Moniqua and the Pope

Pope Matthew had his powers and his visions. Though his magic did not originate from divinity, it was still very strong. Strong enough for him to get everything he deserved.

And he knew.

He knew of the arrival of new holy power; holy beings genuinely blessed by the Goddess. He had seen two sets of eyes. He could not see their faces, what kind of powers they possessed, who they were or why they suddenly came now. 

All he knew is that they would cause him problems. Those piercing green and blue eyes which flashed with vexation. Vexation directed towards him.

Within his dreams, he always sought for clues of what detractors he may be facing. He could sense the hostility that Kartara and her chosen ones had for him.

The statue of Kartara had not shed tears prior to their arrival, which could only mean that the Goddess had sent them discreetly to destroy him.

He did not know how much they knew of him. They appeared a bit wary, but what did that mean? Did they already have clues? Is that why they showed up with their dead mother's detailed drawings of the inner layout of the Cathedral?

He never knew Moniqua had drawn out everything he had told her and left it with her children. Back then he had trusted her to help him take control over everything. He had been open with her and shared his extensive knowledge. Her hunger for it had greatly impressed him.

The Cromwells had long since become flimsy. They didn't even possess magic anymore. Hadn't done so for hundreds of years. What right did they think they still had to sit on the throne?

He had immense magical prowess. The position of Emperor should be his! Not just for Elysium, but for all regions of the continent! He wanted complete authority.

And he had singled out Lady Moniqua for her beauty and intelligence. He had wanted her to become his Empress once he got rid of the Cromwells. It was a long, detailed and bloody plan. One that was in operation for nearly 20 years now.

Unfortunately, Moniqua refused to discard her pesky morality and simply seek power the way he did. She went on to marry that fool, stopped being helpful to him and ultimately decided to become an enemy.

She had entered the hidden archives after stealing the key and discovered a further mystery underneath. Something he could not allow her to figure out since she was no longer loyal to him. He knew it would only be a matter of time before she put the pieces together.

The woman was simply too smart!

He did not want to have to kill her, but he had no choice. He did it as discreetly as he could, utilizing the jealousy and greed of another woman. A stupid woman, who nearly killed Moniqua's daughter and gave herself away.

Fortunately, the execution was successful and no one was the wiser. Especially, not that useless Grand Duke who claimed to love her so much but didn't even bother trying to figure things out. His gullible mind, combined with the explanation given by the palace officials and Tyren's further manipulations resulted in him pinning Moniqua's death on his daughter alone.

To this day, the idiot still didn't know he married his wife's killer. The one who tipped the poison into Moniqua's drink. And then sent someone to break her neck to make it appear as if she had taken a bad tumble down the stairs. After all, her clumsy daughter didn't watch where she was going.

The thought of that man's broken home greatly amused Matthew.

Stepping into his bathtub, he began to plan his next course of action.

Those two are definitely going to try and break into my archive. Even after having left behind evidence of their intentions, I'm certain the plan is still the same. They have become suspicious the way Moniqua did.

Very well, then. Step into my web little flies. You have no idea what I can do to you.