Avalyne Empire Stories

2nd Story - Vera

"I... I had no idea, Lord Henri. So all this time, you were...?"

I could barely get those words out of my mouth. My lord had trusted me with his past, however dark it was, yet here I was, trembling at the mere thought of his adoptive mother being a witch. The witch, in fact.

Unconsciously, I rubbed my arms as if I were cold while my mind leapt back to that fateful night eleven years ago. I was never there, but the tales I heard were more than enough to give me nightmares for the next six months of my life back then. Indeed, the tales of the empire's last witch hunt were terrifying to say the least, and the destruction that witch wrought was on a scale far larger than any other.

In fact, some say that her power could've been compared to the Witch Queen of yore, but the fact that she was slain so quickly placed a small damper on such hyperboles. Still, it didn't make her any less terrifying to hear about, and never did I think that my very own lord would have turned out to be her adoptive son, sworn to serve the witch's daughter for life.

I glanced at Lord Henri, biting my lip as a pang of regret shot through my heart. Observant as he was, it was no surprise he noticed the apprehension and fear in my eyes even though such emotions had only been present for a moment. Regardless of what happened in the past, I was still his knight. I had served him faithfully throughout the years, and though he was now a criminal, I saw no reason to abandon him.

After all, he couldn't even be blamed for what he did. He had sworn his pact as a child, back when he knew not what a witch was, nor the dangers of associating with one. Surely he could be forgiven despite the crimes he had committed, right?

I reached a hand out toward him tentatively, but he brushed it aside with a sad smile. "Ah... Lord Henri, I..."

"There's no need, Vera." Lord Henri said to me, his voice gentle as ever. "Of course you would fear me now that I am witchspawn in all but birth. I release you from your oa—"

"N-No!" I shouted, my voice coming out with far more intensity than I'd expected. Lord Henri flinched, but I pressed on, determined to let him know that I was willing to stay by his side even if it would damn my fate as well. "Lord Henri, I am your knight now and forever! No matter where you go... No matter where I go, my blade will always be yours!"

A dreadful smog of silence filled the air, smothering my fading voice as I finished my declaration. Lord Henri regarded me with a soft gaze carrying notes of farewell. It was clear he had made his choice regardless of what I said, but I didn't want to accept it. We had fought so many battles together, both at Revelo Academy and after we graduated. The moments I shared with him, the matches we won and lost... They were memories I could never let go of.

But most of all, they were memories I wanted to make more of. I didn't want them to be washed away by this new revelation.

"They were genuine, Vera."

"H-Huh?" I blinked in surprise, staring blankly at Lord Henri. I had no idea what he was talking about. What did he even mean? What was genuine? I don't know.

I don't know. I really don't. I...

...I wish I didn't know.

In the end, I have to accept it, don't I? I laughed bitterly. This ugly heart of mine.

As always, Lord Henri's powers of observation were second to none. It was that very gift which allowed him to rise to the position of Baron Dietrich's advisor after all. With just a glance, he had torn apart the barriers I carefully constructed around my irredeemably twisted heart.

Lord Henri was correct. Though he did not say it outright, the fact that he directly addressed my true worry was a statement enough. In truth, the reason why my heart trembled was not because he was a witchspawn, nor was it because he had betrayed the barony.