The Anomaly

The Anomaly

My very last hope was in Dealla, whom I found late at night in the citadel library, combing through a mountain of loose pieces of parchment, her fingers blackened by ink.

“What is all this?” I asked, taking a seat across from her.

“I found these records in a Cernunnos town, and brought them back here to study them. All records of prophecies. They stop before the Eleven Years’ War. I thought perhaps I’d find something about your death.”

“And?” I asked eagerly.

Her shoulders sagged. “Nothing.”

I let out a long sigh, leaning back in my chair.

“I’m so sorry, Tatiana,” Dealla murmured. “I hoped something could be figured out. Did you learn about the exact wording of the prophecy?”

I recited it to her, in the same way Elentia had. “There isn’t room for doubt,” I said. “Marrying Luther will send me right to my death.”

“There’s no way to know if your previous death counts,” Dealla informed me. “I suppose it could, but the only way to find out is...wait,” she frowned. “What is the last sentence for? May this prophecy be your guide, to which you have been tied,” she repeated.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Isn’t that normal with prophecies? Elentia didn’t mention anything.”

Dealla sifted through the papers in front of her. “She might not have been spending the last two days with her nose buried in prophecies from across the kingdom. Look,” she said.

I skimmed through several of the records, reading prophecy after prophecy, unsure what I was supposed to deduct.

“What am I looking for?”

“All of these,” she gestured to the records, “are one sentence long. Correct?”

I nodded.

“Do you see any that come with instructions, like Luther’s?”

I took another look. “No,” I answered. “None of them have superfluous sentences.”

“Then why does Luther’s?”

I stared at Dealla, repressing a wild laughter. We had a lead. It was a frail, wispy thread, but I vowed to grow it into a blazing hope for our kingdom. If there was anything abnormal about the prophecy, a way to save Voke, to save myself, I was going to find it.

We stayed in the library until the first rays of sun streaked the sky, until we had read each and every single record. We found no other prophecy like Luther’s.

“What now?” I asked Dealla.

“I’m not sure. I want to continue searching for a solution. I need to go to Cernunnos land. I’ll come back if I find anything that could help. In the meantime, I’ve seen books on soothsaying in the palace library. I’d advise reading them.”

“Thank you, Dealla,” I said.

She pulled me into a warm hug, before leaving the palace. I longed to look for the books she was referring to, but I was too exhausted to focus on anything.

So I headed back through the palace, to my chambers. As I was crossing the great hall, I noticed Roisin, arm-in-arm with Shan, beaming triumphantly, as if a genie had just granted her an unlimited amount of wishes.

My first instinct was to avoid them, but...

Wait a minute, I thought…I know what Roisin’s wildest dreams are...if they just got granted…I need to take care of this.

I marched toward Shan and Roisin who were giggling shamelessly now.

“Good morning,” I bid Shan and Roisin. “You’re up early. I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced,” I told Roisin.

“I’m Roisin, of the Annaba tribe,” the waif-like woman replied, clasping my arm.

“So you’re the woman who’s challenged Gallen to a fight,” I said curtly.

“In two weeks!” Shan hastened to add triumphantly. “Isn’t it the most joyful news? The Mating Council just announced the decision this morning!”

Two weeks? I coughed to hide a surprised gasp. I wasn’t acquainted with the Mating Council yet, but I made a mental note to pay them a visit. They dealt with marriage-related protocols and issues.

“It is indeed. And why exactly was this marriage challenge authorized to take place outside of a tournament?”

“Oh I see what this is about,” Shan patted my arm with a chubby hand. “You’re worried Roisin’s wedding might eclipse yours. Not to worry, Roisin’s just assured me that it would be a discreet affair,” she giggled.

It was all I could do not to scream. I attempted to dampen the fury that was pooling behind my eyes with a smile that I feared was more of a grimace.

“Oh how could I fear that a royal wedding be eclipsed by a loveless one?” I answered, before turning away.

There was no point in making a scene in the middle of the great hall. But if Roisin thought that I wasn’t going to do anything, she was utterly wrong. Being the most influential courtier in Voke had its perks. Even if I wasn’t a direct family member, or even a tribe member, I would be allowed to ask for an audience with the Mating Council to intercede.

But the most pressing of all of my current issues was informing Luther of my most recent findings.



He was already awake when I arrived in our chambers.

“I didn’t sleep...I was expecting you last night,” he said.

I sat next to him on the bed, repressing a smile at the sight of his sleepy eyes and dishevelled hair, realizing how much I had missed him within the last couple of days.

“Are you going to tell me what you’ve found?” Luther asked impatiently.

“There is an anomaly with the prophecy,” I informed him.

“What do you mean, an anomaly?”

“Well, we’re not sure yet. But, Dealla and I spent the night reading countless prophecies.”

In great detail, I recounted my trip to Nemetes, my encounter with Elentia, and my sleepless night of work with Dealla.

“There’s hope, Luther! We might find that the prophecy isn’t valid after all.”

I reached out a hand to caress his arm. He pulled back.

“We should call off the wedding,” he decided.

“What? No, why? Have you listened to anything I’ve just said?”

“You’re holding onto shreds of hope! It is safer to just call it off now. I won’t lose you, Tatiana.”

“Not safer for our kingdom,” I replied. “Please give me some time. We can call off the wedding a week before it’s supposed to take place, if I find nothing by then!” I exclaimed, desperate. “I’ve just spent hours studying prophecies, trust me, something’s off with yours!”

Luther pulled me into his arms, stroking my hair. I clutched him with the last sliver of strength I had left.

“Shhh,” he soothed me. “You should get some sleep.”

“But will you give me time?” I asked, my face buried deep in his chest.

“You know there’s nothing I can deny you.”

“Thank you, Luther.”

He laid me down on the bed, his body draped over mine protectively. “Will you get some rest now?” he whispered.

“I will,” I answered. “Luther?”

I lifted my face to stare into his expectant, purple eyes.

“Yes?”

“I love you,” I whispered. “With all my heart, I do.”

“I love you too,” he replied, before kissing me gently.