Ciana Pandora

TWO

                            [OHR]
Old Ramona stares at the glyph and Lord Magnar wonders why she is smiling. She has been sitting on the same spot staring at the glyph with a wide grin. He passes by her and walks to his chamber, where Lady Dionne is getting dressed by her maidens. On seeing him, she rises to her feet and bows.
“Any news, my Lord?”
Lord Magnar lifts two fingers and the maidens give them privacy.

“The Penumbras are a disappointment. There is still no sign of Ciana. And the diviners already perceive my death.”

“Magnar, my love, you know that a serpent without its head is totally otiose. We cannot wait for Ciana for eternity whiles the throne of Ohr remains empty. You know that we would go for wars and without a leader, other kingdoms can easily subdue us without difficulty. Why not choose another heir?”

“The gods chose Ciana.”

“But Jedrek…..”

“Jedrek is not an heir.”

“You are still the king. Change the rules.”

“Jedrek cannot touch the sapphire. Anyone who can’t touch the sapphire can’t rule Ohr. It is a great sign of competency.”

“Well, we never tested Ciana for that ability either. What if she can’t touch the sapphire?”

“Yes, she can. She is Pandora. She has the light of all gifts. She can uproot and restore, bind and loose, destroy and build. I am sure she has the power even to disintegrate the sapphire.”

“That makes her dangerous, Magnar. Look at the darker side of her. You already know that The Penumbra furtively hate the Gibbous because of our superiority and Ciana Pandora has their heart.”

“Now, Dionne, whose fault is it? You bore me a Penumbran child who is not mine. Now we can almost do nothing about her heart. Perhaps if we remove it she might die.” Lord Magnar says.

“Magnar, do not change the subject, please. She is your child. I never mated with any other one besides you.”

“What about Ekon?”

“I only knew him before I was betrothed to you. Only Jedrek is his child.”

“So what do you want to say, woman? Am I a Penumbra? I will never believe whatever you say. You have cheated me.” Lord Magnar declares and then leaves the room. Lady Dionne angrily throws a vase at a wall. Old Ramona enters the room worriedly.

“Lady Dionne! Please stop this.” She exclaims.

“I hate Ciana! Once I get her in my hands, I will wring her till she is lifeless.” Lady Dionne yells.

“You would do no such thing.”

“Only she is the reason why Magnar loathes me. If only she hadn’t come out as a Penumbra, Magnar would still love me. She was born to destroy. I swear that she is Magnar’s child. Once Jedrek becomes king, we will evoke the sixteen demons of Lamia upon her.”

“Do not speak foolishly, Dionne. Firstly, it is no fault of Ciana Pandora that she is mysteriously a Penumbra. It is also no fault of hers that she was chosen by the gods. Magnar doesn’t also wish to make her queen but the gods’ decision is irrevocable. Secondly, it is not easy to evoke sixteen demons upon her, Dionne. She was given the name Pandora because she is superior to all and has powerful demons beneath her feet. The Lamia you speak of is a Penumbra and a subject of Pandora. Dionne, only Ciana can become ruler of Ohr.” Old Ramona says.

“Jedrek is equally powerful. He is the right heir to the throne. He is my son, Magnar’s half-son, and most importantly, a Gibbous. He carries in him hundred rays of moonlight.”

“Pandora has billions of moonlight.” Ramona interjects with a smile. “You need power from The Penumbra to overcome her. But the Penumbra is under her as well.”

“I wouldn’t lower myself to The Penumbra.”

“Well, it is without doubt that The Penumbra is more powerful than The Gibbous. In this situation, darkness prevails over light. But this is a good darkness. They all may be evil people but they have good gifts hidden in them. Ciana Pandora was born to erase their inferiority and bring light to their darkness. That was her mission. The writings on the glyph say: ‘Darkness and light show the versatility of Ohr’.”

“Silence, Ramona! There would be no more talk about Ciana Pandora. The Penumbra would always be the subjects of almighty Gibbous. Darkness is always obscured by light.” Lady Dionne says fervently.

“True, they can’t blend together. But without darkness there is no showcase of light’s superiority. Ciana epitomizes this phenomenon by the fact that she carries both light and darkness. She would unite Ohr and we shall not stereotype against The Penumbra.”

“Silence, Ramona. Your words disgust me!”