are provided for, even if I needed to visit there and ask them about the issues involving this matter. And what I can do to help them especially with food and other things, Maxim thought to himself while finishing his meal of bacon, eggs and salads. Waldo, please check on the woman if we can be of any help to her and her child, and I will take other matters at hand. Then I would like you to accompany me to Blessed Land to talk with Pastor Samuel, if he is still around and all, Maxim advised Waldo who changed faces from pride and smiling to shock and curiosity.