A Tale of Shadows - THE OUTDATED VERSION

Chapter 8 - The Royal Palace

Viola had just woken up when noon came that day. The first thing she did was yawn and stretch her arms. For a few seconds, she was so sleepy that she sat around and did nothing and couldn't even find thought to think.

The sun lovingly illuminated the eerily white walls of her bedroom, which weren't just white, but also had light blue, yellow and pink flower patterns. The curtains were so transparent that they almost had no colour at all, and they too had those flower patterns on them.

In the middle of the room, there was an oval carpet. It was white and full of pink circles. In front of two pictureless walls, there were giant wardrobes made of birch. There was only one other wall that had no pictures on it, and that was the wall with the brown door, which was made of oak. The wall on the opposite side of the door contained a picture that was placed vertically. On the picture was a lustrous apple green as the summer grass, inviting the person who looked at it to bite it and taste it fully between their lips.

At the left side of Viola's small bed was a night table. There was a candle that had been melting for a while and which would soon become but a puddle of worthlessness. Viola gave the candle one last look before that could happen, but she didn't care much. After all, it was just a candle.

Then, someone knocked on her door. A smile appeared on her face immediately. She was a very lonely person, but she had a couple of friends who she liked to gossip with about anything relevant at the moment, so she understandably thought that it was one of them who wanted to visit her. However, even though the person had a face that she knew really well, it wasn't a person whom she was expecting.

It was Maria, who was wearing a dress that reminded her of all the hyacinths she enjoyed picking from random meadows when she was an adolescent girl, when fate was kinder, even though it wasn't kind even then. History recalled no times when fate was kind.

"Viola... Through the use of my powers, I have discovered the prophecy you made. You must do something about it!" Maria shouted at her with all the concern in her soul. Her brown eyes were wide, looking as if they were made of glass, or at least as if they could be shattered that easily. Her face was so pale that it sent a shiver upon Viola's spine once she saw it. She sighed as she regained her normal state, for she was now involved in a conflict she tried so hard to avoid.

"But what can I do? I would be nothing more than an average individual if the ability to gaze into the future wasn't common in my bloodline."

Maria smiled. "I will send you off to the Obscurian council. You will further discuss matters with them there."

Viola blinked twice in confusion. She wondered how a living being could be as calm as Maria was in that situation, especially when she considered the fact that Maria herself appeared to be overwhelmed moments ago. Still, she smiled back at her.

"Thank you, Madam Thorne. You always know what to do," she told her, and they shook hands.

"You too are an admirable woman. Now go, go and prepare for the future that is awaiting you!"

Viola's eyes filled with tears she didn't know could show up that quickly. She tried to hold them back as much as possible, yet two waterfalls soon formed, engulfing her face like an evil that jumped out of nowhere. She went inside to pack her things and bid her new home that she had just gotten a permanent farewell, not noticing that Maria was smirking behind her.

***

Viola was soon sent off to the Obscurian royal palace, the location where she had expected the council to be. As she approached the inside of it, she couldn't help but gaze at what was already in front of her. With marble walls that were whiter than snow, it stood tall amidst the ongoing storm. She couldn't be mad at Maria for sending her there during such bad weather because she knew just how urgent the situation was. After all, she had barely walked, and there was no chance of her getting soaked. Through the arch windows that had black edges, candlelights were shining. They promised a warm and welcoming time, if slightly stressful, but her mind was telling her that it couldn't be that way.