The Prophecy in the Forest

Chapter Three: The Prophecy Retold

Keena had flown into action after her visit with Zariah.

She hurried through the potion, leaving it at the shifter's doorstep once she had finished it. She also left a note explaining to Kaera that she would be out of town for a long while. Then, she began her own preparations for the journey ahead.

"Olympus, our past has found us at last," Keena told the stallion as she came to saddle him up.

The great black horse gave a snort and a hoof stomp. In his language, that meant "That's complete horse shit."

"It is horse shit!" Keena exclaimed, taking a deep breath when she realized she was being much louder than she needed to be. "And of course, there's a damned man involved. I have to find him, in Badaxe of all places. The same kingdom that toppled mine, that believes me dead. And he's the fucking prince!"

Olypus tilted his head back and whinnied indignately.

"Just another realm that takes children as brides." Keena shook her head, swinging herself up onto the saddle.

Truth be told, Keena had chosen to live in Oob because they didn't believe that children should be married to adults. Simple logic really, yet many realms blindly followed tradition and religious beliefs to inform their morality.

Keena had been married once, to Lucian Gray. He had taken her first as his apprentice, which Keena had been so excited about since it meant she could further her magical education. However, the older man had plans all of his own.

He was an immortal and had been alive for hundreds of years. During those first hundred years, he learned all he could about magic and became the most powerful magician in the realms. He was well-known and well-respected. He became known as the gentle magician, friend to all and foe to none. He was known to magick up candies for children, and to nurse wounded animals back to health. Keena believed he was kind too, at first.

He had prepared a room for her in his great big home, and it reminded Keena of living in the castle. It was somehow very tailored to her favorite things and even had a huge mural of a black horse that resembled Olympus. Keena fell in love at once, and Lucian had encouraged the love. He was a firm yet loving teacher, and he made Keena believe that what they had was pure.

The thought made her snort. It was twisted. The things he had done to her. The way he had tricked her into thinking he had only good intentions, only wanted her to succeed. He had selected a vulnerable child to become his wife. He groomed her slowly, gaining her trust.

Lucian knew it was important for Keena to be able to fight all on her own. He had warriors and trained assassins teach her about sword fighting, hand-to-hand combat, and general self-defense. This training, along with her magic training, made Keena grow stronger than she had ever been. She had muscles and power, and she found that she loved it. Even after escaping Lucian, Keena kept up her training.

He waited until she was fourteen, then he proposed to Keena in a garden of summer flowers. Here it was, she had believed, her fairytale ending at last. She was no longer a princess, but now she was the wife of her teacher, who was the greatest magician in all the lands.

Sure, he never let her leave his palace grounds, but he was powerful and protected her. He loved her, and she loved him. She had never felt taken advantage of, not even when they consummated their marriage and he deflowered her. Not even when he trained her to serve and please in every way.

No, it wasn't until Keena started voicing her opinions and saying 'no' that things had turned sour.

Keena drew her attention back to the present. She collected the rations from the chef and swore to be back with a golden-haired prince. Hopefully, she would return alive. Hopefully, no one would see who she was.