Veil of Ashes :Claimed by them

Night had long crept over Velmoria, casting a velvet hush over its towering spires. The palace glittered like a jeweled beast under the moonlight, but inside the royal hall that had become Prince Vaelor's private torture chamber of sound, the hours dragged like a dying animal.

Zairen flopped sideways on his chair, his once-groomed hair a chaotic halo of stress. "I swear," he groaned dramatically, "if one more banshee auditions as a singer, I'm setting the curtains on fire and using them as a noose."

Vaelor sat still, upright, his expression unreadable but faintly strained. His golden eyes flicked toward the curtained entrance after each name was called, with a hope so sharp it could slice. He had waited patiently, stubbornly. He needed to find the voice. The one that had calmed him that night in the woods. The one that made the fire stop roaring in his blood. He didn't know her face, didn't even know the song. Just the feeling.

So far, thirty-six maids. Thirty-six failures.

A weary attendant approached with a scroll that had become shorter by the hour. "Your Highness," he croaked, "there is only one contestant left."

Zairen sprang up like a drowning man hearing rescue. "Only ONE?" he cried. "Sweet mercy! Please let her have vocal cords and not siren wails."

The attendant gave a faint nod. "Aera, last on the list."

Zairen howled in joy, collapsing back into his chair. "Thank the stars and their chubby moon children!"

But Vaelor's focus sharpened. This was his last chance tonight. If it wasn't her...

The heavy curtain was pulled aside.

A maid stepped in—small, quiet, her head bowed. Her dress was plain. Nothing remarkable.

But someone did stare.

It wasn't Vaelor. He was watching her lips.

It wasn't Zairen. He was mentally planning his exit and his post-trauma bath.

It was Loius.

The silent guard—Raelth's most trusted, coldest knight, the same one assigned to keep Vaelor in check when his powers flared out of control. Loius, with his blank stare and sword-like posture, watched her like a man seeing the flicker of something he didn't remember missing.

But even he didn't know why.

It wasn't lust. He didn't even recognize the feeling.

It was a tightening in the chest, a curious stillness, as if the air had subtly changed.

Aera didn't notice. She kept her eyes on the floor, too nervous to lift them. Her legs trembled. Being the last was terrifying. She had no idea what she would be asked. Had the others done well? Would they make her dance? Recite poetry? Scrub their boots?

Then came the attendant's voice. "Sing."

Her heart stopped.

Sing?

Her eyes widened. That hadn't even occurred to her. Of all the imagined torments—singing hadn't made the list.

Her lips parted uselessly. For one long moment, she stood frozen like a frightened little animal stumbling in wolves den.

Then, like instinct pulling her out of the abyss, her lips moved.

🎵 "Fluffy feet and jelly toes,

Dancing where the moonlight goes,

Pickle hats and gingerbread bats,

Chasing after meow-meow cats~" 🎵

The song was absurd.

Childish.

Something she'd sung as a girl during moon festivals, holding paper lanterns in both hands.

Zairen lost it.

He laughed so hard the walls echoed with it. He clutched his ribs, doubled over. "What was that? Oh gods, bless this woman, that was genius!"

Vaelor didn't laugh. He leaned slightly forward, staring. Not at her, but into her. Searching for the same sensation that had found him before.

But it didn't come.

It wasn't her.

Disappointment hit like a plunge into cold water.

She finished the song, cheeks blazing. Still not looking up. Her voice was small, but she completed it.

Zairen clapped. "Reward her! For creativity and sheer courage!"

Loius stepped forward silently, pulling a pouch of gold coins from his sash. He approached Aera, who stood nervously still.

Their fingers brushed as he handed it to her.

She barely noticed. At this time she had no heart to celebrate earning unexpected gold coins.

"Goddess, please just help me survive this day..." Aera prayed desperately, she was just waiting for someone to give her order to leave. As amicable and friendly as they may look but after all she was in the presence of most powerful beings of Velmoria. One wrong move and she wouldn't even know how she died.

"You can leave now." said prince Zairen nonchalantly.

She bowed clumsily and turned to leave, eager to vanish.

Loius stared after her a beat too long. Though his stoic face gave away nothing but his usually cold heart was melting at a pace that even loius felt the warmth of it.

But no one else noticed this blooming flower of some dangerous and unknown feelings.

Vaelor was still inside his own silence forced to think, "If it was a figment of his imagination or was he really as drunk as Zairen said."

"No, that soul touching voice was real, as real as his pain. Maybe he should try looking out of palace, he may have placed his attention in the wrong direction.He will find his salvation.", Vaelor thoughts bringing him a new determination to keep looking for the girl despite this failure.

Zairen was too busy wiping tears of laughter to notice his brother who was somber a moment ago becoming more determined than ever.

" I guess it's time to take my leave as well. I am unable to lie that I enjoyed all this but I guess it's one of a kind of experience. I highly doubt anyone in this kingdom has experienced what I have or if anyone would willingly even want to experience this. But thanks for the lovely time my dearest brother. " said Zairen in an amused and sarcastic tone, as he turned on his heel to leave for his chambers.

Vaelor remained still, too lost in his thought to notice what his brother was even saying.

The curtain fell behind like a stage play ending in awkward applause. But was the show really as dull as the audience thought or if it was just setting up hype for a bigger and better show?