Chapter 15: Lady Mia

Chapter 15

They greeted their guests warmly as they let them inside the mansion. Lord James also positively stated that his new wife, Lady Mia, was indeed a healer which made Valen become more interested in her and wanted to know more about her and their kind. She was excited and happy to know that she was not the last healer alive. They found out more about Lady Mia during their lunch.

"Am indeed a healer, bu' a know about your healer here. Am not from here, am not from Cellis. A came from a different land, it wuz a small land across the sea, far from here...it's northeast of Perino. It's called the land of Milen. A don't think you already heard about it as it wuz a poor land and we actually have a very small population. Food wuz very scarce so a left Milen more than a year ago, together with all the townsfolk from Milen, we decided to leave the place, cross the ocean but a storm came and unfortunately, a wuz the only one who survived and a wuz drifted to a shore in Perino." Lady Mia said with a very strange accent.

"Indeed, and a knight informed me about an unconscious black-haired lady who was drifted to our northern shore so I asked them to bring her to our mansion. My initial thought was that, she was probably a survivor from Cellis but upon the return of her consciousness and that we were able to ask her some questions, we found out that there are indeed, other healers from other land though she believed that there were black-haired healers only in Milen and here in Cellis . Since she told me she no longer wanted to go back, I let her stay in the mansion, be our healer...and just after a couple of months, I married her." Lord James explained.

"About that, typically, when you have big occasions, you invite royalties from different lands. Please do not get me wrong, I just thought that this was different from the usual norm that you do. Please also know that we are glad that you were able to find someone new, a lovely lady here by your side." Lord Thomas commented.

"Thank you." Lord James and Lady Mia both replied.

"Everything happened so sudden, what I know is that I do not want to see her with other men and that I wanted to marry her the soonest." Lord James briefly explained which everyone laughed.

"Lady Mia, you mentioned a while ago that you're the only one who survived, which would mean that you are the only healer left from Milen." Lady Melinda said in sudden realization.

"Yes and a always feel sad when a think about it and please, forgive me for bringing this up, bu' a wuz informed tha' the black-haired folks who lived here in Cellis were already slayed and tha' you do not have any lead who wuz behind it. Tha' would make me the very last healer, and it makes ma heart ache." Lady Mia said as her unusual crimson eyes watered with tears.

"We understand how you feel Lady Mia, but do not be so disheartened, Edward actually saw a black-haired lady in the forest last week and that I already ordered for a search party. We are just hoping that she was not the only one who survived and she was with other black-haired healers." Lord Thomas explained as Lady Mia's crimson eyes widened in surprise. Edward decided not to say anything, if his speculation is correct, he would need to speak first with that person.

The weather was very fine the next day that they decided to eat their breakfast in the garden, surrounded by perfectly bloomed flowers. The two Lords already decided to discuss about their lands' future after lunch.

After breakfast, as much as Edward wanted to decline, Lady Meredith already dragged Edward to accompany her to town as she wanted to buy some new and elegant accessories. Lady Meredith was actually thinking of accessories that she will wear on her much awaited wedding.

Valen gathered all her courage as she requested Lady Mia if she can have at least a minute of her time which Lady Mia gladly accepted. Valen took her to the tea spot wherein the place is really calming and comforting.

"I thank you for giving a minute of your time to spend with me Lady Mia." Valen started as she offered the black-haired lady a seat and after that she sat opposite Lady Mia.

"It's no problem, ma sweet. A would also want to have a word with you. Since you're the one who initiated this conversation, go ahead sweet, what is it tha' you wish to talk about?" Lady Mia said with her usual strange accent.

"Uhm, I was just curious about you Lady Mia and the place where you have come from; I've never been outside this land...are there really other black-haired healers outside Cellis?"

"Yes there are, a have never been to other lands, bu' as a have mentioned a while ago, there were only black-haired folks in Milen and Cellis, and according to the history of the black-haired healers, they all originated and lived in Milen but some ancestors left Milen to travel, they arrived in Cellis and started to live here." Lady Mia answered and then she noticed Valen's eyes. "A just noticed your eyes ma sweet, a very nice emerald eyes. A know of a black-haired healer with tha' same eye color, but a must say tha' yours is enchanting and...mystifying. Not looking at your hair, a might think tha' you're a black-haired healer, though some of our kind can create an effective something to have their hair change. A don't mean anything about tha', what a would just like to say is tha' your eyes are very...mysterious." Lady Mia continued as she looked at Valen's eyes intently.

Valen averted her gaze and looked down at her hands resting on the table. Valen was now having some doubts if speaking with Lady Mia was a great idea. Lady Mia being a black-haired healer, she definitely knew a lot about of their kind, but it's not time yet to reveal her identity. Valen has a lot of things on her mind when Lady Mia continued to speak.

"You were introduced by Lord Thomas as a healer and not a typical physician or resident healer. Most of the time, they use the term healer to refer to black-haired people and it wuz obvious tha' you are not. So, a think ma question would be is what is your method of healing? How do you heal? A wuz thinking tha' since you are living here in the mansion, probably your method is like the rest of the physicians here in the mansion, trained, advance and making some progress in the field of medicine. Unlike us healers, who still uses herbs and plants and doing definite old-style methods, bu' a think anyone would say tha' we are still the best as we have healing ability of understanding plants and herbs and some even have unique abilities and mystic powers." Lady Mia asked.

Valen was confused by what Lady Mia mentioned, 'SOME even have unique abilities and mystic powers'. From what she knew, every black-haired healer has unique abilities though she remembered that she did not have any idea what unique abilities her friends and other Yelians had, even her father. She knew her mother can remove and eliminate side effects of any herbs and ingredients, she can also manipulate medicine to have a different effectiveness, for example the oil, it does not make your hair to be permanently wavy and blonde, those were some of her mother's unique ability. The only certain thing Valen was sure of was that all black-haired healers have distinct and superb understanding of plants and other ingredients as Lady Mia also mentioned. Valen wondered what Lady Mia meant by it. She was about to ask her when Lady Melinda arrived.

"Hi Valen, thank you for entertaining Lady Mia, I did not know that you two are here, I have been looking for Lady Mia." Lady Melinda said as she looked at Valen, she continued but was now speaking to Lady Mia. "I was thinking of showing you the flower in my garden that I spoke to you about last night, if it's fine. However, it seems that your discussion is very important, so I think I will have to show it to you later Lady Mia." Lady Melinda said.

"No, Lady Melinda, it is not too important." Valen answered.

"Oh, I see. Well, if you like Valen, you can come with us." Lady Melinda invited her.

"I thank you for the offer but I will be doing something. Thank you so much Lady Mia for your time. Please enjoy the morning ladies. See you later at lunch." Valen said as she took the path towards the vacant yard which somehow no longer vacant as a quarter part of it was already planted with some repelias, ceetones and other herbs and plants.

Edward was feeling very lucky and happy that he was able to escape accompanying Lady Meredith to town to shop for accessories. A few moments ago, Edward and Lady Meredith were on their way to the stable to personally ask Ben to prepare for a carriage, but Edward got luckier as his best friend, Andy was there in the stable instead, so he asked him to take his place and accompany the lady down to town. Aside from the fact that Andy did not like Lady Meredith for Edward ever since, he also knew Edward so well that he accepted to do his request just to help his best friend get rid of the lady for a while. Pouting, Lady Meredith rode the carriage in disappointment.

Edward walked back to the mansion and headed to "Valen's garden", that was how Edward calls it. He had a feeling that he will be able to find Valen there and he was right, even if he was still a bit too far, he saw her watering her plants. He hurriedly walked towards her but Edward suddenly stopped when he was only a few meters away, it seemed that Valen was so deep in her thought, she was motionlessly and aimlessly watering the repelia in front of her, but what really worried him was Valen also looked sad. Edward really cannot explain it completely but he was now seriously mad. It was the first time he felt that way; he started to think that he wanted to protect the lady who was just a few meters away in front of him.

He has just taken a few steps towards Valen when a servant suddenly came into view and said something to Valen which made Valen went inside the mansion. He walked towards the servant to ask what she told to Valen and the servant just also invited him to go inside the mansion as lunch will be served in a short while.

Lunch was a bit longer today as they have lots of things that they talk about. Valen was there, just listening to the conversation.

A while ago, before lunch was served, Lady Meredith was talking to Edward, confronting him and she looked very mad. She just overheard that Edward did not accompany her down to town to look and buy for accessories, well, frankly speaking, it was not overhear as Lady Meredith's voice was too loud for others to hear. Lady Meredith mentioned that she ended not buying something as the carriage did not reach the central market of Helena as Lady Meredith was no longer in the mood to buy something and ordered Andy to bring her back to the mansion. Edward on the other hand apologized to her but he honestly did not look too apologetic.

They already finished eating their desserts but the conversation seems to be not over yet. During the entire lunch, she just noticed that Edward was looking at her from time to time with a worried look on his face and at the same time, Lady Meredith was also looking at her but with an annoyed look on her face. However, the worst was, she felt that her hair was starting to return to its natural state. She grabbed the vial resting on her pocket, she stood up and tried to excuse herself but Lady Meredith halted her by grabbing her wrist. Lady Meredith noticed the vial Valen was holding and she just seized it from her.

"What is this you're holding Valen? A vial...what is this for? Is this a fragrance or something like an incense?" Then Lady Meredith opened it without permission.

"Meredith, don't you juz' grab someone else's belongings." Lady Mia said to her daughter.

"Mother, I was just curious what this is." Then Meredith smelled the content of the vial. "What is this thing? It does not have any smell."

"It's nothing, just give it back to me please." Valen said to her, trying to sound normal, though inside, she was horrendously anxious as her hair underneath was already starting to go straight.

Lady Meredith extended her arms to Valen as a sign that she was already giving it back, but Valen saw everything that happened afterwards - before the vial touched Valen's hand, Lady Meredith released it from her hand that the vial fell to the floor making it shatter into pieces.

"Oh, I am so sorry Valen, the vial slipped from my hand."

Valen dropped to the floor, she can no longer save the contents as pieces of glass was already scattered. Edward was so angry with Meredith but he grabbed Valen's arm first trying to move her out of the broken vial on the floor. Valen cried for feeling so hopeless that she forgot about her hair. Right before the very eyes of the people surrounding her, her hair went back into her normal, shiny, black, straight hair.

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A/N: this chapter was a bit longer so I hope you enjoyed.

"Random Thanks" to:

MMRS122 and AllisonGlaum, and once again to TheYellowWrider and shybabygirl, as well as thebunnyhops and faithrockstar for voting.