Only Charani's wagon had purple trim, a bright red bird on one side and a blue dragon on the other. Politely, Aurora knocked, waiting for the bid to enter before opening the small door. It smelled of linen and candle smoke, flowers and talc. Charani sat at what constituted both her kitchen table and her desk in the miniscule interior lit by a dozen candles, dexterously shuffling a deck of tarot cards.
They were oversized to begin with, but looked massive in the tiny old woman's hands. She didn't look over at Aurora's entrance, nor did she glance down at the cards she shuffled with such practiced skill. Her face was turned to the open window beside her, where the firelight flickered, making her appear somehow both ancient and timeless. Another song was starting; she could just make out the strains from here.
"Sit down, Aurora, dear."
As Aurora sat, Charani sighed with contentment. Still, she didn't look at her guest.
"Such happy sounds."
"No desire to sit by the fire tonight?" Aurora asked lightly, the clicking of shuffled cards a quick counterpoint to their words.
"Not tonight. Tonight was for the cards, and it takes me so damnably long to get anywhere these days."
"Couldn't miss the stones, though," she pointed out lightly. Charani chuckled.
"Not until I'm dead, little dawn girl. Now then," she said, finally turning her head to face Aurora. Eyes that had once been beetle black were now deeply clouded; Charani was the next thing to blind. She handed Aurora the deck.
"I believe you remember what to do."
She did, of course. Aurora shuffled the cards once herself, then handed them back. Charani mixed them one final time, then set them in front of her. Aurora cut the deck in half, which the elder then stacked and began to lay out the cards.
"Now, I've dealt for your past before, so no need to see there. I believe we'll take a look first into your heart before moving on to your future." Unlike many of a similar trade, Charani never dealt cards in the same pattern. When Aurora had asked her about it, she'd said merely that she laid the cards as they needed to be dealt. She did, however, like to include what she called a crown card, a single card that topped any arrangement upon the table. It was often encompassing, and disturbingly accurate, as were all of Charani's readings.
Once ten cards were laid upon the table, Charani paused, tapping a finger to her chin as her weakened eyes slowly catalogued them. How she could see them, Aurora couldn't say. The woman could barely see her well enough to tell what color her hair was. But when it came to the cards, she was unparalleled.
"Quite the womanly spread. Feeling your femininity these days, I see. And I'm hardly surprised to see someone of your lineage pull so many court cards."
She'd learned before to just listen as Charani wound through the reading – interruptions were not appreciated.
"The Empress; of course your crown is a Major Arcana. No surprise there. Femininity, yes, but nurturing, as well. You've been taking care of something. Or someone. Someone who brings out your romantic side, your need to be protector and knight in shining armor. Knight of Cups do so love being rescuers. The Sun – fun, simplicity, positivity, which plays in well with one of your classics, the Queen of Wands. Strong, determined, energetic. And look, lucky you – the Lovers. A relationship, yes, but also a dilemma demanding a choice. It may look negative now, but it's for the best in the long run. Another of your favorites, the Six of Pentacles. Still giving away your money like it's going out of style, I see."
"You know me," Aurora murmured, knowing that comments were usually only acceptable at the end of a row's explanation. Charani just smiled knowingly before returning her faded eyes to the cards, humming with interest.
"Now this is new. The King of Cups, but lateral. I would expect that emotional balance, generosity, and diplomacy, but something's going to upset it. Likely that Lovers' choice. Room for volatility and emotional manipulation there. Ah, and it's the start of a trend. The Queen of Swords is a standard for you as well, but she can be callous just as much as quick-witted and independent. The Three of Wands is a sign of waiting, the harbinger of expanding horizons and a larger world view, sometimes literally. And finally, the Page of Swords. Whatever's coming, you'll no doubt have the curiosity and energy to face it, even if it does mean your chronic mental restlessness."
Charani gathered up the cards, still musing them over as she began shuffling again.
"So. The Lovers, eh?"
Aurora laughed in what was supposed to be a natural cadence, dismayed to hear the awkward note that was impossible for Charani to miss.
"Oh. Well. It's, uh-"
"I'm assuming you brought him with you," she said easily, killing Aurora's graceless stall. Finally, she bowed to the wordless pressure.
"Yes. You'll want to read for him, of course."
Charani shrugged, her snow-white brows quirked in teasing.
"There. You can see the future too."
Aurora just shook her head as she again shuffled, then cut the deck.
"We both know that I have less of the gift than a dead log."
"For the future, perhaps," Charani conceded as she began dealing the cards again. "But don't sell yourself short in the present. Let's see now."
Coincidentally, this spread also had ten cards, now arranged in a square with a single card on top. It was not, however, the Empress again.
"Strength seems obvious, but the reality of it is more than its name. It's patience, compassion, control, stamina. It's strength that comes from within, against our inner demons. Two of Cups. You're quite serious about him, aren't you? It's the sign of a deep emotional connection, but one that isn't promised to last. And last it won't. The heartbreak of the Three of Swords. This grief is cause by knowledge, and a hard decision with no easy answers. But I do believe this is the first time I've ever seen you draw the sacrifice card: The Hanged Man. The hurt you'll feel by losing him, you'll have to let go. It's about emotional release and a change in your life." Charani looked up at Aurora, who swallowed against the gravity in her wizened face. A hard read made her feel a little lost at sea.
"But it'll take time. You have the lateral Queen of Cups to deal with. She's about emotional security and calm, but when you're forced to bottle up what you feel, it leads to disconnection and dealing with a wreck of emotions. Things will change quickly, though; Eight of Wands is a card of speed and action, and travel. You'll reach a teetering point – the sideways Chariot is a sign of control, will, and determination, but it can get aggressive, and potentially collapse under the pressure. Here, though, is your end game: the Ten of Pentacles is for home, family, security, a lasting foundation. And you'll need the balance, purpose, and long-term vision of Temperance to get it. Whatever play you make, it'll come to an end. You'll complete what you start, either with success or failure. But it will be over; that's what happens when you draw The World."
Again Charani gathered the cards, then gave them a cleansing shuffle. Setting the neat deck to her right, she sat back in her chair, gazing at Aurora for a moment, then smiling encouragingly.
"Not the worst spread I've ever seen."
Aurora laughed, the sound largely without humor.
"No. But things won't always stay this fun, will they?"
"Do they ever?" Charani asked with the beleaguered experience of the elderly, doubled by the hard knowledge of a Seer. Idly, she drew a card for the top of the deck, walking it through her knobby fingers. As it flashed by, Aurora thought she saw a trio celebrating with glasses raised. Her suspicions were confirmed when Charani set the card on the table and slid it towards her, revealing it to be the Three of Cups.
"Three always has been a sacred number for you."
Aurora cocked her head, her expression puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
Charani leaned forward, her hands laced on the table as she gazed all but sightlessly at Aurora, her eyes disturbingly perceptive nonetheless.
"Think about it, Aurora darling. You were born in the third month of the year. You are the third member of the Andrews' trio. You don't fall in love until the third man you become involved with. You meet him three years after the Emperor's death. You're together three months before he leaves. He'll pick another woman over you twice, before the third finally forces the choice both of you dance around. He'll bleed on your hands three times before this game you've only just begun ends – he has once already. And, perhaps most damning of all, you'll have three children."
Aurora just stared at the woman before she could rally herself enough to respond.
"What?!" she burst out. Not her most eloquent of responses, granted. But Charani just settled back again, a serene smile on her face.
"It's not that hard, Aurora. You're easier to read than most. Perhaps the universe is making up for such a convoluted past by laying your future out so clearly."
"Nothing you just said is clear. Except for the first part, maybe. And how the hell do you know how many children I'm going to have? I'm not even sure I want children, Charani."
The elder just clucked her tongue in admonition at Aurora's words, unwillingly tinged with desperation.
"Be honest, Aurora. It's not that you don't want children. You're just not certain if you should have children."
That was… stunningly painful. And shockingly true. Charani appeared to take pity on her, leaning close enough to rest her small, wrinkled hand over the one laying lax on the table, having fallen flat, just like her protests.
"Take heart, dear. Remember what you drew. Ten of Pentacles, the World. Those are cards of hope and completion – you've held strong for so long. Just keep it up for a while longer. I know you can; I've seen the truth of your heart. You're a dragon, dawn girl. Just like your man out there," she continued with the jerk of her head towards the bonfire.
"Go easy on him, will you?" Aurora asked with a crooked smile, straining to regain her balance after being so thoroughly tossed about by Charani's quiet words, the slight voice of an elderly woman somehow wreaking havoc with her emotions. It wasn't bad, just… chaotic.
"I can promise that he's never had his cards read, and you might spook him."
Charani just waved Aurora's warning away.
"Tough lad like him, I'm sure he'll manage to muscle through a few uncomfortable truths."
"Still. He's…" Aurora didn't know what to say that wouldn't betray Suzaku's pride, and still somehow convey the care Charani needed to take.
"I'm not one to bruise wounded creatures," Charani said grandly with affronted dignity. "And I don't need to read his cards to see his pain. I just don't yet know the cause why."
"I'm sure I don't need to say that whatever you learn…" Aurora didn't even finish that sentence. She didn't dare, not with the arch look being thrown her way.
"Girl, I am a Seer. My codes of confidence are stricter than the most honest of priests. I could curl your pretty hair even more than it already is with what I know. You don't need to lecture me on discretion."
Thoroughly chastised, Aurora smiled placatingly, seeking to soothe.
"Of course not. I just wanted to prepare you for the gravity of what you might see."
That seemed to mollify Charani, for now.
"I've seen war and death, strife and grief. Is there anything more terrible, anything I have not yet seen?"
"He's survived all of that, and more."
Charani seemed to contemplate that for a moment before shrugging.
"Nothing in this boy can frighten me – I've seen worse. I'm a Traveller by birth, and so I will be when I die. It's not a life for the faint-hearted." She said that with a firm nod, bouncing the bundle of fragile white hair atop her head.
"Then you have the heart of a tiger," Aurora said, taking to her feet to lean over and lay a careful kiss on Charani's papery forehead.
"Go now, and send your young man in. No doubt my Maloney will have you singing in minutes."
"No doubt. Evening, madam," she finally bid goodbye as she slipped from the carriage. Aurora took a deep breath as she stepped out into the warm night air, the small confines working on her nerves. And, if she was honest, the cards and their immensely powerful, very old reader.
The fire was still roaring, a song just now fading away. Aurora picked her way through the crowd, resting her palm against Suzaku's shoulder as she regained her seat. He turned towards her, his hands lowering from where they'd just finished enthusiastically clapping along.
"So? How'd it go? Are you going to meet a mysterious visitor, come into some money?" Leaning a little closer, he whispered teasingly in her ear, "Did you cross her palm with silver?"
Smirking, Aurora swatted his shoulder. Obviously, he'd had time to recover from his shock.
"No. I've already met the mysterious stranger," she said, her brows raised for emphasis, "and the last thing I need is more money. The reading is free of charge. As is yours," she added lightly. He looked a little disconcerted. "She's expecting you. Accommodating her would be the polite thing to do."
Oh, to watch Suzaku mentally twist and writhe against the burden of manners. Lazily, Aurora sipped at the cider she'd been offered, leaning back, her hand braced on the log. Finally, heaving a deep sigh, Suzaku stood.
"Purple trim, red bird on the side. Knock before you enter. And have fun!" she called after him as he marched away, walking with the straight-shouldered determination of a man going to a task he had no desire to complete. Smiling into her cup, she shared a giggle with Bannock. Not ten seconds later, Maloney invited her to join Lennor, his cousin, in a song.
This was utterly ridiculous. But after such warm hospitality, what choice did he have? It was all rubbish, anyway, but there was no reason not to humor an old woman. Besides, Geass and any power like it was outrageously rare – how likely was it that an old woman in Ireland possessed some cousin of it? Finding the carriage, Suzaku courteously knocked, waiting to be invited in. He had to stoop to avoid giving himself a concussion as he entered, the old woman quickly drawing his attention. She was the one that had ridden the horse next to Maloney on the way to the standing circle.
Frail and achingly small, she sipped from a glass of deeply red, dark wine. As he approached, she held out a hand to shake – her golden skin was like tissue, her joints hollow and fragile. Suzaku took her hand as gently as he could, afraid he would break her. She waved him to the small built-in bench across from her.
"You must be Suzaku. My name is Charani, and I am the eldest member of this tribe. Now sit, and I will begin shuffling your cards." Her hands were bent with arthritis, and yet she handled the large cards with adroit expertise. The cards themselves were beautiful; the backs were artfully designed with trees and leaves, roses and vines. As she shuffled, he looked around. The candles, he expected. But there was no heavy scent of incense, no crystal balls or polished stones. It was cramped, but clean and warm. It was only when he looked back at Charani that he finally noticed it.
"You're blind," he breathed.
"All but, I'm afraid," she chirped back. Suzaku colored – he couldn't believe he'd actually said that out loud. Once said, though, the questions that begged to follow sat heavy in his throat. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore.
"I'm sorry, I know it's rude, but have you…"
"Always been blind?" she queried with a half grin. Suzaku nodded, forgetting himself, already drawn in by the answer.
"Of course not. Cataracts. My papa had them something fierce when he was an old man. Started developing about ten years ago. Had perfectly normal eyesight before these bastards cropped up." Charani paused in her shuffling, leaning an elbow on the table with a conspiratorial air. "But it could be said that my eyes failed because they've seen so much more than the average person all my days."
As she leaned back to continue shuffling, Suzaku stared at her, drawn in despite his best intentions. When she glanced up and threw a wink his way, he chuckled under his breath, reminding himself it was just a game, a way for a clever old woman to pass the time.
"Now then," she said crisply, "shuffle the deck. Whatever way you're comfortable."
Passably, he got it done, then handed the deck back. Charani shuffled one more time, with much more grace, before setting the cards down in front of him.
"Cut the deck."
Precisely, he split the deck in two.
"Let's see what your past holds," she murmured, and taking them in hand again, Charani began to deal. A thought suddenly occurred to Suzaku.
"But how can you see them?"
Charani paused as she dealt to tap the tip of her index finger against the remaining deck, gazing at him with those milky, blind eyes.
"I've been reading tarot cards since I was six years old, which is a great deal more years back than I care to admit. I see them in my sleep, in my daydreams. I saw them during the birth of my two sons, and during the birth of their children. I see them when my little Tiena sings, especially as she did tonight. I'll probably see them even after I die."
"So Tiena is your granddaughter," Suzaku said as she returned to dealing cards. There was a vague resemblance, and this was obviously who she had meant by Grandmama.
"Great," Charani said absently, her attention taken by the sixth row.
"Sorry?"
"Great-granddaughter. Maloney is my grandson. His father died four years back now, and left the tribe to him. Now hush. Let me see what there is to see." She perused the cards intently, spread out almost the entire width of the table. Finally, she straightened, and hovered her hand over the card closest to him.
"Your first card, your crowning card if you will, is Justice. It defined your past, that dedication to fairness, that belief that you should account for your actions and be judged accordingly. This also means that the consequences of your actions were a catalyst of what followed. The Ace of Swords is a sign of opportunity and raw, sometimes excessive, energy. In the beginning, you were a champion, strong of heart, mind, and will. No doubt aimed against the Hierophant. It's reversed, however, meaning a break from tradition and convention. You went your own way, tried to find your own path. Most likely in rebellion against your father and what he stood for. Which led to the conflict of the Five of Wands. Tension, competition; it's the struggle of having your point of view constantly challenged. In your case, it was actual fighting, combat."
Suzaku breathed carefully through his nose. It was luck, chance. It was a game using the perceiver's context. No need to be shocked.
"The sideways King of Wands means you're driven by will, power, and inspiration. You're a natural born leader and goal-oriented. But you can be aggressive, impulsive, and high-handed. Much worse, however, is that you have far too harsh expectations of yourself. The Knight of Cups is your capacity for romance, your tendency to be the chivalrous knight. But… it ended poorly. The Three of Swords for loss and grief. It was the knowing, the betrayal, that was the worst. And while you have happy memories of her, the reversed Six of Cups is the inability to move on, so you clung to what happened." When she paused, Suzaku glanced up. Their eyes met, verdantly clear and darkly clouded.
"I'm sorry," she murmured simply, carefully laying her hand on his for a moment, before pulling away and returning her attention to the second half of the spread. The show of sympathy was heartfelt enough to leave him feeling calm instead of panicked.
"A sideways Six of Wands is public victory and recognition, but it also shows a fall from grace after her death. Five of Cups is a card of mourning and despair, the Five of Swords a sign of more fighting. But this was a matter of win at all costs, negative ambitions, and callousness. It led to the Ten of Swords. Here, the promise of the Ace of Swords has gone terribly wrong, a collapse of beliefs and betrayal that you could no longer stand against. Which all led to this," she said quietly, picking up the final card.
"The lateral Hanged Man. You let go of what you knew, and your entire life changed. It's a sign of sacrifice, a willing victim to achieve a higher goal. Both for you, and the man that was your enemy and friend. But this card is a sign of martyrdom, which led to your loss of faith." Carefully, Charani set the card down again, staring over the cards spread between them.
"These are the cards of a soldier, one who began bright and believing before the war, and your loss, eventually broke you down." Then she raised her gaze, and looked at him as closely as she'd looked at the cards. "And yet here you are. Shall we see what's going on right now? What lies within your heart?"
Suzaku didn't know if he actually acquiesced. But Charani gathered the cards, and began her shuffling again. She didn't chat this time – how could she, when she'd seen his father and Lelouch and Euphie all spread out in fancifully illustrated cards? Mechanically, he completed his part of the preparation, his mind spinning, as she laid down cards again. There were a few less cards, but the arrangement was wider.
"Hmmm. Better, much better. Up top we have The Hermit. Introspection, soul-searching, away from the day to day. You've done quite of bit of that lately. The Devil was a situation not in your best interest. It had you bound, hopeless, and obsessed. More literally, it's the card of addiction. But The Tower changed all that – a sudden event that shook your foundation and released you from The Devil's hold on you. After, you've had the rest of the Four of Swords. A chance to recuperate, time away from your current circumstances so you could return and face the challenge. Now these two are naturally opposites: the Nine of Swords and Four of Wands. But they're both sideways. On the one hand, you have depression and nightmares, yet the eventual return of perspective. On the other, you have friends and family, peace and tranquility. But that home is now unstable, and there are outside forces demanding change."
Yes, Suzaku thought a little sourly. The Empire of Britannia could certainly be considered an outside force.
"And Strength. Not just the power, but the patience, compassion, and control. You've nicely cultivated that recently. And you too get the Two of Cups, a deep affection under tenuous circumstances. The Wheel of Fortune is a card of good luck and life cycles, turning points and destiny. While the Two of Swords is the conflict between heart and mind, and the struggle to make a difficult decision. Ah, I was wondering when I'd see this." Her fingers lightly rested on a sideways card, showing the picture of a winged woman on the back of a horse.
"Death. Both beginnings and ending, transformation and resistance. Sudden, unexpected change, and an unwillingness to let go. You're at a fulcrum in your life, Suzaku. Whichever way you tip, it'll send you down a path you cannot return from. You can only follow it to its end."
He nodded, because what could he say? Nothing he didn't already know; yet it was disturbing, to see it all laid out so clearly on the table. Again, Charani began her perpetual shuffling.
"And now for your future. Anything particular you want to know?"
He was tempted – tempted to ask when he would die, if Aurora would be alright, if he'd ever see her again after he left. But he bit his tongue, and gestured for her to go ahead. His part done, he sat back as Charani dealt out the cards one final time.
"The Magician for a crown card. Action, resourcefulness, focus on a single goal. You can use your will and resources to make the change in the world that's needed. But a lateral Ace of Cups is a sign of both love and compassion, and bottled up emotions. They become overwhelming once released. We see the Three of Swords again, but reversed. A sign of recovery and emotional purging, much like the reversed Five of Cups. An opening and healing; you'll be willing to take risks again. Another reversal: the Eight of Swords. You've come through a difficult time, but you'll be free, and no longer a victim to your past. The Nine of Wands is courage and persistence, the sign of a test of faith."
Unwillingly intrigued, Suzaku continued to listen carefully.
"The High Priestess. Mate, if you will, to your Magician crown card. Intuition and mystery, knowledge and wisdom. Sounds like a certain female we know. The Tower again. More change, more unexpected events to contend with that force you to question your beliefs. And then there's Judgement. Rebirth and absolution, it's an important stage of the journey. Deep wounds will finally heal, and then you'll be able to move on. And then it ends."
"What?" Suzaku croaked, taken aback by the finality in her voice.
"The World. It's means whatever you start, will end. It will be completed, and you'll understand the truth of your role in this time and place."
Finally. The vague mysticism he'd been expecting during this entire exercise of disquieting precision into his past and present. There was really only one explanation.
"Did Aurora tell you about me?"
Charani stopped as she gathered the cards, pinning Suzaku with a stare that made him swallow.
"Do you think she had to tell me anything in order for me to know?"
Wise enough to recognize a trick question when he heard one, Suzaku just shook his head. Charani resumed her gathering with a shrug.
"You're not the first to doubt, and I'm too old to be wounded by it. But I can promise you, Aurora betrayed no confidences. Although you teased and suggested I still get paid in silver."
Suzaku's gaze snapped to the window with narrowed eyes. That was impossible. He'd said that after Aurora had returned from the wagon, and there was absolutely no way that Charani had heard his whispered words from over seventy feet away through a crowd, roaring fire, and music. She just smiled and set the deck aside.
"You've come through much, Suzaku. That's commendable. You still battle your demons, your memories. That's admirable. But the fight is far from done, both against outside forces and within yourself. That final card, The World, is entirely dependent on you. You make your own endings. So make it one that counts."
Her gentle advice seemed to shiver through the air, glinting off candle smoke. He stared at her, unsure of what to make of the cards, of her advice. Of Charani herself. Then she shrugged.
"Then again, I'm nothing but a very old woman entertaining myself with some cards." She glanced over at him, smiling sharply. "Right?"
Taking the out so kindly offered, Suzaku just tilted his head to the side.
"Of course. Everyone knows none of this is anything but chance and tells."
But her words as he stood brought him up short.
"So says the man marked by magic's law."
Again, their gazes held silently. Then, Charani held out her hand, just as she had when he'd first entered.
"Blessed be, Suzaku. And have a happy birthday."
"Thank you, ma'am. Good evening."
Of course, she couldn't let it go at that. Just as Suzaku opened the door, Charani called out one final time.
"Oh, and, dear? Don't be jealous. She had to move on too, you know."
Completely confused, refusing to be baited into thinking about Aurora with another man, he just nodded and gently shut the door. As he made his contemplative way back to the fire, hands in his pockets, his mind chewing its way through the last twenty minutes, he heard the old woman's quiet chuckle through the open window of her wagon. Shaking his head, and smiling ruefully, he made his way back to the embrace of firelight, where Aurora waited for him.
Part 3 of our Birthday Bash! Fun times to be had!
A quick note on the subject last chapter that got the most attention: the horses.
Let me preface everything by saying I've been obsessed with horses pretty much my whole life, and have owned horses and been riding competitively for 15 years now. I can tell you that the horses mentioned last chapter are commonly known as Gypsy Horses or Gypsy Vanners, bred to pull Romani vardos in the 1850's. They're almost always paints, more commonly black and white, and are well known for their feathering and long manes and tails. They run to the smaller side, depending on the line they're from, especially compared to the other draft horses of Europe.
I, however, am not Suzaku. He knows none of this, largely because he is Japanese (a country not known for its modern day horse culture) and his exposure to horses has been extremely minimal (the royal stable mentioned last chapter is rarely visited, considering Nunnally is confined to a wheelchair). Of course, if he had been around a horse fanatic, which I freely admit I am, I could have enlightened him of all this. But unless you're interested, it can sound like a lot of Greek – I would know, I get that blank look a lot.
So, instead of expounding on horses, which it takes only the slightest provocation for me to do, I decided to stay true to our POV character, who knows next to nothing about them, beyond the fact that they're quite pretty. I really appreciate you guys being interested enough and paying close enough attention to call me on it – you are invaluable, invested readers. However, I can assure you, that in the area of horses, I am only ever vague on purpose.
I hope you enjoyed the tarot readings. A lot of hours went into that particular bit. If you're curious about the arrangements or specific card choices, I can clarify.
Hope you like it!
Love, Tango