The Easterling E-Book

Linda Thackeray

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

In a dream, Watch Guard Melia hears her mother screaming.

When she sets out to find her, the elf Prince Aeron joins to guide her across his homeland. They are heading for Tor Iolan: the abandoned fortress where Disciples of the Shadow Lord tortured and maimed innocents for the sake of their master.

Within its cruel walls, Melia hopes to find truth about her past, while pondering a future with a prince who has yet to learn that falling for a mortal may cost him more than a broken heart.

This is a tale of darkness, romance and loss, where Melia and Aeron face the reality that sometimes love may not be enough, and sacrifice may be the only course left to them.

Leseprobe

The Easterling

Legends of Avalyne Book 2

Linda Thackeray

Copyright (C) 2016 Linda Thackeray

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2019 by Next Chapter

Published 2019 by Next Chapter

Cover art by Lordan June Pinote

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

Prologue: Yesterday

She was too far away from the river.

Ninuie knew this because she could barely feel the connection to Yantra-hai, the great river of Avalyne. If she were closer, she would be able to defend herself; but the enemy was wily, barring her from it. The river was her place of power, and as long as they remained separated she was diminished. Since the pursuit began, every effort to escape the forest and reach the shore had been in vain. The enemy was there at every turn.

With no choice but to retreat into the shadows of Iolan's ancient woods, Ninuie could feel her withering link to the river, and it made her heart sink with dismay. Like a thread being pulled tighter and tighter, she knew it would not be long before it snapped completely and she would be defenceless. It was a stark contrast to the growing menace overpowering her senses as the enemy closed in on her. Their paws thundered across the ground until she could feel the vibration against the soles of her bare feet.

They were experienced pack hunters and they outflanked her from the river and the forest, keeping her trapped between them. Helpless to escape, she knew with anguish they were converging on her position, and that when each group met there would be no place left to run. She would be helpless to stop them from taking her.

In a moment of desperation, she considered returning to the Man, but sense prevailed. She refused to let her fear endanger him or their child. The enemy would not hesitate to kill them both to gain her subservience. She would not risk them for anything. The Man was an able warrior but he was no match for the servants of the Aeth, and she no longer possessed the ability to protect him.

Near her breaking point, Ninuie continued her desperate flight across the woods while the midnight moon gazed upon her aloofly, indifferent to her plight. Branches clawed at her as she ran past the thick trees and tall shrubs. Around her, the pounding footsteps of the enemy were like a drumbeat in her ears, growing louder with their relentless persistence. Her terror was almost complete now, just like the screaming danger she could feel in every part of her soul.

They were almost upon her, sooner, if her strength gave out first.

Please help me, Water Wife! I am sorry for abandoning you and my sisters! For turning away from the river!

The Celestial goddess chose not to answer. Ninuie uttered a frustrated cry of misery, but desperation made fools of everyone. For the love of the Man, she abandoned everything she knew—her goddess, her sisters and her covenant with Yantra-hai. They did not forget nor forgive the slight.

Ironically, she left home this night to go to the river. Ninuie intended to find her sisters and put her affairs in order. She was going to tell them she was leaving with the Man and the Child. She was travelling with him to his land in the east to become his wife and to die a mortal, surrendering her place among their pantheon. It was the proper form so the goddess could appoint another in her place.

The Aeth Lord's servants put an end to her good intentions.

She knew of him of course, the seraf of the dark Celestial Mael, who broke the rules of the Five Realms by entering the Aeth where only the dead resided for all time. Straddling that terrible afterlife and the living world, Balfure harnessed the dark energies of one to become a god in the other. Why he wanted her, she did not know, but fear of his evil kept her from returning home to the Man and Child.

She would risk no harm to them, whatever the cost to herself. She could no longer feel the river or its life pulsing through her and Ninuie knew that Yantra-hai had abandoned her at last. The void it left behind was so absolute that her fear of capture paled in comparison. She wept openly at the loss.

Slowing down, she trudged across the blanket of rotting leaves, surrounded by thick, ancient trees, their branches reaching towards the sky in silent worship. Their leaves created a shroud of darkness Ninuie took comfort in, hoping it would keep her concealed. At least long enough for her to catch her breath.

Despair and exhaustion broke her will to evade and when she reached a clearing, she raised her eyes to the moon and sank to her knees. She shuddered a little when her skin made contact with the damp foliage and the tears on her cheeks glistened beneath the moonlight. She could hear the Enemy closing in on her, hear their paws crush the leaves underfoot as they circled.

Let them come, she thought to herself, let them take me.

The Man and the Child are safe. Nothing else mattered.

Chapter One: Chains of Duty

The message came to him on the day of the elven new year.

Nothing in it should have surprised him, but Prince Aeron of Eden Halas was nonetheless affected by its contents. He didn't realise until he read the message how much he dreaded what it would say, and he wished very much for a stay of execution. Reading it over and over again did nothing to lessen its impact and, finally, like a man beaten into exhaustion, he surrendered to his fate.

It was time for him to go home.

In truth, Aeron was surprised the demand to return took as long as it did to come. He expected its arrival following Balfure's defeat and the delay allowed him to become complacent. Of course, it was always inevitable he would have to return home. His father saw no reason for his continued absence from Halas now that the war was done and Aeron had no excuse to remain.

Despite missing his mother and the woods he grew up in, Aeron never felt as bound to Eden Halas as his father or his brothers. Eighteen years ago, he was more than happy to leave his home to help Dare vanquish Balfure from Avalyne. He was closer to Dare than he was to his own brothers and travelling with the exiled heir of Carleon seemed like fate. Once away from the woods, Aeron discovered he enjoyed travelling to new lands and meeting its people, something his brothers and father would never understand.

After the Aeth War, he remained with Dare, making only the occasional visit home to see his mother. Using the excuse he was needed to help Dare with hunting the remnants of Balfure's forces, Aeron was able to avoid his father's request to return permanently. It was always going to be a temporary salve and now it seemed his time in Carleon was done. Aeron knew if he returned to Eden Halas, as requested, it would be to stay.

While he would be happy for a time, reunited with his family, Aeron knew it would not last. After eighteen years away from Eden Halas, he no longer fit in with life there. Isolation was not for him and he would be trapped by the Veil and his father's insistence on keeping the world away from Eden Halas. Everything he had experienced these past years proved he enjoyed being in the world instead of being sequestered from it.

From the first, there was no denying Aeron was cut from a different cloth than his father and sibling. When Dare was brought to Eden Halas, Aeron accepted him with little difficulty, while his older brothers, Hadros and Syannon, took time to warm to the child. His father remained aloof until the day Dare left Halas, and never understood Aeron's decision to accompany him. Being away from home blunted the differences between father and son, but if Aeron remained in Halas permanently, they would become acute. Aeron had no wish to see his mother in pain because of their conflict.

Still, it was more than just the demand to return home that bothered Aeron.

Dare was now a king with a wife and an heir. He had a kingdom to consolidate and strengthen. Kyou, head of Clan Atrayo, had recently wedded his long-time love Hanae in the Jagged Mountains. When the Master Builder completed his work fortifying Sandrine, he would return home to Iridia to begin his life with his bride. Celene was now the Lady of Gislaine and, as wife to Ronen, would be expected to bear him children for their own house. The mage Tamsyn was travelling Avalyne, seeking out acolytes to restore the Order of Enphilim.

And what was he doing? Nothing.

He was doing nothing, and if he returned to Eden Halas he would continue to do nothing. As Aeron walked the sculpted gardens of Sandrine Keep, this bothered him a great deal. Adventuring and fighting Balfure had given Aeron purpose, but those days were now past. His friends were settling down, preparing to live the rest of their lives. Aeron had no such plans. Being immortal, he had no need of them and, until now, did not realise how hollow that felt.

There had to be some purpose to immortality beyond growing stagnant with time.

“Aeron,” Dare's sudden call broke him free of his thoughts. “There you are.”

The prince glanced briefly at the sky above and was somewhat surprised to see the sun had crested overhead and was beginning its evening descent. It was early afternoon when the message from his father had arrived and he had retreated into the gardens to read it. Now he realised the day had slipped by him without notice.

“I am sorry. I did not mean to be away for so long.”

“There is nothing to be sorry for. I merely wondered where you were. I was told that there was a message from your father.” Dare stood beside Aeron before one of the ornate fountains in the garden. This one was constructed from blue marble with the likeness of the Water Wife perched up high in the centre.

“Yes,” Aeron frowned, clearly implying it was not good news.

“Is it what you feared?”

Although Aeron never spoke to Dare of his anxieties regarding his father, the king suspected Aeron feared that his responsibilities at home would soon draw him back to Eden Halas.

“More or less,” Aeron shrugged, not bothering to hide his discontent from his old friend. “My father would like me home as soon as possible.”

“And you mean to go,” Dare was unable to hide the disappointment from his voice because he could not imagine Aeron being absent from his life. Not only was Aeron family, but they had been constant companions for almost two decades. Dare did not relish the thought of losing his best friend even though it had always been inevitable that they would someday have to part company.

“I do not see that I have any other choice; he is the king after all,” Aeron reminded.

“And you are his son, not his possession,” Dare pointed out.

“I have responsibilities at home,” Aeron countered, but he knew argument was weak. His older brothers Hadros and Syannon were of more use to his father than he. The only reason Halion wished Aeron at home was because he disapproved of his son living a life beyond the Veil. During Balfure's reign it was a necessary evil, but now the Aeth Lord was no more, there was no longer any reason for his continued absence from home.

“You have responsibilities to yourself first,” Dare stated firmly, conscious of the fact that while Aeron was more than 950 years older than him, the elf spent very little of that time actually living. As much as Dare loved the elves, he felt their immortality was more a burden than it was a gift from the Celestial Gods. Time was no one's friend when you had too much of it.

“Do you know what your trouble is, elf?”

Aeron stiffened, for Dare did not refer to him that way unless he was about to impart some uncomfortable insight Aeron probably would not wish to hear. Even if he needed to.

“You are more like us that you care to admit. You want more from life than just hiding behind the Veil. You want to experience life, not hide from it.”

Aeron flinched uncomfortably because, as always, Dare's observations were not only astute but utterly correct. He was a different elf than the one who left Eden Halas so many years ago. Like the rest of his friends in the Circle, he wanted to accomplish something. It was probably the first time he actually admitted to himself he wanted more out of life than what was expected of him by his father and by his people.

“Even if you are right,” the prince conceded, “one does not simply go and tell the king of Eden Halas his son wishes to abandon the kingdom for a different life.”

“Life is what you will it to be, not what someone else decides for you. If you feel chained by it then defy the conventions keeping you captive. Do not be chained to duty, Aeron. It will break the spirit far quicker than time.”

As much as Dare loathed the idea of Aeron returning to Eden Halas, he would like it even less if the elf resigned himself to an unhappy fate when it could be avoided.

“I do not know what to do,” Aeron sighed heavily. “I know you are right, but if I do not return to Eden Halas then what awaits me? You have your own life to live now and I cannot remain here indefinitely. Since leaving Eden Halas, you and I have journeyed from one place or another to rid the world of Balfure. You have stopped running because you have a place to stop. I do not.”

Dare would have begged to differ but there was some truth to Aeron's words. Dare would have him remain at Carleon for good but it was not the purpose the elf sought.

“Only because you never considered your existence beyond Halas,” Dare countered. “Take some time, Aeron. Think about what you really want. You took the first step by leaving Halas with me, and look at what we accomplished together. While I may have my responsibilities to Carleon, there is much you and I can still do together and you will always have a home here.”

“Thank you,” Aeron replied, touched by the king's offer. They were more than friends and, while not bound in blood, they were still family. Perhaps it was such an in-between that made their bond so strong. “I will do as you suggest; I will give this matter some thought.”

“Good,” Dare grinned and gestured Aeron to follow him out of the garden, “now come on, we should join the others.”

“Yes,” Aeron replied, still surprised the time slipped by him so completely.

With Kyou continuing the work on Sandrine's fortifications and both Ronen and Celene in the city for a time, Arianne showed her delight at having so many of their friends present by insisting they shared dinner every night. The nightly meals had become an intimate gathering of friends whose time together was growing shorter and shorter as their lives diverged on different paths. These occasions would become rarer as time went on, and Arianne wanted to savour as much of them as possible.

“I must confess, Aeron, I did have another reason for seeking you,” Dare revealed as they took the familiar path back to the Keep. A barely concealed smile of mischief crossed the king's face as he spoke.

“Really?” Aeron threw Dare a sidelong glance as they reached the doors leading into the castle.

“I thought you would be interested in knowing that Melia has just arrived.”

Dare's tone was nonchalant even though he was burning with curiosity to see Aeron's reaction.

After their adventure in Sanhael defeating Syphia, while the king and Arianne returned to Carleon, Aeron, Kyou and Melia travelled together towards the Jagged Mountains. Kyou's account of the journey, particularly Aeron's interaction with the lovely watch guard, was a source of great amusement. Their bickering obviously masked an attraction which interested the Circle to no end, since the elf so rarely expressed an attraction for any member of the opposite sex.

Aeron received the news with an expression of stone.

“Melia is here?”

“Yes, Arianne invited her to Carleon for a visit,” Dare explained, delighted by Aeron's feigned indifferent to the news. “They became good friends during the quest to defeat Syphia.”

“I suppose a watch guard has little choice but to accept an invitation given by the queen,” Aeron remarked, trying to hide from Dare this was the best news he could have received after the summons by his father.

Still, he bore no desire to share with anyone how he felt about Melia. In fact, how the prince of Eden Halas felt towards any lady was his own business. Some things were private, not to be confided to even a trusted friend such as Dare. After all, he did not recall the king being any more forthcoming about Arianne before their wedding. If anything, Dare was quite close-mouthed about Arianne, for fear that daring to hope for such a union was foolish.

“She looks well,” Dare continued to speak. “Though one wonders why a woman would choose such a life for herself.”

“I'm certain she has her reasons,” Aeron said quickly, instinctively rising to the lady's defence without a second thought.

“I suppose she must,” Dare agreed, hiding his smirk. Dare did not get a chance to know Melia before she left their company all those months ago. Still, she seemed to him a strong woman with deep thoughts she kept to herself. Whether he knew her or not mattered little; she would always have an ally in her king for helping Arianne to save their child.

“She must have travelled a long way to be here,” Dare added. “We know almost nothing about the eastern lands from which she originates, beyond the fact that its people were allied to Balfure and our peace with them is a fragile one.”

“They considered him their god and we struck him down,” Aeron reminded. “Right or wrong, it's a poor foundation to begin any sort of alliance.”

“Agreed,” Dare sighed with resignation. He wanted time to rebuild Carleon, to restore the wounded spirit of his people before he inflicted another war on them. Though he had been reluctant to extend the friendship across the Burning Plains to the very people who warred against them, Dare knew Carleon could ill afford another conflict after three decades of Occupation. They needed recovery more than vengeance. He only hoped diplomacy would be enough to heal the rift between the east and west, because the alternative was war.

* * *

Melia stared at herself in the mirror of the room she was provided in the Keep and tried to remember how long it had been since she was last required to dress for a dinner. With sadness, she realised it was well before her father's death. Those days seemed so far away now and there were times Melia wondered if that other life was just a dream and this had always been her reality.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror and not seeing the watch guard but the woman in the one dress she owned, Melia could not help think it was a stranger gazing back at her.

The dress was simple, a blue shift clinging tightly at the bodice with flowing sleeves cut in elvish fashion. She had bought the gown from a peddler in Cereine, who made his mark selling dresses sewn in the fashion of highborn ladies. It was such a frivolous purchase, but the colour of the fabric made the decision for her, impractical as it was. It remained in her saddlebag, forgotten until the invitation from the queen gave her an occasion to wear it.

The summons to Carleon itself had rather astonished her. While she and Arianne had shared an extraordinary adventure together during the quest to save the royal heir, still it was a watch guard's duty to aid her queen. While friendship had come, Melia never expected the relationship to survive beyond the completion of the quest.

In all honesty, when Melia left Arianne and Celene at the Frozen Mountains, she never expected to hear from either again. But when the Captain of the Watch in Baffin sought her out to present her with the invitation to visit Sandrine Keep, Melia realised she was mistaken. It was not an invitation she could refuse so she set out, convinced when she reached the palace she would be told it was all a terrible mistake.

Of course nothing of the sort happened. When Melia arrived and was presented to the queen, she was greeted with open arms. Arianne embraced her like a friend and proved her regard was no aberration.

After donning the gown, Melia pinned back her dark hair and hoped she was suitable for the company she would be keeping tonight. Her reflection still jarred her each time she glanced at the mirror, startled by the person she saw there. The woman in the mirror did not look like a watch guard. After one wore breeches and spent most of the time riding through the wilderness, where neither identity nor gender mattered, it was easy to forget she was once a child of nobility.

The reflection in the mirror reminded her she was once Melia, daughter of Hezare, a general of Nadira.

It was almost to her relief when she heard the door behind her. The sound of knuckles rapping against the thick wooden door snatched her away from her anxious thoughts and sent her hurrying to answer it. With no idea of any customs or protocols to be followed in the royal court, Melia did not wish to be perceived as discourteous by leaving her visitor to languish outside her door.

“Melia!” Celene burst into the room as soon as Melia opened the door wide enough. She greeted the startled watch guard with another enthusiastic hug of friendship and joy.

“Celene,” Melia stuttered a response, still rather overwhelmed by the reception she was receiving from the lady of Gislaine and the queen, respectively.

“My goodness,” Celene exclaimed, sweeping her gaze over Melia in the blue dress. “Now I can see why so many were shocked when I discarded my breeches for a dress. You look beautiful.”

“I feel as if I should be better armed,” Melia retorted, remembering that Celene's dry wit would appreciate the comment.

Celene laughed and took her hand, leading her to the wing chairs in the room so they could talk. Like Arianne, Celene did not forget how Melia risked her life to aid them in the quest to Sanhael. Though she claimed she was duty-bound to aid the queen, Celene and Arianne knew better. Besides, it was rare for Celene to find other women who shared her common interests, who did not think battle and swordplay were wholly inappropriate subjects of conversation.

“How have you been?” Celene inquired earnestly when they were nestled comfortably in the chairs.

“I have been well, though life does not vary much for a watch guard. We ride, we watch and we report what is important to those in authority,” Melia explained.

“And how goes your search for your mother?” Celene inquired, remembering Melia had set aside her own quest in order to help them.

Melia let out a disappointed sigh. “I am afraid I have found little evidence of her. Wherever she and her people disappeared, they hid well, for I have spoken to no one who has even heard of her.”

“You will find her,” Celene patted her on the arm in support, showing more confidence than Melia herself felt at this moment.

“I hope so,” Melia smiled, grateful for the gesture. “Now, how about yourself? How have you and your husband been?”

“Ronen and I fare well. We have spent much of the past months in Gislaine trying to rebuild the outer settlements there, but I fear that our resources only stretch so far. Many fled to the coast during the Occupation, and until we prove that the south is free of Balfure's forces we will not bring them back. I know the king would like the Southern Provinces peopled, but it is going to take a long time for that to happen.”

“I understand that land east of Gislaine is quite beautiful and the woods of Eden Ardhen are quite magnificent,” Melia remarked, knowing something about the local geography.

“It is,” Celene confirmed. “Unfortunately many of Balfure's forces have taken refuge there. Tor Ardhen still stands, even though the Disciples are gone. It's a pity, because it was the centre of elvendom until Lylea was driven out.”

“I suppose they are retreating behind the Veil again now that Balfure is gone. It is a pity they chose not to reclaim Eden Ardhen. That might solve your problem.”

“It might,” Celene nodded in agreement and then added rather coyly, “Speaking of elves, Aeron is here.”

Melia received the news with an expression of stone.

“Is he?” She feigned nonchalance, unaware this was not entirely unique behaviour in the keep today.

“Yes,” Celene remarked, betraying none of the amusement she was presently experiencing at Melia's supposed indifference to the news. “Though I fear not for long. I am told he has been summoned home to Eden Halas by his father King Halion.”

“Well that is hardly surprising,” Melia snorted. “If he were my son I would try to keep a tight rein on him as well.”

Celene chuckled, “I see you remember him well then.”

“And trying to forget him just as well,” Melia replied sarcastically, recalling how she had almost taken her knife to him when they travelled together. He took the idea of chivalry beyond the boundaries of its intended use. She could not understand how she could have fought Syphia at his side only to have him treat her like some fragile damsel who needed protection at the very next opportunity.

“Are we speaking of the same polite elf?” Celene teased.

“Are we speaking of a polite elf?” Melia cocked a brow at her.

Celene laughed and Melia joined her before the conversation regarding the prince of Eden Halas deteriorated even further.

“It is time we join the others for dinner,” Celene prompted their departure. “Arianne thought you might prefer a friendly face to accompany you to the hall instead of a serving girl. We will talk more tonight.”

“I am grateful for your company,” Melia said, because Arianne was correct about that assertion. She made a mental note to thank the queen for the consideration when they had a moment alone. Hopefully the rest of the night would transpire as smoothly.

* * *

“Did you miss me?”

A familiar voice spoke so closely to Melia's ear she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. They were walking down the corridor leading to the great hall when they were intercepted from behind by someone who knew how to approach without giving himself away.

Melia sucked in her breath, perfectly aware who was asking the question and replied sweetly without turning around. “Like the pox.”

“Are you saying you're afflicted with me?” Aeron quipped as he rounded the two women and stood next to Melia, smirking.

Celene rolled her eyes, realising Kyou did not exaggerate.

“Prince Aeron, I take it you remember Melia?”

“Vaguely,” Aeron shrugged, a little smile crossing lips as his eyes continued to stare at Melia. “Though I am certain I travelled with a scruffy watch guard, not this, this woman,” his gaze raked over her in approval.

“I remember you,” Melia retorted, feeling uncomfortable enough in these clothes without this elven aristocrat making her feel even more self-conscious about it. “You were that annoying little puppy tugging at my heels. I thought I succeeded in losing you in the woods so you would not find your way home.”

Celene laughed softly, shaking her head as she drew away from them both to avoid being caught in their sparring. “I leave you to your verbal jousting. If you can rest your bladed tongues long enough, do join us in the hall. I believe the queen is waiting.”

Neither spoke until Celene was gone, and despite his efforts to keep from falling into old patterns around her, Aeron's resolve crumbled the instant he saw her again. Seeing her in the dress simply took his breath away.

At Sanhael, he was impressed by her courage and her skill. Later on, as they travelled together, he enjoyed immensely their witty banter; but now as he saw her again, he realised there was a beautiful woman beneath all that leather and dust.

“Would you let me escort you?” He offered her his arm.

“Now you behave like a prince?” She stared at him, wondering what was to be done with this impossible elf.

“A moment ago I was pox,” he pointed out. “It requires time to rise above that distinction.”

“You are quite impossible,” she stated before breaking into a smile. Taking his arm, they resumed walking towards the hall and Melia couldn't deny he was good company when he wasn't being quite so infuriating.

“I can assure you, I am not the only one,” he countered before his tone turned a little more serious. “So how have you been?”

“I've been well,” Melia replied, always finding his ability to switch from teasing to sincere difficult to keep up with. “I hear you are bound for home.”

His shoulders stiffened only slightly but enough for Melia to immediately guess he was not happy about it. She wondered why a prince would dislike returning to his realm but decided against questioning him about it.

“Yes, my father requires me home and I've been away for far too long. It is time.”

“Does that not make you happy?” She found herself asking, even if a moment ago she was trying not to. Subtlety was something neither seemed to have cultivated with each other. In moments like this, it had its advantages because it disturbed Melia how clearly unhappy he was. Despite herself and for reasons she did not want to delve deeply into at this time, she hated to see him this way.

“Not as much as I should be.”

An awkward silence followed and Melia debated if she should prompt him into speaking further. Their relationship was far simpler to deal with when they were trading barbs and insults. Seeing him in the midst of an obvious personal crisis made her forget all that and surfaced the feelings about him she knew better than to indulge.

“Perhaps you should go home only to visit,” Melia suggested although she suspected this was not an option.

“That will not satisfy my father. I do not wish to disappear behind the Veil like the rest of my people and forget everyone I care for. I enjoy being in the world too much.”

“Good,” she was genuinely pleased to hear he was not conflicted on this point. Even with a short time in their company, Melia saw the bond of friendship shared by those in the king's Circle. In her youth, she would have given anything to have that kind of love and support from the people in her life.

“What of you, Melia?” Aeron looked at her, realising he didn't wish to linger on a problem that had no easy solutions and took the opportunity to learn a little about her. Obviously she had come from the lands of the east, but they were not known to depart their borders unless it was to join Balfure in his conquests. “How does an Easterling find her way so far from the lands of her birth?”

“When she has even less choices than you,” Melia replied without thinking.

His brow knotted, not at all liking the sound of that. Was she driven from her home for some reason? “What do you mean?”

Melia frowned, rebuking herself for revealing something so personal, and knew he would continue to ask if she did not explain in some way. “In Nadira, a woman's family decides who she is to wed. After my father died, his family believed it was time I was married. I was given no choice in who my husband was to be, and since I had no wish to be dragged to the altar, I fled.”

“You couldn't refuse?” Aeron found the idea of forcing a woman into marriage to some man she could not endure to be rather barbaric. He knew the marriages were arranged by the noble houses of men for political reasons but elves found the whole thing rather odious. Kingdoms came and went but marriage among elves lasted forever. Eternity could last a very long time, if love was not part of that equation.

“In Nadira, a woman may not refuse a proposal of marriage arranged by her family. It is dishonourable,” Melia recited the words as it was explained to her at the time. “My father spared me from such traditions because he didn't wish me loveless marriage. Unfortunately, once he died there was no stopping such an arrangement from being made by my well-meaning relatives. Leaving was the only course left to me.”

“That is a sad tale,” Aeron frowned, disliking any institution that made running away the only path for a young woman to escape her fate. “But I supposed you ought to be grateful,” he cast a sidelong glance at her.

“Grateful?” she stared at him in puzzlement.

“If you did not find this suitor so terribly unacceptable, you would never have left to meet me and where would we be then?” He winked at her, wearing that damnable smile she found so hard to resist.

“Deluded apparently,” but Melia was smiling when she said it.

“Admit it, my lady,” he refused to yield, “I know you like me.”

“I admit nothing,” Melia snorted, but did not resist when he pulled her arm closer to him.

Chapter Two: Inquiries

Although the dinner took place in the great hall of the Keep, the proceedings were surprisingly informal, with only the handful of people Arianne and Dare considered their extended family in attendance.

Aside from the king and queen, also present were Ronen, Celene, Kyou, herself and her escort. Until she was seated at their table, Melia did not appreciate how much of an honour it was to be considered a part of their circle, for she was in select company. It was the first time in too long she was a part of a celebration where she was welcomed at the table.

“Melia, are your accommodations suitable?” Arianne, queen of Carleon asked as they were waiting for the food to be served. She had recovered her bloom after the exhaustion of birth and now radiated with the glow of new motherhood. It was no wonder to anyone the king could only look upon his wife with adoration.

“Luxurious in comparison to what I am accustomed to,” Melia confessed.

“Come now, Arianne,” Dare joined them. “Melia is a watch guard. Like any able adventurer, we spend most of our time in the wilderness. As long as it is dry and safe, we can sleep anywhere.”

“And yet she manages to look less bedraggled than you,” Arianne reminded him teasingly. “I remember your state when you returned to Eden Taryn from the wilderness.”

Dare gave his wife a wounded look. “It was because I was making haste to return to you, Rian. If I stopped for even one moment to groom myself, it was one moment longer I was kept away from you. I could not endure even that slightest delay.” Dare flashed his wife a grin that drew laughter from everyone present.

“Nicely evaded,” Arianne laughed, not believing him for a second but nonetheless impressed by his sly weaving of words.

Appearing completely unrepentant, the king smiled proudly at his wife. “Diplomacy has taught me much.”

“In any case I thank you for your hospitality,” Melia remarked once husband and wife finishing sharing their private joke. “My room is a luxury I shall relish until I have to return to the Range.”

“How goes it there?” Dare asked, always interested in how things were transpiring in the rest of his kingdom. As one who once travelled Carleon quite extensively, he knew the observations of the watch guards were the most accurate intelligence he could receive about the state of Avalyne.

“It goes well. The Berserkers have decreased in numbers and their raiding parties are sporadic,” she answered, remembering now that he was not Dare but her king, and gave her report accordingly. “They are being driven further north by the soldiers of Cereine with help from the watch guards. I do not think it will be that long before we are no longer troubled by them at all.”

“That is good to know,” Dare said. “Avalyne was blighted by their evil long enough during the Occupation. I think there will always be pockets of them emerging from time to time but it pleases me that we are making some headway.”

“Which is more than I can say of the south,” Ronen spoke up. “There are Berserkers there in greater numbers.”

“As long as Tor Ardhen stands, they will consider it theirs to occupy, even with the death of Balfure. Those woods are formidable and they know you do not have the resources to drive them out,” Aeron pointed out. “It is a shame that Lylea's former home is despoiled in this way. I am told those forests are vast and ancient. They deserve better.”

“What is needed there is settlement,” Dare declared. “If more people were willing to dwell there, the Berserkers could be driven away. Unfortunately, they cannot do that until we empty Tor Ardhen.”

“It is a difficult situation,” Celene sighed, having ridden out with Ronen during the expeditions to clean out the territory.

“I doubt there is anything left after we were done with it,” Kyou said enthusiastically. “The war decided Balfure's fate once and for all.”

“I would not be so quick to dismiss the dark powers that were once of that land,” Arianne replied. “Evil of such power is extremely hard to kill. For all we know, our future progeny may suffer for something we did not finish.”

No one could argue with her on that point after what they had experienced with Syphia. If anything reminded them that not all evil was vanquished with Balfure, it was the reminder of the Primordial, who caused so much mischief with her deception. No doubt there were other threats lying hidden, waiting for the right moment to wreak havoc upon them as Syphia had done. Still, Arianne did not wish to dampen the evening with such talk.

Aeron lapsed into silent contemplation regarding the subject of Tor Ardhen and the woods surrounding it. An idea formed in his head and the more he thought of it, the more inspired it seemed to be. This needs further thought, he told himself silently. To his chagrin, the elf was forced to admit Dare was right. He needed to be the master of his own fate.

* * *

The evening transpired with much merriment by the time the meal was served.

It was the first opportunity for Melia to observe the people she had met only briefly during their adventure in Sanhael. While she had gotten to know Arianne and Celene closely during the quest and travelled with Kyou and the prince on their return, this was the first time Melia really got to know the king and Celene's husband, Ronen.

It was easy to forget that Dare was the leader of Carleon when he had such a dry wit, a love of life and more intelligence than was customary for a man of his station. It also warmed her heart to see how much the couple adored each other, if was not already apparent by how far he travelled to find Arianne in Sanhael.

Ronen was no different in his love for Celene, though his manner was quite different than Dare's. A captain of Sandrine during the Occupation, he appeared to have as much difficulty becoming accustomed to his station as the Bân of Carleon as Dare did to being king. He would always be a soldier at heart, even if he was now a lord with his own city to rule. Though not as charismatic as Dare, Ronen possessed a quiet strength. In comparison to Celene's headstrong and often fiery personality, he was the perfect foil to her heated disposition. They suited each other well.

Of the men, it was perhaps Kyou she knew the best. He was the first dwarf she had ever met. During the journey to the Baffin, when the urge to strangle Aeron became so intense she needed to stay well away from the elf, she distracted herself by getting to know the head of Clan Atrayo.

She found that she liked Kyou a great deal. He was astonishingly practical. When he examined her crossbow, he suggested all sorts of interesting ideas on how she might hone the shape of its bolts to perfect her accuracy. He spoke of Iridia and the hopes of rebuilding the dwarf kingdom after its rule by Balfure. He told her about Hanae, his childhood love who had waited for him for years at the Jagged Teeth while he travelled the length of Avalyne with Dare. Melia was pleased to hear they were finally married after he parted company with her and Aeron while they continued the journey south.

She learned something of the Prince as well.

She knew from experience elves did not like to leave the Veil. They preferred to remain in seclusion within their forests, leaving the world to the younger races. Aeron's emergence from Eden Halas to travel with Dare and the Circle was unusual. Aeron, it appeared, was something of an aberration when it came to elves. He enjoyed travelling with his companions and was loyal beyond all measure to them. He considered Dare his family and Kyou believed Aeron to be a remnant of the elves who used to explore Avalyne extensively before the Primordial Wars had changed them so.

* * *

When the party had disbanded, Melia found that she could not sleep.

Being a watch guard enabled her to exist on little sleep and, so far, the day had not been so taxing that she was exhausted. The business of dining with friends in the great hall was far less work than roaming the wilderness. As a result, she was restless and took herself to the gardens, where she wandered aimlessly, enjoying the sight of greenery beneath the pale moonlight of the twilight sky. She was so accustomed to sleeping under the stars that being surrounded by walls made her uncomfortable. Hopefully, the walk outdoors would settle her.

Her mood was good because, for the first time in too long, she had friends who were noble and kind, who knew what she was and did not reproach her manner. Not since her father's passing had she felt such acceptance. Even though she would soon have to return to the wilderness, it was good to know that, for awhile at least, she would have these people in her life.

Following the path of blue stones, she soon reached the marble fountain where the Water Wife stood in sculpted splendour over the shimmering water. Melia had become lost in the reflection of the full moon upon the surface when a voice slipped out of the darkness and brushed her ear.

“You should not be wandering the grounds alone,” Aeron declared behind her.

Melia let out an exasperated sigh, folding her arms in impatience as she turned around to see him standing up from a stone bench next to a tall hedge. It appeared as if he had been there for some time and Melia wondered for what reason was he sitting here in the darkness like this. During the night, he showed none of the melancholy she saw when he confessed his reluctance to return home. In fact, the seating arrangements at the king's table placed them side by side and he was surprisingly pleasant company.

“Please tell me you have not followed me,” she teased, knowing full well he had not, but insults were the way they greeted each other and provided a good segue into why he was out here alone.

“Oh yes, I sat here in the vain hopes that you would happen to walk this way instead of a dozen different paths that criss-cross these gardens,” he retorted with exaggerated dramatics as he reached her.

He stood at arm's length from her, aware they were far too familiar with each other. This chance meeting might be considered improper. There were some lines of propriety Aeron would not cross out of respect for her, even when they were alone, enjoying each other's company in the moonlight.

“Well then, you are fortunate,” she rewarded him with a laugh before looking at him with affection. “Really, why are you out here?”

There was real concern in her voice, Aeron noticed.

“I could not sleep and I think better with the stars above me,” he glanced briefly at the canvas above them before meeting her gaze again. “But always in my heart was the thought maybe you would be here as well,” he teased.

“I'm sure,” Melia rolled her eyes. “How fortunate you are that I chose this path and decided to end your misery.”

Aeron uttered a short laugh and stared at her. “What is it about you that brings a lilt to my heart?”

“Your enjoyment of rejection and your misguided belief that I am swayed by your charms.”

“Well, it is hard for me not to try when I see you wearing a dress. I do not know what shocks me more, that you look lovely wearing a dress or that you have one at all,” he winked.

Melia glared at him through narrowed eyes. “Tell me Prince, were you always so blessed with a silver tongue?”

“A thousand years of practice, actually,” he responded, enjoying their verbal sparring intensely. He really had not expected to find her out here when he wandered into the garden this evening. He wasn't lying that his future would come easier to him if he had the cloak of the stars above his head. Still, her arrival was an unexpected boon, and he thoroughly enjoyed the fencing match they seemed to engage in whenever they wandered into each other's orbit. “Am I not sweeping you off your feet?”

“You could not sweep me off my feet even if you had a broom.”

He pretended to suck in his breath as if wounded mortally. “You are harsh with me, lady. Did I tell you that I enjoy that?”

“You have no shame,” Melia retorted and steered the conversation away from its flirtatious slant. “Are you alright?” she asked, not bothering to hide her concern.

“I am.” He found it was easy to talk to her. “I have been at a loss for some time, but today the king challenged me to answer a question I never thought to entertain in a thousand years. Duty and tradition have bound me for so long that it is difficult to imagine any other way of being.”

“I understand,” she brushed his shoulder gently. “Before I fled Nadira, I grappled with such questions. I have always tried to be the good daughter because my father went against so many traditions to see me happy. I thought I would be dishonouring him by fleeing, but then I knew he would not wish me miserable for the sake of tradition. It is why I took charge of my life and ran. Perhaps I live less comfortably than what I was accustomed to, but I am happy, especially when I am surrounded by people who have come to mean much to me.”

“I am glad,” Aeron was sincerely pleased to hear her say that. “Unfortunately, my father is nowhere near that understanding.”

“Do you not get on with him, then?”

“I love him,” he admitted without hesitation. “But I do not think I have been the son he wished. Perhaps I am too much like my mother. I cannot harden my heart when I see someone in difficulty, no matter what race they are. My father lost everyone he loved during the Primordial Wars and he has never forgiven the Celestials for using our people to cleanse the world, when they were in fact preparing it for Creator Cera's other races.”

“Really?” Melia said with surprise. “That is a shame. I imagined Cera always planned for the elves to guide the younger races, not hide away from them.”

“My mother thinks that, but my father disagrees. In fact, I was sitting out here contemplating how many of my people may feel the same way. Perhaps it is time for our isolation to end and return to the world. Even if my father chooses to retreat behind the Veil forever, I cannot imagine all our people wanting to do the same.”

“I think that there is much your people can teach the rest of us,” Melia stated in earnest. “I think that if you choose to join the rest of us in the world, it can only be a good thing. Look at what you have done as a part of the king's Circle.”