"WHOEVER USES FORBIDDEN SORCERY SHALL BE SENT TO THE DUNGEONS OF THE TALL ISLANDS. THE FATE OF THEIR SPOUSES AND CHILDREN SHALL FALL UNDER THE HANDS OF THE WISE COUNCIL" ~the wise council.
Valerie found Lillian in the halls later that evening. "is everything alright, lovely?" she asked, worrisome carrying her beautiful dark features. her slender nose and sharp eyes pining Valerie. but Valerie couldn't tell her the truth about what was happening, she couldn't betray her father like that, no matter how close Lillian was.
"It's just..." Valerie broke into tears, not managing to hide her true feelings. she felt like all the weight of the family was on her shoulders and although she couldn't tell Lillian the truth she was happy to confide in her. She dropped some hints on why she was upset. "Michael was sent to do my father's duties, that's why he had been gone for so long" Lillian quickly pulled her aside and gripped the handle of one of the coffee-colored doors in the halls, the room was empty and clean. there were no light sources in there and it felt like the perfect place for Valerie to shatter her shell and break down entirely in her best friend's arms. Lillian held her as she sobbed for minutes. she let go of the embrace once she finally felt a twinge of relief, but she hung onto Lillian's arms. her breath hitched as she tried to speak but Lillian gave her a few 'its okay breath' and 'you are okay's until she felt a bit better. Lillian knew how important Michael was to Valerie. She had found them kissing under the moonlight on a late summer night while sneaking out to meet her lover. Lillian had scolded Valerie that night, telling her that everyone looks down on guards and that her falling for one was a bad idea, but she couldn't tell her it was the worst idea. that was because Lillian's lover was a peasant and also looked down upon by the royal family. "why didn't he tell you beforehand?" Lillian asked.
"I don't know. he could've saved me from the headaches, the heartbroken nights, the-"
"and from bedding other people! I mean seriously what was your father thinking?" she was angry more than concerned, Lillian tried to look out for Valerie as much as she could, she tried to stick up for her since, as much as she denied it, Valerie was the black sheep of the family, along with her mother and brother. except for her father, who may have finally redeemed himself after all these years.
"but to be truthful..." Lillian said with a guilty look on her face, Valerie knew she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear in a few seconds. "you did try to reach out to Michael a few times, but he didn't reach back to you-" Valerie Immediately let go of her hands and tried to leave the room. "Valerie listen. if all of this was just your father sending Michael out to duties in foreign lands, he could've just come to see you on the holidays. even warriors as great as your father don't have to work for three months straight with no contact with their families, he was obviously avoiding you" She held onto Valerie by her wrist, trying to knock some sense onto Valerie. Michael was on duty, but he wasn't drafted to the war. he could've taken time out of his busy schedule to meet Valerie for at least one hour, he was her primary guardian after all.
"what are you trying to say, Lillian" her eyes filled with tears and anger, her brows perked up, challenging her friend to say what is obvious but unspoken.
"he doesn't love you, Val" Lillian was the type of friend that would treat you like a child, care for you like a mother would, it might have bothered Valerie from time to time but in this instance, valerie knew that Lillian was absolutely right, though her pride would not let her admit that.
"I guess, I will wait for him to talk to me first"
"thank the skies" She blew out a breath of relief, tugging her dark hair behind her ears. Valerie noted that she wasn't wearing the golden sun necklace she was wearing during breakfast, only her brown corset that symbolized her Byaban people. her father was a nobleman from the Byaban area. the king forced her mother, Helen. to marry this nobleman for his money and wealth. which also strengthened the alliance between the Roun and Byaban kingdoms, making the Tari kingdom an enemy to both. those were the ways of this world, you could have hatred, you could have enemies, you could be as deceitful as you wanted to be as long as you could bend your ways to the law, make the lawmakers believe that they are in charge when you are the one handling the scheming business behind the walls.
Valerie and Lillian stood there for a while, the quiet and the darkness were comforting.
"let's go get some air outside, alright?" they walked back outside to the halls, the servants were walking around in a hurry, every servant that had passed them was carrying huge bouquets of flowers, all colored white and beige with occasional yellow tulips. a short servant passed them and Lillian quickly pulled out three flowers from her hands, the servant glared up at the two ladies from behind her huge bouquet of white camelia flowers, until she saw that the culprit was Lillian, her face immediately fell to a smile and she continued down the path without uttering a word. it was very clear how loved Lillian was, the servants, the butlers, the guards all loved her. she was respected, not feared. unlike Valerie, who was resented for her cruelty. at those thoughts, Valerie looked at the gentleman who was passing by her, he had a smile on his face as he was walking up the corridor, the moment he caught Valerie looking his smile fell and his eyes were brimmed with fear, he slightly bowed as he passed Valerie and Lillian. definitely not loved or respected, just feared. she thought to herself as she bit her lower lip in frustration.
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"what is all of this for, anyway?"
"I don't know, maybe your father ending a war with his own hands?" Lillian said, Valerie didn't respond she wasn't in the mood for lillians humor. "they are setting up a party for the evening, I heard the royals from other countries are visiting for dinner to congratulate your father on his win"
"a journey like that just for dinner?"
"They have wyverns they will be fine. the trip would probably take less than an hour"
"whos going to come?" they rounded a corner, Lillian still clutching onto the flowers she stole.
"almost everyone except the Daristan queen. She wasn't fond of the idea of having the Tari king chained up tomorrow" Valerie forgot that the Tari kingdom arrived to the palace tomorrow and would have to be chained up in the dungeons for as long as Roun is flourishing.
"Well, it's the law made by the wise council. they can't do much about it" Curiosity tugged at Valerie, and before she could stop her mouth from uttering the words, she asked Lillian about the Agr queen.
"is she gonna be here as well?"
"of course. they are our biggest allies. it would make sense for the queen herself to visit instead of the ambassador" Valerie's stomach churned, what if the queen found out somehow during the dinner that her father had used sorcery that even they weren't allowed to use anymore? she bit her lip again.
Lillian noticed her biting her lip out of habit and gave her one of the flowers. "I'd give you all three but I have to give one to Cecilia and one to my dearest"
"Cecilia? you give flowers to your personal guards?" Valerie lifted one eyebrow.
"at least I don't give them kisses" Valerie rolled her eyes at her remark "I'm kidding! but yes, she has been working hard. She deserves a flower" Valerie couldn't remember the last time she gave one of her guards something, aside from Michael, of course.
"Where is she anyways? I never see her by your side" Valerie noted how, despite not knowing combat or any way to defend herself, Lillian was always without a guard, whether she was protected by the palace walls or was at the villages on rendezvous.
"I gave her something else to do so she can leave me alone"
"what about the others? how did you get them to leave you alone?"
"Well," they finally saw the exit to the long palace corridors, the door was already open, giving a peek at the vaulted arches that were perched onto the columns aligned on the pathway that harbored the courtyard. the courtyard was filled with beautiful colors from the flowers, greenery, and even more working maids. "I give them things to do, I also established a great connection with all of them, so they never tell my parents about what I have been up to" she winked and elbowed Valerie, hinting at something very obvious.
"Wow, I applaud you for that. making four guards trust you and not tell your parents of everything is not easy, especially the informer" Valerie huffed out a breath of frustration, Lillian turned to face her with a puzzled look on her face. "four guards? you have four?"
"you don't?" Valerie saw the confusion on Lillian's face and knew this wasn't one of her tricks, she was being serious.
"I only have Cecilia, Peter, and Marina" The sun glistened on her chocolate-colored skin, the worry was emitting from her face "Valerie," she sounded out the words carefully, as if too scared to say the wrong words and send Valerie into another hysterical state."what on earth is an informer?"
"you know, the guard who keeps watch over you and tells your parents about everything you have been up to"
"This is the first time I hear of that"
Valerie felt a wave of strange emotions wash over her, betrayal, hatred, anger, and even pain. her father had told her that everyone in the palace has four guards and they do that to maintain security and safety in the palace and between royals. he had told her the guards to make sure that the members of the royal family are safe inside and outside the walls. when Valerie asked him what the informer was for, he told her it was a necessary guide that helped the family be knowledgeable of her whereabouts and that this informer would keep her and her reputation safe. when Valerie told him she didn't think he was necessary as her father made him out to be, she got scolded for it.
Valerie had also noted during her teenage years that everyone else walked around with way fewer guards than she did, when she questioned it her father told her that she should stop questioning stuff or she would be punished for it.
"so my father has been spying on me this entire time"
"it could be the reason why he sent Michael away," Lillian said.
he knew. he was told about every single action of hers by that sly Alice. She was not Valerie's personal guard, she was her father's personal spy.
Valerie walked to the courtyard, leaning onto one of the tables that were freshly set by the servants, wrinkling up the cloth that covered the table with her clenched fists, but no one had the guts to stand up to her and tell her off.
"do you need some space, Valerie?"
"yes, please" she exhaled. she heard Lillian's foot tapping and slowly the sound got quieter until she was no longer on the premises.
"my lady, I finally found you" Gina walked to the courtyard from one of the doors on the east side of the courtyard.
"please leave me alone, Gina" she plead, her voice exuding pain.
she stood like that for a while. her father had lied to her, had tricked her. he had been spying on her her entire life. she was stupid enough to believe that an 'informer' was someone who just made sure you were safe outside the palace walls. she thought Alice was simply doing her job by protecting her and informing her father of her whereabouts, she never thought of the possibility that she was being reported to her father for her actions inside the palace as well. how far can a father go to isolate his daughter?
he had never trusted her.
she stayed in the courtyard till it was dark and was time for dinner, she heard Gina step out from behind the columns.
"my lady, should we go get dinner?"
"I don't have an appetite, Gina"
"your father is expecting you"
"he can go to hell."
Gina stepped back into the shadows of the columns. giving Valerie the illusion of solitude.despite knowing that Valerie had never truly been alone in her life, even when she thought otherwise.