Kalon and Loria looked at each other before nodding. They would allow the Princess to lead a semi-normal life but war did not discriminate and at the earliest signs that the invading army was drawing near, they would leave. For now the gardens were a safe place. Loria’s eyes focused on the Graceling made and she smiled, bowing ever so slightly. She had never spoken to the maid but she often asked of her, hardly anyone knew anything about the maid graced with speed. Perhaps later Loria and Kalon could talk with the maid, if she was indeed graced with speed then she would be more than able to help protect the Princess. “Alright Princess,” Kalon said they had stayed close to the doors. Kalon removed his hand from his sword, as it had become a habit over the years, before turning on his heel and leaving the room with his sister following behind. 

“Have you had any visions today?” He asked her, she would need to report to the King soon enough but Kalon would have liked to been informed of any visions. Loria shook her head, “Sorry brother but it doesn’t work like that.” 

He would never understand that she could not call a vision nor could she control when they came. They were unpredictable and showed many different things. Last week she had seen a marriage proposal for one of the Princes of Lenid, the island kingdom to the west. The week before that she had witnessed a soon to be born baby that would grow sick within its first month of life. Her visions did not stop at the borders of Wester. In every kingdom there were things and she could see them. Loria was the first to not be driven insane by the visions. Others like her, graced with the same gift, had a horrible knack for getting visions of death almost every day and those were the ones that had taken their own lives. She knew that eventually she could meet the same fate as they did, it never left her mind.

It had been a long road to where they were now. Kalon’s training had been started when he was a young boy, barely eight years old. His sister had been under the care of the king since she was but a baby, so the two never grew up with each other as their childhoods were almost non-existent but that didn’t stop them from getting to know each other. Now as adults they were as close as they could be which in all honesty wasn’t that much. They did talk frequently and they would often make time just for talking to one another but they did not talk of their childhoods nor did they talk about their dreams for the future. Knights could have wives and children but it was frowned upon because they were often out at war. Gracelings were another game entirely, they were feared and hated. 

They walked behind the Princess quietly. Kalon kept an eye out for any signs of things that would go wrong and his sister hummed lightly to herself. 

(My next post will be longer)