After the wedding, Vaelric tugged Aurelia's hand, nearly bouncing with excitement as he guided her toward the quarters prepared for the Virelia delegates.
Gwen trailed behind, her steps slower, her mind a swirl of disbelief at what she had just witnessed.
She had feared the worst for her lady. Returning to Emberhold after a broken betrothal would have been humiliation beyond measure, and Calista…
Gwen knew that Calista would have tormented Aurelia endlessly, flaunting her engagement to Lord Neris Winterbourne like a glittering crown.
But now? Gwen allowed herself a smile. Even if she lost the charming Lord Neris, she gained an even greater one… the storm himself, Lord Valerian Stormborne. Enigmatic, commanding, and untouchable.
"Perhaps this is the turning of fate," Gwen whispered under her breath, quickening her pace to keep up.
Perhaps Valkoron will be kinder than Emberhold ever was.
It was well past nightfall, the air outside the windows of Caelmont's keep thick with the hum of solstice festivities.
Since Aurelia was now married into House Stormborne, she could no longer remain among the Ashmere delegates.
Her belongings had already been discreetly moved to the quarters of the virelia delegates, and now Vaelric proudly led her through the winding hallways of their assigned quarters.
He opened every door with the flourish of a boy who believed himself master of the halls.
"This is the dinning chamber! And that's the library....we're not allowed in there without Father's leave," he said with the conspiratorial grin of a child breaking rules in his imagination.
Gwen thought the tour unnecessary, since they would depart for Valkoron at dawn, but she could not bring herself to dim his joy.
Aurelia followed him quietly, letting him chatter, her heart tightening at the sound of his voice calling her Mother. The word felt both foreign and intimate, as if her soul had been waiting for it all her life.
At last, Vaelric pushed open a grand set of doors and ushered her in.
"This is my father's room," he announced proudly. "You'll be staying here tonight. Tomorrow, we leave for Valkoron."
The room smelled faintly of flowers, she never imagined it would. Aurelia paused at the threshold, her cheeks warming at the thought.
Sharing a room with Valerian Stormborne...the very idea set her heart racing, though she knew full well this marriage was not forged of love.
Still, she told herself she would not dwell on it tonight. A conversation with him would come soon enough.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Vaelric's small, earnest voice.
"Can I call you Mom?"
The words struck her still. She looked down at him, at those wide eyes so full of hope, and her heart ached at the raw innocence in them.
"Yes," she said softly, her voice breaking. "Of course you can."
"Mom!" he shouted with delight, the sound ringing off the stone walls.
He beamed as though the word itself were a crown upon his head. "Finally… I have a mother." His eyes grew glossy, the sheen of tears threatening to spill.
Aurelia bent to her knees and pulled him close, holding him tightly as she whispered against his hair.
"I don't know how to be a mother, Vaelric. I was never taught. But I promise..... I won't simply try. I will be the best mother you could ever wish for."
Vaelric squeezed her hands, his small fingers surprisingly firm.
"Then don't ever treat me like a stepson," he said with the solemnity of someone far older than his seven years.
"Treat me like a birth mother would her son."
Aurelia's throat tightened. She kissed his brow.
"I swear it, in the name of the flame-god Ignarion. From this day, I will treat you as though you were born of my own body."
The boy's smile returned, bright and disarming. Behind them, Gwen pressed a trembling hand to her mouth, tears sliding freely down her cheeks.
He is perfect for her, she thought. At last, she has someone who loves her without condition.
After a moment, Aurelia drew back, brushing away her tears.
"When do you think I'll see your father?" she asked, her voice careful, almost shy.
"The lords must remain in council until midnight," Vaelric answered, already slipping back into his eager tone.
"The solstice ritual has to be prepared....it marks the closing of the season. If you want to speak with him, it will have to be in the morning."
She nodded slowly. "And you....are you the only one staying in your room tonight?"
"Yes," he replied with a quick nod.
"Then," she said gently, "would you mind if I stayed with you instead of here?" Her eyes flicked toward Valerian's chamber.
"There are… things I need to speak with your father about first, before I truly share his roof. Until then, I'd feel better staying with you."
Vaelric's face lit with excitement. "Of course not! I'd love that."
"Then lead the way," Aurelia said, smiling for the first time that day. Together they left the storm lord's room, Vaelric nearly skipping ahead.
When they reached his chamber, Aurelia settled near the bedside, smoothing her gown. She noticed Vaelric's gaze lingering on her, intent and searching.
"What is it?" she asked softly.
"I hope you don't mind, Mother," he said with surprising seriousness, "but… may I see your face?"
Her hand flew instinctively to her veil, fingertips pressing against the fabric that had hidden her features for years. She looked away.
"You do know," she whispered, "that I was cursed seven years ago, don't you?"
"It's nearly eight," Vaelric replied at once. "And yes, I know. But I'm not afraid."
He stepped closer, his small hand reaching for hers, warm and steady.
"You don't have to hide all the time. It wasn't your fault...you were fighting for your nation, for your people. You made sacrifices for them."
His words cut into her heart, because they were true.
"Father says a warrior should never be ashamed of the scars they bear from war.
Scars are proof of courage, of battles survived. I think yours should be the same."
His voice dropped, softer but no less sure. "You were the most beautiful woman in the Five Nations. And even with your scars, you still are."
Her lips trembled. "You'll change your mind once you see."
"It doesn't matter, Mother," he said firmly. "You are my mother. No curse, no scar, nothing could make me love you less."
Her breath shuddered, and the dam inside her broke. She began to cry, quietly at first, then with ragged sobs that shook her shoulders.
All the words she had longed to hear from her own father.....words of acceptance, of love despite her curse....had never come. Instead, he had locked her away in shame.
But here, from the lips of a seven-year-old boy she had only just met, came the words her soul had needed for years.
Aurelia wept into Vaelric's small shoulder, and the boy wrapped his arms around her, holding her with a strength that seemed far too great for one so young.
And for the first time in years, Aurelia felt the chains of her curse loosen...not broken, not gone, but lighter.