The Knowledgeable

One

Harvie River was never meant to be the name of someone significant. She knew that, her mother knew that, the world knew that. It was a bland name for a bland girl and that was how her parents wanted it to be. It even went with her features. Hair the color of mud, always in unruly waves that had her cutting it up to her jawline, and eyes a moss green. She was designed to hide under the noses of everyone in the kingdom. Her mind was always programmed to enhance this lack of uniqueness. Baggy dresses and old heavy cloaks were her usual. 

Unless it was a day like this one. 

Terrible news spread from within the castle walls. One of the Knowledgeable was found hanging in their room by their own hand. These Knowledgeable were an elite race within the country of Bellacytria. They were humans granted strange gifts from those of the higher realms. This one was blessed by a deity to know the past, the present, and future. Some even speculated they could warp any minute of any day. Not a single soul knew the truth besides the King, King Baxter Sheppard the Third, and the family they descended from. It was harder to know even more-so when this Knowing One outlived every single person within their bloodline. Now there was only the faint memory of their strength and the missing body from their seat within the King's counsel. Things Harvie only had the privilege of hearing about by those that visited.

The only good to come from this was that someone would be blessed in an identical way so that they could fill the big shoes left behind.  The process was simple enough. While they didn't trust the parents to be entirely forthcoming with a child's new gifts, the guard's words were undeniable. Harvie's little place on the outside of kingdom walls gave her family easy access to pull pity from any of the guards. They weren't ready to let anyone out of the nest. 

By anyone, they meant Little Saffron. Her baby sister and someone she would trade her life for if the situation ever demanded it. Saffron was not a strong name, but it was significant enough that they were all anxious as the party slowly made their way towards the River family. Saffron was also five. An average age of those that were brought to the castle in service of the King. 

Harvie had finally turned twenty this year, so she was taken out of that age range almost immediately. Which was why she was allowed not to attend. Anyone above eighteen was cast from the magical roulette, according to their King. To be honest, this was something that bummed her out. There were times that being hidden from straying eyes was a perk, but it was also tiring. Boring. To know that she didn't even have a chance of being one of the Knowing meant the anticipation was nowhere to be seen. That paired with the gut feeling that her sister couldn't possibly be chosen was also down playing what was supposed to be the most suspenseful moment in the country.

Her parents did not share her eased example. They didn't seem to understand her gut feelings that never seemed to steer her wrong. Whenever she even brought it up, she was called silly. Talked down to like a child. So Harvie never shared this insight with them. It was something she stopped when she was around thirteen years old. 

Without her calmness, Harvie was left to watch her parents run through their shared home like the "kidnapping" (a name the older generation called it) was due for that day. Her chin rested against her hand so she could lean it on the table. Her green gaze following her mother ran around the kitchen mumbling to herself. The guard wasn't to come until another week, but that didn't help the ongoing emotions tumbling in her mother's head. Saffron sat up at the table as well, drawing on a piece of parchment with a piece of charcoal from Harvie's stash. 

"You're sure that Patrick will do as you've asked?" Harvie's mother whipped around to face the table, leaving the water on the stove to boil. This was a question she asked her daughter every day around the same time. 

Her head bobbed even though she already knew that was not enough for the Rivers' matriarch. Her mother needed a verbal response or it wouldn't have been a response at all. She seemed to think that she could catch it in the voice whether Harvie was lying or not. Harvie had proven this wrong on multiple occasions, but the less her mom knew the better.