Unwelcome Destiny

He swung aside the opening of the tent as he began entering it. As the young man stepped into the tent the cloth behind him returned to its point of rest. “I would like you to look into this person’s future!” the man said with a commanding tone and extended his hand containing a strand of blonde hair.

From the corner of his eye he spots a naked older woman, skinny to the point that one could almost see the bones underneath her skin. "Aah, the young Duke Trey, younger brother and vassal of King Rupert of Ryderias. I have eagerly been expecting your visit." the old woman said with a raspy voice. He watched as the repulsive woman crept out of the dim corner with a slight smile on her lips. Showing her hand in a manner for him to kiss it, the seer welcomed the younger man into her humble tent.

The old woman gestured for him to sit down by the small table in the tent. “Come, sit! It will only take a minute” the hag said. With the hair he brought in one hand and the other reaching for a bottle the Duke, almost puking, could smell the disgusting concoction. Clearly amused by her guest, the seemingly malnourished hag closed her eyes, chanting something in an unknown language before sweeping the entirety of the bottle’s contents. As if possessed, the seer arched her head back as her eyes snapped open. She remains in that unknown state for a moment with the young Duke in awe. He had never seen such magic before! Just when the young man opened his mouth to speak the old woman threw the strand of hair up into the air, leaving him speechless. A bright blue light appeared seemingly from nowhere, forcing him to cover his eyes briefly and once he uncovered his face there it was. The time window. The sacred way to peek at the future of a loved one. A gift from the gods.

The view that appeared muddy at first slowly started to clear. The morning light peered through the clouds and a small village came into view between the hills some distance away. A village which he, a Duke of his brother’s realm, didn't recognize although something felt oddly familiar as if he had been there before. Suddenly the view zoomed fast through the landscape, reaching the village before coming to a dead stop. That’s when a figure came into view.

A woman in her early to mid forties walked across the town market. In her hand she held a casket filled with vegetables and fruits. Judging from her clothes she is of lowborn or even servant descent. The sun rising over the village rooftop shone at her and the reflecting light from the rough wedding band on her finger made it obvious. Visibly surprised, Duke Trey spoke. “Who is this woman!? This is not the right person, witch! I did not come to see the future of some wench!”. The old seer snapped her head at the Duke; “Quiet boy!”. He was taken aback by this at first but his eyes were quick to return to the view in the vision.

As the vision grew more focused at the face of the woman he could see strands of her brunette hair hanging down the sides, her brown eyes dull and void of any expression. The woman’s cheeks were covered in small specks of dirt and even then there was no denying she was beautiful.

The viewpoint changed to the one of a man on the opposite side of the street, giving a full view of her womanly form. He saw how the woman’s generous bosom was desperately contained by her shabby dress and how it jiggled ever so slightly with each step.

The Duke’s eyes grew wide as their focus fell upon the most prominent feature of the mysterious woman. Her large round rump was further emphasized by her wide childbearing hips swaying in an almost hypnotic manner. Her stride was capable of entrancing even the most resolute of men. It was obvious to anyone, even to himself who only had seen her through the vision, that she had birthed several children. He found himself thinking about how many kids she had mothered over the years before he caught himself. “No, this cannot be…” he muttered.

With a slight smile on her lips the seer asked with a raspy voice; “Young Duke, would you mind telling me whose hair you brought to me?” The young man lifted his royal ornament and scratched his blonde short-haired head. “My fiance’s, seer… Though now I must leave, I have pressing matters to attend to. Good day.” he said, his voice getting bolder. The old hag of a seer followed the young man with her narrow eyes as he stood up, her smile grew into a knowing grin. He was just about to leave the tent when the old seer remarked “it is against our customs to let people see their own future but since yours is such a delightful one, your secret is safe with me”. She then proceeded to let out a hoarse cackle as the man, shocked by his newfound destiny, hurried away horrified and ashamed…