The Veil of Darkness
Chapter 103: The Highest Authority

Chapter 103: The Highest Authority

Annalise rode the horse with Valerius and the man made sure that she was comfortable. His chest was pressed against her back and his strong arms were surrounding her body, it made her feel so secure and cozy in his embrace.

There was barely an hour or so left before dusk and the streets weren’t too crowded at the time being as they headed to the Governor’s residence. Most of the stall vendors were on their way back to their homes as it was time for the night vendors to start organizing their business.

People had started preparing lanterns that would later be hung over the long streets to illuminate the dark night. She was almost reminded of the Capital City after taking a look at Millerville City. Though the latter was still not as grand and bustling as the former, it still carried the same vibes.

Some of the citizens noticed them and stopped whatever they were doing to stare at them. The expressions on their faces were so difficult for Annalise to understand exactly what they were feeling.

"What are you thinking?" She heard Valerius’ soft voice next to her ear and it pulled her attention toward him. She just shook her head in response to his question.

"Are you worried about facing the Governor?" He asked next as they all passed through the last market street and headed in the direction of the city where all the officials and noble families lived.

"Not really... Actually, I’m worried that despite the Jade pendant, the City Governor won’t take me seriously. Not only I am a woman but I also have no knowledge..."

"Annalise, do you know who rules the Midnight Realm?" Valerius questioned as he cut her off before she could have finished whatever she was saying.

"Huh?" Annalise was taken aback by his sudden off-topic question and also by the slight change in his tone that her ears registered. "It’s... It’s Queen..." Once again, she was stopped by his next question before she could have finished.

"Who was the ruler of the Seelie Empire before it was attacked?"

"It was Queen Tatiana." She answered, not knowing where the conversation was heading.

"How many queens have ruled the Seelie Empire out of the seven monarchs that sat on the throne in the past ten thousand years?" Valerius presented his next question almost immediately.

"Three..."

"And who’s currently leading the great army of the Seelie Empire?" He asked as soon as she was done answering the previous one.

"Madam Sophia."

Valerius took a deep breath before he spoke again, his tone deep and filled with seriousness. "Then why do you think that people won’t take you seriously just because you are a woman?"

"I..." Annalise tried to speak but she was at a loss for words. His last question almost sounded like an accusation and she found it hard to find the right words immediately to respond to him. "That’s... that’s not what I meant..."

"Really? Try again, wife." He didn’t seem convinced by her words at all. Instead, it almost seemed like he was confident about his accusation which made her think about what she really was thinking and the more she thought, the more she realized that she had been always like that whether on purpose or not.

"Do you know, Annalise, every time you try to put yourself down just because you are a woman, you not only disrespect yourself but also other women. What I don’t understand is why you even have such thoughts when you come from such a high noble and influential family." Valerius’ voice didn’t sound criticizing but his words weren’t really warm.

Annalise almost found the back of her eyes burning as tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to cry. She took in a deep breath before she finally whispered, "I’m sorry."

The horse suddenly came to a stop before she felt Valerius wrapping his both arms around her waist and bringing his face closer to hers as he placed a soft kiss against her temple. The act was probably supposed to calm her down but she only became alarmed as she hurriedly looked around but thankfully found no one around them except for Damien and Kenric who also had stopped their horses a few meters behind them.

"Valerius..." She tried to warn the man as he tightened his hold even more on her waist. Her heart was beating so rapidly in panic that she feared it would burst out of her chest at any point.

"Ssh! It’s alright. But before we continue with our journey, let’s have a proper talk." He was neither asking her nor was he ordering her but she still felt the need to do just as he wanted. Eventually, she relaxed in his arms and waited for him to speak.

"I’m not criticizing you, Annalise, and I kind of understand that most of your thoughts are influenced by the fact that you have never been given the chance to come out forward and speak your mind. Even if you were a Princess, you always remained silent and reserved because of the certain rules that women are made to follow. But I have already said it before and I’ll say it again today, we want to see the real Annalise, the one who doesn’t live under the shadow of rules and regulations but instead, knows to live in the light of life."

He entangled their fingers together as he continued, "There’s no one superior when it comes to men and women, they both are meant to be equal. Who’s gonna speak and who’s gonna listen in silence, it doesn’t depend on their gender but the authority and power they hold. Maybe you won’t believe it right now but when it comes to the four of us... you hold the highest authority."

Annalise turned her face around to look at the man as his last words had left her completely surprised and just like he said, it was hard to believe him.

"I’m telling the truth. In our relationship, you are the one with the most power in your hands... because you are our wife, our mate, the core that binds the three of us together. And if you can hold your head high in front of the Dark Lords of the Cursed Castle, you can do it anywhere and in front of anyone."