Rota Fortunae

by Isu Yin

  She nodded to accept his promise and watched him depart. The more time she spent with others, the more she realized how unusual her father behaved. No sooner had she found company than he retrieved her, shooing off Fortis.

  Once again, Neco escorted her around the yard like a dog on a leash.

  She greeted the nobles and they clapped, praising Neco for having such a beautiful daughter.

  After the third greeting, Firmus and Abyssus returned, apologizing.

  Neco paid them no mind. He continued leading Fate towards the palace while Abyssus and Firmus straggled after her.

  As they moved, her eyes began to study the party scene. The unfamiliar adults scattered across the lawn, each carrying an alcoholic beverage in their hand and chattering mindlessly.

  Fate scanned the people in confusion and caught sight of something unexpected. She turned her head slowly to follow the gaze of a startling boy on the opposing side.

  White hair swept neatly across his forehead. His mint-colored eyes fixed onto her with equal fascination.

  Fate gawked, though she knew it was rude. She meant to call out to him but only whispered, “Who?”

  The boy tilted his head and disappeared into the crowd.

  Fate wanted to chase after him and ask what family he was from. Never, in all her life, had she encountered a person that looked like him.

  Neco continued to draw her farther away from the party. He entered the palace through the back doors and stopped in the main hall.

  Lady Fortuna stepped forward, hands pressed against her middle, shoulders and back straight and proper.

  In the shadows, the old woman who’d earlier drawn Fortuna away hunched over her wooden cane. Her squinty silver eyes scrutinized Fate in disgust.

  Upon feeling the gaze, Fate glanced around to investigate. The guards waited at each doorway, tightly gripping their weapons, but nothing else appeared amiss.

  Neco placed his hands on Fate’s shoulders. “Lady Fortuna, I will presume you have met Fate. You must raise her well. I expect that she return with proper training.”

  Fortuna’s velvet red lips formed a smile and her eyes gleamed. “If by proper training you mean etiquette, then she will learn just that.”

  He tapped his fingers impatiently. “You know precisely what I mean. If she is to be my wife, she must become a suitable queen. She must learn to fulfill the needs of her king.”

  Fate jerked back her head to look at her father. Her mouth slowly opened but nothing came out, not even a breath. The conversation sounded strange and distant. Her ears rang as she filled with terror and dismay.

  Fortuna’s voice grew unusually terse. “I raise my girls well.”

  Neco shook his head slowly and laughed. “Fate may be your girl, but she will certainly be my woman.”

  Fate’s skin turned cold. Her shoulders, still in Neco’s grasp, trembled. The lights spun and blurred overhead.

  Abyssus lost his bearings. “What? Wife! Your woman?”

  Her breathing quickened as her brother’s shouting stabbed at her ears. She scratched her throat in hopes of clawing out the forming lump.

  The Lady Fortuna leaned down to her wearing a practiced but beautiful smile. “You’re going to be living with me from now on. It’s nice to formally make your acquaintance. I am Ignis Fortuna, the brothel’s new madam.”

  Abyssus choked. “Brothel?” No one answered so he turned to Firmus and shook his arm. “Firmus? Firmus, tell me it’s not true. Fortuna is your sister, right? She wouldn’t.... She’s an Ancient!”

  Firmus slowly closed his eyes and shifted his jaw to the side, as if struggling to swallow something distasteful.

  Abyssus’ voice wavered more with each passing moment. “Firmus, do something! We have to do something!”

  Fortuna draped an arm around Fate. The Madam might’ve been able to calm her but Abyssus sent her emotions spiraling again.

  He tugged on her hand to bring her back. “No, don’t take her!”

  Fate’s eyes chased the shifting shadows, as the darkness loomed around them, just waiting. She closed her eyes and tried urging them forward, but no matter how she pleaded they refused to rise.

  Why won’t they rise? Why won’t they protect us?

  Neco waved a hand at Abyssus. “Firmus, deal with that child.”

  Firmus gently pulled Abyssus back, lost to the scene unfolding before his eyes.

  Fate’s voice quivered and she swallowed hard, attempting to find courage. “Always? You always knew? You always wanted to send me away?”

  Neco responded with a glimmer of pride. “I have raised you well. You have always been my little princess—” He leaned over to stroke Fate’s head. “—and someday you will be my queen.”

  His remarks echoed in her head over and over. She struggled to process the conversation but when she did, she burned with fury.

  Neco stood back, watching Fortuna. “Well, I look forward to seeing the results of your teachings.”

  Fortuna held Fate closely. “As you should. Come now, Fate. We will show you to your new home.” She carefully led Fate away from the main hall.

  The sudden movement pulled the siblings apart and Abyssus cried out for his sister. “No!” He stretched out his hand. “No, bring her back! Fate, don’t go!”

  Firmus held onto him tightly, enduring his thrashing.

  “Firmus, stop this!” Abyssus wept. “Please!”

  Firmus shook his head remorsefully, collected Abyssus in his arms, and sauntered towards the staircase.

  The warmth of Abyssus’ hand slipped away from Fate’s grip. Her hand lingered in the air.

  Abyssus, don’t leave me.

  Neither Fortuna nor the old woman responded. They did nothing but gaze at the path ahead. At their signal, the guards opened the doors.

  Fate shook her head violently. “No!” She shrieked and lunged towards the main hall.

  Fortuna threw out her arms and pulled Fate back by the waist.

  “Let me go!” she demanded, kicking and snarling. As she drew closer to the door, she shrieked again, lashing uncontrollably. Streams of violet light extended from her body, flashing and crackling throughout the hall. The small bulbs on the white lights shattered and sparked.

  The old woman exploded. “Fortuna, by all that is, restrain her!”

  Fortuna lifted Fate and tried carrying her outside.

  The guards closed in, pinning her down by the arms and legs.

  She tossed and screamed as the electricity shot from her body.

  The old woman removed a long needle from her pocket and stabbed it into Fate’s arm.

  Fate blinked hard to fight the drug but it was no use. The room warped and blurred, then disappeared in a haze of twinkling lights. Soon she was drifting in the stars, the way she’d always imagined.

  I once dreamt of two kindred spirits whose souls amounted to nothing. The first spirit, a boy of light, sat staring out at a glowing wave that hovered about white space. He watched from a cliff for what seemed an eternity, gazing upon the wash of pastel-colored clouds, as if looking for something.

  The second spirit, a girl of darkness, found herself drawn to this boy who endlessly looked at nothing. Eventually, she joined him at the cliff-side to enjoy the scenery—she wanted to know what drew his attention, but became lost to the meaning of his search.

  Neither the boy nor the view changed in the slightest.

  From the cliff, they heard the sound of other children and a soft chime ringing in the distance.

  Occasionally, the boy would initiate conversation. He spoke about the universe and an odd concept called ‘time.’ Time did not exist in the world of light, yet he genuinely believed in it.

  I heard the boy and girl speak many times, and recorded each conversation to memory. Their most important exchange still lingers in my mind.

  The boy prefaced the conversation with a glance and spoke softly. “Why don’t you go and play?”

  The girl watched the pastel-colored clouds wit
h a small frown. “Because a nobody like me has no business here. Everywhere I go I am nothing, and I shall bring nothing but destruction.”

  “Nothing....” He saw her the way he saw the scenery from the cliff. He marveled at her display of darkness. Although he emanated an air of light, the boy lacked something important—more accurately— he’d lost something important. “I am also nothing. We can just be nothing together.” He stood and let out his hand to the girl.

  “Together?” She cast fearful eyes upon his invitation. “What would come of two nothings being together? I will destroy everything you come to love.”

  “I promise,” he said, brimming with determination. “I shall prove to you that two nothings can make something.”

  Growing up, this story and those words always stayed with me. I thought, ‘No matter how hard you try, two nothings cannot ever amount to anything.’

  Listen well and know: there is more than what meets the eye.

  Fate’s eyes shot open and she gasped for air. Her body throbbed as an unfamiliar ceiling spun over her. She regained her bearings to the best of her ability and slowly sat up.

  From a distance, the old woman’s voice crackled, “That creature does not belong here. Dolls bring nothing but chaos.”

  Dolls. Fate hesitated to move for a moment. She recognized the word from her studies of the Grim—the only existing family that maintained the ability to Puppeteer.

  Puppeteering had been classified as illegal by the Royal Council of Mu and the Elders. A Puppeteer’s special ability enabled them to call back an Ancient soul from the Abyss and plant it within a vessel.

  The Council could not interfere with the Grim’s laws, so they had tried taking advantage of their ability to restore balance to the Ancient’s dying era.

  Fate listened to the conversation, trying to determine the subject of the old woman’s accusations. While listening, she observed the round window in the room, and checked the lattice gate to see if the two women noticed her movement. The hall rested between them and her, preventing a clear view from either direction.

  Fortuna interrupted the old woman’s next comment. “Stop treating her like a monster. She is a little girl, and it is my duty to protect her, even from you.”

  The old woman scoffed irritably. “How dare you speak to me with such disrespect!”

  Fate’s mind still meandered with thoughts of Abyssus and how desperately she yearned to be by his side. Her violet eyes traced the window as she crawled nearer. Dawn broke over the snowy rooftops of the shops in Nitor. The biting air brushed against her skin, calling her to its arms.

  She climbed out to the path and ran through the community. The winter breeze never hurt so much. She feared that she would be caught, that she would never see Abyssus again.

  She sprinted behind the brothel, evading the eyes of a small girl tending to a pond.

  The girl unexpectedly stopped and turned her head to scan the area. Her cobalt-blue eyes searched as though she sensed someone was watching her.

  Fate covered her mouth, certain the girl somehow detected her breathing.

  The pause ended and the girl walked inside through a sliding door to the brothel.

  Fate slipped through the courtyard and across the snowy path. She slunk beneath the tea house veranda, hiding from passersby. For a moment, she buried her hands and face against the stone-cold gravel. All of the emotions she had attempted to conceal, forced their way back. She never imagined living such a nightmare, being an escapee, or experiencing the fear of losing Abyssus.

  The panic set in and caused an ache in her lungs. She raised her head to focus on the path ahead. She needed to find a way to pass the border.

  A group of nobles gathered at the crossing for inspection.

  Fate thought about sneaking in between them. She reasoned it would take time for anyone to realize that Neco had sold her to the brothel, but she didn’t want to be seen by the guards at the border. Unlike other guards, those at the border were trained to question every person, including children of the Royal families.

  Fate crawled over the ice-bitten gravel, watching for an opening.

  A deep voice emerged and said, “Hey, little girl.”

  Someone tapped her arm and she broke into a fit of thrashing and gnashing.

  “Praise be, are you all right?” The fair-haired man leaned down from his kneeling position to see her more clearly. He placed his hand on the wooden plank of the tea house walkway, staring calmly.

  Fate knew of his nobility. The polished vest and kempt hair, his polite behavior—every part of him displayed his status.

  The man lowered to his elbows. “Are you trying to get past the border?”

  Fate’s eyes pored over him, searching carefully for signs of deception.

  “I can help you,” he said.

  She gave a small frown and her eyes focused hard. Even if she didn’t speak, her whole presence seemed to ask, why?

  “You are from the brothel, no?”

  Fate withdrew into the shadows. The mere mention of the brothel brought back a rush of terror. She couldn’t leave Abyssus in the palace.

  “I will take you into Macellarius, if that is what you wish, but I cannot guarantee your safety.” The man offered his hand, beckoning kindly. “Please, I wish you no ill harm.”

  “Who are you?”

  He sighed and smiled. “I am Nigel, the Lady Fortuna’s accomplice. I often assist in smuggling girls away from the brothel.”

  “Away?” Fate turned her head to listen more carefully. She considered the word accomplice surprisingly negative.

  Nigel rested on his knees, pressing his hands against his legs for support. “Once the brothel’s courtesans become of age, they are auctioned off. It is my job to find them suitable patrons.”

  “Will I be free?” She dragged herself out from under the tea house and he wiped her face.

  “I do not know, as only you can truly decide your fate.” He tied his handkerchief over her head and stood, drawing her under his arm. “Stay close. Do not utter a word and do not look at anyone, understand?”

  Fate nodded as they plodded down the path towards the gate.

  The drunken guards stopped him for questioning.

  “Good day,” he said. The guard to Fate’s right peeked at her curiously, and Nigel deterred him. “For the king.”

  “Oh.” The guard stepped back quickly, signaled to the others, and the gate opened, allowing Nigel and Fate passage into Macellarius.

  She pulled him to the side. “Has he always...?”

  Nigel didn’t need to respond, for she already knew the answer. Her father had been sneaking in other girls while she lived in the palace. She didn’t dare imagine what he did to them. It upset her too much.

  She gripped Nigel’s arms and shook him. “How many?”

  Placing his hands on her shoulders, he whispered, “You must not act now. You are still too young, too powerless to stand against the forces lurking here.”

  “What forces? You mean there are others?”

  Nigel took a few staggered breaths as he searched for the right words. “You must finish your work here and return to Fortuna. She will explain everything. Do not attempt to act on your own. You still have a lot to learn.”

  “I don’t care about any of that. I need to find my brother.”

  He paused for a time.

  His gaze still warned her, but Fate wouldn’t listen.

  “Very well,” he said.

  She returned to his side, thinking only of her brother and her desire to free him.

  Nigel repeated his trick with the guard at the palace gates, then watched as Fate dashed off through the yard.

  She sprinted by the well to the large pillars around her brother’s balcony. Gripping the vines, she attempted to climb and slipped on the snow covering her shoes. By then, her emotions had weighed down upon her shoulders. She ripped off her shoes and tossed them to the ground. Nothing would stand in her way, for she simply couldn’t let a
nything take Abyssus away.

  Fate had often read about daring adventures in books. She went on journeys with bold characters and experienced life vicariously through their suffering and triumphs.

  Yet life was nothing like books. This pain was real and treacherous.

  Her fingers, arms, and legs throbbed. Every inch traversed felt like a mile, and after a while, she thought she might never reach the top. Unlike the protagonists in her books, she had no training, no experience with true pain until now.

  She clung to the pillar with all her might as her face flooded with tears. Little by little, she finished her journey up the pillar and dragged herself over the edge of the railing. Her skin burned like fire, so she rested against the cold stone.

  The balcony doors rattled and Abyssus knelt down beside her. “Sis!” He embraced her with all his might.

  Fate expected to lose control of her emotions the moment she saw him, but for some reason she managed to collect herself. She shot up from the ground and grabbed him by the arm. “Abyssus, let’s go. Let’s go to the Capital!”

  “Wha—but, Firmus....” He turned back to the shadowy door.

  She pulled his arm again. “Abyssus, we can tell the High Queen about what Neco has done! We can take Firmus away from here! Come with me!”

  “I can’t leave him! I don’t know what Neco will do to him.”

  “I don’t know what he’ll do to you. I can’t leave you here. Come with me!” She looked into his eyes, pleading with him, and the more she tried reasoning with him, the harder it became to choke down her tears. “Please, Abyssus, come with me. We have to go now.”

  He gently pulled away and stepped back. “I will go and get him. Wait here.”

  Fate reached out to him as he ran off into the darkness. She gasped in fear for her brother. “Abyssus, come back!” Every cell of her existence seemed to scream: Abyssus! Come back, please!

  Footsteps echoed through the palace, up the stairs, and down the hallway. The palace filled with the shouting and rumbling of guards on a hunt.

  Fate paced the room, searching for a place to hide. Using the balcony railing and the open doors, she hoisted herself onto the roof and lay flat to listen.