I listened to what Natasha and David had to say, “Absolutely not. I actually want my husband to come home. If you put Va’lis up there he’ll blow up the minute Draco hollers anything at him. Then everything will go to pot. No. Hell no.”
Va’lis looked at me, “Let me do this Pand, I can keep it together at times you know. I know I can get them to see how we were tied together long before I was ever registered to this stupid Order.” I turned to him, “And that’s exactly what I mean, this “stupid Order” has been around for thousands of years. We respect it. We abide by it. To you, it’s just a joke.” He sat for a minute there thinking long and hard, shielding his thoughts from me.
David spoke up, “I need to know the exact dates of your bond with him, Pandora.” I looked up at him and tried to think. The thought of it all cut me like a knife opening old wounds. The break of the bond came at me without warning. Separating me from him instantly, the boy I had grown to love as my own. It was utterly heartbreaking. “I know it ended when Va’lis went mortal the night of his marriage to Cher.”
David looked at Cherry and then Va’lis. Va’lis said, “I intended to re-establish that bond afterwards, I did. Cher and I had been thinking about having a child of our very own since that’s an option to us now.” David responded, “But Carrie was taken after the bond was broken.” Cherry answered, “Yes.” David said, “That would only hurt our case, not help it.” Natasha agreed.
Cherry spoke up, “But that bond has existed long before any of us even liked Va’lis. My husband would love no other than Pandora as his mother figure. She is his mother in every way that counts. Does that have no bearing on these proceedings?” David sighed, “No, I’m afraid not.”
“Then put me up there to explain it,” Va’lis said. I turned to him in shock. Would he really pour his heart out to a room of mostly enemies and strangers that abide by laws he detests? I couldn’t believe it. Before I could even protest, Maharet spoke up, “Let him do it. This Order has ignored the feelings and emotions of those they govern for far too long.”
And with that David prepped Va’lis for some of the questions he would ask and Natasha prepped him for the questions that opposing council might ask.
It was going to happen. I picked up the phone that rang down to Marius and told him. To my surprise he didn’t seem upset about it, “Send him in then.” All he said before hanging up.