The Seer's Curse

The Seer’s Curse Once upon a time in a kingdom where knights and nobility did as they pleased, there lived a little girl. Born in a quaint village far from the capital, she was left at birth by a mother who couldn’t bear to look at her. The product of a violent r**e, she was unwanted and abandoned. A local farmer, Miles and his wife, Cora took the child in and raised her as their own. Unable to have any other children, they doted on the girl and named her Tate. It means cheerful one and that was the best way to describe her. She brought joy to all those that met her. Her childhood was unremarkable. She worked the fields for her family, helped Cora with all the house chores, and was even taught to read and write by Miles. Tate wasn’t as normal as she seemed at first sight. She was blessed with the ability to see into the future, and sometimes she could even go back and change time. These gifts showed up accidentally most of the time. Like when the cow kicked over the bucket of milk, and Tate was able to reverse time and catch the bucket before the milk was ruined. It wasn’t until her father had an accident with his work horse that Tate pushed her powers to her limit. Reversing 10 minutes gave her enough time to save her father, but also left her exhausted for the rest of the day. Her mother caught on to Tate’s abilities early on, she begged her not to use the gift, and to never tell another soul of her powers. Cora feared the men that controlled Asmara would use Tate for nothing but evil. While Tate tried to obey her mother, her gift seemed to flow randomly and she found it very useful to look into the future, seeing what her day might bring gave her all sorts of advantages. Tate blessed her village with good fortune, and helped it prosper. Despite all the hard things that those without any status faced in the Kingdom of Asmara, they were happy. A generation ago, there was a great unrest that ravaged Asmara. Four princes fought for the throne, dividing the people and driving the kingdom into poverty. It ended when Prince Briggs, the 3rd son defeated his two older brothers in duels and had his younger brother Barrett swear allegiance to him. Barrett was always the weaker brother physically, but had the brains keep his place as a royal advisor. Briggs had a kind heart, but Barrett convinced him to never show that side to his kingdom. The two ruled Asmara with an iron fist. The prisons were full, and so were the graveyards. Any rogues who defied the throne were hung at the gates. Displaying the brutal power that forced the commoners to their knees. No one dared go against the king or his men. The night the King’s only son was born, the royal wizard, Alton, had a vision. He foretold that one of his own heirs would hold the greatest power known to all the world, and she would be the key to the Kingdoms future. Alton trusted the King, but was leery of Barrett’s true intentions. He made Briggs swear to never share this prophecy with anyone else. Alton had one teenage daughter with no known gifts, and he wanted to protect her at any cost. While Briggs was to be trusted, Barrett had a magical spell cast upon the king’s chambers and he knew all that was said. Barrett shared this news with all who could help him gain the power he so desired. Alton’s daughter, Mathea, was a very beautiful young student. Her hair was a stunning shade of silver and her eyes were emerald green just like her fathers. She loved to learn everything about magic and the world she lived in. While she was not blessed with any special gifts as her father was, she had an endless thirst for knowledge. Word got out of the prophecy, and it wasn’t long until those seeking ultimate control found her and took what they wanted. Finding that she was not the heir of the prophecy, they brutally r***d her and left her behind. Mathea was broken and ashamed, and she hid herself away in a village far from the capital. Alton didn’t know the extent of what had caused Mathea to run away, but when she returned roughly 9 months later, he guessed what had happened. It was said the baby was stillborn, and in her grief, Mathea ran back to her father for comfort. Alton was devastated that his own foolishness in sharing the vision had led to this tragedy. His daughter was his only joy left in life. Her soul was so broken from the loss of her innocence that she took her own life before the evil that r***d her once, could do it again. Briggs was quite oblivious to all that was going on as he was enthralled with his own bouncing baby boy, Calvin. Alton knew the betrayal must have come from somewhere else in the higher ranks, but he only had suspicions of who it really was. After the Kings sudden death, poisoned by unknown enemies, when Calvin was only 15, he took the throne with Barrett as his advisor. Cal was a strapping young man, with lofty ideals and a heart of gold. Barrett despised him, and sought to destroy Cal and take the throne for himself. The young King proved to be much harder to dispose of than his father. The royals had been blessed by the gods with powers beyond that of the commoners. More than the blue eyes that distinguished their heritage, Cal possessed supernatural strength, he was able to heal himself rapidly and had the ability to move through the air as if he were flying. He was revered as a demi-god among his people, and chose to serve them how ever he could. A few years later, Cal decided to travel around his kingdom on horseback, learning about his people and what conditions his lands were in after years of neglect. Rumors were that rogues had been raiding villages along the border and sought to take over Asmara. In order to surprise the villagers, Cal travelled at night and watched the villages from a far before making his presence known. On arrival at a strangely prosperous village, the King was intrigued by a young woman that roamed the streets early in the morning. He was disguised as a merchant, and watched the cheerful spirit that was delivering foods to different houses for quite some time. Her aura drew him in, and before he knew what he was doing, he approached the beauty. “Good morning, miss. Might I inquire what you are doing at this early hour?” The normally cocky young king felt apprehensive, and fidgeted while awaiting her reply. “It’s none of your business… But if you must know, I’m delivering food to those who don’t have enough.” Her mousey brown hair was set off by a silver streak swooping over her face, and trailing down her long braid. She rolled her eyes at Cal’s interest in her, and returned to her duties. “Doesn’t the King supply food for those in need?” Cal was confused, as he was told that no villager goes hungry and there are plenty of funds in place to keep everyone fed. He reached out to grab her arm, unused to anyone turning their backs on him. Spinning on the spot, Tate glared at the King with her emerald green eyes that bore straight through to his soul. “No, we get no help from the spoiled boy king. My mother and I feed those in need here, and I’d appreciate you letting go of my arm so that I may continue with my deliveries.” Tate tried to look into the future with this young man who was so insistently bothering her, but his aura seemed to block her gift. This had never happened to her before and she was more than a bit annoyed by his presence. His black hair made his blue eyes seem to glow and they lured her in before she could stop herself. She had never seen blue eyes, and they were like forbidden fruit that she couldn’t look away from. The King tugged her closer, examining her small frame and unique beauty. “What’s your name?” He demanded, pushing his royal aura forward to ensure an answer. Tate was immune to his command and simply laughed at him. “Is your handsome face supposed to make me do as you say?” Tate was resisting his powers and that drove Cal to the edge of something crossed between anger and desire. This girl stirred his emotions in so many ways that he couldn’t make any sense of it. “If you must know… I’ll tell you my name if you tell me yours.” While Tate was not giving in to Cal’s command, she saw something in him that called to her heart. She couldn’t read him, and pulled herself away before she let his charm have any more effect on her. “How does a village girl have the gall to not answer a gentleman’s question?” He wasn’t about to give up his identity for an answer to his question. While he wasn’t the spoiled boy she envisioned, he wasn’t used to not getting his way either. “Sorry, I didn’t know I was talking with a gentleman. They don’t usually stop me from doing what you say is the ‘Kings job’.” The audacity of this village girl left the King in shock. He just stood there and watched her start to walk away, not knowing what to say to the beautiful girl. Tate turned back, unable to completely ignore this mysterious man. “If you really want my name, I’d suggest you help me with my deliveries. Then I might be inclined to share.” Not knowing what else to say or do, the young king ran after Tate and helped her deliver the rest of her things. They shared casual conversation about the town, and each family they visited. Cal had never gotten a tour quite like this one, but it was the most useful thing he’d ever done as king. Tate’s charm and cheerful nature had him mesmerized like never before. Being the crown prince, he had women constantly throwing themselves at him. His bed was rarely empty, even at only 19 years old. No woman had caught his attention like this one. He had to have her, and would do just about anything to take her back to the capital with him. “Now that I have helped you, will you give me your name?” Cal found himself digging deep to charm this girl. “Only if you answer me one question.” While she had enjoyed this man’s company, she still wanted him to work for any favor she might give him. “I’ll answer anything I can…” No one ever dared to ask him questions and he felt a bit exposed giving in to her. “Why are your eyes so blue? I’ve never seen eyes like yours.” The innocence of her request caught him off guard. Everyone at the capital knew that was a royal trait, and only a few other nobles had blue eyes. They were said to be part of the gift from the gods. “Everyone in my family has them. I guess I forget they are rare.” It was a silly thing to ask, but at the same time it made him wonder about her own green eyes. “How about your green eyes?” He only knew one other with those eyes. It was said that green eyes hold the strongest magic. Could this girl hold some secret magic? At this point he didn’t even care about that, he just wanted her name, and now he had asked another question. “I don’t know about my eyes; everyone has brown here.” She gestured to the whole village, hanging her head down, appearing somewhat ashamed for her unusual appearance. “Don’t be ashamed, I just can’t help but be mesmerized by them, and you.” Admitting his feelings was a risk, but one he was willing to take for her. Tate had a genuine smile spread, and a deep red blush crept up her face to her ears. “Thank you. My name is Tate.” “Tate, what a perfect name. I hope to see you later today, Miss Tate.” With that he turned to go back to his men at the edges of town. “Wait! You didn’t give me your name!” She shouted after the mysterious man. “I’ll give it to you this afternoon.” With that he disappeared behind some houses. He needed to collect his thoughts and regroup before meeting the rest of the village and council later in the day. Back at her house, Tate stayed quiet about the man she spent her morning with. His scent lingered with her, and left her craving more of it, more of him. This was such a foreign feeling, and it scared her. Nothing ever caught her unprepared, but this man, he had her feeling like anything could happen. “Darling, how were deliveries this morning?” Cora asked as she walked back into the kitchen. The fire had been steady all morning, cooking more bread to sell at the market later. Her mother was churning butter to have with morning breakfast, and father was likely out milking the cows. “It was fine, there was a beautiful sunrise over the knoll…” She trailed off when her father came into the house. “Good morning my dears.” Her father kissed Cora, a bit too intimately for Tate’s liking, but she was used to their affections. Secretly she loved how much her father always showed his affections to both of them. There were never any doubts about the love he had for his girls. “I heard the village is having some of the Kings men visit this afternoon. They are meeting with the council and want as many villagers to come as possible.” Tate was a bit surprised to hear this and wondered if her mystery man was one the king’s men. Something stirred in the pit of her stomach and she hoped she really would see him again today. “Tate…” Her mother added. “I want you to guard yourself today, stay away from these men as much as possible. I don’t want them learning anything about you.” By anything, she clearly meant Tate’s magic. While she knew her mother meant well, Tate hated being hidden away all the time. She wanted to go see her mystery man, and learn his name. She was tired of never using her gifts openly, even if she did understand her parents worries. The rest of the morning was busy with the usual chores. Tate found herself constantly trying to see what the future would hold, but she still felt blocked when it came to that man. She was both intrigued and frustrated by this. The desire to grow her powers had never been as strong as it was right then. She wanted to practice her skills and learn to hone them in, using them on demand. Being given gifts meant nothing if she couldn’t use them. While she wouldn’t tell her mother, Tate decided right then that she would seek her powers out more, finding the time to practice, even if it meant creating it herself. Just after lunch, a messenger came to visit Miles. This was not a common thing, and the whole family was on edge with his arrival. “The king requests the presence of your daughter, Tate, at the council meeting.” The messenger was just a boy from the village, and he seemed nervous delivering a message from the King himself. “The King? I thought it was just an envoy with his men? And what does he want with Tate?” Miles was agitated and not hiding his concern for Tate well at all. “Yes, the King. I was just as shocked as you at the request, but I was not given any reasons.” The boy was shaking being questioned by Miles. “I was told it would be in the villages best interest to comply.” This was a clear threat, the King was not asking, but demanding this. Women were not considered equals in this world of haves and have-nots, but Tate found the will to defy the boundaries her gender had given her. She was not thrilled to give in to the demands of the boy king. “Thank you. She will be there.” Miles was short with his response, and showed the boy to the door. Everyone was quiet for a moment before Miles spoke. “Tate, you must go, but we will stay with you the whole time. Know that the King can do whatever he wants, but that we will do our best to keep you safe.” The hidden message there was that all our lives were at stake if Tate didn’t show. The mood was tense on the way to the village square. Tate’s mind wandered from the mysterious man from the morning, to the unknown king. She had no idea what to expect from the meeting and her nerves had her stomach in knots. She had a sudden vision of her and the man from the morning. He was riding a horse, seemingly on his way to the capital, and she sat in front of him. It was an intimate scene, with his hands wrapped closely around her waist, fingers cinched under her waistline. She was leaning into him, and accepting his advances. The strangest thing was that she was wearing the exact dress she was in now. Could this be today? She hadn’t known her visions to be wrong, but she could still change them. If she wanted to, but did she? Would that man want to take her away? What would he want her for? She may not have known much of the world around her, but she wasn’t naïve to the devious nature of men. This instilled more fear into her heart as they waited for the King’s arrival. The entourage arrived in grand fashion. Showing the power of the king without using words. The horses were shiny, his men were extremely well dressed, and they all seemed to emit power just with their eyes. There were at least a dozen men making their entrance to town, but none were Tate’s mystery man. She felt a sigh of disappointment settle in her chest just before the King made his grand entrance. Everyone bowed their heads as low as they could in reverence. Everyone but Tate. Her gaze locked with the blue eyes that had been keeping her thoughts occupied since early that morning. Her mystery man was none other than the spoiled boy king. Their morning conversation and her casual contempt for the king flooded back to her memory. Tate’s embarrassment and fear showed in her face as she did her best to curtsy directly in front of the King. People had been killed for less, and she was terrified for herself and her parents. Staying in the curtsy, Tate heard him dismount his horse, and approach her. “My dearest Tate, I told you that I would see you again.” He bent down and lifted her chin in an effort to get her to stand and face him. The fear on her face quickly changed to animosity at his deception. “You… you were spying on us all this morning. Weren’t you?” Tate accused the King with no remorse or apology. “How dare you try and trick me!” Tate’s parents were listening to their conversation and her mother gently tried tugging at her daughter’s dress to get her to snap out of her fit. “Trick you? I was just trying to get to know you and your village.” Cal was on the defensive now, and he wasn’t used to this. “You are the one who called me a spoiled boy king!” A bit of a childish response, but he was so flustered by her reaction to his true identity that he didn’t know what else to do. “I wasn’t wrong, was I?” Tate retorted before her mother could fully grab her, pulling her back into the now stunned crowd. “Remember what we talked about Tate, please be respectful…” Cora whispered so that only her daughter could hear. She was pleading with her eyes for Tate to calm down. “I apologize for my behavior. I was not expecting you to be… well, you.” Tate’s blunt honesty was so refreshing for the king that he couldn’t stay mad at her for anything. “Accepted. Now, if I may, I’d like to speak to you and your family.” He made eye contact with Miles and gestured to one of the village halls. The whole village parted ways as Tate, her family, and the King made their way to a meeting room. The Kings right hand and guard, Jack, joined the group. “Your majesty, please forgive my daughters boldness earlier. I am afraid I did not instill enough manors in her…” Miles was humbling begging the king before they even sat down. “There is no need. It is her spirit that has my attention. Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Calvin, son of the late King Briggs, and I am the new King of Asmara. I met your daughter this morning, and I have a proposition for you.” It was as if the air had been sucked from the room and not a sound could be heard from any of the involved parties. “I’d like to bring Tate back to the capital with me, having her join the royal court and attend the academy if she chooses.” This was not what Tate had imagined from her earlier vision. Was he truly just wanting to give her an education and a chance at a better life? “You want me to go to school?” She blurted out, bringing a cringe from her mother and a laugh from the King. “I want you to be with me. However, I can get you to agree to that… I will do it.” There it was, that was what Tate saw in her vision, but it seemed so much scarier coming straight from the king himself. Or was it, Calvin? What should she call him? Her thoughts painted a puzzled expression on her face and Calvin was even more taken with her in that moment. “I can offer you anything your heart desires, if you will come back with me?” “Are you actually giving me the choice? Or is this just a chauvinistic way of making me chose to be your bed warmer?” Again, Tate’s blunt disrespect for the King had her mother dying inside, and her father fearing for their lives. Tate had the king in the palm of her hand though, and part of her knew it. “I assure you; I have plenty of those…” Calvin may have realized that wasn’t the best way to win Tate over a bit late, but he tried to recover quickly. “Tate, I don’t want to force you into anything. You truly have the choice, and I will respect whatever you decide.” Miles was dumbfounded by the king’s proposal to his daughter and decided he should try and mediate the situation. “My King, may I have a word with my daughter for a moment?” He bowed at this request, giving the king time to respond. “Of course, and Tate…” He reached for her arm, pulling her in close just as he had earlier that morning. “I am looking for my Queen, not just a bed warmer.” Tate’s lips trembled at his confession, and his touch sent sparks through her skin that electrified her body settling in her core. This was a new sensation and one she knew was dangerous to dwell on. “Please give us a moment…” Tate pulled her parents to the corner of the room to discuss this proposition. For most village girls, they would be flattered and over joyed at the Kings offer, but Tate was different. She liked the king, even if it was against her better judgement, but she feared her powers being discovered more. The capital was foreign to her and held all the men who would use her for things she couldn’t even comprehend. Tate and Cora gave each other knowing looks when they thought they had enough privacy. There were no words needed between the small family. They knew what was at risk, and neither choice left them safe. “I think I know what to do… please follow my lead.” Miles rolled his eyes, and agreed with his only daughter. She had been the gift they prayed for long ago, and following her lead was something he had learned to do. “As you wish my darling.” They returned to the table at the center of the room where the King anxiously awaited her response. Somehow, this spirited girl had already gotten under his skin and he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it. “My King…” “Please call me Calvin, or Cal, or whatever you would like actually.” He let his guard down and she appreciated his nervous attempt at appeasing her. “Cal. I am just barely 18, and I’d like to stay with my parents until I’m 19… I could join you in the capital after my birthday?” She was hoping to buy herself some time to learn control of her skills and maybe learn somethings about the capital and royal family. “How long until your birthday?” This wasn’t the no he was afraid of, but also not the ecstatic yes, he was hoping for. “Six months.” They were almost exactly a year apart, and the king grinned at that, pulling her close to him yet again. He couldn’t get enough of her touch. “Then I will be back in five and a half months to collect you. The future Queen’s 19th birthday should be celebrated in style.” He embraced her greedily and bent over to steal a kiss. Tate wasn’t expecting that, and shied away, leaving Cal to miss and kiss her cheek. “I don’t think we are ready for labels just yet…” Tate was trying to hide her blush, but being so close to Cal had her body reacting without her control. Unconsciously she found herself pressing against his tight form, and noticing all the delicious curves and bulges he had to offer. Her innocence captivated him, and had him falling hard. “As far as I am concerned, you are already mine… and I won’t leave here until everyone agrees to that.” There was a unanimous head nod in the room before Cal picked Tate up and took that kiss he’d been dying to have. It was chaste at first, but he quickly showed the innocent girl some of his more provocative skills of the tongue. “Now, remember this kiss and know that I have a lot more things to show you my dearest Tate.” This whispered promise was just for her to hear and sent shivers through her whole being. After a few more details were decided on, Tate walked Cal to the horses to say goodbye. It was a surreal moment, because this seemed to be just as her vision was earlier. Same horse, same clothes, same feeling of closeness between the two of them. Yet, she chose not to travel with him today. What an odd vision. Clearly, she needed to focus on controlling those skills over the next few months. A thought occurred to her, and she couldn’t let it rest. “Cal…”, she hesitated at her bold request, but decided that he needed to know. “If you truly want me as your Queen, I better not hear of you having any women while I am here.” “Are you ordering your King?” Cal raised his eyebrow and gave Tate the most charming smile she’d seen yet. “I could never dream of anyone else after meeting you, my Queen.” It was almost as if her command settled her future status. Tate pulled him in for a kiss this time, and whispered “You will never be able to hide anything from me…” It was a threat, but he loved seeing this side of her. Cal didn’t know how he got lucky enough to meet her that day, but finding his Queen had him feeling unstoppable.