The Dawn of New Alliances (8)

[Validar]

Validar left Corunglain for Ft. Fletcher in New Frontiers #67. He expected to be away longer and for Gabriella to head to Pyris and spend the winter there. The hope was for him to return to Pyris himself sooner than later. Ft. Fletcher was recovered much quicker than expected and while many of the Guardians remained to do battle with the impending enemy arrival, Sirs Acerion and Validar returned to Corunglain for a Lords Council meeting. As noted before, she was now not part of this council in the rewrite. But she had not left Corunglain yet due to the terrible weather. There's something to thank Auril for!

As the meeting broke down and people went their own ways preparing for the swift trip to Pyris, Teris Penhaligon stepped up to Sir Validar, asking for a moment of his time. "Sir Validar, if you have a moment, I was wondering if I could ask you a personal question?"

Validar stopped for a moment and turned to Lady Teris. "I do have but a moment. Those of us moving on to Pyris have barely an hour to prepare for the departure.

"I am afraid it may not be a simple answer then that I am looking for," she says cryptically.

"You are not alone then," the knight responds with a slight chuckle. "Several questions seem to have complicated answers of late."

"I hope you do not take offense," she began, "and I mean none certainly. Why did you chose Lady Allonica to be your woman? The word here in Corunglain is that the two of you are quite romantically involved. Do you intend to marry her?"

"That is indeed a complicated answer, Lady Teris."

"I understand that, but she is not advantageous politically. She has no lands to bring to the union. Granted her family is a very successful merchant house, but I would imagine that as the heir to Pyris, you are not in serious need for monetary supplies. And she's, well, she's a foreigner. So why her? When there are no tangible gains?"

Validar studied the Lady Penhaligon for a moment, trying to decipher the reasons for her rather intrusive questions. Had she not predicated her questions indicating she meant no offense, it would be easy to take them as such. Validar was not about to let anyone disparage his woman. "I am going to assume that you are looking for some deep answers of a sort." He paused a moment. "Lady Allonica is intelligent, kind, industrious and extremely talented. And of course, she is quite the beauty. But I feel as though her internal beauty shines brighter than her outer beauty."

"Lady Ardel is also very beautiful and potentially brings in another barony to your family. And there are many other well-connected women in the Inner Kingdom that would benefit your political standing very much."

"Vera is a fine woman and marrying her would make me a Viscount eventually, to be certain. And honestly were I to recover any lost barony for the crown, that title may be a suitable reward anyway. Same with some other 'well-connected women'. I have had plenty of empty opportunities at the feast of the Siege of Gateway to make 'connections'. Plenty of empty opportunities in the years before that. All of which were less than inspiring."

"And so Lady Allonica inspired you?"

A wide smile raised on Validar's face. "Indeed she did. Gabriella was the first woman I met who had no level of political pretense in our discussions."

"I imagine as a hero of the Kingdom you have had a number of potential brides looking to hitch their carriage to your proverbial horse. Even more now that you are a knight and once more a hero of Corunglain."

"We do what we must," Validar said. "Can I ask you what you are truly trying to get at with your line of questioning?"

"I would like to find someone who looked at me the way your face lit up when you thought about Lady Allonica. In the Inner Kingdoms, so many marriages are arranged strictly for political gain. Especially for one such as I, a middle daughter. I have no chance of claim to lands. My father wishes me to marry for the benefit of the family's political gains and alliances. I was not even allowed to train as a squire. I had to learn my combat skills entirely on my own, as I could."

"I am sorry to hear that, Lady Teris. We should each forge our own path, regardless of what anyone else thinks."

"Your parents are accepting of your choice of bride then?" Teris asked. "Her nationality does not enter into it?"

"She is a magnificent person and I am sure my parents will adore her. They will indeed accept Gabriella to the family. However, ultimately the choice is not for them to make. And she is as much a lady of Cynalon as any, regardless of from where her mother hails."

"And what if they didn't accept your choice?"

"That would be their loss then, in many ways, but it would not sway my decision. I have decided to eventually marry Gabriella and only she has the ability to deny that desire. I am certain such a situation would never develop. My parents know that my choice of bride is one that is not made lightly or frivolously. Truth be told however, I would give up my right to the throne of the barony if needed in order to live my life with her."

"Impressive," Teris said softly. "You must really love her."

"She is the light of my morning. She is the warmth of my soul. I fall in love with her again every day. She has surpassed all my expectations. And every day I learn new things to love about her even more. I consider that a very tangible gain." Validar smiled a wry smile as he turned the conversation back against her earlier question. "She will be an amazing wife and a very suitable baroness."

"So I must ask you then: how do you do it?"

"I trust this is the true question. But what do you mean exactly?"

Lady Teris thought for a moment. "How do you allow yourself to make a decision based on love and not on outside influences."

"Sheer force of will," Validar said with a sarcastic chuckle. "It is not so simple of course. First one must find someone who makes you a better person and who you cannot live without. Then do not let anyone stand in your way, no matter what."

Meanwhile recently at Corunglain, the days dragged by, filled with the mundane tasks of organizing the caravans and keeping her mind off Validar. Each day Gabriella hoped to hear news of his safe return from Fort Fletcher. And when the message finally came, it was unexpectedly soon. Validar had arrived only a few days after his departure, his mission a swift success and a dire interruption forcing his return. Her heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and trepidation. The Council meeting that had been called was of the utmost importance. The fate of Elcadan hung in the balance, and her love was at the center of it all.

Gabriella waited anxiously in the castle's grand hall, her eyes darting to the doors with each footfall in the corridor. The air was thick with whispers of political alliances and the grim reality of war. When Validar finally emerged, his face was stoic from the political discussions that railed within the halls, but the sight of her brought a soft smile to his lips. She rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck, feeling the cold steel of his armor against her chest.

“Gabriella!” he said surprise filling his voice and hugging her tightly, the warmth of her touch grounding him. “I have missed you every moment I was away. I thought you would be on the way to Pyris.”

Her eyes sparkled like the stars that adorned the night sky. “The weather has kept me from leaving for Pyris, but I have been counting the days until you returned.”

His heart swelled with a mixture of joy and apprehension. “Changes are coming. They are sweeping us toward battles that may change this kingdom forever.”

She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “Or bind everything closer together. The kingdom may follow in the example we will continue to tread. We are stronger united, my love. Wherever your path leads, I will walk beside you.”

“Then let us celebrate what we have before we face the storm,” Validar replied, hugging her close again, feeling the world fade away once more.

(To Be Continued)