The Varyan Princess

Valencia

Valencia woke up with a headache. Her head felt dizzy and there was still a lingering burning sensation in her chest. As she opened her eyes, she saw Diviner Orlynna talking to a alchemist. The princess stared at them until the alchemist met her eyes and Diviner Orlynna quickly dismissed the alchemist.

"Mom?" Valencia asked, her voice croaky.

"You are at the infirmary. You need to rest," the diviner said.

Valencia knew a lot about Diviner Orlynna as she had taken care of her when she was only a little girl and Orlynna only an alchemist. Alchemists are mages who study the creation of elixirs and botany along with herbology. They also practice medicine to see which type of herb corresponds with which magic. For diviners, they are different as they are similar to sorcerers as they wield magic as their source of fighting style, but diviners study a more advanced kind of herbology known as Dark Herbs; The study of dangerous magical herbs mostly used to create poison and hexes, but it is also used in more severe cases such as forbidden magic. Not only that, but diviners are known to be able to reveal prophecies in kingdoms which is why Diviner Orlynna is also been part of the council ever since King Auriville's coronation.

"What happened?"

"After the... ritual," the diviner began, "you fell unconscious and have been unconscious for three days." She answered.

"What happened to me? Why could I not control my powers?" She asked. Diviners Orlynna sat down on the chair beside Valencia and balled her fingers into a fist.

"When a young mage begins to manifest, their channels must be open. If not, the magical essence within them will get out of control. Usually, it can be solved by giving the mage a concoction of firetin and abyssilk to dull the essence. That is what happened to you, But because your powers are... unique, it became untamed to the point where your essence had a mind of its own. You were possessed by your own cast. The only way to tame your cast was to begin a process known as Botanical Influencing: using plants to influence the way magic is used. Your mother was meant to crush the demonbone and lead the untamed essence into an object. Very similar to how soul casters put essence in a trinket."

"But instead she smeared it on her forehead?" The princess said confused.

"The moonglass azalea was there to bring the essence out of your body, the dark cloud was your essence, Princess Valencia. While chanting the beginning of the ritual, your mother sensed the overwhelming power within you and knew that an object was not enough to contain the essence. Once it exited your body, it did not want to enter into any object, it wanted to possess a soul. And so..." the diviner clenched her fingers tighter before she continued the story, "the queen sacrificed her body to be possessed. She walked into the nightlace circle and... and... the essence was too strong..." the diviner's voice began to quiver.

"No..."

"She could not contain the essence in her body. She was not strong enough."

No... no... Valencia's mind went numb. She did not know how to think straight or if the whole world was even real. The facts laid upon her felt too fake, as if everything was just a big ploy. Her own mother... it didn't make sense.

"Tell me you're lying..." Valencia demanded. She clenched her jaws and crumpled her sheets into her palm. She couldn't even get a single tear from falling. It didn't feel real.

"Princess-" as the diviner went to touch her shoulders, something unleashed from Valencia.   She didn't even need to touch the mage and her body slammed against the rigid rock walls.

"Your highness, please!" The diviner pleaded as she went on her knees, her back bleeding excessively. "Do not do this..."

"My mother is not dead. You're lying..." that was the first time the words had been said out loud and just as the words escaped her mouth, her tears began to flood her eyes. Diviner Orlynna stayed silent and just stood up from her spot. That was enough to let Valencia know.

"Before everything, even before you were born, your mother asked me to give you this when her time had come. I never thought this day would come but your mother knew more than I did even when I became a diviner." Diviner Orlynna gave Valencia a small, empty, corked jar and a wrinkled note attached to it. The diviner was afraid hand the contents to the princess so instead, she left it on the side table. "I will fetch your father,"

"No..." she protested. "Bring me Sir Yve of Sisne."