Beyond the Sky - Session 36.9

Later on in the day, Valaire pays a visit to Kallian's quarters, which turns out, is only a few doors down from Rozeal's. Making her way past the guards, and Freyja, she arrives at his door.
Valaire curls her claw around her lip, kneeling down and projecting her voice through the door's keyhole.
Valaire: "Your Highness, you called for me?"
Prince Kallian: "Ah, Valaire! How did you..."
A brief bustle is heard from behind the door.
Prince Kallian: "...oh, you're outside, aren't you? One moment."
Valaire smirks, returning her voice to its usual pitch.
Valaire: "You truly are too fun to tease, Kallian."
Prince Kallian unlocks the door, opening it with a smile.
Prince Kallian: "I hope that there will be one day I don't fall for that, though."
Valaire helps herself inside at the door's opening, bowing lightly.
Valaire: "Feel confident, at least, that there are so many ways I could torment someone with that malevolently that I would not do towards allies."
Kallian's room seems quite different from Rozeal's. There are bookshelves lining the walls of the more spacious room, with very few ornate features about it. There is a small table in the centre of the room, with two chairs, and a writing desk in the corner. From the layout of the place, it seems Kallian was busy writing something.
Prince Kallian: "I'm fine with the tormenting if it's you."
Prince Kallian gestures to the table, with a small cake laid out for it.
Prince Kallian: "Want to take a seat?"
Valaire: "Oh, dear prince, you mustn't say that. I may just take you up on that offer and that would be quite... dangerous. Hmhm~"
Prince Kallian flushes bright red.
Prince Kallian: "I... um, of course!"
Valaire helps herself to a chair, arching a leg over the other and shifting her illusory garb to a more revealing, sleeveless ensemble.
Prince Kallian: "You're extraordinarily good at charming, you know that?"
Valaire: "It has been my profession for years, you know."
"Ginei loved the cakes you made, by the way. Your culinary expertise is certainly nothing to scoff at."
Prince Kallian: "Ginei?"
"Of course, right. I was going to ask, what sort of adventures have you had while I've been hanging around here? Sounds like you made a friend."
Valaire: "...I would have figured that Adrian would have notified all the Zeltrian officials by now. To know that there is someone I can tell myself..."
Prince Kallian: "Oh? Is this good news or bad news, or both?"
Valaire: "I don't know about friend for me. That man... Narik, I believe? I do not know him well at all. He mostly talks to Adrian."
"Ginei is comfortable enough around him, and that's good enough news for me."
Prince Kallian takes a seat.
Prince Kallian: "Right... who is Ginei? Is it someone around the court, or someone you met?"
Valaire: "Oh, did I not mention, dear Kallian?"
"Ginei is my daughter."
"Certainly you did not think I got to be my age without having been around the block before... did you?"
Prince Kallian: "Wait was that because of me, or because of someone else, or...?"
Valaire: "Oh, no, she's far too old for that. With her age, it would have had to be when I was nineteen..."
Prince Kallian: "So... OH!"
"You adopted someone?"
Valaire: "Of course, dear Kallian. You did not think I managed to conceive, did you?"
"But you did give me permission to torment you, hmhm~"
Prince Kallian: "I mean, magic exists so I maybe thought..."
Valaire: "Of course. It's certainly something the right spell can... remedy."
"Nothing a spell can do can't be undone by another spell, after all..."
Prince Kallian: "So.. I was not expecting that, either way. I was thinking you might've learned a new spell of come back with a story brimming with intrigue. Congratulations, though! I bet this has a story to go with it."
Valaire: "Of course it does, but first..."
"Are you okay with this prospect, dear Kallian?"
Prince Kallian: "What do you mean?"
Valaire: "To know that I am infertile, yet also to know that the child being brought into our relationship is from another father. Surely it must make you seethe with jealousy."
Prince Kallian: "...I don't think it does."
"To be honest... it takes away the part of parenthood I was terrified the most about!"
"(I'm not sure how to manage a baby...)"
Valaire: "But the idea of potentially being a step-father does not concern you?"
Prince Kallian puts a hand to his chin.
Prince Kallian: "I mean... yes, the child isn't mine by blood..."
Valaire: "But nor is she mine."
Prince Kallian: "But that doesn't mean I can't be a father. Or at least try to be a father."
Valaire: "Which is, of course, for the best. The last thing the world needs is more daemon blood."
Prince Kallian: "What's Ginei like?"
Valaire: "Kind-hearted... brave... adorable. Yet also very tragic."
Prince Kallian: "Oh dear... what happened?"
Valaire: "Her birth parents are dead, you see. And she was horribly abused, so much so that I dare not repeat it."
Prince Kallian: "I... see."
Valaire: "I wanted to give her a new life."
Prince Kallian grimaces.
Prince Kallian: "...I think if I'm going to be any sort of father figure to her, I need to understand what she went through."
Valaire frowns.
Valaire: "It is a dark situation, and I have not sufficiently summarized it in a way to give the concise story."
"I understand your mother knows many of the details, perhaps she can offer insights on it in a way that will allow you to sleep that night."
Prince Kallian: "Right. Sorry about the inconvenience."
"Just... If I'm going to be a father, I want to do the best I can."
Valaire: "Of course, dear. But I will be here too, do not forget."
"I do not intend to stop being a mother for her."
Prince Kallian: "Of course! It's a team effort."
Valaire: "But on that topic, my prince..."
Prince Kallian: "Yes?"
Valaire: "I spoke to your mother. About me, and about us."
Prince Kallian: "O-Oh... how did she take it? Is she okay?"
"Are you okay?"
Valaire: "She has given her blessing. She has seen fit not to banish me to the Rift for my indiscretions."
Prince Kallian: "Wow... that's amazing."
Valaire: "(Though if you were to mention the events of the Red Lily before I left, I imagine that situation would rapidly change...)"
Prince Kallian: "I thought you weren't meant to talk about those things to your mother!"
Valaire: "You aren't, that's the point."
"Anything of that sort, it would be best kept between you and I. We are two consenting adults, and on that regard we--actually, I am unsure on that status. I do not know how exactly half-avianse age."
Prince Kallian: "We age... a little slower than humans, but my elven side makes it a little longer. Like, In ten years, I won't look that much different from how I am now..."
Valaire: "If I have unknowingly deflowered a minor, please do tell me."
Prince Kallian: "No, no! The way it works is that we just... retain our appearance past the age I am now better."
Prince Kallian sighs.
Prince Kallian: "I'm nineteen, but I feel so much older in so many ways, but so young in others..."
Valaire: "Well, experience comes with age, but only for those willing to learn."
Prince Kallian: "Right. And I'm willing to learn, just... I'm not too young for you, am I?"
Valaire: "Darling, I've had to please both those younger and older than me, often by wide margins. I've seen so much variance on physical appearance that I truly cannot say it concerns me in the slightest."
"Though on that regard, it has been made... rather clear to me that I should diminish my role as a courtesan in the future."
Prince Kallian: "Right... I was going to talk to you about that."
Valaire frowns, placing a clawed hand on the other in a serious posture.
Valaire: "Queen Rozeal had."
Prince Kallian: "Oh? Sounds like you two had quite a heart to heart."
Valaire: "It was the first time I had ever met Her Majesty in a social setting, and I find myself awed by her grace."
"...I still do not believe I am worthy to succeed her as queen. But since I met Ginei... the idea that I could try to become worthy seems more reasonable."
Prince Kallian: "Yeah... she's pretty good... and wow, she's going to be your mother in law, and she's going to be a grandmother."
"I think you've got more than enough passion for this country that you'd be a great Queen, with effort!"
"Speaking of which... I've been working on something for you."
Valaire: "Oh? Is that so..."
Valaire reaches into the extradimensional space through her arm, procuring something hidden in a closed hand.
Prince Kallian: "Oh?"
Valaire: "Now, now, my prince. It's customary for the gentleman to go first."
Prince Kallian: "Right!"
"Well... through Kylisae and you, to an extent... and reading through a lot of books... I've become aware of your... urges. The ones you aren't proud of."
"Well... I was scouring the whole library, trying to figure out if there was anything I could do to help you."
"And I eventually found it!"
Prince Kallian gets up, going over to his desk, and taking a small pouch out of a drawer.
Prince Kallian: "Now, it was a quite strong enchantment that is meant to, well... help you control your urges, and I needed something to bind it to..."
Prince Kallian flushes bright red.
Prince Kallian: "So... I went down to the forge a couple days ago and I made... this, to bind it to."
Prince Kallian pulls out a small runite ring.
Prince Kallian: "Phew... I know that was a mouthful, but... here, this is my gift to you."
Valaire smirks, revealing the ruby-studded, arcane-engraved gold ring in her palm.
Valaire: "It seems we are on the same wavelength, then, are we not?"
Prince Kallian grins, looking quite relieved.
Prince Kallian: "Indeed it seems we are."
Valaire: "I cannot say I am any good at the heat of the forge... but it is a common enough practice that they were more than willing to guide me through the steps."
Prince Kallian: "It was the same here... it took me a few days to get it just right."
Prince Kallian moves behind Valaire, holding the ring near her hand.
Prince Kallian: "May I?"
Valaire: "Of course, my Kallian. Merely say the word, and I will do my best to become your queen."
Prince Kallian: "R-right... um..."
Valaire: "I don't mean it as in literally say the words. The rings are symbol enough, are they not?"
Prince Kallian: "Oh, okay."
Prince Kallian slips the ring on Valaire's finger.
Valaire: "Why waste effort on words when we both know the effort the other put into these?"
Prince Kallian: "I wasn't sure if I needed to or not. I've been trying to make sure I got everything right..."
Valaire returns the favor with her own gold ring, offering a slightly mischievous smile.
Valaire: "You do realize you have just agreed to marry a daemon, you know. You do realize you have selected a fiendish prostitute; one already with a daughter, no less, to not only be your queen, but to be the queen of all of Zeltria."
Prince Kallian: "Yeah. I've given it a lot of thought."
Valaire: "Then there is no more that needs to be said."
"Though please allow me to break the news to the child myself. You may see her around here--Rozeal has graciously allowed us use of your uncle's former quarters--but she is astonished enough to believe she is living in a palace."
"To realize that her adoptive mum has just been married into royalty and she has become a princess may be too much of a fantasy fairy tale for her to accept at the moment."
Prince Kallian: "Right... I can still meet her before that, right? She might even want to try her hand at magic, and I know that would help me on how to talk to her."
Valaire: "She has shown quite the knack for it. She has already mastered a cantrip in the mere few days of our return journey."
Prince Kallian: "Then she can know me as me, instead of just 'her father'."
"Wow... imagine the things we could teach her."
"I'm definitely happy that I've chosen you, Valaire. Thank you."
Prince Kallian leans down, giving Valaire a kiss.
Valaire returns the former, keeping her mischievous grin.
Valaire: "Don't make a mistake, now, my prince. You're not alone either, anymore."
Prince Kallian: "Of course. We're in this together."
Valaire: "Now, as much as I hate to kiss and run, there is a lagomine out there that likely could use the company. I'll be around the palace, but you'll always have me right there around your finger if you need me."
Prince Kallian: "Of course... if she's staying here, I'd love to visit her tomorrow."
Valaire: "We'll see what happens and how long I get to stay in Verseris."
"Alas, dethroning a demigod is hard work, even for a tactical genius as me."
Valaire reaches over to ruffle Kallian's feathery hair, before making her way towards the door.
Prince Kallian: "You know I'll now be here to support you, every step of the way."
"Good luck, my Valaire."
Valaire: "Farewell, dear prince. May you remain safe."