The name echoed off the emptiness of Shaye's subconscious, she couldn't forget it, that silver thread of information. Shaye was amazed by its random appearance and maybe that's why she couldn't wake up from her eternal darkness for three days.
Later one of the caretaker's told Shaye that the King and his consort didn't leave her room for more then a few moments at a time and they had always made sure that the other was in the room when they stepped out.
Shaye thought that they were being extremely generous, wasting their valuable time on a ragtag Seer, but she admitted that she was grateful that they were both were there when she awoke.
It took Shaye a moment to realize that a break in the darkness had emerged she fought for it. Her eyes fluttered open to stare at a dirt ceiling. Soft sheets tangled the girl in her impatience to rise, but a calming breath took care of that.
Shaye sat up in the bed and surveyed the room. Not bad, especially for and underground hospital wing. Clean and sanitary. A quick glance told her she was the only one in here for any medical help. The pixie, Kaye, noticed Shaye sitting up within moments.
"Are you okay can I get you anything?" Kaye asked, plainly concerned. Shaye didn't respond right away, she was preoccupied with a vivid flash back to her dead and mangled corpse, a smell that she hadn't noticed in her vision before reached her nose.
That often happens with visions. You can't use every sense as fast as you can see images. Often smells and sounds show up later, right now Shaye smelt blood and rotting bodies, and something else… fire, but not like last nights which was a vervain fire. Something else burned in the smoke. Shaye shook the vision away quickly and began to answer Kaye.
The word caught in her throat, a lack of water was to blame for that. Shaye pointed to her throat and mimed drinking, Kaye, the bright girl she is, nodded and quickly fetched some water in a tankard . Shaye swallowed it down quickly.
"I'll just have the water thank you," Shaye finally replied. "I need to speak with the King as soon as possible." she added after a moment.
Kaye nodded. "Of course, he should be back any minute."
"It concerns you also."
Part of being an effective seer is the ability to see every little thing that people do or certain aspects to their face or the way they stand. When Shaye told Kaye she was in her vision Kaye was visibly surprised. That was in the face, the raise in the eyebrows, the slight rise of the nose, the opening of the mouth. A slight change in her already green skin and a flutter of her wings. Very big signs that any trained faerie could see, but Shaye's gifts as a seer could detect the vibe of discomfort at the knowledge that she was involved in this big mystery.
Roiben entered the room seconds later. As soon as he saw Shaye was awake he smiled in relief.
"Good, Seer Shaye you are awake. Are you unhurt?" said the King.
"It is not important Your Majesty I-"
"Roiben, please." he said.
"Roiben," she murmured quietly, his name on her lips felt weird, almost dirty since she knew the rest of his name. But, she told herself, he had to know what she had seen in his fire. "When I cast for you I saw-"
Roiben's hand rose and Shaye automatically stopped speaking. "It is not necessary for you to bother on the day you have awoken. Tell me when you have rested and are in a better condition to speak on such matters Seer Shaye."
"It's just Shaye," she said dismissively. "It's about Ethine."
Shock flooded Roiben's mind and expression. Shaye could feel it poor over her, the last vestiges of the ritual, she could read his mind.
Okay, not really well or anything, more emotions and general things than actual thoughts and stuff like that. It comes with blood to blood contact, a neat little trick for parties, but it doesn't last very long.
"The vision I got was… wrong," Shaye said. "I wanted to see your reign, instead I saw parts of your past and parts of a recent future. I saw the two of you in a human dinner, and you Mistress Kaye, a strong Glamour was ripped away from you. A human boy with a Kelpie. Corny? Nicnevin dying, and Nephamael. Then the future, a girl with wolf eyes is with your sister. She lives in the Seelie Court. She isn't a friend to your sister, Sire. I saw her held hostage." I stopped not wanting to mention Kaye's dead body.
Roiben was frowning, most of his shock had forced him into a logical scramble. "Why would she hold her hostage?"
"I suppose that she is looking to cause you pain," Shaye murmured, expecting Roiben to dismiss this as idiocy.
"And she would have something to gain from such a hostage," was his reply. "I'd give up anything..."
"Roiben," Kaye said. "I won't let anything like that happen."
"Nor would I," Shaye said. "The question 'why' we can worry about later. The question 'when' I think is more important."
"Indeed," Roiben said shaking himself out of his funk. "is there anything more you can tell us, it is imperative that Kaye and I move quickly."
"Not much on the vision time wise," Shaye told him. "But I want to come with you I can help. Maybe I will pick up some visions on the way."
"I don't want you to be in danger for my sake..." Roiben said.
"I won't be, and I won't be in the way either. An extra eye can't hurt can it?"
"Alright," he said, doubtfully.
"And Sire," Shaye said as he turned away.
"Yes?" Molten silver eyes met my violet ones.
"I was told something after I was thrown from the fire," I said. "Something you should know."
His curiosity was peaked. "What?"
She murmured incoherently, fearful of the response.
"Excuse me?"
"Your name Sire," Shaye said. "Your full name."
Silence enslaved the air for almost a full minute.
"Wha-" said Kaye who found her voice.
"The fates told me for a reason…" Shaye said. "I don't plan to use it or anything. I can't really control what I see in the fire." She babbled on for a moment with worry for the reaction.
"Why?" was all that the King asked.
"I wish I knew my Lord."
"I can see my name in less capable hands," Roiben said with a heavy sigh. Shaye smiled gratefully.
"Well then lets get going," she said with a renewed zeal. "I believe the expression is 'time is of the essence!'" Shaye swung her feet from the bed and they touched the stone floor with a shock. Pulling herself upward she experienced a momentary triumph at her success in standing before it all came crashing down, starting with her knees.
Kaye tried very hard not to laugh and Roiben looked amused, but avoided any actual displays of it as tactfully as a King.
"Okay," Shaye said, attempting to scrape up some of her dignity. "We can go as soon as I remember how to walk." she stood again, determined. This time she did not fall. It was time for the real adventure to begin.
