The Cloistered Prophetess

Atop a lighthouse, once again in the arms of the disturbing Prince Klaus von Donnersmarck, Alexa knew she could not escape this situation this time. Now the Prince definitely knew she was not an ordinary noble maiden. He probably believed she was a foreigner mercenary who had come to spy on the Sovereign of that kingdom.

But then he motioned for her to be quiet and still as soon as they heard the thundering voice of Prince Sovereign Gutard, his father, booming within the room,

"The time you have asked me has passed, witch, so give me the answer now."

That was definitely the last thing Alexa expected to hear out of the mouth of Kielstadt's Sovereign Prince. Wasn't he the one who had arrested Gisela, the mother of his son and his wife, as a witch? And had he left her to die in the dungeon, according to the rumors Blue Eyes had told her?

The maiden tried to peer through the barred window and saw only the Prince's silhouette, as well as the back of a woman with shaggy hair and dark clothes.

"So after years of neglect here, suddenly my words are thirstily sought by?" the mocking tone of her raspy, hoarse voice left no doubt that she was no friend of the Prince, and did not even respect him. Through the bars in the window, Alexa can imagine that the lighthouse was the prison of that woman. And judging by her first words, she might be a pythoness or clairvoyant.

Someone who Gutard von Donnersmarck was deeply interested in.

"You seem to forget who you talk to, woman," he also showed no appreciation for the witch, considering the tone of his speech.

"No, I don't. The one I talk to is the monster; the arrogant man sitting on the top of his high mountain of stone and gold. And who comes up here to talk to this woman, whom he feeds on bread and water for years. He should have choked on his tongue, 'Your Majesty'…" the woman coughed and pulled back a little, muttering.

Alexa wanted to stick to the window to try to see and hear more, but Klaus pulled her back, keeping their presence outside the room undiscovered.

"The letter you mentioned earlier; it has arrived. The messenger, the foreign girl ... She talks about a man; probably a wizard. She says this man can get my son out of this sleep ... So far I've been confident that your words refer to this girl. But you didn't say…"

"What is the point accusing me of not telling you whether it is the right person? Want me to say this person is 'The One'? Is that what you want from me? May I point out the solution to your problems? Don't think you're going to get away easily, let alone thanks to me!"

'Are they talking… about me ?!' Alexa could hardly believe it.

"NO YOUR CRAZY PESTILENT BITCH! CRAZY INSANE WHORE FROM HELL! I'm talking about my son! MY SON! He is innocent! THE PROPHECY SHOULD NOT TOUCH HIM! "The Mighty Prince lost his temper and hollered in fury at the imprisoned woman who insisted on provoking him. But she countered,

"Your sins have touched everything, you damn arrogant dog! There will be no time if the shadows consume the kingdom! Your youngest child is the smallest of problems!"

"NO! NO! He's important, and if you don't know why, I'm just listening to a madwoman all this time."

"Hahahaha your regret almost moves me, Prince! There is only one way to save your child. Yes, the person who arrived brought the answer. This prophecy has not changed. This person brings the answer; the way, and the light."

Alexa grunted,

"It could be Cordelia, right? She arriv…" Before her reasoning was concluded, the maiden's mouth was covered by Klaus's hand, avoiding them being noticed by the people inside.

A long silence followed, until Prince Gutard ordered,

"Speak at once. What did you see in your vision, Sigrid?!"

The old woman laughed, "The birds in my window, it's all I have to see with the one eye you left me, bastard assassin!"

The maiden immediately thought the old woman might know that she was being spied on, and if she was really a pythoness, even who the spies were! She noticed that Klaus was also restless as he shifted in his position, but nothing happened.

Ignoring the pythoness offenses, the man spoke, remembering words that were not his,

"It is night, and the mountain roars from its bowels… At the northern gates sleeps the white dog; at the southern gates howls the black dog ... The first bell has already rung, before the second warning, the message will arrive ... The messenger has silver feathers and drags the stars ... It drags darkness into the sun of the new day. It runs with the dogs and feeds them on their mouths. Without the key, the child does not open the door. But until the day comes, on which side of the mountain does the silver bird sleep?"

"Yes, that I said before. The person who arrived, as you asked me, is the messenger bird. Put the bird in the south; the south door will open. Similarly the north. That's what I understand from prophecy," the unpleasant woman answered.

"What about the message? Is the message true? Should I trust this girl? Now make your prophecies about my questions," apparently the Prince wanted more direct answers.

Alexa tried to peek again, and this time saw the woman lying on the floor, humming a meaningless jumble, and laughing and moaning all at the same time,

"I see… Hahaha! A journey, noble Sire! Twins walk side by side. The pilgrim turns to penance. He chooses what matters most. Oh! The knight arrives at the tower with his sword; and dies shot by many arrows."

"That means…"

"Give me water," the woman's voice demanded, suddenly. New silence ensued, but Alexa saw that Prince Gutard didn't move from where he was.

While all this was going on, Alexa was practically breathless in deep anticipation of the mysterious prisoner's prophecies. The Sovereign Prince had called her by name, Sigrid, and the maiden wanted to know more about the prophetess and the reasons why Gutard kept her locked up as his private pythoness. But mostly, knowing that Prince was asking about her, Alexa.

It was frightening to think that he believed her arrival had anything to do with the problems of his kingdom and his family. The damsel immediately wanted to flee Kielstadt, for it would do no good to be mentioned in a prophecy involving the Donnersmarck and the Dead Queens.

She wanted nothing to do with the secrets of this damn family.

But here she was, kept alive only by the will of a man, Klaus, who with one movement could throw her from the tower and end her life.

"One more warning, Gutard…" the woman said, and Alexa stepped out of her conjecture to hear, "Don't forget that the Third Queen is the last."

"I know," he said. A silence followed and then the door slammed, announcing the Prince's departure. The maiden was still trying to understand everything she had heard when Sigrid's disturbing laugh echoed through the islet.