~~~
He nodded in understanding. “Back to the thing that has me the most concerned. Your Majesty, I’m not sure what to say. How do I honor the fallen, without spreading unnecessary fear? How much information is too much? Do we downplay the tech, or try to warn the people about the potential threat? Do you have any advice?”
The King smiled. “I’m not sure if I am the right person to ask. Scions and the Sisterhood have known about it for ages, but it has not, to my knowledge, been a threat till now. Is it a future threat?”
Ivy sighed. “I honestly do not know. I have never heard of tech turning on, let alone causing this much damage. The Sisters I saw at the festival didn’t even mention the tech, just that they were concerned about my injuries.”
Rose cut in. “That is because they are convinced they have a handle on it, just like they’re convinced that they are the only ones who can handle a Far Seer when they go too far.” Her blue eyes became cold and distant. “They think they know what is best for everyone else.” Her eyes widened, unfocused. “They think victory is secure in their numbers, in their toys, but it’s so high up, and they’re so far down, and the fire flies so quickly. They don’t even understand the shear number of tech that they are up against, let alone how to stop it. It is sad what horrors people will let come to be in the name of peace.”
Ivy leaned across the table, placing both hands upon her sister’s squeezing tightly. “Rose, what do you see?”
“Flying low, Targets acquired No targets! Those are just people trying to defend themselves! War party recognized!” Tears fell from Rose’s unblinking eyes.
Willow, obviously scared, grabbed a hold of Rose’s arm. The King put a hand on his daughter’s back, rubbing it gently. Ivy shook her sister as much as she could, from her awkward angle across the table. “Rose! That was me, Rose, that’s in the past. You’re in the past, honey. Try to focus. Focus on our touch, on my voice.”
“It sucks the very life out of you, if you don’t know what you are doing you will become a husk.”
“Rose, honey, we know. I saw. Elliot and I, we both saw.” Ivy sighed, making a decision. “Rose, find now. Can you follow my voice, find now?” Her head nodded, barely perceptibly. “How does Elliot address tech tomorrow? Can you see tomorrow? What should we do?”
Her sister’s pale eyes, fading into white, looked around the room, through them. “Teagan will volunteer, but don’t let him. He has Scion blood, many times removed, but enough. Ben is a better choice. He will collect the tech in his warehouse, to melt it down, but he will not get the chance.”
“Rose. Pull back, honey. Be here, be now, be still.”
Elliot watched as Rose’s eyes returned to their prior blue, and finally slid to focusing. She began to shake, as though shivering, and King Alexander wrapped her tightly in his arms. She shook, and cried silently, clinging to her father. He held her till she calmed down, then asked, quietly, for Willow to take Rose to her room. The young girl’s eyes were wide, concerned and scared, but she agreed. She wrapped her arm around her sister’s waist, taking on most of Rose’s weight, and walked silently out of the room.
As soon as they were gone, King Alexander sighed. “All considered, this was still a good day for her.”
Ivy turned her full focus on her father. “What was with the shaking? I’ve never seen a Seer do that before.”
He shook his head. “She has symptoms different than your mother. There are times when she seems to cut off, to leave her body. She becomes a statue, sometimes even stops breathing, but usually only for a moment. A few weeks before the festival she started shaking when she lost control, a tremor in her hand, a spasm in her leg. Then, when we were having an audience with Duke Shahar… she was barely with us the entire meeting. At the end, she started to shake all over, like she had been swimming in January. She fell out of her chair. Myself, the Duke, and a servant helped to hold her still, until it stopped. After seeing that, the Duke went straight to the council, telling them what he saw. They insisted we hold a meeting, they even interviewed the servant. The council advised me to officially name another heir. That was two days before I left for the Festival.” He ran his hands through his hair, sighing. “The last coherent thing she said, before falling out of her chair, was ‘he can’t set the bones. it hurts so much. It is healing itself oh Goddess it’s firing again.” He sighed, resting his elbows on the table. “I didn't have any idea at all what she was talking about, no one did, not even your Mother would comment on it, but that night, when I heard the explosions, the screaming, I was terrified. And then, when I heard about your injuries…” He shook his head. “Let me guess, Elliot. You don’t know how to set bones?”
Elliot shook his head slowly, partially in shock. “No, sir, but that is a skill I intend to pick up very soon.”
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