The morning light crept softly into Aurelia's chamber, spilling across the peach-and-ivory drapes and touching her face with gold. She blinked awake slowly, her heart heavy with that strange feeling between peace and ache.
It was her first dawn in Valkoron.
For a long while, she simply lay there, staring up at the carved ceiling above her, the same one she had admired the previous night before sleep claimed her. She hadn't dreamed. Not once. No screaming echoes of her past, no fire, no taunting faces. Just the silence of sleep.
When the door creaked softly, Gwendolyn slipped in with her usual bright smile. "My lady, you're awake."
Aurelia turned her head slightly on the pillow, her voice still rough with sleep. "Good morning, Gwen."
"Good morning indeed," Gwen said, walking to open the curtains fully. "The sun looks kind today. How was your first night in the castle?"
Aurelia hesitated, pushing herself up and drawing the coverlet around her shoulders. "Peaceful," she said at last. "Dreamless. I… liked it that way. I think I'd forgotten what it felt like to rest without seeing faces I'd rather forget."
Gwen's smile softened. "Then Valkoron is already being kind to you."
"Perhaps," Aurelia murmured, not quite believing it. "Or perhaps it's only letting me breathe before it shows its teeth."
"Now, my lady," Gwen said playfully, "don't start being poetic before breakfast."
Aurelia huffed a quiet laugh. "Fine, then. I'll try."
"Good. Because I intend to help you wash up before your meal gets cold."
"You're fussing again," Aurelia teased, slipping from the bed. "You'll make an excellent mother one day if you keep this up."
Gwen chuckled. "And you'll make a terrible patient if you keep resisting help."
The two women shared a small laugh....the first genuine sound of warmth the room had heard since dawn.
While Aurelia freshened up behind the screen, Gwen busied herself arranging the morning meal on the small table near the window: bread, fruits, and a pot of honeyed tea. The scent of it filled the room, mingling with the faint salt of the sea carried on the Valkoron wind.
As she was setting the table, a soft knock sounded at the door. Gwen straightened, wiping her hands. "Who could that be so early?"
"See who it is," Aurelia called from behind the screen.
Gwen opened the door. The Storm Lord's butler stood there.....tall, silver-haired, and as composed as stone. He bowed deeply.
"My lady," he said, his voice deep and smooth, "His Majesty, the Storm Lord, requests that you join the royal family for dinner this evening. It will be a small banquet, so that the household may become properly acquainted with you."
Aurelia stepped out from behind the screen, her hair still damp, a simple robe wrapped around her. "Tell His Majesty I will attend," she said calmly.
The butler inclined his head. "As you wish, my lady." With that, he turned and left, his footsteps fading down the marble corridor.
When Gwen closed the door, she turned to Aurelia with eyes bright with curiosity. "A family dinner. Well, that should be… interesting."
Aurelia arched an eyebrow, sitting down at the table. "Interesting is a gentle way to describe what's waiting for me tonight."
"Oh, I'm sure they'll be curious about you," Gwen said lightly, joining her at the table. "And you do have that intimidating royal air about you, even if you refuse to see it."
"I have a cursed face, Gwen," Aurelia reminded softly, tearing a piece of bread. "That's all they'll see when they look at me."
Gwen sighed, taking the seat opposite her. "That's not true. Some people see more than appearances."
Aurelia's lips twitched, half amused, half sad. "You sound like one of those temple priestesses back in Ashmere."
"I'm wiser than most of them," Gwen replied, grinning. "Besides, I've already learned more about this castle in a single night than half of them would in a lifetime."
Aurelia looked at her in disbelief. "You've started talking to the servants already?"
"Of course," Gwen said proudly. "How else am I supposed to learn who our friends are.....and who isn't thrilled about the Storm Lord's new bride?"
Aurelia shook her head, a quiet laugh escaping her. "You are a social butterfly, Gwen. We've only been here for one night, and you've already begun spinning webs of gossip."
"Not gossip.....information," Gwen corrected, tapping her finger against the table. "In an unfamiliar place, my lady, information is worth more than gold. And trust me, we're going to need all the help we can get."
"Help?" Aurelia repeated, her tone teasing. "Planning a rebellion already?"
"Maybe a small one," Gwen said with a mischievous smile. "Against bad manners and judgmental stares."
Aurelia chuckled again, though it faded into something softer, more thoughtful. "You're not wrong. I'll need your bravery tonight, Gwen. I'm not sure I have enough of my own."
"You have more than you think," Gwen replied gently. "You faced the fire courts of Ashmere. You faced your father's shame. You can face a table of nobles."
The words struck something tender inside Aurelia. She looked down, her fingers curling around the teacup. "My father tried for years to lift this curse," she said quietly.
"He poured every ounce of his power and pride into it. And when he failed… he locked me away in Emberhold. His solution to shame."
Gwen's expression softened with sympathy. "That was his failure, not yours."
"I doubt the Storm Lord's family will see it that way."
"Then make them see differently." Gwen's voice held quiet steel. "You're still Lady Aurelia of Ashmere....the fire that even the gods feared once. Don't let anyone make you forget that."
Aurelia blinked at her, surprised by the fierceness in her tone. A faint smile tugged at her lips. "When did my handmaiden become my general?"
"Since my lady forgot that she's a warrior," Gwen answered with a smirk.
Their laughter filled the room once again...lighter this time, almost cleansing.
Another knock sounded at the door.
Gwen paused, frowning. "More visitors?"
Aurelia sighed. "It seems Valkoron doesn't believe in quiet mornings. Come in."
The door opened slowly, and a young voice spoke from beyond it. "May I enter?"
Aurelia turned toward the door.....and her expression softened instantly.
Vaelric stood there, dressed in soft grey tunic and dark breeches, his hair slightly tousled from the sea wind. He bowed slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Forgive me for intruding, mother," he said politely. "I thought I should see how you fared after your first night in Valkoron."
Aurelia rose from her seat, momentarily speechless. "You need not apologize, my little storm cloud. You're always welcome."
Gwen curtsied deeply before stepping aside. "I'll see to the laundry, my lady," she said, retreating toward the adjoining room to give them privacy.
As the door clicked softly shut, Aurelia turned to the boy, her expression gentling. "You shouldn't have troubled yourself."
"It wasn't trouble," Vaelric replied, walking closer. "You looked sad yesterday. I just wanted to make sure Valkoron didn't frighten you away."
Aurelia smiled faintly, though sadness lingered in her eyes. "No, not yet. It's quieter here than I expected. Peaceful, even."
"That's good," he said, nodding. "My father says peace is rare here. The storms never truly sleep."
"Then perhaps I'll learn to rest in their thunder," she said softly.
Vaelric's young face brightened, and he tilted his head curiously. "Do you like it here?"
Aurelia hesitated, her gaze turning toward the window where the sea shimmered under the morning light. "I think… I could. In time."
He smiled then....an honest, boyish smile that reminded her briefly of sunlight. "Then I'm glad you're here, Mother."
The words struck deeper than she expected.
"Thank you," she whispered.
As she looked at him, she saw the faint reflection of the man he might one day become.....the storm within him still quiet, but promising to rise.
And for the first time since crossing Valkoron's gates, the thought of the coming banquet didn't seem quite as terrifying.