Dragon Fusion

by Karen Carnahan

  Waking to a slight rapping noise on the door, El climbed out of bed. She noticed her clothes draped over the foot rail of the bed. She walked over to the door speaking through the closed door, “Yes.”

  “Your presence is requested below.” A male voice stated.

  “Thank you. I will be right there.” El walked over, grabbed her clothes, donned them quickly before she walked out the door. She descended the stairs to see Ivoka and the others at a table which she joined.

  Ivoka turned to El, “We shall be leaving shortly, we have a long ride ahead of us. Heidi has prepared some food for us to take with us.”

  Heidi busted through the kitchen door as if on cue, “I am sad to see you go so soon, please come back and visit longer. Take care of that young one there; she is a precious commodity.” She stated, smiling.

  El looked at Heidi with a strange look on her face.

  “Oh, sweetie, you’ll get used to me as she hugged, El. “Ok, you all be safe now and come back soon.” They all walked out the door together. As they climbed on to the horses, Heidi gave Ivoka and El each a basket which was full of goods for their travels.

  “Thank you for everything Heidi,” Ivoka stated as they took off galloping down the road. They rode hard and fast all day. Even threw the night, they only stopped to eat.

  The sun had started its descent when they changed directions. She could now see the outline of some woods. Upon entering the woods, the trees here were twice the size as the ones she had loved to walk through in the park back in her past life. She sure hoped they would arrive at wherever they were going soon. She was stiff and sore all over as if she been sitting on hot coals; her legs were on fire with pain. A horn blew somewhere ahead, which got her attention. She looked around Tirithon, though she saw nothing but trees. She knew they were there; she could feel their presence watching them as they rode the path.

  The horses stopped in front of a group of guards when El realized one was more than a regular guard; she wore more exceptional armor. She was tall like the rest, but she had long, light brown hair with small braids tied at the back of her head. She looked to be someone her mother trusted. “Glad my sons found you and returned you safely to us, your majesty.” Smiling as she laughed.

  “Thank you, feels good to be home. I hope all is well?”

  “It’s been rather uneventful.”

  “Good to hear, I am going to get our guest settled. Say we meet in about an hour to discuss a few things that I want to go over with you.” Ivoka headed for a cave with large doors while the other lady eyed her as she walked away with the rest of the guards in a different direction.

  They walked through a broad set of doors into the cave, which had corridors leading off in several directions. The rocks hung from the high ceilings. The air was cold within the cave. The halls lit brightly from the torches that lined the walls, which made it easy to see within. The floors of the cave were smooth as a freshly waxed car. She felt sorry for the poor soul who got stuck with that job. There was a guard posted on both sides of the door as they approached the guards moved in unison, opening the doors to give them access to the other side.

  Not believing her eyes, El had entered an astonishing Ancient Forest. A river flowed on the left-hand side, which was fed by a three-tier waterfall. The massive mountains surrounded the trees below. The height of the ridges gave them access to see for miles while giving them plenty of coverage. The valley was thick with trees; however, it wasn’t so thick the sunlight couldn’t reach the valley floor, allowing enough light for one to see their way, as well as the wildlife who took shelter within the trees. It was, indeed, a beautiful sight. She was glad this would be her new home; it was a stunning place.

  As they walked the path, it weaved through the enormous trees, led to the front of a castle. On the left looked to be a huge barn. As El walked the stairs, guards aligned both sides. They stood like statues, not moving a muscle as they walked past, impressed with the discipline these guards displayed. At the top of the stairs, there were two large doors, which were opened by guards as they walked closer, giving them access to a hallway with several more entries. She watched as Ivoka went through the door on the left, which was a large room decorated elegantly. She looked about the room wondered was this where Ivoka met all her guests.

  Ivoka turned, leaned over, whispered into her ear, “Welcome home to Valorin!”

  A woman entered the room from the other side. “Oh, Elva, please, show El to the room beside mine. Allow her to freshen up before escorting her to the evening meal.”

  Elva turned walked away. El looked at Ivoka, who was walking off in another direction. She followed Elva out of the room. As they walked the long hallway, she was pretty sure the hall was winding upward, surrounded by bare walls. Elva stopped in front of a door in which she opened, allowing El access to the room before she closed the door.

  She was standing there frozen as El took in her surroundings. It was breathtaking; fit for a Queen. It was vast, and it had to be at least three times the size of her old bedroom. There was an enormous bed in the middle of the room. It had a red comforter with pink flowers with pillow shams to match. There was a table with two chairs on one side of the room next to a wall. On the other side of the room, against the wall, was a large armoire looking wardrobe. Whatever it was, it was marvelous looking, made of wood, as was everything within the room. She didn’t know what to think about the place; it was like she was living in one of the Fairy Tale stories Lesa used to read to her when she was younger. Curiosity getting the best of her, she walked over to the Armoire, she opened one of the doors. She was stunned to see it contained gowns, which were much more elegant than the one she now wore. “Great, dresses,” even if these gowns were gorgeous; she couldn’t even imagine wearing any of them, she was a jean and t-shirt type of gal. There were shoes at the bottom to match each dress.

  At the site of the gowns, El wondered what the dresser on the far wall contained. She figured there was no better time to find out. She walked over to check it out, opening the first drawer. It was full of jewelry like she had only seen in the movies. She was scared to death to touch them. She reclosed the drawer. Next, she opened the middle drawer. It contained headpieces like the one Ivoka was wearing. Feeling sick as the realization sunk in, she was a princess.

  Hearing a soft knock at the door, El was pretty sure it was Elva retrieving her for the evening meal as she opened the door. Elva stood there patiently, with a smile. As El stepped out of the room, closing the door, she followed her down the hall. As they arrived at a balcony, which contained a long table with chairs, it was high above the river with a spectacular view of the mountainside and the waterfall. It was a great spot to entertain guests.

  Ivoka sat at the end of the table. Seeing El, she motioned for her to sit to her right, once seated, “How do you like your room?”

  “It is breathtaking. Thank you.”

  “I am glad you like it.” Ivoka smiled as the food arrived. They both ate in silence, for they were starving.

  Once El had entered the room, Ivoka shut the door, secured the lock. She stated something in a strange language. As she spoke, the air in the room got heavy, but only for a moment. As soon as she stopped, the heaviness left. “It’s safe to talk freely. I placed a spell around the room so no prying ears will be able to hear anything.”

  Not sure about being locked in a room where if something happened, no one would be able to hear her yell for help, would anyone come to her rescue since no one knew who she was. The room was small but lined with bookshelves full of books. It was a library that contained two chairs with a table in between in front of a fireplace. Sitting in the chair closest to the door, she left the other for Ivoka. An area rug on the floor has a unique design, containing reds and golds. She wasn’t surprised when Ivoka got right down to business, not wasting any time.

  “Well, now where to start, you know you are in the Kingdom of Valorin. You know Oberson is in the Kingdom of Sprengan. There are also othe
r Kingdoms such as Kalinera, Barvicia, Elmston, Galovin, and Drakon, which are all in the Realm of Pangusy.”

  “Are all these Kingdoms, Fae?”

  “No, Kalinera and Elmston are human. As is Barvicia, however, they are of the magical sorts. No, one knows what or who resides in Drakon.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, no one has seen any of them. There is evidence of someone living within the Kingdom. They keep to themselves.”

  “Weird? Ok, so what about Galovin?”

  “Dark Elves, a deadly bunch if one is not careful.”

  “Your name is not El; it is Fay, which means Fairy or Elf. I thought it’s fitting since you are both. For now, you need to continue to go by El. When the time is right, an announcement of who you are, along with your real name, will be made.”

  “Does anyone know about me?”

  “Only a very small few that we trust within our closest circle.”

  “You’ll learn the Elvish and Fairy Language, Royal Etiquette, Rules of Court, Art of War, Combat Training, and Magic.” As she pointed to a stack of books on the table with a scroll on top, “Use the scroll to help you read the stack of books. Each one will help you with the lessons you’ll be learning.”

  “Great, homework,” not what she was looking forward to doing. She grabbed the books as she walked out the door. Elva was standing in the hall; she showed El the way back to her room.

  As she walked into the bathing area within her room, she noticed a bath had been drawn, without hesitation, she stripped out of her clothes to climb into the tub. Laying back against the tub, she soaked the dirt off her body as the heat of the water seeped into her muscles, which helped the soreness she had been feeling after riding for days.

  After she had dressed in her nightwear, she headed for the table where she had put the stack of books—taking a seat in one of the two chairs at the table. She started to look through the pile of books. The fourth one down looked familiar because she had dreamt about it. Curiosity now in full swing, it would be the first one she would read. She opened the scroll, then remembered the door. She stood went over to the door double-checking the lock. She went back, read the words on the parchment, grateful they were in English. She knew right away the spell was in effect, feeling the magic when she opened the book to read. As she read over each word, it pronounced within her head. Of course, Ivoka had given her another way for her to learn their language; she would be hearing it all day long to learn it faster. It took her most of the night before she had finished the book. It was like none she had ever read before, but as far as she knew magic was practically non-existent in her other world, there weren’t a lot of books like this one. At least of her knowledge, anyways. Although Anita, the witch, had a magic book. How many magic books were out there in the world?

  As El awoke, she had hoped everything which had happened in the last few days was nothing but a dream. However, the bright sunlight shining through her window gave a clear view this was going to be her life. She climbed out of bed and walked over to the window. She could feel the warmth of the sun on her face while she looked outside. She could see her room was high above the valley floor, amongst the treetops, although none of them came near her window.

  El’s stomach growled as she opened the Armoire, she picked one of the dresses which hung inside. It was pastel pink, almost white, with a hint of dark pink around the neckline, as well as the sleeves. She slipped her feet into shoes to match the color of her dress, not as comfortable as her tennis shoes. Going over to the dresser to pick out the jewelry that best matched the dress she wore. As she stood before the mirror, she looked at her reflection. She was pretty sure the Queen would be satisfied. She hoped as she turned and walked out of the bedroom door.

  Arriving on the balcony, El was surprised to see Ivoka still sitting at the table. She motioned for her to come to join her before she looked back at the paper in her hand. She took her seat when Elva appeared. Elva placed a plate of food in front of her. She turned to look at Elva as she smiled, “Thank you!”

  “How did you sleep?” Ivoka inquired before swallowing some juice.

  “Good, what does today hold?” she asked curiously.

  “Lessons,” Ivoka replied.

  She wasn’t thrilled at this news, “You’re kidding, schoolwork already?”

  “Sorry, I need to get you trained as soon as possible.”

  Again, Ivoka got right down to business. She’d been holding a seating chart for distinguished guests, Ivoka went on, guests should be seated by their rank. El was doing her best to pay attention while she ate her morning meal. This was one lesson she decided she didn’t want to have to re-do. Once was more than enough. They were fixing to leave when Medamiriel walk out the door, she came over smiled, “Well hello, who are you?” she looked in El’s direction.

  “Her name is El. What is it you need, Medamiriel?” Ivoka asked.

  “Oh, to ask you, Vigdis would like some time with you sometime today if possible.”

  “Fine, let her know I will meet with her this afternoon.”

  “Yes, your majesty.” She bounced off the balcony.

  “Thank you for answering for me.”

  “Sweetie, remember you shouldn’t use your birth name here, not yet.”

  Once Ivoka had locked the door, and the spell was in place. Ivoka came over to claim the same chair as yesterday. She started with the Elvish language.

  El was thankful for the spell Ivoka gave her yesterday, which enabled her to hear as well as read the words of the Elvish language.

  During the break between Elvish language and Royal Etiquette, El asked, “Do either of you have any other children?” She was hopeful there was another sibling to share her life with, as soon as the words left her mouth, she got worried as she saw the Queen struggle with this conversation. She didn’t expect Ivoka to answer the question. It was apparent she had made a mistake, plus Ivoka wasn’t going to answer the question.

  “No, you see, your father and I love each other, however, when we discovered our love; things between our kingdoms weren’t as good as they are now.”

  “Why not?”

  The King at the time, your Great Grandfather, didn’t want to be allied with anyone. He was about power. When we realized how we felt for one another, we vowed to keep our love a secret and to have a platonic relationship for everyone to see.”

  “Why haven’t you all let everyone know how you feel about each other?”

  “There are still many people among us who may not go for the union due to wanting to stay with tradition. People don’t always like change. It is better to keep our secret to remain allies. We can’t afford an uprising.

  “Let me get this straight you all can’t share your love because people are afraid to let the old ways go and embrace the new?”

  “Correct.”

  “How are they going to react to me since I am of both Kingdoms?”

  “Now you understand part of the reason you were kept a secret.”

  “Great, it could be years even then they may not accept the change.

  “It wouldn’t have been a problem if someone hadn’t used a spell on your father and I to enhance our feelings for one another, making our desire for each other unbearable that we caved within minutes.”

  “When did the spell take place?”

  “It was the night of the Equinox the social event of the year. However, not everyone got the spell. It was reserved only for your father and I.”

  “Did you have an investigation?”

  “Yes, Lazeen questioned all the guests as well as the staff who attended with a truth serum. No one had any knowledge of the spell.”

  “How was the spell cast upon the two of you?”

  “It was placed in the wine we had been drinking.”

  Listening to Ivoka as she re-laid the events, whoever must have slipped into the celebration delivered the potion, ensured they drank their wine then slipped back out before it took effect. “Do you believe they w
ere trying to end both the Elven and Fairy lines with you two?”

  “Yes, it is part of the reason why I had placed you with Lesa. You were too vulnerable of an age it would have put both kingdoms at risk.”

  “How am I to rule two kingdoms since they are some who want to keep the old ways?”

  “It’s a discussion for another time. Now it is time for your Royal Etiquette lesson.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” El stated, frustrated, she didn’t want to get back to doing lessons.

  The next lesson wasn’t as bad as El feared it would be.

  “The rest of your lessons are on hold. Your afternoon is free.” Standing, Ivoka shook out her gown.

  Glad her lessons were over, El bounced down the hall to explore. She headed down a hallway to the right. She wanted to see some of the castle.

  “My lady, is there something I can get you?

  Turning to see Elva, drat, she got busted, “No, I’m just going to the kitchen to get a bite to eat, to take to my room. I will be there until the evening meal.”

  “My Lady, please allow me to prepare your tray for you. I’ll bring it to your room,” she insisted.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to go through all that trouble, I’ll be fine.”

  “I insist my lady, please, I will bring it to you, go relax you been busy all morning.” She stressed with seriousness in her voice.

  Wanting to see something other than her room with disappointment, “Thank you,” annoyed, she got busted, she headed for her room.

  Back in her room, she went over and sat on the windowsill to wait for Elva. As she looked out the window, she saw a pair of birds chasing one another. At least they had each other. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock at the door. She got off the windowsill and opened the door. There stood Elva with a tray in her hand. “Please come in.”