Cassandra

It was not a beginning, but the beginning. The beginning of an end, I would say. The words you hear are from me, the cursed prophetess Cassandra, who was so lovingly locked in my chamber by my ever-so-kind brother Adratos. My blind eyes do not see the present, but the future. But you may ask, why was I thus so barred from sight by my brother? What possessed him to relegate his only sister to this position? Like I said before, I can only see the future, and that is all I tell, nothing more, nothing less. And it seems to have brought me only trouble.

My father died just this past year, his illness a mystery to every physician we brought to him. He suffered from restless nights filled with high fevers, and sometimes the occasional chills. Every medicine we gave him did nothing to cure him. It was rumored that at night, there were loud shrieking noises coming from his room, but whenever someone came in, the room was silent. Soon after my father died, my loving mother passed away. Probably too grieved to continue to live on her own. The kingdom was now left in the hands of my eldest brother Adratos, whom you know has locked me in my room as punishment.

From my birth, the astrologers predicted that I would only bring doom to the house of Laios. I was born with bright green eyes, a rarity here in Greece, since most of the citizens of the kingdom had either blue or brown eyes. Rumors went through the streets that maybe I was born an imp of the Underworld or maybe a sign of infidelity, since neither of parents had the same green colored eyes I had. But soon after my birth, I came down with a sickness that lasted many weeks. My parents prayed to the gods, begging them to cure me of my disease. I knew this because my nursemaid told me everything that was happening while I was kept to my bed. By the time, the new sprouts were coming out to signify the return of the goddess Persephone to the world above, I too, was anew and refreshed. Unfortunately, I was left blind, not being able to see the light, but only the darkness. I was scared; I could not see the precious light, the light that came from the bright rays of Helios nor the bright moon, the maiden goddess Artemis guarded so well. I do not know whether my parents were happy that they had a blind child, but they treated me with all the love and tender care I needed.

Due to my blindness, I could not learn anything. At least there was no way for anyone to teach me, but somehow I was able to comprehend anything. I thank the gods for at least giving me some intelligence at least to speak. I first began to see the future, when I saw that I was seeing events happen twice. Or I somehow I was able to prevent a bad omen to befall someone. Like not a day earlier, a vision blurred before me of my youngest brother, Pojas, falling from a tree and dying instantly. I remember rushing down the stairs, blindly waving my hands around, screaming, “No! No! Don’t die!” But I was too late; Pojas had already died due to a cracked skull. I cried during the whole burial ceremony, angry with myself because I was not there to prevent his death. I kept scolding myself for not preventing his death for many years.

As I grew older, Pojas died when I was ten; I was able to save a few lives due to my visions. But as it drew close to the fourth year of my brother King Adratos reign, a prophecy came to me as a dream. A soft voice told me, as if were a whisper, Laios will end soon by the hand of one whom you do know. And that was all I knew, I knew not when nor whom this voice spoke of.
I kept the prophecy a secret for many years for fear that my brother would banish me to some remote place. But it was today, after meeting his fiancée, that I revealed the prophecy. From the moment I met her, I felt no connection with her. I hated her, to be exact, hated her with a passion. She took my brother’s attention away; she abused the servants with ridiculous requests (Who asks for a silk dress when togas are more practical!), and even worse, she treats me like a rag doll that needed training. My only solace was the wizards’ tower, where I was able to relish in the warm ocean breeze, and let my imagination flow of far and distant lands across the Aegean Sea. But it seems my brother has been caught in her net, and no longer believes what I see. I told him, she would bring ruin to our family, but he refuses to believe me. No one believes me. They’re all beguiled by her tantalizing magic and see nothing wrong in her. And it is only I who see it, through my blind eyes. All I can do now is wait and see what happens. I have a feeling of foreboding of the near future. The future in my mind’s eye looks black and bleak.

On the third day of the second week of  the Hekatombaion month, the streets of the capital were filled with people cheering. The heat from Helios blazed down on the people as they celebrated joyously the bonding ceremony of my brother Adratos and that witch, Daidemia. Sightless eyes did not keep me from knowing without a doubt that my people were smiling at the happy couple as they stood on the central balcony from the palace. As the sister of the king, I had no excuse to avoid this catastrophe. I had to stand with everybody else as the blessings were bestowed on the happy couple by the priest. I had to sit at the high table during the reception where the boisterous crowd offered lewd suggestions to my brother.

The minute I had a moment of respite, I escaped to my refuge. I knew the path by heart having traveled the same one for years now. My soft slippers were silent on the marble floor as if I were a hunter following its prey, but I needn’t have to worry of being followed since the majority were still at the banquet. As I looked out beyond the tower’s window, I could see the great wide sea crashing against the cliff-face. What power the waves beat against the white rock! How I wish I could wield such great power to persuade the people towards the truth! But all is naught. Nothing I try to do now is meaningless since she is now Queen, and I am only the king’s blind sister, who spouts nonsense. I have no doubt that I will be relegated to a convent soon enough since I will probably be considered a danger to the throne.
I stand on the window’s edge and spread my arms out. The white flowing toga I wear flutters with the breeze, making me feel as if I were as light as a bird. I would be like those birds that cross the great Aegean looking for a better place. Maybe that’s what I will try to do. Go to a better place, where I will not be a nobody, but a somebody. I will be Cassandra of the house of Leios.