The Varyan Princess

Valencia of Varya

The world felt cold in Princess Valencia of Varya's touch. She knows nothing about the world yet she felt so cold living in it. Every day was the same for the Princess of Varya: Wake up, eat breakfast in the dining hall with mother and father, learn about sorcery with Sorceress Leota, Learn archery with Sir Godart, eat dinner with mother and father, don't speak with anyone in the kingdom, spend the rest of the night in the Tower of Cessis, then repeat. Many have tried to strike a conversation with the princess but it all ended the same: King Auriville sending them into the dungeons. The only people who were allowed to speak with the elusive princess were Sorceress Leota and Sir Godart.

The Princess's elusiveness had become a tale for the other mage's to talk about. Many believed her to be cursed with death and that anyone to touched her turned to stone but there are people who believe her to be fake and that the King and Queen were desperate for a child that they had made one up so the kingdom would not worry about an heir to the throne. But no one knew the truth as to why the King is so adamant for Valencia to be distant from everyone, not even Valencia herself.

"Princess? Are you listening to me?" Sorceress Leota asks as she tilted her head.

"Oh? Yes?" She answered.

"Daydreaming in the middle of the day? Do your dreams despise the night?" Valencia chuckled at the sorceress' question.

Valencia looked down at the words in the book that laid in front of her: There are 500 spells that need to be spoken in Old Ivåric. This is known as Arcasting and should be chanted in a crisp, articulate manner. Many of the spells today do not need to be chanted but are shaped with the wand at the... at the... at the... at the... at the...

"Princess Valencia Arys'el of Varya!" Sorceress Leota exclaimed. The sorceress's loud voice woke the princess up with wide eyes.

"Yes!" She exclaims.

"You are daydreaming more than usual, are things alright?" Sorceress Leota sat beside the princess with concern written across her face. Valencia looked down again at her book and tighten her grip on the pages.

"The world is becoming more and more distant from me, Sorceress. I am turning eighteen soon and yet I feel like I am still the same ten-year-old who saw the world as her playground that will be hers soon. But now soon feels like never." Valencia confessed.

"The world will still be out there, your majesty. It does not change for anyone but for you." Valencia gave the sorceress a faint smile.

"What is it like? The world?" She questions. Sorceress Leota gave her a small sigh as she had grown weary of this question.

"It always the same, Princess. It's cruel, it's loving, it's fair and it's unfair. It's predictable and unpredictable. The world can be whatever you want it to be because you are the Princess of Varya and someday, the crown will be yours." Sorceress Leota put her hand on top of Valencia, but Valencia just looked away from her.

"You say that to me, Sorceress, but yet I'm no closer to being out there than I am becoming a diviner." The sorceress deflated in her chair before she stood up and walked to her desk with the same book in front of her.

"Karampontos Ishtal el kimantes Frysana." Sorceress Leota says. The words triggered Valencia to look up from her book towards Sorceress Leota to see her expression. But all she sees is the sorceress with her eyes glued to the book. Although only the nobles spoke in English, Valencia was familiar with her native tongue of Varonese.

The world waits for no one.

The words lingered in Valencia's mind like a tune stuck in rewind. As dinner was fast approaching, she sat down across her mother with her father at the end of the table. Servents, one after another, put down different meals in front of them and poured wine in the Queen and King's glass. Just as a servant was about to pour a glass of orange juice in Valencia's cup, King Auriville gestured him to stop.