The Red Candle

Chapter Four

Pizzas. We ate pizzas for lunch, particularly the cheesy one was my favorite. After having a few munches on our lunch, we went ahead to the museum. Lucy and I paid for an entrance fee and we went inside. The cool and air conditioned smell of the air inside wafted through us. We entered a hall where countless vibrant paintings were displayed.
"These are amazing!" Lucy walked ahead. I glanced to my right and saw several paintings of cities. Cities that were far away from how it looks nowadays. Back then, tall establishments were never built with reflective glasses. I truly admired the simplicity of the old houses' brick structures and the artistry of the clay-tiled roofs. Back then, there were no cars nor any engine-powered vehicles which run on the asphalt-layered streets. Back then, the road or the pavement was crowded by people and caravans pulled by horses. Tents settled everywhere beside the stone pavement.
I was aware of what this painting was. I knew it was the city of Kolaran, the city found north of Jourman. This imagery, showing the interaction of the people of both lower and middle class since the people of higher class lived together with the royalties, whose keep was shrouded by the towering gate and walls of the palace. I turned to other paintings, showing more imagery of people doing their daily lives. A painting of fishermen on a lakeshore, their wooden boat alongside the lakeshore. A painting of farmers harvesting their crops in the daylight. These paintings were so vivid. I wish I could paint like these but I can barely paint a simple basket of fruit back in my art class.
I followed Lucy, who was staring at the paintings of a king, comfortably sitting on his throne. A man, about fifty years of age, who was bearded and crowned gold.. His white mantle was painted perfectly, and you can see how thick his garment was like a curtain.
"King Adolf Lecrias..." Lucy's eyes fixed on the king's image. "The ruler of Old Mandriom. Had two children. A prince and a princess. She turned to me. "Do you still remember it back in our history class?"
I shook my head with a smirk. "Of course, I don't. I barely passed that class."
Lucy rolled her eyes on me. "Alright. Alright," She looked around at the other paintings. The royalties. A portrait of King Adolf, his queen, and their children. A beautiful family portrait. I wish we also had one in our home. And yeah, I didn;t even have a chance to meet my father.
I followed Lucy's eyes. She really loved hearing stories about the old times. She was smart, of course, and was an avid person of history and art. She was the one who invited me to go here. Naturally, I am willing to join her, even though I barely know about these things. But there was this one thing. Even though she tells me everything she knows, which was mostly trivial, I always enjoyed listening to her. Whoever that Greek god she was talking about or whatever place where this battle occurred. I am always happy being around her.
"All of this pictures depicts the life of Old Mandriom." Lucy told me.
"Yeah, I see. The royalties and the mundane."
Lucy nodded. "All of these are painted by the great Danyel Zoriano."
"The one who painted The Gateway and The Apocalypse Bride?"
"Yep. Those are right there." She pointed her finger on the other wall. There were large paintings that easily caught my attention. One painting, where a gate and an arch stood in the middle of the heavenly clouds of the sky. Beneath the gate itself was the surface of the ocean, and floating on it were... were dead men? I wasn't certain so I walked towards it and peered at the painting, right before my eyes. By then. I realized how big the portrait was. The figure of the gate itself was huge as a real gate of a mansion. The clouds looked very real, like huge portions of cottons. The ocean's surface, its majestic calm waves that settled under the gentle sunrays, which descended from the heavens. I leaned closer to it and I was really wondering why there were dead people floating on the sea. I heard of this painting before but it was only the first time I saw it. I was certain that those were corpses, with their skin painted pale and withered gray. That was bizarre but the painting itself was admirable. The bodies on the ocean made me curious about the message of this masterpiece.
I shifted my glance to the next portrait, slightly smaller than The Gateway. It was an image of a woman who stood in a vast plain grassland. The skies above were painted gloomy, like what the current state of the sky was today. The woman was in her white glamorous dress. She was holding a scythe and there was another thing that I've noticed about her. Half of head face was a normal and elegant-looking expression of her beautiful face. She had deep green eyes and flowing blonde hair. Over her head was a crown made of soft, thin, and spiny branches of a tree. Meanwhile, the other half of her face was dead. It was literally dead. Skin was withered gray, eye was pure milky white, and her lips dried and black. Even half of her face was distorted, I can still see her smile.
"It is Hel, the goddess of death of the norsemen." Without me noticing, a lady in black dress spoke beside me. "Zoriano depicts a time, once the death goddess sets her foot on the surface world."
I turned to her. "Is that the hidden message behind The Apocalypse Bride?"
The lady gave me a kind smile. Shehas a long black hair, lips were tainted black, too, and aged no more than thirty years. She reached her hand to me as a greeting. "I'm Simoune, by the way."
"Sandra..." I shook her hand. "Sandra Jefferson."
Simoune's dark-brown eyes widened for a millisecond. "Nice meeting you, Sandra." She turned back her attention to the painting and continued. "The arrival of Hel to earth means the dawn of the world's doomsday. That's what the other critics say."
"Oh..." I remembered who Hel was. Lucy once told me about her, being one of the gods who rules the souls of the dead, down in the depths of the earth. Other people call it the underworld. I have no idea if that's true. Perhaps it wasn't. It was all under a concept of mythology, afterall, the belief of the ancient people who thrived in this world centuries ago. As of now, my beliefs are inclined with the concept of Heaven and Hell.
My eyes stared at the figure of the goddess. I was wondering how her face ended like that? Did something happen to her? Was her face like that since her birth? Was she also cursed? Cures like our family, the reason why we were haunted by these lost spirits.
I turned to Simoune to ask her about The Gateway but then, she was gone. I looked around yet she was nowhere to be seen. "Where did she go?" I muttered to myself. That was strange, but what else must I expect? I had a lovely nightmare to begin my day. What else could go bizarre or what else could go worse? I guess I must be used to it and not bother myself too much about that lady, although it was hard to ignore it and erase it off my mind. By then, Lucy was heading towards me. "What's up?"
"Just looking around." I replied. "Hey, I have a question."
"Yeah."
"Do you know why there are..." I faced the painting of The Gateway and surprisingly, the figures of the dead bodies on the ocean were gone. Instead, there were roses, the red ones,. The bodies were gone and there were flowers floating across the water's surface. "...roses?"
Lucy followed my glance. "On the Gateway, the roses depict the honor for the dead."
I stared at the painting with puzzlement and said no words.
"The Gateway is an art, where all of the dead were honored as they were sailors. The glorious sailors who drowned. The men who risked their lives for the discovery of the hidden wonders of the world. Their courageous hearts died for the glory of the ancient kingdom of Cythria.
This was a historical expedition that eventually changed the world. Due to their courageous act, their king often prayed that their souls may rest in eternal peace with God in his heavenly home, the gateway of heaven which you see."
I turned to her. "But why are there roses?"
"Roses are offered by the royalties to honor the deaths of their brave warriors, as well as for all their people who died out of war."  She sighed. "To be honest, this is one of my most favorite paintings." Her glance shifted at me, who was frozen in disbelief. Do my eyes deceive me? I swear that I saw dead people on the ocean, and not these roses.
"Should we go ahead?" She poked me, perhaps noticing that I was blankly staring at The Gateway. "The gallery ahead is a collection about the New Mandriom. Shall we proceed?"
I nodded and we both walked towards the next gallery. For the last time, I looked at the Gateway and there were no drowned men. Perhaps my eyes have just deceived me. I hope it was only a deception in my eyes' deception.
As we reached the next gallery, it was the same. There were other people along us and more paintings on the wall but there were also artifacts displayed, protected by display cases made of glass. There were jars, rusted swords, and many more relics that the people used for living, a hundred years ago. The first painting that caught my attention was a goblet of wine.
"Look." Lucy pointed at the landscape of a temple. It was a lavish one for it was built in marble. The carvings of its columns and protruding spires on its roof adorned the artistry and architecture of the temple. "It was the sacred temple of the New Mandriom. Still, I haven't been there."
"Yeah, me neither." I replied. The temple was still there, located on the western Jourman. History says that back then, people used to go there as a worshiping sanctuary, like a church. But now, it was only a tourism spot for people
Lucy turned to me, her eyes sparkling with bliss. "Let's visit it some other time, eh?"
I nodded. "Yeah, sure."
She grinned at me. "Great! We'll see at uhm... next week." She giggled and looked around the artifacts. There was a crown, a golden one, glittered by small precious stones. Lucy stood next to me. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
I looked at her and replied. "Yes, indeed it is."
She glanced back. "This one is made in true gold."
"Oh..." I examined the crown once more. It was truly majestic, like a treasure buried under the surface. "Are those real diamonds?"
"Yes. Diamonds and sapphires are the favorites of Queen Dolora Windister."
For an unknown reason, my heart froze. "Who?"
"Dolora Windister, the second queen of the New Mandriom."
"Oh... is that so?"
"Yeah. Like after she was slain, the new Mandriom fell. Their dynasty has lost control of the power to take over upon ruling the kingdom."
My mind was swarming with questions from the moment I heard the queen's name. I was certain that I encountered her name somewhere else, yet I cannot remember as of the moment. Strangely, she was really familiar to me. "But why did they fall? Does her death have anything to do with it? Didn't she have an heir?"
She nodded. "There was a schism. A ploy that murdered the queen and her child, the prince of the New Mandriom. As I heard before, even some members of the royal council were killed, too."
"Who did it?"
"Lucy shrugged. "Actully, I don't know. There are theories. Some says that it was an assassin who ended their life. Another theory says that the one who murdered the queen and her son was one of their generals, a chieftain of their army. Afterall, no one knows what was the intention behind their murder."
"That's awful. And what about their king? Where was he when this happened?"
"King Antos has died of sickness." Lucy cleared her throat and continued. "The king's death happened a few days just before the queen's and the prince's death. After that, no one inherited the throne, and all the people protested and marched towards the remaining members of the royal council. From then, the head minister of the council stepped up as the ruler of the kingdom. Not only as a king, but a minister who mended the political and social quarrels in the entire Mandriom.
"From then, the minister himself has liberated the nation from the laws of the monarch, since no more royal bloods have survived after those tragic incidents."
"Did Dolora have another child?" As I spoke her name, I felt something cold prickled in my heart.
Lucy shook her head. "She only had one child, and he was Prince Bardon Windister."
I bowed my head as I felt sorry upon hearing their story.
"From that time, there was no Old or New Mandriom. There's only Mandriom. The minister has unified the minds and cooperation of the royal council and citizens throughout our country." She pointed at the other painting. A picture of a royal family having supper. In the middle of the table was an elegant lady, her white skin, black hair, brown eyes, and small nose. She was wearing a crown, similar to the one displayed here in the museum. The lady was in her blue mantle, seated beside her was a young man who was wearing a crown same with hers. Only that his was quite smaller than her and was made of silver. All sat along them were men in white robes. There were about a dozen of them. They all sat while relishing the lavish meals served on the table before them. On the corners and walls of the dining hall were knights, standing and holding their position in guard. They stood in their armor and helm, with their swords sheathed in their scabbards.
"But one thing's for certain." Lucy spoke while gazing at the painting. "Everyone knows that the queen's and the prince's murder occurred during this supper."
"Who painted it?" I asked.
"One of the queen's intimate maidens. Her name was Strella Greydol."
"Woah. Was she a talented painter, too?"
"Yep." She glanced at the other paintings along the wall, including the goblet of wine that I saw earlier. "Those are painted by Lady Strella."
I gasped in astonishment. These paintings were made by a queen's maiden. There was a painting, a portrait of Queen Dolora. There was another painting of a royal throne. A seat that was carved with gold and a soft, comfortable cushion. It was so perfect, as if I was looking at the king's throne through images I see on the internet. "Is she the one who painted the temple?"
Lucy nodded. It was truly amazing. I turned my attention back to supper. "So there was Queen Dolora and the prince...?"
"Prince Bardon Windister. They had that celebratory dinner along with some members of the royal council since it was the time when the queen proclaimed her son to inherit the power of his father. But then, the incident happened.
"Looks like someone did it on purpose, eh?"
"Indeed."
I took a closer look at the painting. It was vivid, even their fish were painted very well. Those roasted turkeys, those chopped and stir-fried vegetable dishes, as well as the noodles. Even though it was only a painting, I could say that their meal was truly mouthwatering. I scanned and my heart sank. It was only then when I noticed the candelabras of red candles on the table. I felt my hands shaking a little. The thought of me, seeing a red candle, left an unforgettable and dreadful mark in my mind. From that moment, I already knew what was going to happen. No matter what, I carried on and hoped that no ghosts would hunt me at the moment. I hoped that no eerie air would blow towards us. "What do the red candles stand for?"
Lucy cleared her throat. "Oh, the red candles are very essential for the royalties. It stands for wishing an eternal life for your loved ones, as well as for the prosperity of one's soul. It goes along with a prayer for prosperity, wealth, and good health."
"Oh... red candles." My head suddenly ached and I groaned. I stumbled a little, but managed to keep on my feet.
"Hey, are you alright?" Lucy went by my side and held me by my shoulders. "What happened?"
Suddenly, I felt cold. My face turned pale, my vision went nauseous. I heard Lucy saying something, but I cannot understand her clearly. All I heard was the mumbling of her voice.
"You must die..."
"You must die..."
And there were the whispers again. They rang over and over again inside my head. "Stop whoever you are!" I shouted. I was unaware what was happening around me, yet I saw some other people around us, looking at me with confusion and worries. "I SAID STOP!" At once, all the voices fell silent. Then a deep voice of a woman spoke in my mind. "You've finally come. Death awaits you no longer..." Her voice was distinct among the whispering spirits. I've only heard it by then. My eyes restlessly glanced around. "Who are you? Show yourself! What do you want from me?"
There was no response from her, only laughter. In the corner of my sight, I saw blood dripping from the crown artifact beside me. By then, I knew I was breathing rapidly as if I couldn't control it. There was another wave of laughter, yet this time I heard it clearly coming from the image of queen Dolora. Blood also dripped from the painting of her eyes. "Death awaits you no longer..." She spoke once more. At that moment, I realized something. Queen Dolora Windister. Dolora Windister. I just remembered where I encountered her name. It was her, whose name was inscribed in the tombstone, the grave that I saw in my dream this morning.
My vision blacked out. I still heard Lucy's mumbling but I cannot hear her. After a moment, I felt a palm across my face as she was gently poking my cheeks for consciousness.
"Sandra, can you hear me? Sandra!" My vision and hearing has returned, although I still felt numb. "Anyone, call somebody to help us!"
I tried to speak, but I couldn't. I felt like I had a very high fever. However, my feet managed to keep still even with my legs shaking. Everything was fuzzy around me. The last glimpse that my eyes saw was an arm, in black sleeve of a dress, reaching to touch my shoulder. It was someone, other than Lucy, for she has black nails and has a ring on one of her fingers. When I felt her touch, my sight blacked out, my body collapsed on the floor.