So young, so bold, so sure of herself. And those eyes—such fearless, serious eyes. What had the girl been through that caused such a youthful face to cast such a stern, ruthless gaze? Yseulte's heart, normally so withdrawn from the rest of the world, felt something for this youth. Compassion? Sympathy? Pity, perhaps?
No, not pity.
Cat would surely despise her for it. But what could have possibly happened to force a child into a woman grown? She would not pry, however. Some things were for the heart to know and the heart alone. Yseulte, of all people, understood this more than most. And who was she to judge, anyhow? She became a murderer as a child, after all. Surely she could not have been much older than young Cat here. In fact, gazing curiously at the girl with keen, cold eyes, she realized she must have been the same age, if not a day older. This revelation placed Cat in a new light, and Yseulte was suddenly quite aware of how capable the strong-willed girl was, of how capable she had been at that tender, unpredictable age.
Yseulte smiled softly as Cat solemnly swore to the cause of the Valkyries. The girl's expression was as solemn as her oath. "It is done, then. I can ask no more of you than that." And yet, I will demand more of you than you could ever possibly imagine. Because the girl so willingly bound her fate to that of the Valkyries, Yseulte felt a strange sense of pride swelling deep within the shadows of her heart. She had not felt so completed and purposeful in a very long time. Sisters. "I believe you mean what you say, Cat," she said quietly, but her iron-like gaze said something entirely different: Never betray me.
"And I will always be there for you as well." She told Cat this because she would have liked to been told the same when she was the girl's age, desperately so. But she'd had no one. Only a terrible secret to keep her company; a dreadfully heavy burden in her heart with no one to share the load with. She didn't wish the same for Cat.
When Cat proposed to both train as a warrior and delve into the studies of a scholar, Yseulte nodded her approval. "That is well. I expect great things from you one day, little sister." Sooner than you would think. She paused momentarily, regarding the young Valkyrie before her thoughtfully. Was it foolish to trust one so young as completely as she did? No, she didn't think so. She did not dare trust the fleeting wants and impulses of the heart, but her gut feeling on the other hand, was a different matter. And she had a good feeling about this solemn-eyed girl.
"Because you were the first to answer my call, the first to believe in my cause, and the first to follow my leadership, I will reward you. From henceforth, you shall be one of the three shieldsisters, the Gorgons; my most faithful and trusted advisors." Yseulte nudge the girl on her cheek gently. "I will value your good counsel above all else, Cat, and as such, I expect you to speak your mind freely and truthfully on all matters, both great and small. You will challenge me, question me, and push me to be the best I can possibly be, and in return, I shall most certainly do the same for you. We will learn and grow together, you and I."
In that fleeting moment of complete and utter certainty, Yseule knew she was born to rule and accepted her role completely, welcoming the embrace of power like a long lost lover. Truly, she was her father's daughter. And for once in her life, Yseulte was not ashamed of it, but harbored a fierce pride to be descended from such magnificence. A monster he'd been, in truth, but such monstrosity made him no less of a great man, and the same greatness, the same divine blood of Zjarri the Demigod, Aislia the Firebird and the Fire God himself thrummed through her veins. She was destined to rule, and she would do so with Catalina at her side.
"But it is easy to say such things, more difficult to actually do, I'm afraid. And I can promise you, what we must do...it won't be easy. Undoubtedly, it will be the most difficult thing we ever do in our entire lives. In my experience, I have often discovered that greatness comes with an equally great price," she murmured softly, regarding Cat with a sad expression, thinking of her father. But her voice was unwavering, unrelenting. "In order for our nation to succeed, the deeds required of us will not always be...honorable," she admitted, wondering if in spite of her all her lifelong efforts, she was becoming the one thing she feared most in all of this world: her father. "And if that is the case, then so be it. The price is high, cruelly so, but I am willing to pay it a thousandfold. And I will, by whatever means necessary, ensure that we succeed in our cause."
Can you promise to do the same, sweet sister?
"Now go. We will talk again soon." Her cold, iron gaze softened, and a wicked smile bloomed like a rose on her pale lips. "We have work to do." |
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