Fate written in the Stars - [Chapter 22]

The Queen’s legacy

The flames suddenly die out around Isis and the wooden pillar disappears to allow the egyptian goddess to drop down to her knees, her body in excruciating agony. ‘Such a brutal display of power from the human challenger! I doubt there are many who can still stand after that!’ Hermes exclaims as everyone watches the two in the arena closely.

Isis attempts to return to her feet, but her legs give out and she drops back down to her knees, her arms weakly holding her up to avoid laying face down on the floor. ‘And it doesn’t seem like Isis is able to either.’ Tezcatlipoca follows up with while Mary walks over to the downed goddess.

‘Stand up Isis.’ Ra mutters from the stands. ‘You’re bringing shame to our pantheon by being seen like this.’

‘It truly pains me to see you in a state like this mother.’ Horus solemnly says to himself.

Mary takes one more step forward and is standing over the kneeling goddess, her gaze falling down to look at Isis. ‘You survived your execution again it seems.’ Mary states, every word coming out of her mouth dripping with venom. Mary’s leg raises and moves to rest atop Isis’ head. ‘You’re more resilient than any other who’s faced my wrath. And so I shall offer you one chance at survival.’ Mary’s leg pushes down on Isis’ head, forcing the goddess down to the ground, her face being coated with dust from the arena floor. ‘Surrender yourself to me and you may live.’ 

The arena is silent as Mary makes her offer, the crowd watching in silence as Mary digs her heel into the back of Isis’ head. ‘Monsieur Orion,’ Jeanne meekly says, ‘forgive me if this causes any offense, but are you sure that Madam Mary was an appropriate choice to represent humanity. The others have all had an air of righteousness about them, but Mary…’

‘I get what you mean. This certainly is a vast tone shift from the previous rounds.’ Orion responds, his voice monotone. ‘However there is something that might explain her attitude against Isis.’ Jeanne looks at the demigod, a confused and curious expression upon her face yet she remains silent. ‘Mary is someone who hates those who think they can get their way consequence free. Be it a human making a law, or a god deciding to end humanity, the same fire inside her shall burn to bring about the consequences she sees fit.’

England 1550s

Her father was dead, the throne of England left vacant. The country had suffered reform after reform while Henry sat on that throne, and so the citizens of the land all wondered the same question, ‘will our next ruler be able to mend the chaos?’ Despite being the eldest, the crown evaded Mary, being passed down to her younger brother, Edward VI. Yet despite this turn of fate, Mary simply bided her time. She gained land and power upon the ascension of her brother, remaining out of the way of royal business as much as she could.

And then, the day of destiny came.

At the young age of only fifteen, Edward met his end to a lung infection, historians later claimed it to be tuberculosis. But despite what Mary assumed, she did not ascend to the throne.

‘Lady Mary, we have news from the crown.’ A servant said while entering the main hall where Mary sits, a shiver in his hands as he kneels before the waiting princess.

‘Speak. What news is it you have for me?’ Mary asked the servant, her gaze seeming to pierce directly into the servant’s soul.

‘Well my Lady, forgive me for being the bearer of bad news,’ the servant says, a stutter in every word as he stands up, his eyes however remaining on the ground. ‘but we have received word that before his death, your brother removed you from the line of succession alongside your sister.’

Mary’s hand rose to pinch the bridge of her nose in an attempt to suppress the feelings of rage building up within her. ‘So he is afraid of me overturning his precious father’s reforms. Tch, that foolish child.’ The servant began to slowly back away from the future queen, a tremble in every step. ‘Tell me, has that child king named a successor?’

The servant froze on the spot, his legs visibly shaking beneath him. ‘Y-yes my Lady. Your brother…’

‘Do not call that child my brother! Any connection I had with his father was long since severed, and now his son shall join him in the depths of hell. My only kin is my mother and sister and they shall forever be my only kin.’ Mary strictly interrupted, the servant going quickly and seeming to be near passing out.

‘V-very well my Lady.’ The servant hurriedly responds. ‘T-the now dead king, h-as named Miss Lady Jane Grey a-as his successor.’

The room fell silent as Mary pondered over these words, the servant remaining as still as he could. Suddenly, Mary flicked her hand to gesture at the servant. ‘Very well, you may leave. However, fetch me two messengers.’

‘Y-yes my Lady.’ The servant said before rushing out the room.

‘That foolish child, thinking he can protect his damned father’s reforms.’ Mary muttered as her hand reached down to the arm of her seat, her hand tightly gripping the end of it in pure anger at the brother she loathed.

The messengers arrived and quickly left, one sent to the privy council and the other to her sister Elizabeth. To her sister she sent her plans, and to the privy council she sent a proclamation demanding for Edward’s decision to be overturned. But despite her proclamation, Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed queen of England and so the contents of Mary’s message to her sister became important.

The contents of that message… seizing the throne from Lady Jane Grey.

Mary began to amass support and a week later had disposed of Lady Jane Grey, the week-long queen imprisoned alongside her father in law. Mary and Elizabeth rode into the city of London, the elder sister crowned as Queen soon after.

But after she ascended to the throne, the blood began to pour.

It began with Jane Grey’s father, his head being forced down to the block as Queen Mary looked down upon the struggling prisoner, the fear in his eyes meeting with the mercilessness in Mary’s. The blade of the executioner’s axe cuts through the man’s neck and the first blood of Mary’s reign is spilt.

‘You pitiful child Edward, thinking you could protect your father’s hellish reforms.’ Mary devilishly muttered from her throne, one hand acting as a rest for her chin. ‘I hope both of you are rolling in your graves, especially that scumbag father of yours Edward.’

Mary was quick to make changes to England, promptly releasing Catholic leaders that had been imprisoned by the previous kings. The Privy Council was shifted due to their involvement in promoting Lady Jane Grey to the role of Queen.

Months passed and the fears that Edward had held about his sister enforcing the catholic faith were being proven unfounded and the new queen herself had let out a proclamation that she would allow the citizens to remain protestant. But that was a lie.

Leading protestants were imprisoned under Mary’s command, the religious laws created by Edward were dissolved by her first parliament. Mary brought back the English connection to Rome and the heresy laws were brought with them a few years later.

Rich protestants fled for their lives, fearing the wrath of the catholic queen against those who would not convert to Catholicism. Many converted under the threat of death, feelings of resentment and hatred being forged against Catholicism as they follow its teachings against their will.

But despite many converting in fear of their lives, there were those who stood their ground, refusing to convert from the threats of Mary. And so, Mary disposed of them.

Pyres were assembled and those who refused were captured and tied to the stake. Mary watched the pyres before her, those tied to them still refusing to abandon their faith and would rather perish than change their ways.

With a single gesture from Mary, the pyres were lit and those tied were burnt alive, their cries echoed out as Mary watched them writhe in pain, her face illuminated by the flickering flames. ‘Here it is Edward. Is what you feared? Is this what you envisioned as what would happen if I rose to the throne?’ Mary quietly muttered as she watched the executions. ‘This is the result of your decisions, and the decisions of your horrible father. I hope you both are burning in hell like these heretics.’

The burnings continued for another four days, over two hundred were executed under Mary’s rule, rivers of blood were shed and from this mass execution she gained the name of Bloody Mary.

Valhalla arena

‘Oh Mary, my sweet daughter, I wish I could have been there for you.’ Catherine of Aragon mumbles in the crowd as she watches her daughter’s brutal display of dominance, the malice in her daughter’s actions bringing a great pain to her soul.

‘See, this is why I wanted a son.’ Henry VIII scoffs from his throne. ‘Women are unfit to rule. They lack the physical and mental strength to rule. One change that they dislike and suddenly the blood runs through the streets.’ Those around the king bite their lips to refrain from calling him out on his hypocrisy, all wanting to avoid the tyrant’s rage.

Isis remains silent on the floor as Mary’s heel presses harder on her skull. ‘Do we just call the round early?’ Hermes asks his co-host, unsure on what to do, if anything at all.

‘I guess we wait for Nyx to decide it’s over.’ Tezcatlipoca whispers back to Hermes, his eyes shifting to look over at where the supreme goddess resides.

‘So that is what you are doing Isis.’ Nyx mutters, a finger tapping against the arm of her throne. ‘Hopefully that human hasn’t noticed what it is you have planned, or else this match will become much more interesting.’

‘It seems this goddess is too proud to simply surrender herself to us.’ Borealis scoffs from behind Mary as the queen applies more pressure to the goddess’ head, almost seeming to be attempting to crush her skull beneath her heel.

‘Then she shall die with her foolish pride like that pitiful child king did.’ Mary harshly responds. Isis is heard mumbling something into the ground, but the words are inaudible to the looming queen. ‘Was that your cry of surrender?’ Mary taunts while pressing down even more. ‘You’ll have to repeat that.’

Suddenly Isis rolls to the side, her head slipping out from under Mary’s heel, and she jumps back to her feet. Mary scowls at the rejuvenated goddess, noticing the bandages that cover her body where the burns had been. ‘Tch, you really are too proud for your own good.’

‘The same can be said for you.’ Isis quickly responds as she picks back up her staff. ‘But it appears you’re too stuck in your mindset to look deeper into the situation. I feared you might notice my wounds being restored, but it seems you could only notice the shallowness of the situation before you, the chance to be on top, the chance to dominate in this fight.’ Isis points her staff out at Mary as their gazes meet. ‘So let me tell you this now, I myself am against the destruction of humanity, I disagree with the notion that humanity is too far gone to be saved. However, I have been given a duty that I must reluctantly fulfil. Despite this, I shall not go easy on you. So if you desire this victory, then you’re going to have to work for it.’

Isis’ words echo throughout Mary’s skull, every sentence serving to enrage Mary more and more as she stares down the goddess. ‘And how am I to know that you speak the truth?’ Mary snaps back. ‘How do I not know that you’re telling a lie to make me lower my guard?’

Isis sighs as she readies into a combat stance. ‘I suppose you can’t and will simply have to trust my word. You cannot read my mind, nor can I read yours. All we can go on is what we’re told.’

‘Enough words, any lies you say won’t work on me.’ Mary firmly states as the ruby in her crown begins to glow again. ‘If you still desire to fight rather than surrender then so be it. Let us all see who you deal with those trained for serving royalty. Come forth my royal guards.’

The ruby shines bright again and when the light clears, four armoured figures stand behind Mary, their posture hunched and zombie-like. Their bodied clad in iron armour that shines under the sun, their swords shining like wise.

‘So that is the case.’ Orion mutters as he ponders over this new summoning.

‘What do you mean Monsieur Orion?’

‘So you know how I said Mary could summon something to do with royalty due to her joining with Corona Borealis?’ Orion begins to explain. ‘I began to suspect it with the executioner at the start of the fight, but this latest summoning and the amount of damage those fires did to Isis basically confirm it. Obviously it might not be completely true, you’d have to ask Mary herself. But it appears that with the help of Borealis, she can summon what she perceives as fitting for royalty to use, and whatever is summoned is affected by her subconscious view of it. From an imposing, muscular giant of a man for the executioner, to the raging flames that can burn away even a soul with their heat, and now mindless zombies for guards, this appears to be the case.’

‘To have a view this distorted…’ Jeanne mumbles as she ponders over Orion’s words.

‘It seems this fight has plenty of life in it yet, so stay with us as the events unfurl!’ Hermes announces as both fighters stand ready for the other to make the first move.

‘From the presumed brink of defeat, Isis has refound her strength and is ready to fight back against the human queen! Frankly, the human queen reminds me of another goddess here in Valhalla, but I won’t get into that here.’ Tezcatlipoca excitedly says as he watches the two women in the arena, Nyx sighing in response to the latter half of his commentary.

Mary’s arm brandishes out in the direction of Isis. ‘Go my royal soldiers, bring to me her head.’