As they stepped closer, the tiny bird's body shook from his head to his straight tail. "My senses screech danger. Aidan, perhaps it is best to leave it be," the bird tweeted.
"Calm down, my friend. It is probably a poor old hag, selling false futures for some coins," the handsome prince said casually.
"Then why do you want to go there?" Chirp said surprise.
"When I was a child, I loved when we were taken to fairs. I would sit with the fortune-teller, all serious and quiet, and delight in how badly she would guess everything about me," the prince smiled nostalgic. "After a day I had, I could use a good laugh."
The bird scoffed, raising its beak. "I still think it is not a good idea. What if there is a mad cat running around?"
"You do not have to come with me. Stay here and warn me of danger," the king said.
"Fine," the bird tweeted, fluttering his wings before his friend could even finish a sentence. He placed his small plump body on the branch. Shrugging, the prince skipped approaching the slightly dilapidated carriage while Chirp observed him, ruffling his neck disapprovingly.
Still, the prince was no child. He first cautiously walked around it. There was nothing but green grass and trees. Not even a campfire was burning. Satisfied, Aidan took a peek inside. The room was filled with dusty objects on a wobbly wardrobe, some makeshift furniture and a few colorful cloths.
A hunched woman was sitting at a round desk, moving her arms in a circular motion. In front of her was a large crystal ball that probably got dropped once or twice. Pulling the curtain away, Aidan could clearly see a scarf covering the woman's head, along with a crooked nose that seemed too large to be real. The same went for a few hairy moles spread over her face.
"Come in. Come in. I have been expecting you," she whispered, focused on her crystal.
Aidan smiled amused. "Really? And how did you know I would come?" he said slick.
"Oh," the fortuneteller waved her fingers in the air. "I know many things... It is not often that a royal finds a way to my home. Let alone the great prince Aidan of the Seven Hill Kingdom, slayer of the Dragon and, oh my, a splendid general, and third in line for the throne" she uttered gazing at the ball with more intensity.
Aidan tilted his head, slightly impressed. "That is not hard to learn. You could have easily seen my face on one of the coins you managed to swindle from some gullible soul."
"I assure you, your Highness... My powers are anything but a laughing matter," she said staring into the broken large crystal. "My ball shows me many things. It has been a priceless heirloom for generations. My great grandmother passed it on to my grandmother who passed it to my mother who gave it to me," she declared. "It had served us well and predicted many things."
"Oh really? My, I must be in the presence of greatness. May I ask for your name?"
"My name does not matter. Only the message the higher forces send to me through this crystal item of wonder," the woman stated as if taking part in a drama.
The prince hummed. "It appears your ball had seen better days. Must be from all the acts of wonder, that it now resembles a cracked egg."
Unfazed by his snarky remark, the hunched woman continued conjuring. "It sends me exactly where I need to go and informs me of what I need to see. Ah!" she stated enigmatically, moving her head with a long gasp.
Aidan placed his hands on the windowsill, amused.
"It appears your wife is with a child. Congratulations!" she said, bowing in his direction.
He puffed. "One of the most talked about news in the kingdom. You will have to do better than that if you want to keep my attention?"
The crystal ball began to glow a bright orange light. The king's smirk was quickly replaced with a confused frown.
The fortuneteller's not so wrinkly hands glided slowly. "It appears some things are not right... Has your wife made any deals with magical creatures? A powerful earth demon perhaps that gave her the powers of wildlife?" she said, turning to him worried.
Aidan's ears perked. Still, he shrugged, acting calm. That information was harder to obtain, since Zora's shape-shifting was kept a secret from the villagers – for obvious reasons.
The hunched woman continued, looking at the ball, "Yes... I see it clearly. She was given the ability to turn into an animal, if I am not mistaken – a large wolf?"
The young king gulped, listening to the strange woman attentively.
"Oh, this is not good. Not good at all," she muttered, deep in thought as the ball grew even brighter.
"What do you see?" Aidan stuttered, becoming intrigued.
"Perhaps it is best that you come inside and see for yourself," the fortuneteller stated, almost ceremoniously.
Concerned, the handsome king walked in, causing his friend to jump anxious.
He sat opposite the strange person. "What should I do?" he said, looking at the ball scared.
"Ask it a question," the covered woman stated.
Aidan leaned in and nervously said, "What will be of Zora's pregnancy?"
The brother snickered under the table, with his tiny metal shapes in hand. As he was about to place them over the light, the crystal ball illuminated the room with a bright blue light. Everyone observed it stunned, muted and dazed by the sudden brightness. The ball rose from the table to reveal a hole, which the sister hastily covered.
Chirp anxiously watched the carriage turning bright. He quickly flew and landed on the wooden window, hiding behind the curtain.
The ball hovered, moving towards Aidan. "Your wife will birth you a beautiful child. A son smart and strong," an angelic female voice said. An image of Zora in labor was clearly visible on the smooth glass surface. He placed his hand on the glass. Seeing her this way felt so real, as if she was standing there in front of him. As she screamed and pushed, the midwife grabbed the baby and covered it in a soft white cloth.
Aidan smiled seeing his image accept the child into his arms.
"He will grow healthy and strong. Sadly, that will not be true for your beloved," the angelic voice said, with the image turning back to the princess. The vision showed the young mother panting from exhaustion. She laid down and closed her tired eyes.
The prince watched horrified as the midwives tried to wake her up to no avail. The siblings observed the scene with eyes and mouths wide open.
"This can't be!" he murmured in shock. "Surely, there must be something I can do? Something that could save her!" he yelled, beside himself from worry.
"There is a way," the crystal ball spoke calmly. A vision of a peaceful green meadow, surrounded by colorful flowers, appeared on its surface. A tree was in the middle, filled with large golden apples.
"The fruit you see before you has the power to cure any illness. Find this tree and let your beloved eat of its fruit. Her strength will be restored with a single bite," the ball said, slowly falling on the table. The light disappeared as soon as the glass touched the flat wood.
"Wait. I have more questions!" Aidan yelled. The disguised woman observed the scene, petrified.
"You there!" he addressed the fortune-teller. "Tell me where I can find-" he ordered before falling on the floor unconscious.
The woman's brother sneaked from behind and had hit the him with a blunt, heavy object.