The air was thick with tension in the king's bedroom. There was a beeline of maidservants at the door. Their backs were bent at ninety degrees and they stood in a single arrangement with poise.
An old man was seated near the door with his head bent. Beside him, a small figure sat stiffly with her head also lowered. She was putting on a large cloak that covered her entire face.
There were round chandeliers at the top of the ceiling and they were glowing brightly. The light cascaded the whole room, lighting up every corner of it.
In the middle of the room, a large and wide bed was placed. It was round and wide. There was a long stretch of red, transparent gauze tied at the top of the bed, surrounding it.
A figure was laid in the middle of the large bed. It was a male figure. He had a tall and muscular body that was outlined through the thin material silk robe he was putting on.
He was outstretched on the bed but there was a long rope tightly bounding him to the bed from one edge of the bed to another. A tight knot was tied firmly to his stomach, with his hands restrained by his sides.
His handsome face was contorted and he groaned constantly in pain. His face was red and there seemed to be countless rashes on his body. He was struggling to break the bounds around him. His hands fisted the black bedsheets on the bed and creases immediately appeared on them.
He groaned from time to time and after some time, he began to scream in pain.
Suddenly, the girl who was putting on a cloak lifted her head. Her facial features were now visible under the cloak. But, what was noticeable was that her eyes were white. They were unfocused and blurry. It was evident that she was blind.
She trembled violently and as she blankly opened her eyes, she could see shadows. Several shadows. They were so fast that she could not make sense of them at all.
But suddenly, she blurted out, "A lone star."
The old man beside her looked up. He instantly turned to look at her. His expression was complicated. It wasn't clear whether he was delighted or worried.
The girl continued, "A giant dragon in the sky. Countless subjects at his feet. But, what a shame. Destined to live a lonely life."
The old man was confused by her words for a moment but after he heard her low mutters, he whirled towards the figure on the bed. He seemed to understand what the girl was saying.
But, how could it be? How was that possible?
The girl did not stop muttering. She continued to tremble also. But, it was hard to make sense of what she was saying.
Just then, the eyes of the man on the bed opened. They were clear and nordic colored. He didn't react for a moment but when he did, he shut his eyes and opened them again. The moment the old man noticed he was awake, he scurried over to him.
Fenrir breathed heavily. He sat up on the bed for a moment before climbing out of it. As he left the shade of the gauze, he was more visible under the light.
The silk garment he was putting on shone under the shower of light. He had a tall and straight figure. The upper part of his garment was exposed so his chest was visible. His abs were tight and strong. They weren't too strong yet not too soft; just perfect.
His tanned skin was glistening as balls of sweat rolled down his body from the struggle earlier.
But, what was most eye-catching was his facial features. He was an extremely handsome man, no doubt. He had a breathtaking face that attracted and enticed women and men alike.
However, it was eye-catching because it was evident that all the rashes which were on his face earlier had all disappeared. Instead, his face was now back to normal.
Fenrir pulled the knot of the garment and tightened them. Then, he walked steadily to the sofa in the room. He settled heavily on it before looking at the old man.
When the man saw this, he immediately bowed.
Fenrir sighed, rubbing his temples, and said, "Sit down, Elder Bernard. Tell me your findings."
Elder Bernard immediately replied respectfully and sat down with his legs crossed. He gave the girl that was seated far away a glance before he recounted dye details.
"My King, I didn't do the job today."
Fenrir lifted an eyebrow upon hearing this. But, he didn't ask questions. He looked in the direction of the hooded figure for a moment before moving his gaze away. He already concluded the rest of the words left unsaid by the elder.
Instead, he asked, "What did she see?"
Elder Bernard gave a forlorn sigh upon hearing his solemn tone. He replied, "She foresaw a king."
Fenrir was perplexed. Wasn't he already a king?
"A king of all kings." Elder Bernard continued. "In her words, Your Majesty is a star above stars. She saw countless subjects at your feet bowing and worshipping you, my lord."
"Is that all?"
"No, my lord." Elder Bernard hesitated. But, he had to speak. "But, this star is a lone star. A star that is bound to be alone."
Fenrir gave a small frown. There wasn't much change in his expression. He asked gravely, "If I am a lone star, what about the prophecy that I cannot go less than five meters around other women except my mate?"
Elder Bernard was also as confused as he was. The King was a mighty figure. But, he had an ailment that was only known to the elders of the court. He would face countless torture and pain every full moon. It would be as though he was being slashed open and rejoined again from bone to bone. It was an extremely painful procedure.
However, it was prophesied that the only cure to this was to find his mate. He was not allowed to be less than five meters from other women otherwise his ailment would act up. It was as though he was a package only meant for his mate.
Fenrir was now 100 years old(werewolf age). But, he was still without a mate. He had searched far and wide. But, he hadn't come across one.
Fenrir breathed a heavy sigh before looking at Elder Bernard. "She seems quite capable since she can see things countless have not. Keep her as one of your disciples." He was referring to the girl in the cloak.
"Thank you for your grace, my lord."
Elder Bernard seemed pleased to be able to nurture such a talented seer.
Fenrir didn't pay attention to him anymore. Instead, he got up and walked in the direction of the bathhouse. He reeked of sweat and could not contain such inconvenience. He wanted to bathe.
When Elder Bernard saw this, he immediately stood up and bowed. "We'll take our leave, Your Majesty."
Then, he walked towards the door and tapped the girl, "Lyca, we should leave."
The girl named Lyca immediately stood up. She held her arm forward and gave a bow in Fenrir's direction. Then, she turned to leave.
Fenrir stared at their receding backs for a moment. He was contemplating.
If the girl was blind, how was she able to see where he was and even bowed at him?
He was simply baffled. But, he didn't think much of it and walked into the bathhouse.
From start to end, he didn't see her face.