Morrigan remembered. She remembered the loving feeling of her babe growing within her, the warmth she felt when she felt her kick, or move. The happiness she had felt when she had finally held her within her arms for the first time. Her perfect baby, so small and fragile.
She had promised to do everything she could to protect her, even if that had meant giving her to Death herself so that she may live. No one understood that. No one understood that she was doing what she needed to do to make sure that her baby breathed life, even if the same breath could kill. It was a sacrifice that she had been willing to make.
Valen had not understood. No, he had cursed her, yelled at her for stealing away their child's life. Was he so stupid to realize that their child had no life to begin with. She had been born cold and still. No breath in her lungs, no warmth in her tiny little body. She had been so cold. So dead.
No one understood that Morrigan had fixed her. Had made her better. Powerful even. Her little girl lived and even Ray'ven failed to understand the sacrifice that her mother had made for her. Such a timid child, always clinging to her father for comfort when it wasn't him who gave her life.
So ungrateful was she. A coward afraid of her own magick, crying because she accidentally killed something. It was pathetic. She did not know what sort of gift she had been given and it made Morrigan hate her. She hated her little girl about as much as she loved her.
Hated how those large mixed colored eyes reminded her of her own mother. It was a trait that all of the magic k users in her family carried. All of them except Morrigan. She hated how Ray'ven seemed to love her father more than her own mother. She hated that Valen tried to keep her away when all Morrigan wanted to do was teach their child the greatness that she had inherited.
Then one morning Ray'ven was gone. Valen had taken her away and refused to tell her where he had hidden her. Ray'ven was her daughter!
So when Valen was dragged away and imprisoned, Morrigan had not even batted an eye. Let him rot. If she could not have her daughter then he did not deserve his freedom.
That had been nearly twelve years ago and Morrigan had held her own. Still she could not find Ray'ven, nor would she stop looking until she did. She wondered what she looked like now. Did she take after her looks? Or did she resemble Valen even more than she did when she was a child?
The door to her carriage swung open pulling her out of her head and she sneered at the sweaty man who was her driver. He shifted nervously, stringy brown hair sticking to his forehead and he spoke, brown eyes wary of her. Good, he should fear her.
"We have arrived M'lady, but it seems there has been some commotion here." The man said and Morrigan pushed him out of the way as she exited the carriage. She eyes the many guards that swarmed the front gate of the Ushar prison, her brow raising in question as she made her way forward.
She was stopped not even halfway there by a burly man with greasy black hair and a nose that looked like it had been broken more than a few times. "Aye, stop right there, miss. We aren't accepting no visitor at this time." He told her. He glowered down at her with a frown and Morrigan felt the urge to rip out those dull grey eyes.
"Then take note that I am no visitor. I am Morrigan Pardonis of House Valor and my husband is to be released to me." She spoke smoothly, coldly, eyeing the man with distaste.
The guard opened his mouth to say more and Morrigan scoffed, waving a hand in his face. He froze and his eyes took on a glazed look. "You will take me to Valen Pardonia immediately." She snapped.
The man's face morphed into an eager smile as he stared down at her, enraptured. "Yes, of course mistress. Anything for you." He said turning and guiding her into the prison.
Morrigan frowned as she was led deeper into the prison where the security was tighter. "Why are we going this far? Did the fool try to escape after all these years?" Sh asked. The guard turned to her, that same love sick expression on his face as he spoke.
"No mistress. There was an incident earlier. and an unknown woman were here investigating Rueborn Aldain's escape when the woman slaughtered three of the men who were punishing Valen. We placed him here in case there was an escape attempt." He explained looking to her for approval. Morrigan ignored him, brows furrowed in thought.
"This woman? What did she look like?" She demanded as they descended a set of stairs. The air was colder down here and the cells further apart.
The guard hesitated, thinking. "No one really got a good look at her, but they say her eyes were odd. Said they looked like sea gems. Not quite green, but not quite blue either with the oddest silver ring around them."
Morrigan froze at the description. There were only a few who had eyes like that. Her brother and her daughter. "Ray'ven?" She whispered out. The guard didn't seem to recognize the name and just shrugged. "Take me to him now!" She raged and the guard flinched, clutching his head in pain.
"Y-yes Mistress. Right away." He sped up his pace, fumbling apologies until they finally reached what had to be Valen's cell. "He is in here mistress." He said as he unlocked the door.
It swung open and Morrigan felt her nose wrinkle at the sight of her husband. It had been years since she had seen him. Visiting was a waste of her time. "Well aren't you a sight, dear husband."
Valen rolled over onto his opposite side before pushing himself up off one of the many cold stone floors of Ushar. The chains made from Astrium metal—the very thing known for weakening someone's ability to damn near nothing like they were the mere mortals they were supposed to be— clanked. But not him. He was the God of wars son, and even if the gods had forgotten them, it was in his blood not to be weak or disheveled.
What made it worse was the voice had belonged to his wife. The very woman he once loved. He'd given her the entirety of himself and still it couldn't save her, and her blackened heart, from herself. Love wasn't enough to heal that gaping wound inside her soul. Despite her blue eyes, he stared into hollow, bottomless pits. The cravince for power lingering in their shadows.
A wheeze left past Velen's cracked and bloody lips. His chapped hands gripping onto the bars that were so hot they were searing his flesh. It was the only magick alive in this place. "Take a great look because it'll be the last time you see me like this, dear wife."
He'd always had a way of sounding so calm in the midst of unlikely and terrible circumstances.
"The word must be spreading quickly. Seeing as you're here you probably want something. Go ahead and ask so I can deny you. But one thing is for certain. As weak as I am, if these bars weren't between us, I'd put you six feet under like I should've years ago for what you did."
Morrigan scoffed, unaffected by his words. "Our daughter was here today Valen. She slaughtered three men so it seems she is coming into her true calling just fine without me. You should be proud." She drawled with a lazy smile. "Tell me where she is and your freedom is but a breath away."
"I'd tell you to go back and die in the hole you crawled out of, but your mother is a better woman than you'll ever be. She deserves more respect. You should know I'd rather rot in this cell if it means Ray'ven will be free from your manipulative treachery." His breathing spasmed toward the end of his sentence and he broke into a coughing fit. .
Morrigan sneered at him. "You think keeping me away will stop what she will become? You only prolonged it. Know she will suffer because of you foolish man." She hissed, face contorting in her anger before she smoothed it back out. "You should know that the house was destroyed. For such an ancient and noble thing it was very flimsy."
"She won't suffer because of me. She suffers because of you. And what? Become like you because you can't even control what you've brought upon yourself?" He wiped his mouth and gave a dark chuckle. "Here I am in a cage. There you are outside of one and act like a savage soulless beast. She will always be what you never could be. She'll love, she'll learn to take care of those she does, and no matter how great the darkness, she'll battle it instead of locking hand to hand. So go ahead and leave. I'm tired of seeing you. Let me keep my only meal for today in my stomach."
"Very well said, old friend." Spoke a voice from behind Morrigan and she tensed at the familiarity. Her jaw tightened and she turned stiffly to stare at the newcomer. Many different emotions crossed her face before she settled on one of disdain as she took in the sight of her brother standing there.
She had not seen him since before she got pregnant and even still he looked very much the same. Tall with regal features, he looked every part the upperclassmen he had been raised to be. His hair was the only thing different now, the once long locks cut short, brushing the tops of his ears and a pair of their mother jeweled eyes which stared at her coldly.
"Krow, just what do you think you are doing here?" She hissed. Krow merely raised a brow at her unimpressed by her ire. He brushed past her without so much as a word, dismissing her presence entirely and Morrigan seethed.
"It seems that I was unaware that I even had a niece. Such an odd thing to leave out of your letters, Valen. Though, I supposed I can now understand your reasoning." Krow frowned at the state Valen was in. It had been long since they had spoken in person and it was unpleasant to see his friend in such a manner.
"Do not ignore me!" Morrigan screeched, magick lashing out at Krow's back only for it to bounce off an invisible barrier.
He didn't ask when he left out the room and entered another, grabbing clothing that would fit and putting them on. "There's a place I want you to see. It's a place so dark even those who are oblivious to magick know there's something wrong. A place to stay away from. Tainted and so twisted."
Krow followed him into the bedroom, watching as he dressed in silence. He closed his eyes a moment, sighing before standing straight and making his way over to where Valen stood. He placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him so that they were face to face. His other hand raised, pressing it to his cheek and sending another wave of healing there. The dark bruises under his eyes faded, leaving him looking healthier even though his eyes remained weary. Satisfied with his work Krow moved away. "Despite what you may think, you are a good man, Valen. You deserved better than this fate."
Krow pulled a coat from the closet, tossing to him. "Are we to go there now?" He asked.
He'd felt the touch to his cheek and gave a slight hmm, before sighing as well. Perhaps in his eyes he was a great man, but in his own eyes he was once on the level of Morrigan save for war and bloodshed was what he once craved thinking it to be his duties to his father.
Valen caught the coat and slung it around his back, slipping both his arms in one at a time. "We leave now. Before the crimson moon rises."