“And to think that a few phases ago we were just simple townsfolk living an uneventful life,” Rosemary sighed as she patted the horse that a stable boy was saddling up for her. Lucas shrugged as he put on a cloak that one of the maid’s just handed him. They had both changed back into the clothes they were wearing when they arrived at the castle. Rosemary declined the brand-new cloak as she was already wearing one. Prince Emrys was still wearing the garments he wore at the banquet, having only added a cloak with the royal coat of arms embroidered onto the back. Despite the urge of the situation, the way he would present himself still seemed important. “If we ride for two days straight, we should arrive on the night of the New Moon.”
“For two days straight?” Rosemary said, “but with the New Moon drawing near the nights will be very dark.”
“It's a straight road and the horses know the way,” Prince Emrys simply said. He was going to mount his horse, when his father stopped him. “Wait!” he called, “I'll keep it brief, my son. Please, kneel.”
Prince Emrys hesitated shortly, but then kneeled. As expected, King Arthurus gently hung the medallion Lucas and Rosemary had just returned the other day around Prince Emrys’ neck. He looked at the pendant with their kingdom's crest, he doubted he was worthy to wear his brother's medallion, but he remained silent as the king moved on to Lucas and Rosemary. “You two aren't knights, but I want you to return safely too. You may have no next of kin left, so I have taken the liberty to arrange this for you…” He gestured for two maids to come closer. “Please, kneel miss Miller.”
Rosemary suppressed an eye roll and knelt for the king, who then went and took a silver crown or tiara from a rather flat box. It looked like a thin, silver flower crown, but with sea stars instead of flowers. “This accessory was given to my late wife by the delegates of the merfolk, for if she'd ever bare a daughter. Unfortunately she never did, thus I would be honoured if you would wear this in her stead, as part of my son's entourage, and on your quest to save the elven princess.”
“Er...thank you, your highness,” Rosemary said, somewhat amazed, not getting up before the king had moved on to Lucas. He didn't have to ask him to kneel as he had already done so. “For you, young man, I have this magic crystal. It shall protect you from evil.”
Lucas looked up as the king hung a light blue crystal, tied to a brown leather cord, around his neck. “But, Your Majesty, wouldn't you rather have your son protected with this magical item?”
“Yes, but the man who gifted me this item explicitly told me to hand this totem to a young man with no name, bearing great sad news. I fear that would be you, wouldn't it?”
“Well if it isn't I'll just make sure you'll get it back,” Lucas said, getting back up as he looked at the crystal. The king put a hand on his shoulder. “Attaboy. Now ride!”
He didn’t have to say it twice as they mounted the horses and rode off to the kingdom of Arathmel. A two-day ride, with only few breaks for the horses to rest and feed, before they hastily continued in full gallop. When they neared the elven kingdom, Lucas was sure he was the furthest away from home he’d ever been. Even Rosemary seemed awed upon seeing the Fields of Arathmel. Miles and miles of exotic flowers and plants, all tended to by elven priests who sang a soft song as they watered each plant individually. When they approached Lelathyr, they had to dismount their horses, and quickly make their way through the crowd. The elves in the busy streets gave them several curious stares and an excited chatter soon spread as they all crowded around to see the arrival of Prince Emrys...without Princess Lorelei… Soon afterwards, the excited chatter turned into a chilly murmuring as they gave the humans suspicious glances. “I don’t like this at all,” Rosemary muttered from the corner of her mouth.
“Don’t worry,” Lucas said, “as long as we’re with Emrys they won’t harm us...I hope.”
“Now that’s very comforting.”
In the centre of the city, stood a grand castle; Avolire Castle. At the gate, Prince Emrys was greeted with respectful gestures, and soon their horses were taken off their hands, and after a short and hushed conversation with someone of the palace guard, the three of them were led inside, to Queen Eurydice’s throne room, where they would get to speak to her immediately. Queen Eurydice already sat waiting, in a throne made of golden leaves, she wore a simple, but elegant light orange dress with golden decorations. She had the same honey brown hair as her daughter. She fashioned a dark brown, wooden crown with bronze leaves, and a necklace with a single bronze leave to match. Her makeup had the same golden colours as the throne she sat on, and her expression was even stricter and colder than that of her daughter’s. Her eyes were as golden as her makeup, and they looked down upon the young prince with confusion and distrust, who knelt before her, Lucas and Rosemary following his example behind. A silence fell in the throne room, no one else allowed to break it but the queen. “Prince Emrys,” she said, her voice sounding softer and warmer than expected, “to what do I owe this unusually unexpected visit?”
“Your majesty, I fear that I have come with bad news,” Prince Emrys spoke, not looking up, “my people and I, we rode for two days straight to bring you this news as soon as possible.”
“Well on with it, my son. You have pulled me away from a private dinner with your sudden arrival,” Queen Eurydice said impatiently. Prince Emrys swallowed, glancing back at Lucas for a small second, before looking up and facing the queen as he said: “Two days and two nights ago, the castle Olympus was attacked by the dragon Thanatos. Half the palace went up in flames, and in the chaos...your daughter, Princess Lorelei of Arathmel, was taken by the vengeful beast.”
Another silence fell. Queen Eurydice slowly rose from her throne, to which Prince Emrys dropped his head as she slowly walked towards him. She was quite tall, and towered over the young prince as she stood right in front of him. “You’re telling me, that while I left my only daughter in your care...you let her be taken by Thanatos?”
“He came out of nowhere, your majesty, we never saw it coming,” Prince Emrys said, panicking slightly, “I tried to stop him, it nearly costed me my life! I would’ve been killed had my friend not intervened!”
“Then you should have been killed!” Queen Eurydice said, her voice raised slightly, “I warned your father for this, I warned him! Foolish human...this...this means war.”
“Your majesty, you can’t declare a war over—”
“Silence!”
A smack echoed through the throne room. Emrys had jumped up upon hearing the word “war” and the queen had slapped him in the face as punishment for his disrespect. Lucas and Rosemary also jumped up, but Prince Emrys raised his hand, to which they both remained where they were standing, while the palace guard closed in on them. Queen Eurydice grabbed a hold of Prince Emrys’ jaw. “Do not tell me what I can or cannot do, Prince Emrys,” she said, “I shall declare war on King Arthurus, and the declaration shall be written in your blood, after I’ve executed you as my first act.”
Lucas wanted to protest, but Rosemary jabbed her elbow against Lucas’ wounded arm, to which he gasped in pain and swallowed his words. The queen’s eyes flashed in their direction, and Prince Emrys paled. Would they be executed as well? “Lock the other two in the dungeons. I’ll decide what to do with them later,” she said. Prince Emrys exhaled relieved, but Lucas and Rosemary didn’t find the idea of a dungeon very appealing, and struggled when the palace guard tried to capture them. “Stop fighting human!” one of the elves barked, when suddenly a louder voice overpowered all the ruckus. “Do not harm them!”
The elves looked up with widened eyes, while Queen Eurydice jerked around with a glare. Who dared to raise his voice over hers? A short silence fell, in which a young man stepped from behind the queen’s golden throne. “Xenos?” Queen Eurydice said, sounding confused.
“Take back that order, your majesty. You cannot harm them,” Xenos said, slowly walking towards them. The palace guard looked at their queen, to which she gave a small nod. They quickly let go of Lucas, Rosemary and Prince Emrys and retreated before Xenos joined them. “Would you care to explain why you’re undermining my authority?” Queen Eurydice asked.
“Well, I was planning to explain you over dinner, but it seems they arrived early,” Xenos said with a shrug, before turning to the three stunned humans. He bowed at Prince Emrys. “Your highness,” he greeted, before nodding at Rosemary, “Miss Miller.” and lastly he turned to Lucas, but before he could greet him, Lucas had already punched him in the face. Prince Emrys caught Xenos as he stumbled back, while Rosemary grabbed Lucas by his arm and pulled him away from the seer. “What the bloody hell, Lucas!?” she said.
“It’s him!” Lucas snapped, “he told me that story winters ago, he got me into this mess!”
“Calm down, Lucas, that doesn’t make any sense!” Rosemary said. Prince Emrys looked at Xenos, who was checking whether his nose was bleeding. “Are you alright my Lord?” the young prince asked. Xenos waved his worries away. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you,” he quickly said, “should’ve seen that coming…” he added in a mutter, while pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the blood from his lip, “Lucas I thought you would’ve figured it out by now? I’m a seer! The story I told you winters ago was meant to happen, whether I told you about it or not. At least now that I told you, you know what to do, don’t you?”
“He did save my life by jumping in the well,” Rosemary slowly said, “and we met King Arthurus because he was sure we were supposed to go there.”
“See?” Xenos said, “I’m on your side! You and me, we’re on the same team.”
“So you’re...friends?” Queen Eurydice asked. Lucas was about to tell her no, but Xenos had already enthusiastically said “Yes!”
The queen turned back to Lucas, her voice sounding soft and warm once more. “Lord Xenos is an old friend of mine and my family. I’ve known him since I was but a young elfling. Therefore, any friend of his is a friend of mine.”
Lucas’ jaw dropped as he remembered another snippet of the story he’d heard winters ago. “But our hero would be fine you see, for he acquainted an old friend of the Queen. To which the Queen declared: ‘Any friend of his is a friend of mine.’”
“Close your mouth, young man. You’re catching flies,” Queen Eurydice said, before turning back to Prince Emrys, “you will not be executed...yet. Take him to the dungeons. I’ll decide what to do with him after the rescue party returns.”
She returned to her throne, which meant Prince Emrys was to be dismissed. Two elves of the palace guard approached him again, but Prince Emrys set a step forward and raised his voice. “Wait!” he called, “forgive me, Queen Eurydice, but I must speak freely. I lost my only brother to Thanatos, and my father has seen many winters. He’s already fallen ill from the stress of this situation. Milady would be all I have left, I will do anything in my power to bring her back safe. And I will not forfeit until my quest is complete! So I ask— Nay. I beg of you to let me do this. Let me save your daughter from Thanatos, or die trying. Queen Eurydice, I offer you my sword, my services and – in case I fail – my kingdom, in exchange for a chance. I need only one, your majesty, Say the word and I’ll be on my way.”
Queen Eurydice gave Prince Emrys a calculating stare as another silence fell after his plead. Xenos was trying to catch her eye, but her stare remained fixed on the young prince, her golden eyes looking into his green-blue ones.
“You have until the next New Moon,” she finally said, “if you fail to return my daughter to me before then, I will not rest until your blood has been spilled, and the kingdom of Elysium shall be mine. Those are the stakes, Prince Emrys. Don’t fail me.”
“Thank you, your majesty!” Prince Emrys said relieved, “we shall ride out immediately—”
“No, your highness, you must rest first,” Xenos said, “riding for two days straight wears you out. The roads will still be there come morning. Let us dine first, and sleep after.”
He exchanged glances with the queen, who nodded and rose from her throne once more. “This way,” she said, “you will be joined on your rescue mission by the priestess Ysmeina of the Fields of Arathmel and a knight of your own court; Sir Reynaert.”
They followed the queen through a door on the right, where they found themselves in a large dining hall. where a large dining table had been set for seven. Both Sir Reynaert and Lady Ysmeina rose when the queen and her new guests walked in. “So these are the missing guests,” Sir Reynaert said, since everyone had found it odd before that the table had been set for seven, while there were only four people to dine.