Andrea
was aghast, "Mate with a dragon?
Are you out of your mind?"
"No,
your child must be strong in order to defeat The Dark Ones and even though you
have the strength of The Masters and more, you need the combined strength to
create a child that will defeat The Dark Ones.
You have time to get to know them.
They really are quite gentle."
"How
do you know so much about The Masters and the prophecy?"
"I
told you at one time we thought I was supposed to be The Lady of the Manor.”
"What
happened?"
Miranda
sadly said, "I was not strong enough and I knew that I could not fulfill
the prophecy so I had to go away. But
you are much stronger than I. You will
make a very good Lady. Do not judge
them too harshly and remember if they disappoint you it is only because they do
not understand."
Miranda
smiled again, "You will make a good Lady." she patted Andrea's hand
and in a flash of light she was gone.
Where
Miranda had been sitting was a white rose.
Just as Andrea picked up the rose The Masters all came into the
garden. Demon was the first one to
notice her and the rose.
"Where
did you get that rose?"
Andrea
did not understand the emotion in his voice.
"I don’t know, it was on the bench after she left."
"After
who left?"
"Miranda. She was here and then she was gone and in
her place was this rose."
The
Masters looked at Demon.
"She
has forgiven me."
"You
talked with Miranda?" Starchild
questioned.
"Yes."
Celestial
butted in, "What did she say?"
Andrea
looked at Celestial and said, "She told me that you like to joke
around."
Celestial
cackled, “That's my Mandy."
Beast
asked, "What did she say about me?"
"She
told me you just like to cuddle as a cat."
"Mandy
had the nicest arms to cuddle up into." Beast sighed.
Starchild
looked at Andrea. "She told me
about the prophecy."
Starchild
raised an eyebrow, "She did?" he said quietly, "Did she tell you
all of it?"
"I
do not understand." Andrea began.
Demon
was very uncomfortable with the way this conversation was going, "Well,
what is it you do not understand, it is quite simple."
"I..uh…I
am supposed to have a child?"
Andrea looked at Starchild.
"Whose
baby am I supposed to have?" Andrea was starting to get nervous. She stood up from the bench and walked away
from them. "I am not sure that I
like this. I am not sure that I want to
stay here anymore."
Demon
started to worry, "You cannot leave, you have to stay here." He went after her and grabbed her arm,
"You have to stay here."
Andrea
was becoming uncharacteristically afraid at this turn of events. "I know I said I would stay another day
but I have changed my mind. I do not
want to stay here anymore I want to go home."
Starchild
quickly intervened. He took both of her
hands in his, "Andrea, no one is going to hurt you. We will not make you do anything you do not
want to do."
Andrea
pulled away from Starchild, "I don’t want to stay here anymore."
there was fear in her voice.
"Andrea,
we will not stop you." Starchild
stepped back from her and The Masters disappeared.
Andrea
was left all alone in the garden. What
was she to do now? What did this
prophecy mean?
She
paced back and forth in the garden. So
much had happened, so much she did not understand. And she had not handled any of this well. She had responded to these new experiences
with fear. The healer had taught her to
be open to new experiences and never to face a new situation with fear because
then she would fail.
Andrea decided enough was enough. She was after all, a princess and if The Masters were correct, she was The Lady of the Manor. She had never met a challenge with fear before but in a few days The Masters had filled her life with fear. Enough was enough. It was time to stop letting her fear rule her life. She followed The Masters into the manor. It was time to get answers and fulfill the prophecy.
“Starchild,
it is time I started acting like The Lady.
What do I have to do?”
The
Masters were surprised at this turn of events.
Andrea had gone from being afraid to exhibiting strength they didn’t
know she possessed.
“Are
you sure Andrea?” questioned Beast.
“Yes,
I am ready.”
"Andrea
if you are truly up to it we will start your training."
"And
what exactly is it I have to do to be Lady of the Manor? What kind of training?"
The
Masters exchanged glances. How could
they explain the prophecy and would she understand what was required? Would she accept what was required of her?
Demon
began, "We are The Masters and we protect from The Dark Ones"
"The
Dark Ones, who are The Dark Ones?”
Celestial
said, "Anyone who has seen them has not survived to say who they are. We do not know what they look like, we just
know that they are there trying to bring evil into the world and we fight that."
"Where
does The Lady of the Manor fit into all of this?"
Again
the Masters looked at each other. How
much should they tell her, was it too soon to tell her the truth?
Beast
looked at Starchild, "You may as well tell her, she has to know."
Starchild
looked at Andrea and slowly he began, " The Lady of the Manor watches with
The Masters."
“But
that cannot be all she does." Andrea interrupted.
"No,
the prophecy says that The Lady of the Manor will bear the child of The Masters
and that child will defeat The Dark Ones." Starchild looked away not sure how Andrea would respond to this.
“You
are not surprised?” questioned Celestial.
“No. Miranda told me.”