Knight (26 page)

Valeriana anticipated for the answer she so currently was curious about and glanced up at the lady knight to find her sighing to herself.

“You look so much like the late queen. Lady Ayslia von Versailles de la Vernados Rosellevienne.”

Valeriana's mouth dropped open in shock. “What? How the hell do I look like her?”

“That's a question we're all willing to find the answer to.” She laughed.

“But why is her name
von Versailles de la Vernados Rosellevienne
? She has the same name as Charles but she also has the surname of the king.”

“That's because Queen Ayslia was from the family Vernados. She was originally an aristocrat who married into the royal family, hence, she adopted the name of Rosellevienne to symbolize her union with the king.”

“I see . . . but how is Charles related to her?”

“Charles is the nephew of Queen Ayslia. His father was her younger brother.”

“So you're telling me that Charles is a relative of royalty?”

“So is the man who you met a few days back . . .” She mused. “He was the elder brother of late queen.”

“Who?”

“The man who just appeared out of nowhere during class and took me away.” She replied. “Claude. He was actually the oldest among the three.”

Valeriana looked down and started counting with her fingers. “What? You mean that baby face? Charles looks older!”

“Alright, that's enough about ages.” She chuckled. “Come here.”

Valeriana didn't realize, but it seemed that they were already where they were supposed to be. They didn't go to the arena like the last time; they were in an open field. Looking around, it dawned to Valeriana that they went uphill. She was too caught up in the conversation to even realize.

“Wow.” She muttered, awed by the view.

Standing on top of the hill offered them a great view of the majestic building of the academy. It overlooked the whole area and allowed the viewer to fully appreciate the beauty of the place. Having been given the chance, Valeriana began to size the school's immensity.

The panoramic scene was breathtaking and was simply picturesque. The sight of the grand structure standing tall, proud, and magnificent with the setting sun shining behind it made Valeriana think that the scene was something that just had to be either painted or photographed in order to be encased in a golden frame to symbolize its worth—but it was invaluable.

Having seen the academy in full view, not only did Valeriana realize that it was larger than she had originally thought, but it took the shape of a regal castle with soaring towers. Her eyes could only go wider at the realization.

Had she been inside a castle this whole time?

“I didn't realize the academy was actually a large castle.”

“The main building is a castle. Structures were built the past few years in order to accommodate the necessary training.”

The view was certainly something to behold. The academy was majestic, yet what really caught her attention was the lone, dark forest that thrived right outside the gates that bordered the school. The smile left Valeriana's lips.

The forest emitted an eerie atmosphere—as if anyone who entered it would never come back again. The trees looked somewhat dead. Contrary to the lush and fertile lands she was stepping on, the soil on the forest looked simply barren as though it wouldn't be able to sustain any life at all.

The forest area seemed like it was touched by death, with dark ash and cinders coloring the bark of trees and the land itself.

“This is . . . the Forest of Valdis.” She muttered to herself, thinking back on what Corvan had said before.

A chill ran down her spine.

“That dark, ominous forest was once a thriving woodland. It had the purest streams of water flowing through it. But, that was thousands of years ago, when the first king of Valemnia had yet to ascend to the throne. What you see before you is but a mere portion of the Dark Continent.”

True to her words, the barren-looking forest stretched beyond where her eyes could not reach.

She gulped, but listened closely to the knight's words, deeply interested. She wanted to at least know the reason why the previously thriving forest suddenly turned into a patch of dead-looking trees and plants.

“Friedel was born to a simple family with his twin brother, Valdis.”

She perked up at the familiar name.

“At that time, life was simple and people felt contented worshipping the five great gods. Larkov—god of the seas and water, Arland—god of the fire and volcanoes, Denovega—god of the earth and the mountains, Preluré—god of the wind and air, and Aether—god of the souls and spirits.”

“I see.”

“Friedel was a simple boy back then, and so was his brother. He was the younger of the two and he showed natural talent. Valdis was the same. The two competed, and though equal, Valdis was envious.”

“Why?”

“Because Friedel was a natural-born prodigy. He, on the other hand, had to work hard in order to achieve his goals, and that thought alone frustrated him.” She answered. “Also, because of Friedel's outgoing and friendly personality, he easily attracted people towards him, while Valdis was left out.”

She was silent.

“And that's how it went for the two. Although Friedel loved his brother greatly Valdis despised the way he felt like he was being left behind, so he acted very uptight. The competition between the two was very unremitting and not one of them allowed to be overshadowed by the other.

“Eventually, Valdis earned that recognition.” Seraphina began. “The competition was known to be prestigious since it tested the skills of each individual, and since both of them came out the best, they eventually faced off at the last round. In it, Friedel lost, but Valdis didn't feel like he won at all.”

“Why not?”

“Because Friedel gave it away.” She answered. “Friedel purposely lost the fight to give him the recognition he was yearning for, hoping that would bring them closer. But the total opposite happened. The moment Friedel lost, Valdis exploded and they fought. He was angered at the thought that his younger brother pitied him and his hate for him even grew.”

“Didn't Friedel think Valdis would catch on? It's quite stupid.”

“Friedel made a foolish decision. He had no other ideas—no other way he could think of that would get Valdis to stop being so distant. So he hopelessly tried to make up for it through other ways, yet his efforts were futile.” She said. “You could say it was naïve of him.”

Valeriana watched the lady knight as she sank down on the ground, lying among the sharp blades of grass. The girl followed the woman shortly and felt an unusual sense of comfort as the wind blew and caressed their cheeks.

Seraphina gave her a motherly smile as well. “Eventually, it continued that way and Valdis never showed any intent of forgiving his brother. That was until a woman came along.” She paused and smiled. “Her name was Bridgette, and she undoubtedly caught the hearts of both men because of her peerless beauty and kindness. Valdis enthusiastically told his brother about it, and fearing that the current development of their relationship as siblings would disappear, Friedel desperately tried to hide his feelings. But the heart was not something to be suppressed. Eventually, Valdis confessed his love, but was turned down. Do you know why?”

Valeriana gulped at her growing suspicion. “Why?”

“Because Bridgette fell for Friedel.” She said. “And telling Valdis the truth devastated him. Why must he suffer being in his brother's shadow every time? Why must it be that he always had to work hard for everything when Friedel automatically got what he wanted? Why was it that everything he wanted kept falling willingly into his brother's open palms? Why? These questions were the things he asked himself and eventually, the demon lord was born.”

“Wait . . .” She sat up and stared at Seraphina in shock. “So the first demon was actually the twin brother of the first king?”

“That's right.” She responded. “His negative emotions eventually overtook him.”

“But it just can't happen like that, right? I mean, if it becomes like that, then wouldn't everyone become a demon?”

“He gave in to temptation. We all have darkness in our hearts, Valeriana. We just don't let it overtake our whole being. What exactly does it mean to be good for you?”

“To be good is . . . to not be bad?”

Seraphina lightly chuckled. “To be good is to be in the presence of evil, but choosing to be good. You cannot be good when it is not possible to be bad. I suppose the case is that you are given choice.”

“You're right.” She said in awe. “So I guess we're all a mix of the two.”

The lady knight nodded. “Valdis was offered power by Erythnell.”

“Who's that?”

“A god who once stood with the others.  Valdis accepted his offer, which was why he turned into a demon. Eventually, the five great gods banished Erythnell and sent him to suffer in the human world, stripping him off of his power. He was never heard of again ever since.”

“Because of Erythnell. He took advantage of his weakness. What happened to Friedel, then? How did he become king?”

“That's something that happens later on in the story.” Seraphina smiled. “With the newfound power, Valdis began to cause havoc throughout the land.”

“But it wasn't his choice, was it?” Valeriana guessed. “The power he gained must've somehow tipped the balance of good and bad within him.”

“You catch on quite quickly. Being bestowed with demonic abilities fuels the dark side of a person, overruling all kindness that exists in the heart heart. The choice to be good or bad was stripped away. It's just . . . being bad.”

“It's because of that Eucalyptus . . . methanol guy.”

Seraphina laughed. “Erythnell.”

“Right.”

“Valdis managed to coax people to his side, those who had already fallen into depravity. Eventually, Friedel could not stand to see his own brother causing the misery and deaths of many people, so he beseeched to be granted power so that he could stop him.”

“Power has a price. What did he have to pay with?”

“Nobody else but himself knew. It was never told what he had to pay with.”

“So what happened, then?

“The gods heeded his prayer and blessed him with their power. The power transformed his appearance to the appearance the royal family has today.”

Valeriana eventually decided to lay down beside Seraphina as she continued with her story. It was like hearing some sort of Greek Mythology. The events resembled a lot of the stories she heard before from movies and fantasy books.

“That's how golden hair and golden eyes earned such high respect. I'm sure you've already seen the different colors of hair and eyes of Valemnians?”

Valeriana gave her a nod of confirmation. “It's pretty . . . different. I've seen ones with blue hair, purple and pink eyes, snow-white hair . . . and others.”

“It's a legacy.” Seraphina smiled. “Those colors come a long way. Each tells a story.”

“Really?” The girl looked up at the woman with interest.

“Yes. It may seem weird, but colors of hair and eyes are very prized in Valemnia. For example, your blue eyes symbolize
trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, and truth—I know it very well since we're the same.”

They shared a laugh.

“That perfectly fits the Valeriana I know.” She smiled. “Anyhow, do you know how the next ruler is determined?”

She shook her head. “How?”

“Through wings.” Seraphina replied. “The wings were given to King Friedel by a sprite by sacrificing her own soul. The gods regarded her sacrifice with great respect that they decided to make it the symbol to the right of holding the power and position, by making the monarch's feathers the color of the sun. White wings were the symbol for those who carry the blood of royalty. But of course, that was after Friedel sealed his own brother to a deep sleep and the people decided to hail him as their king, thus, the start of Valemnia's first dynasty.”

“You have royal blood right, Lady—Seraphina? But how come you don't have golden hair and eyes like you're supposed to?”

“Compared to the main royal family, I come only from a branch—add in the fact that half of my blood is that of a commoner.”

“Oh.”

“I am an illegitimate child.” Seeming to see how uncomfortable Valeriana was getting, she proceeded to tell the story. “Anyhow, a great battle went forth, and everything went according to the books.”

“I never read anything in the history books about this.”

“It's written in a different one. Try checking the Origins, you'll see it there.”

“Anyhow, how did that forest earned its name?” She asked.

“That forest was the very forest where Valdis turned into a demon, hence, the demonic energy is at its strongest there. This is the birthplace of the first and strongest demon—the demon lord.”

“Then why the heck is there a castle here?”

“That's a secret.” She replied, standing up. “Now up you go, Valeriana. Let's continue storytelling some other time.”