Chapter THIRTY: Doubt and Secrecy-DEVIN
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In the glory of the early morning, just after dawn, a beautiful baby girl was born...
Light filled their chambers in harmonious leisure. The healers left not long after and were promised a handsome reward for their hard work by the happy father. He held his babe overjoyed and happier than he had ever been in his whole life. Alicia, drained of all her energy, smiled weakly before she shut her eyes to rest with Devin and the child at her side.
Immediately, smitten with the baby, Devin had an uncontainable smile from all his happiness. The baby cooed and whimpered softly in his hands. Her eyes squinted sharply from her first rays of light, revealing soft lilac eyes. The sheen of the light lit her delicate snow white skin making her glow lightly. Devin rocked her gently, seeing both he and Alicia mirrored into the small being that was now their newborn daughter. He liked children before, but he never knew he could love one so much as he loved this one. She was the princess of Thais-His princess.
Devin looked up and could hear people chatting outside the door minutes later, suddenly, breaking up his precious fatherly moments. He knew who it was and rolled his eyes, just wanting a little while longer alone with his family. He could hear Tailor steadily insisting to the Consort and Chancellor to remain outside and be patient. Finally, silence came again.
Just as Alicia woke up again, eager to hold the baby, someone knocked on the door. Devin remained silent and annoyed, but Alicia smiled and kissed him.
"Come in!" she finally allowed, after a few moments of her own caressing her daughter. Devin stood up defensively as the Consort and Chancellor walked in.
Tailor shrugged his shoulders to let him know he tried, but also followed behind trying to glance at the baby as he stood by the door.
"Err...I guess you're going to tell the whole kingdom of our new daughter?" Devin said just wanting to get their business over and done.
"Oh my, what a beautiful princess! Well, Your Majesty, we have already announced the babe's arrival to all of Thais and neighboring kingdoms! Peasants are placing flowers outside the gates to show their respects, as we speak. But there are other pressing matters. You see…" the Consort began, but was interrupted.
"Oh yes, mother told me about this. The Oracle is to do a reading. It is customary that she eventually come...I suppose that is what you are getting at, Consort?" Alicia finished wanting them to leave as much as Devin; but it was their courtly duty and they would comply.
"Yes, correct, Your Majesty. I have received word that she would like to meet the child as soon as possible. I am not sure of her reasons."
"Very well. I'd rather it be any other day than today, but if she must come, then we have no other choice, do we? How do wesummon her again?" Alicia asked haughtily, now waving her free hand irritably in the air.
"You simply tell her to show herself," the Chancellor jumped in.
"Oracle, show yourself, then!" Alicia spoke very loud, but she grabbed Devin's hand for whatever news would come.
A second later, in a blaze of bright light, streaks and starbursts, the Oracle presence appeared. However, beside her, two separate storms of radiant stars and a cloud of white simultaneously formed and anointed the room once more.
The Moon and Star Priestess followed after the striking displays. Both walked closer to the Oracle and kept their heads lowered. Devin thought he saw the strange raven-haired priestess peer at him momentarily, but he wasn't sure.
"Oracle, why are you an apparition?" Devin asked bewildered, suddenly realizing he could see through her.
"Oh, I am only capable of appearing in full in places that are enchanted," the Oracle replied.
"Who are they?" Alicia questioned, irritated, by the growing crowd in her chambers. She held the baby more tightly, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.
"I know you. You're the Moon Priestess, Leana," Devin said remembering that she was in charge of getting Talia to become the Dreamer. He suddenly wondered if Talia would also be coming.
"Yes, and this is my sister, the Star Priestess, Trinity," Leana added, as she looked up to glance at the baby.
"Normally, I do readings on my own. However, I sense that this will be of utmost importance...I have brought Leana and Trin as potential apprentices. Someday, in the distant future, perhaps one of them may replace me as oracle; for this reason, I have brought them with me... Their mother would have replaced me as seer, but things did not..."
"She died long ago," Trin suddenly intercepted, feeling it was none of the royal's business.
"I hope that you both do not mind the druids presence today?" the Oracle asked.
Both parents nodded allowing them to stay.
Devin wanted to ask about Talia, being the only opportunity in a long time since having seen the Oracle last in Mysten Far. Of all people, the Oracle would know how Talia was doing; but for Alicia's sake, Devin kept his mouth shut.
"How is the Dreamer these days?" Alicia suddenly asked for him. She thought Devin deserved to know after everything she put him through in the last few months.
The Oracle, Leana and Trinity all remained awkwardly silent.
"...Well, Priestess Talia is...happy," the Oracle said carefully.
"How is she 'happy'? How can she be, if she's stuck in the Dreamworld?" Alicia pondered out loud.
Again, all three remained silent. Trin stared to the side stiffly and Leana tried to conceal a grin with her hand. There were delicate facts that they could not say. They were all familiar of Talia's history with the king. And on top of this, they did not have to reveal the Dreamer's secrets.
"She has a child," the Oracle finally said, surprising both king and queen.
"A child?..." Devin asked as thoughts raced in his mind, "...How old?" he added unsure if he wanted to know.
"He turned two a few of months ago," the Oracle answered prudently.
Devin and Alicia both summed the time Talia left with that of her son's age and a pregnancy, realizing that she had conceived only months after she became the Dreamer. Alicia began to rub Devin's hand as she watched him shake his head in disbelief. He had sacrificed two years of his life hoping that Talia would return now only to find that she had not done the same.
"No...It's impossible. How?" Devin suddenly choked. "We were in love at the time…I know her. I don't believe it."
"So, the Dreamer's been busy? Who is her husband?" Alicia questioned, also in disbelief; but the news also filled her with anger. If it weren't for Talia, Devin and her would have been married long ago, after all.
"Her significant half is the Sun Priest," Trinity was quick to point out. Leana nudged her with her elbow.
"You mean she's not married?" Devin said now wanting to hear all of it. He wanted to think that he had been a fool for waiting for Talia, but something felt terribly wrong.
"The answer is no…But we are not here to discuss the Dreamer's private affairs. I am here to give you guidance," the Oracle said firmly.
"Oracle, I have forgotten to mention," Leana alerted all of a sudden, "that the Dreamer has asked the Sun Priest to visit Thais. He should be arriving soon."
"Yes. I am aware, Leana. Priestess Talia asked for permission, and I want him to be present as well," the Oracle said as she peered sharply at Leana.
Devin's eye brows rose upon the news. But as much as he wanted questions answered for the past, he wanted them to all leave so he could be with his daughter and wife whom affectionately clung to his shoulder with the new baby between them.
The Oracle looked around at the room taking into account every person there.
"Who are they?" she questioned, discerning and suspicious.
"I am the Consort and this is the Chancellor, Your Holiness," the Consort answered while pointing at the Chancellor.
She then looked to the side towards the door at Tailor, "And he is?"
"He's a trusted guardsman, and recently, a general, but most of all, we are good friends. Why are you asking this?" Devin asked now sensing that she was going to say something very important.
"I am asking to make sure that all that are here are trustworthy. However, I am afraid that it may not make a difference…" the Oracle stopped as another storm of lights filled the room.
This time Aydan arrived near the doorway by Tailor. In one arm, Aydan held his staff, and the other, a large gift basket which he set to the side as he walked closer towards them. His eyes immediately meet with Devin's, who perceived him with instant distrust.
Aydan remained quiet, realizing that the Oracle was in the middle of starting, but he quickly smirked at Devin and then softened to a smile when he met Alicia's interested gaze with the infant in her arms.
Aydan had not forgotten all the suffering Devin had put Talia through. The only reason he was here now was because Talia had insisted that he visit on their behalf. He remained silent and tried to stand at a respectable distance away from the Oracle and priestesses.
"Now that we are all here I will begin…" the Oracle said and motioned Tailor to close the door, making the room appear a few shades darker within.