Valeria remained quiet as she and Princess Sage were led out of an open courtyard by guards and into the castle. Her blue eyes looked over to see the wavy blonde haired woman struggling against the men leading them. The proper raised woman could have struggled just as well but found no point in it. Instead she was peaceful and walked calmly through the stone hallways they entered.
The castle stones were so dark they were nearly black. Even in pure daylight she wasn't exactly sure what color the stones were. They were nearly black but there seemed to be a mixture of dark blue, dark gray and even dark brown in them. She couldn't help but be curious as to what the stone actually was.
Valeria had no idea where she was at all. Even the soldiers charcoal grey pants and black leather gave no indication as to where she was; save for the dark gray dragon over there black leather breastplate they wore. She was sure whoever owned the dragons that had captured them, was where they were but nothing more. The soldiers hadn't even addressed them in a way to tell her anything.
The dragons had simply dropped the two women in a courtyard and the soldiers had immediately taken hold of them and wordlessly taken them into the castle walls. 'Lord Quasar was right. Warriors, many of them, seem to need a lesson in manners,' she quietly thought to herself. The manner in which the men were dressed told her warrior and the mannerism for which they held them as if they were second rate practically confirmed her suspicions.
Two large steel doors opened and the two women were led into a large open room. The room wasn't dark exactly but it wasn't full of light either. There were no large windows to afford light giving the atmosphere of a dark and dangerous place.
On the other side of the room was a black throne sitting above six stone steps. The throne was large and spikes adorned the top of it several inches above the man that sat on the throne. Valeria's eyes looked at the angry looking man on the imposing throne. His hair appeared to be very dark but with the lack of light it was difficult to see exactly what color his hair was. Even his eyes looked to be dark.
As the princess and Valeria were practically shoved forward the area before the king lightened just enough to make a few things out more clearly. The man of royalty on the throne had hair that was not as dark as it had first appeared. The Benola raised woman guessed in the light it would be closer to light brown than dark. His eyes looked to be a shade of dark blue. He had appeared younger from a distance but now closer he looked to be in his 40's. The one thing that had not changed however was the look of anger the man wore.
"Princess Sage," Drem sneered looking at the wavy haired woman. There was no question that he didn't care for the woman before him.
"Drem," She said less than pleased. Instantly she was hit from behind and fell to the ground.
"That's King Drem woman!" The soldier behind her snapped.
Sage looked at the Shadow King with angry blue eyes. "You aren't fit to be a king," she sneered. Instantly a guard kicked the female warrior still on her knees. The princess grunted but didn't cry out.
Drem turned his eyes from the daughter of one of his enemies and looked at the woman dressed in right. "Interrupted a wedding did I?" he commented looking first at the bottom of the gown and then allowing his dark blue eyes to travel up the dress before finally resting on Valeria's face.
Drem blinked for a moment before suddenly rising from his throne. Valeria watched as the king dressed in leather walked down his steps and approached her. "How is it that you..." Seeing confusion in her eyes he stopped. Looking at her he saw the face of an old enemy but her obvious young age told him it wasn't who he was looking at now. "Who are you?"
"Lady Valeria," She replied calmly.
"Why do I see my enemy in your face?!" He yelled at her. Valeria's eyes went wide at the king's outburst. "Who are you?!"
"I think you must have me confused with someone else," The proper raised woman told him. "I don't even know who you are. I know nothing of you."
"You dare..."
"Valeria doesn't know anything about us," Sage told him. "Does she look like a warrior to you?"
Drem looked at the woman in white. Her face was that of an old enemy but her dress was not. The woman before him was clearly not a warrior. Her mannerisms were not that of someone of his world. There was gentleness about her like he'd never seen before.
"Why were you at Mateen's castle?" The Shadow King demanded.
"I am to marry Prince Lothar," she freely admitted.
"Really. If you know nothing of us how is it you are to marry a warrior?" The king mocked.
"Zandell conquered my home of Benola. He took me prisoner," Valeria replied openly honest before glancing down at the ground.
Drem watched the woman and while part of him wanted to call her a liar he could detect no lie coming from her lips. The idea that a prince of Zandell would marry a prisoner didn't surprise him either. The rulers of Zandell had a habit of taking women from lands they invaded.
"Where are your parents?" he asked challenging her a moment later. While Lothar taking a prisoner was possible the girl still looked too much like his enemy.
"They were killed."
"In battle?" he suggested.
"A boating accident," Valeria told him. A frown crossed her face before she could stop it. A few years may have passed but she still missed her family.
Drem watched her and saw the sadness in her eyes. The girl was telling the truth. "So your parents were from Benola?"
"My father was," Valeria confirmed. "I assume my mother was but I...my mother didn't talk about her family."
"So your mother wasn't the Warrior Princess Valora?" he asked her.
"No. Her name was Lora, not Valora." She watched as a frown and even disappointment crossed his face.
Sage didn't understand her enemy's questions until he said the name Valora. Sage's eyes widened as she looked at Valeria and suddenly saw what he did. The warrior listened intently and though even she knew Valeria was being honest something didn't make sense.
Her thoughts went back to a couple of days ago and the stance Valeria had taken at the end of the battle with her. Hearing the woman admit she didn't know for sure where her mother was from made the princess wonder. If she didn't know where her mother was from for sure could the warrior princess be her mother?
"May I enquire as to the purpose we have been brought here?" Sage almost rolled her eyes at Valeria's question. The idea she could be a descendent to warrior quickly vanished. There was no way such a properly raised woman could be the offspring of such a lethal warrior princess.
Drem stopped his walk back to his throne and turned to look at her. "You are leverage against my enemies." He looked at the guards. "Take them to the dungeon." He watched as Sage instantly began to struggle once more; turning his eyes toward Valeria however he witnessed no struggle.
'She looks like Valora but...she's too weak to be the daughter of my enemy.' Disappointed he returned to his throne and sat down.
Drem's thoughts drifted back to more than battle when he'd come up against Valora. The blonde haired woman had ruthlessness about her when she fought. The princess had wielded a sword better than any woman and most men he knew. The then prince of the Shadow Kingdom had never beaten her and it had ignited a flame of desire in him.
As a prince he had tried to gain the girl through means both honorable and underhanded. She refused him at every turn. Finally he became so angry at her refusal his desire turned to hate. He had two scars that she had delivered upon him. The second he'd received the last time he'd fought with her. Then suddenly she had vanished.
"Bastler," He called.
"My king?" a dark haired man said bowing to him.
"Have Etana strung up. I want answers." The warrior bowed and left his presence. The Shadow King had never truly tried to find his enemy. He'd heard she was gone but now with this girl suddenly looking like his most desired and hated enemy he wanted answers. Valeria didn't act like a warrior but he couldn't let go of the resemblance the two had. Valora had escaped him but if Lothar's bride was in truth Valora's daughter than he'd extract the revenge he'd never been able to take against the warrior princess on her daughter.
**
Valeria and Sage were both thrown forcefully into a cell in the dungeon before a thick wood door abruptly slammed shut behind them.
"That was rather rude," Valeria said and rose to her feet. She looked over to see Sage get up but holding her side. "Are you alright?"
"You've never been kicked in the stomach before have you?" The princess replied.
"No, actually I've never been in the position for that to be of concern," Valeria replied. She turned to face deeper into the cell and watched as several other women turned their eyes on her.
"It's you," A dark haired woman with dark skin and eyes said. "You've returned." The woman stepped closer and froze. "How have you not aged?"
"She's not Valora," Sage said. She looked the dirty woman with straw in her hair over. "You're from Talivar."
"Yes. She looks like my princess." The woman looked over Valeria's dress and a confused look crossed her face. "Why are you..."
"I don't know a Valora. I'm afraid everyone has me confused with someone else," Valeria said calmly. Hearing a strange sound she walked over to a small window and looked out to see a group of warriors fighting with a dragon that refused to follow their directions.
"She looks..."
"Who are you?" Sage asked.
"Runia," The dark skinned woman replied. "How can she look like my princess and not be her? Or at least her daughter?"
"What happened to Valora?" Sage asked.
"Who are you?" Runia asked.
"Princess Sage." The two women looked over to see a woman with pale skin and dark hair.
"Kiona." Sage said pleased to see her.
"Princess," the woman said and bowed to her.
"So this is where you ended up," Sage commented.
"Who is she?" Kiona asked.
"Valeria. She was raised in Benola and is to marry Lothar."
"You are supposed to...." Sage frowned. "What happened?"
"She did," The blonde woman said gesturing to the woman by the window. "It isn't her fault. Given her skill with a sword she...." Sage looked at the woman named Runia. "She has Valora's stance after battle. Valeria took my sword as if I had never held a sword before. Where did Valora go?"
"I do not know. The queen disapproved of a man our princess wanted. They say the princess left during the night with him but...no one knows for sure," Runia admitted.
"Are you suggesting that proper raised woman..."
"Drem thought she was Valora's daughter as well," Sage told them. "Valeria's mother never spoke of her family. It's unlikely but possible."
"We need to know," Kiona said. "If she's Valora's daughter than..."
"She belongs to us," Runia said firmly. Sage gave a nod. Internally however she was smiling. Zandell and Talivar did not get along. If Valeria was Valora's daughter her problems were solved. Talivar would never allow the wedding to take place.