Epilogue: A prophecy

Inside a large cathedral, a man knelt before a golden statue of a magnificent woman. The statue was at least six meters tall and candidly reflected the light of the candles lit around it; the woman had long hair dyed the color of silver and eyes made up of two precious sapphires. A glittering ivory dress covered her almost completely; in her left arm she held a shield, while with her right she raised a ear of corn. A brazier was placed in front of the statue and emitted an acrid smell of incense while the fire inside it crackled incessantly, giving off a soft warmth that made the space in front of it extraordinarily warm compared to the rest of the cathedral.

The kneeling man was in his thirties. He was blond and had just the slightest hint of stubble, especially at the tip of his chin. He wore very fine clothes, which went well with the richness of the cathedral, especially a red and white cloak at least two and half meters long that trailed on the floor behind him. On his head was placed a golden crown adorned with rubies and other precious gems.

Suddenly there was a clanging sound, a sign that the great cathedral door had just been opened. The man didn't move; he didn't even open his eyes. He barely listened to the footsteps behind him getting closer and closer, until they stopped and a voice announced to him: "Your Majesty, the queen has given birth"

Finally the kneeling man opened his eyes slightly, staring at the dancing flames in the brazier. "Everything is fine?" he whispered.

"Yes, Your Majesty. The birth was excellent. The queen survived and the child is healthy and perfect" the man behind him answered.

A smile formed on the kneeling man's face. "Once again, the great Heloisa watched over my family" he said looking at the statue in front of him, then he stood up and turned around. Finally his eyes met those of the man who had brought him the news, who turned out to be a guard fully clad in mighty armour. "Take me to my family" he ordered.

The guard nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty" he answered, gesturing for him to follow him.

The man followed him out of the cathedral, where he found at least ten other guards waiting for him. The soldiers made him climb into a sumptuous carriage and transported him to an imposing castle in the center of the city. The man watched the houses and streets pass before him as he approached his destination.

This man was Marcus Junio ​​Kaidor, king of the Jurao Kingdom, eighteenth ruler of his lineage. He was young, at least by the common standards of kings, but his people already loved and admired him for his charisma, his actions and his military campaigns. In his short five years of rule he had greatly improved the conditions of his kingdom, turning it into a great and powerful nation, and had already carried out many invasions, so much so that he had earned the epithet of 'conqueror king' among the nations nearby; on the contrary, his people called him the 'righteous king' because of his dedication to his people. However, he was also known as the 'devoted king' due to his deep faith in the goddess Heloisa, the divine protector of the Jurao Kingdom.

But it wasn't to conquests, political programs or faith that the king was thinking that day. When finally the carriage reached the castle, he went out immediately and entered the huge building; he quickly climbed the flights of stairs and reached the queen's chambers. The doors were wide open and the maids were taking away the dirty sheets; as soon as they saw him they bowed and let him pass.

Marcus entered the room. The beautiful queen Mirta, his wife and faithful companion, was lying on the bed, covered in sweat and breathing slowly, but she was fine. She was clearly distraught from the intense exertion, but at least there didn't seem to be any complications during the birth. In her hands the queen clutched a bundle through which protruded two little hands that continually gripped the mother's fingers.

Marcus came over and stroked his wife's auburn hair. Mirta smiled at that touch and handed him the bundle. The king took it gently and could see what there was inside: a beautiful little girl with blue eyes and skin as perfect as alabaster, who stared at him with her curious and attentive eyes.

"Welcome to the world, Katrina" the king greeted her, calling her by the name he and the queen had agreed upon before her birth. The little girl just blinked and kept staring at him inquiringly. She was too young to understand the meaning of those words, but she could sense the deep affection that was contained in them. Instinctively, she wrapped one of her little hands around one of her father's fingers.

Marcus was happy. His daughter's touch was weak, but he felt like she had imprisoned him with no way out. And it was beautiful. "Are you fine?" he asked his wife.

"I need to rest" was the only thing the woman was able to answer before sinking into the world of dreams. The birth must have really drained all her energy. As soon as she closed her eyes, the maids came over and arranged the pillows for her to rest better. The king let her sleep: Mirta really deserved it after all that effort.

Marcus continued to cuddle the little girl for a while, not caring that the seevitors were still watching him, at least until one of the guards called him: "Your Majesty, the prince is here"

Marcus turned to the door. The guards were escorting a boy that seemed to be about four years old, who seemed quite confused by the situation. That was his eldest son, the first prince of the realm. "Come, Percival. Say hello to your new sister" he said with an encouraging smile.

The boy came forward and the king bent down to show him the baby. "She's so small" the prince said, looking at the little girl inside the bundle.

"She'll grow up soon, don't worry. Don't forget, you'll have to take care of her" his father explained.

Without warning, the little girl reached out one of her little hands and touched the palm of the prince's right hand. Percival recoiled at the touch, afraid of hurting her; after all, his little sister looked so small and fragile. The king almost wanted to laugh at that scene.

Suddenly the little girl began to cry. "Apparently she's hungry. All right, son, I'll take care of her now. Go back to your rooms" Marcus said, cradling the baby again. The boy looked disappointed, but he obeyed his father and left, escorted by the guards.

Marcus entrusted the baby to one of the maids, who took a small container full of milk and brought it close to her mouth, starting to feed her. Technically he since he was the king wouldn't have had to do anything: it was the women of the palace who would have taken care of the newborn princess. However, there was one more thing he wanted to know before returning to his usual duties.

He waited in the room for a while, until one of the guards brought him the announcement he was waiting for: "Your Majesty, we have brought the seer"

The king smiled. "Let her in" he ordered.

The guards executed and passed a woman dressed in extremely sumptuous clothing. They were clothes so beautiful that it seemed impossible that they could have been sewn by a mortal hand. Her long ears were clearly visible: she was an elf. She walked until she was within a few meters of him, and in doing so she never opened her eyes, yet she never tripped once.

Normally it would have been the host who would have had to greet the king, as he possessed a higher status. But in this case, it was the king the one who spoke first. "Venerable priestess of the God of Knowledge, forgive me for summoning you at this hour. I wanted to inform you that your prediction has proven true once again. My daughter is born and my wife is safe"

"I'm glad of it, Your Majesty" the elf replied without changing her expression in the slightest. "But these are things that I already know, just as I know that once again you have a question for me"

A small bead of sweat ran down the king's forehead. "That's right" he admitted. "You have been predicting my family's future for at least three generations. So far you have never made a mistake in your predictions. Now I want to know my daughter's future. What fate awaits her?"

The elf didn't let him asked a second time. Almost mechanically she turned her head towards the maid who was holding the baby in her arms, and her lids fluttered. Her eyes turned out to be a brilliant purple, as if they were two highly prized amethysts. She looked at the little girl for a mere instant, and then she closed her eyes again without changing her expression.

Marcus' fists clenched slightly with tension. "What did you see, venerable one?" he asked apprehensively.

"Are you sure you want to know?" the elf asked back.

Marcus' expression tightened at those words. "Please, speak" he whispered.

The elf seemed to sigh, then she said without changing her expression: "Your daughter will grow in grace and beauty, and she will help to forge a nation even more extraordinary and wonderful than the one you currently rule. She will be blessed with extraordinary gifts and everyone will love her. But one day... she will be taken away from you. A monster will come to take her, the most terrible and terrifying of all monsters. That monster will be so powerful that he will dare to challenge even the gods and all the world will talk about him for countless millenia to come. He will come, and he will snatch her from you forever"

Marcus felt his blood run cold at that declaration. "A monster...?" he whispered in a strangled voice. "What kind of monster?"

The elf shook her head. "What I told you is all what I've seen. I don't know who that monster will be, I just know he will come"

The king clenched his fists so hard he nearly broke his knuckles. "When will it happen?"

"As I already told you, that's all I've seen. I can't give answers to questions I haven't been granted to know the answer to" the elf responded.

Marcus lost control and grabbed her arm, almost pulling her. "I don't need uncertainties! I need to know exactly what will happen! Speak now!"

The elf's face turned to him. Thoughsshe didn't open her eyes, the king could feel her menacing gaze on him. "Take your hands off me and don't dare to touch me ever again, or your daughter's fate will be the last of your worries. I am not one of your subjects whom you can order or threaten". Her voice was no longer expressionless, but extremely harsh. "I serve a god far older than yours, the only god who truly knows the fate of the world and its creatures. Therefore, if you dare threaten me once more, you will know a wrath far more terrifying than any you can imagine"

Marcus immediately felt his courage slip away and drew back almost without wanting to, as if he had been burned. "I apologize for my stupid gesture" he said, bowing his head slightly in repentance.

The elf didn't answer, but her face became visibly less tense. Then she spoke again. "What I have told you is all that my god has allowed me to see. I have left nothing out, so don't ask me further questions, because you won't get any answer from me" she said. "And if you want my advice, don't try to oppose fate. Certain events have to happen, and people only hurt themselves if they try to row against the tide". With that final words, the elf turned to the door. "Now, with your permission, I take my leave"

The king clenched his fists again, wishing he could take the elf by the neck and ask her all the questions that resided in his mind, but he did no such thing. "Of course, venerable priestess. You can go" he said, even though he knew that the elf had asked his permission out of pure courtesy and that she didn't really need it. Marcus signaled to the guards: "Take her out". The soldiers complied promptly.

As soon as the elf disappeared from his field of vision, the king's body visibly began to tremble. "A monster, huh?" he whispered looking at his daughter, who had started crying again because she was frightened by his screams just before. "That's not going to happen. Whoever this monster is, he won't take her! I won't permit it!"