Chapter 18: Lessons

Lessons of love are forever kept,
closer to her heart, nearer her sweet breast.

A Fool's Book of Wisdom

"No! No! No! You must relax! Clear your mind and feel the tranquility of peace wash over you. You cannot force yourself to feel peaceful! There is a diametric opposition in the concepts of force and peace. Would you not agree with me on this principle? Good! Well, then have you not heard a single word I have said? You are attempting to force a meditative state, which is not possible. Trust me! Now, try again. Close your eyes. Relax. Listen to the sound of your breathing. In and out. In and out. Clear your mind of all thoughts and listen only to the sound of my voice and your breath. In and out. In and out. You feel the slow, steady beating of your heart, which calms you further. You feel yourself relax as you release the tension in your body. Your body seems to float on a cushion of air and you find yourself thinking back and examining the happy times in your life. Only the happy times ... you search through your memories and find a time when you felt totally happy. A time so perfect that you felt completely at peace. Can you remember a moment in your life where you felt everything was perfect? Can you, Christine?"

The old woman's eyes lit up with silent anticipation as she watched Christine's limp form. She continued speaking her soft platitudes, encouraging the girl's deepening trance. A hiccough burst Helen's moment of triumph and sent the young woman into a fit of nervous giggles.

"Go! Get a drink of water and return when your hiccoughs are gone."

Helen pressed her fingers tightly across her forehead and rubbed vigorously as she fought against the pain in her head caused by her growing frustration with the girl. As Christine remained in frowning silence, the old woman suppressed a groan.

"Really! You cannot enter a trance with hiccoughs, Christine. Go!"

"Damn it! This is an exercise in pointless frustration for the both of us! I am not a teacher, Diamanté! I cannot even help the girl find her focus and I already feel my temper rising. Fuck! I have no patience for this! What am I doing wrong?"

Her wrist felt suddenly awash in a burst of warmth and the ruby slowly began to glow.

"Both of you try too hard, but for the wrong reasons. The girl concentrates, but her desire for the man distracts her from absorbing the meaning of your words. And, you ... you allow the perceived perfection of your mother's lessons with your twin to intimidate you and frustrate you with what you perceive as your apparent failure. Believe me, crone, the lessons your mother taught your sister never came easily to either one of them and in the end, your sister rejected all she had been taught. She left and turned her back on her legacy, did she not? So, was your mother the perfect teacher if her student forsook her lessons and renounced her claim to the bracelet? Well?"

The voice, which filled her head, spoke in an unusually mild tone. Helen did not answer as she felt the question to be rhetorical. Her suspicions were confirmed when Diamanté continued.

"We both know that your sister was weak. She never had the strength of will to draw confidently on my power, no matter how we tried to help her. It simply was not in her nature. Christine, on the other hand, is strong-willed. You must find the proper tools to teach her. She has an enormous fount of self-discipline bubbling deep within her. You must draw it to the surface and use it. Christine loved her father deeply, but his death left her feeling betrayed. She locked away her ability to love when he died, seeing it as a weakness and that is the reason her shared dreams with Erik ceased. She turned away from love and placed all of her passion into one outlet. Do you know what it is? I do and I believe that if he thought about it, Erik could tell you as well. It is her music. Her music is the key to her learning control and while you have a beautiful voice, you obviously do not have the gift of teaching. However, you do know someone who is a gifted teacher and makes music so sweet as to make the angels weep. Do you not, Helen?"

The old woman froze with the realization of just whom Diamanté meant.

"But, knowing how the two of them feel about one another and then placing them in such close proximity on a daily basis could lead even the most saintly of men into temptation. I do not know if I can allow you to place him into a situation, which could result in his death. While he is an exceptional human being, he is still just a man. And, in some ways, he is more a man than most men I have met, but still, he loves her and..."

"She must learn to make her song take flight and then guide it carefully back to earth. He can teach her how to control her voice and with that knowledge, she shall hold the key to her power. Can you deny her that chance? I think not! I believe that we shall obtain the best results if the girl and her mate do not know about this conversation. You shall continue to instruct her in the histories, rituals and incantations. I shall arrange the circumstance to arise that will inspire the offer of vocal lessons. Yes, I have always known that he holds a place of importance in the legacy. I just never understood his use until now. With his gift of music, the girl shall take command of her power and you will find your rest, old one."

The old woman started from her trance as she sensed the concern in the hand placed on her arm.

"Madame? Are you well? I am sorry. I do not mean to aggravate you. I will try harder, I promise!"

Helen blinked to clear the fog from her eyes and allowed a small smile to turn up the corners of her mouth.

"Oh, ma chère fille, do not worry. I am well, just a slight headache. You do not aggravate me. No. No. I am frustrated with my own lack of ability. I am a poor teacher and I promise that I shall try harder, but, for now, I believe you need some fresh air. You should find Erik and ask him to accompany you on a walk. It is a lovely day and a few hours outdoors will do the both of you a world of good. I shall brew a pot of chamomile tea with some mint and birch bark then have a quiet cup by the fireside. That should relieve my aching head before it is time for us to prepare supper. Now, off with you!"