Cyrille Valois POV
"What possessed you to come back here again? Is there a particular reason you insist on spending so much of your time in the shadow palace, watching the commoners roam about like sheep? Do you perhaps derive some sick pleasure seeing these muggles traipse around our home?" My sister asked, approaching me with her guards in tow.
It was amusing how she made her distaste for the word 'muggle' evident by the difficulty she had in getting it to leave her mouth. The truth was ironically that I came here to get away from her and my equally venomous brother. If we're being honest I'd have to say that my sister is undoubtedly one of the most vile and horrid creatures to have ever been born. I turned to look at her, feeling shame at her narrow minded and hate filled view of the world. My poor mad sister. We stole this place… just because we live here does not make it our home.
I chose to ignore her, waiting instead for her to continue her belligerent hate filled nonsense. She preferred monologuing anyway, having been enthralled so long ago by the sound of her own voice.
"Father says our guests have responded and will be joining us over the summer, so you had better begin to plan for—why are you smiling?" she asked interrupting herself… she was clearly irritated by my expression. She was always irritated by something.
"I already know…father told me earlier au petit déjeuner. Besides… I received this as well." I informed her, raising the letter which had been addressed to me personally.
"Attend attend, you had breakfast with father? and Albus chose to write to you privately? Why would he do that? " Apolline asked grabbing for the letter. 'Probably my sister, because you and our brother are insufferable and unimaginably twisted, while I am kind and gentle'.
Its sad but she used to be sweet once… a long time ago. I remember three summers past she had brought in a crippled cardinal, cupped gently in her soft hands. It had broken its wing and Apolline had wanted to nurse it back to health. Acelin had said it was weakness to give aid to those incapable of fending for themselves. Acelin would have killed the poor thing had I not secretly cared for it. Apolline was forever changed after watching Acelin torture the beautiful bird when he'd found out I had defied him.
"C'est privé, 'Dear Cyr'. See, right here, it is addressed to me alone. Why not go bother somebody more deserving of your vitriol." I added, snatching the letter away from her and folding it away quickly in my pocket.
"Leave us." Apolline spat to her guards and mine. Zera made to depart but Zephyr stood exactly where he was. I sighed at his disobedience. Apolline was older, it didn't matter that I was male, her orders were absolute until I came of proper wizarding age. Zephyr's extreme loyalty to me was touching but had already been noticed by Father. He should have just listened to her. Why she had ordered our guards to leave was a mystery to me.
I looked at The ebony wizard… remembering the day we'd met. My family found the man collapsed during a safari hunt. I had begged and pleaded with Father to save him, staying by Zephyr's side until he'd healed entirely. He had been lying face down in the dirt after an animal attack had left him bloodied and delirious. We later discovered that Zephyr had been a powerful witchdoctor from an old and noble family. He had been hauling back the Manitcore he had slain when its mate ambushed him on the return journey to his village.
When Zephyr was well again he had pledged his loyalty to me and my Father and has never forgotten what I did for him. He had since served me more faithfully than anyone was capable and had proved a more powerful duelist than even Father's guards Biara and Calypso. Zephyr had once even beaten my uncle Ambroise in a duel. An extraordinary feat to be sure. Ambroise had never let his skills dull again after that.
"Zephyr it is fine, you may go…" I told him with another sigh, watching him follow Zera and Apolline's guards from the room.
"Oh come now, tell me what he said. Nobody is listening now." She repeated as though I trusted her more than my own guards. Silly sister. Now I realized that's why she had dismissed them. She thought I would tell her if we were alone. After it became clear that I would not answer she began again. "So the Peverell boy will…"
"Albus" I corrected.
"…Will be coming for several weeks in July, then our Scorpius will join us halfway through." She explained as though I had not known. "I am looking forward to seeing my betrothed again. He was already adorable the last time we met… I wonder what time has done for him?" She mused giddily.
"I should remind you he rejected Father's proposal. You are not actually betrothed." I corrected. I don't know what possessed me to talk back to her. She hates being corrected. We can add that to the innumerable list of things she hates. 'Albus can't stand you' I almost added before stopping myself.
"Hmph… nonsense… nobody refuses Father long… and his parents refused, not him…" She finished, annoyed. "He will not refuse me again. I am more eager to see how Albus does against Acelin when we all do a bit of traditional dueling. He might prove a valuable ally in the extermination of these vile muggles when the inevitable war occurs." She started excitedly.
"Leave me alone… wretched witch… i am tired of your hate filled obscenities." I bit out sharply. I couldn't stand any more of her nastiness.
"We all know it's only a matter of time before the rest of the wizards realize their natural superiority. When that happens we will finish what Voldemort started."
"The Lady Apolline has finished with me! she will require escort…" I called loudly to the guards, not allowing Apolline time to speak. The muggles all turned away from their paintings and exhibits to stare at us. If my yelling hadn't drawn enough attention to us, our ridiculously expensive clothing and guards would have. Without concealment charms I'm certain they would have started staring sooner.
"Brother… I will deal with you later… in private." she finished venomously, eyes flashing murder.
"No, so sorry you won't. I'm going to London with father tonight to help the Malfoys welcome Markus Maxus into the wizard world."
The look on her face was priceless. "Father decided to take you over either Acelin or I?" she inquired as her eye twitched. My silence was all the answer she required.
She merely stormed off with her guards racing to catch up. She appeared a young princess, pouting for not having been given her was.
Apolline Valois was too evil to be as pretty as she was…it was perverse that morality and beauty should so seldom go hand in hand. If her face reflected her true character she would have thirteen eyes, tentacled hair, pincers, fangs and grey scaled skin, leathery like a blast ended screwt.
"Zera go find something to do, Zephyr is more than adequate protection." I tossed before Zera could so much as return to my side. I wanted to be alone with the person I trusted most. I was tired of games. Already our lives had changed dramatically since Marvolo Lestrange had moved into the palace with us. He had taken over assisting my uncle Ambroise in running the familys affaires. What perverse things he actually did for us in the dark hours of the night, I preferred not to think about.
"As you wish." Zera offered bowing.
I stared outwards at the commonly dressed muggle tourists scurrying about from exhibit to exhibit. I smiled thinking what it would be like to be without magic. It might be a real adventure...
"My Lord?" Zephyr queried after a moments silence. "Must we go through this every time, I am just Cyrille. You are my friend and I am certainly not your lord."
"May I speak freely then… as a friend, Ipyana. I address you as such not because of your Father's station. I address your father in turn not because he share's your quality but because it is by his will that I am allowed to stay by your side. You are the Lord my Cyrille, not your Father, not your brother or sister or uncles. In your actions and your words, by the grace of your character do I name you Lord." he finished honestly.
"Please Zephyr your words are dangerous. You are kind... but should not say such things about my father." I started softly, looking around carefully.
"I care nothing for your Father's spies. Let me tell you truthfully my heart. In my country we do not give a child his name until he has earned it. You my young Obataiye would have had many. In the west they might have named you Cheikh for wisdom. Or Donkor for you are humble. The people of the south might have named you Lesedi after the light itself. Or Runako, handsome, for your face. Maybe Sekani for you are joy and merriment. Many over and again. Jelani for power. Girma for majesty. Enam for you are a treasure sent from above." He said ruffling my hair with a smile. "To me my Obataiye… you are what the east call Ipyana for Ipyana means Grace. To me you are Grace." Zephyr finished seriously. His evaluation of my worth was greatly exaggerated.
"Am I indeed… That is kind my noble Zephyr but I fear your praise is unwarranted. I am nothing my old friend." I offered with a wan smile.
"That is why you are not. You saved me when I was nothing. I remember watching you through the icy rain. I lay there helpless, dying in the frigid mud, watching as you pleaded for my life. You flung yourself down from above in defiance of your family's ways to protect me. You knew not who I was or that I might be worth saving. You merely took me in and treated me yourself my noble one. You healed me with your own two hands, not caring that such a task might be beneath you. You will understand one day my Obataiye. One day you will waken and see what you have become and you will know that you are true Grace. It is your eyes my prince." He explained as he stared into their depths.
"My sister would wish to pluck them from me in my sleep. I believe their color is what made Father name me such… but my friend they do not grant me preeminence. I am not somehow better…" I began before Zephyr interrupted me.
"Not their color. Their depth my prince. You are Light and Kindness and Power and Wisdom. Your eyes whisper these things to the wind and spread their words far across the lands. You will understand one day my Obataiye."
"What is this Obataiye you keep calling me?" I asked curiously.
"To the people of the west it is the name given to the one who will be ruler of all the world. And that is indeed what you shall be." He spoke as though he knew it were true. Not out of confidence but as though he had merely seen it come to pass.
I am not my brother. I am the second born. Nothing will come to me… I must accept my place, I thought watching the people scurry about. I examined the muggles as they filed past me, slipping into galleries, examining all the art they believed this faux museum held.
"You know... Its strange. I do not believe they are weak… or vile... or in any way lesser…" I shot suddenly… "If anything the muggles must struggle harder than we do to survive. That makes them strong…" I added pausing a moment to contemplate my own words. "Tell me Zephyr. do you believe one can truly change their destiny? That I might change mine?" I asked looking at him doubtfully. "I don't imagine I am strong enough to defy my family should the need for me to do so arise." I continued without waiting for his reply.
"I do not believe Fate rules over everything. We would not have purpose were she the only guardian of life." he paused before continuing. "I would fight to my very end for you my prince. this is without essence, sun-kissed air… it is… irrelevant... as your people say. This is because I have watched you fight and seen that you are strong. I know that your power will be enough to claim your prize. Enough to change your destiny should you choose to try." Zephyr's words were so filled with conviction and certainty that I could not help believe them, if only momentarily.
"Yet I lose every duel. I can't even... Perform simple offensive spells yet."
"My prince, let us not make pretense that I do not see your heart, your will. You would stay in the shadow of your brother for that is the way of your Father. Your light you yourself dim when in the sight of others. Yet that is what makes your Grace true. You are light itself without willing to shine… I see what you are Ipyana. You cannot hide it from me… so do not try to." Zephyr finished knowingly, looking into my eyes as though to impress his truth into them. He knew I pretended to be normal. I had no wish to challenge my siblings. I wanted peace and quiet.
I stared at my black knight, my loyal friend. His ebon skin was the darkest I'd ever seen. Skin as deep as night. Skin like iron, strong as the wood for which his hue was named. Yet his eyes… only Albus had had greener emerald eyes than Zephyr. They spoke wisdom and power. Strange how weighted a thing. The eyes are more than windows, they are seals of old magic. I remember seeing a magical painting of the first Audric and his wife the Last Ljosalfar. Her beauty was incomprehensible, yet all her power flowed from her eyes. They shifted exactly like mine. A soft pink in the light of the moon and lavender purple in the fire of the sun. What did I know of these things. Grace is not my destiny. I am and will be what I always have been… nothing.
At least it would be nice to see Al and Scor again…
