Revelations

"My lord, I come with the information you requested," Eduardo announced, making his presence in the quiet clearing known.

"So then, tell me of it." Rexander steeled himself, not really knowing what to expect.

"Rayni Rose of House Valaria is the youngest daughter of the Duke of the Empire, and King of the Eastern Valleys. She is known as the Diamond of the Empire for her extravagant fashion and luxurious taste, " Eduardo began. "Though she is the beloved of the Empire, she was treated as the black sheep of her family for being born a commoner in a family full of high ranking mages. Water magic being the signature of House Valaria. Even though she is admired by the elites and is sought out by them, her own family treat her coldly. So much so that Lady Rayni is rarely ever seen with the main family in public and she is missing from events hosted by them." Eduardo paused briefly, giving Rexander a conscious look. 

"Her father could not stand that a child of his blood possessed no power, so sought help from esteemed scholars and magic users to invoke the magic he believed to be dormant in Lady Rayni... The methods they used can be compared to torture, and is better understood as abuse rather than education." Rexander felt his heart drop and rage fill him, how could a father do that to their own child?

He recalled the girl in the mirror, "save me, please" so it had been Rayni. Rexander regarded her differently then; Could someone who had suffered so much still stand proud like Rayni, and not cower in fear as many others would? 

"Lady Rayni, in order to overcome her abuse studied rigorously and created a reputation for herself, one that could stand without the help of her family."

"She transformed herself into a diamond so she would not be treated like dirt," Rexander poetically concluded, Rayni's way of speaking having rubbed off on him. 

"Whats more concerning is the Temple's hatred for Rayni," Rexander's head snapped towards Eduardo. 

"What?" He asked, his concern obvious. Life was not easy for those disliked by the Temple. Their favour was worthy of envy but their wrath was not a pleasant sight.

"They say that Lady Rayni was born under a jinx, her stars are unfortunate and they believe she will bring ruin on everyone,"

"What madness, how can they tell such things from stars?" The Temple had a strange way of knowing things but surely stars in the sky could not tell of fates plans. 

"It is a practised tradition of the Eastern Valleys, on the day that a person is born their stars are drawn to see what their fate will be. Lady Rayni is born under cursed stars, her fate is supposedly to bring doom onto all those around her," Eduardo recited. 

"That cannot be," Rexander defended, not quite sure why he felt so offended on Raynis behalf. Rayni had only brought light into his life, as her name fated her too. 

"They believe it so, and as such Lady Rayni has been ostracised by the Temple since. They have even ployed against her. Going so far as to try and kill her on multiple occasions. If she was not a child of House Valaria she would surely be dead by now." 

"How has she survived all this time?"

"Not from the kindness of others, as far as I know even the servants of House Valaria neglect our Lady. Her tenacity and beauty allowed her to be a darling gem of the Empire, so she is treated nicely by the Elites residing in the Empire. However, in her own home, the Eastern Valleys, she is known as the Cursed Princess. All the misfortunes of the land are blamed on her, and she is shunned by everyone."

"She found solace in the Empire because she sparkles in the eyes of the Elites. That is how she has survived all this time." Rexander summarised, remembering Rayni's words from a few nights before: 'more than a doll to be dressed up and presented for the amusement of old hags and pervy men'.

"The Empire and the Eastern Valleys had special libraries with great knowledge, not known anywhere else, about all things. Lady Rayni was known to have spent virtually all her time in them. I think that is where she gathered such vast knowledge. As well as the pressure from her father to succeed academically if not with magical powers."

"Is that all?" Rexander asked assessing Eduardo's face that looked as though he had more to say but was struggling to find the words. 

"Whilst I was gathering information about the Lady, I heard of some...concerning stories that I can not prove the validity for. However, from what I have seen of our Lady with my own eyes I am certain she is a good person and not like what the rumours make her to be. Awful things have happened to the Lady, heinous crimes that are unforgivable. I am amazed that she has kept her kind heart after all that she has faced,"

"Where are you going with this?" Rexander asked, normally Eduardo addressed the facts only, not his opinion of it. 

"Be careful my Lord. Our Lady is brave and strong, loyal too - I do not doubt that for second. However, she will not tell us when she is suffering and that is worrisome. We are her only ally, and when they come for her, which I know they will, it will be us that has to protect her. Yet knowing her character I believe she will do what is best for all of us, in turn harming herself. Please stand by our Lady, do not let her fight alone," Rexander was taken a back by Eduardo's sincerity, where has all this passion come from?

"She reminds me of someone I knew, who too was brave and kind. I failed to protect them, and now they are so far from me all I can do is wish I held them closer when I had the chance," Eduardo answered Rexander's unasked question, meeting his gaze with intensity and a look of longing. "The signs were there, I just failed to see them thinking I had time." Eduardo's words were laced with sadness, the regret in his eyes obvious. 

"What do you suggest I do? What is it that you wish you did?" Rexander asked.

"Tell her you love her, tell her you will stand by her and that you are someone she can rely on. She does not have to fight alone anymore, speak your truth to her my Lord and do not hide from the emotions you feel or take her words for truth. When the Lady smiles, the light never reaches her eyes." Rexander thought to deny Eduardo's words, say that: no, he does not love Rayni, he loves his angel, but the words refused to leave his mouth. They felt like poison in his mind, dear goddess when had he fallen for Rayni? After all the time he spent with her, denying her warmth in favour of useless hope of his angel, Rayni had all but consumed him. She was in his mind day and night and though he fought not to, he had fallen for her still. 

---

After Rexander's conversation with Eduardo he took the long way back only to find a familiar figure leaning against the bridge across a small river. His feet brought him next to her, his eyes captivated by her light.

"Oh, you are here my Lord," The voice spoke. Rexander in a trance could only stare at her, completely mesmerised by her beauty, how is it she got more beautiful by the day? "You came at the perfect time," She remarked as she fiddled with the pocket of her robe. "Here," She pulled out two silver coins, resting it on the palm of her hand, and placed it before him. 

"What is this for?" He asked, taking a coin from her. 

"I come here all the time and for once I have a coin to make a wish. I even have one for you," She smiled as she looked at him, and perhaps just this once, in just this moment Rayni's smile did reach her eyes. "It was destined that we would make this wish together."

She placed the coin between her hands and clutched it tightly to her chest. She then closed her eyes and made her wish. Rexander mirrored her actions, and made his too. When they next opened their eyes, they both watched the others coin fall into the river.

"Do not say what you wished for otherwise it will not come true," Rayni said to him with a pointed look and a small smile, her brown eyes lit gold in the moonlight. In that moment Rexander knew he was a goner, Rayni could ask for the stars in the sky and he like a fool would go try and grab them for her. 

"Angel," He addressed, the words cutting Rayni like ice.

"What?" She asked, had the time where they reunite already come? She looked around, but it was only them there.

"Rayni, you are my Angel." Rexander could not explain how, but he knew it with such clarity he was compelled to tell her. "All this time I was looking for you, you were always right there in front of me," He did not know what he was saying or where those thoughts had even come from, all he knew was that Rayni was his Angel. The one he had been searching for, for all these years was her. She had to be his Angel

"You have lost your mind, my Lord," Rayni looked genuinely concerned for Rexander. 

"Call me by my true name," He told her.

"I do not know that name, because I am not your angel." Rayni explained, her eyebrows scrunched with confusion. 

"Then I will wait for when you remember it," The necklace Rexander always wore shone brightly, he looked down to it and then meaningfully up at her. 

"You cannot be serious right now," Rayni remarked.

"It shines only when I am with you,"

"I have lived my entire life in the Eastern Valleys and in the Empire, how would I have met you in the Blue Mountains,"

"Maybe you forgot, maybe I recalled it wrong, maybe our memories were altered - who knows?" Rexander casually suggested. 

"You truly have gone mad, think of this rationally. I cannot be your angel." Rexander only smiled, finding Rayni's expression strangely cute - like a kitty bearing her claws. 

"What of the life we live is rational? I am supposedly the son of a great Knight yet I found my way to the Blue Mountains," Rayni thought of it for a while. 

"It is not possible I never left the Empire or the Eastern Valleys." Rexander sighed, crossing his arms. 

"We can argue about this more, but that would get us nowhere. You are my Angel, I give you my word for it." Rayni could only look at him with a blatant expression of shock and concern. "I assure you I have not gone mad," Rexander tightened her robe, feeling the breeze get stronger. 

"What are you doing?" she asked him frozen to her spot. 

"It is cold, you have tied your robe too loosely," 

"It is late. I think we should go to bed and rest," Rayni suggested annouciating all her words, and keeping a close eyes on Rexander. 

"Let us go then," Naturally as if they had always done so, Rexander held Rayni's hand and pulled her on the way home. She tried to pull her hand out of his grasp but he did not allow her to escape. "It is cold, let me hold you hand for warmth," His mischievous smile Rayni had not seen before made her heart feel light and airy, but she promptly squashed that feeling knowing it was only because Rexander thought she was his Angel. 

"The weather has no effect on you," Rayni stated, trying once more to pull her hand away. 

Rexander only tightened his grip and clarified, "Yes, but the weather is cold for you,".