Take a moment first to think about what has happened

You emerge from Talaitha's tent feeling... well, not a little disquieted. It's difficult to know what to do with this new "knowledge", if it can even be called that. What you have been told is so vague and yet so tantalizing, and you would certainly like to learn more... but for that, there is only one source to which you might go, and that is Talaitha herself. There is certainly one piece of real knowledge you have gained this day: the reason why some kings and nobles spend so much gold on seers and fortune-tellers! The temptation to go back and try to gain just a little more insight would be overwhelming to one who truly believed in the power of spirits and those who speak with them - and although you feel convinced that Talaitha herself believes in her own power, that hardly means that it must be real. In the end, it seems that what she has to say, whether it comes from the spirits or not, means as much as you want it to mean and little more.

Was it worth three pieces of gold? Perhaps, if only for the experience... but it would probably be a bad idea to mention any of this to Duncan.

{if Maid of Silver = 1}Still, you cannot help but ponder what Talaitha had to say about the "Maid of Silver." Imagining for a moment that her powers have some basis in fact, it seems that the maid in question could only be Pia, the daughter of Johann the Silversmith. There is still some time before you must prepare for the opening ceremonies... perhaps you might take a moment to go and see her? You don't actually know whether she is even in the city, but it seems likely that Pia would have returned from wherever she had been wandering to attend the festival. Besides, you have not seen her since the day she kissed you goodbye, years before you became King. The more you think about it, the more tempting the idea becomes!

Of course, the prophecy did indicate that there would be loss, sacrifice, and despair. Naturally, that is to be expected with any relationship; no matter how happy a marriage, it cannot be so all the time! Still, as you think on it, it does occur to you that Pia may not be well-suited to the rigors of royal life, the parts behind the glamour and the prestige which the commoners (even yourself) do not tend to realize. To rule is also to serve, and there are many freedoms which one must surrender. Responsibilities such as holding court and dealing with diplomatic matters can be very burdensome indeed, and it is so difficult to find time to be alone and free of guards. As King, you can no longer indulge in certain pleasures of your youth, such as climbing in the mountains or getting well and truly drunk at the tavern; the former because you cannot afford such risks, and the latter because it would be unbecoming a King. There is so much that would be unbecoming a King!

Pia has always been such a free spirit... might she come to see the walls of the castle as a prison, and blame you for it? It certainly bears thinking about, even if Talaitha's prophecy came only from her own imagination and not from any otherworldly source.{endif}

{if Maid of Steel= 1}Still, you cannot help but ponder what Talaitha had to say about the "Maid of Steel." Imagining for a moment that her powers have some basis in fact, it seems that the maid in question could only be Lady Trina... and what to make of Talaitha's foretelling of **** and doom? It seems very unlikely that she would have simply made up such stories to try and frighten you; if anything, it was Talaitha herself who became struck with panic and fear! This other she spoke of... a maid with a twisted soul, unsound mind... if she were real, who might she be?

A thought strikes you suddenly. Corinne?

It might not have occurred to you, had not Trina's name been invoked at the same time. Corinne was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, a frequent visitor to the castle as she seemed to take any pretense to appear at the gates. No message was too trivial for her to deliver it in person, no hour too late or too early for her to make the ride from her father's house. It soon became apparent that she had taken an unhealthy interest in you, as she began to "accidentally" cross your path during your morning ride, or go out of her way to find you when you visited among the people in the city. When it came to the point that she began committing petty crimes just so she could be brought before you in court, it became clear the situation had gone too far. As reasoned responses seemed to have no effect on her behavior, you felt you had **** but to deny her access to the castle and the adjacent woods, and warn her that repeated disturbance of the peace would result in her exile.

She was caught next attempting to sneak into your bedchamber, dressed as a castle maidservant. It was with a heavy heart that you commanded she be barred from entering the city. You remember it as though it were yesterday... Corinne fell to her knees pleading for another chance, declaring that she acted only out of love for you, begging to be your **** if she could not be your Queen. You could not help but feel pity for her, and perhaps if attempting to access your bedchamber were her only crime, you might have pardoned her for that much - but she had attacked the maid whose clothes she had taken to disguise herself, and left the poor girl beaten senseless under a stairwell, and that could not go unanswered.

Only Trina among your Kingsguard saw the madness in Corinne's eyes, the fury which overcame her as you made your pronouncement which banished her from the city - and if not for Trina's quick action, Corinne's dagger flying at your face might have been the last thing you saw in this world. Trina leaped between you and the hurled blade and swatted it from the air with her sword, before any of the other guards even thought to ready their weapons. It remains the one and only time upon which one of your Kingsguard saved you from a clear and present attempt on your life, and effectively silenced any remaining opposition to the appropriateness of a woman on the Kingsguard.

Corinne herself became utterly hysterical and even tried to throw herself at Lady Trina, perhaps to impale herself upon her sword - but by then, the rest of your guard had responded, and Corinne was dragged away crying and screaming. Your advisors argued for two days over whether she should be put to ****. In any other kingdom, there would surely have been no question; she had attempted to **** the King, and a crime of such magnitude demanded the most severe response. However, it would have been the first execution ever to take place in Elyssia, even going back to before you had assumed the throne. In the end all agreed that although she was clearly guilty, she was just as clearly out of her mind and not truly responsible for her own actions - and besides, she was not even yet a woman grown, only just past fourteen summers. And so, Corinne was banished, sent to live out her days in a convent over two hundred leagues from Elyssia. Each year a message comes from the convent, and they have always said that Corinne fares well enough under their care, living a quiet and blameless life, and that she does not even seem to remember you or anything about her life before her exile. Of course, the Sisters know why she was sent there; they would surely have sent word by swift messenger if Corinne's madness had resurfaced and she had escaped from them.

Your mind returns to something else Talaitha had said... what was it? "Her shell of steel open, surrendering to forbidden lust..." an image swims into your mind of Lady Trina as you have honestly never imagined her before, lithe and naked and sensuous, offering herself to you...

You shake your head to clear it, and admonish yourself for fantasizing about Lady Trina in this way. It IS forbidden lust, not only in the sense that it would be grossly inappropriate for you as her King and her as your guardian, but also because Lady Trina has fought so hard for the respect she has earned and a dalliance with you could destroy all that matters most to her. Even if somehow it really were something that she would want, it is also something which must never be... no matter how blue are her eyes, or how full and inviting her lips...

Perhaps Lord Duncan was right; nothing good or useful ever comes from visiting a fortune-teller.{endif}

{if Maid of Water = 1}Still, you cannot help but ponder what Talaitha had to say about the "Maid of Water." Imagining for a moment that her powers have some basis in fact, it seems that the maid in question could only be Arethousa; even without Talaitha's further description, the title is most suitable for her as the proprietor of the bathing pools. Perhaps Talaitha even made this connection in advance and deliberately described Arethousa. She is certainly a woman who any man would desire; not only beautiful but sensuous and graceful - and of strong will, diplomatic nature, and regal bearing. Arethousa would be a natural choice for a Queen.

But, what of the second part of the prophecy? "A jealous man... one who covets the crown and lusts for the Water Queen." Well, certainly there are some among Elyssia's nobility who would prefer the crown had come to them; the most overt would be Lord Bertrand de Pomeroy, who it seems cannot let a week go by without making some subtle insinuation that you do not belong on the throne. However, he already has a wife, and has never shown even the slightest interest in the pursuit of Arethousa or any other woman. There must be dozens if not hundreds of men in Elyssia who harbor feelings of lust for Arethousa; but as far as you can tell, she has never had any trouble with overly-aggressive suitors. Arethousa is not one to go running to the King every time she has a problem, but surely she would have said something if a man's obsession for her escalated to the point of being a threat.

Of course, there may be nothing to it at all. Talaitha may have simply been telling you a compelling story, with enough vague drama to keep you interested, no more than that. Her own words indicated that her prophecy might never come to pass.{endif}

{if Maid of Wine = 1}Still, you cannot help but ponder what Talaitha had to say about the "Maid of Wine." Imagining for a moment that her powers have some basis in fact, it seems that the maid in question could only be Melisande, the innkeeper.

It is true enough that ever since you started thinking seriously about who you might seek as your queen, Melisande has been under consideration. Although not of noble birth, she was wed to a baron before his passing some fifteen years ago. Thinking of this drives home the fact that you were little more than a child at the time, and that Melisande has seen perhaps ten or twelve more summers than you have - though she remains a beautiful woman indeed, and seems to have lost none of her youthful spirit. It suddenly strikes you as odd that she has never re-married; certainly, she has much to offer a husband! Not only is she both fair and charming, she is also quite wealthy - which means nothing to you, of course, and would not mean overly much even if you were not the King, but it would be a point in her favor for other men. She also has no children from her previous marriage, so any man who wed her now would not have that burden to bear.

This makes you consider some of what Talaitha said. "...The Wine Queen cannot bring forth life anew. There will be no heirs of her own issue, no child for the Queen of Wine." It had been generally assumed that her marriage to the baron had resulted in no children because he had been nearly old enough to be her grandfather, but could it be that Melisande has no children because she cannot? Unfortunately, that WOULD be a problem, as part of the reason you need a queen is to produce an heir. But Talaitha said something else... that there would be another who bears the child, and that the Wine Maid's true passions lay with her. That, of course, would also be a plausible reason why Melisande has not wed again; if she prefers to lie with women, she would probably not wish to be married to a man.

You hadn't thought about it at the time, what with Talaitha unexpectedly "losing control" and you doing the same; but if there is a woman with whom Melisande shares her bed, it would probably be Sanja, her tavern maid. The two of them are certainly very close, and Sanja seems utterly devoted to her mistress. If it is true, then a marriage to Melisande would likely have to involve Sanja as well - and then the irresistable image comes to your mind of lying in bed between them, making love to them both at the same time, and despite the fact that you have just spent your essence with Talaitha you can feel a definite stirring in your loins at the notion!

It would undoubtedly be a complicated situation, especially if it is true that Sanja would have to be the one who gave you an heir. It might be necessary to play a deception on the people so that the child would be accepted as legitimate, and no matter how cleverly it was done, there would be those who are not fooled.

Perhaps Lord Duncan was right; nothing good or useful ever comes from visiting a fortune-teller. Talaitha's prophecies have certainly brought you no peace of mind!{endif}

{if Maid of Sun = 1}Still, you cannot help but ponder what Talaitha had to say about the "Maid of Sun." Imagining for a moment that her powers have some basis in fact, it seems that the maid in question is almost certainly one of Bwana M'Kubwa's people. Since he was somewhat delayed in his journey and only arrived a few days past, you have not had much chance to speak with him and none at all to meet any of those who came with him. There are, you noticed, a fair number of maids of marriageable age in his party - more than you would have expected. Perhaps many of them came with the idea of catching your eye? You do hope that Bwana made it clear that whatever the traditions of his own people, you did not intend to take more than one wife!

Of course, Talaitha also gave a warning, that there would be those who would reject a union between you and the "Maid of Sun" - and if that maid is indeed a woman from the African plains, it would unfortunately be true. Elyssia is an enlightened kingdom, where people of many cultures have come together, but there is no denying that there are many who harbor prejudices concerning peoples of darker skin, calling them savages and assuming them to be of lesser intellect - or even saying that they are altogether inhuman. Even before you met Bwana's people, this always seemed to you to be a wrongful and ignorant attitude; and of course at this point in your life you have seen enough evidence to reject such foolishness entirely. Still, it would do no good to ignore the fact that to court and wed a woman of such exotic origins would cause a good deal of turmoil amongst your people, ill-justified though it may be. It would not do to let such potential troubles make your decision for you, but it is something you would need to be prepared for - and so would the woman herself.

Then, there is the matter of a child... naturally, you would have children with your Queen, and if she is a woman of the southern tribes then her ancestry would be clearly marked in any offspring you might have. The idea that such a simple thing could cause the downfall of the kingdom itself seems ludicrous... but then again, you cannot forget that your rule has little in the way of foundation. After all, you are not part of an established dynasty; you are a blacksmith who chose a coin, and the security of your rule is based largely on your popularity with the people. If that is lost, then you could certainly expect that others would be emboldened to seize the crown. It is not so much the loss of your royal status which is troubling; rather, it is the turmoil which would result if the throne were perceived to be ripe for the taking.

Prophecy or no, you can be certain that if you were to take a woman from Bwana's tribe as Queen, there would be trials to face and you would need to summon all your courage to see it through. Would that it were not so... but wishing it otherwise will not change the facts of the matter. And there is the very last part of the prophecy to consider as well - that such a child would "shine in the light for all the days of the Earth." That is nothing if not encouraging!{endif}

{if Maid of Shadow = 1}Still, you cannot help but ponder what Talaitha had to say about the "Maid of Shadow." Imagining for a moment that her powers have some basis in fact, it seems that the maid in question could only be the Vixen. What a strange idea, to court and eventually wed an outlaw of the forest; and not only that, but one who is so shrouded in mystery that many assume she is not even entirely human, but rather a woodland faerie or some other fanciful creature! In any event, the decision of whether or not to woo her seems largely out of your hands. It's not like you have any idea where to find the Vixen (beyond "in the woods somewhere"), nor would you even recognize her if she were standing right in front of you.

The rest of her prophecy seems a tangle of confusion... not exactly what you expected, certainly. Of course, a degree of vagueness and uncertainly is always part of a fortune-teller's performance, since to make specific predictions is to risk being proven utterly wrong. But, it seemed that Talaitha was genuinely perplexed, unable to make sense of her own prophecy, which seems unlikely if she were simply making it up. That very confusion indicates that Talaitha is not a deliberate practitioner of fraud; whether she has genuine power or not, she herself seems to believe that she does, and that these messages from the "spirits" are not necessarily coming from within her own head.

The one part which she was certain about - that you would be the one to determine the Vixen's fate - does make sense, on the face of it. If she is captured by your watchmen at some point, you WILL be the one to decide what is to become of her. That's part of your job, after all. It's hard to think of circumstances where it would make sense to make her a queen, however! And what of the matter of her being "wed to the Lord of ****" - perhaps this was merely metaphorical, indicating that she could face execution? Surely, it would not by your command; even when you were once compelled to pass judgement on one who tried to **** you, the headsman's axe remained rusting on the wall. But if some victim of her crimes had the chance to take justice into their own hands...

Perhaps Lord Duncan was right; nothing good or useful ever comes from visiting a fortune-teller.{endif}

{if Maid of Silk = 1}Still, you cannot help but ponder what Talaitha had to say about the "Maid of Silk." Imagining for a moment that her powers have some basis in fact, it seems that the maid in question would likely be one from the far east, perhaps among the party of the visiting Samurai, Kuronoma Kuma. Since his party arrived only the day before yesterday, and it took another full day to find a suitable translator, you have not been able to do any more than greet him and invite him to the opening reception for the festival. You did see that there were women among his party, but you only had a close look at one of them - which, come to think if it, may be where your vision of such a woman came from when Talaitha described the Silk Maid. There was so much about the Samurai and his camp that was strange and exotic to your eyes, you did not have the chance to observe anything about her except for the bare essentials of her appearance - typical of her people, except that she was also remarkably beautiful.

Of course, the true matter of concern (again, assuming all of this means anything at all) is the notion that you will face imminent **** or dishonor should you seek this maid. Is it possible that Kuronoma Kuma would frown upon such a match? It's hard to believe that he would have a problem with one of the women in his party being wed to a King, unless there is some tradition among his people that any foreigner would be considered unworthy. That does not seem to fit with the impression you received of the Samurai, though; he certainly greeted you with all the respect due to a King, and then some (fortunately, someone was able to explain to you that the hissing sound he made when he bowed was considered polite among his people!).

Although Talaitha herself seemed uncertain about the meaning of the "sword" which she claimed to see, the meaning is clear enough to you - one of the few things you do know about Kuronuma Kuma is that he is said to be perhaps the finest swordsman who has ever lived. Sir Benedicht of the Kingsguard happened to ride past the Samurai's camp yesterday evening and saw him practicing, and he reported that even without an opponent facing him, it was clear that Kuronoma Kuma's skill with the blade could only be described as wizardry.

Or perhaps, Talaitha's prophecy means nothing at all, and you are simply filling in the gaps with what you know. Lord Duncan has cautioned you that this is one of the tricks that seers and mystics will use: the idea that people will themselves give meaning to meaningless statements, and see connections and relevance where there is none in truth. Besides, it's not like you really needed a warning to avoid ending up on the wrong end of a Samurai sword!{endif}

{if Maid of Satin = 1}Still, you cannot help but ponder what Talaitha had to say about the "Maid of Satin." Imagining for a moment that her powers have some basis in fact, it seems likely that the maid in question is indeed Rosaline of Cottingham. Certainly, her name is on the short list of potential Queens; she is one of the few noblewomen who has shown serious interest in courting you, and birthright does count for something. If matters of state were the only concern, then Rosaline would probably be the first choice for a Queen; it would solidify a very favorable trade agreement, ally you with the powerful King Richard of England, and tie you to a long-established noble house - giving you by marriage what you lack by birth.

But Talaitha's warning makes sense as well. Rosaline does not behave as many noblewomen do; she is definitely a romantic, holding onto dreams of love and passion which really are impossible for one in her position. As the daughter of a wealthy and influential house, she is likely viewed as an asset which may be used to cement an important alliance; her own desires would not even come into the picture. It is undeniable that she has feelings for you; that was made clear enough on her previous visit! But while Rosaline is attractive, appealing, and enjoyable company, it would be a considerable exaggeration to describe your feelings for her as "love." Perhaps it could be so, but you simply do not know her well enough.

There is also Sir Reginald to consider... the idea of having him as family is frankly not very appealing, and the feeling is undoubtedly mutual. If he were to forbid the marriage, then certainly Rosaline could defy him; but there would be consequences for her, you, and Elyssia. If you do plan to court Lady Rosaline, then whether you like it or not, her cousin's opinion will matter.{endif}

{if Maid of Fire = 1}Still, you cannot help but ponder what Talaitha had to say about the "Maid of Fire." There's no question that Queen Alayna is the maid to whom Talaitha refers, that would be obvious even if she had not directly said so. What she did say was full of symbolism and metaphor, swords and flame and whatnot... who could this "King of Ashes" be? You consider that while everyone has heard of the Warrior Queen, no one seems to ever discuss what it is she's actually fighting about - the concept of a beautiful, fierce woman riding naked into battle makes for such a good story all by itself, it's as if no one ever thought to address why she's doing it! It seems unlikely, somehow, that her goal is simply to conquer and plunder. The songs and stories you have heard tend to describe her as bold and heroic, not ruthless and bloody.

At the heart of Talaitha's prophecy seems to be the notion that Queen Alayna has come to Elyssia seeking an alliance. While it would certainly be better to have her as friend rather than foe, to ally closely with her could drag Elyssia into her war, whatever it is about. You wonder if the people would support her cause, even if it is just; many of your subjects have fled from war in order to live in peace, and would not welcome the idea of exposing their new home to further bloodshed. Some of them even came as refugees from battlegrounds in which Alayna herself led armies. And yet, if the Warrior Queen does indeed fight for a noble cause, it seems wrong to sit comfortably in secluded paradise while others risk their lives to do what is right. "The responsibility for a better world rests with all men," Duncan once said to you. Even if that were not so, Elyssia is peaceful only because of its obscurity and the protection offered by the mountains. The former is no longer true, and the latter will not keep would-be conquerors at bay indefinitely. Word of Elyssia will spread, and your advisors and visiting allies have told you that the stories are already growing exaggerated, describing a kingdom to rival Heaven itself, with streets paved in gold and a castle clad in diamonds. There will inevitably come a day when your kingdom will have to fight for its very existence, and when it does, you will need more than the artisans and scholars who make up the populace; you will need warriors.

But what does SHE need? Why would a Warrior Queen seek alliance with a kingdom with a reputation for peace and tranquility? Whatever her desires and intentions, it is unlikely in the **** that she has come simply to offer herself as a maid eligible for marriage.

In the end, Talaitha's words are too vague to tell you what you should do, or even what to expect... but they certainly have made you think about this matter more deeply.{endif}

{if Maid of Blood = 1}Still, you cannot help but ponder what Talaitha had to say about the "Maid of Blood." For most of the other names that Talaitha gave, you have some idea of who they might be; for the last, it is hard to imagine. Having heard the dramatic (and slightly painful) messages from the spirits, it's still quite the mystery. Certainly, it's hard to think of any maid in the world who could single-handedly turn the tide of a battle between Elyssia and any given foe. If not for the look on Talaitha's face, both the fear when she saw that she had scratched you and the genuine concern over the possibility of war coming to Elyssia, the entire thing could be easily dismissed as a fanciful tale from an active imagination. But it was clear enough that, whether her powers are genuine or not, Talaitha herself believes in them.

Of course, it could still all be completely meaningless. Perhaps Lord Duncan was right; nothing good or useful ever comes from visiting a fortune-teller.{endif}

You glance around for Lady Trina, and do not see her; it does not seem as though much time has passed since you came to Talaitha's tent, and naturally Trina might have expected that you would be in with her for longer than you have. It suddenly occurs to you that you are without guards - a rare event, to be sure! It also occurs to you that you could hide your jewelry in the hidden pouches of Steelheart's saddlebag, trade your fur-lined silk riding cape for the rougher black cloak which you carry with you, and go off into the visitor's camps as a simple citizen of Elyssia rather than the King. Steelheart would have to be left at Talaitha's tent, to be sure; the saddle and other adornments he wears are rich and immediately recognizable, not to mention that Steelheart himself is too fine a horse for any except the highest ranks of nobility. But, a few coins to Hanzi should keep him safe, and it's not like anyone will be able to lead him anywhere without causing a tremendous racket, as Steelheart has been trained not to follow strangers without your signal.

It has been years since you have been able to go anywhere as just Xavier rather than the King of Elyssia; in your own city, your face is too well-known for you to be able to go about anonymously, but these visitors would just assume that you are a somewhat wealthy merchant or craftsman (even if you swap out your royal raiment, the clothes you have are simply too finely made and new to pass yourself off as a common peasant). The idea is a tempting one!