"Sir?" He spoke, his voice somewhat restricted. "Before that... What did you mean by beginning of the end? "
The beginning of the end...
Everyone knew chaos would come. Shadows always stir when a throne is left empty. The betrayals, the political turmoil, the clashes.
But the extent of it all… none could have imagined.
No one could have predicted that it would eventually lead to such damages to one of the 10 major house.
"After the initial chaos of death died down, a wave of festival and joy surged up. The queen was 5 weeks pregnant, and soon enough... We would have a new king born."
I remember how Kallos looked back then. For a month it was as if gods themselves descended.
Banners of every color hung from rooftops.
Silk drapes spilled down the walls of the capital. Streets were scrubbed and painted fresh, fountains ran dyed with bright colors, and fireworks thundered in the skies for a week straight.
Everywhere you turned, people were fed. Grain and meat handed freely, wine flowing without count.
Laughter filled every corner, drowning the fear that had been there just days before.
It wasn't as if our country was poor. No, on the contrary we were a rich nation.
Fields and fields of fertile land for miles, feeding us and half the continent besides.
Our ports overflowed with exports... grain, wine, glass, steel.
Even our factories thrived, turning out heka tools that other nations could only dream of.
And with one of the finest armies standing guard, polished and disciplined, Kallos was a name that carried weight.
We weren't just stable... we were prosperous.
Something, I always took pride in.
That hasn't changed even now.
"The queen's name was on every tongue. Thousands poured in to the capital, lining the streets just to bow or shout blessings as she passed." I paused, and noticed Joshua listening intently, "Nobles... major Houses and minor alike crowded the palace gates to show loyalty, to swear their sincerity, to press gifts into her hands."
"Envoys of the other countries didn't lack behind either. Mounts and mounts of wishes and gifts lined up. For a moment, Kallos glowed. The promise of an heir had turned mourning into festival, and the kingdom wore joy like armor against the shadows everyone knew were gathering.
But beneath all that color, the waves had already begun to stir."
Of course, most of them weren't there out of devotion.
Everyone knew... including me.
Until the child was born and old enough to sit the throne, it would be the queen dowager who held power.
That made her the center of everything good or bad.
Some houses genuinely cherished her moment and the birth of the heir.
Some bent their knees just to place themselves in her good graces.
Some laced their smiles with promises and favors she could never repay.
But some… well, some were already whispering about how fragile a pregnant woman really was.
I remember standing among them, watching the parade of silks and jewels, and thinking how quickly celebration could turn to blood.
It didn't matter how bright the banners were or how loud the fireworks cracked.
Beneath it, some people weren't celebrating the queen, or even the king's unborn heir.
They were celebrating opportunity, which was only natural.
Power breeds ambition.
Ambition breeds corruption.
I went to see Allysane myself because I wanted to know how she was holding up.
She asked me to sit beside her, which I refused at first. She insisted, and reluctantly, I did.
I congratulated her and asked how she was doing. We talked about the things... how pregnancy sucked, the foods she didn't want to eat but had to, how she couldn't wear her favorite dresses anymore.
I spoke of the celebrations, the crowds, the rituals, some bits of my life too, things I normally wouldn't.
But just before I was about to leave, I shared my worries with her. About the possible turmoil, the boiling storm that seemed to gather with every passing day.
She listened quietly, and then, in her calm, measured way, said she was worried too, but ready.
One line she spoke that has stayed with me all these years was simple, but it carried weight...
'It's indeed an opportunity, but the sword could be swung both sides.'
The meaning was clear, it was opportunity for both sides. The game could be played by anyone.
-----
Maybe noticing my silence, Joshua nudged me, "Sir, are you okay?"
" Yes, I am alright. Just reliving the memories. " I looked outside, the rain was still having its sweet time, "Anyways, a month passed by. Everything seemed to be going well, and now it was time for the rituals to commence... the ceremonies to honor the coming of the heir. The nobles called it tradition, the common folk called it well wishes for the unborn " I replied.
"Two different rituals were to be done, both by different authorities. The grand sanctum, the religious authority to seek blessings of the Gods. And by the House Oneir, to gaze, even if just a little, into the future of the unborn child."
The ritual was to be held in Moonhall.
A place which was nothing less than a marvel of architecture.
Anywhere you looked, pale stone walls stretched high, carved with designs glowing under the night sky... increasing it's already breathtaking beauty.
Silver drapes swayed softly, catching the moonlight, and the windows framed the night sky like paintings.
There was a reason behind the name.
The entire hall was bathed in moonlight, but its true marvel was the center. The hall was crafted so that no matter where the moon traveled, its light would always strike the very center.
Always pointing to the heart of the chamber.
The rest of the room shimmered softly under its glow, but that central ray remained different.
It was beautiful. And for a place where destinies would be glimpsed… it was perfect.
Allysane moved with grace, her hand never leaving the curve of her belly, eyes steady despite the weight of expectation pressing down on her.
"That was the day, everything changed. The sanctum ritual went well, and without any trouble. And now, it was time for House Oneir to have a glimpse of the child's future and what purpose, if he had any. "
"So, it was the future ritual that things started to go wrong?" Joshua asked, his face tight with curiosity, eyes narrowing slightly as he leaned forward.
I nodded slowly. "Yes. The high members of House Oneir stood around Allysane, forming a circle, eyes closed, hands raised, drawing on their Heka. The air itself seemed to thrum with power."
I remembered the way their faces changed as the ritual progressed.
Not a word was spoken, yet every subtle twitch, every flicker of the eyes, spoke volumes.
Beads of sweat glistened on their foreheads, their breathing grew uneven, and shallow.
I could feel the tension radiating outward, like ripples in water.
The pure worry and fear etched across their features was impossible to ignore.
Their expressions shifted from concentration to alarm, to an unmistakable dread that made the very room feel colder, heavier.
It was evident even to those of us watching from the edges that the future wasn't one of joy and laughter.
Whatever glimpse they had seen, it carried weight... a weight that made the room almost unbearable.
"When the ritual ended, not a word was spoken. Silence hung thick in the air, broken only by the members gasping for air. The eldest among them moved directly to the Matriarch, whispering words no one else could hear.
After a tense moment, House Oneir excused themselves, leaving the ritual abruptly. The rest of us were left with a plethora of questions, none of which would be answered that day.
Murmurs and furies erupted among the other houses, voices rising and falling in outrage and speculation, but nothing was said aloud. We all knew better than to press too far. "
I stayed frozen a moment longer after House Oneir left, the echo of their footsteps fading into the high ceilings.
My mind raced. What did they see?
A thousand thoughts swirled in my mind, each one faster than the last. One stood out, hammering through the rest... Would the child even survive long?
I imagined the child... small and fragile, swaddled in gold yet death already lingering upon it , and every eye in Kallos fixed on what awaits.
I glanced at Joshua.
His pen hovered above the page, hand shaking slightly, "What was it? What did they see?"
"At that time, no one knew. House Oneir closed themselves off, and could not be connected. It was only after two weeks that the revelation was out. Someone sold themselves to the other houses."
Joshua gasped, eyes wide, and looking directly at me.