The Oracle and The Queen
1176 Words
The days that followed her revelations were painful for her as well as Aunt Daphne and Martha. They were both coping with it differently. While Martha fussed over her more, making sure that she did not encounter a silver of discomfort, Aunt Daphne had pulled away and in the rare occasions they met, she had started treating Ayana like an adult. And Ayana could not decide what she preferred more.
She chose to immerse herself in books and lock away herself inside the library. Recalling her past life had done a number on her psyche. As much as it has lightened the burden on her heart, pulling out those memories - one by one, had rattled her to the point where she was unable to sleep at night without breaking out a cold sweat in between. And maybe the effect was showing on her appearance as Risa mentioned she looked paler than usual and Martha seemed to fret more.
She felt a little bad for unleashing her demons on the two people she loved dearly but when she mentioned this to Martha, the old woman had gathered her in her arms and said, “I promise you, your highness, We would not have it any other way.”
And it had made another set of waterworks come to life. God, she had turned into such a crybaby!
It had been another quiet night and Ayana had learned that Count Harrison has been persecuted for his crimes. It was something she was happy about. A step in the right direction.
She had been reciting a beautiful Palik poem in her head when someone knocked on her door.
“Come in.”
She was expecting Martha as the woman liked to check upon her every now and then but to her surprise it was Aunt Daphne. Ayana found herself running to her Aunt.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yes, everything is fine, little one. Can we talk? If you are not that sleepy.”
“I’m not.”
She insisted, grabbed her Aunt’s hand and tugged her to the bed.
“So, I’m trying not to beat around the bush here.” Her Aunt hesitantly started, “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but I have something in my mind.”
Ayana nodded her head to urge her Aunt to continue.
“I want to confirm this theory of your past life.”
Her words left Ayana gobsmacked. She blinked, unsure of what her Aunt means.
“You don’t trust me?” She asked in a small voice.
“Oh Eartha,” Aunt exclaimed, “Ayana, sweetheart, I trust you with my everything. You have given me more than enough reasons to believe everything you have said. It’s...not about not trusting you, it’s about seeking concrete proof of. Because if everything you’ve told us about is true, then the entire Ruvesta, your siblings, my son and everyone else is in danger. We will need to combat the danger coming on a massive scale, and darling, we cannot afford to make mistakes. The decisions we make now might end up affecting the future of the entire country. That is why we have to be absolutely sure of everything.”
The realization hit Ayana like a boulder. She hadn’t even realized that her decisions might create an avalanche of unexpected changes. She wondered if she had deliberately glossed over the fact or if it had been a genuine ignorant idea on her part.
“I understand. But how are we supposed to know if those were really my past memories?”
Aunt Daphne smiled and gently brushed her hair off her forehead in a loving gesture.
“I think I know the person who can help us.”
…
Three days later, Ayana found herself in a carriage with her Aunt Daphne and Martha, hurtling towards the remote village of Dandi. Even the Royal carriage rattled and shook with how bad the road was.
“Tell me, why are we going to Dandi again?”
She pouted and Daphne looked up from the book she was engrossed in. Ayana wondered how the woman could even read with all the shaking of the carriage.
“We are going to meet an oracle who lives on the mountains of Dandi.”
“What for?”
“That oracle is also a sorcerer. She might know about your rebirth.” Aunt shut her book close.
“Oh?” Now that was interesting. “Have you met her before?”
Aunt Daphne became quiet. She glanced at the book and then out of the window. After a while, she answered.
“I did. It was back then when your mother was pregnant with you.”
“Wh-what?” That halted Ayana.
“Briana spent a lot of her pregnancy here. When she heard about the oracle and how true their predictions are, she wanted to know her unborn baby’s future.”
Ayana swallowed. “What...did the oracle say?”
Aunt Daphne’s face dropped. “She said...that, the baby’s fate was cursed with pain and sadness. Riddled with difficulties and trials. That the baby’s life would meet a tragic end.”
Silence that followed was overwhelming.
She didn’t know how to react over the fact that someone had predicted so much about her life.
Aunt Daphne continued, “I, of course, did not believe the oracle. But Briana was devastated. We returned back to Evanti mansion. But the next month she said she was visiting the oracle again. This time, alone." Aunt Daphne took a breath and continued, “I forbade her from doing that. For the Queen of the country to travel alone without enough guards was preposterous. But she left alone anyway, that too in the night.”
That was a surprise. Her mother was a kind woman. She was not known for her temper or adventurousness. But then again, someone who had boldly argued about the merits and importance of the right to knighthood to women, in front of the King must not have been an ordinary woman.
“She returned back soon enough," Daphne leaned back into her seat, eyes on Ayana, "this time relieved, saying that she has secured her baby’s better future and showed me the moonstone jaded dagger you have on yourself."
“Oh my god!” Ayana exclaimed as she pulled out the dagger from the hidden pocket she always had in her dresses. It was sheathed, and the moonstone on it’s hilt gleamed in sunlight. She stared at the dagger for a long while before raising her head to meet the older woman's eyes.
“Do you think the dagger has something to do with it?”
“I have assumed yes. I need the sorcerer to confirm this. At this point, she is the only one who can.”
- Writer
