A Prophecy

"We have our story worked out, which is good, but what are we to do here?" She asked Nikolas.

"What do you mean what are you to do here?" Nikolas asked, confused.

"I mean exactly what I said, how are we to live here when I have no way of providing for us, I don't have a way to make money here and nowhere to stay."

"That won't be an issue, Gia, I promise. There are guest rooms here at the Lyceum, you will start by staying here until you can find a more permanent place to stay, and we can find something for you to do around town."

"But I can't let the town take care of us like that, Braelyn may have been privy to that lifestyle had this not happen, but I am not someone who deserves to be fussed over like someone special."

"You are someone special Gia, you just don't see it yet, you're beautiful and strong and you deserve to have someone there to help." Nikolas sounded pleading.

"Nikolas I wish that were true, I really do, but I have no one to help us, I have to do this on my own."

"No, you don't." He said firmly. "You have me to help you Gia, and I count that as an honor."

"But you have done too much for me already Nikolas, I don't want to be a burden on you, I don't want you to hav-." Nikolas cut her off by placing a finger over her mouth effectively silencing her refusals.

"You're not a burden and you're not making me do anything Gia, I want to do it."

"But why do you want to do it? It makes no sense." Gia was confused.

"You remember me telling you about my vision earlier?" He asked her.

"Yes."

"Would you like to know what else I saw?" Gia nodded. "What I saw, and what I felt, in that vision was the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on, and an intense desire to protect her. What I saw was a future with you, one I hope you let me have because in that vision I was the happiest man alive. What I saw made me fall in love with you before I had even met you, it was just the feeling of perfect harmony I got when I looked at you first in the vision then again when I saw your face for real. I know it is too early for me to be telling you this, but I fear if I don't then I will lose the chance forever." Gia was flabbergasted by his words. He was telling her that he loved her, and he didn't even know her.

"But you can't possibly love me Nikolas, you've known me less than a day, and you know nothing about me."

"I may not have known you for long, but my vision gave me the sense of years and not moments, and I already know what is important. I know you are strong, brave, determined, smart, sweet, and caring. I know that you risked your whole life to save a baby that was not yours and that you're willing to take care of that baby forever if you had to, and I know that if she were to return to the King and Queen tomorrow you would be happy that she was with them and safe but a part of you would be broken forever. I know that I want to know everything there is to know about you and I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you." Gia's heart melted at his words and a small tear slid down her face, she had felt an instant connection to this man from the moment she heard his voice, but she did not know what to make of it, it had only been a few hours after all, but perhaps the powers that be were at play here and she really was not able to fight whatever it was. Just then Nikolas leaned in and brushed a quick soft kiss to her lips before pulling away again.

From that day forward Gia allowed herself to be happy again and to accept help from someone else. She began her first real relationship since she started working in the castle. She fell in love with Nikolas nearly as quickly as he fell in love with her. They were married within a month of her moving to the village, and the two of them moved into Nikolas' house at the edge of town. She was truly content with how things seemed to be going. No one seemed to be following them from the castle yet. Word of the attack on the capitol had reached the village the week after the wedding and everyone had been devastated to hear what had happened. Fear for the King and Queen, and all the residents of the city whose fates were uncertain plagued the village, but no one suspected that Gia or Braelyn had been in the city when the attack had occurred, and no awkward questions were asked of her. There had been talks of trying to send out a rescue group to the city but most were too afraid, if the people who attacked the capitol had been powerful enough to capture every single resident in the city then surely they were strong enough to thwart whatever attack they might send their way, plus as long as the threat stayed out of the village people felt as if they should not worry about it. Their lax attitude did rub Gia the wrong way, but she wanted to keep Braelyn as safe as possible for as long as possible, so she said nothing.

About three weeks after the wedding, when Braelyn was just over two months old, Gia was asked to visit the deliberation room at the Lyceum with Braelyn. Nervous and scared she entered the room unsure of what was going to happen.

"Hello, Gia." Micah called from the center of the room. "Please, join me over here." Gia nodded her head and walked to his side.

"Hi Micah, is there something wrong?" She asked him concerned.

"Nothing wrong, per se, just something I need to discuss with you." Gia noticed that Nikolas sat at the long table behind Micah, and the elders sat at the table lining the other side of the square stone room.

"What do we need to discuss?"

"There's no need to be so nervous Gia." Nikolas said comfortingly. "We just need to discuss a few things about the future." Gia nodded to him, knowing he was with her did make her feel better.

"You see," Micah said softly, "I have had a vision, regarding Braelyn." Gia felt nervous at his words.

"A vision about what? Is this the vision you had the day we came here?" She looked at him with troubled eyes.

"Yes, Gia, it is indeed the vision I had when you came here, in fact, I believe I had the vision at nearly the same time that Nikolas had his vision of you, funny how seeing runs in our family." He said smiling at his nephew. "On that day I saw a young woman racing towards our quiet little village with an incredibly special baby in her arms. I saw the light of power radiating from that baby like it was a beacon of hope. I saw that the baby would grow up very power, incredibly wise, and very compassionate. I saw that that baby would be the savior of the capitol, that she would do many great things and help many people. I saw that you were the one who raised her to be kind and gentle. I saw that one day in her future she will have to travel on a long journey to learn and grow, that she would travel to a great teacher and rescue everyone in the capitol. But until that day comes, we need to keep her safe, we need to make sure that she is protected and allowed to grow. And until that day comes, we need to make sure that she knows nothing of what has happened and who she really is, she cannot have this prophecy hanging over her head. She needs the compassion and love for her friends to help shape her into the person she needs to be."

"Isn't that a little much to expect from her? She's only a baby after all." Gia's voice shook as she spoke.

"She's a baby right now Gia, but she won't always be, one day she will be very strong and powerful, and she will save us all."