Miracali

He comes!’

The disembodied voice tore through Tina’s dream and she awoke to find Araminta Gorman, the castle’s “Housekeeper” shaking her by the shoulders in a most undignified way.
‘What time is it?’ murmured Tina, trying to stifle a yawn.
‘Late-afternoon.’
‘Why’s Terrance here at this hour?’
‘No my lady,’ said Minty, taking a deep breath, ‘the Master approaches.’

Faster than the eye could focus Tina launched herself off of the four-poster bed and dashed to the stained glass window. ‘Where is he?’ she yelled, staring through one of the less obscured sections of glass. ‘Only my shuttle is on the landing field.’
Minty pointed towards the heavens. ‘One hour, no more. Come, follow, I will show you.’

Grabbing a silken dressing gown Tina followed Minty to the main staircase. The life-size oil painting of Mikhail Karnstein; normally half-hidden in a recess was bathed in a red glow from lights hidden in the ceiling.
‘At this very moment the Master orbits Karis 4, he will be here by sunset.’
Tina clapped her hands. ‘At last, after two years I will meet my destiny. But what shall I wear?’
‘You must wear the Count’s favourite,’ said Minty hurrying back to the bedroom. She pressed a jewel on her elaborately carved belt and a wooden panel by the four-poster bed slid back.
Tina reached in and pulled the white dress out into the fading sunlight. ‘It looks like a shroud,’ said Tina, less than impressed.
‘It is the Master’s favourite, and it does have many tiny jewels sown into the fabric.’
Tina held it aloft. ‘Yes! It does shimmer. I’ll wear it, but first I must look my best.’
Minty clapped her hands and the resident hand-maidens arrived to tend their mistress.

* * * * * * *
Tina stepped out onto the wooden causeway that separated the island castle from the mainland, and very gracefully, as befitting her role as Countess of Karnstein, walked towards the landing field.

Just a few paces from the edge of the field the quiet of twilight was shattered by the double boom of a shuttle breaking the sound barrier as it decelerated through the lower atmosphere. The elegant silver bullet hovered close to Tina’s ancient pewter coloured craft, and with expert precision landed beside it.

Tina arrived at the rear of the Count’s shuttle, feeling the heat of re-entry prickle her face. An airlock, situated near the front of the shuttle, opened and a tongue-like ramp slid down until it dug into the grass below. A tall cloaked figure descended and reaching the base of the ramp turned and faced the airlock.

‘Mikhail,’ breathed Tina, she was too far away to be heard, but that did not stop her from whispering to a group of tiny furry rodents who had popped out of their burrows to witness this rare event. ‘Mikhail, my only true love. Tonight we will love with a passion that no human could understand. Our love will last through the centuries, unchanged by time or…’

A second figure appeared. It was a woman also dressed in white, but too far off to be recognised. The woman reached Mikhail, for a minute they conversed, then kissed. The woman, now in the shadow of the glowing shuttle, moved slowly and almost seductively towards Tina. This unexpected visitor was similar in build to Tina, and also had waist-length blond hair. As the woman drew closer Tina began to tremble. It was as if she was viewing herself in a mirror, even the shroud-like dress appeared the same. The woman was now only a handful of paces away. She smiled. A delicate aroma of roses, wild flowers and other less identifiable perfumes invaded Tina’s senses.

A tear ran down Tina’s cheek.
‘Mother,’ she whispered, and hurled herself into the others open arms.
‘Kristina, my dear child, how beautifully you’ve grown,’ said Miracali, stroking Tina’s hair.
Tina was rarely short of words, but for now she just hugged her mother and let the tears fall. Eventually, she released Miracali and smiled. ‘I knew we would meet one day. How thoughtful of Mikhail to bring you.’
‘He can be very thoughtful… sometimes,’ said Miracali glancing towards Mikhail who had not moved from the base of the ramp.
Tina saw their reflections in the shuttle. ‘How alike we are, just like twins.’
‘The genetics’ of our kind always show through, either we are tall and blonde or short with jet black hair. The men,’ said Miracali, ‘are invariably tall with black hair, and as Mikhail says with a similar colour heart to match.’
‘You called me Kristina. Why was that?’
‘Your name beloved. When you were just a little girl you where unable to pronounce your full name and so it became Tina. A name I believe that is much feared throughout this part of the galaxy.’
‘I had not intended to be so notorious,’ said Tina, looking seriously at her mother, ‘but some people annoy me. They just won’t leave me alone, won’t leave me to get on with my life. I do believe the inhabitants on thirty worlds wish me dead. It really is most unfair. Do you know I must have spent twenty years of my life in cells, prisons or dungeons? But enough of that.’
‘When one is a member of the undead, whether vampire or werewolf, one is always feared.’
‘I hate that word, undead, I’m not undead I’m just as alive as anyone else, just a little older that’s all.’
‘Something we can discuss later,’ said Miracali, taking Tina by the hand. ‘First I must introduce, or should I say re-introduce you to Mikhail… my husband.’
For a second Tina squeezed Miracali’s hand, then released it. ‘Husband… Mikhail is my… my…’ she was unable to finish.
‘Not your true father,’ said Miracali smiling, ‘your stepfather.’

Tina spun around and began to walk slowly towards her own shuttle. Miracali dashed after her and grabbed Tina by the shoulders. ‘Did you not know?’
‘I thought… I thought Mikhail loved me.’
‘He does, of course he does.’
‘I don’t want a father’s love… all I ever wanted was Mikhail, and now he marries my mother.’
‘Oh! We’ve been married for over a century, so it’s not a recent thing,’ said Miracali, trying to make light of the situation.

Reaching her battered shuttle Tina punched the metal of the airlock. ‘He lied, he said he loved me, he mentioned you, but not that you were married to him. Do you think I would be here now if I’d known. Do you believe for one moment that if we shared the same castle we would not share the same bed? I know men, perhaps better than you. When you have engagements elsewhere he will seek me out. I will be his only love… or… or none.’
‘Please Kristina, please do not leave like this.’
‘I have no choice mother… Mikhail gives me no choice.’ Tina hugged Miracali once more. ‘Tell Minty I have enjoyed her company, and the others, everyone has been so kind to me, even though they all know me for what I am.’
‘There you are,’ said Miracali, stroking Tina’s hair once more, ‘return with me. I will tell Mikhail to visit Karnstein City for a few days.’
Tina shook her head. ‘It cannot be,’ she pulled the dress over her head and handed it to Miracali. ‘I no longer need this. Please ask Minty to put it back in the hidden wardrobe. She will understand.’
‘I too understand,’ said Miracali giving a huge sigh, ‘I will not try to stop you, but please do one thing for me?’
‘Of course mother, if it’s within my power.’
‘Have you heard of a planet just outside The Cluster called Sword World?’
‘A strange name for a planet,’ mused Tina,
‘When you leave here travel to that place, and visit the fishing villages on the southern continent that straddle the Sandy River.’
‘I’ll do that mother… for you, but why such a bizarre request?’
‘You will know when you get there. A word of warning, best brush up your fencing skills, it’s not called Sword World for nothing. Now go, and the gods of the galaxy protect you.’
‘There’s a sheriff called Terrance, he… never mind,’ Tina let slip a wry smile. ‘I’m sure the surprise will do him good.’
They hugged once more, then Tina closed the airlock and Miracali stepped back as the ancient shuttle engines sprang into life.

‘What happened?’ Mikhail Karnstein was standing at Miracali’s side.
‘My daughter goes to seek a new world, and perhaps her destiny.’
‘I don’t understand.’ Mikhail frowned, and clenched his fists.
‘I did not expect you to, my beloved, and please don’t frown it wrinkles your brow.’
Mikhail relaxed. ‘You can tell me later, she is so impetuous, I’m sure you were the same when you were her age.’
‘I’m only twenty-five years older than Kristina,’ said Miracali laughing.
‘Of course,’ said Mikhail grinning, he kissed Miracali passionately on the lips, ‘I have this marvellous bed in the round tower that you must try out.’
‘Mikhail, darling,’ said Miracali, trying to control her laughter, ‘I have been here before. I suggest we check out your memory before indulging your fantasies.’

From the depths of the forest a wolf howled, and a dozen others took up the chorus.
‘I thought they were extinct,’ said Miracali.
Mikhail took a deep breath of the chilly evening air and smiled.