Valencia Esmeray

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 - X : The Escape

The rain poured relentlessly, casting a heavy gloom over the kingdom. Inside the palace, Prince lan paced anxiously in his chambers, his mind spinning after hearing Queen Charlotte's latest orders. His spy had informed him that Valencia was in immediate danger; the queen had commanded her execution for the insult she brought upon the royal family.

Without hesitation, lan grabbed his cloak and mounted his horse. As he rode through the storm, water soaked his clothes and chilled him to the bone, but his only concern was reaching Valencia before the guards could. When he arrived at her mansion, he pounded on the door, breathless and dripping. Valencia, holding Deborah in one arm and Nina in the other, opened the door cautiously.

You need to leave now," lan said urgently, stepping inside. "The queen has ordered your death. You and your children must flee before it's too late."

Valencia's eyes widened with shock and fear, but she remained composed. "Where do we go? I can't just leave everything behind."

lan stepped closer, his voice softening. "There's a house on the outskirts of the kingdom. It's safe. An old friend of mine lives there, and she'll protect you." He gently cupped her face with his cold hands, kissing her forehead. "I'll keep you safe. Trust me."

Valencia hesitated, uncertain if she should place her fate in his hands. Though unsure, she had no other option. She nodded quietly, and within minutes, she wrapped a hood around herself, packed her babies into a basket, and followed lan into the stormy night.

When they reached the small house at the edge of the kingdom, an old woman answered the door. She wore a long black dress, her silver hair tied neatly in a bun. Her name was Eleanor Greywitch, a reclusive witch known to very few. Valencia immediately sensed magic in the air and grew tense.

"Who is she?" Valencia whispered, eyeing the woman warily.

"She saved my life once, when I was a child," lan explained. "The royal family has kept her existence secret for years. This is the safest place for you now."

Inside the humble home, lan and Valencia sat by the fireplace. As Eleanor busied herself preparing tea, lan turned to Valencia, his voice low. "Were you married before? Or widowed? Maybe forced into a marriage you had to run from? You're too young to have children... what happened?" Ian asked curious.

His questions pierced something deep within her. Memories she had buried long ago started to resurface-memories of another royal family, another tragedy. Valencia pulled her hand from his grip and turned away, tears welling in her eyes.

"Go," she whispered.

lan, concerned, reached out to comfort her, but Valencia shook her head. The last time she had trusted someone from royalty, it had ended in catastrophe. Her heart raced with panic. The room seemed to close in on her as her past traumas suffocated her. She didn't want history to repeat itself.

She broke down, tears streaming down her face. "Please, leave me alone. I don't want to be involved with you, lan. Kissing you was a mistake. I was drunk and I didn't mean it, I just want to be left in peace with my children. I don't want to be targeted by the Royal family or ruin my life. " She sobbed, clutching her knees as she trembled with fear. Even though she was independent brave and strong outside, the trauma crippled her into being a child who still couldn't get over something. She was vulnerable and she despised it.

lan knelt in front of her, his own eyes brimming with emotion. "Do you think I would hurt you or I'd let them hurt you? Do I look like the kind of man who would harm the woman I love?" His voice cracked, and he reached out to touch her face again, but Valencia pushed him away.

The rejection shattered him. "I would give up everything for you, Valencia. You think I'm cruel? I swear to you, if you don't want me, I'll leave, but I will always protect you. I would never do anything to harm you." He placed a hand on hers, and for a moment, their eyes locked. There was something different about him that Valencia could've only felt once in her life before with a man who's dead in her attic. There was some kind of warmth and gentleness about him.

Then, as if drawn by an unspoken force, Valencia pulled him close, and their lips met in an intense kiss. The fire crackled behind them, casting flickering shadows as they lost themselves in each other. lan's hands roamed to unbutton her dress, revealing the delicate lace of her corset. He kissed her neck, his fingers tracing the curve of her waist as she unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his toned chest. Their bodies pressed together in a passionate embrace until the sound of a baby's cry interrupted them.

Valencia quickly pulled away, covering herself as she hurried to check on her children. Ian, shirtless and still catching his breath, smiled softly as he buttoned up and followed her.

"They're adopted, aren't they?" lan asked, holding Deborah while Valencia fed Nina from a bottle.

Valencia nodded, slightly amused. "They are. How did you know?"

"They're not as beautiful as you," he said with a teasing grin. "And you're feeding them from a bottle."

Valencia rolled her eyes. "This is Nina, and you're holding Deborah."

"Do you have a favorite?" he asked, bouncing Deborah gently in his arms.

"I love them both equally."

"Come on, you must have a favorite," lan pressed playfully. "They're adopted!"

"I don't care. They're mine, and I love them both," Valencia replied firmly.

lan chuckled and handed Deborah back to her. "Fair enough."

He glanced at the time and sighed. "I need to go. It's best you stay here tomorrow. I'll send some clothes for you. You need to vacate your manor and move to the neighboring kingdom. I'll find a way to marry you when it's safe."

Valencia arched an eyebrow. "Why do you think I'm in love with you?"

He smiled, his eyes warm. "Because eyes don't lie."

That quote is something Valencia despised the most, it's something that runs in their blood line. She gripped her hand tight trying not to remember what had happened back then. She needs to stay strong for the sake of her kids.

Valencia said nothing, her heart torn between fear, gratitude, and something else entirely as lan prepared to leave.

But as the door was about to close behind him Valencia called him out.
"I have something to give you" She says handing over a chain with a emerald green crystal pendant just like her eyes with a human heart design on it.
"It is the heart of Titia it is supposed to save you from evil spirits". She lied, it was supposed to save him from the supernatural.
"I will wear it at all times" Ian grinned and waved a final bye and disappeared into the woods on his horse.

For some odd reasons valencia could never trust him fully. The episodes of past crawled in the dark pits of her mind, strangling her , leaving her breathless. Even though it's been more than a hundred years, the betrayal was unforgivable.