"The whole family was present that day, extended and close. Even for a prophecy reading, it was unprecedented. Generally, the reading is done behind closed doors and no announcement is made to the public but this time it was proclaimed in front of everyone and the prophecy was to be read in public in the capital. It was going to be nothing short of a spectacle. I was equally as excited of course, my beloved mistress was going to get her time to shine" she continued.
I was still reeling from her last sentence though, prophecy and prophets, these things were only confined to fantasy and myth in my world. The thing that caught my attention the most however was the 'destruction of the world' part. I could only listen keenly as I thirsted for more information.
"The ceremony would still be done in private, but as the prophet spoke the prophecy, a special magic was used to inscribe it in real-time on a large scroll in the capital centre. The stage was set and off she went, so excited she started hopping. Along with her were the King and Queen along, and everyone else made to wait in their chamber, including her sorry excuse of a brother. I was just a maid of course, not privy to such things, I would know what happened inside only after they came out. We waited and waited, and a ceremony which should have lasted a few minutes went on for an hour. We suddenly heard a lot of commotion outside the palace gates, a huge horde of people were thrashing around. The knights tried to quell them but there was an endless wave of people following them. We ran towards the hall where the ceremony was being performed and heard the door creak open. The only people exiting were the King and the prophet" she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
"The king looked like death had flashed before his eyes, he just looked up and ordered us to go back to our rooms immediately. His voice was hoarse but still firm. All I wanted to do at that moment was to rush inside and ask my mistress what had happened. It was obvious to me even as a thirteen-year-old child that something had gone terribly wrong and my mistress had gotten in trouble. But at that moment, I was scared and frightened, I knew that if I didn't do what I was ordered I would be killed for defiance immediately....there is nothing I regret more in my life than what I chose to do at that moment. I chose to stay silent, I chose to ignore my duty to the princess, I chose to not help her, and I chose to betray her trust...SHE WAS JUST A FIVE-YEAR-OLD KID!!" she said with tears streaming down her cheeks.
The regret and guilt were so apparent that I couldn't even look her in the eye. I myself looked down and stared into nothingness.
"What the hell have you gone through Lucy....." words that I didn't mean to say out loud, escaped in the form of a whisper.
I heard a few sniffles as Serena composed herself again.
"I am sorry, I got a bit carried away" she said, the tears she had prior evaporating in the heat of the fireplace.
"No... it's fine. This is what I bargained for, thank you for trusting me. Are you ok to continue?" I asked, not wanting to burden her any longer.
"Yes...I was ushered into the servant's quarter and I immediately ran to my mom and cried in her arms, begging her to do something. To tell the King to let me see her, but she just crouched down to my height and wiped my tears. I had never seen my mother show an ounce of emotion when she was wearing her uniform, her cheerful personality was only reserved for our personal family life, but there she was, her own eyes filled with sadness and sorrow. I remember her next words like they were ingrained into my head. She asked me one and only one question, would I always be there for the Princess in her time of need? There was nothing I was more sure of at that moment, I had already run away once and would never do so again. I had vowed that to myself the moment I chose to stay silent" she said firmly.
"The next moment she grabbed my hand and led me to my room, she instructed me to pack my belongings immediately. I knew it was no time for more questions and did as I was told, it barely took a few minutes but she urged me to do it faster. Once we were done, she grabbed my hand again and led me through a passageway I had never seen and out we came at the back of the castle. A small gate in front of us and an equally small carriage near it" she continued.
"It was only that she stopped and stood before me, crouching down again and placing both of her hands on my cheek. "Listen Serena, you have to be there for her, understand? She needs you...it is your duty, and you must never ever falter. You have already made me so proud my child but this is something that you have to do...I love you" she said. I was then ushered into the carriage and I set off, to who knows where and to do who knows what. My mother's words still ringing fresh in my mind. My fists balled together at the annoyance of not knowing a thing...but all my questions were answered when we passed through the capital centre"
"The prophecy!" I exclaimed.
"Yes....." she replied softly.
"Can you tell me what it was?" I asked.
" A demon born in light and dark, who walks a lonely mark, A human with a past marked, Holding the Power of Light and Dark, On a journey with a new arc, Together they have the power to behold, destroy the world they shall..." she recited.
I heard in silence as she spoke, taking in every word. I had joined the dots to some degree, one of the answers I wasn't sure I liked but there was something much more important to ask. But as I opened my mouth she continued.
"Sounds incomplete, doesn't it? That is all that we know, us servants, the people of the empire, even the nobles. The only people who know the full truth are the King, Queen, the prophet and the Princess...The complete prophecy has never been shown to anyone and probably never will. Every day I think to myself what is so grave or earth-shattering written at the end that already hasn't been said, accusing a child, the most sweetest, kindest and caring little child of destroying the world in the future" she said, her face writhing in anger.
"Have you asked her? about the incomplete part?" I asked.
"It took a lot of courage but I did.... she replied.
"And what did she say" I continued.
"Only one thing that she has repeated countless times now....that it doesn't matter"