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morenaclavery · 7 months ago

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The Wild Girl and the Truth Untold | one shot

• crossover with The Wild Girl / The Secret Gospel of Mary Magdalene, by Michèle Roberts Summary: Domitilla Flores is a historian whose research is focused on ancient manuscripts. Her recent investigation revolves around Bible Gospels — most precisely, the supposed existence of Mary Magdalene’s Gospel — and women’s participation in primitive Christianity. Her research put her in contact with Professor Robert Langdon, a famous symbologist, and, consequently, with Sophie Neveu, a cryptologist who is intimately connected to Mary Magdalene’s story. Pairing: Jesus x Mary Magdalene (mentioned) Word count: 1,9k Content warnings: none Author’s note: This fanfiction was written in 2022 as a final evaluation for my English Literature III class in the Letters Teaching Degree at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil. Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Therefore, all names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is purely coincidental. Warning: Plagiarism is a crime! Any reproduction, whether partial or complete, is prohibited without the author’s prior authorization. The characters and the universe hereby presented belong to Dan Brown, Michèle Roberts and the producers of the film’s adaptation; however, Domitilla Flores is a creation of mine, and the story plot is of original content and protected by copyright.

» NAVIGATION | MASTERLIST

Rosslyn Chapel, Roslin (Scotland) – 10:15 pm

It has been a few hours since the sun has set in the west and the sky was taken by a deep, dark blue that was sprinkled by sparse, glowing stars and a barely seen new moon. There was a soft breeze in the air, although it was freezing cold that night. Hidden under a warm coat and a hood that covered her face almost entirely, Domitilla Flores walked with tense but firm steps toward one of the most known chapels of Edinburgh. The Rosslyn Chapel had appeared in some of her research papers, but nothing convinced her about its true relevance until that meeting with Professor Langdon a couple of weeks ago. That had changed everything and gave her new hopes.

‘Are you sure that’s the place where I’ll find the answers I’m looking for?’ Domitilla asked Professor Langdon as she took a sip of her tea. He had been adamant that their confabulation must occur in person and decided on a small café close to Harvard University, where he teaches History of Art and Symbology. According to him, she was messing up with an ancient story that many would kill to keep in the shadows. At first, she took it as a jest, but believed in its seriousness as he told her about a case he assisted in France, where he found himself running away from attacks by the Opus Dei.

‘Yes. I already reached out for Sophie Neveu and she agreed to help you. She’s a cryptologist and is very interested in your research.’ Robert replied casually and Domitilla frowned.

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘It will be better if she explains that herself. You can trust her.’ Even with Professor Langdon’s voucher, she was suspicious of this mystery woman, but decided to trust her colleague and accepted the card he offered her with Neveu’s contact information.

And that is how she found herself in a different country, climbing the stone steps of that historic chapel in the middle of a cold night. As she knocked on the wooden door, it was just a moment until a female face greeted her. ‘Domitilla Flores?’ At her affirmative nod, she was prompted to quickly enter the sacred building.

‘I must confess that I was quite anxious for your arrival ever since Robert called me about your research! I’m Sophie Neveu, by the way.’ Domitilla noticed the first-name basis, but did not comment on that.

‘I could say the same’, she replied a little unsure. ‘Professor Langdon said you’re interested in my research, but I failed to understand it… people usually find it a heresy, not an excitement.’

‘Oh, I’m sure Robert was quite cryptic when talking about me!’ Sophie replied with a smile. ‘He’s into the secret now, but you’ll get it when you see it first-hand. Let’s get into the library and I’ll explain everything to you.’

They walked in silence along the stone path, softly illuminated by the decorated stained-glass on the high windows and the spare lamps that resembled ancient torches, until they reached a door hidden behind the altar.

‘Really?!’ Domitilla expressed her suspicious in a whisper-shout. ‘The library is behind the altar? Through a door that no one can normally see?’

‘Shh… be quiet!’ It was Sophie’s answer. ‘Just trust and follow me.’

And so she followed the cryptologist down a circular stair of stones into the underground of the chapel. The pathway was narrow and irregular, until they reached a small hallway illuminated by the same exquisite lamp-torches. Right in front of the stairs was a wooden door — it seemed old, but incredibly sturdy at the same time. Sophie used five large keys to unlock it. With a smug smile on her face, she prompted Domitilla to enter first, which she did with a raised eyebrow.

The chamber inside was not large, but it was not small, either. The walls were made of shelves in which were placed books and an incredible number of rolls — which Domitilla soon discovered them to be parchments and papyri. In the centre, there was a wooden table stacked with old papers and books. The room as a whole smelled old and, as a historian, Domitilla could not have been happier.

‘Welcome to the secret library of the Priori of Sion’, said Sophie with pride in her voice.

Domitilla, who was admiring the underground room, was taken by surprise. ‘What?! Do you mean… the Priori of Sion? How do you have access to it? And how am I allowed down here?’

The Priori of Sion is an ancient organization that had been keeping the secrets regarding the Holy Grail. Domitilla Flores came upon that name through her research but could never find anything concrete about them. Just rumours and a great amount of mystery. Her shock at been standing inside their most precious archive was quite understandable.

‘Well… my brother would certainly disapprove of this,’ Sophie started to explain, ‘but you’re allowed in here because currently I’m the safeguard of the library. As I’m sure you’ll find out very soon, I’m deeply related to the Priori of Sion’s mission, and — therefore — very interested in your findings and its publication.’

‘I’m quite confused, now… shouldn’t you be keeping all of this in secret, then?’ Domitilla asked.

‘Until this very moment, all of this has been kept hidden away in secret and it almost got Robert and I killed. I think it’s time for the world to know the truth untold by the Church.’ Walking around the table, Sophie pointed towards two blocks of paper. ‘Look at these. I’m sure it will spark your interest.’

Coming to a stop beside Sophie, Domitilla took one of the books in her hands and shifted through its pages carefully, as it was ancient. Shouldn’t I be using some gloves for this? It was her immediate thought, but it vanished as soon as she noticed the title at the first page. ‘The Secret Gospel of Mary Magdalene?! Is this even true? Did she really write this?’

‘She did’, Sophie answered in a soft tone, full of admiration. ‘But, of course, Simon Peter founded his precious Church without including her witness in the official New Testament, which is quite a blasphemy. The irony of this!’ Sophie’s anger could be felt in the air and in her voice. ‘In the other one you’ll find her late diary — her memories and experiences after the death of Jesus, most precisely. And the start of the Priori, although it was named only years later.’

‘This is incredible!’ Domitilla was fascinated by Mary Magdalene’s writings and all the repercussions that would come with their revelation. ‘Are you sure I can use these on my research?’

‘Yes, please! It’s a great burden to guard all of this in secret’, Sophie said as she gestured around the library. ‘Just don’t reveal any recent names… as bold as I am to release all this knowledge to the world, I’m still not ready to die’, she continued cryptically. ‘And I’m certain that there are still some other secret organizations ready to finish my lineage.’

‘Your lineage?’ Domitilla asked, confused for a second. ‘Oh. My. God! You’re a descendant from Mary Magdalene?! And from Jesus?!’ She was amazed by that discovery and felt very honoured now that she knew the truth. ‘Wow… don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Well, part of it, at least!’

Domitilla sat on the chair by the table and rummaged through the ancient pages, taking notes in her small notebook and taking pictures of important passages with her cell phone. She even found a well-kept family tree — it started with the names of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, followed by their only child, Deborah, passing through the Merovingian kings, until they stopped with the names of Sophie Neveu and her brother.

Throughout the next hours, Sophie helped Domitilla to gather all the necessary information needed for her academic work, even though she made sure to welcome her into the library another time, if needed.

It was breaking dawn when Domitilla finally left the Rosslyn Chapel.

The Original Rosslyn Inn, Roslin (Scotland) – 3:27 pm

After a warm shower, a snack, and a few hours of sleep, Domitilla Flores finally sat in front of her laptop to transfer her data to a secure platform and start putting her research findings into an organized and readable text. As promised, she left Sophie and her close family members’ names out of her paper, but mentioned Deborah, which was Jesus and Mary Magdalene’s only daughter, and a few more people that she found important to the story. Even though there was an entire chapter to the story of Mary Magdalene and her relationship with Jesus, which culminated in the creation of the Priori of Sion, there was also a chapter regarding the changes Simon Peter did to the Church. As Mary Magdalene’s witness — and disregarded gospel — could prove, there was a wish from Jesus to include women actively into the faith, something that was erased from the New Testament Scriptures and the Church as we know it when Simon Peter took the lead after the Lord’s sacrifice.

In the following weeks, Domitilla travelled to France, where she decided to finish her manuscript and take pictures of a few landscapes that could be incorporated in her publication, since her research mentioned Mary Magdalene’s journey to the country. One particularly image that she added was the front of the Musée du Louvre, focusing on the giant pyramid — it was a secret allusion to the inverted one and what lies underneath: the tomb of Mary Magdalene.

Carrousel du Louvre, Paris (France) – 6:45 pm

Six weeks had passed since Domitilla Flores met Sophie Neveu, and the final version of the manuscript was completed, at last. The historian was careful enough to erase any data from her cell phone and laptop, leaving the research in a safe and cryptographed platform. There were a few copies that she sent to Sophie and to Robert Langdon, just to be sure that it would not be misplaced. It was rightfully named as The Wild Girl and the Truth Untold.

Feeling like her purpose was accomplished, Domitilla left the hotel for one last walk through Paris, which led her towards the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping mall where the inverted glass pyramid could be found. It was near to the closing time, so there were few people around the lobby, which made it easier for the historian to kneel before the small stone pyramid situated right below the inverted one.

‘Thank you’, she said in a soft tone so nobody else could hear her words. ‘You fought for us in your time, even though no one would listen to your pleas. But now the world will finally be aware of your story — your true story.’

With a final measure, Domitilla concluded her visit to Mary Magdalene’s secret tomb and left the small shopping mall. Her heels echoed on the floor at every confident step, resounding the certainty that she had done what was right in memory of Mary Magdalene and for all women out there around the globe.

As she walked down the streets of Paris, admiring the view one last time before going to the airport to travel back to the United States of America, she did not notice the mysterious figure that silently followed her steps, all cladded in black.

•

Hello, friends! 💖 I hope you liked this story as much as I did in writing it, as it is about a theme that I do not usually write — or even read — about. It was, however, quite interesting and fun to mix these two fandoms! Please, let me know all your thoughts about it! Acknowledgements: A very grateful thanks to my English Literature III Professor, for giving me the opportunity to read texts that I usually wouldn’t choose for myself. I really loved to read them! And a warm thanks to you, who took the time to read my story.

#morena clavery fanfiction #fanfiction #da vinci code #dan brown #the wild girl #the secret gospel of mary magdalene #michele roberts #jesus x mary magdalene #jesus #mary magdalene #church history au

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