7. Raithe #2
“Granted, with such knowledge, it is a hefty process to comb through all of what exists in there. Like searching for a brown book in a library when you’re blind, you see.
My acolytes were of great help, only it became clear after the first few years that indeed no such precedent exists.
The mystery remains as to why our princesses are unable to succeed in their trial.
In the last twelve years, only two other royals from other territories have died, and yet both King Zephyr of Gemini and Queen Solandis of Taurus succeeded them, surviving their trials with ease.
Why has Scorpio continued to Choose royals who are not worthy of reigning?
Why has Scorpio enabled this disastrous drought on its people? ”
I glanced away, unable to believe he wasn’t directing these questions at me. “I couldn’t find anything on droughts in the few texts I found on Piscean and Cancerian history, but if we had access to their libraries—”
“We do not need access to their libraries. I have conferred with their seers, who possess the same knowledge as I do with regards to their respective queendoms. I am curious, Raithe. Just what is it you think I have been doing all this time? Sitting here, twiddling my thumbs?”
“Of course not,” I protested. Though it was hard to say, given Maryn excluded Felaf and me from many of Gregorios’s briefings and updates lately.
The general consensus amongst the palace, and subsequently the queendom, was that our seer was hard at work in the observatory, searching for a solution to the curse.
Exactly what and how remained ambiguous.
“I apologize, sincerely, for incidentally implying—”
“Acolytes at the Academies have noticed your increasing presence in their libraries. Do you understand how that makes me look? A guardian, spending his days borrowing texts, tomes, and scrolls on our queendom’s history related to droughts?
It makes me appear incompetent, Raithe. And incompetency creates more panic. ”
“I was only trying to help,” I said quietly, ashamed. My body tensed as I waited for the next ridicule of words to come.
“You cannot control what you do not know,” Gregorios insisted.
He steepled his fingers. “But I didn’t bring you here to chastise you.
In fact, these days I do feel rather useless.
The truth is I am not any closer to figuring out why our princesses keep dying.
” Gregorios rubbed the wrinkled skin between his brows.
“It is exhausting carrying this burden I am about to share with you, but I fear you are perhaps the only person I can trust with it.”
I set the teacup on the table between us, all of my senses alert.
“As you know, we are nearing the end of the Age of Scorpio, where the realm has seen more death and calamity than ever before,” Gregorios said.
“The apostai have spread like a disease across the territories. The existence of our curse has shattered our perception of the Astrals. Next year, we enter the dawn of a new era in the Age of Sagittarius, and this new period is sure to bring about brazen actions, war, and the assertion of individual will. We are shifting from a time ruled by water to fire. This shift will shake the spiritual and political foundations of our world, and our queendom is not prepared for any of it.”
Gaianos was born during the Age of Aries nearly 16,000 years ago. Humans only lived to be a century, if they were lucky. To be alive during a transition of ages was extraordinary because there had only been seven.
As a seer, Gregorios provided astrological foresight to Scorpio’s reigning sovereign—encouraging decisions based on what the cosmos would deem favorable or not. He also warned of any threats our territory faced. I sensed the latter was where this conversation was headed.
“There is a reason you and Felaf have been kept from briefings between myself and Maryn this past year, despite overhearing most. It was not always Maryn’s doing.
It has grown harder to keep the illusion, especially in front of you.
You have an incredible ability to detect truth from lies, Raithe.
The fact of the matter is we are in far more danger than I imagined.
This curse that plagues our queendom? It is not only our princess that has been affected. ”
I stared at his expressionless face before rearing my head back. “Are other territories—”
“No. At least, not according to the other seers.” Gregorios hesitated a beat. “No one else suffers from the curse except me. Or rather, my Sight. I am afraid it has been lost. Disconnected. Severed, if you will.”
“I don’t understand,” I said slowly, detesting the words. I abhorred not knowing the truth, no matter how big or small. My mind simply couldn’t fathom that there were things I was not meant to know.
“Since the creation of Gaianos, seers have been the receiver of prophecies, dreams, and visions sent directly by their Astral, and only their Astral.”
“I know this,” I said impatiently. “Seers can only see the past, present, and future of those within their territory. You only have the Sight for people of Scorpion descent.”
“Of course, it is forbidden in the Treaty of the Twelve to even attempt to use any form of divination for anyone not of their same Zodiac sign, except for the annual Equinox gathering if a Blood Sharing takes place.”
I had a sinking feeling that whatever came next out of Gregorios’s mouth would be sky-shattering.
“From the moment our last royal, Queen Auden, died twelve years ago in her sleep, Scorpio has forsaken me. I have not received a vision, a dream, or anything of what was to come to pass next. I thought little of it, having still been able to use Blood Sight to verify Auden’s successor, Herah.
Until Herah didn’t succeed in her trial.
Then Agnes. And then Calliope, and so forth, and now we have Cyrene. And still not a word from Scorpio.”
“Felaf was Chosen only last year, too. How can that be if what you say is true?”
“A mystery, indeed,” he admitted gruffly. “Though the power of a guardian is not the same as the elemental power of a royal. The queendom does not depend on a guardian’s strength the way it does the power of hudro.”
“But each year, Scorpio clearly Chooses a new princess. I’ve seen the glyphs myself. You’ve tasted their blood, confirming as such.” I frowned. “And yet while doing so, Scorpio ignores you? How is that possible?”
“It shouldn’t be.”
The truth of what he said, the gravity of it all, was horrifying. An Astral had never forsaken their seer.
“What have you been telling Maryn, the other seers, or your acolytes this entire time?” I asked, even though I was well aware of some of it. It was impossible not to overhear conversations throughout the palace.
“Carefully crafted lies. By using the planetary movements and vague interpretations from my tarot cards, I have said what you all have wanted to hear. That the next one will be found, she will be a new force we have never seen, and she will ultimately harness the power of hudro. I’ve kept the fabricated messages generic enough so as not to raise alarm should anything prove untrue. ”
“Except”—I said, thinking back—“where to find each of them.”
Gregorios nodded. “I’ve claimed to be too busy to sleep and receive proper dreams.”
Seers often received dreams of the next Chosen and where to send guardians to retrieve them.
In my twelve years as guardian, I’d never been sent to find one.
Each of the princesses had been brought by their families in time for Gregorios to complete their Choosing and heal them from the loss of blood.
Head reeling, I steadied my breath. “How have the other seers not suspected any of this?”
“I do not enjoy deceiving my peers, but it has been necessary to protect this queendom.”
“Why am I here, Gregorios? Why are you telling me this?”
“I started to wonder if these happenings were related to you. The timing of your arrival and Auden’s death shortly after was odd.
Weeks apart, in fact. But I knew that couldn’t have been the case, considering Scorpio had given me a vision of you many years before you were even born.
Scorpio spoke to me the words I spoke to you.
That is why I am entrusting you with this knowledge now. ”
“No one else knows this?”
“And no one else can. If anyone knew how truly, utterly blind and forsaken we are, could you imagine the chaos that would ensue? Far more than already has. Wars will be waged over our queendom. The fire territories are already planning to propose a marriage decree at the next Equinox gathering. We mustn’t let that happen or else our people will never be free of another’s reign.
This queendom as we’ve always known it will forever cease to exist. And everyone will be too blind with power to see how detrimental that will be to the stability of Gaianos. ”
“But wouldn’t their seers warn their royals of that and prevent such a thing from happening?”
“The calamity would happen over time, as would the steady destruction of our queendom. By that point, most of us will not be alive to feel the effects of their actions.”
“Such is the addicting lure of power and greed.” Cold dread pebbled my skin. “But Cyrene—”
“Cyrene will die tomorrow.”
To interfere in a royal’s trial was to commit treason. I straightened. “How can you be certain of that after all you’ve just told me?”
“My Blood Sight still works, though I must use it sparingly before the blood becomes poisonous to me. Tarot has not yet forsaken me, and the planets and star alignments speak to broader themes of what shall come to pass. All of these avenues of divination are muddled and short-sighted. I have not truly foreseen anything of actual use.” Gregorios breathed in deeply, as if readying himself for the next words. “Until last night.”
He lifted himself from his chair. I tracked his silhouette all the way to his desk.