Prologue

"Elioht what's going on?" she demanded, by now she was swollen with his unborn son who's would end his mother's life. As a seer Elioht was doomed to see her death and be unable to prevent it. He was bound by the laws that all seers had to follow, were he to speak any word of the future he saw the holy mandate would be forfeit as would his life. While he hadn't chosen the extreme that other Seers did, the removal of their tongues, he followed the law, always... She stared at him intently she knew the laws as just as well yet she always asked him questions that were incredibly close to asking what he saw. He didn't turn, knowing that her features would be pulled down in a frown and worry marring her perfect beauty. Of course she had been breed and born for the sole duty of being assigned to someone of higher stature and bearing their children. Despite that he had come to love her as a person over the object they wished him to approve of. She had a sharp wit and clever eyes, something that was becoming steadily less common as time went on. Yet he could not bring himself to even consider saving her life over that of his sons, beautiful as she was his son's life was essential to the future that he saw, a good future as opposed to many a horrible one that he had dreamed of. Immediate termination of their son was the only thing that could save her life and was the only thing he would not; could not do. His son would be a speaker, one who could speak the future, only the future that his pre-destined Seer saw. Elioht could not see his son's Seer. Speakers were painfully rare these days and they could not afford to lose even one.

 

"Hibecka... What do you want to name him?" he asked without turning, he could practically feel her excitement as she took a small step forward.

 

"Is it a boy then?" She demanded he remained silent neither confirming nor denying his small slip. Unaware of her plight Hibecka would be thinking of the rewards from the breeding mistress should she indeed bear a boy.

 

"It's up to you what his name will be Elioht you know that." she said sounding a bit sad, were she to live her involvement in his son's life would end very soon after his birth. She was meant to be a mother in action only she would probably never see the child again.

 

"Yes I do..." He agreed turning to look at her, "Tell me anyway." he continued admiring her smooth face. There were no angles to his Hibecka only smooth skin and soft lines. She like all women glowed while pregnant, her natural beauty was accented by this glow and he couldn't help the surge of affection for her. He reached out to stroke her soft check watching the confusion in her brown eyes.

 

"I could almost truly love you like this." he murmured, "Tell me his name." She stared at him confusion evolving into fear.

 

"That's heresy Elioht..." she whispered, "Mattius. I would name him Mattius." she said the name so softly that he had to strain to hear her but hear her he did.

 

"Yes... Mattius. Matti... He looks like you." he whispered his left eye glowing as it always did when he saw, the eerie black eye was the mark of all high level Seers. She clamped a hand over his mouth brown eyes wide with horror.

 

"It's not allowed!" she hissed in fear, "What is wrong with you tonight?" she demanded looking at him angrily. He smiled serenely and gently removed her hand gently stroking her cheek again and then turning away from her looking out across the expansive sky.

 

"Nothing, my dear Hibecka; I'm not going to sleep tonight, please tell the servants wh... if they need me I will be in the meditation room." he said fixing his emotions back into the blank mask, she nodded, bowed and left with one last glance at him. The worry in those brown eyes had he been looking at her would've broken his heart even still he felt an ache for her. Looking across the sky he thought of their son,

 

'Mattius.' he repeated silently, looking at the stars without truly seeing them, 'Her brother's name, her father's hair, her face, her eyes, my curse.' he thought stepping away from the balcony he went to the secluded meditation room to dream of his son and wait for the call announcing Hibecka's death.