After Lanying told Jae she was going to return to the Wēifēng palace, he decided to go along with her. He knew that he should probably be looking for the others, but, given the recent events, knew that information about Valeria was probably a top priority for all of them. Once the two were safely out of the way from any prying eyes, Lanying agreed to speak with him in her room. He could only briefly took in the surroundings, as his focus was directed elsewhere. The room housed a large bed, a wide vanity, a dressing room off to the side, and a spectacular view of the ocean. Certainly, it was a comfortable palace befitting of the Queen.
"I suppose you're wondering why I'm so invested in this," Lanying removed her drab disguise and began to put a more regal outer layer, then moved towards her vanity, "I know you must be curious about your friend and what it has to do with me."
"Well, yes," Jae nodded, feeling a little awkward to be speaking so casually with someone as important as Lanying in her chamber of all places. But if there ever were a place to provide absolute privacy, he supposed this would be it.
"The issue is very complicated, as it goes back multiple millennia— far before I was born," the Queen prefaced, starting to comb her hair, readying herself to remake the extravagant updo she was known for, "but I'll just speak on what is relevant to Valeria," she opened up a large drawer filled with cosmetics and hair accessories, "Did you know that Valeria is a Hidden?"
"I..." Jae began to think, "no, I did not."
The first thought that crossed his mind was 'how can she be a Hidden? Aren't the Hidden only full-Elves?', but it was soon replaced by another. Recalling the time when they broke Arlo out and Valeria had somehow fought off the mutated drakes all by herself. Her cuts were to clean to be made by a person who was fighting in desperation— something else was going on. He supposed that her being a Hidden was a viable explanation.
"Given that the Light Elves fought a brutal war against the Hidden not too long ago, relatively speaking, they still believe them to be their greatest adversaries," Lanying wove a section of her hair into a braid, doing the same on the other side. "Now, of course, every nation fights wars every now and then— it's just the way things go sometimes— but it was different with the Hidden. The Hidden were a decentralized group of nomadic people of all different creeds who banded together because of their unique condition— the ability to take powerful weapons out of their bodies. Eventually, they settled in a territory that now belongs to Isilynor, creating their own unique culture and settlement. Given that the Hidden were made of peoples from all across Sairesa, they had many trade opportunities readily available, which each citizen being fluent in at least two languages. Surely enough, all sorts of people flocked there, including those known as low-level Demons. You know, Succubi and the like."
"So the Light Elves didn't like them because they settled on their land?" Jae guessed, taking a few short steps towards the Queen, "surely there must be more than that."
"You are correct," Lanying began to re-apply her eye makeup, "the Light Elves believe that they have been charged by Sairesa itself to purify the world and protect 'Those Born in the Light' from any evil. I am not going to judge their religion itself, but I do have opinions about how they carry it out," finishing her eyeliner, she continued, "indeed, their calling is incredibly noble, and they have done good for many. However, I object to their belief that entire people groups are evil simply because of how they were born."
Jae sat down at a nearby desk, leaning in for the Queen's next words.
"Now," Lanying set down her cosmetics, studying her reflection, "I personally do not think evil can create— it only has the power to influence. Therefore, if there is something about someone that they cannot change, then it is only a mere difference between types of peoples, not a cause to call them evil by default. Even creatures we call monsters do not differ greatly from those we call animals, but they can be manipulated to become more aggressive, and therefore evil," Lanying turned to face Jae. "Unfortunately, this belief isn't particularly popular with anyone. Fundamentally, we all want to put people in easy-to-understand boxes to justify our actions, failing to grasp the nuance that resides in all of us."
"I see," Jae slowly reclined into the chair, letting out a quiet, long exhale.
"Ah, but I suppose you want to know about the Light Elves' relationship with the Hidden, specifically," Lanying stood up, her appearance restored to its usual majesty. "The Hidden are in a grey area for the Light Elves, as they all come from other Elf groups, so they cannot be classified as Demons. So, rather than trying to kill them, the Light Elves yearn to understand them and figure why there have been so few Hidden among their own people," she began to pace around. "This was, unfortunately carried out through grueling experiments that often resulted in death or lives irreconcilably changed. Nobody volunteered to be studied, so vulnerable members of the Hidden were routinely captured and tested on. And so, one day, the Hidden became sick of it and rebelled against the Light Elves," she turned to Jae. "Well, given that the Light Elves are now more prosperous than ever and the Hidden are hardly ever seen, I trust that you know the result of this conflict."
"I understand," Jae stood up and made his way to the Queen's side.
In Nantae, people simply accepted that the Light Elves were the be-all-and-end-all. It seemed that the only people that were even slightly interested in the Hidden outside of the Light Elves were academics and historians— everyday people like Jae hardly knew a thing, other than that the Hidden existed. He did not take the time to consider what that existence was like. Judging from Lanying's explanation, the Hidden's lives were nothing to be desired, and were likely dismal and unfulfilling, having to hide a fundamental part of themselves from the world.
"You must not tell anyone where Valeria is for the time being," Lanying's gaze scanned downward to Jae's weapon, "and it would be prudent if you stayed out of the Light Elves' sight too. Surely, they will confiscate that from you."
"I will be careful."
Jae wanted to say more to the Queen, but could only give simple responses. It was clear to him that she knew what was best for both him and Valeria.
"Very well," Lanying nodded to him, then turned towards the door. "I have some other matters to attend to now. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours."
"Thank you for speaking with me," Jae placed his hand over his heart and gave a slight bow.
"Likewise," Lanying smiled, beginning to walk towards the door. She stopped. Turning back to Jae, she asked, "by the way, do you know Yue?"
"Yes," Jae caught up with her, "yes, I do."
"Queen Odilia killed his mother as she stood in these very palace halls," her voice broke. "If you get the chance, please give him your condolences."
Jae froze in place. There were very few circumstances in which he could picture Shufen doing anything so extreme that it would warrant her death. She was hardly the kind of person to actually do anything violent and was just all talk. At the end of the day, Shufen was just a mother who desperately wanted to see her child. Where was the crime in that? Now, he truly understood why Valeria had to leave. If Shufen could be killed for hardly anything at all, then there was no telling what kind of flimsy reason would be used to justify whatever the Light Elves had planned for Valeria. He opened his mouth, but could not find the appropriate words to say.
Lanying gazed at him sympathetically and gently rested her hand on his shoulder. "Stay safe."
The Wind Elf Queen left the room. She had to now face her diplomats and politicians to work out the specificities of the new tariffs, and what to do if Odilia refused. Later, she wanted to speak to Yue about funeral preparations for his mother.
Although Lanying was faced with many stressful activities all at once, she had to remain poised through it all, lest someone deem her unfit to rule. After all, she was the one who married into royalty. Her own people were hardly critical of this aspect of her, however. If anything, she had more support after she divorced Jiahao, as it showed to the general public that being a good ruler had nothing to do with blood. Her keeping her position was a sign of the changing times— something most was enthusiastic about. But she was afraid of what outsiders thought. She knew that Odilia, a person obsessed with keeping a certain order in the world, only tolerated her and would much rather speak to Jiahao than her. Whether it be because Jiahao was unlikely to question what Odilia had to say or that Odilia genuinely did not respect her, Lanying was disturbed by her actions. There was the risk that Odilia, now having a foot in Wēifēng, could try to undermine her rule by sowing doubt in her people. So, Lanying couldn't waiver in the slightest, and had to hold strong to her views no matter what.
Jae remained in the room. Valeria, who he had just spent so much time with, who gave him his first job, was gone. She was just like any other person he'd met— albeit with a few eccentricities here and there— but she was completely harmless. Even if she was a Hidden, it was no business of the Light Elves. But what could he do to help? If the Light Elves truly were after her, then there was nothing he could do to possibly stop them. Lanying's advice of keeping Valeria's whereabouts a secret, and him staying out of trouble as well seemed like the most sensible thing to do.
Remembering that the others were off running around looking for Valeria, Jae figured he should go looking for them. The confusing halls of the Wēifēng palace were even more disorienting to him in his clouded emotional state. And so, he continued to wander around.
Meanwhile, Mosi and Arlo were searching the city, unsuccessful in their search for Valeria. Conceding to their loss, the pair decided to head to the palace. They expected Yue to be there with Shufen, winding their way through the busy streets.
Feeling somebody tap his shoulder, Mosi spun around. He began to smile, thinking it was Valeria.
"There you are!" he beamed.
But upon seeing who it was, his expression morphed into surprise. It wasn't Valeria, but Zosime.
"Huh?" Zosime tilted her head. She clasped her hands and looked away slightly. "Were you looking for me?"
"Um, not exactly," Mosi awkwardly scratched his head.
Arlo's eyes widened at the sight of Princess Zosime. With her doll-like eyes and tall, slender physique, she was as stunning as he imagined she would be. He wanted to go ahead and introduce himself but remembered that he was technically in hiding for the time being. Also, there was the risk that she could tell the other Light Elves about whatever she could find out about Valeria and leak his location. And so, he bit his tongue. On the off chance that she or someone working for her would recognize him, Arlo slipped away into the cover of a nearby store.
"Oh, then who were you looking for?" Zosime inquired with a small sigh seeming disappointed.
"Ah, it's nothing," Mosi dismissed, thinking of an excuse. Surely she wouldn't question a work-related excuse. "We were just supposed to meet a client here. It was kind of the whole reason why we're in Wēifēng."
"But what about your friend Valeria?" Zosime inquired. "Where is she?"
Mosi blinked. He had never addressed Valeria by name around Zosime, and neither did he mention her anywhere in the vicinity of Zosime. Although she had been helpful thus far, Mosi couldn't help but think this was a little suspicious. The timing was all too convenient. He had just spoken with Zosime not too long ago and now the Light Elves were in Wēifēng. He couldn't help but think she was tangled up in the mess as well, even if he didn't want to.
"She left to go back to Athelaric shortly after we met," Mosi lied.
Coincidentally, this story aligned perfectly with the one Yue fed Runa earlier.
"Ah, I see," Zosime nodded, looking around. "Well, I won't bother you anymore. Good luck with your client!"
Light Elf soldiers were beginning to gather around the Princess, indicating to her it was time to go.
"Hopefully we'll see each other soon!" Zosime beamed, hurrying over to the soldiers.
"Yeah, for sure," Mosi smiled and waved as she left.
Once they had cleared out, Arlo rejoined Mosi once more.
"I suppose we should find Yue in the Wēifēng Palace," he suggested. "Perhaps he has made some progress."
"Uh, yeah," Mosi was a bit taken aback by the fact that Arlo wasn't fixating on Zosime. Before, he had been so enthralled with her, but now, he was being a lot more serious. If there was any indication that things were no longer a laughing matter, this was it.
The two made their way to the palace.
At last, Jae had found Yue. He was sitting down on a bench, vacantly staring downward. Jae inhaled, preparing himself for the conversation ahead. Jae knew that Yue had become close with Valeria recently, and knew he wouldn't be happy to hear that he wasn't able to find her. Of course, with his mother passing as soon as she arrived, Jae anticipated that the next interaction wasn't going to be easy. Additionally, the two didn't really get a chance to become close as Jae had spent most of his time staying with Arlo, making Jae feel unprepared. Still, he tried to make an effort.
"Hi, Yue," Jae gave a small wave and sat beside him.
Yue looked up. His hair was already fading from black to greyish-brown, and the rims of his eyes seemed wet with tears.
"Oh, hello Jae," he fixed his posture and neatened out his clothes a bit. Yue scanned the room with a glint of hope, but it soon faded after he saw that Jae was alone. "Ah, so you didn't find Valeria."
"No," Jae replied simply.
He was going to leave it at that but spotted the earrings that Valeria had given Yue when they first met— earrings that he had worn every day since they were in Wēifēng. Clearly, Yue liked Valeria, and Jae couldn't help but feel guilty for withholding the information about her whereabouts from him.
"Then I will go look too," Yue stood up.
"There's no need for that," Jae quickly urged, knowing that the Light Elves were a danger to him too. "Valeria is tough, I'm sure she'll be okay."
"My mother was tough, too, but Odilia still killed her!" Yue turned to Jae, his eyes flashing red, "and I was there, standing at the end of the hall, utterly helpless. I couldn't do anything at all, because I couldn't make a choice between staying with my mother or going after Odilia. In the end, I waited too long, and it was too late for my mother. I can't leave Valeria out there by herself."
Yue started off down the hall.
"Yue!" Jae called after him. "Yue, hold on!"
Seeing he wasn't going to stop himself, Jae hurried up behind Yue. He then pulled him over by the shoulder so that they were facing each other. Jae let out a short exhale. Not wanting to cause Yue any more pain, he decided to tell him. Besides, Jae really couldn't think of anyone that Yue would tell, anyway.
"I know where Valeria is, and really, she's okay," Jae then rummaged around for the contract and held it up. "See, she gave this to me before she left."
"Where is she?" Yue replied, completely ignoring the sheet and staring Jae down.
"I can't tell you," Jae answered sternly. "The fewer people that know where she is the better."
"Where. Is. She." Yue clenched his fist, forcing Jae's hand off of his shoulder. "Tell me."
In the time that they knew each other, Yue had hardly ever done anything to indicate to Jae that he was aggressive and assertive, or even capable of being so. He was nothing but polite and accommodating. But this was different. Jae understood his frustrations but knew that in the volatile state Yue was in, it wasn't a good idea to tell him the specifics, lest he do something drastic. Hearing the footsteps in the background also solidified to Jae that he couldn't talk about it.
"I can't." Jae reiterated, standing his ground. "But once I get Arlo back to Athelaric safely, I will come back and tell you."
The two stared at each other for a few moments. Yue, the first one to break the stare, then backed off a little. After all, Jae anticipated that he wouldn't try anything.
"I won't tell anyone," Yue posited one last time. "Please."
Jae looked over his shoulder, spotting Arlo and Mosi. If either of them caught word of Valeria's whereabouts, then there could be trouble. Mosi knew Zosime, and Arlo was known to run his mouth, so neither of them could be trusted in a hurry. Yue seemed to notice them as well.
"As far as they know, I don't know anything," Jae lowered his voice. "The fewer people that know that I know, the better, alright? I will tell you later. I promise."
Yue nodded silently.
"There you are!" Mosi called out as he approached. "What happened? Where's Shufen?"
"She's..." Yue cast his gaze downward. "She's not here. Not anymore."
Jae gulped, knowing how painful it must be for Yue to relieve the horrible event over and over every time he would have to tell others about her passing. But the others had no idea about anything. Jae didn't know if he should step in or not. Mosi and Arlo seemed to read the room and assumed something was wrong.
"What happened?" Mosi inquired, stepping a little closer to Yue. "Is everything okay?"
Yue shook his head, and after staying silent for a moment, quietly answered, "no." He took a deep breath in and simply explained, "she was killed by Odilia. I saw it happen."
Both Arlo and Mosi froze, unable to think of anything to say.
"Odilia? As in Queen Odilia?" Arlo stammered, completely beside himself.
Yue only nodded in response, staring downward with an empty gaze.
"I'm..." Arlo searched for something to say. He, like most from Athelaric, revered the Light Elves. Their aid and contribution to improving Athelarian society were completely unmatched, and not a soul would speak ill of them. However, Yue was his friend, and he wasn't about to try and justify his mother's murder. Instead, he offered words of sympathy. "What happened to Shufen was horrible. I'm so sorry to hear that happened."
"Me too," Mosi expressed.
"I as well," Jae joined in the condolences.
"Oh, um, thank you for your support," Yue nodded yet again, still not meeting their sightlines. He grabbed his arm with his hand, stepping back, seeming to want to disappear from the conversation.
"We didn't find Valeria," Mosi sighed. "I hope she's alright."
"Well, maybe the Light Elves will find the actual suspect in whatever crime they're investigating, then," Arlo tried to remain positive.
"Right," Jae agreed, knowing full well that the reason Valeria was being pursued was not for anything she did, but for what she was.
"Actually, knowing her, she's probably on her way back to Athelaric," Arlo suggested, raising a finger. "Since her whole mission revolves around escorting me home, she's probably waiting for us somewhere westward."
"You know, that seems pretty likely," Jae concurred, trying not to leave any inkling that he actually knew where she was. "We better get on the move, then."
"But—" Mosi turned to Yue, eyebrows upturned in concern.
"Ah, don't worry about me," Yue waved his hands, "I have to prepare my mother's funeral, so..."
"Yeah, but—" Mosi started.
Out of the three, Mosi was the one who spent the most time with Yue, so he felt a little obligated to step in. It seemed a little too cruel to just leave him by himself after losing his mother.
"Please," Yue finally looked up. "I'm really quite alright here by myself. Also, it would make me feel better if as many good people as possible were looking for Valeria since I can't do it myself. So please, don't worry about me."
"Ah, I..." Mosi trailed off. Arlo and Jae didn't know what to say either.
"If you may excuse me, I have many things I must get to," Yue walked past the group. He looked at Jae for a brief moment, then continued on his way. Nobody said anything.
Really, none of them could say they really knew Yue all that well. Valeria had spent a lot of time with him, so the others rarely got a chance to speak with him one-on-one. They, of course, felt sorry for him, but none of them could honestly deny that they weren't skeptical of Shufen and if the murder was truly as unprovoked as Yue had described. After all, there was a large chunk of information missing from the time before she had reunited with her son. Although none would admit to hating Demons outright, they still had an underlying skepticism for the integrity of Shufen's character that could not easily be alleviated. After all, Queen Odilia was unanimously regarded as good and righteous, so for her to attack someone would mean that they had done something wrong. But perhaps Odilia did not live up to her reputation and wasn't as pious as she was thought to be.
But Shufen was truthful in her account to Yue the entire time and described it as it was. Whether or not her defiance of the Light Elves warranted death was not for her, nor any Succubi to decide, but for 'those who were born in the Light' to judge. Her testimony would ultimately be lost to the winds of time.
Still, at the end of the day, the three cared for Yue and were inclined to argue in his favour. However, their lives had to go on, and they had to leave Wēifēng and Yue behind. For them, there was still hope that everything would turn out alright. But for Yue, there was nothing.
Yue didn't just lose the only link to his mother and her people, but also Valeria, the only person who could understand the struggle of being simultaneously deemed fundamentally 'good' and 'evil' at the same time. Although he was surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the Wēifēng palace, he felt completely alone.
Silently, he returned to the medical wing to begin the funeral preparations. A lot of it was people just talking at him, to where he barely emoted in response and was merely going through the motions. He was somewhat familiar with the Wēifēng funeral customs but had no idea what Succubi's could be. The fact that he would be unable to give his mother the funeral of her people became increasingly disheartening. And yet, there was nothing he could do, and nobody he could ask for direction. He could only carry on and do what he was told, just like always. He now knew that was his place in the world.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
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