A/N : all characters herein are not meant to reflect any real persons (living or deceased), places, or events – but if they do, please contact me immediately and tell me all about it…^_~…this is the third of a set of stories the names of the first two stories are "Dragon's Gift" and "Black Nightmares" (I seem to not be able to include URLs in my story for some reason)…and I wish to give a profound thanks to my beta reader for this story Elizabeth (AKA demonhorse or Empress Ice)…

Chapter #1 – Prophecy…

It had just been an hour earlier when Aeslynn had given birth to their third child and second son. Lonryo sat on the edge of the bed, watching her holding him close. They had already fulfilled Kenlyna's request and named him Argenfon. The newborn was sound asleep at the moment, swaddled in the white silk cloth his grandmother had put him in.

Aeslynn herself was getting ready to drop off into slumber, a most welcome thing. Though the labor had certainly not taken as long as it had with Xaria, their first born, it had been no less tiring. She smiled at her husband, holding their son out towards him slightly, and he took him. She watched him cross the room and put their baby in the cradle, but, before he returned to her side, Aeslynn had fallen asleep.

Suddenly she found herself walking down a long, silent corridor. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of smooth, highly polished white marble. The ceiling was high and vaulted, with clear windows set high up near the ceiling, letting sunlight filter through. Unlit gilded oil lamps hung on the walls, which she felt were out of place for some reason, as though night never fell here.

In the mirror like surface of the polished marble, she saw herself reflected. Her hair seemed longer than its usual hip length, and was loose. She was dressed in a flowing silvery white dress that made her look like a princess. On her head sat an elaborate headdress made of what seemed to be chain mail, moonstone beads set into the metalworking. A larger, tear-shaped moonstone hung down from the headdress on her forehead.

Before she could examine her attire more closely, though, she felt, not heard, someone call her name, whispering and echoing in the air. She turned and looked down the hallway, towards the place she had been headed towards. There, at the very end of the corridor, was a door of clear quartz or diamond. It seemed to be vibrating with power, a soft glow emanating from within it.

Aeslynn walked towards the door, suddenly realizing that her footsteps were silent upon the marble floor. She found that a little strange, but it seemed like that was how it was supposed to be in this place. There was just something about this place that she seemed to recognize, yet she knew she had never been here before, nor anywhere like it. Not in this lifetime at least…

When she reached the door and they opened of their own. She entered the room and looked around it. It was empty, expect for a dais in the middle of the room. On the dais was a pedestal, holding a thick book. Through a high window, a beam of light shone down upon it, making the book shine. It seemed to be this book that was calling to her, whispering to the silence around her.

As she walked towards it, she suddenly noticed the walls. They were not the same highly polished white marble that was in the corridor. Colors shimmered across it, as though it was rippling, multicolored water. There were all the colors of the rainbow, but also black and white, gold and silver swirling in the stone. But she could not stop to look at it more – the book on the pedestal called to her too strongly.

Her feet carried her silently towards the book. She climbed the three steps that led onto the dais. Aeslynn walked around it to look at the book properly, and she saw it was open to a certain page. The writing there shimmered the same colors as the walls around her. She did not know these symbols, and yet, she could read it. She did know it somehow. She glanced over it, reading it to herself quietly. Understanding the words that were written there…understanding what it said, what it was, what it meant!

And knowing what it meant, it made her feel a mingle of extreme happiness and a great sadness. This was a prophecy about her son, for his name was written within it. She stared at the strange symbols that she knew spelled her son's name, the name she had just given him when she had been handed him from Lixue, the name that Kenlyna had asked he be given.

There were two other things that stood out to her. She seemed to know what they meant, but, try as she might, she could not remember what it was. Who was the "Angel of Silk"? What was the "Ruby Sword"?

Aeslynn looked around at the room again. What was this place? Where was this place? She suddenly began to wonder if this were really a dream or not, and the only other times she had done that was when she had prophetic dreams, but this was like none of those she had ever had. But the hall was silent and empty. Not even a breath of window made a sound or movement. She wondered if she would even be able to speak if she had wanted to. The place was too reverent for speech. It was a place of the mind.

She walked back towards the door from which she had entered this chamber, but, as her steps neared it, it suddenly grew farther away. Darkness entered the room. Aeslynn froze in alarm. She felt as though silk was falling over her, caressing her bare skin. Then, in the darkness, she saw a flash of crimson, scattering like blood across the darkness. She screamed, falling to her knees, and began shaking for the horror of it, feeling tears coming to her eyes.

Aeslynn woke with a start in the room she had given birth in only a few hours before. She looked up at the dark canopy above her. She could feel herself slightly trembling. She was glad Lonryo was a fairly hard sleeper and her shaking would not wake him, since he had one of his arms tossed over her. She glanced over to the cradle, where she knew her son was most likely sleeping soundly.

In the darkness, she began to mull over the vision she had had. It was not a dream, she knew that. Nor was it one of the visions that she had so often had since her childhood that had foretold the future. So what was it? She did not know for sure, but she trusted this dream, or whatever it was. She knew that what she had seen…what she had read, was real. But she knew of no place like that. Yet those halls seemed familiar to her all the same. Whatever and wherever it had been, she really hoped she would find out.

With a sigh, she thought about what she had read in the book. What language had that been? How had she known it? Was what was written there a real prophecy? Was this perhaps a new way for her to see future events? To read about them? She shook her head, doubting that was the case. This was something completely different.

A slight smile came to her face. Was what it said about her son, whom she had just birthed, true? Would he become more powerful than his father was? Would he be wiser than his grandfather was? Would this really occur by the time he had reached nineteen?! She truly hoped so. That would certainly be something. And she could not think of any greater destiny for a child of hers.

As sleep rushed over her again, lulling her back into more sweet dreams, normal dreams this time, she could not help but think of what a glorious future her newborn son would have…

But, as she fell back to sleep, she did not know her son too lay awake. Argenfon, barely four hours old, had seen what his mother had seen in her dream, her prophecy. He understood it better than her for some reason, but, as he too eventually returned to sleep, he had no way of knowing that his newborn mind would not retain the knowledge he had for that brief moment.