33 Valadae Wylde

_Valadae Wylde_

    Valadae ran soft fingers over her neck lightly, grimacing at the prominent ache that made itself known. She had to remind herself not to stay angry with Everan. It was so easy to be angry- to dislike him. It was so easy to give up on him and accept that he wasn't going to change. But he had to change- the soothsayer said he would change.

    A sad smile came to her delicate lips. The woman had been right... He was born under the dragon... whatever that meant. It was special but the soothsayer could not say why. Perhaps it had to do with his anger issues. He was wild and easily upset... perhaps that was what dragons were like. She wouldn't know. They weren't real.

    With a sigh she laid back onto her bed, long hair sprawling out under her like a white and black cape, the beads clicking together at the movement. She took a lock in her hand and ran her fingers over it, pausing to stare at the black ends. It was a natural thing, her hair. She had not met another Fae who had anything near what her hair did.

    It was long, and she rarely cut it, but the one time she had cut all the black off as a small girl, it had only come back. A creeping thing... slowly fading back. The Fae appreciated all things fair and pure. Nobility often had white hair- none of them ever had black. It did not make sense, but she had long since stopped questioning it. People around her stared at her for it- asking all the questions so that she didn't have to.

    Her younger sister was normal, snow white to the very core of her soul. Valadae was jealous. To be so perfect... it was a dream. Her sister was perfect for the crown- so why did Vala get it?

    She sighed and rolled over onto her side, running a hand over the soft sheets of her bed, admiring the silk craftsmanship. What was important now was getting Everan to at least behave for her. The boy could hardly answer a few questions before getting hostile. He was a beastly thing- but it was oddly endearing. At least, until he went too far. He was like a child for sure. The thought made her frown. Children liked bribes, but he did not seem to take interest in anything. She wasn't so sure complete abandonment from her family would make her quite want anything, or so she tried to reason.

    How did she make him bend the knee? It would benefit everyone if he did. Everan would be a great benefit to the kingdom, but he was also important. Valadae smiled to herself now. He was important for sure.

    The soothsayer said he was the dragon, said that was his sign- and when she asked him, he had confirmed it. Valadae wasn't sure what that meant but she trusted the witch of a woman. She hoped to see her soon, so that she could confirm this to her- to which the woman wouldn't be surprised. When Valadae confirmed he had those yellow golden eyes the woman had just nodded.

    She wasn't sure why this boy was important, that part wasn't clear, but this seer had never been wrong before. She had predicted a great plague when Valadae was just a little girl, and she had saved many people in doing so. The soothsayer was respected by Valadae's father even, and took up a place in court as an advisor. She had helped on many smaller issues but lately her worth had run dry.

    That is, until this situation with the war against the feral people. She kept seeing Everan, learning about everan, and seeing odd glimpses of the future that she couldn't understand. Valadae sometimes felt like the woman wasn't telling her everything but perhaps she was only keeping the girl from worrying about ominous vague information. She could appreciate that aspect.

    However, her curiosity was growing. Why was such a beastly boy so important? She frowned deeply and rolled over onto her stomach, staring down seriously at her soft comfeder. He was the key to ending the war, but how? She thought a long time before s sour taste came to her mouth. There was always marriage, but she did not want to marry him. He was too feral, too cruel- he would ruin the way of life here. As things were now, when she took the throne she would be in charge and could keep life as it was- but she was a woman. Marrying him meant she had no power to stop him. He would destroy everything, she was sure.

    So then what was he good for? She sighed and shoved her face into the blankets. It was so frustrating not knowing. She couldn't come up with any other reasons. He wasn't even a bargaining tool- he was right. He could only provide insight into his people but he said he would not do such a thing- and she believed it. The boy was as stubborn as they came, that was for sure.

    With another sigh she pushed herself up, white locks falling around her head like a silk curtain. The white, gold, and iridescent beads clicked together lightly, making their presence known. There was a few braids in her hair today too. To others it might appear pretty but it was all a mess to her. She preferred to keep her hair up and out of the way but since she was not married, it was custom here to keep it down.

    Valadae pushed her hair out of her way and left her lavish room, walking down the marbled and expertly sculpted hallway that was surprisingly bright for being indoors. She knew the soothsayer was busy at the moment, as she normally was at this time, but she figured it was about time to seek out her father. The man would want a solid explanation- she had only vaguely explained her choices to him and she understood the public was not very happy about her choice to keep the enemy around.

    But he didn't have to be an enemy, did he? Sure he was stubborn and crude and even she didn't like him much, but under those layers of untamed aggression, there was still a person. An important person. To give up on him so easy was unlike her people.

    With their expanding kingdom the Fae hoped to create a beautiful empire that would last a milenia and bring peace and education to the wild people of this land. To end suffering and bring forward a revolutionary time of growth and intelligence. The Fae had tried for years to do things peacefully, but the feral people resisted. They resisted for so long, and were so aggressive that the Fae had no choice but to go to war with them.

    War was such a sad thing. How many people had to die, for things to get better for others? How many had to suffer before true peace could be born? Too many, she thought. That is why she needed Everan. The soothsayer said he could end things here, and Vala believed it.

    The girl soon found herself stopped in the hallway, staring into the light blue eyes of her mother, lighter than her own, nearly a silver color. The older woman had long silky white hair that came to be elaborately done atop her head in the court's latest elegant fashion. Unlike Valadae, her mother did not have black at the ends of her hair. The woman was a perfect queen, her skin pale, her hair a shining white and her white dress dazzling the room. The woman had long pearl earrings that hung down from her long sharp ears. Her courtly makeup consisted of silver of gold, showing off the beautifly sharp features of her face. Valadae thought she looked like a fragile doll.

    White pupils looked down at her harshly, her mother frowning and creasing her makeup in the process. "Have you spoken to your father about your new pet yet? You did a poor job of explaining what it is that is going on." Her mother said pointedly now.

"No, I have not. But I was on my way now," She admitted, only slightly reluctant. She had hoped to get Everan to bend the knee before she spoke about what exactly what it was that was going on.

"Why don't you just throw him away, dear?" Her mother asked this time. Valadae gave her a baffled expression.

"Has he bent the knee?"

"Well, no. But-"

"But nothing," her mother waved her off. "If he was going to bend the knee he would have by now. I don't know what it is that makes him important but I am sure we can all do without it." The woman reasoned with the cross of her arms.

"You don't even know yet," Vala pointed out.

"Do I really need to dear?" Her mother said with a sigh.

"Yes!"

Her mother put a perfectly manicured hand on her face, and sighed once more, lightly tapping her makeup. "Then perhaps I will come with you to hear this explanation. But I assure you, whatever it is that seems important can't be much better than that boys corps."

"That is a gory thing to say," Valadae warned her.

"And that large bruise on your neck is not? We could have him skinned alive for laying a finger on you, and he has the audacity to take you by the neck?" Her mother pointed out this time, making the girl subconsciously trace light fingers over her aching skin.

"It means nothing to me. Feral dogs bite until you train them not to."

Her mother scoffed. "You are naive. Some feral dogs never learn. This one seems to be particularly stupid; all muscle and no brain, he is."

Valadae shook her head and turned to walk on down the hallway. "Come, listen if you want. However, I doubt you'll care for anything I say." She said with a shrug.

"I suppose we will see then, won't we?" Her mother responded as she followed the girl down the hallway and to the throne room where her father was residing. The trick was catching him at the right time- a king was a busy man. They were headed to the court toom now, but her mother soon pulled her aside to another room, an empty guest room. Her mother swiftly went over to the closet.

"Mother? What are you doing?" She asked, confused.

Her mother swiftly returned with a white silk scarf, embroidered beautifully with pale gold patterns. "I may be harsh sometimes but I really do feel for you, Vala. If they see what he's done to your neck, they don't care if he bends the knee a hundred times over. They'll have him executed."

Valadae took the scarf that was held out to her and wrapped it delicately around her neck, loose as to not hurt her growing bruise or to seem suspicious. "I see..." She said now, slightly embarrassed that she would have blatantly walked into the courtroom with those markings on her neck.

"You are a witty girl, but you get caught up in your head sometimes. You need to keep aware of more than just your end goal." Her mother advised.

"Yes, that is true. I should have thought about their reactions to such a thing..." She said and looked down. She didn't spare the feeling any longer however, as she turned back to the door. Indeed, she had anxiety thinking about finally spilling the whole story. What if they did not believe it? There were too many what ifs to think about. She had to get this done and over with before she faced worse backlash than a few unhappy courtsmen. The people were antsy too, and it was understandable.

The two moved on then, heading to the court room. Valadae felt a certain fondness for her mother now. The stern hardened woman had a softer side for her children, and at times like this it really showed. At first glance the woman was cold and perhaps a bit shrewed, but that really was not the case.

When the they got to the courtroom, they entered silently into a heated discussion between the king and members of the court. At first it seemed the arguing men did not notice her but after a moment, when the conversation had switched to the war, she was suddenly called forward.

"What of your feral boy? The one you've taken in as a wild puppy, princess Valadae?"

Valadae's eyes widened and she stepped forward, meeting eyes with her father first and then to the man who had spoken up. She swallowed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "I wanted to have him bend the knee before I shared what it is that is so important," She explained aloud. "Things would have been easier if he had- however it seems that I have only made you all more concerned with the matter than before, and that was not my intention, I promise."

"You made things worse than they needed to be as soon as you saved his life." a man pointed out.

She smiled a weak reassuring smile. "Perhaps I have, but that is the price for saving precious life- to which you seem to have forgotten the value." She pointed out cooly, catching her father's critical eye.

Her father, Aster Wylde, was a rather plump man, his pale blonde hair had whitened with age, bringing with it that pure look that all Fae aspired to obtain. He had not always been so chubby, but with the throne came with it stress and never ending food. The man held his long whitened hair up in a simple style customary for men. His face was shaved clean save for a simple white goatee. HIs eyes were a silver color, one highly revered by their people, he too sported the white pupils all Fae people had.

Valadae's own light blue eyes met his silver ones respectfully, but holding a determination that would not waver. "Father," She said with a calm curtsy.

"Valadae," he said back with a nod, leading forward in his seat. "Have you come to better explain? You are lucky I have allowed you to bring him into the castle, much less keep him alive. Has he not yet bent the knee?"

She shook her head with a bit of reluctance. "Not yet, but I feel we are close to an understanding." In truth she had no idea where the two were in terms of understanding. Likely not close but he did not need to know this.

"Why should I continue to spare him then, if he continues to sport treason and defy me?"

"Because he is important. The soothsayer told me as such." Vala explained. Using the soothsayer as a source was the greatest credibility she could get. Her father believed and respected the woman but there was times when he did not listen to what she had to say.

"And where is she now?" He asked her.

Valadae paled, she did not know where the woman was at the moment. "Busy, i assume. You know how she is." She offered.

"I would like to know what she says before I hear any more of what you have to say."

"I've been needing to speak with her, I shall seek her out and bring her to you." Valadae told him and he gave her a half hearted shrug and a nod.

"Do as you will. You have till tomorrow afternoon. Any longer and I will gave the boy executed for real this time."

Her eyes widened. "But why such a short time? You of all people know how hard it is to find a woman like her on such short notice," she nearly complained.

He gave her a strict look. 'The longer he is left breathing but unbent, the more the people grow weary and upset. He will disrupt the balance here." He explained to her now.

She choked down any complaints as her eyes found the floor. "I understand." she said simply.

"Then you are excused." the words from her father felt cold and distant. He was no stranger to being a cold man to the public eye, much like her mother. How fitting, she thought. The girl left without a word, a new task burning into her head. She had to find the soothsayer and quick. The elusive woman would not be so easy to hunt down.