The Accented Crown

Chapter Two

The Legend of the Council

King Isaac, the laughter, made a council

Advisors, councillors, all would serve the council

In a chamber that was to be the council

King, Country, People, Council

Blythe served the council

With her gracious insight of the council

In a chamber that was to be the council

King, Country, People, Council,

At thirteen, Allegra joined the council

Nurtured future leader of the council

In a chamber that was to be the council

King, Country, People, Council

The Council is to be the people's hope

Seers were often consulted for advice, such as right now when our most precious gift, notes, were taken.

I cast a shy look at Legato again, checking to see what he thinks of the Crown Princess. For being blind and not caring about his appearance, he doesn't look bad. He looks rather...good. His dark hair and bright brown eyes compliment creamy skin.

I whisper,"Hey, Legato."

His head swivels like it's on a stool toward me. I wasn't that loud. It was as if he had super hearing.

His lips twisted into a smile, then a frown. He could hear me perfectly ten feet away, and my father, two feet, couldn't hear a word.

I bit back words and stared at the seer, ignoring Legato.

She was a wrinkled old woman with a long robe and a chrome-colored scarf covering her iron-gray hair. She had a long walking stick clutched in her withered, claw-like hands.

Her eyes rolled about in her head, cloudy with cataracts.

"O Great, Wise and Mighty King, have I not declared I would see this day?," she asked.

He inclined his head,"That particular prophecy has been fulfilled many times over."

"Today, O King Zydeco, it is truly fulfilled."

"Seer, I have need of your advice."

Her cracked and bloodied lips smiled,"O King, have the Blind Keeper and the Accented Crown come to me."

Father frowned, wondering what the statement meant.

Legato walks a bit unsteadily toward the seer. He stands a bit awkwardly to her left. She deftly smooths a lock of hair before returning her attention to the king.

"Who is the Accented Crown?," King Zydeco asked the seer, after a fruitless effort.

"Your firstborn, O Isaac's son. I request Blythe's daughter."

I rose a bit unsteadily. Father's bright green eyes are begging me to go to her, begging me to stay. He knew he could't stop the seer from pronouncing my doom, yet he tried with a nonverbal command.

I counted fifteen steps before I reached where the seer was. My heels clacked and clicked and I winced at every sound that I made. The chamber for once was dead silent.

"Accented crown," she touched my face,"Your days will be hard indeed. Reason and logic must become your strength, or they will be your bane."

"Blind boy," she stared straight at him, his face was rigid,"You must learn to accept the unacceptable."