Chapter Ten

“Oh! You look absolutely stunning, Elysia!”

Kalila comes over and throws my arms up so she can take in the details of the dress. She has a semiserious expression for only a second, then her face lights up in a truly brilliant smile.

“Yes, it is exactly as I imagined. I am so glad I had it sent up to you. Now we can go down together and show off our glorious style.”

I smile at her unreserved enthusiasm, however short lived, it may be. Her status as a warrior princess and an Elven one at that must be why she doesn’t show her emotions very often. I feel like she is really a bright cheerful person deep inside. Perhaps we really will be great friends for life. I hope to be a great leader over my kingdom like she is over hers and like I presume her brother must be as well.

It occurs to me that I am going to meet her brother, Nestarion, tonight. I wonder if he is handsome. I feel my heart skip a beat thinking of what kind of prince he might be. I take a deep breath so I can focus on what is at hand, not my silly teenage fantasy. It’s silly to think about a possible husband or boyfriend when the whole world is at risk. Yet my mind can’t help but become excited at the thought of him being handsome.

“I am so happy we are finally able to meet, Elysia! The circumstances in which we met may not be favorable, but I am sure we are fated to meet.”

I smile widely at Kalila, amused at her enthusiasm. I am also grateful for her genuine friendship.

“Thanks Kalila! I believe we are fated to meet as well. I don’t know, perhaps our circumstances are fated as well.”

We start to walk down the stairs toward the dining hall and I am enjoying her company.

“I hope you enjoy our food, it has been prepared especially for our special guests. Also, do not be alarmed if my brother comes across a bit… overwhelming…”

I give her a puzzled look. What does she mean overwhelming? Well, this should make for an interesting night. Kalila isn’t able to say anything more as we arrive at the doors for the dining hall. Declan is standing there waiting for us.

I stare in amazement at Declan. His normally disheveled hair is sculpted into a slanted style that hangs loosely just above his brow. His dark eyes watch me come down the last couple of stairs. They are filled with mystery and his smile shows mischief. He is wearing a dark green V-neck shirt with a golden vest over it. His pants are a dark brown. The colors are so rich that it makes his skin almost glow. He most definitely has the sexy mysterious Elf thing going on.

I feel the heat rise to my cheeks at the very thought of him this way. I avert my gaze to the door he is opening for us. He bows deep as we walk up to him. When he straightens we both curtsey.

“Princesses, you both look stunning. May I walk you to your seats?”

“Thank you, Maeron; we will be sitting by my brother tonight.”

She winks at me. I am confused by it. Perhaps I missed something in one of our conversations? I try to think back and come up empty. Oh well, I guess she is just excited. It is only dinner though; I am not sure why she is so excited. Perhaps she does not get many guests?

We enter into the dining hall and it is stunning. The walls are dark grey stone. The large chandeliers are golden. The floor is also stone and has a royal blue rug under the dinner table. The table is made from white marble with gold swirling through it. The chairs are made of woven wood and netted rope.

I follow Kalila to the end of the table where we stop and wait for the men to join us. I look back towards the doors to see if Declan is still there. I jump slightly when I find him directly behind me. How have I not noticed his presence so close to me? He chuckles a little at my surprise. I punch his arm. He obviously does that on purpose to startle me. He gives me his mischievous smile again.

“Sorry for the wait. My brother loves to make an entrance.”

She smiles at me and giggles a little bit. I wonder if her brother knows her as well as she seems to know him. Rafe isn’t here yet, either. I am surprised at his absence; he is never late when it comes to food. I smile at the thought of him taking extra time to get ready for a certain Elven Princess.

“What are you secretly smiling about?”

I whip my head around to Declan and give him a mischievous grin. I expect him to pry more, yet the look in his eyes changes. I can’t quite figure out what that look is in his eyes. His smile goes from amused to a genuine crooked swoon-worthy grin. What is going through his head? Can it be about me?

The doors to the hall open suddenly. We all turn to see Rafe walking beside a giant black and silver wolf. It is a gorgeous animal. I wonder if maybe it is a pack mate of his. Rafe walks closer while the wolf goes and stands near the end of the table opposite of us.

“Ah, finally, it’s about time.”

Kalila whispers next to me. I smile at her slight annoyance with her brother. It is then he comes walking through the doors. I gasp as my jaw drops. I lean slightly against one of the chairs. It is him! I can’t believe my eyes. How is this possible? Just who is this Prince? Can I trust him? The feeling in my gut tells me I can, even as all of these questions pop into my mind.

The memory comes flooding back as soon as his eyes look toward me. I feel the heat rise to my cheeks looking at him and recalling my initial thoughts about him. Seeing his dark eyes, that is just light enough to be blue, make me feel like he can draw me straight into the abyss of his soul. I do not find that thought to be totally undesirable though. I feel so drawn to him. Why did he appear in my dream like that though? This is our first meeting. So why did he seem so concerned before?

“It’s about time, Brother! I thought we were never going be able to eat.”

He gives his sister a wicked grin. He walks up to Declan and Declan bows.

“My Prince.”

“Maeron, how lovely to see you again.”

He gives Declan a genuine smile. He comes to me next. He isn’t wearing grey and black this time. He has on a white and gold cape. Underneath is a rich red V-neck shirt that is just tight enough to show some muscular definition. His pants are sand colored and his hair is spiked like waves in the sea, and is just as blue as the sea.

The Elven Prince reaches for my hand and kisses it ever so gently. When he looks up at me, a smile spreads across his lips. I am not sure I have ever seen one that great pointed in my direction before.

“My lovely Princess Elysia, I am so glad we are finally able to meet. I have long been looking forward to this day. But oh! Where are my manners? I am Prince Nestarion, but in your tongue it is Galen. My life animal over by my seat is Aearion, or Dylan in your tongue. Occasionally when we were younger my sister loved to anger him and would call him Bob.”

Kalila begins snickering proving the truth of that statement. I look over at Dylan and he just doesn’t seem like a Bob in any way. He snuffs at the discussion of it in obvious disgust. I smile at his expression. For a wolf, he has great personality in his facial expressions.

“Sister, thank you for bringing our grand guests.”

“My extreme pleasure!”

They beam brilliant white smiles at each other while Nestarion takes his seat at the end of the table. Kalila goes straight across from me on his right side and takes her seat. I follow her lead and take my seat as well. Rafe sits next to her and Declan across from him next to me.

The waiters come in with trays filled with food so colorful I am not sure it is real. They put the trays in front of us. Rafe is almost drooling with his anticipation to eat this food. Declan and I look at each other knowingly and laugh a little.

“You are so predictable, Wolf.”

“What? I love food! I really love the looks of all this food, especially some of it I haven’t tried.”

Declan sighs. I look at Kalila who seems really amused with Rafe.

“I am very glad you are pleased with the food. I picked out every item with myself.”

Galen smiles at me. Is the look behind his statement supposed to tell me more about the food or maybe how he chose each item? I am not sure what he is trying to say in his smile but I can really feel an underlying meaning.

I am rather excited to try some of the food. There are several trays with different kinds of fish. There are trays with many fruits and vegetables. The smells that come from the food are absolutely delicious. I am ready to start drooling over the food with Rafe.

“You seem pleased with the food I have prepared for you, Princess Elysia.”

I smile at Galen. He seems to be amused by me. Oh no! I hope he isn’t able to read my expression like we can Rafe’s. That’s the last thing I need is him thinking I am like a dog. I blush with slight embarrassment at the thought of being compared to a dog drooling over food. I am a princess after all. Princesses do not drool!

Plates with a portion of each item of food is served and set before us to eat. Rafe barely let the servant set it down before he is digging into the food with energy. Kalila stole a glance at him, a small smile playing across her lips so quick I almost miss it.

“So, Princess, how are you enjoying my palace life?”

I look over at Galen, whom still seems amused but I do not think it is directed toward me completely this time. I smile brightly at him before I respond.

“Indeed! I love it very much. I cannot believe how gorgeous each room is! If this is how you eat every night. I may have to change things at my own palace when I return.”

I look at Kalila as I finish eating. She smiles widely at me.

“I am sure that will not be the only thing you change when you return home.”

“I am not sure what else you mean I will change, Kalila. My home is very charming. At least I like to think so.”

She smiles back at me and then her brother in response to me. I feel tension rising steadily from Declan next to me through our connection. I look at Rafe to see if he can sense it too. I laugh a little bit at Rafe who is glaring at Declan. He very obviously feels it too. I look over at Declan as he must be upset about something. His face is showing cold distance. I wish he would open up to us. That’s what we need to do for each other. We cannot trust our friendship if we cannot rely on one another. This must really be bothering him for us to feel it so strongly through our bond. I cannot help but feel a little annoyed by his silence.

I decide to focus back on the remains of my meal. I have never had a meal of fish cooked where you can taste so many rich flavors before. I decide if I have to survive on fish, I want to eat them this way forever more.

“I very much enjoyed the fish, Prince Galen. To be honest I wasn’t sure I wanted more fish after eating it for days on our way here. Yet now I can say I will always love to eat fish this way.”

“That is a compliment indeed! Thank you. I hope to be able to feed you many more great meals in the future.”

“As lovely as everything is, are we not forgetting about the darkness coming to our world?”

I whip my head around to glare at Declan. All this brooding and this is why? He thinks we are forgetting about the end of our world? Who does he think he is, getting all high and mighty with us? Why is it a crime to enjoy a good meal with good company even in the time of a possible war? I feel so hurt by his question that I look down at my empty plate trying to decide what to do. I really do feel a little less anxious about all of the dark things that have happened. I picked up the plate stood up abruptly, and considered breaking it over his head. Instead I put the plate back down and curtsied.

Kalila runs over to me and announces that we ladies are going to retire early. I can’t help but clench my fists and glare coldly at the Elf. Kalila walks me up to my room. I can’t help but sob all the way up to my room. She just held me and let me cry, not saying a word, understanding every sob. I can feel Rafe’s concern for me through our connection. The thought occurs to me that we haven’t been able to feel one another’s emotions before. What does this mean?

“Are you okay now? I hope you do not think that we have forgotten? Plans have been made and arrangements are in preparation as we speak. These things take time and we all must eat. I did not see the harm in having a nice dinner and getting to know one another. Galen and Rafe have even worked out a training exercise tomorrow morning that we can do while we wait for the boat to be ready to go.”

“Yes, I am okay. I just was enjoying the evening and the meal. I could feel Declan’s tension rising from whatever he was upset about; Rafe could too. I just didn’t think he would get all high and mighty like that. You must know I really was stress free for a while. I trust you and your brother. I know you must have some sort of plan to travel soon. I just cannot believe he would say something like that just because we were enjoying a meal.”

She gave me a small hug.

“Oh, Elysia? Get some rest, okay? Please do not worry about the boys or anything that happened tonight. Also do not worry about getting up early. Just come down whenever you are ready. My brother will be waiting most patiently for you.”

She gives me a sly smile and disappears down the hall before I can respond. What does she mean? Why will just her brother be waiting for me? I think we are all training together tomorrow. I shrug and decide not to worry about it as I walk into my room. I change into my sleep dress that still looks somewhat like a normal dress. I am always presentable, just in case. I hop onto my bed and fall asleep before I even knew what happened.

I wake up later that night. It is dark, the stars are out bright, and the moon is almost full. I decide to try to find my way to their inner garden. I leave my room and walk down the stairs. I am about to decide upon a corridor to travel through when I hear my name.

“Princess Elysia? I thought you had gone to bed?”

I turn around to see Prince Galen coming towards me with concern on his face. I smile and look down, slightly embarrassed I have been caught.

“Well, I did go to bed and I did sleep but then I awoke. I can’t go back to sleep so I decided to get up and explore your inner palace garden.”

He gives me a grin. He is quiet for a moment as if deciding what to say before he responds.

“Ah, I understand now. Well, we do not have a palace garden I am afraid. However you can accompany me to my favorite place. I am heading there now.”

He reaches out for my hand with a warm inviting smile. I return his smile even though he makes me nervous and then I take his hand. We begin to walk down a hallway I don’t recognize. We are both silent for a little while. Where are we going? He seems so mysterious. Yet, I still feel safe with him. I feel like I can trust him with my life. I hope we can become great friends too!

“I like that look of pleasure on your face; pure cheer. What could you be thinking about, I wonder?”

He spoke so low and calm it catches me completely off guard. I almost miss what he says. I stop walking and wait for him to look at me.

“What do you mean? I am only thinking of how I feel like I can trust you. Is that wrong? Should I not be cheerful when I think on such a subject?”

Surprise fills his features. He studies my face for a moment then responds.

“What? You were thinking of that? I mean… of me? Do you really feel that way?”

“Yes! Why would I lie about it? I hope that we can be great friends! All of my friends mean a great deal to me. I am not sure I would be able to do anything without them. I am almost certain I should have been dead by now if not for them. I hope to be able to protect all of my cherished friends one day.”

He stares at me longer, like he is searching for something, as if there is hidden meaning behind my words. He keeps studying me and the silence becomes uncomfortable.

“I can see the strength in you. Do not worry about relying on your friends so much. I am sure if they feel even an ounce of what I do, they want to protect you, to be your support, and to give you strength when you need it. Please let us continue to serve you!”

I am not expecting that response. Then he leans in close to my ear.

“Will you let me carry you off into the sunset? Protected from the world forever?”

I blushed so much I was sure my whole face was as red as a rose. I punch his arm.

“Do not tease me! Your sister warned me about you.”

He gives me a crooked grin, picks my hand up again, and continues walking. I steal a sideways glance at him. He is completely composed. I realize then his clothes are different. He is wearing a black loose fitting shirt with long billowing sleeves. His pants are a gray soft material. He really intrigues me. The memory of his image flashes across my mind. I am still curious as to how he does that.

We get to a door and walk through the entrance to a stone pathway leading down to a beach. It occurs to me I don’t have any shoes on but I am glad of it now. When we reach the bottom I run right for the water. The moon is shining bright enough to be mysteriously beautiful. I look to my side and realize Galen silently keeping up with me. He has a warm smile that meets his eyes as he watches me. My heart skips a beat as I stare at him.

“What? Is something wrong?”

“Huh? Oh! No, nothing. I just didn’t know there is a place as lovely as this nearby.”

I avert my gaze to the waves crashing up on the beach across my ankles. I smell the salt filled air. I just stand there staring at the stars and breathing one purposeful breath at a time. I could feel that familiar peace and love cover my soul. I can always count on that familiar peace to fill me when I am uneasy. The thought crosses my mind that this peace and loving warmth is a part of me deep in the recesses of my soul that I have yet to discover. Is that the key to my power? Will I figure out how to use lightning magic when I figure out where this peace and warmth is coming from?

I stand there for an unknown amount of time pondering these questions about myself. The waves continuing to crash against my ankles, mixing with the breeze is so relaxing. My mind for once finally becomes blank as I listen to all of the night sounds.

I suddenly feel like I am being watched. I shrug it off just as Galen grabs my hand and quickly heads for the stone pathway. The feeling of being watched intensifies incredibly fast. Galen leans over as we walk quickly, quietly to the pathway.

“Quicken your pace, Princess. The enemy is here. We must hurry.”

We break into a run up the stone pathway, enter the castle tumbling over Dylan, and landing in a heap behind the closed door.