Unveiling Of Whispers

A short story - IfrahZahid

It was a night of firsts for me, the first time I would stand in the same room as him. I had seen him only once in my life. As a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse of him. He stood in the hallway, immersed in conversation with one of his soldiers. I peered from my small, cluttered room, its corners strewn with makeshift toys.

He wore a long, blue coat, its hem just brushing his knees. His hands, fair and expressive, animated his conversation – one gracefully touching his chin, where a neat beard had formed, the other gesturing towards the document presented by the soldier. His voice was a distant murmur, his words lost to my young ears.

No child was allowed to go near him, as it was a myth that he ate children. I don't know if it was a myth or if it was actually true. But all I knew was that I was going to meet him tonight at the gathering where all the nobilities from around the globe would come.

In our world, every sorcerer and sorceress is celebrated with a Naming Day upon coming of age. It was kind of an infernal baptism. Today, as I turned 18, it was my turn to embrace this age-old tradition. My Naming Day had arrived, and the esteemed nobility of sorcerers had gathered to witness this significant milestone in my life.

I was eager to make a striking impression on him, the most formidable sorcerer known to the world. As a child, I had glimpsed a dashing young man in his early twenties. Years had passed since then, and I wondered how time had sculpted his features.

"Will you spend the entire evening daydreaming by the window, or are you going to dress for the ball?" Aunt Freya's voice, laced with a mix of amusement and impatience, pulled me from my reverie. She had been my guardian since my parents died.

I turned away from the window, where a parade of carriages rolled in, delivering guests in their finery. Aunt Freya stood before me, radiant in her crimson gown, a teasing smile on her lips. "I am just nervous, Auntie Freya," I admitted, fidgeting with the hem of my dress. "It's not every day one gets the honour of meeting the Magus."

"I understand your nerves, but trust me, you'll be wonderful," Aunt Freya reassured me, her voice a soothing balm to my anxious heart. As she spoke, she deftly retrieved my breathtaking purple dress from the drawer. Her hands lovingly smoothed out the fabric, her eyes gleaming with pride and affection. "I remember feeling just as jittery on my name day. But I have no doubt, my dear, that in this stunning purple gown, you'll shine like a star."

I exchanged a glance with Aunt Freya before reaching out to gently take the purple dress from her. Its long, flowing fabric, adorned with a square neckline and full sleeves, and the edges of the sleeves meticulously embroidered in silver, caught the light with every movement.

As I stepped out, dressed for the occasion, Aunt Freya's eyes lit up. She approached me with her hands reaching out to adjust a fold here, smooth a crease there, her touch as tender as her gaze. "My dear Izzy," she said, her voice brimming with emotion, "you're not just going to be a sorceress tonight; you are going to be the most radiant one the world has ever seen."

I gazed at my reflection in the mirror of my dresser while Aunt Freya pinned up my dark brown hair. She added some silver hairpins for a final touch, ensuring every strand was perfectly in place. Dressed in my finest, I was now ready to celebrate my name day. I had this queer feeling; my stomach wasn't keeping up, and my throat was choking over my own saliva. All I could think about was the blunders that I would make on the stage.

What if I choked on the infernal water? A thought crossed my mind. I was trying to soothe myself that everything would be fine, but all I could think about was the terrible things that I might do. What if I sign my name and the dark lord doesn't accede me? What if the Magus doesn't want me?

I had all these thoughts in my mind when my aunt said, "Come, Izzy, the Magus is ready for you." As she said this, something pricked me from inside; it was a wave of nervousness going through me. I had been getting ready for this moment my entire life, yet a mere peek at it made me sick.

I went down through the dormitories, straight towards the big hall, where the name day was about to happen. I chinned myself and entered the hall. The hall was ever so enchanting. People well dressed chatting with each other. A stage at the front where a book was steadied on a table that looked somewhat like a dais.

The walls of the hall were adorned with exquisite paintings of the sorcerers, and the room was brightly lit, with chandeliers dangling overhead. But my eyes were seeking only one person. Magus Aurelius.

"Oh, you look terrible.", I heard a voice from the crowd. "Seems like you're gonna throw up". He said this and started laughing. It was my best friend Oly. He had his name day last year. And now he is one of the best. He came towards me, circling his arm around my shoulder, "Relax, Izzy", his voice soft and calming as always, "you're gonna do just fine".

"Yeah, easy for you to say, Oly," I said, placing my hand over his on my shoulder. "Come on", he urged, looking into my eyes, "don't tell me you are overthinking it, like what could possibly go wrong?"

"I don't know, im just scared."

"Well, there is no need to be."

My mind lapped. I couldn't hear what Oly was saying, but he was surely saying something. My eyes focused on the man in the same blue coat that I remembered from my childhood. His face, his hands, his neat beard, everything was still the same. He still looked like the same Magus I saw years ago. Nothing changed in him.

I had heard that sorcerers live a long life without ageing, but he was different. Now, he looked only a few years older than me. My gaze at him was constant, i could see his hands wave as he was talking, his face, features.

All of a sudden, he turned around, and to my amazement, he was looking straight at me. I didn't know what to do, so I turned around. Hoping that he will look away. In all this, I forgot that Oly was still standing by my side.

"Do you understand me, Izzy?" said Oly.

"Yeah, totally", I said, even though I had no idea what he was trying to tell me.

"Evening, everyone." I heard a deep, clear and calm voice. It was the magus. "Lets begin the event for which we are gathered today."

I could hear the people clamouring at him, gawking at his pretty face.

"Come forth, Izzy", he said, his dark eyes straight on me. A wave of panic went through me. I could sense my breath trembling. My feet protested at every step that i put forward to reach the stage.

As I reached the corner, he gave me his hand to help me up the stage. His warm hand gripped mine, pulling me up the stage. All I could think about was his pretty dark eyes that were held on me.

It was time that my name was spoken, and I drank the infernal water and signed the book of the dark lord. I had my ears ready for,

"Behold Izzy Waters, daughter of Maylin Waters, the mystic healer, born under the shadow of the dark lord. Let all present bear witness as Izzy Waters partakes from our lord's chalice and inscribes her name in his Book of Shadows. For thee, there is no light but only darkness."

I was ready for it. When the magus whispered, "Are you ready?"

I managed, "Yes", I gulped, "I am ready".

His voice was deep and clear when he said,

"Here is Izzy Rex Aurelius, daughter of Rex Aurelius, Magus of the kingdom…

My head drizzled when I heard this. My ears didn't feel real. I thought maybe I was lapsing, but when I heard the murmurs from the crowd. "Izzy Rex Aurelius". I looked at him, stunned. My whole world had gone upside down.

His dark eyes were gazing at me, his face calm and relaxed, not a single line of worry on his face. The crowd shouted, "Is this a joke?" People whispered, "When did the magus have a child?" "Is she adopted?" "Who is her mother?"

I couldn't think of anything; I was just looking at his calm face as if nothing had happened. He stepped forward, gripped my hand, and said. "This is Izzy Rex Aurelius, my rightful daughter."

The whole crowd stood still; there was silence in the hall. It felt like the time had stopped. I could feel his warm hand holding mine. I had a lot of questions in my brain that I wanted to ask. All I could think about was why he did this to me. If I were his daughter, why not tell me earlier? Why not keep me with him? Why leave in like an orphan? Aunt Freya, is she actually my aunt?

As I looked up at him to say something. He cut me off, "I know you have a lot of questions, Izzy, but my love, you were in danger." He was as he was cupping my face in his hands, "All I could do was this. If our enemies knew that you were alive, they would have killed you as they did to your mother."

And now another truth cracked upon me: my mother was killed? Why has nobody ever told me that? I had so many things on my mind. I didn't know what to think.

"Let's just get over with this bloody ceremony, and then we'll talk.", he said to me, looking from his shoulder. I nodded.

I drank the infernal water that he gave me and signed my name as Izzy Rex Aurelius in the Book of Shadows.

When the ritual was done, and everyone seemed to admit the fact that I am Magus's daughter, they went back to chattering with each other, but this time, they were all gossiping about me; I could see it on their faces.

The Magus, who was now my father actually, took me to the corner of the hall, where first he kissed gently on my forehead and said, "I missed you, love."

"I couldn't say the same, sorry." I just blurted out.

He laughed at this. I had never seen him laugh. He took my hands into his and gently said,

"I know you're shocked, but i couldn't tell anyone, not even you, you were in danger, Those people that killed your mother, they were after you as well. But now you are grown into this strong young woman, you can defend yourself."

I didn't know what to say or what to think, I was happy for the fact that the Magus is my father. But I knew it was gonna take time for me to take a stranger for my father like this.

"I understand, Magus," I said.

"Call me father, if you please."

"Yes, father"

As we talked, I saw the genuine pain in his eyes, a reflection of the sacrifice and the love that had driven him to make such a difficult choice. My anger began to ebb, giving way to an understanding, however reluctant.

And he gave me a hug; his embrace, though weird, but felt like home, safe; his warmth enveloped me. I could sense water dripping from his eyes. I felt the same.

I wandered off with Oly to grab a bite to eat. I noticed him observing me intently, positioned at the edge of the hall, surrounded by a throng of people. "What happens next?" Oly asked as he looked at me, tensed. "You know, with everything."

I didn't know either, but instead of overthinking, I felt optimism for the first time in my life, "Fuck everything, Oly, I am a Mage now."

I said this and raised a toast to him all the way from the hall. He smiled and raised his glass back at me.