Until This World Ends

Ch13: Faults in Fate

Ch13:

The lack of all-life recovery started to bother Valentine late in the second year. His recent finds were the great healer Vanica, the battle logician Lord Tollsfee of Ironwood, the pullmen's sword master and Regis's only cousin, Vajin-Rex, and the world's only martial artist, oddly named Tokio. They only remembered a handful of lifetimes, mostly the ones connected to the young prince. It was still sufficient to keep everyone running towards the goal of eradicating the menace before it ate their world.

It left Regis grinding his teeth with worry.

Slowly, they picked their way through the years, mostly leaving Rexius complacent. Valentine didn't want the throne, so the new aspect wasn't a danger to the king. Regis still did, if it was just about his singular life, but in the grand scheme of things, he couldn't inherit if the world ended.

But there was still that little insecurity that his son would one day become a rival. Once again, King Rexius interfered with little consideration of his son's objections.

So in the middle of year 5, Regis met a woman who made his heart ache.

Whisper was Symphora in this life. She was the youngest daughter of a very eligible nobleman. As she had just come of age, the king took the time to order him home. They were engaged before Valentine could object, leaving the man remembering every time she betrayed him. It wasn't every lifetime that they were married, but there were enough of them to see a pattern for why he didn't trust her.

Regis' first time refusing to give someone their memories was the highlight of his 25th birthday. He wanted nothing to do with her.

This betrayal of a woman was the one who sacrificed her life for his in the long dark of humanity's death. She desperately cried that she would meet him in the next life.

And true to her word, they would, and he'd love her, often for her to betray him yet again.

Looking at her left him at a loss, one that was more comforted by the years when his loyalty went to someone who wouldn't be a wife.

But King Rexius pushed him into a corner with this betrothal nonsense. It was time to find Valeria. The only master of his fate was not Regis' father, and he refused to bow to him any longer.

Not on this.

It took him two more years to find the wife he missed.

Valeria was not a lady of status in this life. That suited her coarse name—much as Valentine was considered. It was why Regis had a hard time getting people to call him by that name. It frustrated him, as the name he wanted didn't suit who he had become.

Instead of leaning on his many years of experience, he rushed his meeting with Valeria. He ran into her on the streets, quite literally. It was an excuse to kiss her hand as he begged forgiveness.

Unlike others, he made her self-aware of her past without consent. Thankfully, her face alight with recognition was everything he had hoped for in their reunion. She laughed and cried at the same time, calling him by the one name he wanted to hear.

It felt like home, coming from her.

In many ways, it was as if they had been married for an eternity. When she invited him to her house, he thought nothing of seducing his wife, and she led him to her bed. Valentine slept in peace for the first time in this new life. He had no idea how anxious living left him until this one night of rest.

Well, it ended in rest.

In the morning, she returned his anxiety to him tenfold.

Valeria woke him by running her fingers through his hair. Valentine wanted to stay like this forever, but the words no man wanted to hear were uttered. "Val, we need to talk."

He sat up and stared at her as the bedding slid down, but his mind wasn't quite on enjoying the display. "What do you mean, we need to talk?"

"Baby, I'm not fighting the ruler of this nation to be your wife." She was as comfortable with him as ever, focusing on re-braiding her hair and not the exposure. "I love you, but so does Symphora, if you will let her."

He reached out to her, pulling him against him in a crushing hug. "No. She is dangerous, and I've vowed to succeed this time."

"Val, ease up." Her laugh was watery and laced with tears. But the laughter subsided quickly as the seriousness of her decision set in. "You have had your dangerous years as well. And you're so intense, running off and leaving me to fend for myself when battling. I love you, but I don't want this life."

For the first time in his life, Regis stammered in reply. There had never been a life where she rejected him, so he was ill-prepared for her decision. "What are you going to do? What about our children?"

"I married a good man, any life you didn't find me. I'll be ok. And you should know that our son was only ever a first time."

In the larger scheme of betrayals, this one wasn't as harsh as anything Symphora had done. He wondered, if it weren't for Carwen, if she would have slept with him at all. That thought hurt. "But what about Guin?"

Valeria reached over and cupped his cheek as she leaned in. "Guin didn't come in every life. I'll risk damning my soul for Carwen, but you will have to find another mother for your daughter, maybe even Symphora."

Valentine flinched but did not move. His mind balked anything to do with his betrothed.

She leaned forward and nipped at his lower lip. "I will love you until my dying breath, Val."

He gave in, giving everything demanded of him as his soul bled.

It was the last time Regis allowed himself to be called by his heart's name because she took it from him.

In shock, he went back to Gareth's care until he was over the initial pain. By then, a week had passed, and Valeria disappeared from King's Port like she had never existed.