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Empress of the World Rescue
It was hard to tell how much time had passed inside the Storehouse. Based the trio's internal clocks, it had at least been overnight. Fortunately Zan had dried food and water inside his Guardian's cloak, so they were not going to die of hunger or thirst just yet.Every so often they would go down the hall to check and make sure the entrance was still blocked. Gandr had told them that he could not get through that thick of a cave-in. The glowstone was magical and very hard on his body. A thin wall was passable, but the sheer volume of magical stone was impossibly overwhelming.It was the same problem with the passage and the Storehouse. The walls there were carved out by the Fates, and no amount of magic could penetrate them. So they must sit and wait.Just now the halfling, the Guardian, and the Empress sat pensively around one of the Storehouse tables, trying to pass the time. The males knew that they should not touch any of the books or relics. They did not want the Storehouse to a
Empress of the World Rescue II
The group of four grew quiet as they exited the darkened tunnel. Ithel held up his hand as he peeked out of the passage. Seeing no one, the he-elf motioned them forward.The place where they found themselves was a long clean hall with windows cut to look like flickering flames. 'We are inside the elven palace,' Aurora observed. While she was expecting it to be so, the realization was still eye-opening.Ithel pulled them into the nearest empty room. Uniforms hung along one wall. "Do you want us to look like servants?" The Empress asked.The elven prince nodded. "Although we released the…indentured servants…from their obligations, some have still stayed. The uniforms can help you blend in. Plus if anyone sees you around here looking strangely dressed and covered in dirt, you will be stopped before you go another step. You know how far reaching my parents' informants can be."Aurora looked at her clothing. She did look very out of place, and exceptionally dirty. "Very well," she agreed.
Empress of the World Jealousy
The Empress and Crown Princess glared at each other for a moment, sizing up one another. Aurora was short but very lovely with her dark hair and mesmerizing eyes.In contrast, Calla was exceptionally tall and as beautiful as a star. Aurora believed that if she stared too long at the elf's radiance, she might actually go blind.Calla's golden skin was offset by her eyes which were the color of purple delphiniums. Her lips were drawn tight in defiance, but still, the lovely, red curve of them was plain to see. Aurora tried hard not to be jealous of the elf's stunning beauty. It seemed like Calla was harboring a different kind of jealousy.The Empress shook off her thoughts and curtsied to the monarchs. "Your Majesties," she spoke humbly. "Forgive this intrusion…""Ha! Intrusion?!" Calla broke in haughtily. "Try invasion!""My companion and I," Aurora snapped as she motioned to Gandr, "hardly constitute an invasion!"The two ladies stopped their bickering under Lanassa's icy glare. King
Empress of the World Discovery
"Zan?" The question hung in the air like a fog. The Queen could not believe what she was seeing. That man should have died hundreds of years ago, yet she was sure that the man before her was the one she remembered."Lanassa," Zan responded tenderly. Aurora's eyes grew to the size of her head, and Gandr finally seemed to be paying attention. The man had called the queen of the elven world by her first name and no title. There was a story here."You!" Zoltan screamed. "How dare you come back after all this time! How is this even possible? Guards! Take this man to the dungeon until we sort this out. No one is allowed to speak to him!""Please, do not hold the Empress accountable for anything I have done. She knows nothing of the past," Zan pleaded with the King and Queen. To Aurora he said, "Do what is best for humanity and do not worry about me. I will be fine," he assured her. "Do not fight them for my sake."There was a sadness in the man's eyes that broke something inside Aurora. Wha
Empress of the World Battlefield
With a little coaxing from the servants, Aurora was ready for dinner. She changed into a sickly greenish-yellow gown that paled her skin, but the cloth itself was very fine. The Empress wondered if Princess Calla had selected the gown to make her look ill. The she-elf had hand delivered the garment."I will have to watch out for that lady," the Empress mumbled. She took one last look in the mirror and sighed. Aurora would have to put away her vanity for the sake of her Empire. It was a small price.Gandr and Alvar had not yet returned, making Aurora slightly anxious. She hoped they were simply gathering all the information before bringing it to her. She looked down the hall for them one last time before resigning herself to dinner without back up. Ithel might try to defend her if tempers rose, but that seemed like a dangerous option. Aurora would fend for herself.The Empress had not had the pleasure of eating in the banquet hall previously. It was in the same style as the rest of the
Empress of the World Revelation
Aurora was stunned. "How can this be true? How can Zan be the human man that left you at the altar hundreds of years ago?" Then the Empress remembered that Guardians do not age. "Was Zan already a Guardian when you knew him?""No!" Zoltan answered a little too forcefully. Then in a calmer voice he added, "Back then he was merely a human messing around in the affairs of the elves."Aurora's momentary hopes were crushed. If Zan had already been a Guardian, perhaps duty had called him away. But it was not true. Then what had happened? "May I talk with my Chief? I am sure he could shed some light on this matter." Aurora asked diplomatically.Lanassa looked ready to agree, but Zoltan shook his head. "My wife has suffered enough at the hands of that man. I will not allow him to cause the queen new problems. I require that you release him to our justice system for his crime.""But what about diplomatic immunity?" both Lanassa and Aurora asked. The answer to the question did not come.Calla,
Empress of the World Zan's Story
Zan was in his thirties when he entered the land of magic for the first time. Among his peers, he was known as a famous explorer of new and uncharted lands. He had sailed both seas on either side of the continent and saw many sights that no one except those with him would believe. So it was no surprise that when Zan heard rumors about the land of magic, he decided that he must explore it for himself.Entering the land of magic had been a challenge all its own, and he had nearly lost his life trying to cross the ice barrier. The oppressive force of the ice cloud pushed him to the ground, suffocating him with its force. Zan tried to back up from his horrible mistake, but his body would not cooperate.Just when he had given up hope, a small animal resembling a white, three-tailed fox nuzzled up beside him to investigate. Its presence created a small shield from the pressure around the man's head, and Zan greedily gasped for air.With the fox's permission, the man scooped up the creature
Empress of the World Zan's Story II
Zan was introduced that very evening to the King and Queen, and a relationship between the monarchs and the man formed quickly. The elves, who always had a thirst for knowledge, wanted to know every detail of human life. Although they had human books, his words held far more value in their eyes. Zan spent evening after evening regaling them with his adventures."I want to see everything Zan has described," Bukuri chirped to some of the other ladies at court. The she-elves giggled among themselves. The man had certainly put some ideas in their heads in the past few weeks."I would rather see if other men are as handsome as he. What a world that must be!" Another elf chortled.Seeing all the stolen glimpses in his direction, Zan left the male elves and approached the group. "Human females have the same look when they are gossiping, you know," Zan said with a sly grin. "Who is the topic of conversation to get so many lovely ladies to join in?""You, of course!" Bukuri teased. The other y
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