Chapter 05 : So I Met Vaelya's Other Side

I am standing as a statue. Why is Vaelya here at my door? 

Vaelya again says, "Hero Agni, may I come in?" I come back to reality. Perhaps she wants to talk about something related to holy knights. Any mission, maybe. I say, "Yes. Sure, please come in." Vaelya enters into my room. There are some chairs in my room. But she sits on my bed and pats on the bed, looking at me. It's a sign to sit beside her. I gather my courage and sit beside her with an appropriate space between us. 

Vaelya says, "Are you alright, Hero Agni?" I look at her. My heartbeat skips. She is looking at me with soft eyes. I look forward and say, "Yes, why?"

- "You killed some humans today. I thought maybe it's haunting you."

- "The only thing that is haunting me is 244 deaths of Drakin. Their deaths were cruel. I could have protected them if I had only arrived some moments before."

- "You saved 22 Drakins."

- "I am not able to take responsibility for a single death of an innocent. Every single life matters."

- "And you punished those who murdered them. Those innocents received justice."

- "It is not enough. No matter how much I punish those heartless insects, the 244 Drakins won't get their lives back. And those 22 Drakins won't be able to escape from the nightmare they experienced. They lost their family, their home, their villages, and their happiness. Punishing the culprits won't benefit the victims. That's just giving a little bit of justice to them."

- "So, the culprits shouldn't be punished?"

- "Of course they should be punished. In a way that gives a shiver to everyone. As I said before, their punishment should be more than 100 times crueler compared to the cruelty they gave to the victims. Which will be an example for other evil-minded persons. Then the innocents can live with peace, knowing that they will be safe. And I will surely make that happen."

Vaelya suddenly strokes my head gently. That startles me. I say, "What are you doing, Princess?" Vaelya says, "I know you are our hero. But don't take the world's burden on yourself. You may lose your actual self in the void." I don't know why. But this feels so good, so comfortable, so heavenly, so swe.... Ah! She removed her hand from my head. Selfish princess!

Vaelya says with shyness, "I am sorry. I did that unknowingly." I say, "It's alright." You can do that again! Vaelya smiles and says, "You remind me of my father." I am about to say, 'So, you also called him a weakling?' But I keep my mouth shut. I don't want to be the reason for this room being destroyed. Vaelya continues, "He always had a strong sense of justice. His rule was no innocent should go through any kind of pain. And if an innocent ever shed tears, justice should be done immediately." Vaelya looks at the ceiling and sighs. She says, "My father always kept his subjects before him. On that night, he was screaming because of the pain, but he protected the gateway until every last survivor escaped through the portal. My brother watched him until he took his final breath. Only then did my brother enter the portal. I loved him very much, you know." Her voice cracks. She starts crying. I stroke her head gently. I don't know how to comfort someone who lost her loved ones. How can words comfort her when the loss is permanent? I just stroke her head gently. 

After some time, Vaelya wipes away her tears. She says, "Sorry, Hero Agni, you have to witness this weak side of me." "Don't say sorry. Shedding tears for a loved one doesn't make you weak. It only shows the depth of the love you feel for your father. Your father's heroic act deserves your love and tears. Always be proud of him." I say with a smile. Vaelya smiles beautifully at me and says, "You really have a great heart, Hero Agni." I smile and say, "Yes. It's beating very well." Vaelya laughs a little. 

Vaelya says, "I came here to invite you for the dinner. My brother arranged it. Let's go." I say, "Sure." We walk out of the room. 

We are walking in the hallway. Magic lamps are giving enough light to walk perfectly. Suddenly a thought comes into my mind. I say, "Hey princess, you only eat meats, righ...?" Before I can complete my sentence, Vaelya suddenly covers my mouth with her hand, pulls me close, and hides us behind a nearby pillar.

What is happening? 

She is way too close to me. I can feel her breath on my face. And God...she smells incredible. I look at her. She is breathing fast, her eyes are wide and full of excitement. 

Hey! I am not mentally ready for this!