When Noah began talking, not a single word was uttered to interrupt his narration, all eyes fixated on him. As the minutes trickled by, it felt as if a cold draft sapped away all the spring warmth from the room, and by the time he finished, all the blood had drained from his friends’ faces. His last word left them all mouth agape, with furrowed brows and wide eyes, but Noah cared only for one person. To his left, Lorelei sat in her chair upright, her whole body quaking like an aspen leaf. Both hands were clasped over her mouth, her features - pale and twisted as if she was to throw up any moment.
Looking at her more carefully, Noah realized that she wasn’t breathing.
“Lorelei!” He reached out, his hand landing on her shoulder.
With a jerk, she inhaled sharply and immediately burst into a coughing fit. Noah hurried to give her a goblet of birch juice which she downed in three large gulps.
“Are you alright?”
“No. I’m not alright,” she rasped, her eyes darting around the table. “This… All this… Oh, Gods!”
Noah wrapped his fingers around her trembling hand.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“And how can I not be? You said it yourself. According to the prophecy, I am a danger to you and to Norden, and the only way to prevent disaster is to… kill me.” A listless laugh left her lips as she shook her head and looked at Noah. “Now I see. So that’s why Shana acted like this? And I always thought that she hated me because I married Your Highness.”
“Sometimes when the Star-gazer is about to awaken, they begin to see things.” Kash-baba leaned in and refilled Lorelei’s cup. “I suspect that her animosity towards you as her stepmother was strengthened by those premonitions and it led her towards a branch of the future connected to both you and her father.”
“So then…” Lorelei tried to blink her tears away and chewed on her lip. “What will you do with me?”
Noah stiffened and glared at her.
“What do you mean?”
“Shana was right. The easiest way would be to… kill me.” Her voice shook. “But I beg Your Highness. Please, have mercy. I… I have no intention of harming you or Norden. Please, believe me!”
“There is no need to plead with me.” Noah brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her eyes before fixating his gaze on the person sitting to his right. “No one will harm you. I promise you this.”
“Why are you glaring daggers at me?” William De Mar rubbed his neck and sighed. “Although I have to agree that the most effective way to prevent potential threats would be to remove the root of the problem. Well, the other option we have would be to send the lady away from Norden.”
“No.” Noah’s reply was so quick that all heads turned to face him. Cursing his outburst, he tried to hide his embarrassment. “If you send Lorelei away now, you risk her landing in the hands of Lionel or Master Argente. And they would be more than happy to use her to harm us. It could even be the event that triggers the prophecy.”
“Now this is stretching it.”
“Is it, William?” Noah’s voice rumbled and he looked at his friend menacingly, painfully aware that every word his Lord Steward uttered was the truth. But sending Lorelei away now that he had come to terms with his feelings… No. Not before he had exhausted all other options. “How can I be sure that the futures Shana saw, that the prophecy-verses she remembers, haven’t been tampered with? I have a feeling that the bastard Akh-Moren is involved, maybe he even planted those memories.”
“And what if he didn’t? Are you willing to bet your fate and the fate of Norden on a gut feeling?”
“And sending Lorelei away from my protection is the right course of action? No. Before we know for sure that the prophecy is true, we shouldn’t make any hasty decisions. I can't risk Lorelei’s and Norden’s safety out of fear.”
“Still, I think-”
“Let it be, Will.” Duncan’s grumble cut the young man’s tirade short as he finally stepped in the conversation. “You too, Noah. Don’t you see that your quarrel is scaring the lass? Besides, has anyone considered the possibility that the prophecy has been fulfilled already?”
All eyes peeled on Duncan. The old knight scratched his chin.
“First verse - ‘The fate of Norden rides on the wings of a bird’. Well, when we were in Sefis, we did receive a note from Limris with the orders to rush back to Norden. The other verse - ‘When the White Lady heralds war, the Beast howls in agony’. What Shana did, breaking the Star and attacking the Duchess, almost led to a civil war. And you, my lad, were definitely not unphased by our little princes’ actions. Then we come to the part that states ‘When the Beast falls, the Swallow shall triumph’. You can’t deny that the Lady rescued our stubborn Duke from the flogging post, and I call this quite a triumph. And about the flowers blooming under the Beast’s feet, well, you two did perform your walk of shame on a flower carpet, so there is that.”
“Then what about the Swallow being devoured?” whispered Lorelei.
“My lady,” the old knight gave her a sunny smile, “have you ever heard the phrase ‘devoured by the sea’? I think that answers your question.”
For a moment, everyone remained silent.
“What you say…” Noah dipped his head. “It has some merit.”
“Of course it does!” huffed Duncan and stood up. “But now, lads, it’s time to go and let the Duchess have some rest. We have intruded enough for the day and anything else can be discussed later.”
Coming around the table, the old knight bowed cordially and took Lorelei’s palm.
“My lady,” he kissed the back of her hand and winked at her, “don’t take prophecies too much to heart. Look at me. A fortune teller once told me that I’ll lose my life to a savage from the South in less than a year. This was over thirty years ago and I’m still here. The future is ever-changing and too tangled for us mortals to predict.”
“Thank you, Sir Duncan!” Albeit weak, there was some warmth in Lorelei’s voice as she squeezed the fingers of the old knight.
“No need for gratitude, my lady. But you seem quite shaken. Let me escort you to your bed chamber.”
“That would be my task.” Noah jumped up and hurried to Lorelei’s side offering her his arm. “Lean on me. Can you stand up?”
She nodded and the two slowly walked to the bed chamber, followed by their friends’ gazes. Feeling the warmth of her body pressing against his, Noah felt guilty. The slight tremors that shook her frame reminded him of the baby rabbit he once caught as a child. His grip around her waist tightened and he cursed himself for telling her about the prophecy. It would have likely been better to wait a bit until she gathered more strength. Or maybe never tell her at all… But she deserved closure and an explanation for the cause of her recent misfortunes.
“Listen to Duncan,” he whispered, carefully supporting her. “It is all over. Forget the stupid prophecy.”
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“Let’s hope he is right,” she replied quietly, avoiding his gaze.
“He is!” Noah brought her to the bed and helped her sit down. “Look, Lorelei… I’m sorry for frightening you and causing you such distress, but you needed to know. To understand why things happened the way they did.”
“Yes. I understand.” She nodded but still held his hand, unwilling to let go.
“Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep?”
His words made her blush and she quickly released him, all to Noah’s dismay. Wrapping her arms around her body, she took a deep breath and rocked slowly back and forth.
“To think… that in some future I harmed you… I destroyed Norden.” She bit her lips and shook her head. “I… Don’t… want to be your enemy.”
“And you’ll never be!” Noah knelt before her and made her look him in the eyes. “I know you, Lorelei. I’ve come to know how gentle and compassionate your heart is. The horrors Shana saw can only be lies planted by the Red Hands.”
“But what if… they aren’t? What if it really is me, after being ‘devoured’ by a saint?” She sobbed quietly.
“It wasn’t you that Shana saw.” Seeing her wet face, Noah felt the urge to kiss her cheeks dry. To hold her tight and take upon the burden of all her dark fears. But he had no right to take advantage of her weakness. He held Lorelei’s chin, fighting back his yearning, and instead pressed his forehead against hers. “If devouring you is meant to make the Sun shine over Norden, it definitely has nothing to do with you being a nesvet. Believe me, a saint would never bring prosperity to this land but rather destruction. And if not only Shana’s memories but also the prophecy-verses have been tampered with… Well, then you shouldn’t believe a word of it all. Shana believed them and look at what she did. Now try to get some rest. I’ll visit you again later, but don’t hesitate to send for me or Kash-baba if you need anything.”
“I can’t inconvenience you.”
“It’s not an inconvenience at all.”
Noah made her lie down and covered her with a blanket before quietly leaving the room. At the door, he passed Milly.
“Inform me immediately if the Lady feels unwell or needs something. Bring her something sweet and nourishing when she wakes up.”
“Yes, my lord.” The maid curtsied and hurried to stand by Lorelei’s side, watching like a mother hen over her mistress.
With a slight relief, Noah walked back into the anteroom and motioned for the others to follow him outside. The four silently made their way through Ildemar’s corridors and gardens until they reached the castle’s high white walls. Measuring up the steep steps leading to the battlements, Noah turned to Kash-baba.
“Will you be able to join us up there?”
“I might be old but I still need no one to carry me on their back,” huffed the old shaman. Lifting her skirts, she darted up the stairs with the speed and agility of a goat.
“Atta lass!” Duncan whistled and followed after her. “I hope I’ll be that jumpy when I reach her years!”
When they reached the top, the mirror surface of the fjord greeted them with the sparkle of a sunset trail. Half of the sky was dyed scarlet with the dark indigo of night slowly creeping in. Noah leaned on one of the merlons and let the salty wind brush against his face, indulging in the short moment of peace that wouldn’t last.
“I hope Lady Shimshi gets better soon.” Kash-baba stood next to him, stuffing her pipe with some unknown herbs from the pouch on her belt. With a snap of her fingers, a small spark kindled the dried leaves and the familiar fragrant smoke engulfed the group. “All your efforts to calm her were quite valiant, no doubt. But you do know that a prophecy-verse mentions only the future. Never the past.”
“I stand behind my words.” Duncan spat over the embrasures. “Everything else fits, down to the letter. As for the bird wings and whatnot, who knows which messenger bird it mentioned? Gods be my witness, we’ve received more than enough lately.”
“Whether Shana’s visions and verses are true or not is another matter.” William began limping back and forth. “But your argument that you don’t want to send the Duchess away for her own protection is more than thin. The Red Hands already infiltrated the castle once.”
“I won’t let that happen again!” growled Noah. “And as we are on the topic, anything new from the investigation of the Wolf Mountain tribe?”
“All reports are on your desk but in short, there was no clue about the rat. I hope you will allow me to talk to Shana. Maybe she could provide some new leads. Otherwise, my advice would be to lift the house arrest. It would be more helpful in catching the traitor.”
“What are you planning?”
“Disseminating pieces of false information and tracing them. As soon as anything leaks we will have our man.”
“Do you have enough people for such a large task?”
“Please, don’t underestimate me,” snorted William. “Gregor’s clansmen might form the core of the Shadows but I still have enough subordinates to do the job.”
“Good. I need the castle completely secured. With the Crown Prince’s visit approaching, we need no more unexpected accidents. Especially since he will most likely bring some guests from Pandad…”
“Pandad, huh?” William rubbed his face. “You mention it so nonchalantly.”
“And how am I supposed to mention it?”
“Oh, give me a break! After all these eyes have seen, do you still want me to believe that you’ll marry the Marzbane?”
“I will.”
“Are you trying to fool me or yourself?” He limped to Noah and bored a finger into the left part of his friend’s chest. “You, my lord, are helplessly, foolishly, and utterly in love with Lady Lorelei. You should look at yourself from the side. Only a blind idiot wouldn’t notice it. And you are telling me that you’ll drown and trample down those feelings and go on with the marriage to Marzbane Ilmaz?”
Noah took a deep breath and his gaze wandered between his friends. Will’s eyes were throwing fire in his direction, Duncan gave him a smirk and a shrug, while a toothless grin stretched the old shaman’s face.
“I know my duties,” he said quietly, but still unable to deny his feelings.
“You think?” William moaned and looked at Duncan. “And what do you think? The way I see it, we have a huge problem!”
“Don’t overdramatize it, lad. Look at me and-”
Whatever he wanted to say was interrupted by a loud bird cry. Lifting his head up, Noah saw the lean figure of a falcon circling over them. As the bird descended, the last sun rays gave its blue feathers a golden-reddish shine.
“Zephyr!?”
Lifting his arm, Noah welcomed the arrival of the azure falcon with mixed feelings. Zephyr was Llewellyn’s personal messenger bird. Azure falcons were very rare and treasured not only for their unusual plumage but also for their gentle character, intelligence, and loyalty. To send him on the long journey to Norden meant that the message it carried was of utmost importance.
Noah gritted his teeth as the falcon’s talons bore into his arm, but he ignored this slight inconvenience at the sight of the large black message cylinder. Quickly untying it from Zephyr’s foot, he carefully gave the tired cooing bird into Duncan’s care. With jittery fingers, he broke the golden seal and pulled out several pages of thin paper, covered with a slightly crooked handwriting.
“He personally wrote the message!” Noah’s brows flew up while his eyes darted over the pages. “Oh, damn! Fuck that conniving snake!.. May he rot in the Netherrealm!”
“What’s going on?” William craned his neck over his friend’s shoulder.
“I asked Neli to inquire about Master Argente and possible connections to Lionel. Well, it seems that fiend lives in the Imperial Palace as a physician and alchemist.”
“What?” William grabbed the page that Noah offered him and began eagerly reading it.
“Oh, and it seems that my dear little Brother is trying to take Pandad from under our noses.” Noah gritted his teeth but then his fingers convulsively crumbled the thin paper. “Damn! Really!? You will never guess who this year’s tax collector for Norden will be.”
“A turd we know,” rumbled Duncan while carefully stroking Zephyr’s feathers.
“And what a turd!” hissed Noah and his gaze was about to burn a hole in the letter. “In about a week, we will be having the honor of greeting the Lord of the Coin, Count Fidelius Orten. And to top that, Lady Pricilla Orten will be accompanying him as an official representative of the Palace to oversee the preparations for the Crown Prince’s visit.”
“Oh, bite me! You’ve got to be kidding me!” Both Duncan and William gaped at Noah.
Studying the three men’s faces, Kash-baba exhaled a puff of smoke.
“It looks like the next few weeks will be anything but boring.”