A Tale of Shadows - THE OUTDATED VERSION

Chapter 14 - The Second Vision

Viola spent her first days in the palace with as much tranquillity as she could. After all, she got a nice bed with thick bedsheets to sleep in; meals with a significant variety of content each day; the right to go to the study of the palace, a place with many books if a new vision appeared in her mind; a person she could talk with concerning her problems whenever he was not busy doing his duties at the Obscurian prince and a ginormous backyard full of magnificent flowers that would be a great place to host a tea party at. The things that worried her before still worried her, but she tried not to think of them as much as she was used to. Everything was at least moderately great, which would soon be ruined on a rainy morning that in the beginning seemed like any other.

She woke up to the absolute silence that was always awaiting her in the bedroom she had. Unable to see anything but faint traces of her new surroundings, she struggled to keep her eyes open. This was a temptation she was forced to face almost every morning, thanks to the bed being too comfortable for her own good. However, she never complained. Sleeping in a bed of pleasure was better than sleeping in a bed of nails.

The moment she saw a fire was the moment she wanted to scream, even though the wall clock was telling her that it was five in the morning. She made herself bite her own tongue so she would not perturb the dreams of anyone who was residing near her. Even though she watched the vision unfold right in front of her eyes without the capability to ponder anything else, her emotions would not halt so easily, not for a single second. 

She heard the screams of countless innocent people and the roasting of the enormous fire as it devoured houses and trees and several bystanders as well faster than she could take a breath. The blood within her veins flowed like a rapid waterfall. It consumed her skin, making it freeze and shiver all at once, doing so to the point of insanity. Her heart beat and beat and beat, resembling a clock that ticked every second, and every time it did, it echoed through the room, disturbing one's musings.

Still, she wanted to see more. The vision pained her immensely, but she knew that she had to sacrifice herself if she truly endeavoured to help protect her realm. She squinted her eyes to observe the rest of the picture, but it faded away in the snap of a finger. 

"I have to notify Douglas when he comes," Viola said to herself, staring at the wall clock, knowing fully well that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again.

***

"Good morning, Madam Jenkins. I hope you slept nicely last night," Douglas smiled as he opened the door. 

His smile vanished after he had done so, leaving him stunned not only because he noticed that she was already fully awake, but also because she was looking at the wall in front of herself like a rock statue, hiding something that he couldn't even imagine in her mind.

"What is it that you have to tell me?" he asked quietly once he sat next to her, on the edge of her bed.

"I have had a second vision but three hours ago," she responded to him in a solemn voice after turning to face him.

His mouth formed a small circle. "Oh. What could it be?"

She gritted her teeth, sinking her nails into his shoulders. "I have seen a plain near a forest turn to ash. I have seen men, women and children alike become minced meat. I have heard their deafening screams as they went to die, only some of them surviving the incident. I don't know what the place was, who the victims were, nor what caused the tragedy, for the vision ended abruptly. I am sorry for disturbing your peace, my Prince."

He smiled. "It's alright. Perhaps none of your visions are true. We would all be glad if that were the case. Even if it's not, we will solve the problem. That's what we have Maria and the council for. In fact, I will organize a meeting with the council in a few hours. They will understand, as it is clearly an emergency."