Peacebringer

Chapter Thirty Seven - Valda's Legacy

Valda began writing furiously while Asha was still snoring. Asha looked so peaceful in her sleep, but her snoring was a little annoying. Valda soon became too involved in her thoughts to notice.

There is no doubt in my mind now that Asha could be my sister. I only wish I had gotten to see her mother up close. Maybe I would have remembered her face. I guess I'll find out when we get back.

While it seems kind of silly, it felt good to give her the dagger. She doesn't really need it with her fire spinning, but it's something from the castle that is hers now. Even though that is the very thing we are fighting against, it seems right that she should have something from there.

My greatest fear now is that either my father or Darkwater will see her when we break in. Either one of them could recognize her. They also probably know by now that the resistance has a fire spinner. If they remember the prophecy, they might have already figured out that it's about her.

That means that if they see her, she will be in great danger. Not so much from father, more from Darkwater. If she really is trying to take over, she won't enjoy the fact that there is another heir who is also prophesied to be her downfall.

Valda stopped writing for a moment, a thought brewing in her head. It would be dangerous, and it certainly wasn't a part of her mission, but given the circumstances it was necessary.

I think that when we break in for this mission, I will have to try to kill Darkwater. Both for Asha's safety, and to hopefully be able to reason and reconcile with Father.

Valda put the little book down and stowed her pen away in her bag. She leaned against a tree, watching Asha sleep and absentmindedly petting the crow.

The sun was starting to set, although Valda wouldn't actually be able to see the sunset with the trees in the way. The sky was still starting to turn shades of orange and yellow.

The castle looked so peaceful, it was almost hard to imagine how much turmoil had been caused within its walls. The sunlight glittered off of the water in the moat. Valda remembered when the moat was built. They diverted part of the river and dug a new channel for it so that it would reconnect to the river later. It was the same river that became the creek near Asha's home. It was a clever bit of engineering, even though it made the castle seem cut off from the rest of the country. The castle used to be a meeting place, where all were welcome.

Karda used to be such a beautiful country, with a rich culture. Valda remembered the colorful celebrations from when she was younger.

There was one in particular that she remembered very vaguely. It happened in early spring, and they would decorate the town in huge flowers and colorful banners. They would drape them between buildings so that parades could walk under them.

When she had looked it up later with her private tutor, she had discovered it was called the Feast of Promises. She couldn't believe she could actually find it based on her hazy memory of riding in a carriage underneath a rainbow of flowers and colored cloth. Kardans used that day to talk about how they were going to better themselves and their communities. It was a time of reflection and celebration. People would come together for wonderful food and conversation. Valda was sad when she realized she remembered it, but they no longer celebrated it. It had fallen by the wayside once the spinner conflict had started.

That's the first thing I will bring back, she thought to herself. When this is all over, or when I am queen, that's what I'm bringing back to Karda first. We need new promises to ourselves, and we need more celebration.

She pulled out her journal again. She wanted to write that down. It seemed fitting to promise herself that she would bring back the Feast of Promises.