Tale of The Red Jasper

By Mirza Qanitullah Baig

Chapter 1 Lady Seraphina

“Miss Agatha! Could you please, please, please tell me more about our family?” pleads the enthusiastic girl, her sky-blue eyes seemed ever so adorable as they made those pleading puppy eyes. Her soft, pale arms tugging onto the apron of a beautiful woman. The woman elegantly bends down to the child’s level, her knees creaking slightly as she lowers herself to the level of the young girl. “Lady Seraphina, you cannot speak that way; you are the daughter of the Grand Duke! You must remember your etiquette lesson and behave as a noble lady.” The young woman mutters as such but follows it with a light sigh. Of course, it’s just a protocol that the maid of any noble lady must follow, serving the young noble lady. But deep down, the maid felt it to be absurd for a 10-year-old impaired girl to perfect herself with her etiquette lessons. What was even more bizarre for her was the trace number of people serving this noble lady. But her scattered thoughts were snapped back by the girl’s whining.

“Well, my Lady, why don’t we sit by the windowsill in your bedroom as I tell you about your family?” The maid guides Lady Seraphine back to her room. The girl plopped herself on an armchair, while the maid had herself seated on a creaking wooden chair. It wasn’t the smoothest or sturdy chair, but the maid wouldn't dare complain after she had sanded the chair to get rid of any splinters. This was the best any sparsely furnished room could promise. She sits and straightens her apron, and begins elaborating about the young girl’s family.

“The Diamondharth family, governing the Dukedom of Diamondharth, is the most prestigious family, also known as the Paragon of Society. Their words way heavier than a mountain packed densely with diamond veins and as clear as the most refined diamond to ever exist. But these qualities aren’t what make the Diamondharth family unparalleled; but their unrivaled ability to transform their flesh and blood into the toughest material, diamond. This ability is not a force to be trifled with; it is believed to be inherited from one generation to the other, and the family did not hesitate to exploit their blessing, granting themselves victory in numerous battles. The mightiest knights to ever inhabit this continent-“ the maid’s elucidation is cut short by the girl's peculiar behaviour. The girl seemed to be clenching her fist tightly, her eyes focusing on one fist before shifting to the other frantically as she grunted.

“My Lady, what are you doing?”

“I’m trying to transform my arms into diamonds!” the Lady Seraphina asserted confidently, nodding to herself.  She adds, “After all! I am Seraphina Diamondharth! So, I should be able to transform as well!”

Indeed, Lady Seraphina Diamindhart, daughter of Duke Diamondharth should be able to transform, but the maid knew that it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Lady Seraphina was considered an anomaly. Usually, by the age of five, a child should be able to tap into their ability, but Lady Seraphina couldn’t. Another detriment was her stunt intelligence; she could mug up information, but her applicative capabilities of this information were severely wanting. She was considered unlucky, resulting in her being nicknamed ‘Lady Red Jasper of Diamondharth’ as they deemed it fit, relating the deep red colour of the red jasper to the superstitions of the deep red colour bringing in misfortune. This superstition was bolstered as the Diamondharth faced few casualties in the recent war after the birth of Lady Seraphina. One could say that a few casualties are promised with every battle, but it wasn’t for the Diamondharth Family. These casualties were considered a stain on their long-standing reputation for their excellence in battle. The fallen souls weren’t even given a proper ceremony, as it would tarnish their honour. The families of the fallen were bade to silence the hefty compensations, but there were many who couldn’t come to accept the loss of their loved ones and succumbed to their grief. The Diamondharth did. This knowledge was secured with utmost care, but this maid happened to overhear by chance.

The maid nodded to her profound musings because she felt that the living, breathing, adorable girl in front of her, Lady Seraphina’s very existence, was proof of how fortunate she truly was to be born in Diamondharth. There are numerous whispers that ordinary people engage in among themselves. The whispers about the atrocities of the noble. Betrayal and moral crimes take place among seemingly loving families to inherit titles or seize power. Lady Seraphina would be a prominent target, yet she continues to live, though treated less than what she truly is worthy of. This was due to the decree of the ever-merciful Duke of the Diamondharth Family to have Lady Seraphina be housed and tended to instead of being completely neglected. The maid glances at the night sky, darkening to midnight. The beautiful night sky, which could take the breath away of any observant individual, is rudely interrupted by the cracks on the window screen. The maid couldn’t help but ponder the fate promised to the little girl, who now appeared to be yawning. The maid stands on her foot and composes herself with due grace.

“Lady Seraphina, the chilly midnight draws near. I’ll see you to your bed and have you tucked in.”

“No, Miss Agatha, there’s still so much more I want to do. I didn’t get to go and see the flowers in the garden.”

“Worry not, Lady Seraphina, it is a late hour. The flowers must be in deep slumber at the present moment. You must be well-rested as well. They must be eager to greet you tomorrow; as such, you must be well-rested to greet them properly.” Miss Agatha lifts the little girl, and after dressing the girl in her nightgown, she tucks her into her bed.

“Mr. Bell…” The girl mutters in her state of drowsiness. The maid tucked in Mr. Bell, Lady Seraphina’s most beloved stuffed companion. Miss Agatha sang a melodious lullaby to Lady Seraphina, as the girl slowly but surely was swept away by her slumber. The moonlight softly graces the pale, fair image of the girl’s eased face. The crack of the window illuminated across the face, the crack crossing over her right eye, befitting to be the perfect symbolism of the girl’s current condition, or so Miss Agatha considers. After ensuring that the little girl is asleep, Miss Agatha retires to her room.

Chapter 2 The Crimson Curse

The morning sun greets another day, Miss Agatha attends to her well-worn duties. Lady Seraphina rushed out of her bedroom and headed for the never-ending flight of the spiral staircase, but she was lifted by the hands beneath her arms and positioned on her feet steadily. Miss. Agatha’s eyes were of burning terror and concern for the little girl. Lady Seraphina was given an earful. After what seemed like hours of torturous lectures, which in actuality lasted for ten minutes, Miss Agatha guided Lady Seraphina back to her room. She dresses the little girl in a beautiful pastel green frock and a layer of soft, flowing frills. The sky-blue flowers embroidered on the white frills around the hem of the neck and puffed sleeves. The Blue sash with the images of a capsicum embroidered at the ends of the tails of the bow. Even the green ribbons that pinned back her lightly curled sky-blue hair were embroidered with capsicums. The embroidery was modest since it was Miss Agatha who embroidered the capsicums at Lady Seraphina’s request. No seamstress would dare embroider such peculiar fruit onto their intricate crafts. Finally, the maid seats the little girl onto a chair and fits the girl’s shoes onto their soles. Lady Seraphina hopped and eagerly grasped Miss Agatha’s palm and rushed down the winding flight of stairs.

Ultimately, after climbing down around three hundred steps, Miss Agatha was left panting desperately for air while Lady Seraphina rejoiced in the fresh air with renewed enthusiasm. The maid couldn’t help but wonder where this little girl derives her boundless vigor from. But her repose was short-lived lived had she had to hurry behind the girl who rushed to visit their botanical nook. The patch was rooted with numerous radiant flowers of varying colours, lavender, orchid purple, indigo petunia, and countless other beauties. But the lone exception was the patch of capsicums. Anyone would find the girl’s obsession with one of the most ill-regarded fruits peculiar, but Lady Seraphina stayed resolute in her choices, undeterred by the whispers of others. The little girl goes to grab one of the visually sumptuous, plump capsicums before she is startled by a smooth, husky voice. 

“Lady Seraphina, you’d rather await to harvest these capsicums; they still have a handful of days left for a fit harvest and attain a pleasing taste.”

“Sir Arthur, it’s unfavourable to creep on Lady Seraphina from the back. You have startled her. Your imposing figure does you no favour. Apologizing to the young lady would do you good if you would prefer not to receive her silent rebukes again.

The man chuckles and bends low, upon his knees, and apologizes to the teary-eyed little girl. “My apologies, Lady Seraphina. I’ll exercise greater caution and ensure not to creep on your back evermore”. The man then turns to face Miss Agatha. “Any reports from the main residence?”

“Afraid not. The schedule for this week is the usual.”

“You must jest. No word on Lady Seraphina’s birth ceremony? They possibly wouldn’t be considering to disregard it like the previous years. It’s been a decade since her birth?”

Miss Agatha’s head droops as she presents a soft nod. Sir Arthur sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, a stern look appearing on his face. Lady Seraphina recognized the look of disappointment on Sir Arthur’s face, having seen many such faces throughout her life. “It’s okay, I’m happy that Miss Agatha and Sir Arthur remember. I’m looking forward to the surprise prepared this year by both of you! But how long for the capsicums to be ready to feast! I can’t wait!”

Alas, their moment of tranquility couldn’t last as it was rudely interrupted by the unwelcomed noise of the galloping of a horse, with a Duke’s messenger mounted atop. Both the adults, the young, and the aged compose themselves, aligning their posture. Miss Agatha’s eyes glimmered with a bit of hope. Perhaps the Grand Duke acknowledges Lady Seraphina’s tenth birth ceremony? But her hope was extinguished as the messenger put forth the Duke’s mandate. It was related to the condition of the portion of the estate housed by Lady Seraphina, Miss Agatha, and Sir Arthur. Sir Arthur joined the discussion as a few of the topics concerned his skills as well. Both the adults were busied with the messenger, with nothing left to do, the little girl entertained herself by observing the buzzing of the bees around the garden patch. After a while, the girl's keen perception caught the presence of a vestige by a dilapidated wall. Through the hole in the huge towering wall, the girl notices a pair of pale white legs underneath a white gown; they seemed to belong to a woman before the legs seemed to dash deeper inside. Curiosity overtakes her better judgment, and she breaks the wine covering the hole and crawls through the hole and explores deeper. 

The world beyond the walls was gloomy. It seemed to be some sort of hedge maze of boxwood shrubs, but one could barely discern it due to the overgrown foliage. The girl wanders for a bit until she finally witnesses the figure of the woman in her entirety; she is beautiful. She was taller than an average woman, her sky-blue locks reminiscent of the pleasant morning skies, cascading down her soft, flowy jasmine white gown and rolling onto the floor, winding around her feet. Her skin was ever so pale, and her apparent frailty was revealed by her barely nourished limbs and sunken face. She was the embodiment of every ghostly folktale. But this didn’t scare the little girl. in turn, the girl felt a strange sense of ease and familiarity. The vestige abruptly turns away and begins to sprint. The girl feels that she would regret not having a word with this vestige and begins to pursue it. She maneuvered through the maze, slapping away the overgrown branches, scraping her in the process. The girl notices an opening and dashes out. She wipes her eyes and opens them to bear witness to a sight, a scene that could never be witnessed by the blue moon herself. By the ledge, with a large, caverned depression, was the sea of red roses. The view was breathtaking, and the girl was mesmerized. As she steps closer, the ground below her loosens and cracks. The girl slips and falls into the sea of red roses. As she falls, she hears strange whispers, but she can’t comprehend them due to her panicked state. She screams at the top of her lungs, after which follows a deep thud and utter silence.

Chapter 3 Where Roses Bleed

Lady Seraphina slips. She screams at the top of her lungs, trying her utmost capabilities to grab onto anything, but fails. She fell into the thick sea of roses, the thorn tearing through her skin, one of the thorns scratching a deep cut across her right eye, stretching from the cheekbone to her temple, rendering her eye shut. She hits the ground, the impact too much to bear, causing the girl to lose her conscious. The sky fades to a pleasant blend of orange, yellow, and purple. Hours have passed by. But by the grace of the almighty, Sir Arthur discovers the sea of red roses. he, too, was mesmerized by the sight of something he had never witnessed throughout his life. But he didn’t have time to marvel at the scenic view, he had to find the missing girl. Using his ability, Sir Arthur was able to sense Lady Seraphina’s wound. He slid down into the depression and slashed away the thorny roses, clearing his passage to the girl. The sight of the girl was gravely displeasing. Her clothes were tattered and hooked onto the thorns that surrounded her, her pale skin now dusted with the deep red of her blood. But such tares seem insignificant when compared to the deep cut across her face, a stream of dried-up blood flowed from her wound and down her cheek, her hair entangled with the rose stems, thorns, and petals. Her bleeding fist seemed to clench on the stem of a rose, discerning her agony.

Sir Arthur swiftly untangled her hair; he lifted the girl in his arms, and his arms trembled as his eyes turned red. His breathing becomes frantic. He hurries, dashing through the hedge maze, not caring about the branches that scrape him. He covers the girl’s face with his arms, taking upon himself all the scratches the girl would have experienced. Finally, he arrived at the outbuilding, which was Lady Seraphina’s residence. Miss Agatha, who was pacing back and forth, was praying for the safe return of Lady Seraphina. The trail dug into the ground by the maid’s back-and-forth pacing was the evidence of her genuine and distressed concern for the girl. Upon witnessing Lad Seraphina’s bloody and tattered clothes and the large apparent wound. Miss Agatha’s face turns ghostly pale, she dashes to Sir Arthur. Sir Arthur surrenders the girl to the maid’s trusted arms. Miss Agatha was trembling; she couldn’t steady herself.

“Lady Seraphina… oh no… it- it’s because I didn’t… ugh… I should have been more observant-”

“Miss Agatha! Lady Seraphina is in dire need of medical assistance! You need to tend to her with all haste! I’ll call for a physician from the main residence. Until our return, you must tend her to your utmost abilities.”

Miss Agatha swallowed her sorrow and sniffled. She shuts her eyes and opens them with a refined spirit. She nodded to Sir Arthur and carried Lady Seraphina’s limp body to a shed. Sir Arthur rides his horse to the main house. Miss Agatha took a damp cloth and wiped away the girl's wounds. She uses her ability to sterilize the wounds. She wipes away the girl's cold sweat, she mumbles prayers as she dresses the girl into a clean nightgown and bandages the wounds. She awaits the physician’s arrival. Finally, as the sun sets into the horizon, the physician arrives, seated behind Sir Arthur on his horse. The doctor gets off, frantically straightening his attire and collecting his apparatuses and briefcase of medicines attached to the saddle ties. He reopens the bandages one by one and applies some ointment. The sterilization was satisfactory, so he foregoes the sterilization step and bandages the wounds across the girl's body and bandages the girl's head and eyes, all the way from the top to her nose, just above the lips. Meanwhile, Miss Agatha prepares some porridge; she brings it in, and her hands are trembling to a great degree. Noticing the maid’s condition, the physician takes the porridge. He nods to Miss Agatha, he nods to Sir Arthur, and eyes him, hinting to him to assist the maid calm her nerves down as he carefully feeds the wounded girl. Finishing the porridge after a few minutes, he follows it with a few antibiotics to diminish the possibility of any infection inhabiting the girl’s wounds.

The sweating reduces, and her grunting steadies. after observing for a few hours and ensuring the girl's condition, the doctor bows to the maid and provides a few subscriptions. Sir Arthur rides the horse and leaves to drop the doctor off. Miss Agatha had herself seated on a chair beside Lady Seraphina.

Midnight creeps closer, the air shows no sign of halting its steady decrease in temperature. Miss Agatha is shaken awake by the little girl's screech. The girl was upright, clawing on the bandages over her head, wailing and shrieking about her pain, begging for relief as her voice gave away.

“My head! MY HEAD! It hurts! Please stop it… It’s horrid! I cannot breathe… It's too much…It’s about to BURST!” 

Lady Seraphina screeched, and Miss Agatha panicked; the maid could feel as if her heart had climbed up her chest and into her throat, now pounding in her neck. But the maid steadied herself and began loosening the bandages. But an astonishing sight was to behold. Lady Seraphina’s hair began to grow at a rapid rate. Another staggering fact was the deep red locks that began to root from the girl’s scalp. The natural sky blue was now growing out to the extension of the deep red curls. The girl grabbed onto the maid, her finger digging into the maid’s skin as she begged for respite. All at once, the girl freezes; her eyes roll back as she plops back onto the bed. Miss Agatha grabbed the girl's wrist and checked for a pulse. She felt a relief rushing over her as the girl’s pulse seemed steady. But the relief couldn’t wipe away the doubt; only a physician’s verdict could provide her the respite. Miss Agatha corrected the bandage around the girl's eyes. She observed the contrast on the girl's pale face, the girl seemed to be in a deep, peaceful slumber.

Chapter 4 Red Cascades

Dawn greets the land of Diamondharth estate. Miss Agatha busied herself drawing some water from the well to prepare some breakfast for the recovering girl. She hears the galloping of horses on the horizon, she estimates there to be around four horses, which means the presence of unexpected guests. It was Sir Arthur, followed by three cloaked men with masked faces. Miss Agatha studies the cloaked men. Upon noticing the silver pupils of the cloaked man in the center of the other two cloaked men, she kneels to the silver-eyed man. She recognizes the man as His Grace, Duke Diamondharth.

“Greetings to the esteemed Grace of Socialite, the precious gemstone of the Ignis Sidus Empire, Duke Edric Diamondhart. Your estate’s maid is pleased to be graced by your presence.”

The Duke nodded, his gaze falling onto the shed that houses Lady Seraphina, his daughter. He clicks his tongue. He whispers a few commands to his men. The men nod and charge toward the door of the shed. Miss Agatha knew that Lady Seraphina was in no condition to greet the Duke, reminiscing the grievance she witnessed late at night. She steps in frantically.

“I apologize for my unseemly conduct, but please refrain from having Lady Seraphina greet you on her foot; her body is too frail to manage its weight-”

The door of the shed creaks open unexpectedly. From the darkness of the shed greets the soft, elegant padding of one’s barefoot. Lady Seraphina gracefully stepped out. Her deep red locks cascade along the length of her body and roll loosely onto the ground, and the bandage around her eyes and forehead. With a swift motion, she bent one leg behind her, the delicate curve of her body moving with practiced grace. She lowered herself into a bow, her movements slow and deliberate, as if every gesture was part of an intricate dance. As she rose, her nightgown lifted ever so slightly, but it was done with such refinement that it seemed more a part of her poise than an action to be noticed. There was no rush, no haste — just the quiet elegance of her movement, fluid as water, a portrait of grace.

“Greetings to the esteemed Grace of Socialite, the precious gemstone of the Ignis Sidus Empire, Duke Edric Diamondharth. I, the first daughter of Duke Diamondharth, Seraphina Diamondharth, am pleased to be graced by your presence.”

The Duke finds Lady Seraphina's elegant behaviour amusing, while Sir Arthur finds it odd. But Miss Agatha, who took care of Lady Seraphina for years, found it unsettling. The way the girl walked, the way her limbs flowed, the voice, the tone, and especially the color of the lock of her hair. Her demeanor was altogether dissimilar. The maid couldn't help but ponder with unease whether the little girl before her, the first daughter of Duke Diamondharth, truly was Lady Seraphina. What she found even more peculiar was that the Duke did neither inquire nor hold in regard his daughter’s contrasting alteration in character. Well, indeed, the Duke may have no knowledge of her daughter’s prior demeanor, as he hadn’t concerned himself with being present for his daughter’s guidance throughout her youth. In truth, isn’t it the obligation of the parents to nurture their heir or employ prominent tutors to educate their offspring? Miss Agatha’s concern drifted over from Lady Seraphina’s contrasting demeanor to the reckless father known to be the Grand Duke of Diamondharth.

“I’m pleased to witness that my recluse, dim-witted daughter has attained some sort of… enlightenment over the decade. The socialite whispers regarding you appear to hold not just the literary sense but one’s visage as well. I must confess, I’m displeased to see that you haven’t inherited the beauty of the late Duchess, but… it seems you too favour your locks cascading past your foot just as she did… Pray tell, why do you conceal your morning sky like eyes behind the veil of your bandages? They are the finest imitation of the late Duchess' eyes…” 

Lady Seraphina dared not utter a word or stir a limb, rigid in her elegant bow. This amuses the Duke even further, and he glances at the two gentlemen who accompanied him. He raises his arm. “Acquiring a few conduct imitations from this girl would do you both good, nothing less I expect from the heir of the duke. You may raise and speak, little girl.”

Sir Arthur and Miss Agatha were repulsed by the Duke’s utterance. Alas, Miss Agatha couldn’t dare oppose the Duke as she was in danger of facing the consequences of her brashness, resulting in Lady Seraphin being afflicted with her grievous wounds. Lady Seraphina gently lowers her nightgown. She ever so gently raises her head, and a soft grin spreads across her rosy lips.

“I’m pleased to know that my visage has assisted you in recollecting a few of your fond memories. But I must plead, I request Your Grace to consider pardoning this maid, it was a blunder on my part, thus the maid holds no responsibility for the incident regarding my untimely accident. Pardon her from any repercussions mandated by the imperial law to punish one for the resultant harm against their employer. May your esteemed mercy be bestowed on this maid.”

The Duke bursts into hearty laughter, but he quickly composes and clears his throat. “It seems you are quick to gain my favour. Very well, I shall accept your request. The maid has been pardoned. I shall see myself back at my residence- it nearly slipped by my mind, the Marquis and his heir will be visiting my estate the morrow, so see to yourself that this… decrepit… residence of Lady Seraphina is refined to be at the bare minimum, pleasing…” 

Lady Seraphina bows her head, lays low, and her lengthy, deep red hair drifts to cover her visage. “Your wish is our command, Your Grace. I’ll see to it that my humble maid and botanical caretaker fulfill their duty to be at par with your expectations.”

The Duke wears a cunning grin of satisfaction. He raises his arm and orders his two men to accompany him back. As the Duke and his men disappear over the horizon, Miss Agatha and Sir Arthur rush to Lady Seraphina. Miss Agatha steps forward but pulls back in an instant. She was trembling, her palms were wet with her disoriented sweat. Her eyes focused on Lady Seraphina’s bandaged eyes as the girl looked up to her. Meanwhile, Sir Arthur retreats as he reconsiders and determines to give the two some space to discuss this utterly bizarre, incomprehensible, and enraging event. Instead, Sir Arthur moves to repair the residence, preparing to greet the guests of morrow. Lady Seraphina tilts her head softly and smiles at the maid.“Miss Agatha, it seems we have a great deal on our plates to be discussed. Let’s discuss over a cup of tea inside the shed, as I’m afraid my body can no longer support itself… I’d like some assistance…”

Miss Agatha nods in agreement. She supports the girl as they head back into the shed.

… To be continued

By Mirza Qanitullah Baig