The Varyan Princess

Valencia

Sir Yve was right. She had been so caught up by her father's grasp she had forgotten her dreams. She stood up from her bed and looked out the window once more. She could only imagine how furious and distraught her father would be, knowing that his only daughter killed his wife. That made it more impossible for her to leave the castle as her father now knew the extent to her powers, he will tighten his grip on her.

The next few mornings felt the same, studying, archery and then dinner came by but the king did not dine with his daughter. Valencia hasn't spoken or even seen her father for the past couple of days. She was alright with it as she had gotten tired of her father asking the same obligatory questions in dinner. Although she couldn't help but think that her father resented her.

For her nights, they were also the same. Sir Yve would come by and accompany her for the first half of the night and the knight would tell her stories and facts about the life of a Varyan mage and how magic works. Valencia knew the first five casts already: Water, Light, Wind, Earth and Soul. All of them were self explanatory; they all controlled their respected elements. Although soul was different, rather than control the actual soul of a mage, soul casters had control of a mage's magical essence. They can take away and put essence inside of objects creating trinkets that can give a mage temporary powers of that cast. Even though the knight had asked her to run away from the castle with her, Valencia was glad that Sir Yve let her take her time to answer. And so Valencia took the time to learn more about the knight herself. She knew about her dream of conquering a beast so dangerous that no mage could turn away from her but most importantly she knew about her past. Learning the knight's past made Valencia feel like she had it easy as she got to stay and rest in her tower while Sir Yve fought for her status and worked hard to be who she was now. For Princess Valencia, Sir Yve was her hero.

Then dinner came. As the princess readied herself for another meal, one of the servants came and placed a plate at the king's chair.

"The king isn't joining me today," she said to the servant. The servant was about to open his mouth when another servant, pouring water into the princess' glass, glared at him which lead him to walking away from the dining hall. Valencia has gotten so used to not having her father hover her every move that she had forgotten that she was not allowed to talk to anyone. Then just as the princess had finished her meal, her father entered the dining hall and sat down in his chair.

This had taken Valencia by surprise. It was indeed her father but there was something different, other than the scruffy beard he wore and the tired eyes he had, there was something off about him. She didn't know what to say let alone think. So she stayed quiet as the servants prepared his meal until he finished it. She had attempted to read his face as he ate his meal but to no avail, she didn't know whether he was angry, sad, or grieving.

As the king put down his utensils and wipes his mouth, he gave his daughter a stern and strict look. Chills ran down the princess' spine and her hands began to feel cold as well as a lump what would not budge no matter how much she swallowed.

"After your mother's funeral tomorrow, you will be taken straight to your tower, you'll be locked in until the sun rises. From now on, Commander Farwaters will be escorting you from to and fro your schedule. Your classes with Sorceress Leota are finished as well as your archery." He said monotonously.

"What?" The princess said with wide eyes. "But-"

"Your new schedule is to be taught etiquette of becoming a wife by Diviner Orlynna,"

"Becoming a wife?" The princess complains but the king ignores her protests.

"Then soon after you are to learn how to knit and sow by Sorceress Leota of course she will also teach you the simple spells to learn how to clean and take care of your husband."

"Father! Listen to me!" She shouts as she stood up from her chair, slamming her palms on the table, letting the dish-ware clamour. But the king just gave the princess a blank stare.

"In five months, at the night of your birthday gala, I will announce to the kingdom about your engagement to Prince Arjen of Veyre. You will be handed off to the prince and set off to live in their kingdom to be wedded." The king didn't even glance at the princess as he spoke. She could see the hurt in his eyes and she couldn't stop her tears from falling.

"Will I come back?" She said as she knew it didn't matter how much she protested, nothing could make the king change his mind.

"No," he answered looking to the seat of where his late wife once sat. "You will live your days as the Queen of Veyre."

Valencia began to pace back and forth from her chair. "Why? Father? I thought it wasn't your intentions for me to marry into Veyre?" She asked.

The king clenched his fist as he tried to hide his tears. "It's what your mother would have wanted."

Valencia was wrong, there was one thing that could change her father's mind and that was his wife. She couldn't be mad at her father no matter how much she wanted to because she would have done the same thing if she were in the same position. But she couldn't just let herself be married off to prince Arjen! She knew that once she was set off to be wedded that her dreams of adventure would be just that: a dream. Her days would be filled with etiquette, how to please your husband and bearing children! She would never know what it was that killed her mother and she will never know what it's like to be out and about in a world filled with beasts and excitement. Not only that, if she lives with them, eventually she they will discover her abilities and knowing the king of Veyre, Valencia was afraid of the things they might do.

Valencia knew there was only one thing to do, run away with Sir Yve. Not only to escape her unpleasant future but also because her mother said so.

Back when she had woken up from her coma, Valencia waited for the arrival of Yve at her tower when she fetched Diviner Orlynna to summon her. While waiting, she took the time to read the letter her mother left for her.

My dearest Valencia,

If you are reading this then the time has come for you to understand who you truly are. It pains me everyday to see you so troubled by our actions but just know that it was only to protect you and know that we love you. You are not just any mage, my princess, you are something special and there will be a day where your name is told by many and I will count the days until it comes. Take this vial and do not open it until you have reach the lowest valley of Alit Vor, a mountain range that borders Varya and Ivar. From there the will-o'-the-wisp will guide you to where it all began, where your blood truly belongs.

-Lyra Korantes

Once she left the dining hall she was then escorted by Commander Farwaters into her tower. She sat down on her bed and stared at the jar once more to see nothing inside but dust. There was no will-o'-the-wisp inside. Maybe it had escaped somehow. Either way, she knew where she needed to go.