1223-10-02
Valen Aspen:
The castle loomed over me. White stone walls stretched high, their surfaces adorned with intricate carvings of battles, and dragons. Stained glass windows caught the sunlight. A gate, with two towering statues of warriors, welcomed me inside.
"Just through here," A soldier said, ducking into a side room.
I followed, entering a vast throne room that commanded attention. The throne itself stood at the center. A masterpiece of carved wood, gold and crimson velvet.
I admired the room. The door creaked open. A group of guards entered, their black, and yellow armor gleaming in the light.
Matching the colors of Rali's flag. Behind them is Ronan.
He walked past me, trying to ignore my presence, before sitting down on a small throne.
"Welcome, Valen," he said. His voice is rough.
The room quieted as the soldiers filed out. The creaking door closing behind them. I lowered my eyes to the floor.
Ronan. Truly a ronin. A man of few words, a soldier, a king. His presence alone filled me with fear. Although I had no reason to worry.
"Thank you, my king," I said.
"I'm sure you know why I called you back to Tane."
"I am actually not sure, my king."
The door slammed open. It cut through the silence.
A young girl entered. Her light brown skin glowing in the sunlight. Her curly black hair framed her face. Her eyes sparkled wide and bright. A cloak draped around her shoulders. A night sky scattered with roses.
The cream of her gown glowed softly, trimmed with gold embroidery and pink blossoms. She carried herself with quiet grace. Every rose stitched into her cloak had bloomed just for her.
She ran straight to me. She embracing me tightly.
"Rose …," I smiled
"Valen, how are you? I thought you…"
"I'm alright," I said quickly. "I apologize for not sending letters."
"It's fine, Valen. But don't let it happen again."
"Rose," Ronan called in his professional tone.
She walked over to her father. She lifted her dress slightly with each step. Ronan picked her up carefully. He placed her on the seat beside him.
"Rose," he smiled, "I am having an important conversation with Valen."
She sighed. "I know, Dad. But I haven't seen him in so long."
I interjected with a small smile. "Why don't you give us a little time?"
"Can't I at least listen?" she asked, giving Ronan a look I had seen many times before.
Her bright eyes met his intense gaze. He seemed to consider it. I lowered my eyes to the floor, hiding a faint smile.
"Fine," he said at last.
Then he looked back at me, his sharp eyes urging me to continue, to steer the conversation back.
I rose from my kneeling position. "With Shatar confirming that they are entering the conflict and already moving troops, we need a stronger plan than what we have now."
"You're right," Ronan replied. "Our troops and supplies are nearly drained. Still we fight Khiz."
"One of their generals has already fallen in battle," I said, trying to sound hopeful.
"Yes, but Morgan needed to use an edict to make it happen. Correct?"
"Correct," I admitted.
"What's an edict?" Rose asks.
"An edict," I explain, "is a power locked to those who believe with absolute intensity. It's a manifestation of your soul in this world."
"There are three levels to it. Many people believe you need to learn the previous levels before using an edict, but that isn't true. The downside, however, is that if you use one edict without the others, you can never use the other two."
"Can you teach me?" she asks quickly.
"Once this conflict is settled, of course I can."
"I thought edicts were made illegal after the Varvensi Agreement was signed," she says.
"Our country is the only one that didn't outlaw their manifestation after the Hundred Year War. If Khiz or Shatar learned an edict had been used in the area of their soldiers, they'd have a reason to retaliate against us."
"But Shatar and Khiz have been enemies since before the Hundred Year War. I highly doubt they'd ally with each other."
"Still, we've been in this conflict for years over one stupid island. Why are the Tar entering now? What motive could they possibly have?"
I sigh. "I've asked myself the same thing. What motivation do we really have for pressing this border dispute? I honestly forgot why we even started fighting. I'm sure most soldiers on the other side have too."
Part of me believes Shatar is already allied with Khiz, and this is just a way to force our surrender. But I've heard nothing from intelligence that Shatar has attacked Khiz's strongholds or cities. Yet they attacked ours."
Ronan studies me. "What are you thinking about?"
"This conflict," I admit. "It turned from a civil dispute into a war on two fronts. Since Khiz is allied with Ahk, there's not much we can do. Our chances of victory are slim."
"But not none," he says, smiling faintly.
"What happens if we lose?" Rose asked quietly.
"No matter what happens, I'll keep you safe," I said with a small smile.
"We won't lose," Ronan cut in, firm and certain. "Because Tafari will assist us."
"Tafari?" I repeated, caught off guard. "Loret is in no position to help us, especially after … "
"I'm certain he would rather protect her than watch her fall," Ronan interrupted.
Why is Loret, and Tafari, so close to us? I've always wondered that. Why give us jewels, why keep ties so strong? Is it our country's rise that unsettles them? Or do we hold some unseen position of power?
CREAK.
The sound of the great door splitting the silence made me turn my head. Ronan's face shifted, surprise flashing in his eyes. And then I saw him.
Vincent Vale.
Everyone called him simply Vale. His brown eyes, sharp and steady. They carried the weight of years. His once-rich hair was touched with silver, his face marked with lines of hardship and patience. His son was a mirror of him, save for one difference.
His eyes.
Deep blue, like the sea. But they looked… dead. Empty, like the eyes of a fish left too long out of water. He kept them lowered, avoiding us, as if he were praying for this moment to pass.
Vale stood tall in his deep blue cloak, the gold trim dulled with age and use. His son wore the same attire, but newer. Polished, unscarred by battle.
"Am I interrupting?" Vale's voice was low, tired.
"Of course not," Ronan answered. "I was just getting to you and your son."
Rose slipped down from her throne, her dress lifting slightly as she stepped toward them. Vale's son stood a little taller than her, though they seemed close in age. When his eyes finally met hers, something shifted.
They lit up.
A brightness cut through the emptiness, sudden and unguarded. "Thank goodness," he muttered, almost under his breath. "You're female… in this run."
He bowed quickly, took her hand, and pressed his lips to it.
Rose tilted her head, puzzled, though a faint smile played on her lips.
"My name is Julius," he said, his voice flat. His voice sounds worn down by centuries.
"It's great to finally meet you, Julius Vale."
"And you as well… Rose Montague."
She smiled again as he rose to his feet.
"I've never met anyone with pink eyes before."
"Julius!" Vale snapped, his voice sharp.
But Rose only laughed softly. "I know. Aren't they pretty?"
I had seen her so much that I had gotten used to her pink eyes, even though they were an anomaly. Julius joked that he'd never seen anyone with pink eyes before, but to me they had become normal.
Vale smiles at me, trying to change the subject. "She's gotten big. How old is she now?"
"She's nine," Ronan says with a smile.
Julius sighs, drawing Ronan's attention. "What is it?"
"He's upset she's older than him," Ronan teases.
"That's not true," Julius snaps back, his cheeks puffing. Vale chuckles softly.
"Well then, how old is he?" Ronan asks, amused.
"I'm eight," Julius answers quickly.
"Eight and a half," he adds with pride before anyone can correct him.
Rose pats his head. "You're still so young."
"Hey, I'm not that much younger," he protests.
Ronan laughs, and the sound feels small but warm, like his fears are finally melting away.
Julius cut in, his tone shifting. "Have you thought about my proposition?"
"Which one?" I asked.
"The one about Khiz," he said. "They're going to set up a peace meeting between the nations. We should use it to stir a civil war. That way we gain more seats."
I shook my head. "We'd have to concede first. And what makes you so sure Khiz will even start this peace meeting?"
"It happens every run," Julius said simply.