Cards of Our Fate

The Calling

"It's been a month, and nothing?" Eddy said, sitting across from me in his desk seat, "No findings of the prince, no calls from the king, not even a clue of anything." He rubbed his temples, obviously frustrated.

"This would be so much easier if I could just yell out his name, or something." I said, leaning on his desk, deep in thought, "Wait," I said, getting Eddy's attention, "you never told me his name, or age, or anything really identifiable."

"His age is obvious, because of the clone, even though the clone is a few months younger. The name, though, that's my fault." He said, leaning back, "It was...Leif, I believe."

"'Leaf,' they named their son 'Leaf?'" I asked, lifting my head to express my confusion.

"Spell it with an I." He said, "It's a weird name, no doubt, but who said Elisabeth is anymore normal."

"Well, it's not generic, Eddy." I said, before leaning back in my chair. This was our fourth weekly meeting. Eddy had gotten away with it by saying that the king had been calling on me, but we were meeting up. But it usually ending in us deep in thought.

"How the hell are we going to find more information?" Eddy asked the ceiling. I looked over to see him mimicking my position. 

I stood and started pacing.

If only this stupid prince would reveal himself, I thought, a little hint, the tiniest clue. I stopped pacing and looked at the enlarged portrait of Eddy. The royal family stood behind him, as if reassuring his family.

"Eddy," I called out to him, still staring at his picture.

"Hmm?" He answered, shuffling through papers.

"Why does the prince look weird in this picture?" I asked, then looked over to Eddy, who was scowling in confusion. 

"What do you mean?" He asked, standing and walking towards me.

"Look," I said, pointing at Prince Rae's face, "he looks off." I said, lowering my hand so Eddy could get see better, "It's like, he has a more gentle look, he kinda looks more...feminine."

"I see what you mean." Eddy said, placing a hand on his sheath, pushing it back so he could lean closer to the picture. I side stepped so he could get closer, "Thank you," He nodded at me, but then looked back, "This one, he has a softer jaw, and a smaller nose. More like a combination of the king and queen rather than just a clone of- hey!"

"What?" I asked, looking back at the picture as he had backed up from it. 

"It's back to the normal Rae!" He said, pointing at the portrait Rae, I took a closer look at it, and as he said, it was back from Leif to Rae.

"That is so weird..." I said, still looking at the picture, as if he'd change back again.

"Yeah-" He started to say, but he was again cut off, but this time, by a knocking at the door, "Hide."He whispered, shoving me under the desk before answering the door, "Hello-"

"The king wishes for the human, go down to the dungeon to do so, direct orders from Cards, sir." The voice from outside the door said.

"Thank you, sir, you are dismissed." He said, before closing the door on the guards face.

"How old are you, dismissing people and what not?" I asked, as Eddy pulled me out from under the desk.

"Twenty, come on, we'll have more time for self-discovery after you come back from the king." Eddy said, leading me down the hallway, up several sets of stairs.

We reached the throne room, where he changed from leading me from my back, to dragging me by my upper arm. I was dragged to the thrones, where Eddy threw me on the ground in front of the Cards.