The Queen of Cards

A Very Merry UnBirthday

"Princess are you ready?" My handmaiden Thandie asked gently placing a hand on my shoulder. I knew she wasn't really asking if I was ready, but signaling that it was time to head into the grand sept.

My Father the king stood with my siblings behind me and what felt like half of the city behind them. It was the morning of my 18th name day and the celebrations were to begin after I had my cards read by the high priests as was customary for members of the royal family when they became of age.

I clasped my hands in front of me to keep them from shaking as I walked through the large ornate doors of the sept my footsteps echoing on the marble as the doors closed behind me.

The beauty of the grand sept never ceased to amaze me. When I was younger I used to hide in the pews and watch the way the sunlight danced across the stained glass window and reflect on the floors. I'd told father once that I wanted to become a priestess so that I could spend all of my days in the sept. He of course told me that I was being ridiculous Princesses, and most certainly the firstborn Princess did not become Priestesses. It was just as well because I didn't have the temperament Priestess. Although I didn't really have the temperament to be a Princess either. I'd always been somewhat of a wild child. Before my illness had begun I'd spent all of my time out in the countryside on my horse Angus. Now I was confined to my chamber most of the time except for boring state events and balls hosted at the castle.

A pretty dark-haired priestess in red robes led me to a small alcove covered in cushions and tapestries lit by candlelight.

"Welcome, Princess Caitriona. I have waited a long time for this" the high priestess welcomed me gesturing to the cushion across from her. I gathered up my skirts and tried to arrange the ceremonial cloak in a way I hoped looked regal.

In the candlelight, the high priestess looked like a phantom and I had to fight the urge to run back out of the sept. There was something unnerving in the way she studied me. She handed me a thick hand-painted tarot deck and told me to shuffle the deck and then chose five cards.

I ran my fingers over the deck unsure of what to look for after running my fingers over the cards she had spread out I felt a strong pull towards one specific card towards the edge. I pulled it out and handed it to the priestess who turned it over placing it on the table. It was the lover's card. The card depicted a man and a woman standing next to each other with the sun and an angel above them. The lovers reached toward each other longingly, but not touching. Despite the bright colors and seemingly happy depiction on the card, something about it made me profoundly sad.

The next four cards were easier to pick out of the bunch. The first one was the magician, then the fool, then the moon, and finally death. I looked up at the high priestess knowing that the death card almost never actually meant physical death, but represented more death of one situation and the birth of a new one.

Her face was pale and her hands trembled as she stood. "Excuse me princess, but I must speak to your father immediately" her voice wavered and she sounded as weak as I had looked lately.

She swept out of the back door. Leaving me alone with the other Priestess who looked as astonished as I felt. Now she too studied me as if I was a completely different person than I had been just moments ago. She moved to help me up, but I waved her off. I was more than strong enough to stand up by myself.

I plastered a serene smile on my face before I stepped out of the Sept to the cheers of people watching. I joined my brothers and sister who waited at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Sept by the carriages that were going to take us back to the castle. I frowned noticing that my father wasn't standing with my siblings as was customary.