Date: Yithi 3rd, 1590 - Before The Long Stillness
The sunlight was warm against my skin as I leaned against the railing off my balcony. The stone was cold against my palms. I love the sun; something about it makes me feel calmer.
Gravel crunched on the path ahead. A horse-drawn carriage trotted up our entryway. Dust clouded the air behind them as the carriage pulled to a stop.
I grinned as I began bouncing. “They’re home!” I shouted.
My parents had been gone for weeks, insisting that they had an important task to complete. They were finally home; though joy filled me, something felt odd, like the moment before rain falls.
I ran through the palace halls to the door and swung it wide open. In the doorway stood my nursemaid, Sertha, a graying woman who baked the best bread.
“They’re home!” I yelled and ran past her. The stone corridor echoed with my footsteps.
I ran through the palace and burst into the courtyard. My siblings, Myron and Roselynn on my heels.
I bounced as the carriage pulled forward.
“I wonder what they were doing,” Myron whispered, a little bit of awe in his voice. His hair was cut short against his head; even though he was only five, he already had a training sword at his hip every day.
“Probably something amazing!” Roselynn twirled a rose in her fingers, its blue petals bright as she held a sketchbook in the crook of her arm. Paint still coated her fingertips; she was only seven but was already creating art and reading books beyond her years.
The door opened, and Pa stepped out, his leather armor worn in and his fur cloak draped over his shoulders.
He smiled and crouched down. “Come here, you gremlins!”
All three of us rushed to him. The smell of fire lingered on his clothes.
Ma stepped out. “What about me?” She joked before we pulled her into the hug.
Finally, my family was home. A warmth settled in my chest.
The carriage door was still open.
My brows knitted together; why didn’t Ma shut the door behind her?
Slowly, as if scared, a small girl walked out of the carriage. Her braids were short and tight against her head. She clutched a purple cloak tight to herself, her golden eyes scanning everything around.
She eyed the surrounding forest and mountains as if expecting them to attack.
I looked down at her cloak, the clasp; it was two spirals intertwined.
The symbol of Seers.
Seers were only ever male; it was strictly illegal for a woman to hold the gift.
Ma says it’s because of a silly prophecy; she told me the prophecy said a woman seer would drown the sun and leave Celentra in darkness.
But Ma always says that prophecy is just man's interpretation of the Gods' words. We can’t always make sense of what the Gods really mean.
“Who?” I began.
Ma placed her hand gently on my shoulder. “This is Amiranthia.”
I put my hand out towards her. “Hello, Amiranthia, I am Kathera.”
Amiranthia’s eyes went wide and filled with tears, her jaw quivering. “You are the reason I had to leave my home.” Her voice was thick with a Paesunian accent.
I stumbled back as if she had hit me. How is it my fault that she is here? I looked around, tears forming in my eyes, a lump hard in my throat.
I couldn’t be the reason she had to leave her home; I would never want that. The world seemed to spin slightly as I tried to understand.
“What?” I said, confused, as I looked up at my parents.
“Kathera, it is time we tell you why we left.” My Ma’s voice was steady.
“Why?” I asked, my voice beginning to shake.
Pa knelt to Myron and Roselynn. “Why don’t you two take Amiranthia to the kitchens for some food?”
Myron and Roselynn nodded. Roselynn gently grabbed Amiranthia’s hand, leading her away kindly.
“Do you like cookies? Sertha makes the best cookies.” Roselynn said.
I crossed my arms. “Why is she saying it’s my fault she has to leave her home?” I asked.
Pa and Ma looked at each other for a moment. Then Pa looked back at me.
“Kathera, we must discuss this somewhere else.” He turned and began walking.
We kept walking outside of the palace, passing the lush glowing trees around us. We walked past the main palace and toward the back until we reached a side tower.
This tower was always locked.
My Ma put a key in the door, and it clicked.
My heart sank as I tried to understand what they could possibly need to tell me.
We walked in; the tower smelt of paper and smoke.
Its ceiling stretched high as I looked up; a spiral staircase wound to the top.
“Kathera, you will want to sit down.” My Pa said as he pulled up three chairs.
“What is this about? Am I in trouble?” I asked, my voice getting small.
My ma reached for me. I moved away from her. “No, my sweet girl, you are not in trouble.”
They exchanged another look, their faces softening for a moment.
Talking silently, no doubt. In only the way Soulfated can. I had hoped to find my Soulfated one day.
“Just tell me. Please.” I said softly. Kicking the ground in front of me.
My Ma squeezed my hand and knelt in front of me. She searched my face, looking for something. Something I wasn’t sure I had.
“Kathera, when you were born, it was as if the whole world paused. Like Celentra took a deep breath in and held it.” Her eyes started to sparkle with tears.
I nodded. “You’ve never told me that”
“There is more, that we haven’t told you. Your father was at your birth; he saw your future.” Ma said while Pa began to pace behind her, running his hand through his hair.
He muttered under her breath, but I couldn’t make out what he said.
I chuckled. “I know part. I am supposed to be a great warrior; that’s why you and Pa have been training me since I was three.”
My Ma’s eyes darted to Pa’s.
“Kathera, we didn’t tell you the whole truth,” Pa's words rushed out as he stopped pacing.
My stomach flipped. “What?”
My Pa came up and stood beside me. “Kathera, the vision I saw: you were standing on a battlefield. Wearing intricate armor.”
“So I am supposed to be a warrior?” I asked, hoping the answer was a simple yes, but the longer we talked, the more I thought it wasn’t. My chest started to feel heavy, and breathing was getting harder. What does all of this mean?
Pa shook his head. “You were leading the war, Kathera.”
“So I will be a commander?” I searched for what they meant.
“You will be the Empress.” Pa’s words slammed into me.
I couldn’t breathe; I stumbled back, the cold wall hitting my back.
I shook my head, my eyes wide and burning. “No.”
My parents nodded slowly.
“Yes, Kathera, it’s what the Fates demand,” Pa said the words as if they were simple.
“Emp-” What? How could I be Empress one day? How could I rule this Empire? My chest heaved as I felt sick from the pressure. The world narrowed as I put my hands on my knees, fighting the nausea that forced its way through me.
Tears began to flow; I didn’t want to rule Celentra. I just wanted to help people. I remember the trip we took to Arinthe, the throne that loomed over the room.
It made my stomach sink.
I shook my head and tried to pull away. “That couldn’t be me. I am just Kathera. I am not an Empress.”
Ma pulled me into her arms. “I know it’s a big destiny.” She picked me up and set me on her lap. “I know it seems like too much.”
My cries had taken over my body. “I don’t want this.” My hands began to shake. “Why did the Fates choose me?” My voice was unsteady.
"Look at me.” Ma grabbed my face, making me look at her. Her green eyes were bright with her own tears.
I sniffled. I met her eyes through blurry vision. “You were chosen because you carry a heart inside of you that can change the world.” She released my face.
Pa rested his hand on my shoulder. “You hold the kind of hope that people in Celentra need.”
I sniffled again and wiped my tears.
“Nobody outside of the house can know about your destiny. Not until it is time.” Pa kept his voice even.
“What does all of this have to do with making Amiranthia leave her home?” I asked; all I could see was the look in her eyes, the pain behind them.
“Traditionally, when an Emperor or Empress is supposed to take the throne, they begin training with their Seer at ten years old. Their Seer is their protector and their right hand. Amiranthia is your Seer.”
I wiped my nose with my sleeve. My chin quivered. “But I thought women Seers were against the law?”
Another glance between each other. “That’s why we need to keep it a secret.”
Ma pulled me closer. “Her parents know her destiny.”
I leaned in. “Ma, do I have to live my Destiny?”
She looked at Pa again; the weight of their silent conversation filled the room.
“Your destiny is you, Kathera. You will learn to breathe with time.” She slowly set me on the ground.
“I don’t want a destiny!” I shouted, running from the tower. My feet pounded hard against the ground.
“Kathera!” Pa yelled.
“Come back!” I heard Ma shout.
I ignored them. I ran to the main house and rushed to my room. I locked the door and threw myself on my bed.
My pillow greeted me as my cries made my chest hurt.