Betrayed Redemption

Chapter 2

Velliarh's POV

"May I come in?" Vella asks opening the door slightly.

"Yeah" I say. "What happened?"

"Does something need to happen for me to visit you?" She asks with raised eyebrows.

"I didn't mean that.."

"I know" she laughs. "What did they tell you last night?"

"Oh..just along the lines of 'Velliarh, just because you have a curse doesn't mean you should live up to it!' " I say mimicking father's voice.

"That speech again?" She chuckles.

"Its overused" I laugh. "I always thought it was a good saying. 'If they believe you're evil..don't live up to it' "

"He wants to trade with..Loc Muinne.." She says. "More like trying to get more people on our side"

"And I shouldn't screw it up" I sigh. "They told me that too last night. That this celebration is for me..to learn something about the future 'queen' of Nilfgaard" I say with a bored tone.

"I feel like something's gonna go wrong" she shakes her head with doubt.

"Something always goes wrong!" I says, frustrated already. "They're gonna tell me I'm different and leave. Maybe you should just take the position"

"Me?" She asks shocked.

"Yes. I don't care about politics, never did. Never will"

"I..I..don't know..what to..say"

"Say, yes. Tell mother I bet she'd be overjoyed" I say.

"But what about you? What will you..do?" She asks.

"What do you mean? I'll have many things to do" I smile, picking up my favourite runestone.

"Magic?"

"I always thought magic would be an amazing thing to try..but then again I don't want to be burnt for 'witchcraft' " I fiddle with the stone. "You know legends say-"

" 'Legends say it possesses immense power and the emotion you feel when its power is unlocked' " she quotes. "You tell me that all the time!"

"I'd love to use this" I say looking at the transparent stone.

"The last time you did something magical they tried using dimeritium on you so please..don't get your magician on"

I laugh. "I was 13 and very very angry!"

"I still don't understand how you did that" she says.

"Me too..I asked.. Father, he..shrugged it off and said to never use it again, that's why he got me this stone. Its probably a fake for all I know"

"I doubt it.."

My mind travels back to that unfaithful day.

*4 years ago *

"Why'd they call me that?!" I shout.

"They don't mean it" Father says.

"They do! They call me cursed all the time! I did nothing wrong!!" I say with clenched fists.

"Velliarh, control your anger..we talked about this" he says slowly.

"I can't!! I always try! But they don't care!" The voices of the townsfolk whispering amongst themselves about me all flood in my head, their voices ringing in my ear. I wanted it to stop but it didn't and I screamed just then I heard a shattering of a window.

I looked around shocked as I see pieces of glass on the floor.

"I..I..d-didnt..mean..t-to-"

"Go to your room now!" He says firmly, its weird because he didn't seem shocked.

I back up slowly and run back into my room shutting the door behind me.

*1 hour later *

I see a horse and carriage coming into the gates, who is that? A lady, with her hair in a bun and a very formal dress on. I sneak out of my room and hid behind a large column. She walks in and addresses my father.

"You don't know what happened. You can't take her to Aretuza" Father says.

Aretuza? What's that?

"You didn't even let me start" the strange lady says.

"Look. Retress. This was an accident, her power is not to be medaled with and she's a princess, not a sorceress" he says.

"I doubt you told her how she was able to use that much magic that allowed me to track her here"

"No. Leave now"

"I want to see her, the girl" she says.

"So you can take her with you? Tell her the truth? No, I don't think so"

"I wasn't asking" she says moving pass him.

I don't listen anymore and run back to my room.

After a couple of minutes my door opens.

"Velliarh Var Emreis" She says.

"Yes..that's.... me" I say hesitantly. "Who are you?"

"Tissaia De Vries" she says, her posture never faltering.

"Did you come here to take me away?" I ask.

"No..not now"

"Then?"

"I have to give you something" she says walking forward.

"Uhm..." I back away.

"You're not going to like your future so its best if you just give me your hand now" she says firmly.

I hesitantly put my hand forward. "What's..my..future?"

"I cannot say" she says taking my hand and a black symbol of a circle intersecting with a triangle appears on my arm.

"What's.. What's this?"

"You'll find out soon enough" she says, walking to the door.

"What's.. Aretuza?" I ask before she can leave.

"You'll see" she says before walking out.

Later that day I was to wear a dimeritium cuff for an entire month

*end of flashback *

"Hello?" Vella says, waving her hand in front of my face.

"Sorry..I got lost there"

"Are you okay?" She asks, worriedly.

"Yeah..I'm fine" I smile, putting down the stone.

"I'm going to go ask more about the whole loc muinne thing..see you later" she says.

"See you"

Once she leaves I pull my sleeve up and trace the mark. Its been 4 years and I still don't know what it means. I wish that day would come sooner.

***

>Dimeritium is used to neutralize the power of magic

•stay safe,bye💙