Eden: The Eighth Day Part 1

The Emperor Malum Dolus lay on his grand ivory four-poster bed. He stared at his wife as she entered his chambers. She looked as beautiful and as elegant as a swan. She gazed blankly at her husband; her white knuckled fist gripped the door handle behind her.

‘You must do your duty, Vesta,’ he said, his eyes glinting menacingly at her.

Empress Vesta Dolus raised her head high and began to cross the cold tiled floor from the safety of the doorway. Her wine-coloured gown sashayed as she walked, sweeping across the tiles. She stepped towards the bed, her sullen face worn to disguise her fear.

She cringed at his arrogant smile but, nevertheless, reached for the golden cuff on her shoulder. She slid the sleeve over her arm and carefully shrugged it down to the floor, exposing her voluptuous but pert breasts and black bush. She removed her headdress and unclipped it at the back letting her black curls tumble down over her shoulders.

‘You know what I want,’ he taunted.

She nodded soberly and climbed on the bed to straddle him, but he stopped her.

‘You know it is going to be more difficult this year,’ he said. ‘The people are becoming frustrated and I am wondering if you have been slacking with your task?’

She shook her head. ‘No, Malum,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t, you know that.’ She shuddered at her role in his games. She would never be forgiven for such sin.

‘Good,’ said Malum, ‘because you know what I would do if I believed you were not completely devoted to my cause.’

She nodded. ‘I promise I will do what you ask of me.’

He nodded and she began to climb on to him again.

‘Actually,’ he said, ‘I’ve lost my taste for mutton.’ He pulled himself up from the bed. ‘Your looks really aren’t what they once were, dear. No,’ he looked her up and down, ‘I think my pleasure with you is long gone. I believe it is much more important you understand the importance of upholding one’s honour. A little taste of what would become of you should you fail to obey me.’ A smile spread as he nodded towards the corner.

She turned slowly, already knowing by the rancid stench what was there. She recoiled from him and began to pelt for the door, but Taurus, the demon, grabbed her by the waist.

‘You’re insane,’ she hissed at Malum, as the demon threw her like a rag onto the satin sheets and tied her arms and legs to the four posters.

The emperor positioned himself at the end of the bed by her head. He watched with dark desire as the demon brought a cat ‘o’ nine tails down on her naked flesh. ‘Beautiful,’ he whispered, as she let out her first scream.

Afterwards, Vesta lay silently sobbing into the soft sheets. He must never know he had broken her! She wished herself away from this world and away from him. If she was condemned to walk the eternal path of purgatory, it would be a sweet relief compared to even one more day in this cursed place with this cursed thing.

‘Oh come now, Vesta,’ he said to her. ‘Hardship is the greatest gift any man can give.’

She let out a quiet sob.

‘It teaches you to be grateful for all the good things in life,’ he said. ‘Now get dressed and sort out your complexion. We have a city to address.’

Vesta pulled herself from the bed and held her breath against the pain. She rose until level with Malum’s sneering face. ‘Yes, Dear.’ She growled and pushed passed him, walking elegantly so as not to betray her fear. She felt the welts on her back split and held back a yelp as she bent to retrieve her dress. At least the colour would hide the blood. She slipped it on wordlessly and exited the room without a backwards glance.

It was only a short distance to her preparation room, a small room just off her main clinic, with enough equipment and potions to help ail any minor concerns. The huge stone table before her was piled high with jars and bottles containing all manner of interesting things for her craft.

Small tubes, which could be construed as empty to the untrained eye, housed amber droplets of the most lethal snake venom. Other larger jars boasted various parts of animals: frogs, bloated and lifeless, floating in an unidentifiable liquid; tarantulas, still alive and scuttling for escape; and a scorpion, which stabbed viciously at its glass tomb. This was Vesta’s life now; following the tragic departure of Tom Dulcas, Vesta had taken it upon herself to become a replacement, having at least some medical knowledge. Her skills were nothing compared to Vita’s father’s though and this saddened her.

Her hands were still shaking from her encounter with her husband. The divine emperor, she thought and let out a bitter laugh. For so long she had been forced to endure his cruel ways. It was, she supposed, a blessing that, at least now, Kayin had no memory of all his father’s evil. He seemed to have a sixth sense about him, though, perhaps he had inherited some of her own skills for reading minds. He avoided the emperor as much as possible.

She pulled herself forward, wincing with the pain from the welts on her back. She put her hands together in prayer, breathing deep and slow, attempting to relieve the tremor in her hands and whispered her prayer.

Benigno numine

Beati pacifici

Caelitus mihi vires

Deus lux mea

Di Meliora.

She dipped her finger in a bowl of water on the table, spinning it around to form a whirlpool. The tea leaves that had been floating peacefully a moment ago jumped into life, swirling and curling around one another like lovers. Eventually, they stilled and Vesta sighed, frustrated that there was still no light in the darkness.

She raised her head, her eyes landing on a seemingly empty tube and her eyes lit up. Of course! Why have I never thought of this before?

She leapt from her seat and grabbed the tube, dashing to a cabinet and removing the Skyphos, a beautiful silver cup with an elegant dragon protruding from it to form two handles either side. The celebration cup, passed from the empress to the emperor each Octavo in toast of the strength of Mendacia. She filled it with his favourite wine and then, she took the tube and poured in three drops of lethal snake venom.

She wavered, knowing such an amount was ample to kill two, perhaps even three, adult men. She shook her head and turned the tube upside down, shaking every last drop into the cup. That should be enough to finish off the entire palace. Even if the stupid fool suspected, his pride wouldn’t allow him to refuse. Not in front of his empire. She smiled.