A Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter Ten

"Do you see the third window to the left?" Vincent asked quietly. Andromeda nodded.

"That's my bedchamber window. Will you come?"

"How could I not?" She smiled, and lightly kissed his cheek. They stood together, thinking of the time they'd spent together, and of the time they would spend together in the future. Vincent squeezed her hand.

"Be careful going home." Vincent told her.

"I wish I didn't have to leave. My home is with you."

"As mine is with you. One day, we will live together without fear. I promise you." He smiled, he hoped, reassuringly. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, wishing he could do more than make promises that may or may not come true. But what else could he do now? They kissed one last time. With that, Andromeda ran like a flash back to the boundary line and safety. Vincent watched her leave, once again wishing that he could do more for his wife than watch her scurry away to safety. After what seemed like an eternity, Vincent rushed to the fortress wall, preparing to climb up. Only having scaled the walls a few times before, he was still a bit unsure on his feet. Briefly, he wondered and hoped that Andromeda was better at climbing a wall than he was. It was helpful knowing the stones were firmly placed, but...

Andromeda was in fact sure of herself when it came to finding her way up a wall. She entered the bedchamber as the sky was pink, the clouds blue as the sun started to rise. Her throat seared with thirst, but she ignored it. She was more exhausted than thirsty. She could have gone hunting before the house woke up, that was if she wasn't so tired. And if she didn't have to be concerned about being caught by a night-watchman. But it was only a momentary thought. She could get a few hours of sleep before her parents woke up. Without changing, she laid on the bed, her eyelids heavy with sleep. Andromeda wouldn't worry about how to get to Vincent's that night without getting some sleep first. Andromeda remembered the way Vincent had smiled at her, promising that they would one day live together. One way or another, they would be together, whether their families accepted their marriage or not. At least that was what she hoped.

Later that afternoon while Andromeda and Vincent prepared for their rendezvous that night and half-heartedly preparing for war simultaneously, each family readied themselves with zeal. To them, it was a chance to prove their superiority over the other. Every able-bodied individual was to fight the next day. At the same time, Hugh, Violetta, Stephen, and Kate wondered about the prophecy that had been given when their children were born. It had been seventeen years. What would happen tomorrow? They were sure of their children's hatreds. But what if, for some reason or another, they refused to fight each other? One way or another, they would do anything to keep the prophecy from coming to reality. The prophecy would never come true, no matter what they had to do. Little did they know that fate had already been set into motion weeks before that day.