Celestial Gardens(The Last Star Trilogy #2)

I didn’t tell anyone about whatever was causing the pain in my hand. As far as they knew I was completely fine.

Phoenix gave me the day off today. She didn’t seem bothered by it. My injuries healed quicker than expected.

I decided to try and talk to Alfred. I mean...one of us to start the conversation, and I’m willing to compromise.

The only problem was, I never got the chance to talk to him. He was always running around, giving orders, doing paperwork or traveling.

Tristan would be here in a few days. I didn’t know how to feel about him at the moment.

“Hey,” Nathan greeted as he sat next to me outside the girls’ quarters.

“Hi,” I replied.

“So,” he started. “Your best friend is coming to visit you on an army base.”

I snorted but it was hard to hide my smile.

“That. Is. So sweet.” Nathan put his hands on his chest dramatically.

I slapped his shoulder. “Shut up!” I demanded.

I couldn’t wait to see Tristan, maybe a familiar face will make all of this seem a bit normal. Well, as normal as this place gets. But I had to accept the fact that he’s not only coming to see me, he’s coming back to join a rebellion. Fortunately, that includes me too!

He chuckled. “What? Are you nervous?”

“Why would I be nervous?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Have you ever seen Tristan in a setting besides school or whatever it is that you do?”

“No,” I answered. “But why would I be nervous about seeing Tristan anywhere?”

“Because...” he hesitated. “He’s kinda scary and angry when he’s training. So, pretty much everyone is scared of him sometimes.”

“Wait...”

How did I not realize this before? I’m so dumb. I cursed under my breath.

“What is it?” Nathan worried.

“You know Tristan?” I asked. “Personally know him?”

“No,” he answered, a little embarrassed. “He comes here a lot but since he’s tall and strong and popular, I’ve never actually talked to him.”

“Oh,” I mumbled. “Well, the first thing I’m going to do when he gets here is introduce the two of you.”

“If you want.” Nathan didn’t seem to care.

“That’s what friends do.” I told.

“Are you okay, now?” he changed the subject.

I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. “Huh?”

“I meant your injuries.”

“Oh,” I realized. “They’re almost healed.”

I fidgeted with the hem of my sweater. I hadn’t changed my clothes or had a shower since I got here. I almost gagged.

“Something’s bothering you.” Nathan observed.

Yeah, maybe it’s the fact that I’m sweaty and grimy and gross. I could really use a bath right now.

“Nothing, maybe it’s my headache.” I lied.

“No, it’s something else.”

I glared at him.

“I just miss my friends.” It wasn’t a lie and I didn’t realize how much I wanted to be with Tristan, Amara, Lyra and maybe even Lewis.

“I don’t think I’m supposed to tell you this but...” he hesitated. “They’ll be here.”

“What?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Actually, this is where you all are supposed to be. You should’ve been here a long time ago.” he told.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, completely irritated.

“Annabelle,” he looked me right in the eye. I should have felt awkward but instead I took it as a brotherly gesture, for some reason he seemed like Tristan to me for a moment.

“You should really go talk to Alfred.” he said.

“I’ve been trying!” I promised.

“Well, try harder.”

I rolled my eyes. “If you want me to talk to him so badly then fine,” I said giving him my hand. “Take him to me.”

Reluctantly he took my hand and pulled me to my feet.

We had to push past people and dodge knives and arrows to get to the Conference Hall. Alfred was in a meeting and judging by the booming voices, it sounded like they were at each others’ throats.

“They’re gonna kill each other.” Nathan worried as he aced the hall.

“Calm down.” I demanded.

“Calm down?” he repeated. I sighed.

"Calm down, she says.” Nathan repeated in a high pitched and dramatic voice. What is wrong with that guy?

“Will you just stand still?”

“I can’t,” he told. “You have no idea how intense this board meetings are.”

I stared at him and then at the door of the room. “Board meetings?” I snorted.

“This is not a joke, Anabelle!”

“Board of what?” I asked.

The voices died down, there was silence, nathan stopped pacing and stood in place as if he was suddenly a statue. His eyes were wide open. The doorknob turned and six people walked out of the room carrying documents and clipboards leaving a trail of papers behind them.

Nathan gulped, confirmed that the meeting was over and motioned for me to walk inside. “Ladies first,” he said. I saw fear in his eyes and I knew he was worried.

“Haha, very funny.” I walked in the room and was glad to not see any blood stains or broken bones on the floor.

Alfred sat at the end of the table and massaged his temples, he was sweating and the same woman I had met the last time I was here was sitting next to me with her hand on his shoulder, she was trying to comfort him.

For a moment I thought we should leave but Nathan took a seat pulling me into the chair next to him.

I waited for Nathan to start the conversation but he kept his distance from the table as if he was afraid of being intoxicated by what had just happened there.

I nudged him and he returned the gesture. “Oww!” I yelped. That caught Alfred’s attention.

He folded his hands and wiped his forehead. “Can I help you, Annabelle?” he asked, calm all of a sudden.

I cleared my throat. “Yes,” I started. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Go on,”

I put on a confident face hoping it would make me feel positive because internally I was panicking. Pretty much what I’m always doing.

“I know I already asked about meeting Tristan,” I started hesitantly. “But I want you to include my other friends too,” I told. “They can help us.”

Alfred thought for a moment, then he had a silent conversation with the woman sitting next to him.

“Nathan told me they’d be here in a few days.” I blurted. Alfred raised his eyebrows and looked at Nathan.

Nathan slapped my arm and the sound echoed through the room. I punched him on the shoulder but we had to stop because Alfred started talking.

“Well, Nathan was correct.” he confirmed. Nathan sighed out of relief. “But I wanted to tell you myself, I guess I was distracted by everything.”

“Anyways, Tristan, as you know will be here in a few days. I just talked to his father, they’re on the way. As for the remaining descendants...”

I blinked. What did he say?

“We’re going to bring them to Crimsyn State as soon as possible.” he finished.

“What do you mean by descendents?” I asked.

“Descendants of the Twelve Major Constellations.” Nathan whispered.

“Oh,” I realized but didn’t understand why that was the reason they were needed here.

“I wanted to talk to you, Anabelle.” Alfred told, a smile spread across his face. “Actually, I wanted to give you something.”

I swallowed. What could this guy possibly have to give me?

“I think we should leave and give you guys some space.” the woman sitting next to Alfred got up, pulled Nathan out of his seat and exited the room.

There was a long pause, the only sound was the vibrations of the room after the door was slammed too hard.

“So, what did you want to show me?” I said.

“First I want to talk to you.” he said.

“Go ahead.”

He sighed and shifted in his seat. “Annabelle, when your mother joined the rebellion she kept it a secret from everyone. She’d go back and forth from here to Virgus and no one would know. I was with her every step of the way. And your grandmother, being the cautious and suspicious woman she was, found out about our whereabouts.”

“She told Antonio and he was hurt when he found out. He was furious with Eloise. She ran away, for a while she lived at Crimsyn State, afraid that Antonio might tell the Hydras. You know how loyal he is to them.”

“Your mother trained here, helped everyone and made them all family. Everyone was attached to her. She made this place feel like a home for everyone.”

“I left her here and returned to Virgus, Magda was miserable and kept blabbing about how our reputation had been ruined and made up stories about Eloise’s disappearance. I put up with all the talk for months.”

“One day, I got a letter from you mother saying she had to return to Virgus immediately,”

He cleared his throat. “She said she was in a delicate situation, if you catch my meaning.”

I nodded.

“She didn’t go back to Crimsyn State for years. For a while everyone thought she had abandoned them but I cleared things up.”

“After she had you,she and Antonio lightened up a bit. But your grandmother was always suspicious, like she was waiting for something bad to happen so she could blame it on her mother.”

“Eloise still received letters from her friends at Crimsyn State. Sooner or later the king found out the truth about Eloise Ophiuchus, that she was plotting against him. One day he invited the Virgos and Ophiuchus’ to the palace.”

He stopped and shut his eyes, as if he was trying not to recall grief.

“It didn’t end well, Anabelle. The king had tricked us into thinking it was a lovely dinner we were invited to. Instead he had planned an assassination on all the Ophiuchus.”

He looked me right in the eyes and I really wish he hadn’t done that because of what he said next. “We lost Eloise that day. And her family.”

I blinked away the tears and stared at the floor.

“The king manipulated your father, your grandmother was terrified of the Hydras from that day forward. And me, well, I left Stellaregno that day. I couldn’t stay there after what happened. And it gave me another reason to come to Crimsyn State.”

“What was the first reason?” I croaked.

“Same as it is right now, to overthrow Hydra.” he answered. “Most of us want to avenge Ophiuchus but the real reason isn’t really revenge.”

“We were all swore to secrecy about what happened that night,” he continued.

“Then why are you telling me this. How are you telling me this?” I asked worriedly.

If someone swore on their Constellation then they’d be punished. So to divulge that would anguish a person.

“You really think I’d swear to keep something like that a secret?”

“Didn’t Dad do the same?” I shot back.

“I still can’t believe he did that.”

“Are you done?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I went to visit you one last time before leaving though. You were way too young so I don’t think you remember.”

I smiled at the thought of two year old me saying goodbye to my grandfather. I don’t remember anything like that.

“When I came to get you, it was the first time I came back to Hydrus after what happened. It was too painful for me but I still came. I came for the only piece of Ophiuchus and Eloise left.”

He didn’t leave Crimsyn State for almost sixteen years. How is he still alive after living here?

“I’m sorry you had to quarantine yourself.” I apologized.

“That’s okay,” he said. “I was going to come back anyway.”

“I don’t get it,” I put my hand on the table. “If King Jaxon murdered all Ophiuchus then why did he leave me? Didn’t he know I was half Ophiuchus?”

“Your Dad begged the king to spare you. But with King Jaxon there’s always a price to pay,” he hesitated, as if he was afraid of how I’d react.

“That day, the day we lost all the descendants of Ophiuchus, Antonio begged the king to spare you because you’re half Virgo and that wouldn’t be fair to Virgo. King Jaxon said because you’re half Ophiuchus, that other half would pay the price when you become a Hydra.”

I clenched my fists, trying to contain my anger. “What did Dad do?” I asked in a low voice.

“Your dad gave you to Prince Alec, on that day you were promised to become a Hydra.” he told.

“What?” I bellowed. “I was a toddler and so was Alec!”

I was disgusted by the very thought of me being sold off in marriage.

“But he did it so you could live,” he reminded.

“Now you’re taking his side?” I raged.

“No, but just think about it. You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for what Antonio did sixteen years ago.” he recalled. “Just so you know I was against the idea and I wanted to take you with me to Crimsyn State but you grandmother and father didn’t let me and I wasn’t really good with children.”

I covered my face with my hands. “This is too much for one day.”

“I know.” Alfred comforted.

“Is that why you brought me here?” I thought out loud. “To save me from a marriage?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “But mostly because I wanted you here with me and I wanted to tell you the truth. And we also need a leader to defend Ophiuchus, who’d be better than the last descendant of Ophiuchus herself?”

“I cannot lead an army,” I said. “I don’t even know how to fight.”

“That’s why your here,” Alfred stood. “To train you. And we better hurry, I don’t know how long it will be until the entire kingdom knows that Alec Hydra’s fiance has run away.”

“Please don’t refer to me like that,” I begged.

“Anyways,” he started. “When your in a rebellion and you have a family, some people write letters or wills.”

He reached in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a big red envelope. He passed it to me.

“Your mother wrote this for you when you were born.” Alfred tried to smile but I could tell he was still recovering from everything he told me.

I slowly picked up the letter, surprised at how heavy it was. My mom must have a lot to say to me.

“She really wrote this for me?” I was amazed.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “All the letters and wills are locked safely here in this building. She wanted you to know the truth if she didn’t make it.”

“Wow,” I breathed. The paper had a smooth texture, it gave me goosebumps for some reason and tingled my skin. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” he grinned and I did the same.

“I don’t think I’ll read it now though.” I said. “I’ve had enough family trauma for one day.”

“Me too,” he agreed. “Dinner will be served in a few minutes. We should get going.”

“Yeah,” and with that I walked out of the room, the letter still in my hand and when I got to the girls’ quarters, I sat on my bed for a few minutes just staring at the envelope.

My name was written on the front in cursive handwriting.

From: Eloise Ophiuchus.

To: Annabelle Ophiuchus Virgo.

I like the fact that she didn’t change her last name to Virgo. Good job Mom, they didn’t even deserve you.

No reason to hate Virgo though. Only Dad and Granny.

I was tempted to tear open the envelope and digest everything my mother wanted to tell me but it didn’t feel like the right time.

I stuffed the letter inside my pillow case and decided to have dinner with everyone tonight.