Lady Saelther

One of the helpers of the castle ran to the back of the palace to call Khoral and Nexus, while the two Females went back inside to see Queen Gaelemar before they ride off.

"Mother, please take care of yourself," Aelanor said.

"I will, daughter. I would have never let you go back, but staying here has never been more threatening. I trust you would be healthy and live out the rest of your life in comfort," the Queen said.

"When all this is over, I will be back. And we will be reunited as a family, in the end."

"My Queen, don't worry about us, we will be alright. And you will, too," Nimuel told her.

"I don't doubt it, my child. Perhaps we will all hold out to the eternity, or enough to live our lives best in the time we are given. Perhaps, Death will visit all of us soon, and we would be gone, just like that. But in the end, we will know that we loved each other, and we will die knowing that."

"Don't talk about Death, Mother. We are fighters, we are the children of the sun. We will endure, and we will be here together, when all this is over. Promise me, Mother," Aelanor's eyes were sparkling with tears.

"I promise," the Queen whispered.

As they hug, Aelanor paused a little longer than she intended. It was difficult to let go, because she knew what that promise meant.

"...the promises of the forked tongue"

"Farewell, my children. May the sun and the Gods watch over you in your journey," the Queen said.

"Farewell, Mother."

"Farewell, my Queen."

They jumped on their horses and took off into the evening. There would be time later, to mourn. Right now, Aelanor had more pressing matters on her mind.

"We should go and pay a visit to your mother, Nimuel. I wonder if she still writes poetry, or if she has moved on to prose" she said.

Nimuel didn't reply, but looked straight ahead. Rightly intercepting her silence, Aelanor did not comment further, but turned Khoral towards Nimuel's manor.

"I would very much like to tell her of our adventures; it would provide a great deal of inspiration for her writings," Aelanor said after a while. "We may need to stay the night, so that I could tell her all that in details. It might be a few years before we return."

"Return to a graveyard, you mean?" Nimuel asked sharply. "I apologize, cousin, but I don't feel as comfortable as you leaving my mother to death!"

"Nimuel," Aelanor sighed, but her companion cut her off.

"I know I crossed a line, my Princess, and any form of punishment you have in mind, I would abide by your decision. But please, do not ask me to abide by your foolish decision of going back to the mortal lands. Our people are in danger, and you are saving your own neck..."

"We are not going back to the mortal lands, Nimuel," Aelanor said.

"What?"

Nexus' reins were tugged at sharply, and he gave an annoyed neigh, but Nimuel's eyes were on Aelanor, confused and surprised.

"The prophecy, Aelanor. What about..."

"We are not going back. The Shaman never told us to go back," Aelanor stated calmly.

"But he said..."

"He told us to go. And we have to go. We are half-mortal now, and we are the only elves who can't be touched by the curse. We are the warriors, cousin. We have to find the source of all these inflictions and fight it."

Nimuel's mouth was open in an "o" as her companion's words started making sense to her. More questions rose up in her, but they were overridden by her feeling of guilt.

"I am so sorry, Aelanor," she whispered, "I misjudged you."

"There is nothing to be sorry for, my dear. You said that out of concern for our people, and our families, and that makes you the true friend to the people, and us. Your house Franirinth would be proud of you, Nimuel Saeltheriel," she smiled.

The third bend in the road led way to a sprawling manor surrounded by high gardens. The building itself was gilded, with black windows, cruel edges, and towering turrets.

As the guard went inside to inform of their arrival, Nimuel turned to Aelanor with the air of someone who had figured out something.

"What is it that you need to ask my mother, Aelanor? There is something you think she knows."

"Why can't I just want to see my aunt after all these years?" Aelanor asked, without looking at her.

"Of course, you do. But there is something else as well, am I right?"

Aelanor sighed. "Yes, there is, but you must understand it is no way more important than my family. I really want to meet my aunt, I have missed her so much all these years."

"I used to envy you when I was younger, you know," Nimuel chuckled. "Sometimes, I felt like my mother loved you more than she loved me."

"There is so much about Lady Saelther that I admire. Her kindness, her amiable nature, and her wisdom. She is so much capable of love."

The guard entered the waiting chambers. "Lady Saelther has requested your entrance, Princess Aelanor, and Lady Nimuel, to her Archives, where Her Ladyship is waiting for you," he announced.

The two females walked through the grand entrance door to the left, and took a right. The Archives were located on the far end of a long corridor, which separated it from the rest of the palace. To an outsider, it was almost invisible.

The corridor was bathed in a dim golden glow, and plenty of shadows. It opened to a tall, black door made of rosewood.

"Enter," a pleasant female voice called.

A sprawling ballroom of solemn grandeur opened up in front of them. A high-ceiling scrawled across with intricate designs glowed white in the twinkling lights of the low-hanging chandeliers. Grand windows showed the arrival of nightfall on the horizon.

Lady Saelther sat with her back towards them, her profile hidden by the towering, brown bookshelves. Her hands were folded on her lap, and they could see her waiting for them with a book in front of her.

"Could have taken your eyes from the book, Mother. I am sure it is fascinating, but certainly not as much as seeing your daughter after so long," Nimuel grinned.

Lady Saelther didn't turn. "What if it is?"

"Is it, though?"

Lady Saelther's laughed uproariously as she turned around. "Oh, daughter. How you jest!"

She took several unladylike steps towards the two newcomers, and flung herself on them, unable to control herself. Holding them for longer than she would have, she sniffed once or twice, before composing herself.

"Welcome back, my daughters. It's been so long, and not a minute has passed that I haven't thought of you," she said.

"We have been heartsick for you as well, aunt."

"My Nimuel, tell me," Lady Saelther smirked amusingly at her daughter, "Did you honestly think that a book could be more pleasing than you?"

"I know I am a very pleasant elf," she smiled, "but knowing you, a whole civilization could collapse in front of you and you would not turn your gaze from a book."

"Civilizations are made, and broken through written words, my child," she smiled.

"Aunt, we have lots of questions to ask, and a long journey to go," Aelanor began, but Lady Saelther cut her off.

"You are going on a quest, to find the source of the evil curse, and you need my help with the prophecy," she stated, calmly.

"How do you know?" 

"I know a lot of things my child, which would be answered duly. I also happen to know you have not eaten anything since the morning, and this is but my wish that you join me for the dinner, before we delve into the mystifying words of the wise prophet of the mortal lands."