Child of Fate

Prologue

Steps echoed through the great halls as a figure made her way to her goal. One would describe her as elegant, regal, looking at not only the way she was dressed, but even the way she walked. Many gazes followed the well known lady, but not a single word was uttered and no sound other than that echoing sound of those rhythmic footsteps could be heard.

As the figure approached her destination, she slowed down, coming to a stop once she stood in front of a beautifully crafted gate, made of the forest's finest wood and adorned with the mines' finest metals. Standing over twenty feet tall, it was all that seperated her from the throne room beyond it.

"I have come to seek an audience with the King," She spoke to the men guarding the gate, her gaze not moving from the barrier blocking her way. "I assume we can skip the formal introductions and get straight to it without a problem. Or am I mistaken?"

Without hesitation the guards stood up straight with their silver adorned spears held close to their gold adorned chests. "Of course, my Lady!" They both spoke loud and clear, sweat pouring from their foreheads as their nerves rose. "Open the gate!" One shouted to the men on the other side.

Slowly, the massive barrier opened to reveal the room behind. A red carpet lined with gold led through the hall, all the way up the throne upon which sat the King, a wise man of considerable age, but in no way weak, as he gazed across the throne room right back at his audience. "Lulona.." He muttered.

"It's been quite some time, Father," The lady spoke, her eyes locked into the king's. She stepped forward with one foot. "Fourty years at the least. They must have been quite eventful, even for a peaceful kingdom such as Yours."

"Yes, yes, my dear Daughter, quite a lot has happened in these past years. Your little brother is quite the trouble maker, as you know, causing all sorts of diplomatic issues with our neighboring nations with his antics," The old man chuckled, his dull blue eyes shimmering ever so slightly. "Come closer, you need not ask for permission to do so."

"I may be the King's Daughter, but that means not that I should forsake tradition when facing the King," Lulona bowed shortly, before walking further along the carpet. She took her time to analyze the once familiar room, admiring the perfect mixture of nature and architecture, a true piece of peak Elven craftsmanship. The royal keep of their nation had stood millennia, having been built even long before her birth.

Once she reached appropriate distance to the King, she kneeled. "I have brought you the item you desired, Wise King Virmaer Ducatu, for one cannot expect a King to give them His time, without being given something in return."

From her beautiful white dress, made of the silk of a flower found only in the southern nation of the Shogun, she revealed one of two things she was hiding, continuing to hold the other with care. "I have brought you an artifact granted to me, for you, personally by the God of Time, Aztotl."

What she revealed looked like two silver pocket watches, connected by a silver chain. She held it out with her free hand, holding it by the connecting piece, offering it to her father. "Please accept this gift and let it be a token for your time."

The King reached for his staff and used it to scoop the item from her hand without moving from his throne. He sat it back down next to him and held up the artifact, stroking his long with beard as he did so. His face wrinkled up further as he stared at it. "So this is the item Fate wished us to find...it truly shines of divine energy. What is its nature, if I may ask?"

"As I was explained, those two devices are capable of altering the flow of time. The one with red hands has the ability to fast forward time on a target, effectively speeding up aging, while the other one, the piece with blue hands, can reverse it. When combined through the chain that binds them, it becomes capable of permanently altering the flow of time on its target with extreme precision," Lulona explained, still knelt down before him.

"A most powerful item indeed," The King admired the tool, a small grin growing on his face until it faded at once. "However, it is of no use to me...nor is it to you. You already know what is to happen with it, do you not?"

"Indeed, Father. As mother foretold, the three pieces shall be split. One shall go to the boy, another to the girl. The piece that connects them both shall be granted to a guardian, a spirit, overseeing the forest in the northern part of the Morg Empire," She nodded, before raising her head to look at her father.

"And the boy? Has he been born as was foretold, Lulona?" The King inquired, his gaze falling upon what rested cradled in her other arm.

"Indeed, Father. I met the human who was to be the one. The boy came forth from it," Lulona answered, revealing the boy further from her dress.

"So Fate is unraveling itself already, it seems. His name?"

"Calamus Roran, father."

A long silence followed, during which their eyes were locked onto each other's, Lulona's filled with some form of guilt, her father's with a degree of disappointment. "Roran?"

"Roran."

As soon as he was answered, the King's gaze sharpened. "You forsook the traditions of our people and granted him a middle name not from our tongue, but instead named him after a tribal war legend. Do you understand what a dishonor to our traditions this is?"

Lulona let out a deep sigh and spoke: "I kept our traditions in mind, father, but whilst I was with the eastern tribes of Eclia and learned of this tale, I found it only befitting to name my son after the Red King who wreaked havoc upon the people who wronged him, by making them pay in blood. I kept his Fate in mind, so please, Father, do not hold this against me."

The King lifted his chin and huffed, looking down at her past his nose. "Very well. Then, Daughter, I take it you know what is to happen next?" He spoke, his voice loud and stern.

Lulona's gaze fell. "Yes, Father...this shall be the last time we meet. I will return to the home I shaped there, I shall bear his sister and I will accept my Fate. I will teach him what I need and I will leave behind what I must, so that Fate may find Its way without trouble."

"Very good, Lulona," The King's stern expression wavered for a moment, but he regained posture before she could notice. "Your mother and I are proud of you. We will prepare your brother so that Fate may find Its way with him as well," He lowered the timepieces back to her for her to take.

She tightly gripped the divine chain and pulled it close to her. She closed her eyes and turned around, before re-opening them and leaving through the opening she came through.

"In flames he will rise.." The King muttered after her.

Her pace sped up. A singular tear flowed down Lulona's cheek as she left. She muttered after him:

"..and in ashes he must fall."

DISCLAIMER:
The protagonist of this story and theie sibling share their names with two characters from a popular indie game. This is no coincedence as they were the inspiration behind the characters, though other than being siblings and their names, they have been developed by myself to be unique characters with their own quirks and backgrounds. Enjoy your read! :)