For a moment, her words surprised me, until I remembered my mom mentioned visiting the Truth Teller when she was pregnant with me.
“I’m not the king yet,” I clarified, the statement bringing an amused smile out of her.
“You have been king since the moment you were born, Braxton. We do not choose our destiny. It chooses us.”
Extending a hand to the side, she took a step closer to the cavern wall, and the moment her fingers touched the surface, she began to walk towards the table. Once again, Kingston and I exchanged a glance, realizing the seer was blind.
With familiar steps she approached the table, feeling the coat that lay on it first. Her hands ran over the velvety fur of the hood, fingers tracing the snowflake design along the sleeves, and a new smile captured her lips. This one was filled with a different emotion.
“Thank you, my king.”
Oh, nooo. “It’s not from me, Truth Teller. It’s from Asher,” I confessed, seeing her turn to face me. “I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I was not aware I needed to bring you something.”
“I know… I do not require an offering from you. Nevertheless, it is because of you that he came, and I trust you will extend my gratitude to him. Will you not?”
“It will be my pleasure,” I offered.
“Good. Now, be a dear and help me carry the rest inside.” Hugging the coat to her chest with appreciation, she turned around, heading back into the hallway.
“I didn’t come alone,” I explained, unsure of whether or not she’d noticed Kingston there.
“He may enter too,” she called back, disappearing into the shadows.
Taking the box and other articles from the table, the chief and I made our way after her, coming out into a larger cavern that was not at all like I anticipated.
Remarkably, it was far warmer in there, making me want to remove my jacket—which explained why she only wore a simple dress. The space was primitive for sure but equipped with everything one might need. A bed of furs sat on the far wall with a table and a chair relatively close. It had a stone bowl on top, filled with fruit to the brim, a plate with a single set of cutlery, and a pitcher with a glass. Small and oval, a pond sat on the opposite side of the cavern, fresh water dripping onto it from the condensation of the rocks above it.
Next to it, a set of baskets rested before a raised-bed vegetable garden. Last, a trunk with clothes, I assumed, sat on the corner, an old pair of boots was next to it.
My searching gaze returned to the seer to see her remove the worn-out coat that had definitely seen better days from a hook on the wall, to hang Asher’s gift in its place. The timeworn, cracked leather coat fell to the floor, forgotten, though it still showed remnants of the loving details once imbued onto it.
“You may set those in their rightful place,” she instructed, so Kingston walked to the trunk to set the boots and gloves there.
Taking a peek inside the wooden box, I walked towards the raised bed, taking out the baby plants and setting them on the floor next to it to be planted. Asher had sent her more sprouts to grow. A few large cuts of meat and fish were also inside the box, which I plunged into the salt baskets. Fresh bottled milk, cheese, hard boiled eggs, and a loaf of fresh bread that I set on her table too.
At first, I thought we had made him wait for us, but he’d used the time wisely to gather things for his mom.
“Come to me, Dragon King.”
The seer’s voice made me turn. She was sitting on the bed, hands outstretched and waiting. “Sit before me.”
With a deep breath, I walked towards her, taking my place on the floor. Her hands fell on my face, fingers carefully tracing every inch, so I closed my eyes, allowing her to complete her assessment of me.
“You look just like Khayden…” she whispered, smiling when I opened my eyes again. The action illuminated her soft features beautifully. It was a genuine smile brought on by affection. “What a pleasant sight to see again.”
“Thank you,” I offered, taking the time to assess her too. She wasn’t an old lady at all, probably in her early forties, which suggested she’d had Asher when she was very young. “You knew my father personally,” I added, briefly remembering Asher’s version of his story.
She had been a slave at the same time he was, freed thanks to the Uprising.
“And your grandfather,” she confessed, cupping my cheeks with care. “You carry their healing magic inside you. I can feel their warmth running through your being. What an important legacy to share.”
My mouth stretched into an honest grin, pleased she could feel a part of them within me. It meant a lot. “You met my mother too.”
“The Devenish Princess carried a beautiful light of her own. One that radiated from her, brightening her surroundings with each step, including your father’s heart. It was a true honor to witness.” Pausing, she lowered her head, her eyes staring straight into mine as though she could actually see me. “Many believe I was born this way,” she gestured to her white eyes, “but the gift of sight does not require blindness to show you a world only a selected few can see… The sentries' cruelty made me this way.”
“They blinded you?”
“With fire…”
Horror quickly spread through me, accompanied by fury. My attention turned to Kingston, finding him standing close, though his gaze was anchored to the wall. Taut muscles shook along his arms from the force of his contained emotion, and something told me he remembered that day all too well. The fisting of his hands called my gaze to them, seeing the disfigured skin of his palms turn bone white with the pressure.
He, too, had felt the punishment.
“Your father healed my skin that night, but my eyes never were the same.”
“I can heal you,” I offered instantly, eager to help her. “My power is stronger. My Devenish magic—”
“You misunderstand, my king. You cannot heal what makes me who I am. I may not have been born this way, but I was always meant to be blind.” The smile returned to her lips, no longing or sadness found in it. “Blindness is just another form of sight. I was blessed to experience all three.”
All three—physical vision, blind sight, and foretelling.
“I understand.”
Her emotion of acceptance filtered into me, helping me appreciate her in a new way until her smile captured me too. The Truth Teller’s beauty was an aura that extended from her soul.
Continuing to caress my cheekbones, she became quiet, but her hands never left me, making me feel as though she was waiting for something. When a white light engulfed her eyes, I knew what she waited for had arrived. Not a single word left her, but a current of cold energy expanded from her fingertips and into me. Her eyes moved swiftly, like they were seeing a million things at once.
Intrigued and amazed, I remained still, allowing her to do what she needed.
“Listen to your destiny, Dragon King, and listen well!”
A powerful voice suddenly declared, except it wasn’t hers; her mouth hadn’t even opened. The voice rang through the cave, making it shudder as though it was a god talking through her.
“Four Dragons!”
Four Dragons. Four Dragons. Four Dragons. Four Dragons…
The statement echoed all through the space, making the walls shutter.