In the follow up book “Queen of the Damned” Nothing much was said about Mael, but he and Marius were reunited again. The terms of their chance meeting were far from ideal, nor did their meeting give me any indication of their pent up hatred, anger or as we have tagged our lovely Druid a myriad of times, bitter-resentment.

It all came rushing back to me when my long slender fingers gripped the spine of “Blood and Gold” I knew my Mael would be in there, I knew he would grace the pages of yet another book and maybe, just maybe I would get the opportunity to gain an understanding of him that much more. In addition, it just so happens that I think I have, allow me to ramble on but a bit more to get my point out about my beloved Mael.

Mael was sent out by the ‘God of the Grove’, to find a strong man, who was sharp of wit and educated. Mael, a Druid of that grove was given this task. Being a loyal man to his god and to his people, he went out in search of this long sought after prize. The reason for this was the terrible catastrophe that fell upon many blood drinkers’ world wide, or gods depending if they in fact had been put in the oak like Avicus and the Burnt One of Mael’s grove.

Mael searched and searched until he happened upon a tavern where in our eternal Roman was sitting scribbling away on parchment, his eyes washing over the patrons of the tavern, he drank up every detail about them. His eyes fell on the shadowy figure of Mael who seemed to Marius to be a monster of a man. Tall and well muscled, no doubt in the mind of Marius that this man was one of the Keltoi, his mother’s people. This sent him into a mad fit of writing; he did not want to miss a thing. His utter fascination with the stranger drew the two together. After a very short conversation and Mael left the tavern, not knowing what lay in wait just outside the door for him. His destiny. His servants had been sent away for the night so he was alone, defenceless. When he left, the tavern he was hit from behind, his world went black.

Thus began Marius’s anger. He was stolen by a group of men to under go something he could not understand, his mind could not get around the mere thought of it. After all, he was a man of the world, a true Augustan, Pandora named him. He was stolen from his life, his love, his family. He grew despondent and angry; he tried in vain to get set free. The Druids would have none of it.

Now, as I remember the story Marius told to Lestat I could see and feel in his words when he spoke of Mael, he did it with anger, bitterness and unbelievably love. Yes love. I could see that as he spoke about the many days Mael spent teaching Marius what he needed to know, from songs to oral history concerning the Grove and its’ people. Mael would have set him free I know that and I think Marius knows it too, but he couldn’t his sense of duty held him fast, he bent to the will of his ‘god’ and to that of his people. He painted the silent suffering of Mael with his words, which we drank up with every page. You could see the sorrow and feel the pain that Mael experienced during all of this, I know Marius has not forgotten that because he detailed that part of his past so richly.

Marius was put in the Oak with the ‘God of the Grove’ and there within the living tree Marius was transformed into a blood drinker. Forever detached from his mortal life. Which he blames on Mael. The blood was given and taken give and taken repeatedly, he was brought to the brink of nirvana then left crumpled on the floor in a weeping heap. His maker urged him not to drink too much when the time came for him to enjoy the feast. He was to flee and go to Egypt, to see why this had befallen them. He heard the screams of the dying, he, the “god.” Would never leave the grove. They would destroy him after he was made. Marius was let out of the Oak and taken to a dais of sorts where his gluttonous feeding was too begin. The blood of the evil doer ran through his veins. He knew the time would come when he had to leave, and after a brief struggle with the Druids who would force him into the Oak, he managed to get free and run. He took to the trees leaving screams and shouts behind him that slowly died as he ran further away. He slept in the soil then rose from the womb of the earth, he went out in search of his first meal, and one he hunted for then went into Egypt.

That began Mael’s anger. He who was raised on tradition, he who was a loyal Druid to his god and to his grove, was utterly dismayed at the flight of Marius, but surely, he knew this would be tried by Marius. I believe he wanted Marius to get away. They did search for him but never found him. Mael was chosen to take his place. Their ‘god’ was dead so Mael had to travel far to another grove, where in he meet Avicus, his maker and companion for at least two centuries if not more. It was here that I understood Mael’s anger and partial resentment. He had given Marius a great opportunity, even if he did want Marius to get away, which is purely my own speculation no one else’s, there was a sense of duty and tradition to up hold. Willing or not Marius was obligated to fulfill this to the people, to the Druids.

Speculating as to the time they had been apart I will say two hundred years or more passed before Marius and Mael would see each other again, with Avicus. It was an interesting thing to read. The hate and resentment took hold of them both as their words became heated in Marius’s home, he did try to make peace with Mael, while Avicus did his best to calm the old Druid. Both of them had held within them a pent up rage that was self-destructing. They quarrelled relentlessly; Mael even went as far as to try to attack Marius in his own home, even after Marius offered them whatever they might have needed. They looked like spectors walking the barest fringe of humanity, dirty and in tattered clothing. This I could see distressed our Eternal Roman. Even when I knew he hated Mael and that would never change, or so he was telling us, he cared enough for both of them to help them in anyway he could. This rejection served to fuel the fires these two have felt still.

After a time Avicus came to Marius seeking his help, for Mael. Moreover, it was only for Avicus that Marius agreed to help. Avicus and my beloved Mael had seen an unfortunate battle with some Roman legionnaires; Mael was in a sorry state. His arm and head were in an awkward position and had to be re-attached. Marius disgusted by all this mused on the fact that neither of them seemed to understand the strength they possessed. Marius did as he said he would and helped Mael, and in a strange turn of events, he allowed Mael to feed from him. This gave Mael an understanding he could not fathom. He learned that night of Marius’s secret about the Divine Parents. This sent him into a rage and he demanded to see them, Avicus was curious as well. So, after careful consideration and loud arguments Marius was persuaded to allow them a look. Mael went down on his knees praising the Queen, whom he thought to be a Goddess. Mael surely would have died that night if not for Marius. He saved the Druid’s life; Enkil was going to destroy him for drinking from his eternal wife, his companion. Marius got them away and straightened the clothing of the royal pair, spoke to them but briefly then left.

Now around this time, they had been seeing more of each other, and do to despair and loss of his Rome, Marius fell into his first slumber. Avicus and Mael were beside themselves and did what they could to rouse him from his sleep, he would come too then slip away into sleep again, this continued for nearly a century. They went on to Constantinople, bought a house, had a chamber made under the house to keep the Divine Parents in. They lived a happy existence, no hint of the malice felt between Mael and Marius existed, and they were all companions. Even as Eudoxia came into their lives and threatened to kill Marius to get the Divine Parents back, they stuck together and explored their gifts, which the woman, Eudoxia had already displayed. He wanted them to be prepared. Needless to say she died and good riddance, I did not like her anyway I think she was insane.

Marius then left Mael and Avicus with Zenobia, one of Eudoxia’s pet immortals. It was shortly after that that Avicus left Mael and went off with that child-woman, abandoning him to the whims off a beguiling child. That gave birth to an even deeper resentment and bitterness within the spirit of my lovely Druid. It caused me some sorrow, let us face it when we read we are wrapped up in the words on paper, it has happened to us all so do not think I am going crazy. I understood and knew his pain, everyone left him. No one stayed with him for long if ever so he retreated into his own silence, his bitter silence that has left him with nothing more than that.

I do think that deep down, hidden under layers of anger and hurt he would welcome those he loves and cherishes into his life, he would keep them with him. He would tell them he loved them, only he is holding himself back. He does resent Marius, and in a way, I can see why. Everyone is drawn to him, and I mean everyone even Thorne, the slayer of Santino was drawn to him. Those he cares about have left him repeatedly, some of them drawn to Marius. It tears him apart that they do not seem to want him as he wants them, so now all they are left with is empty bitter Mael. It is a shame really. Moreover, if I could I would knock Marius and Mael’s heads together and make them listen to reason. Each of them must know and understand what drove them to hate and loath one another. How could they not, when you get right down to the base of both of their claims of hate, they are both the same. Their reasoning is different but the sentiment is the same.

This brings me to my conclusion. They love each other though they cannot admit it, and will not admit it. It is a very human man like quality or flaw however, you wish to see it. In the simplest terms possible, they are too stubborn to admit how they truly deeply feel. Out of fear, perhaps I do not know on that I cannot say for sure. I just know, no, hope that one day those two will finally get it straight, after two thousand years I think they should.

This is the end of my rambling, feel free to email me with comments; I may even post a few of them, who knows.