Prophecy of Noto

Even as the old king of Aram is dying, the Oracle at Noto is giving the Watchman the prophecy that the king’s progeny will rule as high kings of all of the disparate nations of the region, even unifying the volatile island of Li’ under one ruler as it had been in the time of the ancients. This prophecy gave the old king the peace he sought before he died. The stumbling block in this prophecy is that his heir, Cletar, is besotted with catamites and will not lay with a woman. At the gate of the castle is a siege army under the command of King Zara of the kingdom of Akamantis on the nearby island of Li’. The king’s ancient adviser, the Watchman, devises a plan, which unfolds over decades, to fulfill the prophecy of the oracle even as King Zara and the dying king’s four advisers are, each for his own reason, determined that the oracle’s prophecy will never come to pass.

Extract:

The Oracle at Noto had prophesized the future glory of united kingdoms on the island of Li’ under the High Kings arising from Aram on the nearby land of the endless desert. The Watchman himself had made the journey to the oracle and returned to tell old King Cresum the news before, even in his moment of joy, the old warrior gave up his own soul to the gods. A direct male progeny of Cresum would rule the lands as no other monarch of Aram had and would also unify the volatile island of Li’ under one ruler as it had been in the time of the ancients. This would make it strong enough to withstand the coming of the northern giants from dark lands hulking over the island beyond the Sea of Calm and Storms. This prophecy gave the old king the peace he sought before he died. For he had had doubts of his only son, Cletar.

Such a beleaguered nation as Aram on the land of the endless desert required constant and clever care by a strong man, wise in governing. The young prince had shown no interest in the kingship—even now, when his ascension a