Chapter 12
They arrived at the mansion at noon. Valen placed the two pots for the meantime on a table as Lady Melinda greeted Valen with a hug.
"Glad to see you fine dear. I hope you are not mad at us for just making an abrupt decision to have you stay here. We all agreed that that is for the best and for your safety." Lady Melinda said.
"I understand Lady Melinda; I just have other reasons which I cannot tell yet why I want to stay there. However, I will just have to do something about it."
"If you need any help, just do not hesitate to ask us, alright. Come with me; let me show you your room. I will let the servants carry your things. Come."
After Lady Melinda showed her the room. They already went to the dining room to eat lunch where Lord Thomas, Edward, as well as Meredith are already there waiting for them.
"Perhaps, we should introduce these fine ladies to each other. Lady Meredith, this is Lady Valen.........??" Lord Thomas suddenly realized they do not know Valen's last name yet.
"Graham. Valen Graham." Valen curtsies.
"Oh...Graham. I knew of a black-haired healer whose last name is Graham. He's a good old friend. Well, we all know what happened to those good black hair folks. Alright, it is not the time to think about the past. Valen is a healer and will now stay with us here in the mansion. Valen, this is Lady Meredith Allen, she is the daughter of Lord James and the late Lady Janeth of the northern land, Perino."
"And the fiancée of Edward. Nice to meet you Valen." Meredith confidently added.
"Nice to meet you too, Lady Meredith." Valen was surprised with that introduction and felt a bit uncomfortable on the last part where Meredith said that she is Edward's fiancée, but she knows that she should not feeling that way so she just ignore it.
They took their seats, Lord Thomas seated at the head part of the table; her wife, Lady Melinda, seated on his right as Valen seated beside her. Edward seated across her mother and on his left is Lady Meredith. They had small chat as they eat the roasted chicken and some vegetables. During the conversation, Valen found out that Lady Meredith is not officially Edward's fiancée yet which somehow gave her a relief.
After lunch, Valen voluntarily cleaned the table but before Edward or Lady Melinda can stop her, a young lady servant immediately halted Valen in doing so.
"Please, Lady Valen. Let me do that." Said a not so tall, brown-haired lady servant.
"That is right, Valen. You do not have to do that. We did not invite you to stay here to be a servant." Lady Melinda said.
"But, I will be staying here in your mansion, might as well do something in return."
"We have enough servants Valen, and they do their own assigned tasks. What you just need to do is to continue what you are doing. You just need to continue healing the people of Cellis." Lord Thomas said.
"Yes, that is right! And speaking of assigned task, Abby..." Lady Melinda called that young servant who halted Valen to clean the table.
"Yes milady." Abby replied.
"Regarding the one we have talked about a while ago. I want you to assist Valen. Valen this is Abby, she will be your personal aide. She is very hardworking and honest. She can assist you with anything." Lady Melinda delighted said.
"Oh, there is no need Lady Melinda. I will be alright on my own. I do not want to bother Abby or anyone with anything." Valen politely declined the offer.
"Abby and I have discussed about this and she was really happy to know that you will be staying here. Her mother lives in Algom. You were able to treat her mother's illness so she wants to return the favor and be of assistance to you. "
"It will be my pleasure Lady Valen, so please allow me." Abby said.
"Well, nice to meet you Abby. Please do not be too formal, just address me as Valen."
"Excuse me." Lady Meredith interjected. "May I have a little chat with you Valen. It was so nice to have a lady company whose age probably is just the same as me. I hope you will not mind Valen."
"Uhm, sure, if it's just a small chat because I need to take some rest, I'm a bit tired." Valen replied politely, but she is actually not feeling tired, she just knows that her hair will soon begin to return to being black and straight.
"If you will excuse us." Meredith said to the others as the two went outside and talk near a fine looking palm trees.
"Valen, I will be honest with you and I hope you won't mind my asking; who are you to Edward?"
Valen surprised by the sudden, unexpected question, she does not even know how to answer it.
"Apologies, but I do not understand why you are asking me this. I am just nobody to him. They took me in out of responsibility as being the royal family of this land. I do not even know if we are friends." Valen truthfully answered.
"I see. I was just asking, because I noticed Edward a while ago looking at you intently during lunch. Remember that I may not be officially Edward's fiancée yet again, but I soon will be for sure. But what about you, what do you feel for him, do you like him?"
'Another unexpected question', Valen thought. She wondered what she really feels for him, why did she felt sudden uneasiness when Lady Meredith said that she's Edward's fiancée, she does not really know, she has never felt what couples say 'love', but one thing is for sure, she does not dislike Edward.
"I do not think I like him in that way so you do not have to worry Lady Meredith."
"Very well, it seems you are honest; remember that I will be the next Lady of the lands of Perino and Cellis, which will soon be united. For as long as you know who and what you are here, we'll get along. See you around then." Then Lady Meredith left Valen outside and went inside the mansion.
Valen snaps out of her thoughts about the conversation she had with Lady Meredith as every strands of her hair is now starting to straighten and darken. She puts the cloak over her head as she goes straight to the room that she will now be occupying.
Valen saw Edward just outside the door of her room which looks like he has been waiting for her.
"Have you been waiting for me? Is there anything I can help you with Edward?" Edward was startled as he did not notice Valen coming.
"Yes, I do. Please wait here, I'll just get it in my room." Edward answered and went to his room, not too far away from Valen's. He came back holding two pots that belong to Valen that has repelias and ceetones.
"Oh yes, the plants! I almost forgot about them. Thank you very much."
"You're welcome. A while ago, when we arrived here, I saw you place them on a table so I brought it to my room for a while. I was just thinking, the plants seem crowded here in the pot, wouldn't it be better for you to transfer them, in the garden perhaps."
"Well, since you mentioned it, I was actually thinking of requesting it. I hope you won't mind. The pots will really not be enough to grow them; just a small space bigger than these pots will be enough."
"Honestly, I already have requested that to my parents yesterday. Let us go inside your room, I'll show you something."
Valen opens her door and they both go inside. Edward offers Valen to go with him to the balcony. Valen looks outside and saw what seems to be a vacant orchard.
"This vacant place is for you to use Valen. Feel free to plant whatever herbs and plants you wanted. I was thinking, that probably this way, if you will be able to plant the most common herbs and shrubs, as well as those easy-to-grow plants, you will only need little time to gather ingredients in the forest, and that you will only go there to get those hard-to-grow plants and any other ingredients. I hope I am not making sudden decision here." Edward said nervously.
Valen becomes speechless. The place Edward is offering is too much than what she is expecting. After a few minutes of comprehending that the place will be for hers to use, she finally is able to speak.
"I...I do not know what to say. I am so touched that you have thought about it, but I think it is actually too much. I am only thinking of a small place Edward. What is this place before?"
"It has always been a vacant place; though before, grasses grow in here, so yesterday, we have asked someone to prepare this place into a...well, some kind of an orchard. We have been thinking of what to do with this place, so I guess, we have thought of a nice and better way to use it. This way, we can also somehow help the townspeople by helping you. So, please use it."
Valen, being so overwhelmed, embraces Edward. "Well, thank you...thank you so very much."
Edward was so surprised by her action, he stiffened by her embrace. Valen realizing her action stops embracing him.
"Apologies Lord Edward for my action. I was just too pleased. Please forgive me."
"Please stop the formalities and its fine; you do not have to apologize. I am glad you are willing to use it. Well then, please excuse me Valen. I will leave you be, I know you are tired. Please get some rest." Edward leaves her room and his mind is still on her embrace.
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