Yavanna returned to her quarters feeling somewhat accomplished. She had read—or listened to—multiple books on witches. Christa had occasionally slipped into Noth while reading it and Yavanna felt more frustrated with her lack of knowledge. She felt a noose of envy wrap around her and threaten to choke her further than her bruised throat would allow.
Mirella had learnt all of these things. She had been trained how to run a kingdom and treat a king, taught how to write and speak Noth and multiple other dialects and languages that reside within Nothad, and she had also been taught everything there was to know about its culture and people and customs.
Yavanna walked down the hallways, doing her best to conceal her wheezing. When Sir Greyson decided to surprise her by stepping out from behind a corner, "Your majesty, my apologies for not fulfilling my duties today and escorted you to the library."
She squeaked and grimaced at the burning in her throat. Christa answered for her, "I'm sure it is alright, good sir. Just remember these things in the future and all will be well."
Yavanna couldn't help but blink at her primness. But she nodded her consent. Sir Greyson looked rather taken aback from Christa's passive aggressive words, he bowed after hiding his shock, and said, "My exceeding apologies, your majesty. I will be sure to follow these instructions in the future."
She smiled kindly and nodded. She was not upset with him. All of the incidents that had caused her to be injured were out of Sir Greyson's control and prevention.
Returning to her room she sat down and began to read the book that she had found in Viel. It detailed a few customs and things she felt she should know of Nothad's culture. It was simple and not in depth, but it would do.
When it came time to sleep, she bathed then had her hair braided and then was helped by Edith and Lorraine into her nightgown. She finished reading her book by candlelight then fell asleep.
Outside of Yavanna's door devoutly stood Sir Greyson. His eyes were ever vigilant as he listened for any suspicious sound. But the halls were silent. When it was past the midnight hour his eyelids were becoming tired, but he had trained for this. He could do this.
But an unseen presence was hiding in the shadows, watching while the loyal knight continued to nod off. The shadow dweller shook his head ruefully. Soon enough a second presence arrived and whispered under his breath. Sir Greyson crumpled to the ground and the dark figure disappeared. The shadow dweller snapped to attention and disappeared as well.
Appearing inside the room he saw the figure leaning over the bed, over the sleeping woman lying there. He rushed forward and grabbed the threat by the collar and vanished from the room. He reappeared on a cliff far from the castle and tossed the figure to the cold, hard ground.
He coughed and looked over his shoulder.
Chuckling, he stood from the ground and dusted himself off, "So… he sent you to protect her."
"What about this is funny, Velio?"
He only chuckled more as he raised himself to stand, "The fact that he denies his attraction to her. She's clearly the one, and yet he does nothing-"
"The one what?"
Velio chuckled again and the shadow dweller had a stronger urge than ever to wring his throat. "My dear brother, I do believe that everyone has forgotten but I."
"Forgotten what?"
"The prophecy." He paused and waited for his younger brother to refute him, but there was silence. So he continued, "The hundredth king of your lineage will find the key to break your curse. A maiden of magic and of dark hair. Her face is hidden. She is not who she seems." He waited again but his brother still remained silent. He could make out the curious glint in his eyes though.
"Don't you see? Our brother is the hundredth king. His wife, whom he discovered, is a maiden of dark hair, her face is hidden!" His voice rose to a near maniacal tone.
His brother shook his head. "She has no magic." He scoffed. He'd long since given up hope that Amory would find the key to break the curse. They were cursed, and that was it.
Velio laughed outright, "It's practically oozing off of her; in her scent, her words, her actions, her blood. She is magic."
"You've… drunk from her?"
"No… I've been stopped both times by our idiot brother. The sooner we taste her blood, the better." Velio said urgently.
His brother shook his head, "Isn't.. isn't there supposed to be a ritual, a sacrifice where the maiden's blood is-"
"But that would end the curse." Velio snapped, "Why would you want this power gone? If we drink from her, with a magic so powerful, we'll become stronger than the ancient kings."
"Velio, you've lost your mind."
He laughed, "No… no, Clark. I've found the answer to everything. She is the key, she's the key to giving us more strength and power than we could ever dream of. But Anory squanders her away, not even wanting to look at her." He spat.
Clark could only stand and watch as he processed his unstable brother's words. The white mists curled around their feet before pooling down the cliff. The trees that they had grown up in were ominous in the dim night. "If she is who you say she is, and she truly hears magic, why not end our curse? Be free of it, after all these eons?"
"Because brother, it is not a curse. Maybe to Kieran and his sons, but to us, it is a blessing. We have strength and powers that no other man possesses." He paused and smiled, "I will let you think on this. But mark my words, that woman, that maiden, is not who she seems."
He vanished and Clark trusted that he would not return to her chambers, at least right away. She had smelled different, but she was from Viland, so he had just attributed it to that. Why had Amory not noticed that his betrothed, for all those years, possessed magic?
Velio had always had a sense for these things, he was nicknamed, The Witch Hunter, so Clark believed that she must have magic. He just needed to see proof of it.
Looking back at the castle that stood amidst the faint lights of Harkburg, he became thoughtful as a plan arose in his mind.