Chapter 17: Reconciliation

Chapter 17

Edward kept her company the whole day, telling Valen stories, having some tea, accompanying and helping her tend to her planted herbs and plants. Valen was aware that this is how Edward wanted to help and she was very grateful to him.

Evening came the next day, Valen joined them at dinner for the first time as a black-haired healer. Lord Thomas and Lady Melinda were very delighted to see her join them. Lord James and Lady Meredith were very quiet eating their meal while Lady Mia stated her interest in speaking with Valen as soon as Valen is ready to speak about herself which Valen accepted.

During the entire dinner, Lord Thomas updated Valen about some plans. He was speaking about a banquet that will be held at the mansion the coming Sunday to celebrate two things. First is being Edward's twenty-fourth birthday, the second is, if Valen will permit, just to celebrate the fact that a black-haired healer from Yel survived.

Lady Melinda initially planned to have a masquerade ball but Edward declined as he thought that Valen would want it simpler and would want to invite all the townspeople of Cellis and celebrate the occasion with them, that was why the plan was change and a banquet will therefore be held. Valen accepted as she realized how Lord Thomas and Lady Melinda wanted to celebrate it and the fact that Edward also thought about her feelings, he was right to think that she would want the local people to celebrate with them, she was really grateful. The royal couple was overjoyed that Valen accepted.

Lord Thomas also mentioned that servants and knights were not allowed to discuss about her being a black-haired healer to the townspeople of Helena and Algom, she was also not permitted to go to town to heal the townsfolk or go outside of the mansion until the banquet as Lady Melinda wanted to announce her being a true-blooded healer during the celebration. To make Valen more at ease, Lord Thomas mentioned that he will ask for doctors to go to town to heal the townspeople and of course, it will be for a very low fee if not free of charge, and this will not be during this time only, it will be for good; and then Edward added that security will be tightened to make sure that no intruder will enter the mansion to prevent anyone hurting her, as they still do not have an idea who killed the healers yet.

Lord Thomas also mentioned that Lord James and his family will further stay to join the celebration and will be back to Perino the next day. What surprises Valen more was that, it seemed that Lady Meredith easily accepted the fact that engagement between her and Edward no longer resumed. Lady Meredith was very quiet during the entire dinner and she did not eat much. She felt sorry for the lady but she was surprised that she felt happy and relieved at the same time.

The next day, Valen did not notice Edward during breakfast and found herself wanting to see him. Lady Melinda mentioned that Edward left the mansion early to go to Helena to collect taxes from the townspeople and at the same time, to personally give each family an invitation to the banquet. Valen felt weird that she felt sadness of not seeing him so for her not to think this unusual feeling, she just decided to go and see her planted herbs where along the way, she saw Lady Meredith under a tree looking far away, she seemed sad and was deep in her thoughts. She sympathize her so she thought of greeting her at least.

"Good morning, Lady Meredith." Valen greeted her and then she saw a glimpsed of Lady Meredith's face and saw her brown eyes. Valen was puzzled, she was sure that she saw them as an unusual red before that even though Lady Mia and her were not truly related by blood, they have the same eye color.

"Ugh, it's just you." Lady Meredith replied.

"I just noticed you're alone here, I just thought of greeting you."

"Thanks, but no thanks. You're probably just laughing at me."

"I never thought about that. I never laughed at you. I just also thought that you wanted someone to talk to as it seems that there's something bothering you so much." Valen stated as a matter of fact as she also noticed her sighing as she went near her a while ago.

Lady Meredith looked at her in surprised; she never thought that she, of all people, would notice, that there was some serious matter that bothered her a lot. Lady Meredith once again looked at the horizon, sighed and spoke.

"How can you tell? Even father, whom I expected to notice, never did. You even do not know me well. You're the least person I expect to notice me. I even have always given you sour attitude...how ironic."

"I...I just felt it, that there's something bothering you. Please forgive me if you think I am being..." Valen said but was cut off by Lady Meredith.

"I should be the one apologizing. Please forgive me for being rude to you. I-I just thought that you will be a nuisance between Edward and I." Valen wanted to interject but Lady Meredith continued, "...but it does not matter anymore. He does not like me, and for the first time, I noticed that he's interested to someone." Then Meredith paused for a while and looked at Valen's, and then she continued.

"I honestly do not love Edward anyway, though I would admit that he is a good-looking man and I like him at least. Almost all the ladies fantasize him so making him mine would be a plus, but what I want most is to be a queen. Being Edward's wife would mean a joined force between two neighboring lands, making it happen would mean that I will be the most powerful and influential woman. However, the thing between me and Edward does not concern me most, there something more that has been bothering me and I do not know why I am telling you this, but...I just felt that I can trust you." Lady Meredith face saddened once again. "What bothers me is..." Lady Meredith was not able to finish what she about to say as someone came and called her.

"Lady Valen, Lady Meredith. Please forgive me for interrupting your conversation. Lady Meredith, your father, Lord James, summons you. He will be in his chamber." Andy courteously said.

"If you will excuse me Valen, but I will need to go see my father. I hope we can start anew. Hope we can speak some other time." Lady Meredith bid her farewell as Valen and Andy watched her as she went inside the mansion.

"Lady Valen, please forgive me for listening to the last part of your conversation. Lady Meredith, though I think she only wanted is power and title, I must say that she's a nice person in her own way. However, personally I do not like her to be with Edward." Andy stopped speaking as he realized he has been very honest and spontaneous in speaking what is on his mind.

"Please forgive me once again, Lady Valen. I also have not introduced myself yet, it was nice to finally meet you. I think you do not know me yet but I already heard a lot about you from Edward." Valen slightly blushed from the comment but she tried to ignore it and listened to him attentively.

"I am Andy Morris. I am the son of the chief cook, Mrs. Jena Morris. I am a stableman, under Mr. Reuben Grant which I think you already met by the name of Ben." Andy introduced himself then bowed his head.

"Yes, I already heard about you though this is the first time we met, glad to finally meet you. I guess I heard your name once from Edward and Mrs. Morris once told me that you're childhood friends with him, and I also heard more about you from Abby." As she mentioned the name Abby, Valen noticed Andy blushed which made him spoke about her.

"Well, yes...you probably will hear about me from Abby, because, sh-she's my fiancée." Andy bashfully admitted.

"Oh! Well, Abby have never mentioned that to me, probably because we never been into that topic. I am happy for the both of you. When is the matrimony?"

"We have not discussed it yet, but it will not be too soon. We think that we need further preparations. By the way, Edward went down to town alone early this morning to collect taxes and send invitations but I will accompany him tomorrow to Algom for the same purpose. This was the first time he wanted the invitation to be sent to each household personally and he looks so happy, probably because the celebration was also for you." Andy said casually but his statement still made Valen blushed.

'What's wrong with me today?' Valen just thought.

Their talk did not take long as Andy already bid his farewell to start tending the horses and go back to the stable. In just a short talk with him, she thought that Andy was a good man and is perfect for Abby.

Evening came and Valen felt happy seeing Edward at dinner. Valen was so surprised that she actually missed him. Seeing him makes her remember how Edward kept her from recalling her miserable past, even though it was just a whole day yesterday, she already felt better. Making a quick glance at him made her face hot; she remembered how he embraced her to make her calm. She tried to look at him once more but she suddenly look sideways as she noticed that Edward was staring at her. She never looked at Edward during the entire dinner after that.

Valen was changing into her nightdress when someone knocked at her bedroom door. She smiled thinking that it could be Edward.

"Just a minute." Valen said then she grabbed a robe to top it over her nightdress. She opened her door but was a bit dismayed as it was just Lady Mia who wanted to speak to her.

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