Valebright: The arcane batalion

Chapter2

Chapter 2: The Envoy

The great hall of Valebright Keep stood tense as a drawn bowstring. Torches burned low along the walls. Duke Aldren sat upon the high seat, back rigid, expression carved from granite. Aries and Caelan stood several paces behind him, silent but watchful.

The imperial envoy entered with measured steps, flanked by two silent guards. A bronzed hawk mask covered his face, its hooked beak and cold crystal eyes giving him the look of a predator. His cloak shimmered with faint spell-threads that flickered like dying embers.

“Duke Aldren Valebright,” the envoy began, voice smooth as oiled silk, “greetings from the Asterian Empire.”

“Cut the formalities,” Aldren said flatly. “State your business.”

The envoy’s masked head tilted with mock amusement. “Ah, the ever-direct Duke Aldren. How refreshing.” He spread his gloved hands. “The Empire offers your humble territory an opportunity. Swear fealty to Emperor Valerian, and you shall receive protection, trade, and a place of honor within our growing dominion.”

Aldren folded his arms. “And if we refuse?”

The envoy chuckled, then let out a low, mocking laugh that echoed through the hall. His crystal eyes slid sideways — only for a heartbeat — and locked onto Aries. A glint of recognition and hunger flashed behind the mask.

“You have such a striking daughter, Your Grace,” he purred, voice dripping with malice. “And a powerful one, at that.”

Aldren stiffened, his hand twitching toward his sword. “My daughter is none of your concern.”

“Oh, but she is.” The envoy tilted his head, savoring the moment. “We have eyes everywhere, Duke. Even in your remote western reaches. We know the girl was born during a storm so violent the ground itself split open. Storm-born children are… valuable.”

Aries stepped forward before she could stop herself, fists clenched. “What are you talking about? I’m not—”

The envoy’s chuckle turned into a soft, condescending laugh. “Everything is for sale, my lady. Even kingdoms.”

Aldren’s voice cracked like a whip. “Your audacity is an insult. I will hear no more. Leave. Now.”

The envoy’s tone shifted, cold and final. “Then the Empire will simply take what it requires. With or without your consent.”

Aldren rose, stepping protectively in front of his children. “You may tell your emperor this: the West kneels to no tyrant.”

The envoy offered a mocking bow. Then, without warning, he lifted a gloved hand.

Magic pulsed through the hall — a sickening heartbeat of power. The torches flared an unnatural blue, flinging twisted shadows across the stone. Aries felt a violent tug deep in her chest, like invisible hooks had sunk behind her ribs and yanked. The world tilted. Her breath locked in her throat. A wild, chaotic pressure surged inside her — something restless and furious that she had never felt before — clawing to get out.

She staggered hard, one hand slamming against the back of Aldren’s chair to keep from falling. Her heart hammered wildly. What is this? What’s happening to me?

The envoy smiled behind his mask. “Yes… you feel it, don’t you? That something inside you. The Empire could teach you how to wield it properly.”

“How dare you!” Aldren roared, his sword ringing free in one smooth motion.

The envoy raised both hands in feigned surrender and stepped back. “As you wish, Duke. But you cannot hide lightning forever.”

With a swirl of his ember-cloak, he swept from the hall, guards trailing silently behind him.

Aries stayed frozen, still gripping the chair, chest heaving. Her mind spun. “What… what the hells was that?” Her voice came out sharper than she intended, edged with rising panic and confusion. “He did something to me. I felt — it was like something inside me tried to rip free. What was he talking about? Storm-born? Valuable? Father, what is he—”

“Empire siphoning spells,” Aldren said, voice rough with barely contained fury. He sheathed his sword with a sharp snap. “They steal magic. Sometimes even life force.” His eyes flicked to her, then quickly away. “He was testing you. And he saw too much.”

Aries stared at him, frustration and bewilderment twisting in her gut. None of this made sense.

That night, Aries sat alone on the windswept ramparts, knees drawn to her chest. The wind whipped her braid across her face. Her chest still ached faintly from whatever the envoy had done, and the memory of that violent tug refused to fade. It felt like something foreign — and yet strangely familiar — had woken up inside her.

“Aries.”

She turned. Duchess Elowen approached, her pale robes fluttering like moonlight on water. Without a word, she settled beside her daughter and drew a thick wool cloak around both of them.

“You frightened your father today,” Elowen said softly.

Aries hugged her knees tighter, eyes wide with lingering confusion. “He frightens me more. Mother… that envoy — he did something. I felt it. Like something inside my chest woke up and tried to claw its way out. And he kept calling me ‘storm-born’ like it meant something terrible. What was he talking about? Why did it feel like… like he knew something about me that I don’t?”

Elowen was quiet for a long moment, her hand gently resting on Aries’s back. “The Empire twists old stories to suit their greed,” she murmured. “Your birth was… dramatic. Nothing more.”

Aries searched her mother’s face, stubborn confusion burning brighter. “It didn’t feel like nothing. I’ve never felt anything like that before. Why won’t anyone tell me what’s going on?”

Elowen’s fingers tightened slightly on her daughter’s shoulder. She brushed a stray lock of hair behind Aries’s ear, her touch warm and steady. “Your father and I have only ever wanted to keep you safe. Both of you. The world is cruel to those who stand out. Sometimes the safest thing is to simply… not draw attention.”

Aries looked toward the eastern horizon, frustration and uncertainty churning inside her. “If war comes,” she said quietly, “I want to fight. I don’t want to hide behind alliances and pretty dresses while something I don’t even understand is happening to me.”

Elowen’s breath caught. For a long moment she said nothing, only brushed her thumb across Aries’s knuckles. Then she leaned forward and pressed her forehead gently against her daughter’s.

“I know I cannot stop you,” she whispered, voice thick with emotion. “So if you must go… go carefully. Go as the strong young woman you are.” Her thumbs gently wiped away the first tear that slipped down Aries’s cheek. “But promise me one thing, my storm-born girl. Come back to me. Even if the world burns. Even if the Empire takes everything else. Come back to your mother.”