The Illyrian Series: The Oracle Of Rosedale

She plops down on the log and stretches her hands out to the fire. She looks up at me and sighs. "I wasn't expecting you to come. I'm surprised."

"Well, I'm here. Now can you please tell me why?"

I expect her to ignore me or at least make me work for the answer. Instead, she relaxes further on her log and says, "you're supposed to meet the Oracle of Rosedale and get a prophecy. That prophecy will help you rescue your kingdom from King Evander's clutches."

I try to speak but no words come out. Deep breaths. "Violet, what makes you think I can help anyone?"

"Honestly, I don't have any faith in you. But you're my first quest and if you fail, I might never become a full mage."

"A full mage." I breathe out then ask in a shocked voice. "You're a mage?"

She curses under her breath."I didn't think it was possible but I just lost even more faith in you." I try not to be too hurt by that. "Yes, I'm a mage. The guild assigned your quest to me. If you don't succeed, or die, then I fail and have to start my training from the beginning."

"Poor you," I whisper. "Look, Violet. I can't do this, not even a prophecy is going to give me my kingdom back. We don't have an army, people are dying every day and King Evander just made things so much harder. It's hopeless."

She shrugs. "Told them you'll never agree to this. Thank you so much for wasting my time. And good luck with your perfect life. The next time someone is thrown off a bridge, do take comfort knowing that it's your fault."

"That's not fair." I protest.

"No. What isn't fair is what's happening to the people you and your mother betrayed." She huffs. "I've been watching you for a week. Constantly crying, complaining about your life but not willing to do anything about it. Illyrians deserve better."

I feel a sharp pain in my chest. "The quest will be pointless. Illyria's situation is beyond salvation. There's nothing I can do."

"Nothing you can do or nothing you will do? I just told you how you can help them and you're saying no. At least now you can stop blaming your mother for everything wrong with your life."

I don't move. Violet continues tending to her flames. I guess she's done with me.

I should go back to the castle, burn the map and move on with my life. Forget Illyria, forget this past week, forget about any saving graces or mystical help. Just move on and be happy.

Deep down I know that's not possible. I'm never going to be safe or content here. If I stay here longer, I'll kill myself, or worse turn into my mother.

"What do I have to do?" She looks surprised. I repeat my question.

"I thought you were running away." She says.

"Well, I'm not. I guess you'll be becoming a full mage after all."

She scoffs and says in a very low voice. "If you actually make it to the end of this." She then says in a louder voice. "Do you have the map?"

I nod. "I left it back at the castle. I'll need to get it. When are we going?"

"If you had the map, now." She replies in a no-nonsense tone.

My heart begins beating a mile a minute. "I can't just leave. The King will notice and send guards after me. We won't make it past the city walls."

"Make something up. I don't care, that's not my problem."

"It will be when you're fending off the Caledonian guards that will be on your heel the entire journey."

She groans. "I'll give you something. When you wake up, your skin will be so infected, no one will want to come near you."

"How is that supposed to help?" I press.

"I don't know princess, try and solve one thing by yourself." She walks into her tent and reemerges a few minutes later with a small vial containing a purple liquid.

"Here." She shoves it into my hands. "We're leaving tomorrow night. Pack comfortable clothes, weapons, and as much money as you can."

I scoff. "Where am I supposed to get money from?"

"Your earrings alone can feed us for a few weeks. You'll come up with something. Just don't be late. And also, try your best not to be a liability on this quest."

I grunt and march away, I'm so angry.

How dare she talk to me like that? "Princess, you're going the wrong way." She shouts after me. I block my ears but go in the other direction. I don't want to get lost in the forest, I'm angry, not stupid. Soon, I'm out of the woods and on my way back to the castle.

I go past the bush and hiss as the thorns tear my tender skin. There's no way I'm surviving this quest.

I go down the same dark corridor and burst out in front of the kitchen. Fortunately, the hall is empty and I'm able to sneak up the stairs undetected.

I'm soon in the comfort of my room, I slump down on my bed. How am I supposed to go from this to sleeping in tents? Did Violet even have dinner tonight? I can't live like that.

I stare at the purple liquid, if I drink it then I have to go on the quest. I can always throw it away and act like all this never happened.

Even as I think that, I know I'll never do it. I've agreed to this and I plan on following through. I block my nose and empty the bottle down my throat. It leaves a sharp, painful taste in my mouth and I start coughing uncontrollably.

The coughing dies down and I feel the liquid sit uncomfortably at the pit of my stomach. I get ready for bed and fall asleep. It is once again dreamless.

***

A loud shriek wakes me up the next morning. I open my eyes, Rainey has a horrified look on her face. "What is it?" She just murmurs.

I remember the potion and rush to my vanity mirror. I gasp and feel very faint when I see my reflection. Boils and gashes cover my body. That evil witch. She could have at least toned down the intensity of the potion.

"What did you do last night?" Rainey demands, she looks very very mad.

"Rainey, I need you to calm down." I reach out to her but she runs away. "I'm fine, this isn't real."

"You're oozing pus and barely recognizable. How can this not be real?"

I take a deep breath and ready myself. "I'm leaving." She stops backing away from me. "I'm leaving for a few weeks and I need a good excuse for why I'm absent."

"Where are you going?" She sounds sad.

"Those dreams were a message. I got the last clue yesterday, I have a quest and a mage is going to be there. I'll be fine, Rainey I just need you to help me escape."

She shakes her head and there are tears in her eyes. "I shouldn't have let you go out yesterday." She sniffs. "Adria, you can't do this. You've never been anywhere outside a palace, you'll never survive."

"Thank you for reminding me." I seethe. "I have to do this, if I don't, I'm going to resent myself for the rest of my life. Rainey, please just help me."

"This is dangerous, very dangerous. How are you even sure it will work?"

"Just trust me, it will work. And I won't be gone for long. We'll tell the king and my mother that it takes a month for the plague to bleed out and that it's highly contagious. Only you will be allowed in my room. Everyone else will be too scared to come inside."

"Please reconsider this, you don't know what you're doing."

"Yes, I do." I shout. "I'm tired of people treating me like I'm useless. I can and I will do this. Now you can either help me or I will find someone who can."

She runs her hands through her short hair. She takes me in and squeezes her face in disgust. "Do you know why I helped you last night? Because I didn't want to stand in your way, Adria. If you look me in the eyes and tell me that this is what you want, then I'll help you."

I take her hands and hold them in a tight grip. I stare deep into her eyes and say, "this is what I want. I've turned my back against Illyrians for too long. If there's even a chance for me to make their lives better, I will take it. Please, help me."

She closes her eyes for a second before nodding. "I'll help you." I smile. "But if this works, you're giving me a peerage." The joke is to lighten the mood. She still seems very glum.

I pull her into a big hug. "Thank you, Rainey. I don't know what I'd do without you."

She pulls away and sniffs. "I should get you packed." She looks around the room frantically. "You'll need soap, and cream and medicine. And some decent clothes."

"How about telling my mother I'm sick first?" She stops talking and nods.

"I'll alert her now." She runs off and I climb into bed. I hide under the covers and wait for my mother's voice.

I go stiff when I hear King Evander's scream. "Nonsense, she isn't sick. This is just one of her fits. Selene, you've made me tolerate enough of them, now she'll be punished for her actions. Where is she?"

I hear the sound of many footsteps in my room and brace myself. My blanket is tugged back and I begin coughing violently. They all jump back in horror.

"My baby," mother cries as she runs up to me. "What happened to you?" She plays with my hair.

"Get back." The King yells and drags her away. "I don't want you transferring whatever she has to me."

Reagan stares down at me. "Adria, what happened to you?" She looks so worried. I almost believe she cares.

I catch Spencer standing at the door, he's looking at me with disgust. I fight the urge to smile. I cough violently and they join him at the door.

"I think it's... I think it's." My voice is very weak and I don't stop coughing.

Rainey holds a cup of water to my lips and I drink from it. "I've only seen this once before. It's very contagious and it lasts for a few weeks." She shakes her head "Some cases last a month. I've had it before so I can't get it anymore."

"I thought you said you've only seen one case of this." My mother asks.

"Yes, your majesty. It was when I had it." Rainey quickly adds.

King Evander backs away. "Good, you'll stay here and take care of her. No one is to come in or out of this room. We need to keep whatever she has contained. We don't want it spreading, we can't afford a plague."

"But what about Adria?" My mother asks, she has tears in her eyes. I feel guilty making her cry.

"Let's hope she survives. For now, we need to leave. We'll visit her as soon as she's healed. Till then, only the servant and she will remain here."

I can't meet my mother's gaze. Kind Evander drags her out and I'm left alone with a shaken-up Rainey. "That worked, that actually worked." She whispers.

I nod and jump out of bed. An hour later, a beaten-up travelling bag filled with Rainey's things is delivered. "You can use this."

I pack my training clothes and shoes. The bag isn't very big and I'm unable to take a lot of things. I move to my jewelry drawer and pack some of my worst pieces. I can't bear to part with the nicer ones.

I then pack some handkerchiefs and medicine. I also take one of my nicer dresses, it might prove usual on the trip. Around midnight, I make my escape.

"How will you get past him?" Rainey asks, referring to the guard stationed outside the door.

"I'll be going out the window." I stare out of it. I'm on the third floor of the castle. "I'll use the vines, I'll be fine."

She doesn't look too sure but she's unable to come up with a better plan. "And Rainey, if anything happens, give this to my mother." I hand her a thin envelope.

"Nothing is going to happen. When you get back, you can give her yourself." Tears sting my eyes and I take a deep breath to hold them back. "Thank you for everything, Rainey."

She waves goodbye and I sling the bag on my shoulders. I grab the vine outside my window and hold it tight.

This was a stupid idea, I am definitely going to fall. I start going down gently, but lose my footing at the first floor and fall the rest of the way to the ground. I don't have time to nurse my injury, the guards should be on their way to investigate the noise.

I then walk to the stables. I walk around till I find my horse. I've had him since I was eight, he followed me to Caledonia. I hardly visit him though, seeing him reminds me too much of my father. I'm still not ready to confront my feelings about him.

I find his pen and break the lock so it'll look like a robbery. He begins neighing, I shush him. "It's okay Apple, it's me." I unlock the gate and untie his leash. I climb him as soon as he's saddled up and we ride away into the night.

I use the secret hedge by the lake and move as quietly as possible. When we're out of the castle, I look back at it and sigh deeply. I am actually going on this quest.