“I can’t believe we find you a dress!” Anastasia exclaims as she threw her hands in the air, sparkles gleamed in her eyes as joy radiated around her. Evangeline, back in her normal outfit, nodded in agreement.

She noticed that the sun was starting to set, and it brung the question forth as to how long they were in that shop. Certainly it was a couple of hours, as the sun that was once bright was starting to drift between the clouds, vanishing behind the mountains slowly yet progressively. 

“Oh, what is that?” Anastasia pointed out, looking to her left. Evangeline followed her eyes and it trailed all the way to the left of them, towards a large purple tent with little decorations spread around. A sign read, “Fantasia Fortune Telling”. 

“We should go in, surely it will be fun to experience.”

Evangeline laughed ever so slightly whilst shaking her head, “those things are never accurate. They simply tell you what you want to hear.”

Evangeline noticed Anastasia stop suddenly and cross her arms, a look of ferocity, like a lioness, beaming from her facial expression. “We never go out, I say we go in.”

“You can get a reading at home, the best fortune teller in the kingdom, Princess Anastasia.”

“No,” Anastasia shook her head and glared at Evangeline, forcing a shiver down Evangeline’s spine. She squirmed under the icy stare, “I want to go in this one; I just have a good feeling about it.”

“Fine,” Evangeline threw her hands into the air, exasperated. She knew there was little to no use in arguing with Anastasia. For once she had her mind stuck on something, there was no shifting or molding it in any way possible. 

The two young ladies go off the main road and walk to the entrance of the tent. The inside was dark, but it was enlightened to be visible by a mass of lanterns, candles, and flame sprites. Sprites were often docile, little creatures that resemble small pixies. They were found in bunches, and when they came to a liking of a certain person, they will obey them like servants.

Evangeline and Anastasia came to a reception like area, there being a desk in the middle and shelves all around with books, trinkets, and potions. Behind the desk was a door that likely led to the back. Evangeline only now started to realize that the tent was like an illusion; it pertained to being much bigger than what was seen on the outside. 

“Hello, is anyone here?” Anastasia called out, walking closer to the shelves, inspecting some of the items. Evangeline could faintly hear her mumble some of the items’ names under her breath, attempting to grasp at what type of uniqueness each item might contain. 

“I’ve been expecting you, Princess and Knight.”

“Holy mother of Gods!” Anastasia yelped as Evangeline unsheathed her sword and forced Anastasia behind her, instantly protecting Anastasia from any sort of attack. 

“Woah, there, let’s put away the sword. You came to my abode afterall.”

“Yes, but,” Evangeline started, looking towards the woman in front of them. She wore a purple gown that fell to her feet. Her hair was short and pitch black, like a ravens feathers' as it flew through the air. Not to mention, her eyes were a dark brown, so dark it could be mistaken for a soulless black. “You didn’t have to sneak up on us like that.”

“Well, apologies for that. However, I sense an intrigue coming from you two. Are you here for a reading?”

“Yes, very much so!” Anastasia blurted out as Evangeline put her sword back in her scabbard, though hesitantly as she eyed the woman with an angst in her eyes. The woman glanced from Anastasia to Evangeline; the elderly woman and Evangeline exchanged a look, but Evangeline couldn't quite decipher what it meant. She could feel her teeth grind against each other as her eyes narrowed; there was something about this women that was off putting to her.

“Well, let’s get on with it. Knight, may I ask you wait out here while I take Princess Anastasia’s fortune? There can only be two souls in one room or else it is difficult to get a reading.”

Evangeline let out a hesitant breath and looked towards Anastasia,

“Would you be okay with that, Princess?”

“Well, of course! I am excited to try it. I have never had my fortune read before.”

“Well then, let us go. It won’t take long, Knight.”

The two women headed to a backroom, presumably where the fortune telling was to take place. Evangeline took the opportunity to gaze around the tent; the objects there were quite intriguing. Her eyes followed along the shelves, catching glimpses of potions, charms, and other items that pertained to magic. 

While magic was not illegal in the kingdom of Collosicus, it wasn't used often. Lots of people were skeptical of magic due to side effects that it could have on the body. Some people compared it to that of alcohol; it was incredibly addictive, and it could badly harm the internal organs if used too often.

Evangeline shivered, tracing her hand lightly on the shelves. She looked to her fingers, taking it off the shelf quickly, questioning as to why she let her mind wander. She had a duty, and she must fulfill it. 

She rubbed the dust off her fingertips and glanced out the opening of the tent; it was starting to get incredibly dark. People in the streets were starting to fade away, and the shops that lined the road were packing up and preparing to end their evenings. Some would be joyous with the amount earned; whereas others will go home, unmotivated and left yearning for what possibilities they had missed out on. 

Evangeline let out a small breath in agitation, noticing that this reading was taking a considerably longer time than she expected. 

So, she decided to sit down at the desk in the front and started to fiddle with her sword, moving it in different directions to see how the light hit it. 

After, what seemed like centuries pass, Anastasia exited through the room beaming ear to ear. She was practically glowing; her blue eyes sparkled with joy. From behind her walked out the strange woman, looking at Evangeline raising an eyebrow from where Evangeline sat herself. 

“Now, would like a reading, Knight?”

“As much as I would, I can’t leave Princess Anastasia alone.”

“Nonsense,” the woman waved her hand as she walked over the tent opening and closed it, tying two little strings together to keep it closed.

“How do you expect that,” Evangeline pointed to the tent opening, “to stop other people from entering.”

“Because I have a reputation and people know not to enter my premise when closed.”

Evangeline could feel a little chill run down her spine, and she started to wonder who in the hell she was dealing with. She looked towards Anastasia who was busying herself with all the colorful potions. 

“Princess, would you be alright if I go in for a quick,” she drawled out the word quick and looked at the woman deep into her eyes, “reading?”

Anastasia turned around and gave two thumbs up, “obviously! Go on, I’ll be just fine.”

Evangeline took her belt off and gave it to Anastasia, the sword put back in its scabbard. 

“Take this, just incase. If anything happens, scream for me and I will not hesitate to be there.” 

Evangeline took a breath and then looked to the lady, nodding her head. The two then entered through the door to the backroom. She was then motioned to sit on a basic, wooden chair. On the opposite side there was a table with a crystal ball and then another chair.

Evangeline hesitantly sat down as the woman does the same. 

“You’re quite peculiar, Knight. Or should I say, Evangeline?”

“Not creepy at all then you know my name,” Evangeline mumbled as she crossed her arms and laid back, cautiously, in the chair. It let out a small creak, but it seemed to be holding up well enough. 

“Well, the Princess talked about you quite a bit. She seemed quite fond of you as her knight.”

“I know, she is quite close to me. Not only am I her protector, but she seems to have trust in me.”

“Which is quite nice to see. Now,” the lady put her hands on the crystal ball and closed her eyes, “I need you to put your palm on the top of this crystal ball. I will be able to sense your energy that way.”

Evangeline let her hand to hover over the crystal ball for second. However, before she allowed her palm to rest on its surface, she examined it. It was quite ominous, with a misty white swirl racing around. It was opaque, and, for some odd reason, it appeared to be spine-crawling for Evangeline. She took in a silent plea, praying that she would be alright, before she her hand reached down and touched the crystal ball.

Despite expecting it to be cold to touch, it was incredibly warm. Not to the point where it scorched her skin, but it was like a cozy evening near the fire place with a cup of tea. 

“Now, I need you to close your eyes and let the energy take hold. Open your mind, open your heart, only from then will I be able to see your future.”

Evangeline shut her eyes and felt herself let out a quiet hum. Her lungs were clear and her heart had calmed down to a normal pace. She could hear her heartbeat in her chest as she allowed her mind to empty away. There were no thoughts of the princess, no thoughts of her past, there was nothing.

Suddenly a scream escaped Evangeline’s lips as her eyes shot open, an electric surge traveled down her body. She looked at her hand and it was bright red, looking like it was just burnt. 

“What the hell was that?” Evangeline exclaimed as she grinded her teeth together in anger. It was painful, and she certainly did not appreciate what ever in the living hell just happened. 

The woman took her hands off of the crystal ball and opened her eyes. However, they are no longer a dark brown, for her irises had a soft white, darker than the scalera. She lets out a hum in peace before letting a frown fall from her rather serene face.

“Your energy is some of the greatest I have ever seen. The quantity is endless. Evangeline, there is something within you, a core perhaps, and it is powerful. Something is holding you back from using this energy.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. It is true that I am suffering with amnesia, but I have no sort of energy surplus.”

The woman lets out a little chuckle before knitting her hands together, putting on a thoughtful face. Her eyebrows rose slightly as her nose scrunches. 

“Do you remember anything from your past? What about your left ear. I see the three piercings and it is clipped, meaning you were a slave somewhere in the past.”

“I know,” Evangeline said, unconsciously putting her hand to her clipped ear, feeling the space that should be there. “I have done research beyond what is possible. Hundreds of books and papers, and I have assumed that the clipped ear means that I was in the slave trade somewhere far away. However, I could not find anything beyond that point.”

The woman nodded her head and opened her mouth. However, she closed it just as quickly and seemingly thinks of her words, instead, for a mere second. She then spoke,

“There is a lot of darkness within you. I could sense it; it was frightening. I couldn’t see your future because there is something blocking me. I was able to sense a few things that might appear, that being: love, hardship, and anger. There was so much anger and rage within that energy. This is the first time I have not been able to see part of someone’s future.”

Evangeline put her eyes down towards her lap and shook her head; she couldn't help but ponder how odd the situation was. Was she really that troubled? 

“Since you first were struck down with amnesia, have you had any odd dreams? A dream that felt so real that you were sure it happened?”

“Well, yes,” Evangeline thought back to the dream with the boy her age when she was firing that arrow near the dream. She cringed, however, when she recalled the boys anger, the hatred in his voice, and the name he called her, the name she had been hearing, seemingly, all over the place. “I had a dream, a boy I knew was there, but I couldn’t seem to remember him. We did archery, and then he asked me to call him by his name. I couldn’t remember it, his face was blurry; it was like he was a memory that needed to be recalled.”

“That is so very intriguing. It seems like your mind is trying to recall these memories, but also try and prevent you from ever seeing them again. Like an inner battle of your consciousness.” Evangeline sighed and put her hands behind her head and tilted her chair back. This was draining her, thinking about this entire scenario. She despised it. She didn't want to think of her past, no matter what happened; she wanted to live in the present and look forward to the future. 

Yet, there was one thing she thought of. Certainly it was worth asking, “Do you recognize the name, Tarnua? The boy in my dream kept calling me that name, and I think it was my name in the past. I question if you recognize it at all.”

The woman, her expression changed into one of fear. However, she masked it so quickly that Evangeline questioned if it was simply in her head or not. Yet, why? Why would the woman fear that name? 

“That name does sound familiar, but I can’t seem to recall it specifically why. I apologize, my mind is old.”

“No, I understand. I appreciate what you have done. It is getting late, I suppose. How much will the payment be?”

“It is free of charge. I don’t charge for my services unless it is someone wealthy. Just a little secret,” the woman let out a little laugh, “the potions and nick-knacks are what sell the most.”

“Ah, that does make sense. Well, thank you again. I suppose I should get back to Princess Anastasia and take her home before night has taken over fully.”

“Yes, I agree. Be safe, Evangeline.”

Evangeline let the words flow through her mind. Two simple words: be safe. Why was it so ominous to her? Almost like a warning, something about it felt abnormal, strange even. 

Despite the thoughts, Evangeline got up from the chair and walked out of the backroom to see Anastasia fiddling with the handle of the sword. Her attention iswasaltered when she heard Evangeline and she stuck her tongue out in amusement.

“How was it? Was your fortune good?”

“Er, yes, it was.” Evangeline lied through her teeth before motioning to hand the sword and belt back over. Anastasia pouted her lip before handing the two items over. Evangeline reattached the belt and put the sword back where it belonged.

The two took off into the night, back in the direction of the castle. Yet, as they walked, Evangeline couldn't help but look her shoulder to see swirling clouds form. Lightning flashed in between them and thunder grumbled from far away.

A deadly storm was coming.