The Necklace On Her Neck

At the stroke of midnight, Valda stood in front of her ornate mirror in the room's soft lighting. Her gray eyes, once bright and inquisitive, revealed the fatigue of what she had to endure all day—the stress boring into her body like a relentless drill.

She had taken her bath, and her skin now bore the absence of the dirt and blood that clung uncomfortably to her skin. Earlier today, she had faced the whip. The recollection of the cruel leather biting into her flesh made her touch her back subconsciously, a phantom ache at its wake.

But now, as she turned her shoulder to the mirror to view her bare back, there was nothing there—no trace of pain, no lingering marks. Only flawless, untouched skin. Her silver hair flowed cleanly down her back in waves, framing her face like a gentle curtain. But, the longer she studied her reflection, the more apparent it became—the absence of something she had expected to see–the scars that should have marred her skin.

It wasn't the first time this had happened. Her wounds tend to ultimately vanish the minute the pains fade, leaving not even a single mark behind. Her late father had attributed these phenomena as a gift from the heavens, but she suspected he said it merely to ease her distress.

There was nothing divine about her strange ability…or whatever she could classify it into.

Unable to resist, Valda traced her fingers over her back, feeling the contours of her spine. She knew the creepy fox man had aided her rapid healing, but it wasn't enough excuse to deny her theories cause even without his help, her wounds would have disappeared once the pain stops.

Not like she hated the idea of it, but it frightened her still. The way her skin returns to normal, as if the whip had never touched her, it was something to worry about, right? She isn't merely overthinking the whole thing and stressing her dull brain for nothing? Right??

The mirror in front of her held no answers, it only reflected her confusion back at her.

"Am I blessed or cursed? Or even a ghost, a glitch maybe." She wondered, turning away from the mirror and adjusting her outfit, then she sighed. "Perhaps I'm just an anomaly waiting to be deciphered."

Outside through her window, the moon hung gracefully in the midnight sky. Valda closed her eyes as she listened to the night's hum, and when she opened them again, she was staring at the jar containing dark purple glowing butterflies.

The next day, Valda was escorted to the throne room by a servant. She had been summoned by His Majesty, Sebastian, and her heart fluttered with trepidation. She wondered why he called for her so early in the morning…or has he discovered something that could ruin her chances yet again?

Deep breaths Valda…. She emboldened herself.

Her gaze swept through the decor of the lengthy hallway, and she understood why Eryx was so appalled by it. In comparison to his fortress, she could bet he's never been to a place so far off than his extra-grand fortress. This was the mortal realm after all, so the differences were expected.

Nearing the huge double door, the guards positioned at the entrance opened the grand doors to the throne room, and light spilled in. Valda's locks flowed down her back to her waist in waves, catching the morning rays, and it illuminated her hair like a halo.

Sebastian stood by the window, overlooking the garden outside, but his attention redirected to the door when he heard it close shut. He watched Valda walk towards him, and her appearance was… different from the disheveled maiden he saw yesterday.

The dirt and blood on her skin were gone, replaced by a plain brown dress that clung effortlessly to her curves. Her skin, which he remembered to have been marred by bruises, now glowed with a porcelain purity.

She was indeed a captivating woman.

Valda, unaware of his thoughts, simply dipped her head in a graceful curtsy and lowered her gaze, "Your Majesty," she greeted, "you requested my presence."

"Yes, I did." He cleared his throat, averting his gaze to the window, "I wanted to ask if you needed further treatment in regards to your injury yesterday. Are you feeling better?"

"His Majesty has been kind." Valda offered a light smile, recalling he had sent someone to check on her wounds before she slept last night.

"It…it doesn't hurt as much as it did yesterday. Thank you for your concerns."

"I want to know, since yesterday was a bit rough for everyone, I decided to leave further questions for today. Tell me, what prompted the chief guard to take such brutal actions in my absence?"

"He wanted me to confess to a crime I did not commit, and I refused." Valda truthfully replied. She wasn't going to mention about their encounter in the tavern, she felt Eryx did her some justice by putting the chief guard in the state he was in yesterday, not that she was acknowledging his skills of course!

"I refused, and he ordered for me to get whipped in the punishment chamber."

"Well I have apprehended the guard who was in cahoots with the chief guard. I never gave permission for it, and they acted to their desires in my absence."

"You apprehended the second one?" Valda was taken aback, so much so that she dared to raise her head in order to confirm if he was serious, but he had his back to her, gazing out at the garden below.

This was all too suspicious, why was he so readily on her side? Does he perhaps know the truth and is buying her time to prove it? But if he trusted her innocence, why would he put up those posters to begin with?

This was too confusing!

"Valda Griggs."

"Your Majesty?" Valda politely answered, and he turned around to look at her. "Are there any further important details I need to be aware of before the royalty ball tonight?"

"Actually, there is." Valda managed to say, "there's someone who can help me prove my innocence, and he will be attending the royalty ball. His name is Nelson, and I would be eternally grateful if he could be granted entry tonight?"

"It will be done. Anything else?"

"Well uhm… Your Majesty, I heard you will be making an alliance with my cousin tonight?"

"I'm pondering on that note, why?"

"Nothing." She lowered her head even more. "That is all, Your Majesty."

Sebastian's green eyes narrowed intently, and he moved away from the window, closing the distance between him and Valda. His gaze trailed the curve of her neck, down to where a single pendant rested against her collarbone.

"Where did you get that necklace? It wasn't there yesterday, was it?"

"Oh." Valda glanced at the pendant on her neck before meeting Sebastian's curious gaze. "It was a gift my father left behind, he told me to wear it the moment I turned twenty, but I had to hide it instead. My uncle would sell it off if I didn't."

"I see." He averted his gaze and turned around, heading to his throne. "If that is all then you can take your leave. I wish you all the best."

Valda simply bowed her head and left. She exited the throne room and made her way to the quarters where she stayed.

That sly fox told her he'd come by in the morning, but she had barely seen his break light. It's good, because in his absence, she can concentrate, and everything will go according to plan.

Her uncle and aunt would pay. Whatever wealth they owned, their titles—they would crumble like sandcastles. She will become the tempest that swept them away. She would wield her pain like a blade, slicing through their illusions of power.

She may be broken, but her broken spirit found a shard of purpose—a fragile hope that refused to die.