Chapter 17 The Letter
Chapter 17 The Letter
Aurora’s POV
The room smelled like flowers, rain, and memories.
I sat on the soft rug near Maa’s bed, clutching the letter tightly in my trembling hands while the diary rested open beside me. My chest felt unbearably heavy, as if every secret hidden inside these walls had suddenly attached itself to my heart.
The curtains fluttered softly because of the breeze coming from the small waterfall at the far end of the room. The sound of water should have been calming, but right now it only made the silence feel louder.
My eyes drifted toward the portrait hanging on the wall again.
Maa.
She looked breathtakingly beautiful in the painting. Her long dark hair flowed down her shoulders like silk, and her silver gown shimmered beneath the painted moonlight. But it was her smile that made my chest ache.
Because I had never seen her smile like that before.
Not once.
Not in all these years.
There was happiness in her eyes here. Pure happiness. The kind that made her glow from inside.
And standing beside her in the portrait—
I swallowed hard.
Him.
The same man from the photograph.
Tall.
Broad.
Dark hair.
Sharp jawline.
Cold silver eyes that somehow still held warmth whenever they looked at Maa.
Even through a painting, his presence felt powerful.
Terrifyingly powerful.
My fingers tightened around the letter as my gaze moved toward the name written carefully beneath the frame.
Ares Valerian.
The name alone felt heavy.
Important.
Dangerous.
I stared at it for a long moment.
My father.
The man I had never known existed until today.
The man Maa never spoke about.
The man whose blood ran through my veins.
I looked down at the letter again, rereading the lines that had already carved themselves into my soul.
Your father is a very strong and powerful man, Aurora. More powerful than anyone you can imagine. But there are reasons why he cannot come before you right now. Reasons I cannot explain yet.
My throat tightened painfully.
Why?
Why was everything in my life wrapped in mysteries?
Why did every answer only create ten more questions?
I wiped my tears angrily and continued reading.
If someday you learn the truth about yourself, do not hate me for hiding it from you. I did it because I wanted you to live. I wanted you safe. There are people in this world who fear power, and people who would destroy anything they cannot control.
A shiver crawled down my spine.
The Witch Queen.
Nicholas had mentioned her before.
The same woman Maa feared.
The same woman from whom they were still hiding me.
My eyes burned.
I felt angry.
Angry at fate.
Angry at secrets.
Angry at everyone who kept deciding things for me while I remained clueless about my own existence.
And yet…
Even after everything…
I missed Maa.
God.
I missed her so much.
I curled up against the side of the bed, hugging the letter to my chest as tears slid silently down my cheeks.
“I don’t understand anything anymore, Maa,” I whispered brokenly. “Nothing makes sense…”
The room remained silent except for the soft rush of the waterfall.
I closed my eyes.
And for the first time in days…
Christian’s face appeared in my mind again.
The way he had looked at me in the cave.
The way his voice had broken when he said mine.
The way he kissed me like I was the only thing keeping him alive.
A sob escaped my lips before I could stop it.
I missed him.
Even after everything.
Even after running away.
Even after knowing he hated witches.
I still loved him so much it physically hurt.
And now…
I touched my stomach unconsciously.
There was a baby growing inside me.
Our baby.
Fear wrapped around my chest instantly.
Would Christian hate the child too once he found out the truth?
Would he reject us both?
The thought alone shattered something inside me.
I buried my face in my arms and cried harder.
I did not even hear the door open.
“Aurora.”
I jolted violently and looked up.
Uncle Nicholas stood near the entrance.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
His gaze slowly moved around the room before settling on the diary, the photographs, and finally the letter in my hands.
A tired sigh escaped his lips.
Instead of getting angry, he quietly walked toward me.
Only then did I truly notice him.
He looked exhausted.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
The sharpness he usually carried around himself seemed dull today. There were faint shadows beneath his eyes, and suddenly he looked older than I had ever seen him before.
As if the last month had drained years out of him.
He lowered himself onto the rug beside me slowly.
“You opened the room,” he said quietly.
I nodded nervously. “I… I didn’t mean to. I just felt something pulling me here.”
His eyes softened slightly.
“That room only opens for family.”
My breath caught.
Family.
The word still felt unreal.
I looked down at the letter again before gathering courage.
“You knew I would eventually find out, didn’t you… Uncle?”
The word felt strange on my tongue.
But something flickered in his eyes when I said it.
Pain.
Affection.
Relief.
“Yes,” he admitted softly. “I knew.”
“Then why didn’t anyone tell me?” My voice cracked despite trying to stay calm. “Why was I made to live like this? Why did Maa hide everything from me? Why am I pretending to be a witch when apparently I’m not even one?”
Nicholas closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them again, they were filled with exhaustion.
“Because your mother was terrified.”
Silence fell between us.
I waited.
And after a long pause, he finally continued.
“She came to me years ago,” he said quietly. “Broken. Frightened. Pregnant with you. I had never seen my little sister cry like that before.”
His jaw tightened.
“She refused to tell me everything. No matter how much I demanded answers. She only said one thing repeatedly…”
He looked directly into my eyes.
‘Protect my child.’
My chest tightened painfully.
Nicholas leaned back against the bed slightly, rubbing his forehead tiredly.
“She knew people were after you even before you were born. That’s why she placed layers of spells over your existence. Your scent. Your powers. Your aura. Even your identity.”
I swallowed hard.
“That’s why everyone thinks I’m a witch?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“Because witches were easier to hide.”
His answer stunned me.
Nicholas sighed heavily before continuing.
“The Witch Queen wanted power. Your mother knew that if anyone discovered what you truly were… it would start a war.”
I stared at him.
“What am I?”
He immediately looked away.
And that silence told me everything.
He still wasn’t going to answer.
Frustration surged through me.
“Uncle—”
“You are not ready yet,” he interrupted firmly.
I stood up abruptly.
“That’s all everyone keeps saying! Not ready. Not now. Later. Enough!” My voice shook emotionally. “This is my life!”
Nicholas stood too.
And for the first time since I met him…
He looked genuinely helpless.
“I know,” he said quietly. “But there are truths that cannot be taken back once spoken aloud.”
His voice turned rough.
“And right now, I would rather have you angry at me than dead.”
The words hit me like ice water.
Dead.
The room suddenly felt colder.
I looked away, breathing unevenly.
After a long silence, Nicholas spoke again, much softer this time.
“Your mother loved you more than her own life, Aurora.”
Tears filled my eyes instantly.
“She still does.”
I pressed my lips together tightly to stop them from trembling.
Nicholas walked toward the waterfall slowly, staring at the flowing water.
“She used to sit here whenever she missed home,” he murmured quietly. “She loved this room.”
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“She filled it with ridiculous flowers. Drake once complained there were more plants here than in the royal gardens.”
Despite everything, a tiny laugh escaped me.
Nicholas glanced back at me.
And suddenly the tension between us eased slightly.
“She was stubborn too,” he added. “Far more stubborn than you.”
“That’s impossible,” I muttered weakly.
He snorted softly.
“Oh trust me. You inherited that from her.”
For the first time since entering this room…
I felt warmth.
Not answers.
Not peace.
But warmth.
Family.
Even if broken and filled with secrets.
Nicholas walked back toward me and gently placed his hand on my head.
A strangely protective gesture.
“You are not alone anymore, Aurora,” he said quietly. “No matter what happens next.”
My throat tightened painfully again.
I nodded silently.
Then my eyes drifted toward the photograph lying beside the diary.
Toward the silver-eyed man standing beside Maa.
“Ares Valerian…” I whispered softly. “Who is he really?”
Nicholas froze.
Completely.
The warmth vanished from his face instantly.
And for the first time since this conversation began…
Fear appeared in his eyes.
Real fear.
He slowly looked toward the photograph in my hands before whispering very quietly—
“That man…”
His jaw clenched tightly.
“…is the reason the world would burn if they discover who you truly are.”