The Elven Queen

”The people of Eadins wish to send their thanks for sending food and men to help them when their farm lands got washed away by the recent rain showers, the beasts at the borders have started growing restless due to the frequent rain falls that destroy their dens and kill smaller animals causing the larger beasts to rampage and compete for prey, neighboring towns complain about property damage and injuries caused by these beasts. The worst to have it is the small village of Raiens, cases of damage, murder and child abductions have gone through the roof, the Earl of Raiens wishes council with Her Majesty to personally ask for help, Also our Rivaling Nation of Durhgan have openly shown no hostility but cases of elves disappearing in Durhgan has hit an all-time high in recent years, Neighboring kingdoms grow weary, though we have enjoyed peace for a few years they fear the rebirth of that plight, That concludes this council’s briefing” “Thank you Arya, Give my regards to the Royal Eaden family tell them such formalities are not needed between friends, they would have done the same for us anyway, tell the Earl I wish to see him within the week and prepare a party consisting of a council member and my right hand who will ride to Durhgan in one month, she may add as many and as few vassals as she requires, Dismissed” “Yes your majesty” my councilmen's echoes of approval fill the war room “WHOA WHOA WHOA, I don’t remember agreeing to go to Durhgan!!!” cutting through that chorus of approval was my oh so loving right hand and lifelong best friend “That is most likely because I didn’t ask you” “Don’t I get a say in this?” “You do, just not on your participation” I shot back very sternly, as if sensing her inevitable defeat in this matter she responded “Yes, your majesty” and sat back into her seat One by one, members of my council left, the room getting emptier and emptier till it was just me and my right hand “Aaagh” she exclaimed and sank further into her seat while throwing her feet up on the war room table as if finally being able to breathe again “Must be hard to be the Queen” she said staring straight at me “You have no idea” I said finally looking back at her, we stared at each other with serious expressions which lasted a good 3 seconds then burst out in a fit of laughter If anyone walked in right now I’m sure they’d think we were crazy and I wouldn’t blame them, after all the Queen and her Right hand are laughing at nothing in an empty war room after a serious meeting but this is just the way we are, I can’t say it’s always been like this though, we didn’t meet in the most normal circumstances.I can still remember it very vividly, the day we met I was a little over 3 years old playing in my garden when a maid walked up to me with a slender little girl around my age wearing the cutest pink bow and biggest eyes I had ever seen, never even bothering to tell me her name she went on to give me a speech full of words I never cared for, words at that time I was too young to understand “ho…nes…tly….. though” she managed to cough out between laughter as our laughing fit started to die down “things have gotten pretty rough, with the whole dam thing and the beasts and now Durhgan acting up, those damn Ogres, so much stuff keeps piling up on you, I can’t help but be afraid you’re going to get swallowed whole someday” I knew it!!!, I can’t say I didn’t expect this, I knew she was worried about this whole ordeal but I didn’t realize she was this concerned, evidence of our laugh session nowhere to be found replaced by a quiet sombre atmosphere, she now wore a slightly sad and serious expression that quit honestly didn’t suit her, seeing her this worried was very rare so of course I felt really bad “Itotia” I said while taking both her hands and giving her the biggest smile I could muster “Yeees?” she said looking at me confused, most likely thrown off by the jester of a grin on my face, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the look on her's, and for some reason I remembered the words the maid said to me on that faithful day “Your highness, from this day on, she will be your sword and your shield, your pawn and your warden, she is your tool, your weapon, to stay by your side at the cost of her own life, to serve you till her last breath and if need be to die at your hands, from this day on she is your shadow” Those words made no sense to me at that time they held no meaning, and now, they still hold no meaning to me so I said while dragging her off her seat towards the double doors that lead to the war room balcony, I swung them open and instantly a gust of wind flew into the room sending papers flying, sometimes I feel bad for the people who clean up after me, I brought her to the edge of the balcony and asked her “Look down below and tell me, what do you see?” “Sylphorren” she said breathlessly and I can’t blame her I’ve seen this view countless times and yet it still manages to leave me in awe, down below are the streets of Sylphorren’s Capital, Sophia, bustling with life, Sylphorren citizens coming and going, buildings stand tall, some new others barely withstanding the test of time, trees swaying in the breeze, the great river Rucarg that runs through the city cutting it in half leading all the way to the ocean harbor that can be seen very clearly, boats of all shapes and sizes, some bearing the Sylphorrian coat of arms others simple merchant ships, birds fill the sky and in the distance, the proud mountains that stand unmoving and unapologetic, truly a sight that could bring anyone to tears, the cream colored houses and tiled roofs housing families young and old, the people, the heart of this nation, my strength and salvation “Yes this is the proud Elven Nation of Sylphorren, and in it are its people, families, friends, strangers, comrades, lovers, going about their daily lives, as they should, all they have to worry about is what they’ll do tomorrow, what they’ll eat, who they’ll feed and how they’ll get money for it, their own bodies, their own minds, their own feelings their own senses of purpose, hundreds of thousands of Sylphorrians cover this great land living their daily lives and it falls to me to protect them by any means necessary, they need not know any hardship for it is my duty, the oath I swore on my coronation clings tight to my throat, I stroked the band tattoo going round my neck, one of the tattoos I got on the day of my coronation, a mandate for every Queen “That’s some pretty valiant stuff you’re saying Your Queenlyness” she said finally looking at me arms crossed, back against the railings on her face a smug expression that suited her perfectly, much better than that look of dread “So, You think you can do it?” “Of course” I said matching her smug expression with one of my own, on my lips a smirk sits perfectly at home, confidence in my own strength, knowing fully well it will never fail me “after all, I’m The Elven Queen”