A spiritual quest for treasure : A novel by Sophia Ovidne
(republished in 2025)
Overview
Legend has it that Britain’s King Arthur will one day return and rediscover the Holy Grail which has lain hidden for centuries. So, when Marianne unearths cryptic clues that seem to point to the Grail’s whereabouts, she’s intrigued by the mysterious Dominic who is so adept at solving the clues, and who seems to know so much about Arthur.
Together they follow the strange Treasure Trail, their quest for clues taking them along an ancient pilgrim route through the heart of the English countryside and to Britain’s foremost historical and sacred sites.
However, Marianne finds more than she imagined as her increasingly fascinating guide beguiles her with tales of his past lives back to the time of Jesus Christ, relates to her the laws of metaphysics, encourages her to listen to the whisperings of her soul and teaches her there is no such thing as coincidence. Through his soul-searching lessons, she learns how to change her life.
But it is only when she begins to love that Marianne truly understands the wisdom of her mystical mentor and finally finds the treasure she has been seeking.
Excerpt from ‘The Celestial Crossroads’
“There is no such thing as luck, or fate, or coincidence.
You create your experiences in tune with your innermost thoughts.”
Dom passed me the sandwiches, and I tore my eyes away from the view of Shirburn Castle and took a couple for my plate. “Thanks. You know it was really great of you to get this picnic together. You must have known we’d hit a brick wall with that last clue and would end up sitting on this hill.”
The usual inscrutable smile appeared on his face. He probably had known. I was becoming surer with each passing minute that he could foretell the future, like early this morning when I had told him about my brilliant discovery of the solution to the graveyard clue. He had given me that same kind of smile, as if he’d known the answer all along, but was pleased that I’d got it right.
However, even Dom seemed to be stumped by the lack of a clue as to our next destination on this Treasure Trail. Earlier, we had driven to what we presumed was the entrance to Shirburn Castle. There were no signs, and it began to look as if this wasn’t a place open to the public.
A gardener was mowing the grass verge as we parked the car opposite a crenellated archway of what appeared to be a gatehouse. I got out of the car.
“Excuse me,” I asked the man, who was carefully avoiding eye contact with me. “Can you tell us if this is Shirburn Castle?”
“’Tis, ma’am, but it’s a private estate. No visitors allowed.”
“Oh, no!” I cried in disappointment. Now there was no chance we could poke around trying to find answers to our cryptic verse.
“The nursery’s open, though,” he offered in compensation.
“It was really Shirburn Castle we wanted to see.”
“Sorry, ma’am. I’ve got me strict instructions—no sightseers. It’s private, y’see.”
“Yes, I understand. We wouldn’t want to get you into trouble. Thank you anyway.”
I returned to Dom. “What do we do now? Obviously, at the time the clue was written, this place was open to the public.”
Dom put his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. The universe will guide us.” He pointed to the top of a nearby hill. “Let’s not waste the day, it’s too beautiful. Shall we take a drive?”
I nodded, and regretfully turned away from the castle, wondering what secrets might still be hidden within its ancient walls.
Dom drove away, following a narrow lane bordered by a long terrace of tiny old cottages. Arriving at a crossroads, the signpost showed we were turning into the track of the Icknield Way. Finally, we reached the pretty, wooded slopes of Shirburn Hill.
Now, I was lying back on the short grass with my hands behind my head, soaking up the early summer sun. It was a glorious day, and I didn’t really care too much that we weren’t treasure seeking.
Dom studied me in my prone position. “You seem relaxed. It is good to see you this way for a change.”
“Why? Am I usually a nervous wreck?”
“No, not nervous but certainly intense. Are you like that at work also?”
I shrugged. “I suppose so. I work hard and long and always like to do a good, professional job.”
“Do you like your work in computers? It’s a field I know nothing about, but it sounds exciting.”
“Oh, it has its moments. I used to like it a lot more when I was only programming. Nowadays, I do a lot of analysis work and project management that gets me down sometimes. There’re always so many problems and irritating people, and the office politics have to be seen to be believed. It just seems as if everyone puts as many obstacles in your way as they can, instead of all pulling together to get the job done.”
“There is a magic word that will change all this for you.”
I sat upright and stared at him. “There is?”
“Yes, do you know what it is?”
“If I did I wouldn’t be sitting here complaining, would I?”
He laughed. “No, and that is why I am here to teach you. Now, go on, try to guess what the word is.”
“Oh God, it could be anything.”
Dom gave me a look that said I’d better try, or else.
“Abracadabra?” I fell about laughing at my own joke.
“It’s good that you have a sense of humour, but this is a serious matter. This one word can change your life, and that’s what you want to do, don’t you?”
Immediately, I sobered up. It was what I wanted more than anything. “Do I know the word?”
“Yes, you know the word very well, but you do not understand how it affects your life in such a great way.”
“Don’t make me do that intuition thing again,” I pleaded with him. “We’ll be here all night.”
‘I will tell you then. I have many things to teach you today besides this.”
“And we’ve still got to find the next clue,” I reminded him.
He ignored me. “The word, Marianne, is attitude.”
I looked at him blankly. “Attitude?”
“Yes,” he said, reaching for the bottle of mineral water and pouring some into the crystal glasses he had brought on the picnic. He was stylish, even if profoundly know-it-all at times.
“Your attitude acts like a magnet for life’s experiences. If your attitude is good, you will attract good experiences. If your attitude is bad, then you will attract bad experiences. And when a bad experience happens, you will find yourself saying, ‘There, you see, I told you life always treats me unfairly’, and this reinforces your poor attitude again.”
Available from all good bookstores from December 2025.
