"Your Highness, Valerie, Fae Queen Maeve requests your presence," a guard inford him.
Valerie had anticipated this mont upon stepping into the palace, yet the sharp intake of breath still escaped his lips. With practiced precision, he schooled his expression into a mask of sternness, bracing himself for the inevitable encounter with his mother.
"Fine, ssage received. I’ll be sure to visit her when I’m done," Valerie said, lifting the parchnt he was currently perusing, indicating he was preoccupied.
However, the guards remained unmoved, their resolve unwavering. One of them spoke with a solemn tone, "I’m afraid the Queen insists on seeing you imdiately."
Valerie lowered the parchnt, his frustration evident in his piercing gaze. Yet, he soon softened, recognizing the guards’ predicant. It wasn’t their fault; they were rely fulfilling their duty. Besides, Valerie knew all too well the consequences of defying his mother’s summons—no one escaped her wrath unscathed.
The thought of others bearing the brunt of his mother’s fury weighed heavily on Valerie. With a resigned sigh, he pushed himself to his feet. Sitting idly while others faced the consequences of his actions was sothing he couldn’t abide.
"Fine then. Let’s go," Valerie declared, striding out of his quarters with the guards trailing behind him. They were on alert to ensure he didn’t trick them and make a run for it.
To an outsider, the sight might have inspired awe, envy even, at his princely grandeur. If only they knew the truth—that he was currently powerless, being whisked away by his mother’s people. Until he ascended to the throne of Astaria, her influence would loom over him like a shadow. Valerie longed for the day when he could break free from her control.
The guards halted at the entrance, leaving Valerie to proceed alone. As soon as the sumr prince stepped into the Queen’s receiving room, a ceramic cup hurtled towards him, striking him squarely in the face. It was the very cup from which Queen Maeve had been sipping her tea, now shattered on the ground, blood trickling down Valerie’s cheek where it had made contact.
Truth be told, Valerie possessed fast reflexes and could have easily dodged the projectile. However, he chose not to, understanding that doing so would only further enrage the Queen, potentially leading to more severe consequences.
Yet, this was but a minor affliction. He would heal in ti, and the incident would remain hidden from all, including his father, King Oberon. Oberon’s attention was consud by the kingdom’s affairs; the personal dramas of his children and their mothers were of little concern to him.
His mother, Queen Maeve, exhibited this behavior only when stressed or, in this case, when he had erred. Valerie was certain she had caught wind of his duel with Aldric; he had anticipated her reaction and steeled himself for it.
"How dare you!" Queen Maeve thundered, advancing toward him with the ferocity of a wounded bull. Sensing her approach, Valerie instinctively shut his eyes as she raised her hand, poised to strike.
In a surprising turn of event, Queen Maeve hesitated at the last mont, her hand freezing in midair. Perhaps a flicker of conscience intervened, evident in the sudden pause. Yet, her fury remained undiminished, and instead of striking him, she slamd her hand against his chest with trendous force, causing Valerie to stagger backwards.
"Who do you think you are?! How dare you promise to compete against that demon in a death duel right in the palace?! Do you intend to kill before my ti?!" Queen Maeve’s voice reverberated with ferocity as she scread inches from his face. "Is this how you intend to repay after all my efforts on you?! I might as well have never given birth to you in the first place!" Anger blazed in her eyes, a tempest of emotion swirling within her.
Valerie stood frozen, his heart shattering into a million fragnts. "Y—You..." He struggled to speak, his voice barely above a whisper, the weight of her words bearing down on him like a crushing weight. "You don’t even believe in ... You don’t think I can defeat him."
A fleeting glimpse of guilt flickered in Queen Maeve’s eyes before being replaced by a cold snarl. "Oh, spare the theatrics, Valerie. This is Aldric we’re talking about! How could you even consider facing him? Not only are you risking your own life, but you’re also tarnishing the reputation of the Sumr Fae! You’re jeopardizing everything I’ve worked so hard to build!"
"I know!" Valerie’s voice reverberated with intensity as he scread at her.
"What?" Queen Maeve’s tone shifted, taken aback by his outburst.
"I know that I could never defeat Aldric!" Valerie’s voice rose, veins bulging in his neck with pent-up fury. "Do you think so little of that I would rashly challenge him to a death duel without ticulous planning? Mother, do you truly see ..." His voice faltered, a tear sliding down his cheek, anguish etched on his face. "so insignificantly? Do you have any faith in at all?"
His accusatory gaze bore into his mother’s eyes, daring her to respond. Queen Maeve swallowed nervously, unsettled by her son’s unprecedented defiance. She realized then that Valerie’s gentle nature made him ill-suited for the role she had grood him for over centuries—a realization soured further by the interference of that stubborn human who had disrupted her careful preparations..
If only Aldric wasn’t a demon spawn, Queen Maeve wished she had him fora son, instead of this weak, pathetic son of hers. She couldn’t help but wonder who he took after. Her bloodline was strong and Oberon was not weak either. Why didn’t he take after any of them? If Valerie was one bit close to being as ruthless as Aldric, then she wouldn’t be having these unnecessary problems.
She snarled, giving him a disapproving look. "Mind your ttle, Prince Valerie. What do you expect your subjects to think when they co in and see their beloved prince being this emotional?" She derided his display of vulnerability with a contemptuous sneer.
Valerie lifted reddened eyes to et his mother’s gaze. For the first ti, defiance sparked in his eyes as he addressed her. "They would see a Fae prince who is simply exhausted, yearning for a mont of respite without his mother incessantly reminding him of his imperfections."
"For the love of the Fae, Valerie! Get a grip on yourself!" Queen Maeve’s composure shattered, her voice echoing with frustration as her control slipped away.
Valerie was rendered speechless by his mother’s outburst. Fine. She was right. Dwelling on his emotions wouldn’t solve anything. He composed himself, the tears on his face already dried, burying his feelings so deeply they wouldn’t resurface until he had resolved the situation.
Queen Maeve sighed. "Fine. You claim to have a plan. Let’s hear it."
Valerie took a deep breath and said, "Aldric would not be fighting with his dark powers, that is the rule of the duel."
But when he was done speaking, Queen Maeve still looked at him with expectations as if waiting to hear more of his plan.
Valerie swallowed. "That is the plan. We all know Aldric has been dependent on his shadows for as long as he knew he had it and had never honed his winter powers unlike . That is clearly his weakness and that is what I would take advantage of."
But even after his explanation, Queen Maeve remained unimpressed. To Valerie’s shock, she burst into laughter.
"What’s so amusing, mother?" he demanded, bewildered by her reaction.
Ignoring his question, his mother continued to laugh hysterically until it abruptly ceased, replaced by a darkened glare.
Queen Maeve turned her darkened eyes on Valerie and spat, "Honestly, Valerie, if I weren’t faithful to your father and you bore resemblance to , I would think you are not my child right now." She scoffed, "Really, Valerie? That’s your plan? Are you kidding right now?"
Valerie looked conflicted, about to respond, "I am sure...." when his mother rudely interrupted him.
"Aldric is a mad genius," she declared sharply, without a hint of apology. "He’s cruel, calculating, careful, cunning, precise—a military mastermind. All the qualities you should possess as the future king of Astaria, he possesses them all. And do you know one thing about mad geniuses?"
The Queen began to circle her son as she continued, her words cutting through the air like a sharp blade.
"They are unwavering, unpredictable, able to improvise, and quick to pick up skills beyond the usual Fae’s capabilities. How certain are you that Aldric hasn’t been honing his winter skills in secret? With two power sources at his disposal, it’s practically ingrained in him."
Clicking her tongue in disapproval, she turned to Valerie with disappointnt evident in her voice. "I’m not sorry to say this, but you’ve been played for a fool, Valerie. Your damned brother has tricked you once again, and you fell for it just as you always do."
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