Does Your Soul Remember Mine

Chapter 4: Traitor

Constantine could feel his ward wherever she was and, more so, sense when she was in danger. He stepped over the threshold of a little villa owned by a lovely little family. He could feel the energy of the people who resided here. They were alive and they were scared but…they were also relieved. He smiled to himself. Young Elyse was making him a very proud guardian angel. The room had two bodies spilling blood on the floor, three soldiers sitting on the floor off to one side of the room while a family of four sat on the floor on the opposite side. A river of blood separated the two groups.

Constantine had made himself visible, and so every eye was on him. A soldier spoke with a shaky voice. “Are you friend or foe?”

Constantine cast off his cloak, spreading his wings out from where they were nestled. “I'm a friend…I'm always a friend, even when I'm surrounded by foes.”

Gasps of joy erupted from the family “he's an angel!” Sang the little boy. Constantine smiled at them and moved aside so they could escape through the door behind him. “Go to your rooms and sleep without fear. I will seal this doorway behind you so that your enemies cannot pass through.”

Four voices rang out “thank-yous” in unison as they slipped past him into safety. He turned a fiery gaze onto the frightened soldiers. “What this means for you, is that you will not be able to leave this room until dawn.”

Reaching down, he scooped up Elyse into his strong arms, her ragged breaths making his heart ache. “You poor thing.” He looked at the wound spilling her blood onto his own skin, then glared at the man responsible. The short, fat man shivered under his gaze. “You're lucky she forgave you. Otherwise I would have made sure you shared the same fate and rammed that blade into your own gluttonous belly!”

He could hear the short, fat man crying as he left the home, casting his blessing upon the door to the room and once again on the entrance to the villa so they would not open again until morning. With a smooth jump, he launched himself towards the stars, carrying her with him; carrying her back to her room and her warm bed.

People would notice her wound as well as her bloodied clothes and it would be some time before her body replaced the lost blood and damaged tissues enough to wake up. He wished he could heal her, but that was a trade he had to make in order to give her a body at all. Every injury by this magical body must be healed on its own, in its own time. Elyse could ask him to heal others (as she often did) and he would oblige, but he could not grant her that same curtesy.

He undid her cloak, untied her dress, and removed her shoes. Grabbing the hem of her gown, he pulled it up and over her head, cradling her behind the shoulders gently to free the fabric from underneath her. The water basin was next to the bed and so he began to cleanse her skin of all the blood; both her own, and the evil man's. The wound was still bleeding; far less than it had been before but enough that it was dirtying the spots he had already cleansed. With a frown, he snapped his fingers and gauze appeared next to the basin of bloodied water. He packed the wound as he had seen humans do so many times before and wrapped it in white cloth he had torn from his own outfit.

He had to turn her on her side for a time, slipping one hand under her thigh and the other under her shoulder, he rolled her gently. The exit wound in her back was no longer bleeding but, nevertheless, he wrapped it with his clean, angelic cloth. It would speed the healing process. With warm hands, he rolled her cold body back to its normal position and covered her nakedness with her blankets.

It's not enough…she's still freezing, he thought. Without a sound, he climbed in next to her, wrapping his arms and wings around her until her blue lips became pink again and her cheeks became rosy with warmth once more.

She missed the sunrise that morning; it was a particularly beautiful one filtered through the smoky haze of burning buildings the enemies had set afire the night before. Constantine cast a nervous glance at the door, hoping his plan to buy Elyse another day of recovery would work.

KNOCK

KNOCK

KNOCK

He made not a sound as he crept closer to the door in order to hear the voices on the other side.

“Oh no!” Said the voice of Maria's eldest daughter. “Fernando! We must go tell mother that Miss Cabrera is feeling ill!”

“What does that note say?” Said young Fernando.

“It says she is so ill that she dares not leave her room for fear of making us children sick!”

“Poor miss Cabrera; I'm going to tell mother that I will bring her meals so that she does not have to leave her bed.” Little Fernando sounded so proud at his own idea.

His older sister tsskk'd at him. “You can't be anywhere near here! You are father's heir which means you, of all people must stay away lest you grow deathly ill and leave father without a legitimate successor.”

Fernando sounded sad. “But who will take care of her while she is ill?”

“We will send the maid in twice a day with food.” The assertion in her voice was so much like her father. “Mother will most likely have the plates placed just inside the door and not removed until Miss Cabrera is well enough to carry them out herself.”

Constantine could hear the steps leading away and could sense the scene beyond the heavy wooden door that blocked them from view. He could tell that Fernando was being half dragged by the arm away; all while crying “but that doesn't answer my question! Who will take care of her!”

Constantine smiled to himself as the voices faded. If only the young one knew what good hands his beloved music teacher was in. Turning, he drew the curtains wide to let Elyse soak in the sunlight as she slumbered then proceeded to set a fire in the hearth. It wasn't just for warmth. Blazing high, the flames licked at the bloodied dress and cloak that he had tossed into it. Poking it ever so often, he watched as the evidence of last night's escapades was reduced to ash. Much like many of the town homes last night.

Gazing out the window once more, he didn't look at the physical world but the spiritual one. He watched ghosts, newly born, rise into the sky and fly around in search of loved ones. He witnessed some of their guardian angels taking their hands and engulfing them in light; those were the lucky ones. A few others were left to wander until they found the Holy Spirit, some would take days, others would take years, and some may even take centuries; these ones were the most terrified and the most terrifying to the mortals that would encounter them. There were others, he knew, that would have been dragged into the depths of the underworld from the ground they died on. These ones would not be flying around in the air as he watched.

It could have been worse…it could have been much worse.

Elyse missed that evening's sunset too, but awoke in the wee hours of the morning. “Anthony…” she whimpered in her groggy state. Constantine sighed; she still called out his name ever so often when she was delusional with pain or sleep talking. A few minutes later, she spoke again. “Constantine?”

When it was his name she called, he obeyed. “I'm right here.”

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled. “I was having such pleasant dreams.” Her smile fell into a frown. “How long have I been unconscious?”

Constantine stroked her hair. “A day; but fear not, the Carlos family knows nothing of what happened to you and simply thinks you've been ill.”

Struggling to sit up, Elyse noted the two dinner plates by the door, each full with fruits and oatcakes. Her mouth watered and she could think of nothing else. Letting the blanket fall away she climbed out onto the rough floor, her legs a little shaky and weak. Just as she neared the delicious treasures, the room began to spin and strong hands reached out to steady her. “Thank you.” She looked up into those big loving eyes she had come to know so well. “What ever would I do without you?”

A smile, one she knew as well as she did those eyes, spread across his face. “Funny. I was thinking the same thing about you.” He set her down on the chair and handed her a plate.” I've been quite spoiled with you, you know.” She shivered when his hands left her arms, her bare skin tingling where they had been. “Most angels hardly get acknowledged by their wards until the soul goes to heaven. We care for you, take pride in your accomplishments, cry at your injustices and watch you in your most humble moments when you think no one can see you….when you think no one can hear you.” A shadow of sadness passed across his face, a fleeting memory; it was gone as fast as it had come and his eyes were once again the embodiment of peace and love. “And yet here we are! I get to speak to you when you can actually speak back! You share your thoughts and secrets with me on purpose and give me the great gift of your friendship.”

His face was only inches from hers and she was suddenly very aware of her nakedness. Tensing, her breathe quickened and she gulped as if that could shove her heart back from where it had jumped to in her throat. “I guess we're lucky I get to live for so long.”

Constantine's face was serious. “Promise me you will never agree to let THEM take you back; no matter how badly you want to, no matter what they offer, no matter how much the faults of this world take their toll on you. Promise you'll remember me like you remember your Anthony.” It was his turn to gulp. “Promise me you'll remember how much you mean to me.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek before bringing his lips to her ear, his warmth emanating from his body. “Promise you'll never leave me again.”

She wanted so badly to reach for him, to press herself against him, body and lips, but the thought felt so wrong. Out of respect for this unearthly being, she held herself back and instead simply said. “I promise.”

The children were so happy to see her emerge from her room. Rushing to her with open arms, young Fernando nearly knocked her over.

“Let her be!” Scolded Maria, casting an apologetic smile towards Elyse. “Oh dear.” She glided forward and placed a hand on Elyse's cheek, unbeknownst to her, she was touching a spot recently kissed by an angel. “You are SOOOO pale! Are you sure you are truly feeling better?”

“Why yes Maria.” Elyse forced a smile. “My priority is to serve you and your family and I don't like feeling un-useful.”

Maria sighed loudly with a dramatic tilt of her head. “Normally I would order that you be relieved of your duties for another day but I fear we will need you to help my daughter perform as we agreed.”

A look of surprise flashed across Elyse's face. “I…I thought that was yesterday! I feared I had missed it!”

Maria grinned. “Lucky for us, the illegitimate Queen's army attacked the night before last and my dear husband's advisers needed to stay back another night to avoid the dangers they would have encountered on the way to the manse.” She leaned in and whispered. “They only arrived last night and intend to hold their meeting over lunch.”

Elyse's voice was dry. “Lucky….”

“Another tidbit of gossip dear Elyse….” Maria's eyes were bright with excitement. The woman loved gossip. “I have heard that three of our new prisoners of war were found to have had killed their comrade in cold blood with a candelabra! After the murder, they remained inside a residence dwelling…they just sat there…and, when questioned about the strange circumstances, they claimed that an ANGEL had refused their ability to leave!” She shook her head with her hands on her hips. “How absurd!”

“Oh, can we eat before we perform Miss Cabrera!” Said Maria's daughter. “I'm ever so hungry and the food smells divine!”

Elyse put a hand on the girl's shoulder. “No, my dear, that food is for your father and his guests. Now sit up straight, play very softly, curve your fingers just so on the keys…. Well done…. Now let's begin.”

They performed a duet, a quiet one. “So your father and his guests can hear each other.” Elyse had told her student beforehand. Truthfully, Elyse had picked the sweet lullaby so SHE could hear the conversation.

“She must be killed!” Shouted Carlos. He seemed to think that people would take him more seriously if he increased the volume of his voice. Sadly, he was often correct.

“How?” Asked a man in a decorated coat with a moustache so long that the edges dropped below his chin. “We cannot get any of our troops close enough.”

Carlos had a menacing glean to his eyes. “I wish to hire an assassin to sneak into the palace and poison both her and her ghastly mother.”

Another decorated officer with a Portuguese accent huffed. “That is the coward's way!”

Carlos shot the man a hateful glare that was more than enough of an answer to his statement.” I need someone to pose as an employee. I expect one of you will have a soldier capable of this task?”

There was silence all around the room. “Do none of you have a single soldier who can pose as a cook in his kitchen?”

“Ahem.” Said a sly-looking man, thin with a nose as long as a bird beak and a French accent. “That plan would take months and runs the risk of losing our spy to the opposite side.” He stood with gusto. “You see, Don Carlos, the Queen and Queen Regent only eat food made by their own trusted cooks. Even so, they have tasters who try each bit of food first to try and identify any potential poison.” He began to circle the table. “Now, sure, there are types of poisons that are tasteless and that do not act immediately, making it look like the tasters and the Queens will be fine at the time of dinner, that is, until they suffer the consequences later. However! In order to get a cook in their service and trusted enough to be responsible for the Queens' meals, this spy would have to be in their service for months!” Now the French man was standing across from Carlos, looking at him straight in the eye over the heads of the other allies. “We would wait far too long and, in that time, you could hardly expect a dim-witted peasant to remain loyal to us doves while he lives amongst the wolves for so long.”

“And then he would tell them all of our secrets.” Finished Carlos. He exhaled slowly through his mouth in a defeated sigh. “Count Jean, you have been a great asset in my goals. Your donations and aid have always been kept a secret from French royalty. I owe you so much but I must ask.” Now it was Carlos' turn to rise. “What should I do? How can I assassinate them if not by placing a cook in their kitchen?”

Count Jean smiled. “My father has an illegitimate daughter whose mother was a lowly tavern wench. In his great generosity, he supported the wench and her daughter financially, sent my half-sister away to assist the best dress-makers in the land so she could become a great seamstress and then married her off to a wealthy merchant who enjoyed the promise of always having dresses, coats, and other forms of clothing to sell.”

Oooos and aaaahhhhs circled the room while Long Moustache Man said, “the girl's mother should consider herself so very lucky to have had a babe with a generous count! I expect the child and her husband are taking very good care of the old crone now.”

A round of voices murmured their agreement but Elyse only frowned to herself. She wondered if the poor woman was ever able to find a love of her own since unwed mothers were often shunned and spent the remainder of their lives more alone than others.

Quality of life is not necessarily determined by wealth….

“Then it's clear you have gotten your generosity from your father.” Said Carlos. “But I still do not understand how this information can help us assassinate Isabelle and her mother.”

Count Jean leaned over the table; putting both palms flat down on its surface he lowered his head and looked up at Carlos. “I will have my sister make the Queen Regent a fine gown. Then I will have her husband purchase a very fine wine to treat the Queen Regent with and a candy for the child. They will be French, so they will be trusted.” The Count straightened. “They will be guests, so they will not be insulted by having their gifts tasted by the royal servants.” He smiled a wicked smile. “But these gifts will be poisoned.”

Carlos showed so many teeth in his smile that Elyse could see his gums. “It is the perfect plan! We will put it into play immediately!”

The duet was done, as well as meeting, and Maria's daughter was stuffing leftover roast beef and bread pudding in her mouth. “I need you to stop the assassination.” Elyse whispered to Constantine.

Invisible to human eyes at the moment, he stood tall, his wings relaxed and uncovered, his aura shining bright. “You need to come too. You'll need to meet someone.”

Elyse touched her stomach with a wince. “My injury isn't fully healed. It'll be days before my stomach stops hurting.” It was true. She couldn't turn at the hips without pain radiating from her stab wound like a ball of electricity sending shocks of lightning shooting all the way up to her head and down to her very toes.

Constantine put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Evil never sleeps. We have many years left on this Earth before the apocalypse and you will have to learn to move forward even in pain.”

Elyse frowned. She frowned not because she disagreed, but because she was afraid to travel while in so much pain and was dreading it. “Okay, what's the plan?”

Constantine shook his head. “You know better than that.” He leaned in. “So, Elyse…what's the plan?”

She sighed an exhausted sigh. Nothing could ever just be easy, could it.

It was a blessing that the plan moved forward more slowly than Carlos would have liked. Four days past had been the meeting and Count Jean had just sent word that his sister and her husband were ready. The letter had detailed how the Count had rode straight to their home, it had taken him and his entourage two days to get there and, once arrived, his brother-in-law agreed immediately, stating that he had a particularly nice vintage of wine on hand that he had meant to sell, but he would be happy to ruin it with a deadly poison if it meant reinstating a loyal catholic monarch to the throne of Spain.

His half-sister had been working on a new design for a dress, aided by her younger son whom she was taking on as an apprentice since their eldest son was prepped to take over his father's merchant business. The note had read….

With two hands working on the new dress, my dear sister says that it will take her three days to make the dress to the Queen Regents specifications and another day beyond that to make a child's version for the Queen herself. By the time my envoy brings this letter back to you, Don Carlos, the gifts will be nearly complete and they will set out to call upon the Queens court as soon as everything is in order. I will send you word once the job is done.

Carlos and Maria never locked their chambers so it was all too easy for Elyse to sneak in and read the letter on Carlos' desk. “If it takes to days to travel from France to Spain, and it would take us less than a day to ride to the Queen's court from here, that means we have two days from now before we leave.”

Constantine was listening patiently. “And how will you explain your absence here?”

Elyse paced her room, back and forth, back and forth. “I'll need you to approach Maria and Carlos as my brother.” She glanced at him. “I'll need you to tell them…and me…that my father is deathly ill and that I must ride at once to say my goodbyes.”

Constantine nodded. “What will you call me?”

Elyse thought for a moment. “What name would YOU like?”

Constantine raised an eyebrow and gave her a curious look. It was as if no one had ever asked him something like that…they probably hadn't. “Well…I don't know.” He looked off to the distance in thought. “I had been the guardian for a man named Diego once. It's the only other Spanish human ward I've ever had…so I suppose it's the only Spanish name that means anything to me…yes…I would like you to call me Diego.”

It was Elyse's turn to give him a curious look. “You never talk about your other wards. I would assume that you have some very interesting stories. I'm sure I would love to hear about some of them, especially those from cultures long since passed.”

His eyes became glossy; a genuine smile began small then spread across his face. “I've never talked about them to any other human, just to my colleagues in Heaven. I think I would enjoy that very much.”

The next afternoon, there was a heavy rapping against the door. “Someone is in a rush to get in.” Said Maria as she waved her hand to shoo away the maid as if to say “go answer the door”.

“Hmmm…I wonder who it could possibly be?” Said Elyse, playing along. “Anyway, as I was saying, Fernando has officially learned all of his scales and I am now giving him lessons on the differences between the piano and wind instruments.”

Maria sipped her tea. “Wind instruments…like the trumpet?”

“Yes.” Said Elyse just as the maid returned, leading a tall man in a riding cloak. “Oh my! Diego! Whatever brings you hear?”

Maria turned to Elyse. “You know this man?”

“Why yes.” Elyse stood. “This is my brother, Diego.” She turned to Constantine and indicated towards Maria. “This is my employer and my dearest friend, Maria.”

Constantine bowed, his black hair glistening with streaks of blue in the sunlight. “It's a pleasure to meet you.” He turned to Elyse. “Our father has grown gravely ill. I'm most nervous that he will not survive much longer. Please, I am to fetch you and bring you home as his dying wish. He wants to say goodbye one last time.”

Elyse had practiced her cry and now was her moment in the spotlight. Tears were easy for her to fake…she just had to think about Anthony. “Oh no! No no no!” She turned a red-eyed gaze to Maria. “Oh please, grant me a reprieve to go wish my father farewell.”

Maria was standing now, her hand over her heart. “Well of course, child.” She turned to Constantine. “Will you be staying the night? You must rest, lest you get sick as well. And it would be best to leave before the sun rises instead of travelling into the night after the sun sets. It can be dangerous around these parts in the evening.” She grimaced. “This civil war seems to bring out all of the robbers and killers onto the streets and I do not wish to lose my children's music teacher forever.”

The maid set up the spare room, coincidentally, it was the very one that Count Jean had enjoyed only a few nights earlier. Maria's daughter couldn't keep her eyes off of Constantine. “Your brother Diego is the most handsome man I have ever met!”

Elyse didn't answer, only watched as the girl's hand flew to her forehead and she pretended to swoon, falling down onto the pillowed chair by her side. “Father said that he just may marry me off to some Frenchman son of Count Jean if he is able to complete some task my father has asked of him.” She reached out and grasped Elyse's hand. “Please! Help me win Diego's favor. I shall die if I do not have his love! But all I ask for is one kiss and I shall be content for the rest of my days with whoever my father hands me over to.”

It was hard to stop herself from laughing. “My dear, my brother has no interest in finding love.”

The girl's eyes began to water. “I shall have to find out for myself!”

Elyse walked away. “Do as you wish.”

Constantine was gazing out the window of the guest bedroom. Closing his eyes, he allowed the residual energies of guests long gone to flow through his mind. He thought about all of the many people, some kind, some lost, and some who had found the path to heaven. His meditation was interrupted when a young human girl burst through the room. “Hello Diego. I'm….”

“I know who you are.” He turned to her, very thankful that he had not removed his cloak yet. Her cheeks were flushed and, despite it being late, it appeared as if her hair had just been styled. “Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed?”

The girl caught her breathe. Constantine could hear her heart skip a beat. “If that was a proposition to get ready for bed here, with you, sir, I assure you I am not that kind of lady!” She raised her chin and half turned with a flirtatious saunter. “However, if you find yourself in a fit of sleeplessness….” She smiled. “Due to thoughts of me. Then perhaps I will be waiting on the porch, gazing at the stars late into the night.” She fluttered her eyelashes, winked at him, and then exited the room.

Constantine stared at the door for a moment longer, turned back to look out the window, and waited until it was time to leave.

“Oh Maria, you did not have to rise before the sun just to see me off.” Said Elyse while she stood by the door with her trunks that she had packed the night before.

“Well, I wanted to be the most thoughtful one in my family, but I see that my daughter has outdone me.” Maria nodded towards her daughter who stood dressed in the same outfit as the previous evening.

“You are both ever so kind.” Elyse looked towards Constantine. “You said the horses are ready, right?”

Maria's daughter let out a whimper that Maria ignored. Elyse spared a quick glance at the girl whose eyes were filling up with tears like a lake behind a dam about to break. She was gazing longingly at Constantine; her breathes were rapid. It was all Elyse could do to stop herself from laughing at the poor fool's expense.

“Speaking of horses….” Said Maria. “Those Lipizzaners are beautiful! Elyse, dear, you never said your family was wealthy!”

Elyse didn't need to look to see what she was talking about. Constantine always seemed to conjure up the best-of-the-best despite whether it fit their cover story or not. Sometimes she wondered if he understood all the intricacies of human culture since so many things seemed to elude him. “My dear Maria, we are not so very wealthy. It is just that my father's business is in horse breeding. He and my brother breed Lipizzaners and other show horses, as well as strong work horses for those with fields and manors.”

Maria's face relaxed with a curt nod of approval. “Yes, that does make the most sense.”

Stepping outside, Elyse climbed onto her beautiful white stallion with red eyes and a flowing white main so pristine that is seemed to glow in the twilight. The saddles were of black leather and far more comfortable than any saddle the Carlos family owned. Waving goodbye, the two rode off into the early morning.

The sunrise was a little less pretty that morning. It was covered with clouds and Elyse was distracted by the cold. “We have a whole day to ride side by side.” She mused. “Now would be a lovely time to hear about all of your human wards from the past.”

Constantine continued to stare ahead. “What stories would you like to hear?”

Elyse touched her chin in thought. “Anything interesting, like adventures, journeys, wars, battles, clever actions, and most of all.” She turned to him. “Anything with a lesson I might learn from.”

Constantine turned to her with pride. “That…is a very wise request.”

The day seemed to rush by like the world had decided to turn faster just for them. The angelic horses never had to stop and rest like real horses did and Elyse, despite being hungry, had learned over the years to ignore her cravings. After all, it wasn't as if she could die of hunger anyway. The palace of Queen Isabell loomed in the distance and soon they were upon the gates.

“Who goes there!” Said a guard.

“A friend of the Queen Regent!” Shouted Elyse from her horse.

“Prove it!” Said the guard. “Show us some letter with the Queen's seal requesting your presence and then we shall let you pass.”

Elyse sighed. “We don't have….”

“Here it is!” Constantine was holding an opened envelope with the wax seal of the Queen of Spain. “Do you wish to look at it?”

The guards glanced at each other. “No, go ahead.”

Inside the castle, they took their horses to the first stable they saw. Clearly, the stable boys were impressed by the white steeds.

“I don't want to ask where the Queen Regent is.” Elyse said to Constantine. “I don't want anyone to question us. I think it's best if we simply walk around as if we are confident and know that we belong here. So…my friend…where, in this castle, is the Queen?”

Constantine nodded. “Follow me.”

Knock, Knock, Knock….

Elyse rapped on the door to the Queen's chambers. A lady-in-waiting opened it with snobby glare. “And who are you?”

“We are….” Elyse looked to her side where Constantine stood all aglow, his wings displayed, and she knew by the unsurprised look on the lady's face that all whom they could see…was her. “I mean…I'm Elyse Cabrera and I have a message for the Queen and the Queen Regent.”

“Who is it?” Said a voice behind the lady-in-waiting.

The lady rolled her eyes. “Now, Your Majesty. Why do I answer your calls if you insist on coming to the door anyway?”

The Queen Regent walked over, a small child at her heels. “No need to waste time on introductions, I recognize this woman. She accompanied the orchestra that played at my wedding to the late king.” She turned from her lady to cast a questioning gaze at Elyse. “Miss Cabrera, we spoke for a time the following morning before your troupe left but, as I remember, you ended up taking a job offer from my brother in-law Infante Carlos.” She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “As you know, we are at war now since he has insisted on contesting my daughter's crown.”

Elyse stepped forward into the room before curtseying for the two Queens in front of her. “Your Majesty Christina, I am here to warn you about an attempted assassination on your life. You are right, I have been living in the home of Carlos and I rushed here to tell you what I have overheard inside his walls.”

Queen Isabelle spied out from behind her mother's skirts with a shy smile. Queen Regent Christina looked down at her daughter and pat her curly-haired head before turning back to Elyse. “Very well, tell me everything you know.”