She reached out and took his hands on hers, her grip firm and reassuring. "My father, your grandfather, wouldn’t even teach me the blue flame no matter how many times I begged and humbled myself before him," She snorted, the memory a bruise to her ego.
"Your grandfather believed that the blue flame was not for everyone. Of course, it wasn’t," Queen Maeve seemingly concurred, or so Valerie thought.
"It was meant for us. For the royal summer Faeries. It should have been the sign of the true heir. With such power, we would be able to change the course of this kingdom. The summer court would not be messed with. But then..." Her face took on a mocking tone, "Your grandfather decided I was not good enough. That the flame was not to be used to conquer, but to serve and to save. "
Valerie lifted a brow at that sentence.
Queen Maeve laughed, "Don’t worry, the old Fae was full of nonsense."
"However..." Her grip tightened with relief, "You have learned it and that is all that matters. With this power, you will crush Aldric at the duel and send him right where he belongs. It’s time he joined his wretched mother."
Perhaps it was the disrespect towards the dead queen but it hit Valerie the wrong way and he pulled his hand away.
He sneered, "Don’t flatter yourself, Mother, I only learned the basics before grandfather decided as well that I wasn’t deserving of the blue flame." Valerie felt nothing but indignation when he remembered the memory.
He continued, "Perhaps, grandfather was right. Both of us are not worthy of the blue flames, not when we only cause pain and hurt to the people around us. To think of that kind of power in your hand, I can only imagine the destruction you will bring to this kingdom."
Queen Maeve rolled her eyes, tearing his words as nothing."It’s obvious that you are still angry Valerie and I understand, our relationship hasn’t been so much lately. However, this is a turning point for you, my son. Don’t waste it."
She went on to say, "It doesn’t matter if you didn’t complete the training, what matters is that you got the basics. Fire magic is all about harnessing and control. The fact that you learned the blue flames in just a matter of days is a sign of your potential, your true strength. Even that damned grandfather of yours wasn’t this quick to catch up. You, my son.... "
Queen Maeve cupped Valerie’s face this time and he did not stop her. "You are a prodigy. This kind of thing doesn’t just happen, Valerie. This means that you are destined for great things. And I’m sorry for the way that I treated you so far."
For a moment, Valerie felt a flicker of hope. But it was quickly smothered by the lingering resentment and hurt, having seen through her act.
"So...." He began, "I suddenly learned the blue flames and you now want to be the loving mother. This doesn’t change anything. You pushed me too far. You roped Elena into this mess. And now, you’re trying to twist this into something it isn’t."
Maeve’s expression softened slightly, but she stood her ground. "Perhaps I have been harsh. But you must understand, everything I did, I did it for you. For this kingdom. For our family."
"Oh please, spare me the speeches, mother." Valerie shook his head, feeling the weight of her words but unable to fully accept them. "You did it for control. For power. Not for me, not for this kingdom. And certainly, not for this family."
He leaned in, looking her dead in the eye, and said. "I’d rather you blame me for everything than this sudden act of yours. But do know that I will not stand here and be your scapegoat anymore. I’ve had enough of your manipulation, your cold-hearted punishments, and your endless demands for perfection. I am not your pawn!"
Queen Maeve looked at him for a long moment, then finally nodded. "Maybe you’re right. I might have used you a little bit, but every one of my actions shaped you into the Fae you are today."
"I don’t need your fucking lessons." He snarled, a deep rumble in his chest.
"Well, In that case, you’re free to do whatever you want then. That is if you will even survive the death duel." With that, Queen Maeve turned and walked back to the window, leaving Valerie standing there.
Valerie’s eyes flashed with both hurt and anger. To think his mother doesn’t believe in him. If anything, she only thought of exploiting him for her own use.
Having had enough, he turned to leave only for his mother to say after him.
"You now have a gift, Valerie. Use it wisely. I’m always here whenever you need me."
Valerie let out a growl. The room seemed colder now, the air heavy with unresolved tension and unspoken truths.
With a deep breath, he left his mother full of anger and raging thoughts. He would win this death duel. And he would prove to everyone what he was capable of.
Meanwhile.....
In the cold, sterile chamber of the morgue, the attendants worked quietly over Elena’s body. Her form now lay still on the steel table as they prepared meticulously to hand her body over to her family for the final rites.
Suddenly, the heavy doors swung open, and Andre entered, his presence commanding and unexpected. The attendants paused, glancing up in surprise as he strode forward, his expression determined and unreadable. Behind him followed a figure cloaked in dark, flowing robes – it was the witch from earlier.
"Leave us," Andre commanded, his voice brooking no argument.
The attendants exchanged uncertain glances but knew better than to question a prince. They gathered their tools and silently exited the room, the door clicking shut behind them, leaving Andre and the witch alone with Elena’s lifeless form.
The witch approached the table, her gaze flickering over Elena’s body with a detached interest.
Andre watched her intently, his eyes narrowed with anticipation. "Show me Elena’s last memory," he said, his tone low and resolute. "To be precise, I need to know how she died."