"Why did he do it?" Rael's voice cut through the silence for the third time, his brows furrowed in suspicion.
He leaned against the carved pillar of the chamber, eyes flickering toward Valerian.
Valerian Stormborne's gaze was fixed on the darkened corridor ahead, his jaw tight.
"I think all these questions can only be answered by Vaelric himself," he finally said, his tone measured.
"Though I wonder if he might still be asleep."
Therion gave a low chuckle, folding his arms across his broad chest.
"Yes, he is. Him and your new bride were busy whispering half the night away. They finally drifted off together."
Rael's eyes narrowed. "Together?"
Therion raised a brow, unbothered. "We tried to keep an eye on them. Your son is taken with her, Valerian. That much is clear."
Valerian exhaled deeply, running a hand through his dark hair. For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, in a voice weighed down with thought, he murmured, "We won't get the answers we seek by standing here arguing.
Rest. In the morning, when Vaelric wakes, he will speak for himself...and then we'll have our answers."
Reluctantly, Rael nodded. "Alright."
The men dispersed into the corridors, leaving Valerian alone with his thoughts.
He strode to the window, he leaned against the frame, the moonlight glinting off the storm-tossed sea below.
His chest tightened as he considered the changes unfolding around him.
Aurelia. His so-called bride. Clever enough not to force her presence on him tonight.
Instead, she had chosen to stay with Vaelric....a decision Valerian could not fault.
"Wise woman," he muttered under his breath.
Yet wisdom did not erase the weight pressing on him. Things were shifting, and quickly. Tomorrow, he thought, tomorrow the answers will come.
---
The morning sun poured into the chamber where Aurelia lay. The warmth nudged her awake, her lashes fluttering as light kissed her cheeks.
For a moment she stilled, blinking into the glow. Then her eyes fell on the boy nestled in her arms...Vaelric, sleeping peacefully, his small hands curled around her sleeve.
Her heart softened, a genuine smile breaking across her face.
She brushed a stray lock of hair from his brow and whispered, "My little light."
The door creaked open. Gwen entered quietly, pausing when she caught sight of Aurelia's smile. She returned it with one of her own.
"Perhaps Valkoron won't be such a bad place for a new home after all," Gwen remarked.
"Maybe," Aurelia replied softly, her gaze never leaving the boy.
But then her expression clouded. "I don't know what awaits me there. Few will accept a cursed, deformed woman as their queen."
Her fingers trembled slightly as she stroked Vaelric's hair. "Yet, looking at him now… I think I might endure whatever comes."
Gwen moved closer, her tone firm. "You're stronger than you think. And no curse can change the fact that the young lord clings to you like the sun to the sky. That bond will shield you."
Aurelia's lips curved faintly, though uncertainty lingered in her eyes.
"Well," Gwen continued briskly, "whatever trials lie ahead, they are not for today.
For now, Lord Stormborne requests breakfast with you and the young lord."
Aurelia inhaled deeply, steadying her racing heart. "Alright. I'll wake him. You help me get ready."
Gwen nodded, already turning to make arrangements.
---
The dining hall assigned to the Virelian delegates glowed with polished lanterns. Valerian Stormborne sat at the head of the long table, flanked by his commanders and trusted men.
They spoke little, waiting, their eyes shifting toward the doors.
The moment stretched, taut as a bowstring. Then, at last, the doors swung open.
Aurelia entered, clad in a pale green gown that flowed like river mist, her veil of the same hue concealing half her face.
Vaelric's small hand clung firmly to hers as they stepped into the room together.
One by one, the men rose to their feet.
Aurelia lingered at the threshold for a heartbeat too long, her breath shallow. For some minutes before entering she had stood there, fighting the storm within her chest.
Vaelric had tugged at her hand then, whispering, "You're queen now. No matter how you look, they cannot speak against you. You bear the Stormborne name. That alone commands their silence."
Those words had bolstered her, and now, gathering her last fragments of courage, she crossed the hall.
The men bowed their heads respectfully. Aurelia returned their greeting with a graceful nod. When she reached Valerian, she dropped into a curtsey, her voice steady though her pulse thundered in her ears.
"My lord."
Valerian's storm-gray eyes lingered on her, unreadable. Finally, he gestured. "Sit. We've been waiting for you."
She inclined her head and took the seat beside Vaelric.
"Let us eat," Valerian announced, and the men obeyed, lifting their utensils in unison.
The clink of silverware filled the silence until Valerian's voice broke it again.
"Are you prepared to depart for Virelia after breakfast, my lady?"
"Yes, I am," Aurelia replied, forcing her tone to remain calm.
Vaelric looked up from his plate. "Father, will we meet the men from Emberhold before we leave?"
Valerian glanced at him. "I suspect we will." His gaze shifted to Aurelia. "And once we reach Virelia, I would like a word with you, my lady."
Her throat tightened. Still, she met his eyes. "Of course, my lord."
For a time, they ate in silence again. But the tension was palpable, a storm gathering between words left unspoken.
Finally, Therion leaned forward, breaking the hush. "It will not be an easy journey, my lady. The sea is fickle, and Virelia's storms test the spirit of those who travel them."
Aurelia straightened, her hands tightening around her cup. "I've lived in the shadows for seven years of my life, Lord Therion. If storms are ahead, I'll weather them."
A ripple of surprise moved through the table. Even Valerian's lips twitched as though suppressing the ghost of a smile.
Rael cleared his throat. "Bold words. But a queen should be bold, I suppose."
Vaelric puffed his chest proudly. "She is bold. She's not afraid."
Aurelia smoothed his hair with a small smile. "I'm afraid often, little one. But I choose not to show it."
Valerian's eyes narrowed slightly, studying her. The woman before him was not meek, as some might have expected.
There was iron beneath the scars, a quiet resilience he had not anticipated.
As the meal drew to a close, Valerian set down his cup. "Then it is settled. We depart at midday."
Aurelia inclined her head. "I'll be ready."
And though the hall fell into silence once more, the air between them crackled...not with fear, but with the promise of storms yet to come.