The warm water felt so good. After realizing she had no idea how to return home, and with the cold beginning to get to her, she had accepted Purn’s offer for a bath. It had been a long day for her. The pond wasn't too cold, but the shock of falling into it all of a sudden was... well, shocking. Where was she and how did she get here? She was sure this was no longer the earth she knew. Not only did the people look strange. But the plants looked foreign, too. The ponds, apparently, were rice fields. Except as far as she knew, water in normal rice fields only went as high as your leg, not be deep enough to swim in. And their rice stalks were tall as bamboo. They also had weird plants with small white sacs they called milk plants. If she understood correctly, they're saying milk is grown here. And why was their corn that shade of green?

And where was Rita?

Maria sat up worriedly from where she slouched in the round wooden tub. She needed to find Rita.

Maria came out of the bathroom to find a big chunk of the village crammed inside the tiny dining area of Barna and his mother's home. One of the young ladies suddenly burst out crying.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Maria asked nervously. Did she commit any wrong custom coming out of the bathroom?

"The dress you're wearing," Purn explained as she led Maria to a waiting chair. "It's an honor that the goddess would humble herself enough to wear the clothes of a farmer. It may be our best clothes, but we know we are not worthy."

The young lady nodded vigorously amidst tears. "A-and the goddess -sob- would humble herself, and clothe herself as the peasants would."

"Your prophecy has been fulfilled, Ana!" An old farmer exclaimed.

And the crying Ana nodded joyfully. "A-and in my Sunday best, too!"

"Prophecy?" Maria asked.

"Do you not know the prophecies about you, goddess?" Barna asked her.

"No. I was just walking one minute, and the next I was falling into your rice field."

"Fate must really want you here now."

She wasn’t sure about that. And she couldn’t possibly be the goddess they spoke about. "Maybe."

"Each one of us here in Beulah receives a prophecy about you."

"Each one?” She studied the crowd’s hopeful expressions before returning to look at Barna. “A different one each?"

"Yes. Each a unique personal gift from the goddess. Knowledge about her identity that only the receiver would know."

"So, your prophecy says that I will appear with black hair."

"Yes, and so you have.” Barna studied her, unsure. “You really do not know?"

"No, I'm sorry. Whoever gave you the prophecies isn't me."

"I see." His expression held a slight confusion.

"And the prophecy for... Ana, wasn't it? Was that I wear her clothes?" Turning to Purn, she asked. "What is your prophecy of me?"

"Oh, it hasn't happened yet," Purn replied.

"We cannot say what was prophesied to us until it comes true," Barna explained.

Maria frowned. "What if I don't fulfill it?" She asked, voicing her concern.

"You will," Barna replied with confidence, his earlier confusion gone. "You are the goddess."

"What if I'm not?"

Barna looked at her with what she could only describe as reverence and love. "You have fulfilled my prophecy. You already are my goddess."

"Bless us, goddess!" Came a voice from the crowd.

"Please don't call me that."

"Bless your humble servants!" And other similar lines erupted from the crowd.

But before Maria could explain that she possessed no such ability, a loud knock came on the door.

"Open in the name of the king!" Came a shout from behind the door.

After a tense pause, the farmers hurriedly opened the door. Outside were several soldiers, and the one leading them was a pale thin young man, not much older than Berna, who was richly clothed in long white and purple robes.

"Royal Adviser Ilac!" Berna exclaimed.

Ilac smiled at the crowd. "I have seen the bright light that fell into your fields," he said in a kind soft voice that didn't match his very official garb. "I have come to take the goddess to the palace."

There were murmurs among the people. The look on Berna's face said that he didn't dare defy the king, but the thought of having the goddess pried away from him didn't sit well with him.

"Must you already?" He asked. "Couldn't the old king wait until morning?"

Ilac bowed his head. "His Majesty, the old king, is dead."

More murmurs and some gasps.

"I have come," Ilac continued. "In the name of the new king, His Majesty, King Valas of Beulah." He lifted his head.

Maria saw a slight frown on Barna's face. "Then why doesn't His Majesty come and fetch the goddess himself?"

"He is grieving, farmer," Ilac replied, his voice pleading a little. "He just lost his esteemed father. Besides," and this time she heard ice in his voice. "Were you actually thinking of letting the goddess sleep here?"

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Barna's pained expression told her he had just lost the argument. "At least let me accompany her to the palace."

"What for–"

"Please," Maria interrupted the adviser. "Let him come with me." She didn't want him to feel too bad. Besides, she felt a lot better having nearby someone she was sure wasn't hostile. And from the expression on Barna's face, she wasn't sure if the new king was a good one or not.

"If the goddess wishes," Ilac said.

Maria and Barna followed the adviser to the waiting carriage outside.

"You... don't care much for the new king?" Maria asked Barna when they were walking. She noticed how Ilac became very attentive towards Barna after this question.

"It's not that I dislike the new king. Prince Valas- King Valas- is just so distant and serious. And he doesn't seem to revere the goddess as much as his father does."

"Slander!" Ilac reacted loudly. "His Majesty does revere the goddess. Do not mistake his calmness for indifference. I will have you arrested for sullying the name of the king!"

"Nobody is sullying anyone's name," Maria quickly blocked the space between the two young men and placed a hand on the shoulders of both. "It was only an opinion, nothing more. Nobody is having anybody arrested."

The coach man suddenly dropped to the ground, crying. "And the goddess is a wise woman, who will keep peace among her people."

There goes the prophecy again, Maria thought. "Uh, please sir, please don't prostrate yourself before me or anything."

"Ah! The goddess addressed me!" And the coach man bowed anew.

"Uh, adviser, please tell him–" She had to stop when she found both Ilac and Barna staring transfixed on her hands on their shoulders. She released both men. She had a feeling they might faint with emotions if she held on any longer. They continued starting at her like she had blessed them with good fortune or something. "Uhm... It's getting late. We should get going, right? Wouldn't want to keep the king waiting." And she entered the carriage.

Snapping out of his trance, Ilac stood at the entrance to the carriage and faced Barna, his back to Maria. "The carriage only seats two. You'll have to sit up front."

Barna seemed to want to protest, but thought better of it. Conceding, he made his way beside the coach man.

"You were one of them who saw the goddess first, weren't you?" Maria heard the coach man say. At least he was in good company up front.

The castle slowly came into view. It wasn't a very tall castle. It was more wide and sprawling than imposing. The entire complex was surrounded by a moat, the only entrance being a wide drawbridge of dark wood. The walls of the complex were dark grey stones. Landscaped greenery could be seen from within the walls. And gardens seemed to take up most of the complex. The gardens looked oriental with its weeping foliage and boulders amidst raked sand. But the castle itself looked like a brutalist structure but with several mosaiced cylindrical towers at its center.

"And the highest of the towers is the prince's– I mean, the king's office. From there you can see the entire kingdom."

"Wow. So I assume you work there with him."

"Yes, I am there unless I'm sent to the towns."

"Ilac, right?" She asked the adviser.

"The goddess remembers my name! I am honored."

Maria smiled. He was really just like Barna. And despite the tension earlier, she quite liked the young adviser. She noticed how his straight shoulder-length hair was a little whiter than the farmers'. He had a thin but pleasant face, more suited to be a scholar than a king's adviser in her opinion. If one didn't look very closely, one would mistake Ilac to be no more than a teenager. "You look pretty young for a royal adviser. You must be very good."

Ilac bowed. "You overestimate me, goddess. I am not worthy. My family has worked for the royal family for generations. I was trained early, that is all."

"Tell me, what is the royal family like?"

"The old king was well-loved. He was a very jolly person. It is said that the first of the prophecies came to him. And it appears that it was also the first prophecy that you fulfilled."

"What was the prophecy?"

"That you would fall from the sky."

"Believe me, that was as much a surprise to me as it probably was to a lot of you."

"And..." Ilac added solemnly. "He also prophesied that your coming would signify his death."

Maria felt a twinge of pain in her heart at the words. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Ilac tried to lighten his voice and the mood. "His Majesty knew of the prophecy most of his life, and this actually gave him hope. He went about life happy, confident that even though we had problems now, you were coming. And you were going to bless this land."

"I'm not sure I am who you think I am."

"I am sure you are more than we could imagine." He seemed fully convinced.

"Have I fulfilled your prophecy, Ilac?"

"Not yet, but I have faith, goddess." He stretched out a hand, palm open, before her. Unsure why he would want her hand after seeming to almost faint having her touch his shoulder, Maria stretched out her hand over his but didn’t touch him. To her surprise, Ilac bowed above her hand without touching it. "I accept what you give me." He looked up at her. "A lot or a little, a punishment or a blessing, I accept what you give and I accept you as my goddess."

"Uhm... Thank you?"

Ilac smiled. He looked so much younger when he did.

"Tell me more about the prophecies."

"What would you like to know?"

"The prophecies I've heard so far were mostly not so important things like what my hair color would be or some inconsequential thing I'd do."

Ilac stared at her, affronted. "Nothing you do is inconsequential!"

"I meant, it's not something very serious. Except maybe the king's. Tell me, are there more serious prophecies out there? Would I bring about destruction or more deaths?"

"I don't know the prophecies given to other people. But you were sent to us, not to judge us or punish us. You were sent to save us. If there are any unpleasant things that are tied to your coming, it is ultimately for the good of the kingdom."

Maria leaned back against the seat of the carriage. "Your late king saw it that way. But I doubt everyone will."

The carriage stopped shortly after that. Maria stepped down onto a cobbled courtyard.

"Please, follow me," Ilac said and walked before them towards an imposing double door.

Barna took his place beside Maria, and she smiled at him, happy to have a companion in this imposing place. The door opened to a high-ceilinged hall filled with people in fine clothing. They all stopped and stared as the three of them entered. There were whispers, no doubt concerning her.

"Who are these people?" Maria asked.

"This is the court," Ilac explained. "They perform certain diplomatic and operational functions for the kingdom."

"And they're always full of intrigue and politics," Barna added.

Maria thought it was going to be the start of another argument, but to her surprise, Ilac shrugged. "It can't be helped."

They crossed to the other side of the hall where there was another big door with guards posted on either side.

"The king isn't with the court?" Maria asked.

"He doesn't make physical appearances much. Even as a prince, King Valas has always liked to work unseen." Maria studied Ilac. The way he didn’t pay much attention to the court made it seem like his loyalty seemed to be only with the king. "He leaves the coordination with them to the head royal adviser, my father. His Highness– His Majesty– usually spends his time in the inner palace. The court is not welcome there."

They passed through the double doors but the guards stopped Barna. Ilac didn't seem to notice and just went on walking. But Maria wouldn't put it past the adviser to pretend not to notice. Barna, however, didn't fight them. He just looked at Maria and bowed. He was saying goodbye.

Maria smiled at him and bowed back. This was the king's abode. She didn't want to impose who the ruler should and shouldn't accept.

She ran to catch up with Ilac and went through a long narrow corridor with him. Eventually, they get to a wide room with several doors and passages to more corridors. Ilac knocked on the rightmost room, and beckoned Maria to enter.

She entered a spacious and beautiful waiting room with intricate paintings of flowers and birds on its walls. The floor was wooden. The windows were stained glass. The furniture was opulent in brass, teal and dark brown leather. And seated on a high-backed armchair near the far window was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.