Yay, chapter three!
Thank you to Flowers of Moss. *Sniff* I love reviews so much! Thank you!
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Chapter Three: On the Height of Jupiter
Ivan watched his sister pace the
floor. It made him worry. She never was this nervous about anything.
"I told them to attack the
surfaced part of Lemuria! Not some renegade
submarine! Then at least they would have started a war with some decent damage
done to the other side!" Queen Hamma huffed. She was
in her late forties and way past the age of bearing children, yet she had none.
She had a spunky young apprentice named Feizhi, but
the right to the crown was placed on Ivan. Not that he minded.
"Ivan, we have to go consult
the oracle," she said grabbing him blindly.
"The oracle?" he repeated,
shocked obviously. The oracle was only consulted in an extreme emergency. Ivan
had never even seen her, so he was even more worried when Queen Hamma said that they must go. Even though the circumstances
weren't favorable, he was interested in what she was going to say. Queen Hamma pushed past dazed guards and into Feizhi's
room.
"Feizhi!"
she cried, "We're going to see the oracle."
"In Lalivario?" Feizhi said
running from her books. The queen rolled
her eyes and smiled.
"Where
else?"
"Wait for me!"
"We wouldn't leave without
you, dear."
Ivan was still being dragged
behind his sister. The oracle. He had heard she was
unbelievably beautiful. He couldn't let her looks dampen the seriousness of the
situation he was in. The Jupiter clan might be going to war. Hamma had dragged him down to the carriage where they
waited for Feizhi. Riding in a carriage seemed almost
silly to Ivan, the three of them could fly with their snowy, white wings. But
it was the way of the diplomats, and he could not say a word. The frenzied girl
came running down the stairs tying up her hair. She jumped in and they were
off.
***
The oracle's temple was huge.
The three had been wandering around for nearly an hour with a guide and they
weren't even in the oracle's chamber yet. Ivan sighed impatiently. Finally the
guide opened up a door to reveal the oracle. She was sitting on a purple
cushion with her eyes closed and her white wings swayed to and fro in the misty
purple smoke. Ivan could not dispute that she was beautiful.
"Tell me what you would like
to know Queen Hamma for I see all," she said.
"That means you know what we
want to know," Feizhi said. Queen Hamma
quickly smacked her apprentice on the head. The oracle opened her eyes. They
were a stunning purple.
"Yes I do. You want to know if
you will win the war even if your men missed their mark," the oracle replied,
"The truth is whether or not they got their target, this war will lead to
another, and then another and then we will eventually kill each other."
"Will we or won't we win?"
Queen Hamma asked. The oracle sighed.
"The outcome will be a fuzzy
one, no one will win," she replied.
Queen Hamma
sighed. This wasn't what she wanted to hear.
"I know, you wanted to hear we
will win in a blaze of glory," the oracle replied. She turned to Feizhi.
"I know what you want to ask
me. Yes you will get what your heart desires." She then turned to Ivan.
"I also know what you want to
ask me, Prince Ivan. My name is Sheba."
***
Ivan couldn't get her out of
his head. Her eyes, her smile her wings and the way she just knew. It was
remarkable. He just wanted to see her again. Well, if they were going to be at
war for a while, he might see her more often. Those beautiful eyes and her
sweet voice as she said, "My name is Sheba."
His train of thought was broken by Feizhi bounding in
with her books.
"I hope you don't mind, I
don't like studying alone," she said. Ivan growled.
"Go ahead," he consented. Feizhi smiled and started reading immediately. Ivan stared
at her for a little while. She was strange. She could see the future, a little,
but the ability came and went as it pleased. She wasn't in control like Sheba.
Ivan's thoughts drifted to the lonely girl in that giant temple. No one knows
where she came from, but they do know she fell out of the sky.
"Such a beautiful girl
deserves to come from heaven," Ivan said out loud.
"Who?"
Feizhi asked. Ivan had forgotten she was there.
"No one Fei,"
he replied.
"Oh," she blurted out. She
almost sounded disappointed. Ivan tried to ignore it. Sheba
invaded his thoughts again. She was beautiful. He imagined her sitting at his
side, her head on his shoulder foretelling of their future together. It would
be his dream.
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There's chapter three for you! Don't draw conclusions about the couples just
yet! I might change it up on you! Review please, or Sheba
will be sad.
Next Chapter: Martian Heat