Valkoron, Two Days Before Departure
The courtyard of Valkoron was alive with movement. Armor was being polished until it gleamed, saddle straps were checked twice over, and crates of provisions were lashed tight for the long journey to caelmont.
Vaelric darted between the warriors like a restless wind, the hood of his black traveling cloak flapping behind him. He carried more enthusiasm than the small satchel slung over his shoulder.
"Careful with that sword, boy!" Rael Stormbane called from the other side of the courtyard, grinning as Vaelric nearly tripped over a training spear left lying on the flagstones.
"I wasn't going to drop it!" Vaelric protested, cheeks red.
"You were going to stab the cobblestones," Kaelen Thorn said dryly, adjusting the clasp of his own armor. "A poor first victim for a Stormborne blade."
Therion, tightening his bracers, glanced at Valerian with a raised brow. "Are you certain about bringing him?"
Valerian didn't look up from overseeing the packing of the supply carts. "He'll learn more at my side than locked away in Valkoron. And he swore not to get into trouble."
Kaelen snorted. "Promised now. Let's see how that holds when we reach Caelmont."
Valerian's lips twitched faintly. "We'll see then."
A servant approached, bowing low. "My lord, your ministers await you in the throne room."
Valerian nodded, then turned to Kaelen. "Make sure Vaelric doesn't pack half his chamber for this journey."
Kaelen laughed until it echoed off the stone walls. "If I can convince him to choose between all his treasures, it will be a miracle."
*******
In the north wing, Vaelric Stormborne sat cross-legged on the floor of his chamber, surrounded by chaos.
A half-packed trunk lay open beside him .... a jumble of tunics, boots, and the wooden practice sword he stubbornly insisted on bringing.
"You won't need that," Therion said from the doorway, leaning one shoulder against the frame. His voice carried the easy mockery of an uncle who knew exactly which buttons to press.
"It's for training," Vaelric said without looking up. "Father says you keep your edge sharp even when traveling."
Rael's laugh rumbled from behind Therion. "Aye, but the only thing you'll be sharpening in Caelmont is your tongue. And maybe your appetite."
Kaelen stepped forward and knelt by the boy's trunk, plucking up a fur-lined cloak.
"Pack light," he advised. "You'll be on horseback for days. You'll thank me when you're not breaking your back under too much weight."
"I can carry it," Vaelric insisted.
"You can try," Kaelen said with a faint smirk.
Before more jests could be made, the sound of approaching footsteps drew their attention. Lady Aelira, Valerian's mother, swept into the room .... her presence as steadying as a lighthouse in a storm.
"Vaelric," she said warmly, "your servant is looking for you. Go finish your meal before you forget it again."
Vaelric frowned but obeyed, casting a glance toward his uncles before hurrying out.
Lady Aelira looking towards the men and asking them where valerian was. They informed her that he was busy with his ministers and would be done before dinner.
She nooded and left.
*****
That evening, the castle quieted. Only the sea wind and the distant rumble of thunder broke the silence. Valerian had retired to his chambers, the day's work done, when the door opened softly.
His mother, Lady Aelira Stormborne, entered with the unhurried grace of a woman long accustomed to command. Her silver hair, still streaked with the gold of her youth, was coiled neatly at the back of her head, and her gray eyes....mirrors of her son's...were sharp with concern.
"I heard you gave him permission to go with you," she began.
Valerian set aside the map he had been studying. "He asked me. I couldn't refuse him."
"You should have refused him," Aurelia replied, stepping closer. "Valerian, his powers are only beginning to manifest. The bloodline stirs in him, but he cannot yet master it. You know what happens when he loses control of his emotions."
His gaze flickered, just briefly, before hardening again. "I will be with him. Always. If not me, then Therion, Kaelen, or Rael. He won't leave our side."
"That boy loves trouble like the sea loves a storm," Aurelia said with a sigh. "And Caelmont is not Valkoron and trouble will not be so forgiving. He is Stormborne, yes....but still a child. If he loses control there…"
Valerian met her gaze, steady and unyielding. "I will not let him. And I will not cage him for fear of what he could do," Valerian said quietly.
She regarded him for a long moment, then sighed. "Very well. But I expect you to keep your word."
Her expression softened only slightly before shifting to another worry.
"And when you arrive in Caelmont… what will you do about this case between Neris and Azarion?"
Valerian leaned back in his chair, expression unreadable. "That depends on the truth. Cards are still hidden. When they are on the table, I will choose."
Aurelia's lips pressed into a thin line. "Choose wisely. You and Azarion have been at odds for years. One wrong step could turn old tension into open enmity."
"Mother," Valerian said, his tone turning iron, "no matter the decision I make, my stance with Azarion will never change. Not for this case, not for anything."
Aelira studied him for a moment, then inclined her head in resignation. "Then may the storm favor you, my son."
Something in his voice made her eyes narrow, but she said nothing more. After a moment, she turned to leave. "Rest well, my son. You will need your strength."
---
Valerian had just extinguished the last candle when a soft knock came at his chamber door.
"Enter," he called.
Serath, the court seer, glided in...pale robes whispering, silver charms on his sleeves chiming faintly. His eyes were clouded like mist over dark water, fixed unblinkingly on his lord.
"My lord," Serath said, bowing his head. "Forgive the hour, but I have seen something… and it concerns your journey to Caelmont."
Valerian gestured him forward. "Speak."
The seer stepped into the firelight, the silver charms on his sleeves tinkling softly.
"On the road to Caelmont, the winds will change for you. What has been certain will become uncertain. What you think you seek will not be what you find."
Valerian's steel-gray eyes narrowed. "Plain words, seer."
"I have none to give. Only this...." the man's voice lowered to a whisper, " But I know this .... your son is at the heart of it. you will not return from Caelmont the same man who left Valkoron."
The storm outside gave a sudden growl, as if echoing the warning.
Valerian rose slowly from his chair. "Then the gods had better pray they like the man I become."
The seer only bowed again and slipped silently into the shadows.