The Princess of Light and Dark

9. ElRey

I lay awake all night for fear Elvira would run. She was right, she is not the same person, I can’t help but wonder what horrors she had to go through while a captive of whoever took her. Over dinner, a quick veg soup Elvira cooked up, we talked a little, I told her about her brothers and sister, and how the kingdom had been, I told her how Solene had visited often and slowly updated her room for her, how her parents kept all her childhood things in a separate room for her when she returned. In turn she asked me the basics, how they coped and how my magic worked. After that conversation I knew, it was going to take a lot of convincing to get her back home, and it would take even longer to get our Elvira back. I jolted up when I heard my horse neigh outside, I grabbed my sword and rushed out the door, prepared for intruders, or Elvira escaping, but I wasn’t prepared to find her, arms clutched tightly around my horse’s neck, her shoulders bobbing gently up and down. Crying.

“Elvira?” I called gently as not to scare her, but she didn’t let go, she simply turned her head, her cheek caressing the horse’s chest.

“You kept her.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” I wanted so badly to reach out to her and comfort her, but something told me she wouldn’t allow it. “I have my own horse back home, but when I search for you, I bring her with me, she was the only thing I had left of you.” The truth was that her parents had practically turned her room into a shrine to her as if she was dead, I had to fight her father tooth and nail to be able to bond with the damned horse, and at first I had thought he was right, the horse would never warm up to me, because it was her horse, but in the end, she gave in and allowed me to ride her, to care for her. She was my escape.

“Thank you.” Her voice was hoarse from the crying and it grated on my ears and soul. The raw pain in every word she spoke was poorly masked and I caught small glimpses of the tortured girl behind that veil of coldness and magic she has. “I can’t believe Nimroc let you ride her. Traitor.” She whispered to the horse and the latter nickered at her, she laughed, and my heart skipped a beat, her laugh was the same. The warmth spread through my chest. We stayed outside for a while, until the cold air started to freeze our bones, then we headed inside, and I managed to get her to open up a little bit, I learned she had been free at some point and even managed to escape, but after that she kept quiet and listened while I told her about Tharia. She told me all the magic she has now is from herself, and the books my father left behind, because Thuria has been gone for 3 years. Slowly she fell asleep on the ratty old sofa and I on the floor.

**

Eventually Elvira decided that maybe going home wouldn’t be so bad. We set off at first light, hoping to arrive home by mid-afternoon. But, after hours of riding we both realised carrying us both was too taxing on Nimroc, and so we stopped for a coupe of hours to rest, and then again later in the day to eat, eventually the night approached, and we camped for the night. Elvira remained tight lipped and shared only the necessary pleasantries. The next morning, we set off again at first light and within a few hours, Nimroc was walking us through the grand gates of the Blue Forest castle. As we approached the courtyard, I could already see my aunt and uncle, their 3 children, my parents and Idril and Sara. Calen stood by his mother holding her hand, as Nimroc slowly stopped I jumped off and reached for Elvira, surprisingly she let me lift her off the saddle. As her feet touched the floor her head went down, the hood of her cloak covering her face and hair, I cleared my throat and her tears-stained eyes found mine, she took a deep breath and pulled the hood down, her vivid red shinning like fire, eliciting gasps from her family, Elvira shrieked in fear, and I covered her with my body, my hands reaching for her shoulders, sheltering her from everyone’s eyes.

“Elvira,” I whispered “You can do this, they love you. Trust me, it will be ok.” She offered me a soft smile and I moved out of the way, their eyes scanned her and I could feel her pain and self-doubt rising, aunt Serena was the first to move forward, her arms outstretched, I watched as Elvira’s hands tighten into fists next to her hips, she was going to run, but her mother’s arms wrapped around her as the tears flowed freely from her eyes, Serena whispered sweet kind words to Elvira and the 2 stood there, in their embrace for a while. Then uncle Rae came and wrapped them both in his arms, a little throat clear and the king and queen released their daughter, and suddenly Elvira was being pulled down to her knees by her younger brother and sister, who she had never met, her other brother Rion stood awkwardly behind them until the king slapped the back of his head, making everyone smile, he reached for her hand and held onto it like a life line, the two smiling at each other. Elvira glanced at me and then the rest of her family friends. The king and queen ushered the children away from her and I noticed her legs seemed uncomfortable, so I wrapped my hands around her waist and lifted her as she glanced over her shoulder at me her cheeks tinging a lovely shade of pink, I smiled at her and ushered her forward, she turned just in time to be wrapped up in 2 bear hugs from my fathers, her favourite uncles. The hugs, crying and smiling lasted for a while, and soon everyone was exhausted, especially Elvira. So her mother walked her to her new room and I headed to the stables to take Nimroc back, on my way, my father Roth caught up with me.

I tried my best to keep things light but if there ever was an elf capable of reading me like a book iit was my father.

“Spill boy, Calen arrived here 4 days ago with the news. You were supposed to have arrived yesterday. What happened.?”

“Nothing father, the weight and journey proved too much for Nim. We had to stop and rest her.”

“How bad is it?”

“Bad father, I couldn’t get much out of her, but whenever I touch her, I can feel her pain, her fear, her guilt.” It had suffocated me the first time I had touched her, the guilt inside her.

“El, is she?...” I couldn’t let him finish.

“I do not know; she claims the man who took her is her fated.”

“Nonsense, it makes no sense to fate her to a monster.”

“I’m sorry father, I can’t deal with this right now. I need time to think, please.”

My father didn’t stop me, I handed him Nim’s reigns and left. The only place I wanted to be was the white garden, under the oak tree. I shimmered into the garden and sat under my favourite childhood spot. I had started to doze off when I heard them, Elvira and Tharia.

Elvira walked under the tree, her words piercing my heart and soul, she had felt it, the fated bond, but she was confused, her body responded to him while her soul responded to me. Her fear was overpowering, she had voiced what we all knew would happen, once word reached Sarnarel that she had been brought home he would come for her. I stood up and walked around the tree, a few twigs snapped under my feet and Elvira released Tharia, she looked at me, wiping her tears on her sleeves, I lowered myself to my knees and looked at Tharia, she smiled and left us.

“How much of that did you hear?” Elvira asked me, her voice small and scared.

“All of it I’m afraid.” I shrugged my shoulders, clearly not one bit sorry I had heard her,” I was sitting on the other side of the tree, I come here when I need to think about things.” I held her chin with my thumb and fore finger, bringing her face up to meet mine, her beautiful violet eyes shining with the remnants of her tears, her pale ivory skin and red hair making her look ethereal, she was beautifully exquisite.

“Elvira?” I called her name, so she would look me in the eyes, I smiled at her, and her lips curved up into a beautifully breath-taking smile, “I love you the most too.” I whispered as my lips captured hers, the minute our lips touched sparks erupted all over my body, the kiss intensified and Elvira climbed into my lap clumsily, gripping my shoulders, morning gently into my kiss, our mouths parted and our tongues touched, shyly at first, but then they battled for dominance, the kiss becoming hungry and fierce.

The passion poured from us at such a rate I swear the earth was shaking. Suddenly Elvira bit down on my tongue, drawing blood and ending the kiss. We sat there, staring at each other, our eyes never leaving each other, our ragged breathes in perfect sync. Slowly we both leaned in, but Adam’s deep baritone voice stopped us.

“Don’t even think about it!”

Elvira jumped from my lap and ran to him, the 2 hugged and chatted, while I sat, paralyzed under the tree, my hand hovering over my lips. “Elvira, did you feel that?”

She blushed and nodded slowly.

“The question here children,” my uncle asked as he walked towards us,” did you 2 realize you nearly destroyed the castle by shaking the earth with a single kiss?” panic consumed me but my uncle and Adam just laughed at us, Rae asked Elvira to head inside and he walked towards me, I stood and he placed his arm over my shoulder. As we walked, he told me what all the family believe, that me and Elvira are fated.

I spotted Idril before he did,

“Hostile army incoming, get the Queens and Princesses inside! All arms to the courtyard. “

We ran behind Idril, my powers already tingling to get out.

We stood by the viewing point, my uncle and Idril commanding the forces, while me and my father prepared to fight.

“Who are these people, have we had any threats of war lately father?” I asked him as I busied myself tightening my sword belt and sheath around my waist.

The soft voice from behind me froze my heart for a moment, before panic and dread overcame my senses, it couldn’t be.

“It’s Sarnarel, he has come for me and my powers. He has come for his fated.”