Viella woke up to the sound of her name being called, just loud enough to wake her, but not loud enough that she felt she needed to wake up immediately.
Tired but comfortable, Viella stirred in her sleep, the memory of a black dragon still staring back at the eyes of her mind. With a groan, she blinked away the sleepiness, greeted by the white ceiling of the palace.
"Viella, how are you feeling?" a gentle masculine voice asked.
"Jasper, what time is it?" Viella asked, looking over to Jasper's round eyes. She realized then she was still floating in mid-air, high enough that she was almost above his head.
"It's six in the morning. But His Majesty has called for a family meeting with Raden, so you also need to be there. How are you feeling?" Jasper repeated, concern written on his brow.
Viella swallowed, feeling her whipped body completely healed. What was left of it was the feeling of thick wax covering her chest. Her body was also well-rested, although she could still feel the lingering tension left from last night's ordeal.
"I'm fine. I'm... alright, actually. How do I get down from here?" she asked, then started to move.
Viella screamed when she suddenly fell from the height and into Jasper's arms. He smiled. "I hope me saving you from the fall makes up for being late last night," he said.
Viella patted him on the shoulder as Jasper put her down, placing both hands behind his back. His face then turned serious. "I know you've just woken up, but His Majesty requested for you to come at once. So please, if you can," Jasper said, half-turned as he waited for Viella.
The two siblings walked out of the spare bedroom in silence. Their footsteps on the polished marble floor echoed urgency through the decorated path of the palace hall.
Together, they left the right wing of the palace and headed to the throne room, where King Peter was already seated on his throne. His face was contorted in displeasure.
Her Majesty, or Mother, stood beside her children, who stood in a neat row, silently waiting. Raden was on one side, with his hands behind his back. His graying beard was neatly braided.
"His Majesty," both Jasper and Viella said at the same time, bowing graciously in the presence of King Peter. His face softened at the sight of Viella. The feeling was so strange that she could only look down.
When was the last time King Peter had noticed her existence?
"My daughter," King Peter said. "Raden has once again done wonderful work to heal you of your deadly wounds," he spoke with the authority of a king—graceful and yet powerful.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I am most grateful," Viella replied, bowing once again.
"I was ashamed," King Peter started, "ashamed to see my flesh and blood exercise authority over those who are undeserving of punishment. It was cruel for the sake of it."
"My Majesty!" Her Majesty Queen Joanna started, but King Peter would not have any of it. He threw her a look that should never be seen by another soul. His anger was as clear as daylight.
"I have given you everything that you ever wished for, Joanna," King Peter said, the lack of title intimate but insulting. "All I ask of you is that you fulfill your promise to be a good mother to these children! I was promised a woman of good nature, of good breeding. But look what has become of them!"
To have a king speak like that to his queen was the same as sentencing her to life in prison. Queen Joanna had failed, evident from the cruelty that befell Viella. It was an act unheard of in the courts as long as history.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, I was not well-informed of their plans. If I had known, I would have stopped it. Please, spare them. They're just children, minors below eighteen," Queen Joanna said, her voice steady, holding a hint of stubbornness in her tone. She was sure of herself above all else.
"If a child can inflict such pain and commit such heinous acts, then what will they be capable of when they are older and fully in power?" It was Raden. He stepped closer to the center and out of the shadows. The morning light fell on his old face, illuminating the height of his cheekbones.
"As a child, one is capable of making mistakes," Queen Joanna said, insisting on her original argument. The two locked eyes in a dangerous battle. Joanna was a queen, and Raden was a powerful mage, but he was just that—a mage.
"A mistake," Raden pressed on, "is forgetting to curtsy or lying to cover a minor misdemeanor. It is a full act of cruelty and treason to spoil what was promised to me by your king." His words fell like the wooden hammer of a judge. They rang strong in the silence of the throne room. The sounds of birds chirped in the distance.
Viella looked at Raden, forgetting all manners. "Excuse me? Promised to you?"
Raden looked over to Viella, then at King Peter with a look of disapproval—almost anger. His voice was low with agitation as he spoke, "A promise is a promise is a promise. I've done my part of the bargain!"
King Peter lifted his hand, his expression remaining composed, slightly taken aback by the strength in Raden's voice. Raden rarely ever spoke at all, but it was clear from his reddened face he was offended. Viella looked at her father, her eyes widening in anticipation.
"Please, Your Majesty, what does he mean?" Viella asked, her voice almost cracking. There were so many changed plans, and too much uncertainty, that she felt bubbling frustration in her chest. She wanted—needed—to feel stable and safe.
"I have promised you to Raden Ovenash in exchange for his assistance in the Black Gap War," King Peter said, his voice steady, indifferent. He didn't care—it was not a life for him to give away.
"Promised me!?" Viella said, for the first time not letting any ruler of propriety stop her from voicing her concerns. "Under whose authority?" she demanded.
King Peter frowned. "Undermine, you insolent child."
"Me and all of your children, if I'm being frank. And what if I say my life is not yours to give away! I have lived eighteen years of servitude to your wife and children, and this is what I get at the end of it!?" Viella yelled. The room, shaken by her words simply stared at her with wide eyes. No one had ever spoken so daringly at the King.
"How dare you!" King Peter stood from his chair.
But Viella stood higher. "I didn't ask to be born! I never wanted to be your daughter! You were never a father to me! And an unjust king you've always been!"
"Guards! Put her where she can learn her manners!" King Peter yelled.
Two knights who stood on either side of the stage started to move. Viella stood her ground, feeling Jasper shrinking closer to her.
But before they managed to put their hands on her, Raden vanished and reappeared in the form of black smoke. His eyes glowed a bright green, both arms outstretched, pushing the men back with an invisible wave of energy. The room fell into a deafening silence. The mage had stood against the king's orders.
"Raden, what is the meaning of this?" King Peter demanded.
"It is I who need to ask you, my king. What is the meaning of all of this? She has turned eighteen. Under the vows of our agreement, Viella Ivelle belongs to me now. And you have given her to me damaged—her skin torn, her beauty tarnished," Raden said, hissing the last words in a rage-filled fury.
Viella instinctively held her chest. Just as he said it, she felt like damaged goods. She doubted any amount of magic could help her cure her skin now.
"Why are you protecting this child, Raden? I am merely disciplining her for her wayward mouth. You wouldn't want to have an uncontrollable woman as a wife, would you?" King Peter asked, ignoring everything Raden had said.
"The time for disciplining has passed. She is no longer a child but a woman. You seem to have misunderstood my intention as well," Raden said, all eyes on him.
Viella stared at the back of his hooded head, frowning deeply.
"I did not ask her to be engaged to me but to be engaged to my nephew," Raden clarified.
Viella let out a held breath. Oh, thank goodness, she thought. The idea of marrying someone who was almost as old as her own father had turned her stomach.
King Peter's eyes widened at that. "Your nephew? I was not aware that you even had a family. Bring him to me, Raden. I would like to meet this young man," he said, sounding pleased with the news.
Viella felt she was imagining it, but was he glad that it was not Raden who was going to marry her?
"I'm afraid that's not possible, Your Majesty," Raden said, emotionless.
"Why ever not? Is he at war? We can call him back if it is necessary," King Peter said, more generous than he normally was. No soldier was ever called home for pleasant reasons such as this.
"My nephew has been missing for years," Raden said.
The room went into shock. Even Queen Joanna, who had been a silent listener with a sour expression, had her mouth fall open. Her sisters looked at each other, confused. Finn and Jasper raised an eyebrow at that.
"What are you saying, Raden? My daughter is engaged to a missing man?" King Peter asked, echoing what everyone was thinking—including Viella.
"I believe so, Your Majesty. What is left for us to do now is wait for his return," Raden answered, unbothered by the looks of disbelief the room was throwing at him. Even the knights seemed to have forgotten to keep their expressions.
"But if he is missing, then how do you know he will return?" Viella demanded, moving to face the mage. His stoic expression remained unchanged.
"I don't."