The story of the little prince of Briar Valley.
(This story will serve as a warm-up to a more romantic story.)
(Enjoy reading. With love, your lamb.)
In this story, you, like Lilia, are Malleus's guardian. This also means you're an old faerie and also one of the generals.
You were sitting on the roof of your dorm. You, like Lilia and Malleus, were already third-year students. You had gone to Night Raven College solely for Malleus's sake.
Well, how could you? Vanrouge had "forced" you. You understood that Malleus needed experience interacting with his peers, as well as contact with other beings in general. And an educational institution was the perfect place.
You always enjoyed watching Malleus's joyful smile, which warmed your heart. And to see that genuine happiness in his bright green eyes? Any "parent" would be incredibly happy.
But you had seen a lot and knew the cost of that happiness. You remembered perfectly well that Malleus Draconia could have died in the egg and how Lilia had sacrificed so much, just like you.
As luck would have it, the music in your headphones stopped playing, as if your phone had eavesdropped on your dark thoughts from the past. But the dorm's appearance was also gloomy, only for you it was a familiar sight. Briar Valley had never been a bright place with rays of sunshine and pink flowers. You would have been hysterical, and the laughter would have lasted a long time.
But how did your story begin?
You put your phone and headphones aside and settled comfortably on the roof, your arms folded behind your head. Your eyes stared at the faded green and dark blue sky. And your mind began to show
moments from the past.
Four hundred years ago. When Briar Valley was still very different, and you were young, but already renowned for your fighting skills, like Lilia, but there was something else entirely that made you stand out. A kind heart. Despite your deadly skills and cold mind, you never overdid it with cruelty. You protected your home and your people. But everything worsened when news arrived that Raverne was missing. You barely restrained Maleanor, reminding her of little Malleus, who now desperately needed his mother.
But you? You barely contained your feelings of revenge. For you, Draconia family had been your best friends since childhood, just like Lilia. The four of you were practically a family, though that wasn't true.
And that family began to fade. The war was over. The fairies had won. But what was the value? Malleus had lost his parents, and you and Lilia had been appointed guardians. But without parental love and care, Malleus wouldn't hatch, which meant… The young prince could die without ever being born. Lilia had been searching for ways to help Malleus all this time. And you were standing next to the egg.
You wondered what you could do. But your kind and caring heart told you to give the egg warmth. You carefully embraced the fragile egg and held it to your chest, as if it were your own son. You walked quietly around the room, lulling little Malleus to sleep and humming him a lullaby. To your and Lilia's mutual surprise, it actually worked, but it wasn't enough.
Lilia gave part of his life force so that Malleus could be born. Vanrouge himself said it was necessary. He added that if anything happened to him, you would remain with Malleus. Lilia said this with a smile and without regret. And a lump formed in your throat.
You could already see the little black dragon with the "stupid" eyes before your eyes. Even so small, he already resembled his parents.
It was a happy ending, but Malleus Draconia was a prince, which meant the Senate was already on edge, taking Malleus into their care, and even Maleficia Draconia could do nothing.
You could thank the Senate for allowing you and Lilia to see Malleus at all. But you'd be lying if you said you were ready to overthrow the Senate yourself. But something keeps stopping you.
And now? Your whole maternal instincts scream that Malleus is lonely in a castle full of all sorts of servants who fear him for his strength. It was understandable, but damn, it was as if they didn't want to understand the young prince's plight.
But those green eyes brightened every time you and Lilia arrived. And that little dragon's laughter? It was like little bells ringing.
In your family, it was obvious that you were the "mother" and Lilia the "father." And you both tried to make Malleus happy in every way possible.
Even on his birthday. The atmosphere was already oppressive. But the fact that his grandmother couldn't come made it worse. Negative emotions overwhelmed him, and his magic erupted. When you and Lilia arrived, you saw the entire castle and all the servants turn to ice. Your mouth dropped open in shock. This wasn't what you expected. But you and Lilia immediately ran to find out what had happened. Vanrouge was comforting the young prince, holding him in his arms. And you hastily began to unfreeze the servants, whom you had quietly condemned for "showing concern." And how many times had you wished death on the Senate? Probably for the thousandth time, if not more.
But let's not dwell on the bad news. Today was a birthday, after all. The happiest day, which only came once a year.
Candles were once again burning in the large dining hall, and a cake was already on the table, beautiful and delicious. It had been prepared by a pastry chef, not by Lilia's own hands. You deftly identified the bat so that the culinary genius couldn't make it himself. Not everyone was ready for such gastronomic delights, even young Malleus.
Sitting down at the table, you pulled the plate with the cake closer to Malleus. Green eyes studied the cake with interest. And then… The candles didn't extinguish the first time. They melted further under the green flame of Draconia. But you immediately reassured him, saying that not everyone can extinguish candles. You jokingly said that even you had a funny mishap. This joke helped Malleus relax. And a couple of minutes later, the candles went out.
It was a pleasant memory, how a terrible day became one of the most pleasant.
But the most pleasant day for you was when you were allowed to be with Malleus longer, if not around the clock. And Lilia? He went on a short trip. Which meant "mother" would take care of "her" child. Only this child was already grown up. Grown enough, which meant you had every right to teach him anything. Be it physical knowledge or intellectual skills.
But the most important thing you were obligated to teach… was how to control your power. You decided to do this. Because you knew that any mistake could have dire consequences. And the simplest lesson was about apples. It was simple in words. Even Malleus's smirk spoke louder for him. But you'd already lost count of how many apples had been damaged. He was having a hard time keeping that power under control. It was difficult to contain something so powerful in that young body. Therefore, concentration lessons were essential.
But beyond these lessons, you would teach him that power isn't the only thing that matters. Because a more cunning and intelligent opponent could skillfully turn their own power against themselves.
And that means you need to be attentive. Observe everything, hear everything. And what else? Learn to speak correctly. After all, words were also a dangerous weapon, even more dangerous than swords and magic.
One word, and your opponent is angry. One word, and your opponent becomes dejected.
But you weren't surprised that this tactic was still difficult for Malleus. You yourself hadn't learned it right away.
And so you told Malleus something very important. "Everything has its time and place."
For fairies, time was a terribly elastic concept. And the fairies couldn't understand why humans grasped at it so much. But what was precious to fairies was impossible for humans.
You didn't want to traumatize your little miracle with the concept of death. Especially since your tongue was tied by the Senate, which forbade you from talking about Malleus's parents and what had happened in general. And that meant you couldn't talk about what his mother had been like in her youth.
But… It was as if you saw Maleanor before you. Malleus had inherited a lot from his mother. A little selfishness, but a lot of capriciousness and a lot of curiosity. The prince clearly wanted to learn and see a lot. Even now, you could see that his soul was already damaged by his difficult childhood. And when you sat alone, you released your emotions through tears.
You didn't want Malleus to see you like this. So you hid somewhere cozy and quiet. You often regretted how things had turned out and how you couldn't provide a happy childhood. You felt the heaviness slowly
disappear, along with the tears. And that meant you could smile again, truly happily and warmly.
But one day, Malleus saw you like this. Something inside him clenched, and a certain draconic streak stirred. "Who dared to hurt his treasure?" Only he remembered the lessons you had taught him: that strong and violent emotions are the easiest way to lose control of magic. And the prince clearly didn't want to cause you any trouble.
It only now occurred to you that these were warning signs. But would you blame him for that? He lost his parents and could lose his guardians. You and Lilia were everything to him, his second family, and his world would collapse if he witnessed this death with his own eyes.
And the most painful thing for you? You knew he had to learn these lessons himself. And for that, you were willing to endure your "maternal" pain.
It hurt you more to see him overblot. And no matter how much you tried to help him, it was all in vain.
His "happy dream" had no effect on you. But seeing those eyes, full of pain and fear, up close… You caught him right there. Where did you go wrong? Or was it Lilia's words that had such an effect? You yourself didn't know Vanrouge was hiding such a thing. But of course, he wouldn't have burdened you with such a thing.
This blissful dream didn't seem like the trap it had initially been.
Everything was fine now, right? Happiness, peace. The best dream. And your beloved little dragon was right next to you.
But where did that bitter aftertaste come from?
Had you really given up so much for this?
Would a parent allow their child to suffer?
Overblot is a very dangerous thing for a mage. The longer Malleus remained in this state, the closer he came to death. And even such a powerful mage could die.
But not this time. And with everyone's efforts.
Only… Why did Lilia stop breathing? Because… a "father" must protect his family…
You could do nothing at that moment. Nothing at all. Lilia was dead. Malleus, Silver, Sebek were crying. Your "children" were crying. But you, in some hope, tried to change something. Maybe it was all a dream. Yes. A stupid, idiotic dream. Just a bad joke from Lilia.
Who are you kidding? Your heart isn't beating.
You no longer remembered how this day could have become a happy one.
Bright images appeared in your eyes. Joyful laughter. Long-awaited meetings. But you chose to stand aside. And watch from the shadows with a smile.
You remembered how Malleus had seen his mother and spoken to her. And from the look in Maleanor's eyes, it was clear that she was talking not only about Lilia and him, but about you as well. You read only one word on her lips: "thank you."
A sweet and warm word. Gratitude for your care. Gratitude for everything.
You nodded to her with the same warmth. But you didn't interrupt any of your "family's" conversations. You understood how important these meetings were to them. And being a silent observer was much more pleasant.
Some time later, you left the hall to be alone and in silence.
This castle and these walls brought back memories from the past. From your childhood. Your home.
You gazed at the dark landscapes beyond the large windows. Until you felt someone gently take your hand. You would never mistake that feeling, and so your palm automatically squeezed that hand. This hand had been in yours so often and had so often protected the world that now, this hand was already protecting you.
It had been the hardest day for many. And now, before your eyes, was no longer that small, capricious dragon, but the true Prince of Briar Valley.
A happy ending? The happiest ending.
With difficulties, with bitter events, but all of this led to a bright and happy life.
You smiled at these thoughts and slowly rose from the roof, your beloved prince looming over you, clearly trying to scare you as a joke, like Lilia does. But you merely grinned sweetly and teased him. And this teasing escalated into a little game of "catch the apple." At the end, you brazenly bit into the apple and tossed the second one to Malleus. And without any shame, but with a loving heart, you hugged him so tightly that you later paid for it from the prince's strong embrace.
You were very proud of him. Even though he still had a lot to learn. But you knew for sure that Malleus Draconia could now cope with many things.
And his family would help him with these difficulties.