by A J Manney
When she got to the kitchen, it was too early for Mari to be working yet, so Zalia had the kitchen all to herself. She didn’t mind. She sat down at the table and opened her sketchbook to a blank page. She couldn’t decide what to sketch. Her mind was overwhelmed this morning, too many thoughts on her mind. The leftover fear from her dreams was still raw. Without even realizing what she was doing, Zalia started sketching Valen. She drew him in his black cloak with a sword at his waist and one on his back. It was the warrior version of him, the one that somehow made her feel safe. It was his eyes, though that she couldn’t quite capture. There was so much depth to his eyes and something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
Zalia was so lost in her work she didn’t hear anybody come in. “Hmmm, I see who you’ve been thinking about early this morning.” Zalia jumped in her chair, startled. She turned around to see Mari standing there with a huge grin on her face.
Zalia squirmed in her seat. “No, I’m just... it’s not like that, I... oh never mind.” Zalia closed her book, flustered. She stood to her feet. “Let me help you with breakfast.”
Mari looked at her. “You sure you don’t want to continue your drawing of Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome?”
Zalia could feel herself blushing furiously. “It’s just a drawing,” she mumbled.
Mari laughed out loud and then took compassion on her. “Come on. Let’s get breakfast going.” Zalia worked happily with Mari for the next hour, smiling when Raven came in to help them.
Raven smiled at Zalia. “How did you sleep?”
Zalia shrugged. “Okay,” she said noncommittally.
Raven looked at her with understanding in her eyes. “Nightmares?”
Zalia nodded. Wanting to change the subject, she started telling Mari all about the dances and the food at her party. Raven joined in and told her about the handsome men she had danced with. The time flew by, and soon it was time to eat. The kitchen filled up. Zalia noticed that Valen was still absent, and she couldn’t help but feel a little down because of it. She knew it was totally irrational. She figured it was just because she was tired, and her emotions were all over the place.
After breakfast, her grandfather asked to speak with her again. She and Beckam followed him to another small room to be able to talk privately.
“Zalia, did you sleep well last night?” her grandfather began.
Zalia shrugged. That seemed to be her response of late. Her grandfather just looked at her astutely. “Do you always have a hard time sleeping?”
Zalia nodded, afraid if she said more, she would share everything about her dreams. She was too tired and overwhelmed emotionally for that this morning.
Her grandfather seemed to catch on and moved along in the conversation. “All right. Well, let’s move on to what we talked about last night. Let’s talk about what we know. We know that you turned eighteen, and your healing powers manifested. We also know you have markings on your back. So, with all that in mind, it could be possible for you to be one of the females mentioned in the prophecy,” he said thoughtfully.
“What exactly does the prophecy say again?” Beckam asked.
“I don’t exactly remember it word for word. I’ve only heard of it passed down from one generation to another. It says something along the lines of four marked princesses, representing each of the kingdoms, will lead the five kingdoms into a peace treaty that will finally last. The four females all have special gifts. One is a healer, one is a seer, another is an abjurer, and the last is a telepath. Together, they will unite the five kingdoms of the realm and destroy the darkness. Or something along those lines.”
Zalia looked at her grandfather and questioned, “Destroy the darkness. What does that mean? What darkness?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I honestly never took the prophecy literally. Nobody did. There have always been five kingdoms; and nobody has seen a magical healer or telepath in hundreds of years, even longer for a seer and an abjurer. Most people just think it’s a fable. I always did too, until now. I put my people to work finding everything they can about the prophecy and about magical healers. We will find out what we can, Zalia, and go from there. They did find a few interesting facts about healers, though.” He stopped and looked at Zalia.
“What is it?” she breathed.
He looked at her carefully. “Well, first of all, when a healer is born, the baby comes out of the birth canal wrapped in a soft blue light. The light dissipates almost immediately. It’s a way of marking the child so that the parents know the future of the child,” he said gently.
Zalia stared at him in surprised silence. “So, my parents would have known at my birth that I was a healer?” she questioned her grandfather.
“They might not have known at the moment they saw the blue light because it has been so long in our history since there has been a healer. But I can guarantee your father sought out the answer. When he found out what you were, they cut off all trade and locked all outsiders out,” he finished quietly.
“Protecting me,” Zalia said softly. Her grandfather nodded.
“If anyone found out, they would have tried to take you. A magical healer is a rare gift and truly an invaluable resource to any kingdom,” he said. Zalia didn't say anything as she tried to take it all in.
He continued. “My researchers found out something else interesting. They discovered that when healers heal, they are essentially giving their life essence to keep someone alive. That’s why you passed out after healing Kell. It took so much from you. A really hard healing could wreak havoc on your body. Over time, your body will weaken from giving so much of your life source away.”
Zalia felt lightheaded at his words. Beckam looked at her, worried. “Is there nothing she can do?”
Her grandfather looked at her again. “We did find something,” he paused and looked at her, unsure.
“What is it?” Zalia asked softly.
“A healer can be grounded by completing the bond with someone of royal blood. Only a source of great power, such as that found in royal blood can keep the healer from giving too much of their life’s essence away. The bond with royalty gives you strength and protection,” he finished quietly.
Nobody said anything. It was absolutely quiet for a moment. Then Zalia spoke quietly, “What am I going to do? He will hate me for this.”
Beckham's head jerked up. “Valen?” he questioned. Then he started laughing.
Her grandfather looked his way. “Beckam,” he said in a warning voice. “This is between Valen and Zalia, and we promised we wouldn’t interfere.”
Beckam grinned. “I just want to be there when you tell him,” he grinned.
“Beckam,” her grandfather warned again. Beckam didn’t say anything more; he just grinned.
Zalia looked back and forth between the two in confusion and decided it was time to move on. “How exactly does a true mark work?” she asked.
Her grandfather explained. “The first child of a king and queen becomes the first-born royal. It can be a prince or a princess. The first-born royal bears the mark of their kingdom. At birth, it’s small. Once they turn eighteen, the mark spreads more, making it complete. A first-born has a lot of power because he or she will be king or queen one day. The only way to balance the power is to share it with another. The true mark of the first-born will be found on the person that completes them. The bearer of the mark does not receive it until they turn eighteen. Once the first-born and the person bearing the true mark are bound, the power flows between the two of them, keeping the first-born royal in a healthy place.”
Zalia jumped in here. “Does the first-born have to marry the person carrying their mark?”
Her grandfather looked at her solemnly. “No, but it is dangerous not to.” He paused for a moment. “I probably shouldn’t be the one to tell you this, but that is why King Mylan is so wicked and not right in the head. He didn’t marry his true mark. I don’t know if he never found her, or if he simply chose not to complete the bond
with her. He loved Cherish and made her his queen. They were happy for a lot of years, but eventually the power began to destroy him. After she died, he lost all sense of right and wrong. The power is destroying his mind,” he finished sorrowfully.
Zalia looked at him. “So Valen doesn’t have a choice? He has to marry me?” she asked in a small voice.
Her grandfather paused slightly then answered her. “He doesn’t have to, but it would be really unwise for him not to.” He looked at her again solemnly. “Zalia, nobody will make you bond with Valen if that’s not what you want. I would never let that happen.”
“But you said he would turn into his father if I don’t.”
“We don’t know what would happen. Valen is strong, and he is a much better person than his father. He might be strong enough to handle it,” he answered her.
“So basically, we don’t have to bind to each other; but if we don’t, Valen will go crazy from his power and I will die from healing people?” she looked incredulously at her grandfather. Her grandfather didn’t respond; he just looked pained.
Zalia didn’t say anything. She looked to Beckam. He was frowning but looked away when she met his eyes. Zalia’s head was beginning to hurt. This was so much to take in. “I need a break from this. Beckam, can we train now?” she asked him.
Beckam stood up quickly turning into trainer mode quickly. “Let’s go.”
Zalia turned back to her grandfather. “Thank you for not being afraid to tell me everything. I appreciate it.”
He stood up and pulled her close. “Oh Zalia, I see so much of your mother in you. I miss her, but I’m so glad God brought us together. We will work through all this, I promise.”
Zalia tightened her hold on him. “I know. Thank you.” She reached up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek, then left to go train.
In the training hall, she saw Raven sparring with one of the guards here on protective duty from her grandfather’s castle. Zalia bypassed them and walked over to where Beckam stood. Beckam led her over to his training area and got started on training. He worked with her on how to get out of an attack, how to strike up close, everything she needed for self-defense. He drilled it over and over again with her. When Zalia was exhausted, he finally called it quits. With limbs shaking from exhaustion, Zalia headed out of the training center back to her room, but on the way, she stopped when she heard yelling. She heard a huge commotion near the entryway, so she turned that way. When she heard Beckam bellow, “Zalia!” she took off running. When she got to the entryway, she saw the guards, her grandfather, and Beckam all kneeling on the floor gathered around something. Stepping closer, Zalia gasped. It was Valen! She couldn’t see his face, but his torso was covered in blood.
She ran towards him. The guards got out of her way when she got closer, having seen what she could do when she had helped Kell. Zalia fell to her knees next to Valen. Beckam was leaning over him. He turned to Zalia with his hands covered in blood. “Help him,” he ordered. Zalia was already reaching out to find the source of his wounds.
She stood up and moved around to the other side. Taking control, she commanded, “I have to be able to touch the wounds. Get his shirt off.”
Beckam yanked out his dagger and cut off Valen’s shirt. Zalia gasped and her eyes filled with horror as she took in his torso. He didn’t have one wound, he had several. They were all severe cuts. She took a deep breath and bent over him. Finding the deepest one, she started there first. As soon as she touched the wound, her hands started tingling. Then it abruptly stopped as someone grabbed her hands and pulled them away.
“Do not heal me,” Valen ground out through clenched teeth. His hold on her was surprisingly strong.
“Valen, let go of me,” Zalia demanded of him. Two of them could play this game.
“Don’t touch me,” he said. His eyes were dark with pain and something else.
Zalia straightened her back. “Beckam, you hold his arms down.” She looked up, and her eyes landed on Reid. He was looking fearfully toward his older brother. “Reid, you hold down his leg. Conlyn,” she looked at one of the guards. “You hold down his other leg. Now! We go on one, two, three.”
Everybody grabbed a part of Valen and held him down. She reached in again and started on the first wound. He fought against her. It took all of them to hold him down. He was so strong! Zalia didn’t look up again at his face, because she couldn’t afford to let him distract her. He was not happy. He kept yelling at her and everyone holding him down. More than once, he was able to get an arm or leg free. Beckam finally had enough. Holding down Valen’s arms under his knee, he rose up over Valen and knocked him out. Valen went slack, and everybody was finally able to relax their hold on him.
Beckam looked at Zalia. “I’m sorry I had to do that, but he’s too strong. He has to heal.” Reid and Conlyn nodded their understanding. Beckam looked at each of the guys. “Stay close. I don’t know how long he’ll stay out. Probably not long. When he comes to, he’s going to be a bear. And he’s going to be stronger because his wounds are getting healed. So be ready.” Each man stared grimly at the Prince.
Zalia kept moving. She healed the two of the worst cuts. She had several more to heal. His cuts were healing nicely but she wondered about his blood loss. He had lost so much blood. Would he be strong enough to heal? As Zalia continued on, she found herself getting weaker. Her movements were starting to slow down. The healings felt like they were taking longer now. Beads of sweat started trickling down her forehead. She kept moving, hoping she could finish before she passed out. She was too weak to engage in conversation, and she needed to focus on what she was doing. Vaguely, she was aware they were discussing what had happened to the Prince, but she couldn’t focus on it.
“Zalia, are you okay?” Zalia looked up at Beckam. He was looking at her with worried eyes. She wasn’t sure how long he had been trying to get her attention. She felt like she was slowly fading away. She took a deep breath, trying to hang on to her consciousness. She only had one cut left to heal. She could do this. Taking another deep breath, she moved on to the last wound. She watched as it healed under her hands. She started seeing dark spots and hearing a ringing sound in her ears. She knew she was going to go under soon. She watched as the final wound closed up. She pulled her hands off and watched the dancing blue sparks. Usually, they dissipated right away, but they seemed to linger this time. She tried to shake her hands to rid herself of the lights, but she didn’t have the energy. She couldn’t do anything more. She fell into the soft blackness waiting for her.
Chapter 15
Everywhere she looked, servants were lying face down. Zalia ran to the throne room. She had to get to her family. She opened the massive door and ran inside. She stopped when she saw her father and mother and her brother Kael. They were okay, but they wouldn’t be soon. She had to warn them. She tried screaming, but they wouldn’t listen. She tried to run to them, but she couldn’t ever reach them. Soon they were surrounded by soldiers. She watched in horror as they killed her family. She screamed. Then she felt the soldiers close in around her. They grabbed at her arms, trying to kill her too. She fought them. She used all of her training to fight them. They laughed at her and called her name. “Zalia, Zalia...”
"Zalia.” She felt herself being shaken. “Zalia,” the voice called again. “Come on. Wake up, Zalia.”
Zalia tried to open her eyes, but they felt like someone had glued them shut. “Why isn’t she waking up?” she heard. She wasn’t conscious enough to recognize who was speaking. She spiraled right into another dream.
Zalia looked around her. She didn’t recognize where she was. It was a beautiful meadow with green grass, purple wildflowers, and a beautiful cloudless sky. Zalia felt such peace. She looked around and saw someone sitting across the meadow from her. Zalia made her way over there. As she got closer, she recognized her mom. Zalia cried out and ran to her. As she got closer, her mother stood up and walked away from her. “Mother,” Zalia cried out, running faster. “Mother,”
she cried again. Her mother stopped once and looked back at her. “I’m sorry,” she said softly and then she walked away. Zalia ran after her, begging her to come back. It didn’t make any difference. The harder she ran, the further away her mother got. Zalia sobbed. She felt strong arms come around her and soothe her. It didn’t take the pain away but at least she wasn’t alone anymore. She cried and cried until she had nothing left. Then there was nothing.
Zalia opened her eyes slowly. Looking around, she realized she was in her room. She looked down. She was still wearing her training pants and shirt. She couldn’t tell what time of day it was because the curtains covered the windows. There was a lantern on low, casting shadows around the room. Zalia turned her head away from the wall and saw the legs of somebody sitting in a chair near her bed. Rolling all the way over, she looked up and saw Valen. He had his head against the wall and appeared to be sleeping. He had a clean shirt on, and Zalia scanned him from head to toe. He seemed to be fully recovered from his injuries. I wonder what he’s doing in my room. Zalia was slowly straightening and started to pull herself up into a sitting position when she felt Valen’s eyes on her. She looked over at him and met his dark eyes. He just stared at her for a moment.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. His voice was a little gravelly, like he hadn’t used it in a while.
“I’m fine,” she said, though even as she said it, she ached all over.
“Why did you do it?” he asked angrily. “I told you not to.”
Zalia just looked at him in shock. “Valen, why wouldn’t I? You were dying!”
“Three days!” he said in his deadly calm voice. She could only tell he was upset by looking at his eyes. They were dark black. “I sat by your bed for three days, wondering if you were going to wake up. I hated myself because you were in that position because of me!”
Zalia looked up at him and just said softly, “I’m okay.” She hated that he felt guilty because of her. He stared down at her. He made a move towards her, then abruptly stood up and backed away. “Thank you for healing me, but don’t ever do that again,” he said. Then he was gone.