Apollo's Gift, Artemis' Curse
"Nanna," the girl called, her hair flying in the wind. Cassandra laughed along with her granddaughter as she twirled on the spot. Mia's smiled faded as she fell to the floor, her legs twisted beneath her. Cassandra frowned as she made her way across the yard, lowing herself to the floor and pulling the girl into her lap.
"You're alright, my love," she whispered, softly stroking her hair. They sat in the grass, the wind swirling around them.
"Nanna," Mia began, sniffling slightly, "Mamma says I may not get the girl like you…"
"It's a curse more than a gift, my child," she whispered to the young girl, "as no one believes what you say until the time for action has passed, and then it is too late. My favourite part is when they blame you for not warning them in time." Cassandra laughed cynically. The girl looked up at her, shocked by her grandmothers' joke.
"Did I ever tell you about my name-sake, Mia?" Cassandra asked, and Mia shook her head.
"My mother named me after the Princess of the ancient city of troy. Cassandra. She was a beautiful girl, just like you. Her beauty shone over the valley of Troy, and one day the god Apollo saw her beauty as he rose the sun and blessed her with the power of prophecy. She was exceedingly good at it; it was that and her stunning beauty, which caused Apollo's sister, Artemis, to become jealous and spiteful. No one prayed for prophecies from her or her brother anymore. So one night, before a huge battle, involving a wooden horse and Cassandra's cousin Paris, Artemis cursed the princess, making sure no one would ever believe her prophesies again." The young girl gasped, her full attention on her grandmothers' story.
"What happened next?"
"No one knows," Cassandra smiled. "There are some who say she died in the battle, and others say that she lived out her life giving ignored prophesies to the travellers of Messenia." The girl looked awed. "The next true Greek prophet was a servant girl by the name of Sybil, she prophesised the next king of Rome, but no one believed her because Rome had not had a king for hundreds of years." Mia's eyes were wide with wonder, her lips stretching into a huge smile.
"I hope I have the sight," she whispered as she looked out across the small yard. Cassandra's daughter, Mia's mother, walked to the door and watched them with a smile. Mia saw her and her smile brightened as she ran to her mother.
"I hope you don't," Cassandra whispered, watching them sadly. Her eyes glazed over as she saw a boy who controlled snakes taking over the world. Death. Destruction. War.
"Oh no."
Words: 470. Written for 'the June Event': Cassandra Trelawney, and the 'If You Dare' Challenge: 552. Prophesy.