Page 51 of I Ran Away to Evil #3
Fate’s Always Loved a Good Villainess Trope
Julian
“ What mortals toil to the coiling thread. Why weave the same when knots form in the line. The loom feeds a snag in Fate looming. So seek first those of second death. Find tears in time before time unravels. The weave undone. To walk away. To stay. Embrace death by the first fallen leaf. Tie ends or end in Void. ”
Gerda flinched, and Julian wondered that she had no skill to help her obfuscate her emotions. He was impressed that she’d kept her secret identity this long with only her will and wit.
“Okay …” she started, but then stopped. “Before I tell you what I know of Fate, you should probably activate a truth spell.”
Wizard Lorthar replied, “I already have.”
The troll nodded. “Fate speaks in riddles because she isn’t seeing one person or one path.
She’s looking at countless threads that come together across worlds and how they weave together.
So, the first thing we need to do to understand her message is figure out who is involved and what fate can be changed.
“In this case, I think Alice assumed the prophecy is about: ‘So seek first those of second death.’ Combining it with the previous lines, Alice is focusing on those who have died and come back when they were not fated to, like myself, and anyone who was fated to die but was saved, like Their Royal Highness Rowen of Peldeep.”
Wizard Lorthar nodded to say the troll was speaking the truth.
“ But ”—Gerda shook her head—“those like Rowen are not on a second death. They’re still on their first life. And even if they had died , they would be on their second chance at life , not death .”
Her logic was sound, and her points succinct … so Julian didn’t know why there was a growing feeling of unease in the pit of his stomach.
Witch Agatha interrupted his thoughts to ask, “So why isn’t it a warning that those ‘of second death’ aren’t causing the problems, those who have lived twice and would have died a ‘second death’?”
“Because Fate is looming,” Gerda replied, as if it were obvious. “That’s the point.”
Master Thomas scoffed. “ What’s the point?”
“The prophecy was for the champion of Fate, by Fate,” Gerda said, stressing her words. “Which is why we have nothing to fear. Since Fate herself is the answer.”
Julian did not see how there was nothing to fear when they were discussing the unraveling of time itself, and so said, “I don’t follow—”
“No one does!” Master Thomas cut him off. “The troll is speaking in circles. Is this really the expert you praised, Duke Julian?”
“I thought it was obvious.” Gerda shrugged. Her voice turned too kind as she offered, “But of course I could dumb it down for you, Master Thomas.”
Witch Agatha made a choking noise that Julian was all too familiar with. It probably wasn’t the best insult because even though she had aimed it at the mage, everyone in the room was an unintended target, Julian included.
“If you please, Miss Gerda.” Wizard Lorthar appeared unaffected by the insult, saying simply, “I would like to hear more.”
Fate is talking to herself and asking why she should fight change.
Why should she weave the same story when things have already snagged or changed?
” Gerda explained her reasoning. “Fate isn’t threatening to unravel the weave—If Fate is sending this riddle to her Chosen, then she’s telling Alice to help settle the new storylines and tie up any loose ends. ”
She drew breath and continued. “We can even combine the two riddles and see the same answers: Shadow stresses walking forward , and Fate is talking about the coming autumn leaves. She wants things sorted and the new storylines stable before the end of summer, not reverted back to the way they were.”
“An interesting take.” Wizard Lorthar leaned forward in his chair and scrutinized the bridge troll. “ Not one that Mistress Alice would agree with.”
“How do we know you aren’t trying to convince us to ignore Fate’s warning because the other way to interpret the prophecy points at Madame Potts as a thorn in Fate’s side?” Master Thomas spoke mockingly. “The ire of a goddess can destroy worlds, and you want us to do nothing?”
“It is true that I’m obviously one of the people Fate is talking about in her message.
” Gerda shrugged nonchalantly. “Since I’m one of the people changing her story.
But if you listen to the riddle, it should be clear: Fate is asking herself about time.
She talks about mortals, but from a place where she is interacting with them as a deity. ”
“And if you’re wrong and Fate really does unravel the weave?” Thomas challenged.
Julian tried to keep the sarcasm from his voice as he replied, “I should think that the other gods would’ve said something by now, if that were the case.”
The more he thought about it, the more he sided with Gerda’s interpretation over Alice’s. And Julian had to admit he trusted the troll far more than the guild mistress.
“Why don’t we just ask them?” Witch Agatha suggested. “We have two other chosen in the palace. Queen Henrietta is the Heroine of Justice, is she not? And your own sister is the Paladin of Light.”
The door into Alice’s prison opened, and Their Royal Highness stormed out in a fit of red-and-white smoke. The fox slammed the door behind themselves.
“ That celestial ,” they growled, running a hand through their long hair before eyeing the room. Rowen walked over to Julian and put a hand on his shoulder. “I think you should keep her locked up until the Winter Feast. For extra precaution.”
“That is for the council to decide,” Master Thomas reminded. Julian felt the urge to agree with Rowen if for no other reason than he would be upsetting the mage.
“We can discuss that in the future,” Julian answered politically instead. “In the meantime, Gerda has kindly let us know that the message from Fate probably isn’t as foreboding as we’d first assumed.”
“Technically,” Wizard Lorthar countered, “we haven’t heard her thoughts on the other parts of the riddle. She’s said nothing about where everything ends in Void.”
“And to be fair,” Witch Agatha added unhelpfully, “Shadow only implied that He wouldn’t end the world … The god said nothing about Void choosing to do so.”
“ I think we shouldn’t even be listening to Madame Potts,” Master Thomas griped, looking down at Gerda with contempt. “Since she is not an impartial party and already admitted that she is part of the problem.”
Gerda shook her head. “I never said there was a problem; just the opposite.”
Julian coughed into his hand to hide his laugh. Their Royal Highness swept around the room to stand between Wizard Lorthar and Master Thomas, facing the troll. “Then what did you discuss?”
“I was merely pointing out”—Gerda nodded at the royal—“that if you haven’t died already, then you aren’t living a second death, and even if you had survived the molten ash vane, you would be living your second life . Simple, but these things usually are.”
“And the Void?” Wizard Lorthar repeated. He didn’t seem too concerned, but persisted anyway.
The troll waved at the door in the wall. “Have you considered that Guild Mistress Alice is a Void mage? Why isn’t it just saying that she’ll need to use her Void powers to complete a task?”
“Why do you lie?” Wizard Lorthar’s voice took on an edge that was not previously there.
Gerda sighed. “Because I’m self-centered, and it might also be about me. I’ve died already, and I’m on a quest that can unlock a Void-based skill. But if that’s the case, I would be pleased to finish the task and ‘tie ends or end in Void.’”
Wizard Lorthar didn’t withdraw his intent. “One final question; why should we listen to a random bridge troll on the inner workings of Fate and not the chosen of Fate herself?”
That same bridge troll stood her ground admirably. “There is another reason Fate gave that message to her chosen—but you won’t like it.”
Lorthar’s lips pulled into a thin smile. “Tell me.”
“Because Fate doesn’t care about you or me or her chosen.
All she cares about is a good story .” Gerda stood up suddenly, and Julian stepped up beside her.
She met the eyes of everyone in the circle except his own.
Oddly, that didn’t bother him; it was as if she assumed he was on her side and felt no need to defend herself to him.
She continued. “Fate told Alice exactly what she needed to hear to put her on a path to peace or destruction. Either she’d continue working with the new story, or she’d become a new villain we could focus on—and Fate’s always loved a good villainess trope.”
Gerda lifted her hand to Julian, who instinctively took it.
“That is my final word on the matter. You may summon me if you have any more questions”—she curtsied to the room—“but I really do have to be on my way.”
“Thank you, Miss Gerda.” Wizard Lorthar nodded his approved dismissal.
“Wait.” Master Thomas also stood. “You really aren’t arresting her? She’s Madame Potts .”
“I don’t see how that has anything to do with anything, Thomas,” Witch Agatha rebuked.
The mage turned red in the face as he declared, “She has broken multiple international laws: operating the Crystal Cast without a permit, inciting civil unrest, defamation of royal personage, slander against the state, cross-border oracle espionage without a license—”
“And she’s saved us all,” Julian cut in as the troll stared up at him in appreciation.
“Don’t mind him.” Wizard Lorthar waved at the pair before turning a dark eye on the mage. “You two go on while we have a word with Master Thomas. But don’t leave before the council meeting—we’ll have to make time for a proper trial with each of the kingdoms.”
Their Royal Highness reached out and rested a not-so-friendly hand on the young mage’s shoulder, forcing him back into his chair. “Sit down, Thomas. I have a few questions for you.”
Julian nodded at the council members before leaving with Gerda still on his arm.
When they were alone in the hallway, she sighed. “If I have to stay until after the meeting … does this mean you can’t take me north?”
“If you aren’t detained indefinitely, I don’t see why not.” Julian didn’t know why, but the idea of her traveling north alone irked him. “I can wait.”
“Thank you.”
Julian wondered where she was going next, at the risk of angering members of the council to leave before they dismissed her.
He asked as much.
“To my rooms—or a bathhouse, if you have one.” She lifted one of her long braids. “I need to wash my hair.”