A New Connection?

A New Connection?
"You two are late." Valerie heard someone say as she turned to her right and found a red haired woman standing there with a teasing grin on her face. 

The woman had porcelain skin and bright golden eyes, almost as if the sun's light had been trapped and molten into her orbs. She had freckles on her nose and her cheeks and she wore a red lipstick in the exact shade of her voluminous hair, falling in thick waves till her shoulders. On her head, was a gold crown creating the waves of the sun and she wore a yellow and red kaftan with what looked to be some form of traditional Fae designs printed on it and a gold belt at her waist. The woman had chubby cheeks and a bright grin that could be enough to brighten the whole world.

"Oh, Ariadna!" Cara exclaimed, "you almost frightened me." 

Ariadna chuckled as she reached forward to hug Cara and then Marianne, "you have been busy, Selene." She said looking towards Valerie. 

Valerie smiled and awkwardly waved her fingers, "hi, I'm Marianne's daughter, Valerie." She introduced herself.

"That is a pretty name, Selene." Ariadna pointed out with a smirk and Valerie bit her tongue at her small mistake. "But, your daughter is prettier," she added, surprising Valerie who smiled shyly. "I am Ariadna, the Goddess of the Sun." She introduced herself and Valerie nodded her head.

"It is an honour to meet you." She said grinning, even though she had already guessed Ariadna's domain. 

Marianne smiled, relaxed that her daughter was interacting well with her friends and colleagues. She truly wished to be a part of Valerie's life and she wished that Valerie was happy too.

"Did the Fates decide to make an appearance this time?" Marianne asked a little nervously.

Ariadna sighed, "you know Sel, the Fates don't like coming down here." She said with a shrug. "We barely see them either, these days." She said gesturing to herself and Cara, who nodded her head. 

Marianne sighed and shrugged. "Well, whatever suits them." She mumbled before turning to Valerie, "come on, I'll introduce you to the others." She said taking her hand again. 

Valerie nodded, "it was nice meeting you both," she told Cara and Ariadna in passing, since her mother began to drag her away. Both the goddesses chuckled at that. 

"Would you like something to drink?" Marianne asked and Valerie looked around, feeling her throat parched, before realizing that she didn't know if her body could even handle Fae liquor, and since she didn't wish to make a fool of herself, she shook her head. "You're sure?" Marianne asked with confusion. 

Valerie nodded until her other hand was being occupied by someone else and she looked back in surprise until a handsom face appeared in front of her. 

"And who might you be?" The man asked with a charming grin.

He was about her own size and he had tawny hair, reaching till his collarbone in thick waves and bronze eyes. His thin lips looked like they were skilled in saying the right things at the right time and the turquoise tunic he wore was complimenting his tanned skin. He also wore an access of crystal jewelry but he didn't have a crown on his head. 

Valerie was frozen for a moment and he was about to bring her knuckles to his mouth to kiss them when Marianne swatted his hand away with a tight smack.

"She is not your plaything, Uzekiel!" She scolded him and he looked at her in a mock offended manner which was almost comical.

"Yet." Uzekiel said with a boyish grin as he winked at Valerie and she quirked her brow at his cocky attitude.

"Be respectful, she's my daughter!" Marianne stated sharply, nudging his shoulder and his eyes widened as he raised his hands in surrender. 

"Well, darling, welcome to Sorin. How long are you here for?" He asked tilting his head to the side, his demeanor shifted from flirty to sincere within a moment and Valerie couldn't help but gawk.

"Just for a few more hours...I think." She said glancing briefly towards her mother. 

Uzekiel smiled, "well, it is an honour to meet you, dear. I do hope that you have a good time here." He stated and winked once at both women before turning on his heel and walking away. 

Valerie didn't know for a moment what to say as Marianne chuckled and shook her head.

"Don't let him baffle you, dear, he is a player but his heart is in the right place." She said before lowering her voice, "I'm not quite sure about his mind though, it hasn't been seen in centuries." 

Valerie giggled at that.

She was about to say something when two goddesses instantly rushed to her mother's side and one of them took her hands in hers, hurriedly, "Sel, you need to come with us. The Fates have requested your presence." 

Valerie noticed the two women and they too weren't any less than the rest of them in terms of their beauty. 

The one holding her mother's hands had thick brown hair in the colour of the soil after heavy rains. Her crystal blue eyes were similar to Valerie's and her pale skin was painted with small flowers here and there. She wore a pastel coloured gown and a small gold chain on her neck. There were flowers attached to her hair, making her evidently the Goddess of Spring.

The second woman passed Valerie an awkward smile before looking back towards Marianne. She had golden brown skin and short jet black hair. She wore a red coloured gown, similar to the one worn by the Goddess beside her and the way their hands were entwined with each other, Valerie realized that they were lovers. 

She gave them a smile when they turned their attention to her after Marianne introduced her. 

"This is the Spring Goddess, Althea, and this is Kari, the Goddess of Summer." Marianne stated and Valerie nodded her head. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." She said with a smile on her face. 

They smiled back, agreeing with her. 

"You can leave if you have to, I can wait for you." Valerie told Marianne, remembering that the Fates had requested an audience with her mother. 

Marianne looked unconvinced and conflicted. "But—"

Valerie smiled, giving her mother's hand a gentle squeeze, "I will be fine, mother. You're not going to be gone for long." 

At that, her mother seemed to think for a moment or two before nodding her head. "Alright, stay here and go to Cara or Ariadna if you need anything or I take too long and you wish to return home." 

Valerie nodded her head, smiling as her mother kissed her cheek before she left with the two goddesses. 

She sighed, looking around the room bustling with people. 

She wondered where to go until she saw a lone spot empty by the bar and she decided to sit there and wait for her mother to come back. 

That was when someone spoke from behind her—

"You're a new face here."