Beholding the Future
(disclaimer: I don't claim to any of these ideas that Tamora Pierce has already invented!)
Prologue
Lady Astralana of Dolphin's Cove rode quietly through the wrought iron gates at the cusp of dawn. The hour had just been announced by the watchman, the gates just unlocked by the towns' guards. Her first glance upon the gleaming city of Corus, capital of Tortall was an apprehensive one.
Oh, Goddess, what am I doing here? Astralana frantically thought to herself. She nervously shifted in her seat as she guided her mount further down the road, empty this early in the morning. Tiredness was just beginning to set in after a long night of riding. Moonslice, her silvery gray mare, gave a comforting neigh for her mistress.
Brushing her white-blonde hair from her face, Astralana thought of the home she had left behind: Dolphin's Cove, a quaint, small, port city to the south of Port Legann. There lived her father and mother, and her six elder brothers. Astralana, or Astra, as she was commonly called, was herself a young woman, eighteen years of age. She was born into nobility, the last of seven children, the only girl.
I don't even know why I left! she screamed to herself. Everything was fine, I was happy, until I started having these dratted visions! And the headaches...
For weeks, months now, Astra had been in constant torment. On Midsummer's eve six months ago it had begun. During the night's feasts and celebrations her body had all of a sudden become stiff as a board. A sweat arose all over her, and in her mind's eye she saw something, almost like a dream. It was a tall, dark-haired man, wearing a crown. The King perhaps? she thought. She heard no sound in this vision, but she saw the king give a scroll to another man, even taller than he. And there the vision ended. Her eyesight cleared and her body returned to normal. But from thence on she continued to have more visions, always at random. They featured this king, and the other man, and many more people. Battles, arguments, and everything in between. After the visions left she always had a headache, a horrible headache that continued for hours and hours. Astra knew the headaches had to do with the visions, but what? What am I doing wrong? she cried in her thoughts. Perhaps I'm finally doing the right thing. Maybe now the torment will end.
She had come to Corus in hopes to find answers to her problems. Great mages lived here, perhaps they would know what was the solution to her problem. In any case, she believed her visions had to do with the king here, and that could be important.
Coming out of her thoughts, Astra realized she had reached the gates to the palace. She approached the guardsman and drew herself out of her tiredness to address him.
"I am Lady Astralana of Dolphin's Cove, and I have come to Corus to seek an audience with the king."
"'Course, m'lady," replied the guardsman, "I'll notify the king's men at once."
"Thank you kindly sir," smiled Astralana, as she urged Moonslice forward.
"That's o'course, if he ain't too busy nowadays to see ye," mumbled the guardsman as they passed out of view.
(disclaimer: I don't claim to any of these ideas that Tamora Pierce has already invented!)
Prologue
Lady Astralana of Dolphin's Cove rode quietly through the wrought iron gates at the cusp of dawn. The hour had just been announced by the watchman, the gates just unlocked by the towns' guards. Her first glance upon the gleaming city of Corus, capital of Tortall was an apprehensive one.
Oh, Goddess, what am I doing here? Astralana frantically thought to herself. She nervously shifted in her seat as she guided her mount further down the road, empty this early in the morning. Tiredness was just beginning to set in after a long night of riding. Moonslice, her silvery gray mare, gave a comforting neigh for her mistress.
Brushing her white-blonde hair from her face, Astralana thought of the home she had left behind: Dolphin's Cove, a quaint, small, port city to the south of Port Legann. There lived her father and mother, and her six elder brothers. Astralana, or Astra, as she was commonly called, was herself a young woman, eighteen years of age. She was born into nobility, the last of seven children, the only girl.
I don't even know why I left! she screamed to herself. Everything was fine, I was happy, until I started having these dratted visions! And the headaches...
For weeks, months now, Astra had been in constant torment. On Midsummer's eve six months ago it had begun. During the night's feasts and celebrations her body had all of a sudden become stiff as a board. A sweat arose all over her, and in her mind's eye she saw something, almost like a dream. It was a tall, dark-haired man, wearing a crown. The King perhaps? she thought. She heard no sound in this vision, but she saw the king give a scroll to another man, even taller than he. And there the vision ended. Her eyesight cleared and her body returned to normal. But from thence on she continued to have more visions, always at random. They featured this king, and the other man, and many more people. Battles, arguments, and everything in between. After the visions left she always had a headache, a horrible headache that continued for hours and hours. Astra knew the headaches had to do with the visions, but what? What am I doing wrong? she cried in her thoughts. Perhaps I'm finally doing the right thing. Maybe now the torment will end.
She had come to Corus in hopes to find answers to her problems. Great mages lived here, perhaps they would know what was the solution to her problem. In any case, she believed her visions had to do with the king here, and that could be important.
Coming out of her thoughts, Astra realized she had reached the gates to the palace. She approached the guardsman and drew herself out of her tiredness to address him.
"I am Lady Astralana of Dolphin's Cove, and I have come to Corus to seek an audience with the king."
"'Course, m'lady," replied the guardsman, "I'll notify the king's men at once."
"Thank you kindly sir," smiled Astralana, as she urged Moonslice forward.
"That's o'course, if he ain't too busy nowadays to see ye," mumbled the guardsman as they passed out of view.