The Prophecy

Foreboding

In a small dark room in the highest tower of the castle, a richly dressed man and woman sat in fear before a wrinkled old woman.

The room was filled with all manner of strange objects. Dreamcatchers were strung across the ceiling together with bunches of dried herbs. Crystal balls and numerous jars of all sizes crammed the shelves. One wall was completely covered with ancient tomes and a large chest filled with bones of small animals sat beside it. The wall opposite that was covered with a beautifully painted star chart. A large round table cluttered with tarot cards, old bronze coins and more bones dominated the small room.

The couple cowered in their fine robes as she went deep into a trance. They had come to her for advice as they have done so often in the past when the usually ordinary reading took a startling turn as the spirits overcame her.

The wizened old woman, whom no one can remember her age, shook and trembled in her seat. Her eyes turned cloudy but her gaze was strong. It was as if she was looking into the depths of the universe, seeing secrets no others can see.

A soft whispery voice came out of her mouth which was not her own.

"A darkness is looming over the land. The evil force awakens. We have conquered it once but it will rise again and destroy all of Valoria and the kingdoms around it. The prophesied time has come. Valoria and Ceptial must be united. A child of light and strength will be conceived out of this union to save us all. He is our only hope." She gave one last gasp and slumped back into her seat.

"Elia!" they cried out worriedly.

She lay still for a long moment and finally stirred. Her hands shook as she gripped the table in front of her but her gait was strong as she pushed off from her seat in a surprisingly quick and forceful manner that belied her old age. She strode to the tall windows of her tower room and gazed out at the darkening skies anxiously. The kingdom of Valoria was bordered by the sea in the west. The horizon was streaked gold and purple by the setting sun. The beautiful scene was marred by the ominous dark island right at the horizon line. Black clouds gathered above it.

"Elia! What just happened?! Are you alright?" the man asked, eyeing her fearfully. He was a handsome man whose white streaks in his chestnut hair and beard, and fine lines around his eyes only added to the air of authority he commandeered. His richly embroidered tunic and cape showed the strapping body of a man far younger than his advanced age. A thin gold crown encircled his head.

"Your Majesties, the spirits have deigned to bestow on me a vision. They have chosen to speak through me to give you a warning. Can you still remember the words the spirits spoke through my mouth a moment ago?" Elia turned to look at the royal couple.

"Yes, but surely it doesn't mean... The darkness...the time has really come?" King Edmund was a man who have fought countless battles and slain various beasts. He was a great warrior, brave and chivalrous. Fear was not something one would usually find on him but now it is written all over his face.

"I'm afraid so. The ancient legends are going to come true but we are fortunate. The spirits have blessed us with salvation as well. All is not lost." She walked back to her table and gathered a few coins in her hand, mumbled a few words over them and cast them on the table.

"Beastia." the queen said quietly. Queen Beatrice was a beautiful woman but like all Valorians, she was not a fragile beauty. Her soot black hair had tinges of grey at the temples and her once smooth skin was lightly lined but her green eyes still sparkled and her figure was as slender as before. Her people adored her for her strength and kind rule.

That one word seemed to bring the temperature of the room a few notches lower.

"Do not be so worried. As I have said the spirits have shown us the way to salvation. If we follow their words, we will all be saved." Elia reassured them.

"But what do they mean by union? Do they really want Valoria and Ceptial to be united in marriage? They foresee the birth of the child who will save us?" the queen asked.

"Yes. Not only the spirits, my oracles are telling me the same thing. The union of the royal bloodlines of Valoria and Ceptial will bring forth a child like no other. A son. He will be blessed with both gifts of the two kingdoms. His birth alone will hold the darkness at bay until he is ready to vanquish it. He is our only hope," she mused as she studied the coins, cards and bones before her.

"But does the Royal House of Ceptial even have a daughter?" King Edmund turned to his wife.

"Yes, they do. I believe she is already of marriageable age but there were never any requests offered for her hand in marriage," replied Queen Beatrice, her brows furrowed.

"We must invite the Royal House of Ceptial to our kingdom and inform them. This concerns the fate of both our kingdoms. We must deliberate carefully together. If the prophesy is true, then it will explain a lot of things," King Edmund sighed as he looked out the window at the darkening skies.

"There's another problem we have on hand."

The king and queen looked at each other. They have been husband and wife for so long they could almost read each other's minds. In unison, they spoke the one word that was their other worry.

"Bastian."

High Priestess Elia looked up from her oracles. "Oh yes, Bastian."

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Hi all,

This is the first time I'm trying my hand at fantasy stories. I can't get this story idea out of my head so I just had to write it down. I'm testing the response with this first chapter, I have a couple more lined up. If you would like to read more, please vote and comment!! Any feedback or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

xoxo

daydreamerzz

Update (12 May 2015):
Hi all, I can't believe I started writing this story 4 years ago! I'm sorry it was never continued. The muse left me for a very long time. Looking back at what I wrote, I can't help cringing at how shallow and juvenile my writing was. But I thank the support and lovely comments that some of you have left. The muse visits again and I feel like re-writing these chapters, fleshing out the story line, giving more depth to the characters. I've removed the second chapter a while back and have just returned to draft the others. I'll be writing and updating these few days so I hope you would take the time to re-read them again. Do give me your feedback and suggestions. I hope I do a better job this time.

xoxo
daydreamerzz