Knight (40 page)

“Well, then. Shall we get going?”

They all stood up and headed towards the door. Valeriana reluctantly followed after them, taking in a deep breath while walking nervously behind the two. Valeriana stepped out of the door into the breezy night air. The wind which caressed her face lovingly made her feel somewhat comfortable.

She then took a deep breath.

-*-

A few moments after Valeriana left with the Headmaster and Lord Aeron, Zion came knocking on the door of the dormitories. Brindon was the one who took the liberty of opening the door for him, but he never gave him the chance to step within the building.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“I'm looking for Valeriana.” He grinned.

Brindon, who usually was expressionless, frowned. “I see. But you're not in luck. She already left with the Headmaster.”

“What?” He inquired and tilted his head to the side in confusion. “Why?”

“You haven't heard? Valeriana's meeting the king tonight.”

His eyes widened. “Why have I not known?”

“It's not my fault.” Brindon then began to close the door, but Zion used his feet to block the doorway.

“Wait. I must ask something.”

“What is it?” Brindon asked him, narrowing his eyes at the man before him dangerously.

“Was Valeriana wearing a dress?”

“Yes.” Brindon answered nonchalantly.

Zion's eyes lit up and he suddenly looked eager. “Was she pretty?”

“Yes.

“How beautiful was she?”

“More than anything you can imagine.” He replied apathetically.

“What color was her dress?”

“Blue.”

“Did she wear jewelries?”

“Yes.”

“How was her hair done?”

“Go to hell.”

And the door was slammed close on his face.

Chapter Thirty-Nine ♣ Meeting with Royalty

T
here were no fancy carriages of any sort—much to Valeriana's disappointment since she really wanted to ride one. Still, the walk was really short so it was convenient. They went through that door again—the one she took when trying to escape—but it led to another way.

Nevertheless, despite the
magic door
thingy going on, which she totally didn't understand, they were greeted by a man when they stepped through. He had on a formal aura and was a middle-aged man who grew very little hair around his head, having a big bald spot on top of his skull.

“Whew!” She said, stepping through the doorway and looking back and forth between the room she stood in and back where she came. “I still wonder how this thing happens.”

The man cleared his throat.

Valeriana looked towards the man, who didn't glance her way.

“My name is Edeltraud and I shall serve as your guide under the king's request. The palace is a complicated maze, there's a high possibility of you getting lost trying to find your way around.”

“That is true. No matter how many times I go here, I am never able to familiarize myself with these twists and turns.” Lord Aeron stated in a matter-of-factly tone. “And that is saying a lot, coming from me.”

“That is the purpose of this palace's enormous size. Such complexity is something that cannot be mastered in a matter of years.”

He seemed proud that he could navigate around this place expertly, and Valeriana herself was impressed. Lord Aeron then waved to the girl, gently steering her to come forward as he gestured to the man.

“Come on now. Introduce yourself.”

She stalked towards him with a smile before bowing down gracefully as was advised when she faced anyone within the palace by the Headmaster.

“It's a big honor of meeting you.”

The man looked her way—finally. “And what is your name, might I ask?”

“I'm Valeriana.”

“Well, Miss Valeriana, I assume that you—” He stopped short when he took in her appearance. “. . . are the human.”

“That's me!”

He didn't seem to have been able to hide his shock. He visibly held his breath while staring at Valeriana's face as if he just saw a ghost. His body went rigid that it was amusing to see. He was as stiff as a silver spoon.

“I thought that . . .” He trailed off. “Are you really that rumored human who was invited by the king?”

“Yeah.”

He then shook his head and began to walk towards a certain direction. “Please follow me.”

Although Valeriana was a bit oblivious to what was going on, the Headmaster and the Court Leader caught Edeltraud constantly looking at Valeriana from the corner of his eyes. It seemed that if Valeriana was to dress up formally like a woman, she'd bear a striking resemblance to Valemnia's late queen.

Even the old man was curious about the newcomer who bore Queen Ayslia's exact features.

Maybe it was a mere coincidence.

Edeltraud cleared his throat and caught the attention of his guests. “It will be a long walk to our destination. Do you mind if I ask you a question, young miss?”

Valeriana turned and raised a brow at the man. “Me? Why?”

“I am just curious, you see.” He frowned. “You seem to bear . . . a striking resemblance to the late queen of Valemnia.”

“A lot of people told me that since I came here.” She chuckled. “And since I dressed up in this stupid getup. Honestly, I have no idea.” She then sighed.

Edeltraud led them towards a room which was even grander than she imagined. The furniture was finely made and the walls were decorated with priceless, traditional paintings portraying different kinds of still life. They varied in size—sometimes, they merely came in an explosion of colors.

Valeriana looked around with wide and genuinely curious eyes, eventually taking her seat in one of the comfy chairs with a plop. “Wow . . .”

“Please wait here.” Edeltraud told them. “While I go call His Majesty.”

The headmaster and Lord Aeron took their own seats and relaxed. Valeriana smiled at both of them and started swinging her feet back and forth.

“Valeriana, try to stay still.” Lord Aeron told her.

“But I'll get nervous if I do.”

“Ah, restlessness.” He chuckled.

They waited for a few moments until Valeriana decided she couldn't sit still. She stood up and paced about before coming to stand by a window with a large frame. The thick, velvety blinds were pinned on the sides, allowing the girl to get a view of the palace grounds.

She instinctively reached out at what she saw and let her fingertips trace the smooth surface of the glass. Just behind this wall was a beautiful meadow of flowers. The field stretched out, covering wide grounds like a rice field.

She sighed.

The setting skies bathed the flowers in an orange glow, reflecting off of their velvety petals.

Valeriana was too caught up looking out of the window that she didn't notice the Headmaster and the Court Leader leaving. The two had exchanged a wordless glance, nodding understandingly at each other. The girl seemed to have finally found the time to calm herself down that they didn't want to bother, so both of them left without saying anything instead.

Finding the quietness somewhat weird, Valeriana looked behind her to find the two gone. “Headmaster? Lord Aeron?”

She panicked. “Oh, holy cow. Where did those two go?”

It took a few seconds for the thought to register. “Ah, damn. They left me alone without saying anything.” She grumbled unhappily.

Glancing about the empty room, she saw an armchair angled by the window she was looking through. Deciding it was a better choice to sit than stand, she took the open seat and supported her chin with her hand. She didn't want to seem fidgety and jumpy when the king arrived. It would be unsightly and completely embarrassing. If she was going to present herself before royalty, she might as well try to act appropriately.

Valemnia had a United Monarchy type of government—meaning that they were under the rule of one person and the other places he couldn't manage were being ruled under his name.

Since the king wouldn't be able to handle all political matters single-handedly, he had six families helping him govern the different lands. There were six continents under the king's name—the Central Continent, Larkovia, Arlandia, Denovegasia, Prelurésia, and Aetheria.

These continents were under the rule of the different aristocratic families.

The Land of Fire, Arlandia, under the family of von Vaushna de la Wylden. Occupying most of the parts from West to Southwest, it possessed an unrivaled beauty for its natural geographical formation and the locals were most proud of their fertile lands. Corvan was the heir of this land.

The Land of Water, Larkovia, under the rule of von Versailles de la Vernados, consisted mostly of bodies of water. Located on the Far East, they have long, meandering rivers, breathtaking waterfalls, wide fishing lakes, and the most admired Water Palace. This was the land Charles talked about he was going to have to rule in a few years.

The Land of Earth, Denovegasia, currently being ran by the von Keiffer de la Kaiven family. Located somewhere along the Southeast, filled mostly with lush, green forests, towering mountains, and thick woodlands. Due to its geographical features, residents of Denovegasia lived as hunters and foragers.

The Land of Air, Prelurésia, which was under the jurisdiction of the von Veralidaine de la Evereesha, was the continent known for being located in higher areas that you could practically reach the clouds. Prelurésia was located somewhere near north.

The Land of the Spirits, Aetheria, governed by the von Valdemar de la Nevan. Aetheria was the continent most famous for its rich mining sources. Deposits of semi-precious gems, gold, silver, and other valuable resources could be majorly found there. Lord Rowe was officially crowned as the head of the state a few summers back. Since he was still a student, his mother handled the matters concerning the management of the entire continent.

The Central Continent was considered the main capital and the very center of Valemnia, hence its name. This was the place where the Rosellevienne Palace was located—the home of the king. The whole land was under the complete control of the king himself.

And lastly, the Dark Continent where demons thrived. The barriers that surrounded the whole place prevented them from escaping the lands they roamed.

These continents were further subdivided into different countries being ruled by other leaders. It amazed the girl how united these people were. Still, the king was the world's ruler by name only. He was but a mere symbol of unification.

Lost deep in thought, she was startled when the door opened suddenly.

The girl looked up. She clenched her hands from the anxiety and waited while Edeltraud scanned the room. When his eyes landed on her, he gave her a nod.

“His Majesty arrives.” He said before making way for the other man to enter.

They locked eyes with each other and the girl greeted him with a smile before bending down gracefully—as hard as she could—to a low bow. “It's an honor to finally meet you, Your Majesty.”

Chapter Forty ♣ The King

S
he rose from the reverent greeting and erected her back, trying to look like a dignified woman in front of the king. It was mainly because Corvan predicted she would just embarrass herself. She was out to prove that wrong.

Although she was expecting something grand, he was a much simpler man than she first thought. The crown was nowhere to be found and the red cape she was expecting to see was nowhere in sight. Instead, he wore long-sleeves topped with black vest, and some brown pants.

He was a handsome man who
looked
like he was in his mid-thirties. The soft, golden hair on top of his head was brushed back and tied into a low ponytail. His eyes, a mesmerizing gold, looked kind and benevolent.

Valeriana saw Edeltraud bowing to the king before he turned and left, closing the door behind him gently. Both of them were silent for a few moments and she caught the man staring at her with wide eyes, looking more shocked than she expected.

Lord Aeron did warn her that she looked a lot like his deceased wife and that he wanted to see how he would react when he saw her, but she never expected 
this
 to happen.

“I’m sorry. May I?”

“Huh? Uh, sure.”

Needless to say, she saw tears welling from the man's eyes before he suddenly came forward and embraced her.

“Uh . . .” Hesitantly, she circled her arms around him too. “Are you alright, sir king sir—uh, er . . . sire?”

He reluctantly pulled away from her. He looked down at her, placing his calloused hands on her shoulders before realizing what he just did. “Oh, please pardon me.”

“That's alright.” She told him. “I guess.”

“Goodness.” He breathed. “I can't believe it. You look a lot like her.”

She chuckled in embarrassment. “Thank you very much. To start over, my name's Valeriana. Valeriana Kerrigan.”

He then cleared his throat. “As you may already know, I am—”

“His Royal Majesty, King Laedin von Seigmond de la Rosellevienne, twentieth king of the
Valemnia Corinthos Louvielle
!” She recited, saluting him playfully.

The king laughed. “I've been informed that Lord Aeron and Headmaster Kylon came with you?” He looked around. “I don't see them here at the moment, though. Where are they?”

“They left without saying anything. I was too caught up in my own world to notice.” She sighed.

“Well then, changing the topic. I want to welcome you to Valemnia. Please pardon the suddenness of dragging you here. It must've been very hard on you.”

“Well . . . I don't want to call it kidnapping but . . .”

His face contorted in concern. “I'm really sorry. I'll try doing something about this situation, should it be repeated in the future. Even so, I do not directly control the affairs of the Celeste Dispatch Division, as that is the job of Lord Aeron.”

“That man has a lot of responsibility. It makes me doubt sometimes if he really even does it.”

“He’s a competent man, Valeriana. His quick wit and wisdom got him where he is now. Though he may not seem like it, he is very dedicated and leaves no stone unturned in the name of his work.”

“I never knew that.”

“Looks can be deceiving, or so many would say.” Laedin nodded. “I am taking you were traumatized? Your arrival here didn't have the very best welcome and you were taken here due to a very unfortunate circumstance.”

“I've pretty much recovered though . . .”

“You must miss your family?”

“More than anything.” She nodded. “But Lord Aeron allowed me to write letters to them, and I received a package from my mother yesterday.”

“I'm glad.” He smiled, but then he frowned again. “Were my people harsh towards you? If they treated you badly, I ask for your forgiveness in their place.”

“You're being too humble, Your Majesty.” She stared at him admiringly. “You do not have to ask for forgiveness in their stead.”

“The actions of my people are my responsibility.” He firmly told her. “Anyhow, the Court Leader suggested that if you were to graduate successfully from the academy, you will become our world's ambassador in hopes of cooperating with the human race. Are you in favor of that?”

“I'm not exactly sure.” She shrugged. “What's it for, anyway?”

“There are times when demons escape from the Holy Gates.” He told her. “They cause havoc in your world, although not normally seen by your people. You, however, are able to see and sense their presence. You are unlike any other.”

“I don't know the reason to that, as well. But, I think I'm not the only one like that among my people like you think I am.”

“Why do you say so?” He asked.

“I mean . . . there are a lot of these psychic people with cool mind-powers and stuff—uh no . . . I mean, those scary spiritual thingy about seeing stuffs like ghosts.”

A knock came booming three times and Edeltraud entered once again. “I brought Your Majesty and guest some tea. Dinner will start in approximately thirty minutes, so please wait patiently until then.”

“Thank you very much, Edeltraud.”

Edeltraud stared knowingly at the king before simply nodding his head and bowing before leaving. “Please pardon my intrusion.”

Once the man left, Valeriana turned to Laedin. “You know, sire, that man kinda acts like one of those cool butlers you see in a movie.”

“I'm sorry. I can't quite catch on.”

“A movie . . . it's . . . never mind.”

“Edeltraud's been there for me ever since I was young. He's my most trusted friend and servant.”

“That's awesome!” She gushed. “Like one of those—”

She stopped short when she caught the man staring at her. It was then that she realized she was acting a bit too like her normal self. She exchanged glances with the king who then smiled at her genuinely and nodded for her to go on. She felt sort of glad that he wasn't displeased in any way.

“Go on, child.” The king told her softly. “It's a rare sight to see a youth with so much energy.”

She awkwardly laughed. “I'm sorry.” She apologized sheepishly. “I gotta ask something though . . .” She then told him. “Your Majesty.” She added hastily.

“Please don't address me by my title. I prefer not being reminded that I'm a king every once in a while. Work's been stressing enough as it is.” He replied.

“Er . . . alright . . . sir.”

He laughed softly at her reluctance but made no further comment on her preference in addressing him.

“Geez.” She grumbled, suddenly being reminded of Corvan's attitude and how he preferred being addressed by his title all the time. She already got enough of his irksome, arrogant attitude. Feeling aggravated, Valeriana unconsciously made faces.

“I'm sorry, my dear.” The king apologized. “If you really do prefer calling me by my title then I have no protests. I want my guests to be comfortable in my presence and that doesn't exempt you.”

“What?” Her attention snapped towards the man before her. “Uh, no . . . my mind was wandering a while ago.” She stated.

“I see. What caused you to make such a face? Not that I'm prying. You looked sort of . . . amusing.” He smiled comfortingly at the girl that gave her a sense of peace.

The king wasn't at all flamboyant. There was something strange about him that made her feel somewhat at ease and secured. She felt like she could almost tell him everything if it weren't for the embarrassment. There was something about this man that made her feel like they were close although they probably haven't met each other before.

Perhaps because he reminded her so much of her late father.

“It's just this annoying someone from the academy.” She answered.

The king tilted his head to the side and gave her a look with knowing, twinkling eyes. “A boy, I presume?”

“Why's that important anyway?” She blushed. This was sort of turning awkward. It was like confessing your love life to your parents.

“It's a very important factor, trust me.” He told her.

“Yeah.”

“Aha!” He snapped his fingers. “I knew it.”

“It isn't like that!” She told him, back snapping straight. “I mean . . . he's really irritating. He gets on my nerves.”

“My dear, it always starts like that.” He laughed. “Ayslia and I were like cat and dog the first day we met.”

“That can't be true.” She frowned, a red tint tainting her fair cheeks.

“I thought so too. But there's a thin line between love and hate, you see.” He leaned back and sighed. “All those bickering, all that exchange of offending comments, calling each other names and such, that happens right?”

“I guess.” She muttered. “But that doesn't mean—”

He laughed. “Deny it as you like.” He told her.

“Anyway!” She dropped the subject and shifted towards another instead. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Why yes, of course.”

She cleared her throat. “I was brought here because the Court could not ignore the fact that I can see and hear demons. Why was it such a big thing for them? For a mere human to see their enemies? And why do you keep me here?”

“That's not just one question, my dear.” He chuckled.

“Oh, sorry. I got excited.”

“Not a problem. The decision of having to negotiate with your people had just been recently thought of when you came here. Valemnians did try to get in touch with humans, although for some reason, those that were sent out disappeared without a trace. Before you were brought to Valemnia, the gates were firmly closed. Occasionally though, there are demons who manage to slip past the gates due to my weakening. The protection of this kingdom rests entirely on the condition of its monarch. With my current state, Valemnia is most vulnerable.”

“Why?”

“Because it is during these times when the next-in-line is supposed to take over that the kingdom is at its weakest.”

“What's the relationship of it from keeping me here?”

“I think it's best to have an ally in your world in case another battle breaks out. Although, there has been no another battle for the last century or so. Still, my concern is that there's a big possibility that the gates will be broken. I cannot risk disturbing the peace that currently exists in the human plane.”

“And the gates?”

“It's not that big of a deal to fix it.” He answered. “If that ever happens, I'll have my men attend to it immediately to prevent the too much leaking of the power pressure into your world. However, those malicious creatures will have enough time to go through.”

Valeriana's face creased with worry. “And I'm supposed to do it?”

“You'll receive help from us, of course.” He reassured her.

“What makes you think I can do this?”

“If it's you, I'm pretty much certain you can do it. After all, you managed to defeat Lady Courtney, take the position of fifth-ranker in the academy, and even defend it for the first time against one well-known skilled student, didn't you? You even earned the title of
Roaring Tiger
to symbolize your prowess in the battlefield. I believe that if there's anyone who's fit upon receiving such an important task, it's you.”

She grew flustered at his compliment and rubbed the back of her nape. “It's just a stroke of luck, really.” She said. “I never knew I got such a cool pseudonym.”

“Well, I must wonder why they named you so.”

She stared at the king in shock. “How the heck do you know all of that?”

“How can I not know? Lord Aeron's been making a progressive report to me about you. Besides, even if he did not, I'm certain I would've heard sooner or later.”

“Agh.” She sighed. “That old man . . . he's really behind every little thing that's weird going on.”

“I agree. Lord Aeron has a lot of schemes going about, but they're not harmful in anyway. At such an age, he tries to find things that will amuse him.”

“My meeting with you was his plan.”

He chuckled. “I knew there was something that I had to expect. Things were different if the Court Leader himself arranged meetings such as this one. Although, I did not quite expect this.” He referred to Valeriana with a smile. “To say the least, being shocked was an understatement when I saw you.”