Page 128 of Mage of the Dragon Prince
She ignored his passionate outburst. “On the Day of Ascension, all will be as it should.”
Auslin had never heard of such a day. “When is that?”
“It is a date not yet written,” Satsuma replied, “but it is a day that will come.”
“In six months? A year? Fifteen years? When?” Auslin demanded.
“Whenever fate decides to reclaim you,” Satsuma said, although it offered Auslin little in the way of an actual answer. “No one knows when that will be. But without fail, it will happen one day.”
“And if Vanra refuses to go through Fate’s Gate?” Kitaro asked.
“Fate has its own path for Vanra,” Satsuma replied. “It will not allow him to deviate. You, of all people, should understand that.”
“Meaning?”
“Princess Kizoshi’s friendship with Lady Sophina has shown you a glimpse of how fate operates.” Satsuma continued gently rocking in her chair. The stone on her forehead changed colors every time she moved.
“But it makes no sense to bring him here to take him away,” Kitaro argued with a frown.
Satsuma shrugged. “Who said fate is taking him away?”
“Surely, there must be something we can do so that Vanra can stay in this time.” The desperation in Kitaro’s voice broke Auslin’s heart.
“You may try, but you will fail. Fate has laid its claim on Vanra.”
“Butwhy?” Auslin demanded. “What makes me so special that fate wants me?”
“We all have our roles to play. It is not our place to question it.”
“But I don’t want to go back to my time,” Auslin weakly protested. The thought of being separated brought tears to his eyes. “I want to stay with Kitaro.”
“Leaving this time does not mean you are leaving him.”
Auslin ran his fingers through his hair with frustration. “I don’t understand.”
She leaned back in her chair. “That is because it is too soon. But you will learn.”
“Can you at least tell me what fate wants with me?”
“On rare occasions, we are presented with a choice,” Satsuma said, although it did little to clarify things for Auslin. “When you made your decision to go through Fate’s Gate, you rewrote your fate. What fate desires of you from that point on is known only by Lady Sophina.”
“But how can I do something if I don’t know what I’m supposed to do?”
“You are to live your life,” Satsuma said. “Fate asks nothing more than that.”
Kitaro frowned. “There is always more to it than that.”
Satsuma smiled at Kitaro. “True. But Vanra’s path in life has been well hidden by design.”
Auslin’s head ached from all the riddles. “What does that mean?”
“Your mother was a wise woman.” Satsuma pushed a stray hair behind her pointed ear.
He was even more confused than before. “My mother? What does she have to do with any of this?”
“She made sure your father protected you when she no longer could.”
“Protected me from what?”
