From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(72)
“But she kissed you first didn’t she?” Jala broke in.
“She was willing. It wasn’t rape. I was deep in my cups and filled with enough Nesra powder to lift a eunuch’s flag, however, so it wasn’t gentle. She was considered a child by Arovan laws as well, given that she was fifteen at the time. I fought during the arrest but all thoughts of self-defense fled as I sobered. I hated myself for what I had done and when they named it rape on the charges I didn’t deny it. I had dishonored her as well as my family with my lack of will and I was more than ready to face my punishment,” Valor said with disgust.
“What is the punishment in Arovan for that?” Jala asked softly, wondering exactly what he had been about to face so willingly.
“Castration for rape, and drawing and quartering for the violation of a child,” Valor explained calmly.
Jala blanched and stared at Valor with wide eyes. “You were willing to face that when it wasn’t truly rape?” she gasped.
“I dishonored her and my family,” Valor repeated. “I had no intent to marry her when I took her and I was not compassionate in the act. You don’t understand, Jala, she barely had enough Elder Blood to cast the magic required to become a knight. Had I gotten her with child it would have killed her. I am pure Elder Blood without a drop of common blood in my veins. Simply the power of a child of my blood would have drained her. I risked her life and took her virtue all because I was fool enough to drink too much and didn’t have the f*cking willpower to tell her no, twice. I should have shown more wisdom than to drink that much around enemies.” He let out a long sigh and glanced back toward the town. “Had it not been for Sebastian and Micah I would have died for those crimes. It was Sebastian stepping forward that halted the trial and Micah’s insistence of a full investigation that saved me. That and Bridgette’s full confession on the stand and her admitting to a room filled with people that she instigated the act with a kiss and refused to leave my side when I directly ordered her to.”
“Bridgette?” Jala broken in. “As in the knight in Merro, Bridgette?” she pressed her eyes widening once more.
“The very same. Now I’m sure you understand my shock at her appearance. I hadn’t seen her since the trial. At any rate after her confession and Micah’s investigation the charges of rape were dropped. There was still the matter of her being under age but Sebastian cleared that by pointing out that she was very near the correct age and no one could sincerely prove her actual date of birth so she might have very well been sixteen on that day. So I was spared death and dismemberment, but my reputation was shattered, as was my career. My father intervened on that account and rather than allow me to be stripped of all rank and honors he insisted I be placed on probation. It was decided between him and Lord Elijah that my probation would be spent in Sanctuary at the Academy so that I would be out of sight of everyone in Arovan. The condition was that my actions in Sanctuary would speak for me in Arovan. If I comported myself with honor and integrity while in the city, I would retain my rank in Arovan. Technically I had already passed the required study at the Academy before all of this started, but given the situation it was deemed that higher learning was in order.” He sighed and glanced at her. “And well, you saw how I comported myself in Sanctuary. So if I return home I lose everything including the name Hai’dia. I won’t shame my family by holding the name after I have been stripped of everything else,” Valor finished with another heavy sigh and kept his gaze on the distant fields refusing to look back at her.
“I barely remember the man in Sanctuary. My memories are clouded by the knight who braved hell to help me retrieve my husband, by images of a man that doesn’t flinch from anything, no matter how terrifying, by the multiple times you have risked your life to save mine, and by the fact that you gave me everything you had when I most needed it so that I could save my child and live,” Jala said softly and tugged on his cloak until he turned to face her. “I don’t care about your past, Valor, and I won’t judge you by it. The only thing that matters to me is what you have shown me, and that is compassion, loyalty, and trust. To hell with Arovan if they don’t want you, Merro does, and you will always have a place of honor at my table.”
Valor smiled faintly and looked up at the lightening sky. “Neph will give me an honored grave if I don’t get you back home and out of this cold,” he said quietly.
“I’m sorry you can’t go home,” Jala offered with a frown and looked over the fields one last time.
“Ahh. I’m about to, Jala, if you have enough strength left to take us. Arovan was my home. Merro is my home now,” Valor replied with a faint smile.
“May that never change. I think I would be lost without you, Valor. I love all of my friends but after what we have faced together there is no one I rely on more than you,” Jala said as she drew on her magic once more and began the casting that would return them to Merro.
Chapter 14
Sanctuary
The Spell Hawk tilted hard to the left and Shade pushed himself straight in his seat once more. “Bring the nose back level,” he ordered.
“The steering is incredibly touchy isn’t it?” Symphony replied as she leveled the controls and sent them tilting sharply to the right. Letting out a peal of laughter she tried to correct once more, shaking the ship violently in the process.