Divine Intervention
Content Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1002
Summary: Before she was a Queen, Chrysoberyl trained under the Earthern High Priestesses at the castle. Determined to save her fated match with Prince Endymion from the clutches of the Moon’s Princess, she casts a desperate spell in the shadow of the night. But it wasn’t Hecate that answered her prayer.
Written for @sailorvillainzine ! It was my first zine I ever contributed to and I had SOOOOO much fun. Thank you for having me!
The castle’s priestesses warned against magick that threatened the delicate balance of the universe. A girl with power should never interfere with death, never interfere with fate.
However, I did not think the universe would mind me restoring fate.
My problem was simple. Prince Endymion and I were fated to marry at our births. Only fate was distracted by the seductress from the Moon. Endymion became enamored by Princess Serenity and was lost to me. A spell was the only way to fix my fate.
I swallowed my nerves and focused on the ceremony. I buried the prince’s name with red roses and clear quartz I swiped from the castle shrine. Stealing for a spell did not constitute good energy but I needed more power than my own. This needed to work. I pressed my hands into the warm earth and began my incantation.
Goddess Hecate, I pray for your graciousness and intervention.
Guide Endymion in renouncing the Moon and Stars tempting his virtue.
Deliver him to me in these desperate times.
My eyes squeezed shut and I visualized the spell’s success: Endymion would turn away from Serenity and remember his fate with me. The sky would blacken as the princess left our planet in tears. There would be no glitter of temptation left in the sky for my prince.
If I have his name, I have his desire.
If I have his name, I have his heart.
If I have his name, I have his soul.
When I finished the incantation, my head grew heavy. Sharp pain sliced my palms and I opened my eyes to find thorns erupting from the soil. My hands were smeared with blood. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Dizziness overwhelmed me and I fell to the ground. My vision went black.
✶
Chrysoberyl.
It was still pitch black when I opened my eyes. The cuts on my fingers stung as I pulled a flint lighter from my pocket and stumbled to light a candle that had fallen to my feet. I gasped. The thorns were the size of my thumbnail attached to thick, entangled vines. A deep purple rose bloomed at the center. How did that get there? The roses I buried were red, from the prince’s garden. The quartz was unblemished. How could such an impurity sprout from my spell?
Chrysoberyl.
“Hello?” I turned to the voice. Nobody called me by my full name, with the exception of Kingdom officials, the high priestesses, and my mother. The voice, however, belonged to a stranger. “Who’s there?”
Perhaps the origin of your quandary is not the prince’s affections. Perhaps it lies elsewhere.
Shivers danced up my spine and understanding flooded through my brain. I prayed for intervention. Here it was. “Hecate?” I whispered, not trusting my voice. A wicked laugh echoed in my head; I was mistaken. This was not Hecate. However, whoever this voice was—they offered revelation, enlightenment. I had been sorely unfocused.
My problem was never Endymion. It was Serenity.
✶
I knew the priestesses wouldn’t mind if I stole from the temple again. I was no longer dealing with a silly love spell. Instead, this was life and death. I was chosen to protect the reign of the Earth Kingdom. They would do anything to protect the Crown, so why shouldn’t I? So I stole the high priestess’s crystal ball. Sorry, borrowed it. It was only used in official ceremonies and royal prayer sessions; it would be back in its place before it was missed.
Days passed since my first spell. I waited until the new Moon to prevent the Moon Kingdom’s own priestesses from spying. At the end of the week, I traveled back to the cave. The crystal ball rested in the thorns from the last spell to charge with its energy. Lighting a bundle of lavender and thyme, I waved it over the thorns and began the incantation I’d chosen for the occasion.
I pray for intervention,
so I may protect the kingdom I serve,
so I may protect the man I love.
A wind whipped around the cave and I braced myself against its power. I would not lose my concentration again. Before me, the crystal reflected the dim glow of the candles burning on the last of their wicks. It was now or never. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The wind threatened to destroy my work. I wished I knew the name of the voice who spoke to me after the thorns grew from my spell. They would help me.
Metalia.
The name was a soft whisper; the same voice as before. It felt ancient. As if it preceded the priestesses and their histories. As if it outdated history itself. “Metalia,” I whispered. Immediately, the wind stopped.
Grant me sight, Great Metalia.
May I be the light of the future and
banish the dark threatening my kingdom.
A new incantation unconsciously spilled from my lips. New power swelled in my chest. I knew then, this was the power of Metalia. I opened my eyes. The crystal ball glowed purple and revealed its truth to me:
Princess Serenity stood over Endymion’s fallen figure. The Moon’s sacred Sword of the Silver Crystal was in her hands. In one swift moment, she thrust the sword down and pierced the Crown Prince’s heart. The sacred Silver Crystal rose from Serenity’s breast and glowed ominously.
I held in a scream as the crystal erased its awful scene. The sacred Silver Crystal was rumored to have the power to destroy planets. Obviously, this was what the Princess intended. I knew then what I had to do. Pushing myself up, I grabbed the crystal ball and threw my smudge stick into the thorns. As I stormed from the cave, a plume of smoke followed.
I needed to go to the castle.
Good girl, Chrysoberyl. Stay with me and you shall have all you desire.
I smiled; I liked the sound of that. Endymion would be mine. And the Moon Kingdom would fall.
✶
